Well, it's once again time for things to cool down at the Beach House before things get serious again!
The next few days saw the temple get remarkably crowded as the Crystal Gems almost doubled in number after the Battle for the Temple. Even with the case of Fluorite having to stay outside due her sheer size that left over a dozen gems suddenly needing to work under one roof. Although "work" might be an exaggeration considering that after all the stress of their latest encounter with Homeworld some rest and relaxation was definitely in order.
While training and the like never vanished for Steven, the mood was infinitely more laid-back than the immediate past. He was clearly giddy about having so many new faces in the house and was even happier once he told Greg and Connie of his achievements. Aside from getting more somber when the unfortunate subject of Aquamarine came up, he was proud of their victory and the lives they helped improve.
The hardest of the bunch to adapt was definitely Topaz as she more or less spent several hours of her first real day on Earth standing around the house in a state of perpetual awkwardness. She had a habit of shifting her eyes and looking over her shoulder, clearly afraid that Homeworld might be after her and completely at a loss with what to do with herself. On Homeworld she was always ferried around from one mission to another, never stopping for a break. Now she had all the time in the world, literally due to the agelessness of gems, but nothing to spend it on. The following day seemed to be going in the same manner until Lapis walked up to her.
"What's up with you?" was all she asked in her usual aloof tone.
"It's… I don't know what I'm supposed to do now. I just-"
"I know the feeling. At least you were out and about all that time. I spent several millennia stuck in a mirror, so I get the feeling. I think I've got something that'll help."
Lapis merely led her to the bookshelves lining the walls and grabbed the first-season DVD boxset of Camp Pining Hearts before walking upstairs to Steven's room. The boy was actually up there for a change taking a rest after running his now-routine five laps around Beach City.
"Oh hey guys! What's up?"
"Could we use your TV? Topaz has nothing to do so I want to show her my show."
"Of course. Casa de Universe is open to all alien refugees who watch cheesy soap operas. You do that while I go spar with Garnet." He then headed downstairs leaving Topaz even more confused. How could he be so at peace with everything?
Regardless, Lapis soon had them watching the pilot episode of hers and Peridot's favorite show. Topaz merely stared blankly at the screen for the entire twenty-two-minute runtime until the credits rolled. She then looked at Lapis with the same awkward expression that had been on her face for most of her time on Earth and asked the burning question on her mind.
"What was the point of that?"
"Well, if you ask Peridot, she'd go on and on about them foreshadowing for season nine and how this all ties into her conspiracy theories-"
"No, I meant this whole thing. Why does it exist? What is it supposed to do?"
"Umm…entertain? It's just a show that people watch and enjoy for fun. You never had anything like that on Homeworld?"
"We have celebrations, but that's just to celebrate some accomplishment. And weed out any disruptive gem to the upper-crusts, but other than that, not really. I mean there's singing and dancing, but no one does that just because."
"Wow. I knew Homeworld sucked, but now they're a bunch of uptight party-poopers too."
Such a blunt statement caused Topaz to laugh briefly and was also shocked to hear her openly insult the gem hierarchy. Sure, she may have loathed Homeworld and its rules for quite some time, but she would never admit it! That was a one-way ticket to getting split up and then she really would have nothing to keep her going.
"You don't have to worry about someone hurting you hear. It took me a long time to realize that, but now I feel safe here. And if Homeworld tries to mess with you, we can help you. Better now?"
Topaz simply nodded as she felt a weight lift from her shoulders, a weight she had gotten so used to carrying she hardly felt it for the longest time. Lapis then left her alone in Steven's room to continue watching the ever-complicated relationships of flag wars and camp counselor love-triangles.
Hours passed until eventually Steven was wrapping up for the day. By the time Steven came back and readied himself his comfy pajamas and comforter, he found Topaz sobbing hysterically on his bed with her head in his pillow.
"Season one finale?" he asked. Topaz only wailed louder in response, prompting the drowsy boy to pat her on the shoulder and tell her it turns out alright in the end without giving away any spoilers. He managed to cajole her off his mattress as she slunk downstairs already fathoming how season two would go and how relieved it was to finally have something joyful in her life besides her relationship.
The next morning the beach house was still alive with activity. Greg walked to his house only to find Amethyst and Cinnabar roughhousing on the beach. Apparently the pair's snark remarks to each other in their first encounter has stemmed into something of a friendly rivalry. The two seemed to be in a tussle over who was getting dunked in the ocean with them both making jabs and taunts all the way. The only thing Greg found even weirder was the literal spaceship parked in front of his house and that these were all common occurrences in his life. Some fathers were concerned about their sons joining the football team or getting into dating around this age. He was worried about the dozen or so alien women in his house and his son training to fight intergalactic warlords. He was taken out of his waxing when he heard a loud splash.
