The T.V., left on over night, hummed a melody while credits streamed down the screen. the volume was low, adjusted so before he decided to call it a night. In fact, the noise was soft and considerably hypnotic possibly setting to amplify the influence of ones dream without being so disruptive to wake you. The ticking windup clock could be faintly heard over the T.V.
The loudest notable sound was the rushing wind of the fan whipping the air. It whipped a subtle breeze towards the bed, onto a sleeping young man's face who had reached adulthood very recently. Steven universe.
Steven seemed bothered, peeking his unconscious head out of the blanket's fold. His body fixed in a position that suggested a restless mind, it hung off the corner of the bed. The edges of the sheets were twirled around a free visible hand His grip to the sheet unusally tight as if slipping was slipping away, he resisted separating from it not wanting to let go.
There had been tears running down steven's plump cheeks, but now all that remained was dried salty patches thanks to the fan. though he had cried at some point during his sleep, a euphoric expression still lingered as if just coming to terms of something he must let go. Still he did clutch at it in their final moments to allow a complete sense of closure to be felt.
The hands on the clock winded around to a full number, nearly aliening to seven 'o clock. A moment later, it rung. Instead of the sound of ringing from it obvious pair of bells standard for most tradional alarm clocks, a chant cat noise bellowed from a small speaker in the back. it seemed that the bells were for show.
Steven flinched grunted, then stirred in his sleep. until his eyes popped open. Mostlyly to his senses, back from the depths of his dreams, fear had still plagued his mind from the dream calapulting him upwards into a sitting position on the bed. Steven roughly sucked air until his lungs to refresh him, his breath leaked and shook as it did. the light of the T.V. illuminated his room painting gradually where he was. Steven thinned his lips int a frown while exercising what the dream might have meant.
"That was... is... she really just gone? no... not gone, but..."
He took a moment and reconnected some points in which he found himself wanting to argue. now being awake with a clearer head, his feelings were mixed, nothing did make sense. another deep long breath travaled out his mouth, now it was a more confident breath, coming to a true realization of what the dream meant.
"I think in a weird way i just had closure with my mom.", he pondered grinning deeply to himself. he placed a hand on his stomach, then rubbed the diamond while reflecting a thought "oh yeah, i should get started with breakfast, i mean, i have time to think about what just happened, but it wouldn't be healthy for me to dwell on it. plus, I'm ok with that good bye."
Steven leaned over to his window gribbing the curtains then gentlely slid the gap open, allowing the sun to pierce the room. he then brighten up like a daisy that had been greeted by the morning sun.
he looked out and down to the parking lot seeing the cars lining the building and the group of people swarming towards them. Steven did choose to wake up at the right time most were leaving, to him it was a nice way to start a morning. though he didn't have much planned out today, connie was going to come by from college later on today. wanting not to waste anymore time, he rolled the covers away then spring out of bed.
NARRATOR: STEVEN
Though we've only lived in this apartment for about a half of a year, it's been cozy for connie and I settling down in the suburbs only thirty minutes away from Elantia Porgia.
Well, technically Connie doesn't live here. Her school is two hours away from our home town Beach city, and i now stay ten hours away in another state. I've always wanted to try out a city to live in and this just caught my attention. It's rich with history and places to see.
Seeing my love ones easily hasn't been much of a problem since we have a pretty good taxi escort, lion. There are some downsides to our current traveling arrangements. On many occasions Lion has refused to bring or take back connie to places, but still we appreciate that he agreed at all to do this for us. We make sure to not overburden him with too many trips, so we only ask him for rides during the weekends more or less and when he's not napping.
