Dovahkiin795: *DJ Khaled voice* Another one.
fatwhiteguy: Thanks a bunch, haha. I promise the book hasn't totally shut on Pearlmethyst just yet. It just isn't going to be as happy a story as Rupphire in canon.
FrostyChops: Thank you! I was excited to finally share it.
Kraven the Hunter: Like a refreshing drink.
SA Hanaka: Thank you very much! I've been trying to deviate more and more from canon as of late, as much as this is a "What if Opal, Ruby, and Sapphire were there instead?" AU. I appreciate it!
Josh Spicer: AAAAHHHHH to you as well! I appreciate it so, so much! Yes, Amethyst still emerged post-Big Bang. I don't want to give every little thing away, but I do want to give some answer to that last point, in case I haven't made it sufficiently clear: Amethyst does have feelings for Pearl, and though it's not to the same degree, Pearl does reciprocate-but she isn't ready to pursue a relationship now, let alone admit her own feelings. Her bond with Amethyst allowed her to deal with Rose's death much better than she did in canon, but Rose was still Pearl's love, and it's still a wound she's healing from. Thank you so much for your review!
amerdism: Thanks for the review! Just for the record, it wasn't like...a living Carnelian. It was a would-be Carnelian, lol. Sorry for not making that clear.
I Believe in Fairytales 606: Thank you very, very much! :)
So, a little update on my situation in regards to COVID-19 right now.
I am still working (restaurants are considered essential where I am), but am being incredibly careful in wearing face masks, washing my hands, and sanitizing as best as I can. Unfortunately, I have just found out that one of my coworkers tested positive for the virus, meaning I was exposed. I'm keeping my distance from others as much as I can. Thankfully, I am in good health for now, and my family is also doing well. That said, symptoms can take around two weeks to appear, so I'm wary.
So things have been a little wild for me. I'm still working, but college has been suspended/moved online indefinitely. Schedule-wise, I have both a lot of freetime and a lot of stuff to take care of. With all the family in the house together, we're working hard to keep the house tidy, keep our schedules workable, stay in touch while staying apart, etc. Thankfully, though, I was able to put up a more consistent schedule in my writing.
Pro tip for all writers: use Fighter's Block, set a goal for 1,000 words, do the same the next day. Boom. Chapter in two weeks.
So hopefully we'll be looking at more updates from here on out. Thank you guys very much for your reviews and support. Please, please, PLEASE stay safe, stay quarantined, and take care of yourself!
"Is this okay? Obviously I don't have hands so I can't bake so I just found this near the back so is this okay?"
Steven looked at the package in his hands. The plastic on top had somewhat smeared the pink icing, but oh, well. He could still read HAPPY BIRTHDAY! as clear as day on it.
"This is great! Thanks, Star!"
Star sighed in relief and diped just a bit, like they were sagging their shoulders. Which they didn't have. Steven had adapted well to reading Star. It was all he could do, considering they were nothing but a floating black light.
"Remind me what the big deal about birthdays is." Star fell into line with him as Steven walked on. He wasn't sure how Star found "the back" of this place. As far as he was concerned, the store went on for infinity, so long that the row of aisles disappeared into a haze. Each aisle was specifically for one item, over and over, copy-and-pasted. "I mean, I get it. It's nice to have a day all about you. But you didn't accomplish anything. Like...Hey! You're alive! WOO!"
"Yeah, but if you're a year older, you're a year smarter. Wiser. Cooler." Steven clicked his tongue. "I am at least twenty percent more cool than I was 365 days ago."
"That's fair. I guess."
"How old do you think you are?"
"Euaueuaugh."
"That's okay. I don't like labels, either."
"I think that's your stop up ahead." Star dipped forward just a bit as a gesture. One of the aisles had no shelves, the linoleum tiles of whatever infinite store they were in cutting off into the pearly white light to bring him home. "Have fun! Congratulations on going another 365 days not being dead."
A single tear rolled down Steven's cheek. "That means so much, Star. Thank you."
"And, uh...Thanks for finally telling them." Star paused. "I mean, I don't know what they're going to do about it now, but...yeah. Thanks."
Steven paused, too, between them and the way out. He really wasn't sure what they were going to do, either. Opal hadn't freaked out, thankfully, but she wasn't happy, either. She wanted to know what was going on, but Steven certainly didn't have any answers. All he knew was that he wanted to get Star out of wherever they were, with nothing but nothing to keep him company.
"I'll let you know what I know as soon as I know."
"I know. Thanks."
Steven saluted them as he walked toward the exit. "See you later, alligator."
"After while, crocodile."
Steven had a lot of reasons to always look forward to his birthday. Most obviously, just...birthday! He didn't have a checklist of must-haves. No, Steven did not need a cake, or a huge party, or presents. His only requirements were the company of friends and family and time for everyone to enjoy themselves and have fun. As long as those happened, he considered it a good birthday.
This year would be his first birthday celebration with Connie, his BFFAEAT (Best Friend Forever and Even After That). All the Crystal Gems would be there, as always, but now he felt that he was a Crystal Gems. It wasn't the three of them and Steven anymore, they were all together on a team. Ruby and Greg were friends again, Opal no longer had to hide her nature as a fusion, and Sapphire had grown exponentially from the pure-and-simple stoic she'd been for so long. Plus, all the Gems had come so far in just being around people. Opal had the Cool Kids, Sapphire had Nanefua, and apparently Ruby and Connie's dad sometimes played poker some weekends, which wasn't weird but Steven had no idea and was kind of weirded out to learn that but it was cool, it was fine.
This year, though, Steven was especially pumped because the drill was essentially completed and Jasper's ship was ready to go. All they had to do was go for a couple of test runs and that was it. Their plan to remove the Cluster from the Earth was underway.
The Gems had all agreed that putting a day aside for Steven's birthday would be harmless. Sapphire couldn't find a future where the Cluster emerged that day, or the day after...which given wasn't a flawless safety net, but still. They were all in desperate need of some R&R. Even Jasper was significantly less grumpy about taking a break this time around.
Speaking of the orange Gem, Steven had no other word for how he felt about her besides "proud." No, Jasper could not be absolutely trusted still. She was not a ray of sunshine, she wasn't above the occasional insult or snark. Most importantly, she wasn't anywhere near being a Crystal Gem still.
Maybe she never would be. Steven had never really expected that. Still, just accepting that the Crystal Gems weren't the bad guys would be enough.
He and the others no longer felt the need to keep an eye on her, convinced that she was in this for the long run. Though their conversations were never as casual as "weird weather we're having," they were civil. Rarely did they devolve into arguments anymore. None of them were friends. They were simply co-inhabitants.
Which was great!
So now Steven could safely look forward to a birthday where Jasper wouldn't be a problem, the Gems would be at ease, and they didn't have to concern themselves with talk of invasion or the end of the world and such.
Mostly.
There was one topic they needed to get out of the way first.
At the moment, he, Ruby, and Sapphire were sitting across from each other on the picnic cloth spread across the sand. It was a wonderful day outside, all clear skies and sunshine. Perfect weather for Personality Pancakes.
Ruby only had one, red velvet with a sprinkle of cinnamon and topped with cherries. She stabbed a third of it with her fork (she wasn't really one to take small bites) as she asked, "You're positive it isn't a problem?"
"Not for me," Steven assured her as he nibbled on a strawberry. "They haven't knocked me out anymore. All we do is talk and stuff. I'm just worried about them."
Ruby and Sapphire looked to each other, silent for a moment. Steven had had this talk with Opal already, which hadn't been an easy conversation, but it also wasn't as difficult as he thought it would be. Opal had been concerned, yes, but not as panicked as she'd been about Lapis in the mirror. She believed him when he said Star was not a threat.
The core issue, which seemed to be the same case now as it was then, was that no one really had an answer.
Sapphire hummed, "I've never heard of such a thing."
Ruby asked, "So how was talking to 'Star' different from talking to...What was her name, Chrysocolla?"
"I think with Chrysocolla it was just like...a telephone call." Steven struggled to find his words, but the others simply gestured for him to continue. "I don't know exactly where Chrysocolla is, but she is out there somewhere. I don't know where Star is, but I don't think it's really a place, and they're trapped there. I'm the only person they can talk to, but I don't know why."
Ruby tapped on her chin. "I don't know how to help them, then..."
"Maybe we can't," Sapphire said unhappily. "From what you've told us, we don't even know if they physically exist."
Ruby reached out and placed a hand upon Steven's shoulder. "Listen, bud. Sounds to me like just talking to them helps. I mean, do they want to get out?"
Steven had to think about it. He recalled every conversation he and Star had had about their unique situation. "I don't know. I mean, they said that if they had a body, they want to go swimming and stuff, but that's it. I think they just hated being alone for so long."
"Well...I know this sucks ostrich eggs, but you might have to tell them there's nothing we can do. I mean...I'm coming up short. What about you, Sapph?"
Sapphire shook her head, looking no more pleased. "I have nothing."
Though neither angry nor happy, Steven was puzzled as he took in their reactions. Again, to compare with the situation with Lapis, the two of them were taking this much more calmly than he'd anticipated. Not panicking, not putting plans into motion, just confused and trying to swallow the pill.
"Thanks for not...you know." Steven waved his hands around and blew a raspberry.
Ruby huffed a laugh. "If you say there's nothing to be worried about, then sure. We won't freak."
"Just...tell us if anything changes." Sapphire placed her fork down upon her plate. "We still have no real idea what we're working with, so even if there's nothing to be concerned about now, that might change in the future."
"Sure."
Still...Steven couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed. Even if the Gems had been upset over this, he'd had his fingers crossed that they'd at least have some answers. He wanted to help Star, but at the same time, did Star even really want to be helped? Were they content to stay in that void, so long as Steven kept them from total isolation? Was there any place they could start looking, just in case?