"Hah, take that hothead! You wanna give up now? I've got years of wrestling experience under my belt?" goaded Amethyst as her warm-colored adversary rose literally steaming.
"I spent years dealing with Adamite, you runt! I'll show you to talk to me like that!" She then forced the water under Amethyst to heat up through her feet making the shorter scrapper leap into the air yowling as her feet burned.
As Greg moved on as their horseplay continued, he spotted Garnet and Adamite chaperoning them from the porch with equally amused smiles on their faces.
"It is refreshing to finally have another gem with Cinnabar's tenacity," remarked the more muscular of the two, "She is not exactly the easiest to entertain."
"It's nice for Amethyst too. She finally has a playmate on her level. I remember she was disappointed at how fragile Steven could be when he was younger."
"Um, hey ladies. Everything good out here?" he asked also addressing Fluorite who had been watching their spectacle since it began.
"Yeah, we had to shepherd them outside when they started. Apparently Cinnabar poked Amethyst awake from her nap and that got her in a bunch," answered Garnet who was privately chuckling as they two started biting and pulling each other's hair.
Greg simply shrugged and accepted this as part of his life. Inside he found Steven and Pearl simply washing dishes at the sink, Topaz running upstairs with the next season of Camp Pining Hearts clutched in her arms, and Lapis and the Rutile twins having a conversation around the fire pit. All in all, he actually considered this a rather low-key day for this household. Then he watched Bismuth emerge from Peridot's room with smoke rolling off her shoulders and a prominent scowl on her face.
"What happened to you?" asked the concerned father.
"I almost poofed myself," Bismuth grumbled much to the amusement of Steven who could not help but giggle at her choice of words.
"Well, shucks, sorry about that," Greg consoled before moving in to whisper in her ear, "While I've got you here, how's the project coming?"
"It would be coming along a lot faster if Peridot was here! She went out hours ago and I need her to work on the wiring. I'm not very good with electronics and so I tried to do it myself and-"
"Got shocked for your troubles?" asked Pearl who overheard their conversation. Bismuth could only nod in embarrassment.
"I remember when I first got into engineering. I had more than my fair share of accidents. And that was all before electricity was invented! Or the steam engine. Or iron."
"Man Pearl, you've been busy all these years! What'd you try to do, make some giant death ray in case Homeworld came back?" snarked Bismuth only for Pearl to blush.
"Actually Rose and I did contemplate creating a light-based weapon with the destructive capability to eliminate any Homeworld troops before they could land after the original war ended. We…ran into a major design flaw."
"Oh yeah, what was it?"
"We learned that mirrors, even thousands upon thousands of them focused on the same point, could not create a beam of light concentrated enough to destroy the craft. The most we could have done was blind the pilot. Hundreds of hours and thousands of panes of glass wasted and it was horribly difficult to set up and put away! I'm just grateful no one else tried that idea or it would be a profound waste of time At least we eventually refined into the laser light cannon."
"Huh. Well, have you seen Peridot anywhere? I need her help with this."
"Last I checked she went into that ship the Off-Colors arrived in. Don't know what happened since then."
Bismuth thanked her for the help and made her way outside after spotting Amethyst putting Cinnabar in a headlock. She then opened the Sun Incinerator and quickly found herself to the bridge of the ship after hearing Peridot's voice. What she found there made her stop in her tracks.
"Oh my, aren't you a gorgeous piece of hardware!" cooed Peridot as she was draped all over the main console touching every button she could get her hands on. She was so enamored that she did not even notice Bismuth standing about thirty feet away.
"So sleek, so modern, so advanced! If there's one thing I miss about my days on Homeworld, it's getting handle such magnificent machinery. I can't believe they managed to come up with this not even a year after I left. I can only imagine how it feels to pilot such powerful thrusters. I can practically feel the rush of flying faster than sound! One day you will be mine to command…"
Before she could go on, Bismuth burst out laughing harder than she had in her entire life. In only seconds she fell on the floor kicking her legs and crying from the exertion. This caused Peridot to snap out of her trance and fall on the floor as she rolled off the console in a heap.
"B-B-B-Bismuth?! What are you doing here? And what's so funny?!"
"I-I'm sorry, I didn't… know you and the spaceship… w-were having a private moment! Do you…want me to come back after yo-you're done buffing yourself?" was all she could sputter out before another fit of laughter overtook her. Peridot's cheeks heated up instantly and she marched up to the still-guffawing blacksmith.
