Chapter Seventeen
Despite everything, my schedule hadn't changed much, although my actual day-to-day life had some new additions. Daily check-ups from the twin researchers were added to my routine, and I wasn't allowed to be alone for any extended periods of time. The latter was something I had requested; I didn't trust myself not to lose my shit again. To the surprise of absolutely no one, Spinel had been the one to volunteer.
I have to admit, seeing Spinel's eyes zero in on me whenever I was cooking or working with anything remotely dangerous was not a nice feeling, but having her nearby more often was a comfort that made up for any awkwardness. She pretty much had moved into my apartment at this point, and things were domestic in a way that I hadn't quite experienced before.
I hadn't lived with someone else since Peony, and aside from maybe the first few months, she was not exactly a shining example of what sharing a home life with someone should be like.
I had also begun trying to find a therapist to talk to; there wasn't much around Beach City for that sort of thing, but I was willing to try talking to one online. It seemed like a good idea. I hadn't spoken to a therapist in a long while. And with the absolute hell that the last couple months had been, I decided it might be a good idea to start up again.
I still couldn't believe I'd only been in town for less than half a year. Four months. I arrived midsummer, and now we were just approaching the last third of autumn.
The other thing I'd begun doing was more rigorous practice at controlling the gem in my back, at least partially. I doubted I could ever do things like shapeshift or use a gem weapon, but there was still the matter of electricity flowing freely from it. Tossing bolts of lightning was getting easier; I wasn't sure how to feel about that. It was kind of cool to head to a little range that was set up, and just try to fire off electric shocks at targets. The arcs of electricity were difficult to manipulate initially, but I was getting the hang of it. Smaller, subtler uses were starting to come to me as well; I could, with a lot of concentration, do things like charge batteries or power small devices (though I didn't dare try with my personal electronics yet, not wanting to risk frying them).
Still, it was unnerving knowing that I just… had this power, that I could zap anything with a snap of my fingers.
And yet, life went on. Uncertain and with a looming sense of dread. It was tense in a way that only someone who had just had a meltdown and was terrified of another one possibly emerging could imagine.
At least I had Spinel, because I needed the affection and support more than ever.
I was sitting with her head in my lap, playing with her hair. Neither of us had spoken for a bit, just enjoying the peace of the late afternoon. We'd been chatting about ideas for the upcoming holiday. Apparently Beach City really gets into their yearly events, so there would probably be plenty to do on the boardwalks, but once that chat was done, we were just kind of resting.
Her hair was unbelievably soft. I had undone her pigtails at some point… somehow? Nothing seemed to actually be holding them back...
Gems are goddamn weird.
She seemed to like it, though. Her eyes were closed, and she had an easy smile on her face. I felt a little victorious rush as I realized that I was slowly soothing her to sleep.
I shifted slowly, scooting along until we were laying side-by-side, cuddling on the couch. I continued toying with her hair, and she let out a low happy sigh.
"Hmn, feels nice." She hummed quietly.
"Good." I giggled a bit. "I want to make you feel nice." I nuzzled into the back of her head a bit. "I love ya after all."
Wait, shit. I had never said that aloud to her before, had I?
But god, the way her eyes lit up when I said that sent my heart skipping. She grinned wide and twisted to face me, lacing her fingers softly with my own.
"I love you too!" She blurted, then leaned in and planted a soft kiss against my lips. It was chaste and brief, but it sent a happy warmth radiating through me.
How is a girl made of light so warm and soft? I wondered, not for the first time, as I snuggled against her, closing my eyes a bit. All things considered, I felt incredibly fortunate.
Despite everything , despite being such a massive disaster, an absolute mess… I had her.
Spinel shifted a little, resting her head gently on my shoulder.
"Heheh. Yer real comfy, doll." She hummed faintly. That damn pet name still was making me blush.
"Good. I definitely don't mind being your comfy pillow, because that means you get to be my cozy blanket." I grinned and she laughed, giving me a squeeze.
"Maybe but a blanket can't give you kisses." She winked. "It won't assault you with tickles either."
"Well, I… wait, what did you say-?"
Spinel's fingers instantly attacked my sides, and I let out a yelp.
Sorry, did I say yelp? I meant an utterly undignified and embarrassing squeal, writhing as she attacked. Luckily, the merciless strike didn't last too long, and soon she relented, curling her arms around me while I gasped and heaved for air, a big dumb smile on her face.
"See? I'm a lot more special than a blanket." She purred as she sank down against me. I was still struggling through giggles.
"I- I didn't need you to tell me that, ahah… haha…" I heaved, chuckling as I nuzzled her.
"No but it is fun remindin' ya." Spinel grinned wickedly, shifting her arms around me, now toying with my hair and returning the gesture from earlier.