"Now I don't know about you guys, but I've had my share of serious talk for today." Suddenly Ruby was tossing Steven up into the air, laughing when he cried out, and only beaming at him when he fell back into her hands. "It's birthday time, boy!"
So even as Star lingered on his mind, Steven laughed. The topic for now was closed. He'd talk with Star about it that night, but was there really any harm in taking time to just enjoy life and the company of his loved ones? And also eat cake and wear funny hats? He didn't think so.
The party was going to be on the beach, a nice change in pace from the barn and the rolling hills around it. For decoration, Ruby had kind-of-sort-of-really taken control over the emergency siren by having four strings of fairy lights that each connected to four other poles she'd put up, and then lights between them. Tables and chairs of different sizes and shapes had been put up, the tables draped with white tablecloths topped with star-shaped confetti.
The entirety of Beach City was invited to attend, so they were expecting a pretty good turnout. Everyone had taken on a responsibility. Ruby was in charge of decoration and music, Sapphire was in charge of food and drinks, and Opal would be Master of the Games, a title she gave herself around four months ago in preparation.
That left Jasper, who had begrudgingly accepted the role of Guest of Honor.
Emphasis on 'begrudgingly.'
"What are the point of these things?" Jasper asked Steven as he approached via Ruby. She had a handful of balloons in hand and shook them about with a level of disdain.
"Decorations! They look fun. Here." Steven took one, blew it up, and tied the end in a knot. He tossed it up to Jasper—instead of grabbing it, she just let it bop harmlessly against her nose and drift back down to the sand. "You try!"
Jasper did, without enthusiasm. Whatever non-existent lungs she had had the power of wind turbines, it seemed, because once she started inflating one, it swelled and popped in .5 seconds. Same with the next. And the next.
"Instruct her," Steven advised Ruby. He'd come to learn that the easiest way to get the two of them to get along with one another was to get them together in a moment where Jasper was horribly failing at the mundane. Ruby always loved it.
The familiar thumping of paws hitting the sand had Steven turning around, already smiling. Once Connie was off his shoulders, Lion fell to the sand to nap. Steven wasn't sure if he was going to be around for the festivities or not. Naps and all.
"Birthday boy!" Connie pulled him in for a hug immediately. She had her long hair tied back in two braids and was dressed in a knee-length purple dress. She called it her party suit. "Happy birthday, my boy!"
"You made it!"
"Yeah! Mom and Dad said they may come by later. Mom has a lot of patients to take care of and Dad found more details on the Pastry Bandits."
"The Pastry Bandits?!"
"They have no affiliation to the Cream Snatchers, although their motives are remarkably similar. Anyways...Here's your present!" Connie reached into her pocket and withdrew a little box, but only waved it once before tucking it away again. "For later." Then her face dropped a little, though not unhappily. "I...still refuse to believe you're fourteen."
Steven couldn't help but chuckle, remembering the bug-eyed look she'd given him when he first told her. And the spray of apple juice he got in his face. "5,110 days, Connie. Cross my heart!"
"I'm going to need your heart to check its math." Connie pinched his cheeks between her fingers. "Fourteen…!"
A little ways away, a voice chirped, "Higher! Lower! A little to the left!"
Pearl did as Amethyst instructed and moved the large posterboard just so. Opal had taken a lot of care into the 'Pin the Tail on the Lion' game. Unfortunately, she had made the mistake of asking Steven's cursed fingers to draw the image. He knew what things looked like but couldn't really draw them, so even though the lion of the doodle was big and pink, it also had quite a long neck and feet like talons. No biggie. As long as guests could stick the felt tails on, all was good.
"Stop!" Amethyst clapped her hands together. "Looks great, P."
"Wonderful." Pearl looked past her, and when her eyes fell on Connie, her face split into a grin. "Hello, Connie! So great to see you!"
Connie just…stared. Blinked.
Amethyst saluted her, too, but turned back to Pearl when the taller Gem asked, "You ready now? I don't want to wait too long."
With a little smile, Amethyst rolled her eyes. "Such a worrywart. Fine. C'mere."
Pearl took this command by bowing with exaggerated grace…and then spun high, high into the air, until she became nothing but a silhouette against the sun's light. Amethyst stayed where she was, arms held wide open and Gem shining bright, bright purple. A flip, a fall, and as soon as Pearl met her again, they melted together into one beaming form.
Opal returned with a toss of her head to get her mane out from her face. She stretched like she'd just awoken from a long nap, and seeing Connie (again), she smiled and waved. "Good to see you again!"
Connie's face went from confusion to understanding. "Ohhhh!"
"Okay, new plan!" Back amongst the tables, Ruby clapped her hands together as she looked at the mess on the sand. Every balloon now lied on the ground, pieces of burst elastic everywhere. "This is going to be confetti. Here."
Ruby reached under one table and pulled out a pinata, star-shaped and bright yellow. "All you have to do is put candy in this thing. You can't mess it up."
Steven cupped his hands around his mouth to call, "You guys are doing great!"
"Thanks! We're working on—" As soon as she turned back around, Ruby's eyes fell on the destroyed remnants of the pinata. "—why?"
From around the bend of the Temple, the familiar Mr. Universe van came rolling along the sand. Sapphire was already awaiting (of course she was), and didn't even let the ignition die before pulling the back doors open. Greg stepped out with a fond little headshake at her impatience, then waved and called, "Back again, Schtu-ball!"
"Greg, the list said we needed Doctor Perker." Sapphire waved a two-liter soda bottle in her hand. "This is Perky Pop."
"Isn't it the same thing?"
Steven and Connie joined them while Sapphire mumbled something under breath about cutting corners. Each grabbed a bag of foodstuffs—soda, chips, the like—and helped carry them over to the food table.
"Can I see it?" Yeah, Steven was going to be more mature from here on out, but every person, adult or child, was allowed to get excited for their birthday cake. "Can I?"
"Yep! Here we go."
Greg oh-so-very carefully carried it from the van to the table and lifted the white carboard top. The confetti cake was white with pink icing, and covered in yellow fondant stars. The candles weren't in just yet, but blue letters across the top read HAPPY BIRTDAY, STEVEN!
Steven oohed over it and cheered, "They spelled my name right!"
"Yeah," said Connie. "But they spelled 'birthday' wrong."
"Heh. Birtday."
"Oh." Embarrassed, Greg closed the box once again. "Sorry about that. Maybe we can fix it?"
"It's okay! No biggie at all." Steven waved his arms around them, at the decorations and the clear sky and the sandy beach. "It doesn't have to be perfect. Just as long as it doesn't go…wrong-wrong. Really badly wrong."
"Right."
"No, wrong."
"Right?"
"Wrong is right."
"I thought wrong was wrong?"
"Hey guys, I know there's a funny vaudeville-esc bit coming from this, but I'm already incredibly frustrated with this conversation and I think we're on the same page." With a pat on both Greg and Steven's arms (and a nod from each), Connie returned to pulling things out of the grocery bags. "Is this everything, Sapphire?"
"We have Chiiiips instead of Chaaaps, but until the pizzas arrive, yes." Last time they had checked, Sapphire was in the van. Now she stood among them and they all just about jumped out of their skins.
There wasn't any time to ask how she'd moved so quickly and silently. Ruby came forward with her hands clasped together and against her pursed lips. Not bubbling with rage, just frustration of the trying-to-get-something-ready sort.
"Alright. We have no balloons, we're down to our backup pinata, and all the kazoos have been crumpled and won't kazoo anymore." A clap of her hands. "I am humbly requesting her relocation to another duty."
"I'm not." Jasper had taken a page from Sapphire's book, apparently: one second over here, the next second over there, walking for the stairs up to Steven's Room. She waved at them all over her shoulder without looking. "I'm relocating myself. I'll be back when I've actually done something of value."
At most, there were just a few eyerolls and not-too-annoyed sighs. Without the threat of violence anymore, Jasper's snips and snaps had become just that.
Still… "I'm going to go talk to her. I'll be right back!"
Steven ran faster, but Jasper's strides were equal to his entire body length, so she was already well inside by the time Steven opened the screen door. She had one boot on the Warp Pad, and the lights were already starting to lap around the edges. He was instantly aware of where she was trying to run off to.
"Hey, I thought you agreed to stay?"
And again, it was telling how much she had (as much as she possibly could, probably) relaxed around them all when the look on her face was more of mild annoyance and not the burning annoyance one felt at a bug buzzing in their ear. Not that Jasper had ears, but still.
She took her boot off the Warp Pad, but stayed put. "I agreed to stay if you could prove my skills were actually needed. I don't see that being the case here."
"There are loads of things you can use your skills for."
"I will reaffirm that changing the leytbalb in the other room because I'm taller than you isn't a 'skill.'"
"My undying gratitude and grief of short stature disagree, but fine. But you can still…"
Then Steven just kind of trailed off, because though he racked his brain for answers, none came to his mouth. Jasper could cut the cake, or maybe take care of…the trash? But she'd already been so reluctant just to decorate, and he doubted either of those would make her change that reluctance.
He was doing his best to picture Jasper at the party, doing something, but came up short. Jasper noticed, too, because the longer he stood like a frozen computer screen, the more her brows furrowed over her eyes until she finally just said, "Well?"
"I, uh…" Steven cleared his throat. This wasn't mean, right? No, this wasn't mean. This was just honest. This was just running out of options. "I actually…don't know. You got me. I don't know what you can do."
"Well, then!"
She moved to leave once more, and Steven cried, "Wait! Don't you want to just relax and have fun?"