"I'll have you know I wasn't doing anything inappropriate! I was simply admiring this vessel so I could get a feeling for its controls. This ship is an invaluable asset for us and we need to learn how to pilot it!"
"Uh-huh. Now, do you want me to leave so you can finish in peace or do you prefer someone watching?" Bismuth then entered another laughing frenzy as Peridot's cheeks heated up once again.
"It's not funny! And don't act like you don't get carried away by your own fascinations! I've seen you work at your forge and start ogling your own swords!"
"Hey! Don't you bring me handiwork into this! I don't treat them like their alive or that I want to fuse with them!"
"Really?! So if I went to your forge right now and started banging all of the blades against rocks until their dull and chipped you wouldn't care?"
"O-of course not!" Bismuth bluffed though her eyes clearly betrayed her words, "I could always make another one."
"Oh, and what about one of the ones from that armory Pearl showed Lapis? You wouldn't mind if I took one of those?"
"Those are antiques! W-why would want to use one of those? I could just make you one just like it personally!"
"If they are of so little concern to you, why are you dodging the question? After all, they're outdated, right?"
"Because if you dent up one of my babies, I'll dent your face! Each one of those was handmade! I spent eons globetrotting to learn the different shapes and techniques to make those!"
"Ha! Looks like I'm not the only one with an obsession!"
"I have a healthy respect for an art form. You were in here staring at that console like you wanted to roll around on it naked!"
"But I don't wear actual garments."
"Point still stands. You wouldn't want to make Lapis jealous, would you?"
"W-what?! What does she have to do with any of this?!"
"Really? The gem you spent months living with almost completely alone and now trusts you enough to fuse with you? And I thought Biggs could be dense when it came to other gem's feelings."
"YOU TAKE THAT BACK!" shouted Peridot as she leapt onto Bismuth's shoulders and began tugging at her hair.
The two began unintentionally mimicking Amethyst and Cinnabar outside as they engaged in a wrestling match of their own. While Bismuth clearly held the size and power advantage, Peridot proved remarkably agile as she crawled all over the blacksmith biting and slapping anything she could reach. Eventually their grappling ended with Bismuth pining Peridot to the floor with each of the former's hands completely covering the latter's arms. They each prepared to trade more insults, but were interrupted when the hatch to the ship opened.
"What on Earth are you two doing?!" exclaimed a rather flustered Pearl who stood alongside Lapis Lazuli and Rhodonite. All three of the gems looked at the roughhousing gems with a mix of confusion, amusement and embarrassment.
"We were merely settling a dispute in a calm, rational manner," explained Peridot before struggling in vain to escape Bismuth's grasp.
Pearl stepped in and managed to separate the two before grabbing them both by the hair and pulling them inside with Lapis following along while Rhodonite double-checked nothing was broken. It was also hide her blushing as watching the encounter could not help but remind her about how her components used to meet in secret away from their boss Morganite.
"Now would you both care to explain what your little scuffle was all about?" demanded Pearl as Peridot and Bismuth sat in opposite sides of the fire pit with almost everyone in the temple listening in out of curiosity. Even Amethyst and Cinnabar came in upon the former recognizing that someone was in trouble.
Peridot came clean about her ogling the Sun Incinerator and confessing that she missed a small part of Homeworld. Bismuth then revealed that she went too far with her taunting and insinuated a romance between her partner in construction and Lapis. The latter revelation, much to the surprise of everyone in the room, did not bother her.
"So you thought me and Peridot were a couple now because of Turquoise? Big deal."
"You're really not upset, Lapis?" asked Steven.
"I might have been if this happened earlier, but one thing I learned being here is why should I care what people think of me? I'm happy here and Peridot's still a friend of mine. If they want to make assumptions, that's their problem."
"That's a very mature way of looking at it, Lapis," commended Pearl, "Now Bismuth, do you have something to say?"
"I'm sorry for that Peri, I guess I still have to work on my temper," the blacksmith could not help but look at Steven as she felt a wave of regret wash over her. That changed, however, when Adamite stepped forward with the same aloof expression as usual and spoke to her.
"You might have more improvements to make, but you have clearly made some clear efforts to remedy your behavior. As long as you possess the ability to recognize your flaws, there is a far higher chance of you achieving your goals. Do not doubt yourself and you will reach your desired outcome."