Connie found a really good school. The acceptance rate is strict, but with all the tireless work she put in, it comes to no one surprise that she made it in. She's been in college for over a year now working as hard as always. Slowly she'll reach her dream. You'd think that her dream is to simply go to space, but she's already have been multiple times. Her real goal is to help the human population get there far beyond our stars. she taking time to do some extra studying of her own, separate from the test and drills they're having her do at college. Peridot is teaching her how to build a space ship capable of going past light speed. once she understands both science, she'll immigrate each other into something better. It's an amazing dream and i can't wait to see what she does.
the time away from each other is still a problem, but to make things easier on our relationship, i have suggested that i move closer back home, but she told me that i should keep exploring the world. also that moving back would just distract me from my soul searching arhe. there's also the fact that we both know me, moving close by, could cause her to be too distracted from her work. How could i not come to visit every chance i got?!
Sadly, i have to admit that i have no real... school experience. i was home schooled, learning the basics of multiplication and dividend and i got to a tenth grade reading level. i was taught history, but pearl told me that most of the history written in the books are no true. the cystal gems were the ones who helped build the pyramids to protect the people against the homeworld invadions. in fact, the cystal gems and home world are connected to a lot of different religons. blue diamond was thought to be poseidon and yellow diamond was Zues. apperantly, their image changed into guys, not sure how that happened.
anyway. My time in the city of Elantia Porgia, i kinda started making some good friends. Also, I'm helping to setup and run a candy shop with Bibbo. it's not any of my abilities to mend, finance, or run a business but the kids like it when i gave them the ability to hop around like astronauts for a while. there was a bit of a problem when i accidentally gave life to all the candy in the shop. i'm still trying to solve that one. I mean, the watermelon Stevens are already a thing, so making candy people too would cause an already questionable future even more unpredictable.
Oh yeah, our neighbors down the hallway is so sweet. Mrs, Margerria bakes cookies, like, every weekend to welcome connie from college. It's only fair that i thank her by helping out with some heavy lifting chores, maybe picking up her grocires, carry some heavy things and babysitting her grandson Buster when she's busy.
It's funny. I thought Onion was the only... unique kid i knew; however, after spending a good amount of time with Buster, i wonder if Onion and Buster would make good friends? Those two have that strange aura about them. A hunting dangerous taunting... on second thought, the world would be better if they didn't meet and continue to stay hours away. Buster already seems interested in meeting Onion already, maybe i shouldn't have brought him up.
Also worth mentioning are my closer neighbors Mr. and Mrs. Caplin. they're a marry couple, who love science. During Connie and my visits to their flat, they would make tea and pick my brain about my powers. Once they asked me for a blood sample, but i politely declined them. I'd much rather listen to their stories of exploration.
Just like what I've always wanted to do, the Caplins have been to many countries because of their hunt for knowledge. I'm not much of a science enthusiast and i feel connie might have me beat keeping up with them for hours on the theory train. On the plus side, i now know how bats evolved into flying mammals.
Overall, I like it here with it's charms, not to say that i don't miss my sweet beach city. of course, i visit from time to time, but who knows if I'll ever move back permanently.
Learning about my dad trading a more stable life for traveling did make me question why he would do that, but i get it a little more. we all have our way to live this life. Mom. Those two were a lot alike. Leaving home for something that their hearts wanted. I don't agree with how they did it but it doesn't matter now.
I'll tell Connie about what i dreamed last night when she get back. It felt so real, but i know mom doesn't exist anymore. Likely, it was a dream my diamond fabricated for me, mimicking who and how she was from the small cluster of memories remaining in it. Still, there's a part of me that wants to tell someone for validation, however that can wait. Right now, i needed to make breakfast.
as i stood there over the island counter stirring the bowl, my mind reminisced back to when i lived at Beach City. The pancakes use to be the hardest part for me. pearl would have to pre-make them for amethyst and me because i would either burn them or not mix it right. Now, i know there's a butter way to do it if i egg-erise what i learned, ha. um, i mean, i realized i wasn't adding an even amount of butter.
First put half a stick on a warm skillet and watch it melt over time. Of course it will turn into a puddle but if you see the butter boiling, then the pan is too hot. It doesn't take too long to mix the ingredients. It's a simple task now. For a portion size of six pancakes it's ok to pour most of the warm butter into the bowl as well.
All six pancakes comes out golden, round and fluffy just like pearl's. Two pancakes for meh lady, and three for me. I made an extra just in case. I danced to the cabinet to grab two large plates with enough room for all the sides.