"It's not fun having fun when you don't see why you should be having fun." Jasper jabbed a finger towards the door. "There's no point to any of this! Why celebrate just existing?"
"Because existing is good! It's just nice having a day where you can do whatever and say it's in celebration."
"So you admit this is just an excuse?"
Steven deflated. It was so hard to crack through Jasper's psychology sometimes. Her vocabulary did not have terms like birthdays and do whatever. It's not that he didn't want to try, but sometimes he had to just ask himself if it was really worth it. Even if he did convince her to stay, he couldn't convince her to be happy.
So he just said, "You can go back to working on the drill if you want. I won't make you stay."
She didn't immediately leave as he thought she would. Instead, she hesitated for just a second…then walked closer. Not to him, but to the window. It was a little hard to see beyond the deck, but they could make out the others walking about and getting everything ready. Ruby was making up for their lost decorations by absolutely showering the place in confetti, apparently.
Jasper watched them for a moment with a pinched expression. Finally, she pulled back from the window, ran a hand down her face, and grumbled, "I don't understand this place."
Steven offered an unsure smile. "Confused about taking breaks again?"
"Confused about how you consider things that are so self-satiating as important. The only point of doing this is for your own enjoyment."
"And no one will be hurt for it!" At Jasper's look, he asked, "Do you think doing anything for yourself is wrong?"
"I think it neglects responsibilities and puts current projects are risk for falling behind."
Steven tapped on his chin. He was pleased to see that Jasper wasn't running back to the barn. It sounded almost like she was trying to hear him out, at least to explain how this all worked. He just had no idea how to explain that indulgence wasn't evil.
"Listen." Steven stepped on top of the sofa in a fruitless attempt to be eye-level with her. He went from looking at her knees to looking at her stomach. "Why don't you just stick around and see for yourself? I promise it won't hurt anything."
Jasper looked outside once again. The fact that she wasn't immediately denying him gave him some hope…and then relief when she breathed a deep sigh that probably would have been through her nose if she actually had one.
"I'm not convinced, but I'll go along with it for now."
Steven opened his mouth—
"Don't squee."
Steven closed his mouth.
By the time the sun was starting to paint the sky gold, the party attendees were coming in droves. First it was the Pizzas, catering the event under Sapphire's supervision. Then came the Frymans, who were absolutely not at all offended that they were not hired, no sir, not at all, they brought fry bits, it's all good, all good. Then it was the Cool Kids, Lars and Sadie, Jamie, Mr. Smiley, anyone and everyone.
The gifts began to stack on the table, games had lines going to play, and if the music paused to start a new song, there was no silence thanks to the many cries coming from Pin the Tail on the Lion. The strings of fairy lights cast everything in a warm yellow glow, so light and peaceful and fun.
Steven was clapped on the back, his hair ruffled, all while being congratulated for another year gone by…if not being given comments about how unbelievable it was that he was in fact fourteen now. The Cool Kids apologized for not realizing he was already a teenager. Mr. Smiley only mentioned once that all his wrongdoings at Funland were not forgotten and otherwise went along having fun with everyone else. Mayor Dewey complimented him (again, surprised) for his ongoing childlike joy, something he had not known ever since he went into office many years ago. Steven kept an eye on Mayor Dewey after that.
Sapphire was overseeing the distribution of pizza like it was her earthly duty. While talking to Nanefua about the benefits of circular pizza boxes over square ones, Jamie lifted up a slice of pepperoni and asked, "Is this grass-fed organic?" Sapphire answered, "Sure." Because she knew not what those words meant and did not wish to have the mailman explain it to her.
Opal was helping with a game of limbo that had grown more and more intense. Onion had it on the second-to-last rung, and somehow he just…slid beneath it without so much as lifting a finger. The crowd was both in awe and horror.
"Incredible," exclaimed Dante Barriga.
Sour Cream reached up (and up) to an advising hand on Opal's shoulder. "You can't defeat him. He's been the reining limbo champion for forever."
Looking down at her tiny opponent, who taunted her so silently, Opal came to a conclusion: "He does not abide by the laws of man, and neither shall I."
So with a flash of light, Opal had shapeshifted into a body so tiny her two Gems took it up by half. All it took to get under the last limbo bar was a single push.
The crowd burst into cheer and applause, and once she came back to her full height, Opal had Sour Cream and Jenny both throw themselves upon her, crying out as Buck clapped his approval. Onion gave a nod of bitter respect before slinking back into the night.
Doug Maheswaran, there only for a brief time before he had to get back to work once more, was trying to upkeep a conversation with Greg and Ruby, but in a rare show of pickiness, she kept flitting to the tables to press out wrinkles or re-align chairs.
After the seventh time, Doug asked Greg, "So that's a 'no' on the poker night?"
Greg sighed, not unkindly. "Ruby, everything looks great."
"Great isn't good enough for my boy. Only perfect is."
Doug looked down at the confetti peppering the sand. "Isn't this going to be hard to pick up?"
"Very," Ruby agreed, and then she ripped open three more bags of confetti.
And Steven was just having a blast.
It was reinvigorating to not have to worry about invasions and unknown figures in his dreams, or clusters of Gem shards—not that the weren't lingering in the back of his mind.
At the forefront, though, he listened to the directions of "Higher! To the left!" until he got the tail on Lion's image. He cheered Connie on as she and Mrs. Barriga, who was smiling in-between her calls to be careful, raced with eggs in spoons to the finish line. Greg gave him his birthday crown, and he dramatically bowed to everyone for the rest of the evening.
It was fun to be young again, or maybe just keep being young. At the same time, to be older meant to be wiser, smarter, and stronger. He was proud of how far he'd come. He was so much better at summoning his shield now, and understood that Gem missions weren't for fun and games.
At the same time…
Watching everyone freeze-and-dance-and-freeze at Musical Statues, Steven looked to the ocean, and he couldn't keep up his smile. Somewhere out there, Lapis and Peridot were bound together, each struggling to take control, and…wasn't it still his fault? If he'd gotten to Lapis sooner, or maybe convinced Peridot…
For a moment, the enjoyment of the party waned. Here he was, having fun at a silly little celebration, while so much was going wrong in the world…
"Hey, Schtu-ball!"
Greg waved him over, holding a lighter in his free hand. "Cake time, buddy!"
Then, Steven forced the waning back and put on a smile. This was his birthday, sure, but this was also a reprieve for the others. He could put it all aside for now. They deserved a break to relax, too.
So Steven smiled and smiled big and proud as the candles were lit and a chorus of "Happy Birthday" rang through the crowd. He blew out the fourteen candles and there was another round of applause, then Greg went about cutting up the squares.
(There was more than one confused whisper of "'Birtday?")
Greg had a piece on the blade, but couldn't find the pink paper plates to put it on. When it seemed that he was about to start sweating, an orange hand slid a stack to him.
Jasper…
Well…
She didn't look angry. Not yet, anyway. Rather, she looked bored with a hint of annoyed. She'd been standing there the whole time, probably just to be out of the way, and she looked instantly regretful to have moved. Now she'd been noticed, and not with warmth.
Steven got the first slice, of course, and behind him was Lars. His calm look turned into a I-just-ate-a-whole-lemon one as soon as he set eyes on Jasper. He shuffled away with a curled lip, and after that, Sadie did her best just to avoid eye contact. Jenny shared Lars's sour look, and Jamie turned away with a dramatic huff. The best welcome came from Mr. and Mrs. Barriga, and even then, their warm smiles were nervous when Jasper didn't even blink at them.
As he ate his (delicious) cake, Steven realized he hadn't factored as much into this as he'd thought. he hadn't forgotten about Jasper's bashing insults her first day facing the citizens, but he must've forgotten that the citizens hadn't forgotten. Jasper posed no threat to them, but they didn't trust her, let alone like her. It seemed the party would have to go on with an elephant on the beach.
Connie met up with him after getting her piece of cake (the 'rt' of 'Birtday). She looked just as unsure. "I don't think anyone was expecting Jasper to be a guest."
"Neither was Jasper," admitted Steven. "I'm trying to show her it's okay to just do fun stuff for yourself every now and then. Or whenever."
Ronaldo was whispering to PeeDee (who didn't seem very invested) what he perceived to be Jasper's true intentions. Jasper pointedly ignored him, only curling her lip at "evil twin sister."
Connie sighed. "I don't think this audience is going to be much help."
Steven looked around the party, thinking. As the attendees munched on cake, they sent sidelong glances Jasper's way. Still they went talking about the next race and Lion game. The party had not nearly been ruined. No one had been hurt.
"Maybe we can feed two birds with one biscuit," said Steven. "If we get Jasper involved, then she can see there's nothing wrong with having fun, and everyone else can see she's okay."
Connie looked back at Jasper, who was now beginning to show the start of discomfort. She'd spent a long time in Jasper's presence now. She would never call the hulking mass of light-projected muscle cuddly, but yes, she was fine…Probably unapologetic, but…fine. Certainly not unsalvageable.
She scraped up the last of her cake and declared, "Yeah! Let's do it!"
So with Operation: Jasper Learns Fun in motion, Steven crossed through the crowd to her. She'd pulled at her bracelet to record another log, cupping her other hand discreetly over it to block out the sound.
"Contents of packages are currently unknown, but nothing suggests weaponry or contraband." Seeing Steven approach, she hastily closed out with, "Incoming interruption."
He chuckled. "Sorry."
"This is for my own use. I intend to destroy it once this all passes. Do you need something?"
"Yes, actually! We are going to bob for apples!"
Jasper didn't protest when he rounded the table and took her hand. Not that she didn't wrinkle her non-existent nose. "Who is Bob and why do we need his apples?"
"Uh…Bob isn't a person. In this case. It's a game!"
"A game."
