Stark as ice: exactly how Garnet's greeting made Lapis feel. With gritted teeth and a mumbled 'Oh shatter me', she faced the shop's new visitors with an ill-concealed grimace.

Perfect.

Lovely.

Positively fantastic.

Apparently the universe considered Lapis' wish to have a private conversation with the last remaining Gem from her past that she considered a friend—or close to one at least—too much of a favor.

Steven's pleasant rush-hug barely perked her mood either, even while she instinctively wrapped her thin arms around the boy in return. She regarded Garnet, Pearl, Peridot, and Amethyst with a scowl, albeit a tempered one once she noticed Connie standing beside the maroon fusion with a wary expression.

"What are you all doing here?"

"Eh," Amethyst shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly, once again (much to Lapis' eternal annoyance) utterly unaffected by the icy attitude, "extending hands of friendship, coming in peace, yadda, yadda, yadda," and relaxed her hands behind her head, "that sorta thing."

Pearl clapped her hands together, a touch of exasperation tainting her tone. "What Amethyst is trying to say is, um"—seconds later she crossed her arms with a resigned sigh, "exactly what she said."

She pointedly ignored Amethyst's snort of amusement. "We were hoping to arrive with a smaller...," she briefly broke eye-contact with Lapis, "entourage, only Amethyst and Peridot joined us at the last second. We didn't want to startle anyone."

Amethyst eye-rolled as she sent a teasing elbow to her teammate's ribs. "Aw, c'mon, Pearl! You think me and Peri would miss out on this?"

Peridot lay too deep in interest towards the curious-eyed fur ball to affirm her purple associate's words. A mind-damaged Gem peaceably living amongst humans: now there hid some interesting potentials. She remained behind Garnet's sturdy legs, though, just to be—

Suddenly Amber got up on her hind legs to stick her big black nose into Steven's bushy black hair, an action that made the boy giggle and loosen his grip on Lapis, before licking his face like any actual dog would. Pearl would have snatched Steven back if not for Garnet's firm assuring hand on her shoulder.

Connie held back a giggle as she discreetly took out her phone again. She was definitely taking a picture of this.

"I'm Steven, and we're the WTBC Committee! Sorry we didn't get to meet yesterday; you were probably busy, but's that okay!" Steven exclaimed as he spread arms open wide, starry trademark grin in place. "Better late than never!"

Amber readily returned the grin; she liked this kid already. Out of her peripheral, she noticed the confusion in Lapis' downward gaze at the boy, likely because he had said so much on one breath.

"The 'Welcome to Beach City' Committee, Blue Belle! Get that pretty head in the game!" Marcus called as he shut the front door behind him and set the broom against the wall before cruising towards the group, Lapis' threatening eye-twitch not fazing him at all. "Can't be a newcomer to Beach City without at least one fine hello from this bunch. Speaking of which," he turned to Garnet with a hand extended in greeting, "nice to see you all still in top form."

Garnet smiled as she returned the handshake. "Likewise. Family doing alright?"

Marcus stuck his tongue out the side of his mouth. "Nobody's set the town on fire yet, and the popo haven't shown up, so I must be doing something right."

And cue Amethyst's boisterous snort.

Pearl plastered on a polite smile. "Yes well, while we are happy to welcome you all back to Beach City, we came here to work something out with Amber," she turned to said Gem, "maybe even continue from where you and Rose left off. If you could hand me some of the notes she made on your progress, the process can go much smoother."

That statement got Peridot's attention. Rose Quartz made notes on this anomaly? Definitely not intel privy to the technician's knowledge. The emerald stone could not deny a sense of intrigue towards this detail.

Meanwhile Amber backed off of Steven and then pointed a paw at Connie, gesturing the girl to come over. Connie blinked in wonder, lips pursed; at Steven's shrug, she decided to comply and drew closer. "Um, hi. I'm Connie Maheswaran, you probably remember me from when Kurtis would babysit me. What do you need?"

The answer became clear once Amber started gesturing her paws as though she were texting. "Oh! I see! Is it okay if I speak for you then?"

Surprise crossed Amber's face for some reason, though she hastily wiped it off with a thankful smile. Once Connie switched to the typing app of her phone, Amber tapped the device with her nose and before the girl's and Steven's mystified eyes, words started typing onto the screen by themselves.

"Whoa—Oh! Um...," Connie recovered with a clear of her throat before reciting in a clear tone, "My apologies, but I am afraid that will not be possible. The...'last time' Rose and I rendezvoused, I left everything I recorded on the terminal."

Pearl tapped her chin, a thoughtful hum echoing. "That's fine. We already know where it is to begin with, which only leaves the matter of the cure itself. Given everyone's collective knowledge on corruption so far, yours included, finding the solution should go much smoother."

"True."

"So then you'll let us help you."

BZZZZZZZZZ!

The incorrect buzzer sound effect blaring from Connie' phone said everything, everyone but Garnet, Marcus, Uma, and Amber herself flinching in surprise at it.

Pearl had to hold back a blush at the nonverbal flip-off. She should've expected the yellow Gem would prove difficult...not that she lacked good reason. "Oh...o-of course, well we don't need the information urgently, mind you. However, there are underlying time restraints you should"—

"Take all the time you need," Lapis interjected, taking no small amount of pleasure in Pearl's vexed glare. She stepped closer and hovered a hand over her mouth. "Trust me," she whispered, "considering some of these guys, you'll need a while."