Of course, sausage is the second most important addition to our breakfast then i'll cook the hash browns and eggs in the remaining sauage grease. i like it that way and connie never complained.
The breakfast is a bit fatty so i should make a healthy option for Connie because she does care about her health and i should maybe pay more attention to that. A fruit salad blend would be nice and celery peanut butter raisins.
After finishing our meal, i looked at the clock and noticed there was still an hour before connie would be out of class and wouldn't have to go back until 3:00. in the meantime, i had some time to kill.
I got bathing out of the way after putting the plates in the microwave, that only shaved about twenty minutes off the tormenting seconds i must wait for my beloved, meaning a little time to walk around the apartment complex for a awhile.
The first thing you'll notice stepping out the door into the hallway would be the mosaic glass windows and the colorful lights that shined through them splashing onto the hard carpet. The windows were enough to brightens up the hallway, but there hung crystal lanterns ready to be turned on during the late evenings. At that point, the lights will slowly turn on as the day passes.
The pictures in the windows are exciting to look at because they show the history of this apartment and things that happened here in the area. One interesting fact is that this place use to be a night jazz club. Sure there's a bar down stairs, but that's nothing compared to it's wild hay days during the prohibition. In some ways you could see this as bragging about it's illegal alcohol smuggling.
Crime aside, down stairs you can also learn how to paint, do yoga, exercise and be active. this apartment is cozy and fun. Pretty similar to a hotel.
Before walking down the hall, the thin mirror in front of my room caught my attention, my hair maybe needed a little touching up if i was maybe going to see and meet people today.
With a few strokes of my comb that is kept in my front jacket, a few pats down here and there, it was done. I raised my finger guns to the handsome guy in the mirror then continued on.
My neighboring neighbors room, Mr. and Mrs. Caplin, was silent this morning, likely they have already left to their Tuesday yoga. it was a quiet morning. Normally, the Caplins would start their day as early as i do beginning there projects.
The project in question could be a quiet one easy to sleep through and barely noticeable but on those very "eventful" days sometimes you'd hear machines running and clacking. Coming to lafe as they celebrate their achievements with a some two person party. It really surprising how loud to people can be.
On other nights maybe during a failed experiments, sometimes they could debate for hours about who was righ or wrong about a theory. Not in a malicious way, in fact it could be so cute how flirtatious their voices were if it wasn't so inconvenient.
I lost a good portion of sleep to their lengthy debates. T.V. Normally would be the only thing that helps drown out the noise, but it's better if i tried to force myself to sleep if i have a big day tomorrow.
Once or twice i have called them to bring up some complaints, the noise did stop, but whenever i came to visit they it was clear they were having trouble making new things. Seeing the breakthroughs their overnight problem solving has bring them, it would be a shame to hinder that, so i lied telling them that i kinda miss their nightly debates. Sure enough the very next night things started heating back up. Whenever it happens now, i just wear earplugs.
Two days ago, they made a three foot tall robot that runs off of CO2. To be honest, it blew me away and Connie was dumbfounded when she seen it. The robot could lift things under sixty pounds and do the laundry. How can i complain now if it's helping the environment? Just think of it's potential. Planting trees and growing landscapes. The question came up to ask them if they were going to find help to mass produce these machines, but they stressed a worry they had. In the wrong hands, it could do more damage.
What they made is essentially nearly perfected unlimited energy. Every person would want it for different reason as such, the technology can't be trusted to the world just yet. Not without limits. If companies find out, they could be contained or done in. That also was the cause for their anti-gravity rings.
They knew about my powers and inquired me to who knew about me. After i told them that only my friends knew about them, the worry in their eyes didn't go away. They asked me to keep it well hid.
People from beach City were surprised by the gem's abilities but nobody seemed greedy to use anybody there. At that point, i was being a bit careless at times assuming people to have good intentions, but it might be best to not use them so openly.
I say this but that candy anccident already might bit me at some point. All of the candies are back to being inanimated but that took three days to fix.