"When you're at a party, you play games!"
"Sounds useless."
"Yep!"
The barrels had already been set up and filled with water. Opal was dumping the last bushel of apples in when they approached. Mayor Dewey was rolling his sleeves up, which seemed unnecessary, given he would be keeping them behind his back.
"Alright, I'm going to warn all of you," he bragged to the others. "My apple-bobbing skills are extraordinary. Only step forward if you wish to be defeated!"
He didn't give anyone time to answer, immediately turning to Opal, who had just noticed the last last bushel unopened. Despite the droplet that ran down his temple, he put on his most charming smile and asked, "What say you, Miss Crystal-Gem? Care for battle?"
Opal had been so focused on (easily) tearing the bag open that she hadn't even noticed him talking. Or that the apples bounced down the mayor's head before splashing into the water. "Sorry, what?"
While Sapphire picked up a stray apple, Ruby turned to the onlooking crowd. "Who wants to go first?"
A ripple went through them all, but just as Mr. Fryman stepped forward, Connie's voice chirped, "I think Jasper does!"
Jasper's response was to look at the barrels with confusion. The citizens' response was to fall quiet, with one or two sneering in disdain. Someone coughed.
Mayor Dewey leaned down to ask Sapphire, "She won't kill me if I win, will she?"
Steven led Jasper to the barrel while he explained. "All you have to do is grab an apple with your teeth. You can't use your hands. First one to get an apple wins!"
Even though she held her arms behind her back, Jasper sneered. "How primitive."
"Alright!" Opal pulled a checkerboard flag out of her Gem. "Ready…set…go!"
Jasper and Mayor Dewey dived.
There wasn't much applause, just amused whispers and Buck's single "Go, Dad." Mayor Dewey's head tossed this way and that, splashing water, making the apples bob up and down on the surface. His tie had slipped from his blazer and was immediately soaked. He didn't notice.
Jasper wasn't moving. At all. Her mane covered the barrel completely, and as far as Steven saw, she had just thrown her head into the water and went still. Looking to Connie for help only got him a shrug of confusion.
Finally, Mayor Dewey emerged with an apple caught in his teeth. For once, his face was soaked with water instead of sweat. "I gottid!"
There was some appropriate clapping and cheers. Smiling, perhaps a little nervously, Steven patted Jasper on the back. "Better luck next time!"
The orange Gem stood upright once more, face stoic and—dry?
Steven looked down at the barrel.
It was empty.
"What—?"
An absolute tsunami came gushing from Jasper's mouth. Water splashed back down into the barrel as one great jet studded with apples. Just the sound of it had several flinching.
Jasper spat out one last Red Delicious before answering, "Was that right?"
Steven was too surprised and maybe a little disturbed by it to immediately answer. Nanefua beat him to it. "Amazing!"
Most of the citizens, especially the mayor, only stared in shock. A few, though, allowed some approval to peek through. Jenny gave an "Alright!" and started clapping, followed by Buck. The Barrigas applauded (sans Lars), of course, as did Kiki. Onion was allowing an incredibly rare display of emotion: his eyes were filled with awe.
Jasper was so busy looking at the crowd, if only because that was what Steven and Connie were doing, that she did not see Opal approaching her. The fusion's hand touched her chest, and Jasper jumped, landing in a battle-ready stance that had several backing away in fear.
But Opal had only touched her to press a little gold sticker against Jasper's uniform.
"Show off," she said before she lifted the barrel. Steven caught a smirk on her face as she walked away.
Jasper stood there, blinking. Steven leaned towards Connie to ask, "Success?"
Connie nodded. "Success."
They decided to wait a while before the next move. There was a period of simple mingling, the pizza and cake being grazed and party games ongoing. Opal had gotten rid of one of the apple barrels—even she knew it was just unsanitary to let anyone else use—so the game kept going with one. It was large enough for two. Nanefua held a streak of four rounds before she lost it to Kiki, and no one would be blamed for thinking she'd let her granddaughter win.
Steven made sure to enjoy himself, but kept his eye on Jasper. The radius that everyone kept between her and themselves seemed to have shrunk just a bit. The lack of eye contact didn't seem so intentional anymore. She actually did something that had Steven's chest warming with pride: noticing Ruby picking up used plates and cups, she cleared a whole table with one hand and dumped it into the bag Ruby was carrying. Ruby even gave a casual thank-you.
Connie agreed that progress had been made, but there was still more to come. The two saw an opportunity when the pinata came out.
The second the star shape was lifted into the air, people came to it like moths to flame. As expected, because who didn't love pinatas? More than one looked to be hyping themselves to strike. Ronaldo tucked his phone away to crack his knuckles. Kofi rolled his shoulders.
Steven took the honor of the first turn. He was blindfolded, spun around, and left to steer around to the directions shouted to him from every direction: "Forward!" "To the left!" "Little more!"
He took his swing, but only succeeded in striking Opal's leg. Congratulatory applause followed, a little dimmed by him maaaaybeee not minding his own strength and snapping the bat in half. After that, everyone took turns, blindfolding, spinning, swinging. Typical pinata steps. Mr. Fryman managed to swipe a ribbon off, but nothing more.
Steven waited until everyone interested took their turn and the bat was offered to him again before he made his move.
"Jasper!"
He caught her just as she was turning away, and saw her shoulders hunch beneath her cloak. Her groan was loud enough to rumble through his feet, but still she turned and asked, "What."
"Why don't you take a turn?"
The reluctance was not as strong this time, and he quickly realized why. Jasper had been watching all the swinging with just a hint of interest, but as she stepped forward, he could see the gears turning in her eyes. She was trying to guess the density, integrity, and whatever else of the pinata. More importantly, she understood that the goal was to hit something.
The new bat was given to Jasper, and she sneered. Her hand took half of it. "I hit it."
"Yep."
"That's it."
"Yep."
"…Good."
A pat on her leg, and Jasper knelt so Sapphire could tie the blindfold around her eyes. While she couldn't see, the circle around them widened. One only had to take a single look at Jasper to know that a good swing from her could obliterate a boulder. Only Connie stepped forward, to give Steven an encouraging smile.
Jasper spun around three times, not that it seemed to throw her balance off at all. She took a steady step forward.
"More," Buck advised.
Jasper raised a brow, like she forgot she had to listen to instructions. She complied.
Sadie called, "A little to the right!"
Jasper took a half-step to the right.
"Just another step forward," Martha called just as her husband added, "Almost!"
So Jasper took another step forward, and finally satisfied, swung the bat.
One second the pinata was there. The next, it wasn't.
There was no loud crack or booming reverberation. Only a quiet thwip and a brief rush of air as a yellow bullet zoomed up into the sky. Everyone immediately looked skyward, blinking in shock, but there was nothing to see but the stars steadily peeking past the clouds.
Jasper removed her blindfold, saw that the pinata was gone, and gave a very nasty glare to Opal. "Did you move it?!"
Connie squeaked and flinched beside Steven. At first he only saw her rubbing at her head, but following her gaze to their feet, he saw what had hit her: a hard candy, wrapped in shiny plastic.
That was all the warning they got before the candy rain descended upon them.
It didn't hurt, not really. Everyone just got a surprise when toffees, bubblegums, chocolates, and all other sorts of sweets came down upon them, peppering the sand and bouncing off their heads. The worst offenders were the jawbreakers, and even then, it was nothing more than a brief sting.
It didn't last long. Maybe ten seconds. But it was long enough for the shock to wear off and the excitement to set in. Gasps turned into chuckles, and even some more applause. Lars tilted his head back to catch something (albeit he forgot that the candies were still wrapped, and spent the next few minutes being patted on the back by Sadie as he choked). Several cupped their hands to catch things, and Kiki held the front of her shirt out like a basket. Onion fell to the sand to make a candy angel.
Jasper's confusion watching the humans laugh and smile only multiplied when she saw them unwrapping the candies and popping them into their mouths. A bubblegum landed on her boot, and curious for answers, she picked it off and pushed it past her lips. Given, she also didn't remove the wrapper, but the brief surprise on her face was not negative. Steven wondered if she'd tasted anything as sweet so far.
In the last few "droplets", Connie caught a chocolate between her hands. "That was great, Jasper!"
"Good job," Steven agreed.
Opal had caught quite a bit with her four hands, and was letting the Cool Kids pick from them like birds eating seed. Meanwhile, Ruby picked stray pieces that had fallen into Sapphire's hair out with her fingertips.
"Not bad, Jasper," Sapphire complimented. She gave her a brief smile, even.
Confusion gave way to acceptance. No smile came, but Jasper let the bat go and glanced around the scene. "Well, of all the bizarre rituals you earthlings have had thus far, this is the most self-satisfying, I'll give you that much."
Steven's appreciation was genuine. "That's the spirit!" Watching Jasper's unmoving jaw, though, his smile fell. "Did you swallow that?"
Jasper blinked. "You said you're supposed to swallow food."
Steven made a note to talk about this later.
The Crystal Gems had been very adamant that this year was very special, the most special birthday Steven had ever had so far. Though he'd had to shoot down some of their more egregious ideas—he didn't even think five thousand bouncy castles would fit on the beach—he had agreed to the biggest gift of the evening.
The firework bundle had been carefully guarded for the past week, and other than keeping Ruby at a safe distance, there was no trouble to be had. The bundle had plenty of sparklers and party-poppers, a few fountains, but (of course) the real gems were the rockets that would be firing far, far up into the sky. You couldn't have asked for a better night to light a beach sky with color.
Sapphire went to get the fireworks from inside, and while the party milled about, Steven and Connie kept their eyes on Jasper.