I exhaled softly, leaning my head against her chest. Oddly, her gem wasn't particularly intrusive as it touched against my head.
"You use stuff to make your hair soft, right?" She hummed.
"Mhm. Conditioner." I nodded. "I take care of my hair. It's like… the one thing I like about being albino. I think it looks nice."
"It does." Spinel grinned. "But I think all of ya looks pretty nice."
"You're biased." I teased, flicking an eye open.
"And what, something wrong with being biased and thinkin' that my human is the prettiest one~?" Spinel teased.
Her human. My god, this girl was gonna give me a heart attack one day.
"Only if there's something wrong with saying my gem is the prettiest one~" I winked back at her. She seemed to actually have seen that one coming though, because she only blushed a little bit.
Spinel jumped a little as my phone buzzed. I laughed, shifting it out of my pocket. "It's just someone messaging me…"
She flicked my forehead a bit as I opened my phone. Just my friends, making sure I hadn't had a second mental breakdown. And a picture of Zach and Sunny in Samhain costumes; Sunny had cute little devil horns on; she'd even kitted out her wheelchair with little black and red flame decals, and plastic spikes to make it look like a hellish throne. Zach had some kind of ghost outfit, though they hadn't gone all-out with face paint yet. Probably saving that for Samhain itself of course.
"Cute." I grinned, shifting it for Spinel to see. She cracked an amused grin.
"They look happy." She hummed.
"Yeah." I leaned against her, setting my phone aside. "They've been together forever. Some people are just perfect for each other I guess."
"Really?" Spinel tilted her head, curiosity piqued.
"Mhm. I was there when they got married. God, I think it was… right after I ran away from Peony." I snorted. "They got engaged ages before the actual wedding though. God, had to be a year and a half I think? They definitely took their time with it."
"I don't know much about those wedding things." Spinel admitted. "I know Garnet is married to… Uhh… Let me try that again. Ruby and Sapphire are married."
I snorted. "Fusion really does complicate describing someone's relationship, huh…?"
"Mhm." Spinel shrugged. "I just know it's a thing that humans do- and I guess gems now?"
"It's… complicated." I hummed. "I could do a whole class on marriage and all the different things it means. But in their case, it was… a way to strengthen what they had, I suppose. It's one of those things that means different things for different people."
Spinel hummed. "Interesting…" She was silent for a bit, her fingers toying in my hair. "That does make me think of one thing, though… It's not at all the same, but it kinda made me think of it?"
"Hmm?" I looked up. Spinel looked anxious.
"Well, um, it's just… I was thinking that maybe we should just… keep staying in the same place? Cause, like… I'm already stayin' with ya most of the time, and spendin' less time in my own place…" She shyly rubbed the back of her head. "And I'm sure ya value havin' your own space sometimes, and not like, spend every second with people round ya, but…"
Spinel timidly twiddled her fingers a bit, and I reached out and squeezed her shoulder gently.
"Are you asking to move in with me?"
"Y-yeah, basically!" She grinned nervously; it was a bit forced.
I considered it, but I didn't have to think long, and I smiled and nodded gently. "...Well, I definitely would like that. Even if we live together, we can still make time to be alone if we need it…"
Spinel perked right back up. "I mean… um… It just seems silly to not, because… ya know…"
"You've practically moved in already, huh?" I hummed dryly. I giggled a bit. "I wonder if I can list you as a dependent on my taxes…"
Spinel looked so baffled I had to laugh a bit. There was no way I'd be able to explain taxes to an alien in a day.
I grinned as I gently cupped her face in my hands, planting a little kiss on her cheek, before squishing her face playfully, getting a giggle out of her. Even the marks on her face looked silly like that. I released her face, curling up in the cushions. "I think that works just fine for me. I'm happy to have you here with me."
Spinel grinned and wrapped her soft arms around me and nuzzled up close. "Mmh, perfect. Let's hope it works out."
"We'll find out how things go. Selenite and Tall-Peridot should have some results before too long..." I tipped my head back a little with a sigh. "I hope..."
So far, a week had passed, and no mental breakdowns had occurred.
That didn't mean I wasn't nervous about it. Especially since Selenite might have found something. I was standing outside of the little designated "science space" which was a small lab building set up on the edge of Little Homeworld. Peridot and some other gems spent some time there, though generally Peridot was more frequently seen around the greenhouses and gardens these days.
Right now though, I had Selenite and Other-Peridot to meet with. This was their general area of expertise, however. I entered the building, searching around for them; there weren't any gems in sight. I rounded a stack of towers, and blinked.
"Are you sure?" Selenite hummed nervously. "I just…"
"It's fine!" Tall Peridot smiled, taking her hand with a grin, giving the anxious floating gem a pat on the head. "We won't get in trouble. I promise."