Further down, you'll pass by the people who live on the other side of them. It's a guy, a little closer to Lar 's age, also is a fan of the ripped jeans and has two cool tattoos. A large one, thorns, branching into base of his face and tingling down his left arm circling the inner and outer parts until the stems reach his knuckles. Thick leaves and bud roses appear on the stems. The other one was a short line of words, Never Go Back.
The bigger tattoo might have had a very simple reason for being chosen, but the smaller one's words seemed loaded with a reminder or a warning.
I only talked to him once, mainly because he's never really home as far as I can tell. I suspect that his job pulls him away a lot. I'm not sure what he does as a job, but he's an amazing drummer. Heard him one last night coming back from Seamore's.
I've seen them the most but there other people just as interesting on the other floors. Hopefully someone might be willing to talk.
Walking all the way down the hallway, a feeling or an eerie feeling crept up behind me. Before having a chance to turn around, it was clinging to my back.
What was that? That strange giggling.
That sound leaked from every direction, from every room. Circling me into what felt like a trap. It was dizzying, taunting and invisible.
I stepped away from the doors, thinking something was planning to come out at any second. Though the doors continued to giggle, none of them opened. My nerves only built upon itself weighting on me. Wait, was there something really weighting on me?!
what hummed from random rooms gradually stopped resonating out. silence suddenly swallowed the halls in heavy, menacing tension.
Wait, there was something on my back. How did I not notice?
A light creature that respire into my ear with every step I took. A tingling vibe of disgust came through my ear were it was. The giggling, possibly the source of all the giggling, showed it interest in my discomfort.
It's claws were dug into my jacket. I instinctively wiggled my body to shake the creature off, but it stuck on with ease. it's a mystery to when it had a chance to attach itself.
Though the walls had the occasional mirrors, there wasn't one near me, allowing no way in seeing what it looked like.
My mind rattled in my head to think how I could handle my problem. Just as I was about to do "something", the thing unleashed itself from me, landing on the hard thin rugged floor with a thump. There was a brief momentarily amount of relief, but gritting my teeth with a small bite, I brace myself for a likely battle.
An arm guarded my body and to draw forth the power of my shield; it was my protection, as well in some ways a weapon that I haven't used in a while. I've been failing to do a daily routine of exercise, so that's not good. Over a year has passed since I had to fight.
Turning around to face it, I-I rolled my eyes and tossed my shield away.
A pair of devilishly adorable eyes met me, staring into my soul. The "person" or "kid" crawling on my back was terrifying, but definitely not a threat, I think.
"It was so easy getting to your neck, you have to be careful." my small playful child neighbor warned, glowing squinting his yellow cat eyes at me.
His words spooked me a bit.
"So you were testing me? For what?" I asked.
To my followed question a smile formed on his face as his eye continued to not change, similar to onion.
"For things." he simply stated shrugging his shoulders.
Buster is more outspoken than the eerily silent Onion. Just like onion, he has a way that really make your mind wonder... in the drier direction. Though I love the little guy, I do feel a bit unsettled at times with him around.
Contracts to onion, he smiles all the time when onion mostly frowns. everything he says could be taken out of contents, however just like onion, he means no harm. I think.
"Where's your grandma, Buster?"
It's not that I found it unusual for him to be out in the hallway by himself. Honestly, I just wanted to break the quickly thickening tension around the conversation.
"She's been in bed. No matter what I do, even stab her, she doesn't move."
My heart sunk to his wording, but normally his wording is nothing to really worry about. I learned he's easily misunderstood.
"Sleeping huh?" I chuckled nervously trying to read him as if he was joking. I couldn't ignore the responsibility to check what he meant. "Well, her job is pretty demanding. I mean, you didn't actually stab her, right?"
His smile wavered at my question, showing to be shocked and dumbfounded to my blunt words.
"I did, with my finger really hard. She didn't really move from it."
"Sorry, I was thought you were talking about knives."