They were pleasantly surprised to see that the citizens were actually going as far as to seek her out for things now, like "where is this" and "could you hand me that." The only person to ask a question deeper than "Having fun?" (which was met with dead silence and a sneer) was Nanefua. The Pizza matriarch was more than happy to talk to the taller, stronger, broader Gem like an old friend, even as Jasper only responded with five syllables at most. If Steven didn't know any better, he would say that Jasper seemed to speak a little gentler with her, as if she understood that she was a human further along in her years. At the very least, she didn't outright sneer or scoff at the woman, and even nodded when Nanefua thanked her for taking care of a spilled drink.
Jasper herself seemed more at ease than ever, so long as no one outright approached her. Peedee accidentally bumped into her once, scurrying away just as quickly, and all Jasper responded with was a furrowed brow and a step away. She watched the humans with something almost like interest now, especially as they kept at their games and laughed. She almost relaxed enough to cross her arms and lean against a table…but quickly realized that it would crumple under her weight in seconds flat, and decided against it.
So now there was just a thin sheet separating them from their two goals (at least in Steven's opinion): get Jasper to see that there's nothing wrong with fun, and get the citizens to relax to her.
"I think it's working," Connie whispered to him in an exciting hush. She drummed her hand on his arm, grinning.
"It is! On to the next stage."
Steven went to the box that Greg and the Crystal Gems were hunching over. They had taken the responsibility of getting all the fireworks together, and were arranging them all in a line in the sand. Ruby was obediently waiting to do her part, and smiled as Steven approached.
"Hey, birthday boy!" Ruby punched his leg, maybe a little too hard. "Ready to set this place on fire? Figuratively?"
"Yeah, figuratively!" Steven nodded his head behind him. Jasper was still sticking to one spot, arms crossed, watching the humans. "Jasper's doing pretty good tonight, huh?"
All four of them followed his gesture but didn't stare too long. Steven was happy to see none of them curl their lips or scowl.
"Yeah, actually." Ruby shrugged. "She's not so grumpy."
"She's certainly behaving herself," Sapphire noted as she set another firework into the sand.
Opal let out a sigh, albeit a short one. "I doubt she'll ever see what we see in the Earth, but maybe a party will get her to let loose a little."
Greg hesitated a little longer, but was the only one to crack a smile. "I kind of almost-sort-of-maybe think she's having fun."
It only bolstered Steven's relief that his mission was succeeding. You had to appreciate little victories, after all.
"I'm going to take some sparklers over," Steven said as he reached into the box. It took him a second to locate them. "There's no way she can't like sparklers."
"Sure, bu—Whoa, whoa."
Ruby's hand quickly but gently grabbed his wrist as he pulled the small bundle out. Though confused, he let her (carefully) take them out of his grasp and set them back into the box.
"Not sparklers. They're the…uh…"
Opal made a vague hand gesture. "Toss-and-poppers."
"Yeah, those. Need to stay away from 'em." Ruby instead handed him a different bundle, the sticks now wrapped in multicolored tissue instead of the slate gray grit of the others. "Here you go, pyromaniac."
"I thank you for saving my fingers." Steven curtsied with his cape and returned to the party.
Connie was standing just close enough to Jasper to be considered with her or not with her. She had become much better about her social skills, apparently. Jasper turned to him as he approached and only glanced at what he held.
"Have you ever seen fireworks before?" he asked.
"I have no idea what that is."
Jealousy raged in his gut. "You're so lucky."
Connie stepped beside him and took the sparklers so she could unwrap them. "Here, I'll go get this lit so we can—"
"Hey, everyone!" Opal's voice cut through the crowd and got her the silence she wanted. "Time for fireworks!"
An excited babble filled the air. Many started to shuffle to get a better view and join together in families and friends. Apologetic but excited, Connie held onto the sparklers. "Sorry. In a minute."
Watching everyone moving and laughing, Jasper raised a thick brow. "I was under the impression it wasn't smart for humans to play with fire."
"Only when they do it right," corrected Steven. "There's nothing wrong with fireworks!"
As he was saying this, Greg and Opal were finishing getting the row of missiles and rockets in proper place. While they did so, Sapphire looked back into the box one more time and paused. It was empty.
As Greg pulled back, she asked him, "What happened to the toss-and-poppers?"
Greg could only quizzically look into the box with her…
…and while this was happening, Yellowtail was turning left and right, a deep frown behind his bushy yellow beard. Though Sour Cream was with the other two Cool Kids, he was close enough to lean in and whisper, "What's wrong, Dad?"
Yellowtail answered in his language that only Sour Cream could understand. He peered around the beach, searching, until he found his younger brother far away, the saltwater at his ankles. He had a lighter in hand—why did he always have a lighter?—and was setting it to the wick of a whole bundle of sparklers. "Look, Dad. He's over there."
The following happened very quickly:
Yellowtail's eyes found his son, a little relieved to find him but also annoyed that he was once again making mischief, especially when a whole array of fireworks was coming.
Then his eyes looked down at his son's hands, and a cold chill took him over. He was not a connoisseur of fireworks, but he knew enough, and he knew more than his son. He knew that what Onion was holding was not a bundle of harmless little kiddy sparklers.
Yellowtail cupped his hands around his mouth and called out, and though no one but Sour Cream understood, his panic had heads turning.
Steven, Connie, and Jasper all looked over to where Onion stood. He seemed not to have heard his father, not over the light babble of talk and the rush of waves on the shore. His attention was focused on the quickly-burning wick in his grasp.
Steven felt the same terror that Yellowtail felt take him as well. He moved to do something, shout at him, run and help, anything.
But before he could do it, Jasper—who saw Onion and the burning wick, heard and saw the panic in Steven and the strange yellow human, and quickly realized Young human, in danger, HELPLESS—moved.
Many felt a great wind whip by them as Jasper shot across the sand with her boots galloping hard. Onion didn't even have time to turn around or brace himself. In almost one swift movement, Jasper had grabbed the burning bundle, thrown them into the air, and dived for the sand with her body encasing Onion's.
CRACK
There was more than one scream that rang out through the air just after the ear-splitting sound of over a dozen fireworks exploding together, all at once. There was a great white flash and a brief crackle before all returned to normal, and for a moment, every stood shocked and frozen. Yellowtail was the first to move, shouldering his way through the crowd to see what became of his son.
He saw him as Jasper pushed herself up, her cape covered in a light shower of sparks, with Onion safe and sound beneath her.
Greg and the Crystal Gems only noticed after the bang had gone off, and Ruby had gone right ahead lighting all the wicks.
So before anyone could fully process what had just happened, a barrage of fireworks shot into the air.
The night sky filled with burning blooms in blues, pinks, greens, and yellows. They shimmered and shone, almost as bright as the sun itself, casting the entire beach in a magical glow. The pops and booms that rang through the air were ignored. It was too beautiful a sight to be distracted by anything else. It was breathtaking.
Even Jasper couldn't look away as she knelt in the water, glimmering like gemstones in the reflections.
For the first time on this small, bland, doomed planet, she saw something that was really, truly stunning.
Then she felt a little weight against her arm. The human child was leaning against her, not quite hugging, but eyes closed in gratitude. She…lightly pushed him away. He didn't mind.
She did pick him up, though, as carefully as she did with Steven. He didn't mind that, either, so she just carried him back to the throng of humans and called, "Who made this one?"
The last of the fireworks were finishing their bursts, not that Yellowtail paid any mind. He ran forward and took his son from Jasper, making some kind of sound with his mouth she couldn't even begin to comprehend. The little human replied, so she marked it up as a different language. She just couldn't figure out why it just sounded like "meh" on repeat.
She was fully content to go back to her place watching from the table, but then the yellow human looked up at her and smiled. She didn't understand a word he said, but no one could miss the gratitude.
None of them seemed to want to give her time to respond, either, because suddenly they were swarming her. She had never had so many humans smile at her, certainly not all at once, and Jasper felt—for once—a little frozen.
"Way to go, Tiger Lady," Jenny cheered.
Mr. Fryman tipped his visor to her. "You sure saved the little guy!"
Barbara Miller was bold enough to clap her on the arm. "Now that right there is what I call 'heroic'!"
And on and on it went, all of them just cawing praise and compliments at her. This did not happen. Not to Jasper. Not by humans, not by Gems. It was making a feeling swell in her chest, and whether it was good or bad, the newness of if turned it sour regardless. She felt as close as a human did to sickness then, and when her gaze found the traitors watching her from afar, bearing the same approving smiles, the sickness only got worse. All she could say was "Yeah," which didn't make any sensible response to anyone, but no one minded.
Connie and Steven were watching, too, and Connie leaned in to whisper, "Why didn't she just throw the fireworks in the water?"
But Steven was too busy feeling the proudest he had ever felt of anyone in his life. Watching Jasper being smiled at and thanked, all while she accepted with no animosity, warmed his heart too much to ruin. So he gently told Connie, "Just let her have this," and went back to watching. It was almost better than the fireworks.
After that, the party began to wind down, as no one expected a finale that could top what they had just seen. It didn't die at all, however. Although the games were less frequented and the food tucked away, everyone was more than content with the sparklers and fountains that went around. As Steven had said, there was no way to dislike sparklers. Even Lars was smiling like an excited kid.
The beach was filled with sparkling light and easy smiles, and above all, warmth. The mission was a success. There was no tension, no resentment, nothing that hung over them anymore.
Jasper had officially been taken in. True, she had not apologized for what she'd said to them all, but it seemed that everyone had just decided that the Crystal Gems had been weird about being around humans, too, and maybe this one was just weird in a different way. Whatever 'weird' it was, she'd proven that she wasn't a threat to them. She'd gone out of her way to help one of their kids.