"I trust you." Selenite smiled back, still anxious- I think that poor girl was always jumpy- and then, they took each other's hands, beginning to slowly move. Selenite's feet were just above the ground, perhaps so she could remain eye-to-eye with her partner, as they began to waltz slowly along the floor. I wasn't sure if I should make my presence known, but before I could decide, the two were engulfed in bright light.
I was transfixed by what I was seeing, unable to tear my gaze away; A brilliant glow, and the silhouettes of the pair pressing close together…
Where there were two, there was one. A single gem; a fusion. I'd met fusions before, but never actually seen gems in the act of fusing. I felt like perhaps I was intruding upon something intimate, something private, and backed up a bit. I could hear the new gem giggling a bit.
I crept back towards the entrance, and decided to loudly close the door as if I had just entered; I hadn't meant to spy, and I figured it'd be the easiest way to signal I was there, in case this was something that they weren't ready to show off yet and give them a chance to react. I heard a shuffling, and then the head peeked around the consoles.
"Oh! Ying. You probably don't recognize me, um…" She stuttered for a moment, quickly regaining composure. "My name is Serpentine. I'm actually ah… Selenite and Peridot, just… together. Like we're meant to be."
"Oh, I ah…" I had no idea exactly how to respond. God, this was a tad awkward. "It's nice to… meet you?"
Serpentine giggled. At first, I thought she was a lot taller, but then I realized she was floating slightly. The fusion actually was still bigger than either of her components, but she was actually still a few inches shorter than Garnet. She had four slender arms, a wild head of hair, streaked with greys and greens, complimenting each gem's individual colors. I could see Selenite's crescent-shaped stone and Tall-Peridot's more square gemstone set in their body. A visor was set gently over her eyes, giving her an innocent wide-eyed look. She spun to the floor with a playful twirl, her clothes resembling an odd blend of a research vest from the top to the waist, and below that, an elegant ballgown.
"Sorry if this is personal, but I'm curious… Have you… been like this a lot before?"
Serpentine blushed. "Well, it was only Selenite and Peridot down in that research lab so… they would form me fairly often."
"I see." I smiled softly. "I didn't realize they were that close. Well, you don't have to worry; around here, there's nothing wrong with fusion."
"I had gathered. It's still… sometimes weird to be around others." She sheepishly rubbed her head, before clapping two hands. "Right! You're here for your results, yes?"
"Well, I mean, whatever you can tell me…" I nervously pressed my hands together. "I'm a little terrified."
"Okay, so…" Serpentine adjusted herself, drawing out a tablet from within Selenite's gem. "I ran through scans about a dozen times, and we found some odd inconsistencies. Erm, one of my component gems mentioned all that about inert gems, yes?"
"Um… Gems that were made but didn't have enough diamond essence to form or even really be alive, right?"
"Correct. Obviously, they all have a little essence in them; after all you still have the lightning powers, the corrected vision and slightly enhanced healing from having it within you; Granted the latter two are obviously more side-effects of combining a gem and a human, but the point is, there's still some essence inside of that gem."
"Right…?" I said a bit warily, crossing my arms a touch.
"Well… In the last few scans I've been doing… I may have picked up something of a rather disconcerting nature." Serpentine nervously brushed her hair from her face, revealing her second pair of eyes behind the visor. "The energy readings from the gem have been increasing somewhat. It's a very slow, gradual amount."
" What? " I blinked, feeling a prickle run down my spine. It stopped short of the stone wedged into my back. "How?"
"Well… We only can offer conjecture, but if I may hazard a guess…" Serpentine's face was serious, her lips set into a thin line. "What is the majority population of Little Homeworld?"
It took me a few seconds to catch on to what she was saying. "Uh… Gems who used to be corrupted, but were cured."
"And how were they cured?"
Epiphany struck, hard and true.
"Oh my god. With the Diamonds' essence combined. Which means…"
"Well it's purely theoretical, but you've been in regular contact with gems that were literally bathed in the Diamonds' essence. In all four of them . To correctly make most forms of gem, only one is fully required.
"In other words, assuming that I'm right… The gems of Little Homeworld are basically walking around and spreading micro-amounts of Diamond Essence. It's a tiny amount, most of it is holding them together. But it's everywhere and there's a lot of uncorrupted gems here."
"Then… Is Fulgurite gonna wake up? " I bristled, feeling a rush of terror in my heart. "What does that mean for me? And what happens if… If she tries to form while…?"
"Well for the latter, that's actually impossible. Even active gems cannot form while embedded in something." Serpentine grimaced. "But for your first question, I…"
She trailed off, before lowering her head, looking a bit ashamed.
"...I have no idea."