Debbie couldn't help but feel more relaxed as she drove Peridot back to the barn to pick up a few necessary items and check over some charts. Pearl seemed wary about letting Peridot out of their sight, but Garnet had helped the woman convince the others. Though Pearl only truly relented after seeing that Steven seemed pretty happy to know that Peridot had another human friend.

Debbie couldn't help but grin when the boy had promised to swap stories with her if they had time.

"Hey, you doin' alright?" Debbie asked.

Peridot gave a grunt and crossed her arm. "I lost the rest of my limb enhancers."

"I can see that." Debbie chuckled, though the mirth died upon seeing the furious look on Peridot's face.

"You stupid clod," Peri shouted, "You don't get it! I can't moved around like a used to! I'm short and I'll continue to be short cause I can't get back to Homeworld!"

Debbie raised her brows as Peridot gave her a withering glare. Returning her gaze to the road, Debbie sighed. "Look, I know you preferred to walk around with them but just because you don't have them anymore doesn't make you any less of a person."

"I don't follow." Peridot blanched. "They took away my limbs, of course I'm less than what I used to be."

Some small part of the woman flared proudly at the fact the Peridot seemed to have admitted such a thing without giving it much thought. Nonetheless, Debbie chuckled lightly.

"That's not quite what I was getting at you goofball."

"What's a goofball?"

"An affectionate way to say idiot," Debbie scoffed at the scrunched look suspicion of Peri's face, "Friendly affection you weirdo."

Peridot merely huffed, "What were you saying about my limbs."

Debbie smiled. "It wasn't as corporeal of an idea as you were making it to be." She explained as she pulled onto her long gravel driveway. "Here, let me put it this way."

Debbie pulled the truck to a stop and hopped out, padding after Peridot. "When I was a little girl I was very insecure. People made fun of me, mostly for my hair. Red hair isn't really common, especially around here." Debbie sat back on a haybale as Peridot scampered around the barn, "And as I got older it only got worse from there. Once I hit my teen years I was forced to realize I needed glasses. At the time, glasses were considered really uncool by a lot of people. They made fun of me and called me stupid names. It was as though I wasn't as much of a person as they were because I wasn't like them."

"But how does that have anything to do with me?"

"You feel inadequate because you don't have your limb enhancers, right?"

"...sure."

"So...looking at it from a different angle, one could also say you feel that way because you're simply you again."

Peridot paused, seemingly unable to look at Debbie. "But y'know what. I found that I was being irrational when it came to how other people treated me." Debbie let out a laugh, "You'd be surprised the wonders that life can offer you when you simply look at things from a different perspective."

"The one you gave me didn't sound all that good." Peridot grumbled, eliciting another laugh from the human.

"Well, honestly it wasn't one." Debbie shrugged sheepishly, "But, hmm...let's take your new height for example. Even though you're smaller, your strength doesn't seem all that inhibited if your little show with the appliances were anything to go by."

"Well of course I'm still strong!"

"Mmhmm, and in addition, there's a common thought among people that smaller people are harder to catch. People might hype you a bit in that regard due to size, not to mention how easily you'll be able to fit into the nooks and crannies other people may not be able to."

Peridot's eyes suddenly shined, "So...even though I'm smaller...I'm not at a disadvantage!"

"I gue-."

"SO I'M STILL THE SUPERIOR GEM!"

Debbie gave a sheepish chuckle, "Sure, why not?"

"Hmph, I knew there was a reason I was able to tolerate you from the start. You are actually rather insightful for a fleshy lump."

The redhead grinned, "Did you just admit that you liked me from the start?"

"Uh...no."

"Are you sure?"

Peridot nodded resolutely, "Of course, my code of honor only applied because I could tolerate you."

"Um...I'm not sure I follow."

"Y'know," She shrugged, "You were...um, didn't make me want to crush you under the weight of a Homeworld Aerial Strike...all the time."

Debbie merely stared, "Thank...you?"

"Anyway, now that we've established that I'm still superior as a gem," Peridot giggled with an alarming amount of glee, "What made your red hair and glasses so great?"

"Oh, well it's actually kinda funny." The woman smiled fondly, "Some places consider red hair to be a staple of exotic beauty because it's so rare. Other places, and pop culture associate it with demons and beings with the ability to steal your soul."

Peridot snorted.

"As for the glasses, it makes it easier for me to get a job if statistics are anything to go by. Studies show that -when businesses interview multiple people for the same job position, people with glasses are more likely to be hired because it has become a symbol of intellectual talent or superiority rather than just signaling someone has poor eyesight."

"Humans are weird."

"That's all you've got to say to that?"

The gem merely shrugged and signaled that she was ready to return. Upon turning onto the road, Debbie spoke up. "So what did you need anyway?"

"A couple of charts and timetables...and the warp pad, though only for emergencies."

"Oh? Anything about Zircon?"

"Why would I be worried about Zircon?"

The woman gave the gem a flat look, "Well I dunno, you seemed pretty terrified the last time we heard about...them?"

"Zircon may be scary, but not so much as their driving...and sense of direction."

"What? So you think they'll be delayed by their bad navigational skills?"

"That's normally how that goes…" Peridot shuddered.

"...huh."

Hope you don't mind a little filler chapter interactions between Debbie and Peridot before the story goes back to the format in chapter 16.

I hope trying to collaborate with transcripts and episode layouts won't be too challenging. Though, I've been taking notes and writing down ideas for interactions and cutscenes. I think you guys will like them :D

Though, I can't say I'm not a little worried that I've been making Peridot seem a little OOC...what do you guys think?