So now not only was Jasper not avoided anymore, citizens were actually talking to her about her experiences on Earth, where she'd come from, what did she do. Jasper kept her answers to a minimum, aware that the humans were not supposed to know any details about the Cluster or her involvement with the "enemy force." Other questions, though, she answered with calmness. No, she didn't have a job. No, she wasn't looking for one. She didn't have a favorite food. She'd never heard of that movie. It was only Ronaldo whose questions seemed to bother her, if only due to their intensity.
"Maybe we should give her a break," offered Connie. She had returned to him with a whole pack of sparklers just for them, all but his right as the birthday boy. "Too much all at once, y'know?"
"Probably. Here, let's show her the magic."
"Before you do..."
Connie reached into her back pocket and pulled out a little cardboard box—obviously for cards, but it had been painted all-white with patterns of blue, red, purple, and pink. She set it in his hand, and he wasted zero seconds in opening it and fanning them out. The clubs were Rubies, the spades were Sapphires, the hearts Opals, and the diamonds Stevens. Stevonnie was the jack, Connie herself the queen, and Lion the king. The aces were the Crystal Gems all together as one. Each card had a hand-painted image, beautifully detailed and painstakingly careful. Absolutely perfect.
If Connie was about to say an explanation or whatever else, she didn't get to. Steven pulled her in for a tight, squeezing hug that left her laughter breathy.
"Thank you times infinity times infinity," Steven exclaimed, maybe a little too loudly next to her ear.
"The math is wrong but the thanks is accepted. Go on, now. Work your Steven-y charm."
Steven stuck the card box in his back pocket, feeling like it was as precious as diamonds and as fragile as glass, before taking a few sparklers, a match, and a striking pad and weaving his way through the crowd. Jasper had pulled away from the crowd more and more until she was at a distance where anyone could see she'd had enough talk-time for the evening.
The second Jasper saw him approaching, she just deflated. "No more. I can't do anymore."
"I promise you don't have to do anything at all! This is just to relax. C'mon."
Though reluctance was clear on her face, Jasper followed his way to the shoreline. Steven sat just where the water brushed his toes and only got back up when Jasper sitting down beside him made him bounce a foot up into the air. It was very peaceful in this spot. The party was a quiet murmur behind them, and though it cast a warm yellow glow over them, the night sky and dark ocean were both crystal-clear and beautiful. Very few sights could beat one like this.
Steven struck the match to light one sparkler, then used that to light another. He handed one to Jasper, and with her face illuminated in the white glow, her approval was clear. Steven started a little when she touched the shimmering blaze with her fingertips, but all it accomplished was snuffing it out and having it re-lit. He should have known it would take more to hurt a boulder like her.
A blue flash startled Steven, but it was only from Jasper's feet. She had shape-shifted her boots off so that her toes, too, could be lapped at by the saltwater. It was a quiet couple of minutes. They let the sparklers burn in their grasp, and when they began to peter out, Steven used them to light two more.
"Well, that's impressive of you."
Steven blinked, but Jasper's attention was solely on the sparkler. "What?"
"We've been sitting here in silence for a few minutes now and you haven't said anything that sounded like a casual start to a conversation but was actually just an introduction to yet another talk about my feelings about this planet. It's surprising."
"Do you not want to?"
"No, but when have we ever sat down for meaningless chit-chat? Go on. Ask your questions."
"What do you think about the party?"
"It wasn't very wondrous." Jasper's look back to the crowd wasn't disgusted, just a little unimpressed. "The fireworks were a sight to see, I'll grant you that, but I fail to see the reason for all the excitement. On Homeworld, parties could last for months. The ballrooms could stretch for miles. Sometimes they would be to witness a supernova. Those make your fireworks look puny in comparison."
Steven shrugged. Those all sounded wondrous, but he wasn't going to pretend as though this night hadn't been wondrous, too. "Fireworks are our supernovas. You know, I think a lot of your problems with the way we do things is just us coming from different places. I mean...You don't have to eat food, so you don't think much of it, huh?"
Jasper shook her head. "Can't see the appeal. But...that makes sense. I guess."
"So you went to parties, on Homeworld?"
The curl of her lip was small, but pronounced in the white light of the sparkler. "Not as a guest, if that's what you're implying."
"Then why?"
Enough silence passed to make Steven think that she wasn't going to answer him at all. Their sparklers puttered out once more. Steven lit another, but Jasper kept her charred one in her grasp until Steven's was down to its last sparks before gesturing for another.
When she got one, now bright orange instead of white, she spoke.
"I was made for war, you know. The whole reason I even exist in the first place was to fight in the battle between Homeworld and the Crystal Gems. I'm a perfect Quartz. The best Quartz to ever emerge from the Beta Kindergarten." Despite her words, there was no pride. Her voice was hollow, even bitter. "Then the war ended, so what was the point?"
That was something that Steven had been curious about before. He knew that many, many Gems had been made to fight in the long-ago war, but he'd never heard what happened to them after. From what the others had said, it sounded like Homeworld was very particular about what Gems were made for what, and what they could and could not do. So either Homeworld was always at war with someone, or those left behind became extras left to find purpose elsewhere.
"I was a lot of things after the war ended. Usually a guard. I was passed around to a lot of aristocrats. Sometimes I was just there. "It didn't matter what they had me doing; they had me doing it because I was the best of the best. I took pride in that. Quartz Gems never have and never will be treasured, but I even as low as I was, I was exemplary."
Jasper looked up towards the moon. It was exceptionally bright tonight. A silver halo was cast around it.
"But I think I always knew it was never me. I was exceptional, I was special, but it wasn't about me, it was about them. How well they had done with me, the proof that the Beta Kindergarten wasn't useless. They could never make something useless!" Jasper took on a little falsetto before growling. "As if they ever had to prove themselves to anyone."
A question bubbled on Steven's lips, but he kept it back.
"I did my job, whatever it was, because it was...all I had left."
The last sparkler fizzled away, and both of them set the remains aside on the sand. Jasper crossed her thick arms and set them on her knees, very casual. It was hard to tell just how much in common her mind had with a human's. Maybe this was cathartic for her, maybe it was only making her feel worse.
"Now I'm not doing all of that. I'm bobbing for apples and hitting candy bombs and watching fireworks. I can't stand it. I can't stand myself. Look at me!" Jasper angrily gestured at herself. "What kind of Quartz soldier am I?"
Steven shrugged. "One that isn't a soldier right now?"
Jasper exhaled. "Yeah. For as much as I hate that I'm doing all this nonsensical stuff, it feels good in a...bad way. I don't like that it feels good, but it still feels good. If I was being watched, I'd be shattered for incompetence. But I'm not being watched."
Steven hummed before he could really stop himself. Jasper caught it and asked, "What?"
"Sorry, it's nothing. I don't want to interrupt."
"No, go ahead."
He nibbled on his cheek for a second. "I just wonder...if maybe that's how the others felt when they got here."
As if on cue, a cheer went up as Sapphire dashed the length of the egg-in-a-spoon race in one second flat. Jasper looked over her shoulder, sighed, and turned back around.
"Maybe. I don't know."
"Is that's what's bothering you?" Steven asked. "Feeling bad about feeling good?"
"No." One of her great hands ran down her face, but stopped halfway. Her bright yellow eyes turned to him, considering for just a second before saying, "You tell me something here."
Steven sat criss-cross applesauce. "I'm listening."
"You're not Rose Quartz." He didn't miss the almost unconscious bitterness in the words. "Even so, you're still a Crystal Gem. I know how 'families' work, but they aren't your...family, not your bio...biolo..."
"Biological, you mean?" The look on her face told her even she wasn't sure what the word meant. "I mean, no, we're not connected like me and my dad, but they're...my family."
"Why?"
"Because they love me and I love them. I can screw up sometimes...a lot of times...but they still love me because they know who I really am."
"But if you weren't Rose Quartz's son, would they still be your family?"
"I mean..." Steven scratched at his brow. "If Mom didn't have me, I don't know if we would have ever even met. I'd be a whole human, and they never really bothered with humans until a while ago."
He felt like that made plenty of sense. I mean, at surface level it might sound a little mean or cold, but he thought that it was true for just about everyone. He might not have met Connie if she'd moved to another city, but that didn't mean they were less than friends. That was how life worked, things lead to other things. It sounded...well, sound.
Until Jasper blew a giant hole in it.
"What if you were the son of a Gem who wasn't Rose Quartz?"
Steven could not answer immediately.
Or at all.
He imagined that, if he had a hypothetical Gem mother who was another Crystal Gem, he would still know the others. He might even have the same relationship with them, or maybe they'd just be friends.
That said, their relationship was very much built upon him being Rose's son...specifically.
He had his mother's shield and, once upon a time, her healing powers. More than that, though, he was the son of their leader and friend. He was the son of the person that Ruby and Greg had a falling out over, and the person that Opal saw in the mirror.
So if he was another Gem's son, they might not have let him move into the Temple...they might not ruffle his hair or call him names like "Stevey." They might not be so forgiving of all his mistakes.
They might have told him different things about Homeworld. That is, more things about Homeworld. He had to admit, it seemed so contradictory for him to be the son of the Crystal Gem Leader, Defender of Earth, Rose Quartz!...but was not told what she had defended it from until recently. Or who the Gem Monsters used to be. Or that the Kindergartens existed.
What was he thinking?
The Crystal Gems loved him and he loved them. They were a family, they always had been and always would be. He couldn't let his thoughts spiral like this, because now he has to pull himself out of it and look at how overdramatic he's being. When has he ever had reason to doubt that their love for him was conditional?
"I don't know," Steven finally answered. He hoped his casual tone worked. "I don't know how things would be different."
Jasper seemed almost upset that he couldn't answer differently. "Well, would you have bothered with all of this if you weren't Rose's son?"