There no cruel intentions from his odd phasing, in fact, I don't think he realize how ominous he sounds half the time, however that doesn't mean that all of it is by mistake. He still does like to pull planks but they're never harmful. He does pick up when someone feels uncomfortable from something he says and though he can't always figure out why, he always seems delighted by it for some reason.
"Of course I didn't do something like that. I'm too short to reach the knifes." he pointed out with a questionable giggle.
"Good good!" I exclaimed breathing out a sigh of relief.
He cocked an eyebrow to me with a laugh. "you think it's good that I can't reach the knifes?"
"Yes! Er, I mean maybe. I mean, for cooking purposes yeah, but you're seven so just leave the cooking to the pros like your grandma."
It was shaky, but I managed to stir my rambling towards a coherent statement as I patted him on the head. In how i executed it, I rolled my eyes.
" You know, grandma stabbed me one time."
"She... did?"
"Yeah, with a needle. I got a splinter in my hand and she dragged it out. It was painful and so much blood."
"It couldn't have been that much blood." I speculated, but gained the feeling that I was wrong.
"I took a picture of it. " he mentioned as he pulled out a phone then pressed it on.
With blinding speed, I threw a hand over the camera an lowered the phone until it was safely out of view.
"Maybe another time." I assured, stiffening my shoulders.
"Ok." he agreed putting the phone back into his pocket. Buster head rose up to meet me again. "Steven when will you come to babysit me? Soon grandma won't be able to keep me anymore."
"Because she got to go to work later this evening?" I clarified.
"Yep." he confirmed.
A hand found it's way on my chin as I thought about later plans today.
"You'll have to come with me around town. I got a few errands to run later today as well."
"I don't mind."
"Good." I stated, turning away from buster, "see you later."
Just before I could turn the corner, buster stopped me again.
"Wait, HE wants to say good bye too." A look of confusion found me as I didn't see anyone else.
"he's right behind you."
Again, that bothering feeling hit me again. Despite there being no evidence that there were someone else in the hallway with us, a moment to doubt him never crossed my mind. Like a bandage being ripped off, I spun around.
"OH HEY!" to my deepen confusion and delight, it was onion. "what are you doing here! ...wait, how are you here."
I picked up the quiet mildly smiling child mainly to study him and check if he was real.
"Yep, it's really you." a breath of excitement and in disbelief.
I looked around and further down the hallway for his family.
"Did you come here with your mom and dad? No one told me that they were coming to visit or anything."
His grin brightened as he shook his head.
"What? Nobody else is here?"
My head lowered into my palm from the broken logic. The way he just ends up places.
"Onion. You have to tell me how you be doing thing stuff one day."
He shook his head at me again.
"And you're still the same size." I remarked looking him up and down. "I mean, I stopped growing for a while, but that's because I'm part gem. Why aren't you growing? You're like... eleven, twelve?"
I put him down, which he in turn gave me a hug.
"Aw, thanks onion." I cooed.
"You know, onion taught me how to do it too." Buster claimed.
There is no hesitation to guess what Buster was talking about. That weird ability that has had me very curious for years to know how it works. It wasn't even clear when these two got in contact with each other and now they both know how to wrap. It was just two days ago when I told Buster that Onion even existed.
"Wait what? Why?" I asked, looking over to Buster then back down to onion. Onion just shrugged his shoulder up at me.
I rolled my eyes back over to buster. "so... can you show me how-how you-" He was gone. No where to be found.
"he's... oh boy." the last of my bated breath spilled then faded away leaving my mouth. I look back over to Onion, but of course, he disappeared too.
My train of thought had evaporated with them, leaving me stuck in place. It took a moment to realize I was standing in the hallway alone.
I quietly came to terms that I would never fully understand kids anymore, or at least those two. Still, it was good to see onion again.
Minding back to my own affairs, time had moved quite a bit, and the moment came closer to see my sweet butterfly. It's been three days since I've last seen her face to face, but we only had half an hour to relax. I mean, it's not always so hectic every week, we did get two days to hangout out and go see a movie a few weeks ago. Even today, we have something planned.