Bismuth was shocked by her sentiment, but appreciated it nonetheless. Topaz, having taken a break from her binge-watching to observe, felt herself tear up again. Whether it was being reminded of how much better her situation was or how much the scene reminded her of a touching moment of Camp Pining Hearts was anyone's guess.
As Bismuth got up to get back to work in Peridot's room, she found the green gem had not moved from her spot.
"What's up with you? I said I was sorry."
"It's not your statements that bother me. I am more surprised that no one reacted to my confession."
"What? That you miss Homeworld tech?"
"Affirmative. I was worried that you all, especially Garnet or Pearl, would doubt my convictions to the cause if I expressed fondness for my former occupation."
"You shouldn't," spoke Garnet who was standing behind her chair.
"AAH! We can't all see the future, you know! One day you'll poof a gem being so abrupt."
"Hm…I don't see that happening." Peridot only raised an eyebrow at her.
"I'm kidding about that, but not about your feelings. Peridot, we all had things we enjoyed on Homeworld. We won't label you a traitor for saying something nice about your old home."
Peridot released a breath she had been keeping in for some time now and looked up at the perma-fusion with relief. She then shut her eyes as she let her emotions out.
"After the whole Cluster incident, I honestly wasn't sure what my purpose was as a Crystal Gem. All I had was my proficiency with machines and with nothing to build. I felt …powerless. I don't have the combat capabilities of you, Amethyst and Pearl. I didn't even have any special abilities like Lapis. When I learned I could move metal with my mind I felt better, but it still wasn't enough. Sure I was happy with all my meep-morps and the Internet, but I never felt like a part of this team. It wasn't until I stopped Jasper that I felt I was worth anything to this team. Now…I don't want to lose that. I want to contribute in every way possible and make sure that the Diamonds never have their way with Earth."
When she opened her eyes she found literally every other Crystal Gem grinning at her. Steven then embraced her in a crushing hug.
"Aw, look at you getting in touch with her emotions today! So adorable!" the hybrid whimpered as Peridot tried her best to hug him back despite his enhanced strength taking her breath away.
"Come here, you squirt!" exclaimed Bismuth as she joined in by cradling them both in her arms. Peridot was now gasping for air.
"Someone…help…"
"Oh, hush up, you nerd!" added Amethyst as she decided to join in herself as she grabbed onto Bismuth's side. Pearl and Garnet joined on by hopping onto Bismuth's shoulder which caused the bulky gem to fall over and form a pile.
"Should have seen that coming," remarked Garnet.
"This is just like the old days! I love you all so much!" exclaimed Pearl in a moment of pure happiness as she soaked in the familial love of the moment.
"I…can't…breathe…" wheezed Peridot from the bottom of the pile. Lapis either did not hear her or did not care as she hopped on top of them all. Adamite and Cinnabar then joined in as well.
"Considering we can breathe in the vacuum of space, I find your complaint quite illogical," responded the former with the barest hint of a smile on her face.
"I just like hugs!" answered the latter in her usual excited tone. The Off-Colors, save for Fluorite who was still outside, all piled on as well.
"Are we doing this right?" questioned Rhodonite.
"This is fun!" spoke the Rutile twins in unison.
"Garnet's mass will cause Bismuth to tip over!" predicted Padparadscha, much to the fusion's humor.
"Sorry, Pap, I'm taken," she joked in response.
"Where have you even been this whole time?!" shouted Peridot in confusion.
"We were checking out your bathroom," answered the left Rutile.
"It's really nice!" complimented her twin.
Topaz, the only gem still indoors and outside the dogpile, could not resist and hopped on the very top.
"You're all so nice! I want to stay on Earth forever!" she cheered shortly before the pile collapsed due to the uneven weight sending gems sprawling in every direction. The entire group, including Greg who had watched the whole spectacle, simply laughed at the event as they all laid spread out on the floor. They could have stayed that way for hours if it were not for a sudden appearance of a gem on the warp pad.
"So this is the rebel base? How quaint," commented a monochrome pearl dressed entirely in blacks, whites and grays. She seemed to be missing an eye as a large crack ran through the right side of her face. She stood in a stiff pose with both her arms extended and bent at the elbows with a chilling smile on her face. The Crystal Gems were immediately alarmed by her presence and slowly approached the warp pad.
"Who are you? Explain yourself!" demanded Pearl as she brought out her spear. The intruding pearl did not blink at the implied threat.
"I am White Pearl, humble servant of the illustrious White Diamond. I am here to negotiate the terms of your surrender."
And now it's time for a fun round of trying to reason with White Pearl. Tune in for THAT fun exchange next time!
Thank you all so much for reading! Feel free to leave questions or comments in the review section!