He thought about it. He wouldn't have even known about "all of this" if he wasn't Rose's son. Probably. "I don't know that, either."
Jasper's lips twisted again, frustrated. Steven was sorry that he couldn't say what she apparently needed him to say, but neither did he think it fair to lie to her. Jasper's lips opened once, closed, and opened again. The fingers on her arm tightened their grip.
"For all that pride that I had in myself, for being such a perfect Quartz soldier, it was all for nothing," she sighed. Her voice was getting softer and softer, more so than Steven had ever heard. It was strange, hearing her voice so gentle. "I'm not a soldier anymore. I wasn't given my rank because I was good at what I did, I was given it because of how good the Diamonds did when they created me. The one person I can even remotely think of who didn't care for my Gem type or 'exemplaryness' is gone now, and as of late I've been thinking over and over and over about how I went from serving that person to serving the Diamonds. I'm not saying I see much reason in any of this still, and I'm not saying there's any reason to be lazy or incompetent, but it's different knowing you can make mistakes and being forgiven by the person you lost and then knowing you can make mistakes and be killed by the person you replaced her with."
Her hands came to cover her face and stayed there for a long moment.
"I don't see any point to any of this. I don't see how any of you see any point to any of this. But it was hers. No matter how much I can't understand, it was hers, and now I'm helping the people who want to destroy it all and the people who took her away to begin with."
She flinched when he set a hand upon her arm, but seeing the look on his face, she relaxed. Unused as she was to touch, she couldn't help but go stiff. Still...she didn't push his hand off. She just let it be.
"I'm sorry you're frustrated," Steven told her sincerely. A little breath escaped her lips. Relief at being heard, he supposed. "And I'm sorry I don't really understand. I know we've all been trying to change your mind, but I should've thought more about how confusing this probably is for you."
"'S not your fault." Jasper sniffed (somehow). "I mean...Listen, I don't want you to say a word to this to the others because if I get one more smile directed at me today, I may just bash my Gem against a rock." Her voice took on a sharp edge as she said that, but then went back to normal. "So don't tell them, but...I think I feel a little...sorry for you, too. I don't think any Gem has been made the way you were before. At least I get my orders from someone."
"Yeah."
Steven tilted his feet left-to-right, thinking but silent. Jasper went back to staring at the nighttime ocean for all of twenty seconds before a small growl had Steven looking up at her again.
"Alright, alright." She pinched her Gem and sighed hard and heavy. "You let me sit her and whinge for a thousand years. You can whinge, too. I'll...listen. Just listen. I'm not touching."
He took a second to nibble on his cheek and think about it, but it was the first time she'd ever truly bestowed an invitation to talk to her about these things. He supposed there was no harm in taking up on the offer, especially since the last three minutes have only pumped his head full of more questions on top of the old ones.
"Okay...Um..." Steven scratched his cheek. "Well, can I um...Ask you a question?"
"Yeah," said Jasper, clearly already debating whether she should have left when she had the chance.
"Great, great. So...All that stuff you said about Diamonds and that...person. 'Her.'" Jasper only raised a brow at her, so he continued. "What did you mean?"
The brow raised a little bit higher. "What do you mean, 'what did I mean'?"
"Like...Who are the Diamonds? Who was 'her'?"
What followed was the longest stretch of silence the two of them had been in since they first sat down. It might have gone on forever, had Steven not been unable to endure it for much longer and murmured, "Do you not want to talk anymore?"
Not only had Jasper not blinked since he'd spoken, she had been completely static. Even as her hair and cape fluttered in the breeze, it was like she had gone as stone-still as a statue. Her eyes were trained on him, wide with her brows creased just so. When she finally moved, it was just to turn her head to him to look him full-on. It was an owlish movement, and Steven was unsettled not just because of the anger beginning to spark in her yellow eyes, but because it was not directed at him.
She finally spoke in a low, clipped, and unsteady voice. The sound of a kettle about to boil over. "Did you just ask me who the Diamonds were."
"Yeah? I mean, I guess it's a Homeworld thing, and I don't really know much about that. I mean, the others might not, either. Opal didn't know how to move that escape pod of yours—"
"You. Don't know. Who the Diamonds are."
"Uh...No."
"Or who...Her was."
"No...?"
"They...didn't tell you."
"Is it not a Homeworld thing?"
In the single split second that the sparks began to ignite, his name was called out, three times and each louder than the last. Greg was speed-walking over to them, a big smile on his face as he reached down and took a gentle hold on his arm.
"C'mon, buddy! Final toast!"
Steven didn't know why he didn't protest. He could only mark it up to confusion and surprise, because he allowed himself to be pulled up to his feet and led across the sand back to the party. He looked behind and saw Jasper, who was not watching him go, but was instead staring at the place where he used to sit.
The party guests had arranged themselves into a semicircle around the Crystal Gems, and parted a path for Greg to lead Steven through. Each Gem held a clear plastic cup in hand, but all it had was sparkling cider inside. As Steven approached, there were whistles and a few claps.
Opal picked up one of the plastic knives to tap against her cup, but all it got was a very quiet tip tip sound. "Alright, everyone! We all have a few things to say before the party ends! Steven, c'mere."
So Steven came closer until Ruby could sling an arm around him and give him a little shake.
"So, I'm not going to air out his rotten apples," Opal continued, "but I will say, short and simple, that Steven has gone through a lot of growth over the past year."
"He's always been our widdle sweetheart." The crowd chuckled as Ruby rubbed her cheek against Steven's. "He always will! But he has matured very much and we couldn't be more proud of him!"
"We don't want to end the party on an emotional note." Sapphire said this, but her voice was smooth and calm, but her single eye was starting to go a little watery behind her bangs. "We just want to say...Thank you, Steven. Just for being you."
Opal chimed in, "You are dependable, you are loyal, and you are so, so caring, it amazes all of us."
"We love you, bud." There were a few aww's and Steven couldn't help but blush as Ruby pressed her lips against his forehead. "I don't care how old you get. Just don't ever change."
"So with all that said, we wanted to give you your birthday present!"
Opal reached into her Gem and pulled it out, wrapped in pearly paper and topped with a little pink bow. It was so tightly wrapped one could clearly see the ukulele shape of it.
"What is it?" Steven asked.
"Open it and see!"
Steven did, and holy moly.
The ukulele was polished to perfection, not a splinter out of place, not a blemish to be seen. It was painted in various hues of pink in a design so chaotic it was almost tie-dye. In immaculate gold lettering, the base read SQU.
Opal chirped, "We all chipped in! I built it."
"I painted it," Sapphire said with a smile.
Ruby puffed her chest out. "I got the strings and tuned it!"
In his awestruck daze, Steven strummed the chords with his fingertips and, sure enough, it sounded heavenly.
"I ca—you guys—I love—love—I wish—I just—" Somewhere in his incoherent babble, Steven's eyes began to pour tears. Sapphire just rubbed soothing circles in his back. "We can—ukulele—birthday—thank—I wish—ever...!"
The crowd's gaze had steadily turned from heartwarmed to very concerned. Mr. Fryman was the first to ask, "Is he okay?"
Greg nodded. "He's just trying to say he loves it a lot."
"Eeeeeeaaaaaauuuueeeeeeoooogh," Steven agreed.
Connie stepped forward to give him a much-needed hug, and Steven let it out for a good minute. Golf-like, polite applause went through the air, a few more wishes of a happy birthday.
Sapphire waited until Steven could finally breathe again before speaking. "Does anyone else want to say a few things about the birthday boy before we wind down?"
Connie's intentions were sweet, as always. She only meant well when she called, "Hey, Jasper! Do you want to say something?"
Steven did not panic, exactly, but he did not perk up either. The crowd only turned, smiling and expectant, because Jasper was okay now, they had nothing to worry about. But Steven sure did, because when he'd left her not even five minutes ago, she was clearly not in the mood for...anything.
The night outside the fairylights' glow was not pitch-black, but for some reason, as Jasper stepped into the semicircle, it was almost as if she was walking out of a dark, unending void. Her face was unnervingly calm, the standard Jasper expression of a slight grumpy glower. She did not look at any of the humans as she passed, even as they smiled at her in greeting.
For Jasper, though, that was considered normal. So Connie was undeterred and asked, "Do you want to say a couple of things about Steven for his birthday?"
She was given another clear plastic cup with sparkling cider. She did not drink, or toast, or move. She just stared down unblinkingly at it before looking up again.
And still unaware, Ruby just huffed a laugh. "So sometimes at parties, people will go around and say some nice stuff about the person the party is for. Like, 'Steven is really nice!' or 'Steven is really funny!' Or...Sapph, help me out here."
"'Steven is very fashionable.'"
"'Steven is very fashionable!' Or, uh—"
"Why doesn't he know who the Diamonds are?"
Among the crowd of Beach Citizens, there was almost no reaction to this. At most, there was a few wrinkled noses and raised brows. Everyone was more than a little used to the weird things that the Gems considered normal. They reasonably chalked it up to some vocabulary none were used to.
Among the Gems, however...
It had suddenly become quiet enough to hear a pin drop.
The Crystal Gems stared at Jasper, and Jasper stared back. Connie's smile slipped off her face, the same with Greg. Steven was still standing right in the middle of it all, feeling the hairs on the back of his neck start to stand on end.
He didn't know where this was going.
But he knew it wasn't going to be good.
Opal said, "What?" But it was hardly more than a breath.
"I said, Why doesn't he know who the Diamonds are?"
Ruby's hand on his shoulder grew warm through his shirt.
While she and Opal somehow both locked eyes with Jasper and seemed intent to just keep themselves locked down, Sapphire was starting to look among the partygoers. None the wiser, of course, but it would be hard not to see how quickly and thickly the tension was building up.