That advice got the golden Gem stifling a chuckle. (Connie, too, who'd been close enough to overhear, though the girl wisely hid her expression behind her free hand.) A tug on the left paw brought her attention back down to Steven, whose grand smile disarmed her just as much as his next words did.

"But we can still hang out with you right?"

Connie didn't even need her phone to translate Amber's wide-eyed amazement and bashful break in eye-contact.

"She guesses."

Steven's whoop echoed throughout the shop.

No one noticed Uma going into the back.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Kurtis."

At his elder's soft-spoken call, the young man paused amongst watering the flowers.

"Aren't you going to welcome our guests?"

That question sounded innocuous, but Kurtis knew his grandmother long enough to know better. He rotated to face her, the pink apron that reached past his knees flowing with the motion. "They came for Amber, not us."

Uma cast a knowing smirk at her grandson, hardly surprised he heard that part of the conversation. "Pearl and Amethyst and Garnet, true; Lapis seems happy to see her at least. And Steven and Connie seem the same way about you, too. Would be a shame if you didn't get to say hi to the two of them, don't you agree?"

A few moments of pregnant silence passed.

When Kurtis's shoulders finally slumped in defeat, Uma fist-pumped in her mind; right where she wanted him. Without another word, she returned to the shop, her grandson dutifully (and semi-reluctantly) following, apron and watering can cast aside.

The moment they emerged, all bets were off.

"Eyyyyyy! There's the little sad sack!"

A pout formed against Kurtis's will at Amethyst's call-out. Why did so many people think that about him? Despite his inner irritation, he managed a meek wave to the Gems. Garnet nodded; Pearl returned the wave with a nervous grin; Amethyst wiggled her fingers in a vaguely flirty manner; Lapis, who already saw him once, regarded him with a bored look; and Peridot squinted at him for some reason.

Whatever. Connie and Steven grabbed his attention the moment the former latched her arms onto his left leg while her star-eyed other half clung to the other. Kurtis tousled both their hairs, smiling softly when they giggled in return.

Just then, the cell in his right pants pocket started vibrating, the kids pulling away as he checked his ebony phone. A quick check of the messages confirmed that Kiki had to reschedule their study date, meant to be today in currently ten minutes, due to some 'freak accident with the yeast'.

At once Kurtis felt both irritation and relief.

There went his getaway card for avoiding any more ensuing awkwardness with the 'guests'. On the bright side, at least he wouldn't have to worry about disappointing his little sister-figure and the younger boy, who seemed like a genuinely nice kid.

Sensing the man's ambivalent mood, Connie took out her own phone. "I called my mom after I called Uma. She said I can stay with you as long as I'm back in time for my violin lesson. So if you want, we hang out to fill out the hole in your schedule."

"Guys," Steven turned to the Gems with a hopeful expression, "is it okay if I hang out with Kurtis today, too?" He really wanted to get to know the guy who used to look after Connie because, hey, if his best friend (cool herself) thought the guy was cool, then he was already okay in Steven's book!

Pearl pursed her lips, unsure, her sky-blue eyes lingering on the surprised youth in question. "Um, I suppose."

Garnet shrugged. "I see no harm in it."

While Steven and Connie shared an ecstatic high-five, Kurtis turned to his grandmother and father and Amber with a questioning, almost concerned, look.

Marcus waved a dismissive hand. "Oh, c'mon! Like we're not used to alien presences in our home. We'll be fine! Ta be fair, though, I thought you'd be stickin' around ta hang with Amber's old friends. Practically a sci-fi film knockin' right on our doorstep!"

Kurtis pointedly looked away, hoping against hope no one could see his blush, flinching when Amethyst sauntered up and administered a hearty slap to the small of his back.

"Yo, you guys tryin' to ditch me or what?" At Kurtis's wary stare, Amethyst threw her hands up in metaphorical defense. "Seriously, man, we haven't hung out since we were kids—well, since you were a kid, but ya get what I mean. So c'mon," she dropped the joking tone as her face became sincere, "for old times' sake."

A brief bout of stare-down. Kurtis pinched his eyes and shot a careworn chuckle. "Alright."

Amethyst finger-snapped with a wink then turned to Peridot and Lapis. "Yo, Peri, Lap-a-Lazy, wanna join in?"

Peridot tapped her chin, indecisive for a moment, before gesturing her hands in genuine apology. "I'd love to, but I feel now is a big opportunity to learn more about this 'corruption', much less how this one," she gestured to Amber, "has managed to coexist with humans if this condition is as debilitating as you all suggested on the way here."

Steven crossed his arms with a considerate hum. "Sounds fair. Lapis?"

The blue Gem shook her head, small smile signaling her regret as well. "Some other day." At Steven's despondent gaze, she patted his shoulder before turning to her older friend, "I still need time to take this all in. We have plenty of time to catch up."

Amber gave an understanding nod and grin, although Steven suspected a bit of sadness in the expression.

That's okay. If you ever change your mind, just look for my funky hide.

She morphed her fur color into a mobile rainbow, invoking a series of 'whoa' and 'cool' from the kids and Amethyst.

Even Peridot could not deny her awe.

Interesting use of her photonic abilities. I could get to like her.