"Walk. Walk. Walk." Steven sung, kicking his sandaled feet as Pearl strapped him into his stroller.
"Yes, Steven. We're going on a walk to the library." Pearl said, making sure that the straps were secure. The last time Amethyst had taken Steven for a walk, Steven had slipped right out of the stroller. He had given Amethyst a run for her money, managing to make it from the forefront of the boardwalk all the way to Fish Stew Pizza. Apparently he had gone there to order a pizza, having handed Nanefua a two dollar bill when Amethyst had finally caught up to him. Even though Steven hadn't been hurt (and had even gotten a free slice of pizza), Pearl just wanted to make sure it wouldn't happen again-what if he ran into some stranger or fell down? She rummaged around in Steven's baby bag and grabbed his sippy cup.
"Libary?" Steven mumbled, taking the offered juice clumsily.
"Library. The place with all the books."
"BOOKS!" Steven squealed, somehow managing to get juice all over Pearl's feet. How that was even possible, seeing as it that the spout was smaller than Pearl's thumb, she didn't think she would ever understand (must be some talent of toddlers no one had informed her of.) Pearl quickly changed her socks in a flash, turned the television off, and checked Steven's straps one more time before heading out.
It was a beautiful day. The sun was out and a nice breeze was helping stave off the heat. The ocean was calm and cool, a perfect aquamarine that glittered blindingly. The sky was mostly clear, a few wispy clouds idled here or there, unfurling into nothing occasionally as the wind pushed them along.
Steven excitedly greeted the few passersby, alternating between jittery waves and sipping at his juice. The boardwalk was mostly empty, a few vendors open for business. Their walk was quick and thankfully without any intense interaction from any humans. Pearl didn't really mind speaking to humans, she loved having conversations with Steven and sometimes Greg (mostly about Steven or cars), but right now she was more determined to go to the library.
She would've gone to her own personal library in her pocket dimension, searching through her extensive catalogs, but had found that most information on human health she had, had only been gem-based studies. All original documentation and literature had been created when they had first arrived on Earth and seemingly desisted a few decades after the war had begun. Any and all recorded information on human diseases and pathology had stopped being produced long before the nineteenth century. The most recent information she had been able to find in her gem, had been studies done on humans infected with the Bubonic Plague.
Surely though, the human library would be at least slightly up to date.
The humble library was a two story building that was squished between the small book store and an even tinier café in town. It was a little rundown, barely having enough funding to keep the lights on and received most of its books from donations. But Pearl had watched the now ancient librarian grow up and though they rarely spoke, they were kind to one another. If a window needed repair or the lights when out, Pearl would be there to fix it when she could. In exchange, every other week when Steven and Pearl would visit, the librarian would entertain Steven with their dilapidated children's section while Pearl looked around.
Steven easily went into the librarian's pale arms and Pearl traveled upstairs to the darkened second floor. She opened the moth-eaten curtains, sputtering at the motes of airy grime that rained down and blinking at the sharp contrast of light. She quickly scanned the few shelves, easily finding the information she desired. She sat down at the singular wooden desk, opening the thick, worn books and scanned each one so quickly that specks of fluffy dust flew into the air. She quickly finished the three thick volumes she had pried from the shelves and sat still for a moment while she digested all she had read.
Highly contagious. Thousands of deaths each year! Children and the elderly especially susceptible.
Pearl stood up so fast that the chair behind her fell to the floor with a muted thump. She hastily replaced the books and righted the chair before running down the stairs.
"Thank you for watching him Eunice!" Pearl gasped, putting Steven's things back into his bag so quickly that her movements were blurred. Pearl strapped Steven into his stroller, deaf to his complaints about leaving so soon. She pushed the door open and hurriedly escaped the dusty confines of the library.
"No problem, darling." Eunice stuttered softly, slowly sitting up with awe in her dim blue eyes and chuckled quietly. "How does that girlie still do it?"
A/N: Flu season got me thinking, canon Steven probably can't even catch diseases (or so the theories go), but it's much to fun making Pearl fret. Don't worry, Steven's not going to get sick though (couldn't do that to that little cutie).
313 FOLLOWS! Thank you guys so much! It's kind of weird to think that every time I update this fic, an email is sent out to freakin' 313 people. You guys have got to stop being so awesome, because I'm smiling really, really hard and I think I'm scaring the other kids in the library (I'm supposed to be studying...oops). Thank you as well for the several hundred favorites, we're creeping up on 300 and for the 300+ reviews. I was wondering if any one maybe had any ideas on some sort of special story I could work on to commemorate for everything about to be hit 300+, any ideas would be great cause I'm drawing a blank.
I would like to also now thank these people for sending in prompts. I am horribly unorganized and if I didn't put your username next to the title of the story I'm trying to write, then I totally forgot that you even gave me the idea. I apologize greatly for that, it wasn't my intention to not give you the credit you deserve. If you sent in a prompt and I haven't responded, it's because I'm trying to work with what you've given me (I'm hopeful that I'll be able to produce something from each and every one of you.):
TheRainbowPyro17, Stevenuniversefanficislife, PetitJ, SonicHedgehogBlur, InsertSUShipHere, SkyfallxKnight, Regulargirl22, and KND Operative Numbuh 227 (If I missed you, my sincerest apologies)