Sapphire—though the sand around her skirts was beginning to turn frosty—said in a voice that was not as steady as she'd hoped, "This isn't the time to talk about this."
"This isn't the time." Jasper didn't say it as a question, she didn't spit it out, she didn't yell. She just said it in a smooth voice absolutely dripping with disgust.
"Not with all the humans here."
Jasper licked her teeth, nodding once, and turned to the crowd. Steven's stomach dropped an extra five feet.
"The party is over. Everyone needs to leave."
Now the confusion had taken over all of them. There was not am immediate move to go, however, just some unsure shuffling and whispers behind hands.
Jasper tried again. "I'm not saying this to offend anyone. The party's over. Everyone needs to leave."
There was a grand total of five footsteps made in the general direction of the other side of the beach. Lars had slipped back into glowering at Jasper, while everyone else's expressions ranged from fear to concern. Nanafua stepped forward, smiling kindly. "Is there something wrong? Can we—"
"EVERYONE NEEDS TO LEAVE."
Even Buck flinched at the roar that ripped through the air from Jasper's throat. Even though it wasn't an immediate exodus, it was quick enough.
The crowd pulled away, stiff and head-ducked. There were no goodbyes and final happy birthday wishes. No one even whispered to each other under their breaths. They just left, taking every last drop of jubilee with them. It was almost like they'd taken away the very memories of how the rest of the party had gone.
Steven waited, not exactly wanting but expectant, for one of the Gems to say something. For Opal to put her foot down, or Ruby to get into one of their barking fits. Instead, they all just...stood there. Watching Jasper. Ruby pulled her hand away when it began to grow almost too hot. The chill from Sapphire was starting to tickle Steven's ankles.
One by one everyone hopped into their vehicles and took off down the stretch of sand back to the city proper. It was just the Gems, Steven, Greg, and Connie. The music had been turned off for the "special words", and wasn't going to be coming back on any time soon. It just made the silence ring.
Now Jasper was free to turn back to them and hiss, "Give me one good reason."
Steven swallowed the pound-heavy lump in his throat. He almost wanted to say that it was hopeless, and a huge fight breaking out was a foregone conclusion. Regardless...He had to try. Just—try. "Guys, why don't we all calm down? We can—"
"You don't have to defend them, Steven," Jasper told him, and her voice had just gentle enough a tone to hurt him.
Opal finally found her voice, but it was the voice of someone who was angry but knew they didn't really have the right to be. "There's a lot of things you don't understand about us and our situation, Jasper."
"I know that he's half-human. I know he doesn't poof the way we do. I know he's been under your care because he was the son of your leader. I know that despite being on the frontline of a new-age rebellion against Homeworld, he doesn't understand anything about it. I know that he doesn't even know who he's fighting against. I know he doesn't even know why the first war ever started to begin with. I know that he probably has it in his head that he can trust you all to tell him these things. I know that you preach and preen about being how free you are to do what you want, but that all of his 'free' decisions have been based on the information that he depends on YOU to tell him."
The swallow in Sapphire's throat was audible. "Humans aren't like Gems. They age. We haven't told him all this because he's been too young to understand. A child can't comprehend these things!"
Steven's confused repeat of "'Child'?" went unheard.
"So he's too much of a 'child' to be told this stuff, but not too much of a child to fight monsters that could kill him, or join in on a plan to get rid of an abomination that can destroy an entire planet? He was there with you three the night I arrived with the Peridot and the Lapis Lazuli!"
"He wasn't supposed to be there," Ruby interrupted. "We wanted him to stay away."
"Oh, alright. I understand. Clearly, you were looking for his best interests then."
For as much as she seemed to be trying to keep in the moment, the comment made Ruby bristle regardless. Connie sneakily eased her way over to Steven until she could slip her hand into his. He couldn't even bring himself to hold it. His brain had shutdown. He was hardly processing the words everyone was saying.
"These things aren't as simple to him as they are to us," Opal tried instead. "Some things are far too complex to understand."
"That's your excuse? It was just too hard?"
"Someone like Steven has never existed before, we didn't exactly have instructions—"
"You know how him being half-human matters? He can be easily hurt and easily killed. It doesn't matter when we're talking about the very nature of his existence and the things he's risking his life for!"
Greg reached out and took his son's shoulder. He didn't mind if he was heard when he spoke. "Steven, do you want them to stop?"
"No."
Opal took a breath and let some of the anger steam away. There was a little crease in her brow, put there by guilt that was starting to gurgle up no matter how much she tried to force it back down. "We were going to tell him. But after all we did, we hoped—we thought that it was over. That he would never even have to worry about all of this. It was just going to be stories from the past, not...warnings."
"And you didn't think, after all that's happened, that perhaps it was time for a change in plan?" Jasper waved a hand at all of them. "Is someone going to have to die before you go into detail? Two? Three?"
"Jasper, please," said Sapphire. "Not today. Just not today."
"You don't get to say that anymore. I still don't understand putting time aside for flippant stuff like this, but what you're wanting is inexcusable. Sorry, my Sapphire, but you don't get to pause this just because you want everyone to stay happy. He said he wanted us to keep going. Let's keep going."
Opal took one step forward. Jasper didn't so much as blink.
"He doesn't deserve this, Jasper."
"I'll agree with that."
"I mean, this conversation. He hasn't done anything wrong."
"I'll agree with that, too. Do you think I'm angry with him? Why should I be?" Jasper gestured at him with both hands, as if clutching him between them. "He hasn't done anything! I finally understood that he didn't know what his 'mother' did, but I still thought, 'He's one of them! He's siding with them! It doesn't matter!' Now I understand that he's not one of you! He's your little puppet! Your robot to command as you please."
When Ruby spoke, it was through her teeth. "Don't talk about Rose Quartz in that tone."
"Oh, don't you dare." And when Jasper spoke, it was just a pure growl. "Don't even try to make me the big, bad, Homeworld crony who's losing her temper and is going to hurt someone! I can talk about your beloved, almighty, STUPID Rose Quartz however way I want and it isn't going to erase what you've done. So don't try to hide behind it!"
Opal finally crossed the distance between them, looming over Jasper with all four hands clenched into tight fists. The orange Gem had been right, however Steven's confusion-stunned mind hated to admit it. Opal heard the word 'stupid' and 'Rose Quartz', and her temper had shot through the roof.
"We aren't defending ourselves to you," Opal very nearly snarled in her face. "Least of all because of everything you've done and defended."
"Because of everything I've defended? I know your little puppet—"
"Don't call him that," snapped Sapphire.
"—has no idea of all the things his 'mother' has done, but you sure do, and you literally kicked off a war to defend them!"
"It. Was. An. Accident."
"This wasn't. You decided to keep all of this from him, because—what, you know better? Of all people, you have the final say-so?"
"Enough."
"You're not my Diamond. You don't tell me when to stop talking."
"I said enough." Opal turned away from her, a hand coming up to her hair and clawing in. "I'm not talking about this anymore."
"You never started talking about it."
Another hand came up to Opal's head, almost squeezing it. The crease between her brows had deepened and her eyes had squeezed shut. "Stop it!"
"Is this what you do when he asks questions? You sniffle and pout until he feels too bad and he stops just to spare your—"
Suddenly Opal's form went white, and everyone went stiff. Ruby and Sapphire stepped over as quickly as they could, arms extending but not touching the shape of light as it wavered and waned. It only lasted for a minute. Finally, Opal solidified once again, breathing deeply and now on her knees.
Connie's hand was squeezing his so hard that Steven's hand had gone numb. Greg had stopped breathing entirely.
Jasper did not look surprised, or angry, or confused. She just looked so, so annoyed. Her lip had curled up from her teeth. "I'm going to take that as a 'yes'."
Ruby finally lost the last of her patience. The temperature skyrocketed in an instant as she screamed, "SHUT UP!"
Jasper just rolled her eyes and shook her head. They all just stood around in the aftermath—Opal trying to pull herself together, Sapphire spilling ice through the sand, Ruby melting it just as quickly. Connie never let go of Steven's hand and Greg put both of his hands on Steven's shoulders. Maybe to support his son, maybe to support himself.
Later, Steven's brain would finally be able to process again. He would be able to digest what everyone had said and how the night had spiraled out of control.
What would be clearest to him, and what would weigh most heavily on his mind, was that Jasper was right. In all their heated, teeth-baring fights, this was the first where Jasper was not in the wrong. Jasper had never been stupid, really. She had been able to fight through her anger once or twice.
The Crystal Gems had hidden something from him. Not just anything, but something very, very, very important, crucial to his very existence as a living being.
Because...they did not trust him.
After going on all those missions, fighting all those monsters, after facing Lapis Lazuli himself, after going through all of their tests, after coming back to Beach City to join the fight, after helping in the jailbreak from the ship, after joining their mission against the Cluster, after promising him time and time again that he was one of them and they were going to treat him as such, and despite having just spoken how much he'd matured and changed...
...They. Did not. Trust him.
What...
What else did he have to do?
In that moment, standing there unable to so much as move, Jasper crossed the distance to them and knelt down before him. Connie and Greg's hands tightened their hold on him, and instead of feeling safe, Steven felt a flash of annoyance. Jasper wasn't going to hurt him. Jasper wasn't the bad guy.
Kneeling there, eye-level for once, Jasper reached out and just...pressed a hand against him. Gently, just a sheet of fabric away from touching his Gem.
"You don't deserve this."
Jasper left. Again, the night seemed to have turned into an inky blackness, taking her away just as she'd emerged from it.
At some point, some time later, someone said his name in a voice trying so hard to be concerned but just too nervous.
Instead of answering, Steven followed Jasper's suit and left.
