It was the next day. The sun was bright and beaming in through the windows, and Steven and the Crystal Gems were sitting in the middle of the living space, taking on the arduous task of folding Steven's monstrous pile of laundry. Steven had only recently come to learn that most people wash their clothes on a weekly basis. Maybe it was because he had so many clothes that his household took to washing them once a month. Pearl was sitting next to him on her knees, humming delightfully, folding Steven's shirts, framing the stars on them in perfect little squares. Garnet was sitting across, cross-legged, just folding. Amethyst was sitting on his other side, slumped, folding his clothes lazily, sure to leave wrinkles in them (it took all of Pearl's willpower to ignore this, hence the humming. She'd refold them later). Steven was still trying to get the hang of folding. Lion was over by the couch, snoozing, twitching his tail.
There was something in the way Amethyst sat, heavier than usual, that gave Steven the impression of yesterday. Garnet might have noticed it, too, but maybe she was preoccupied with the same thing. Steven gingerly placed another pair of his underwear on the apropos stack, then looked around at everyone. What a tableau—everyone plucking clothes from the same pile, yet keeping utterly to themselves like islands.
"So… what's everybody been up to today?" This wasn't the question he was trying to ask.
Pearl immediately piped up, saying, "Oh, early this morning I finally got around to finishing maintenance on my sword collection, which, now I'll have to start again seeing as there are so many." She brightened at this opportunity Steven gave her. "I swear, if humans hadn't exchanged steel weaponry for ones of mass destruction frankly I don't know what I'd do. Then I watched the sunrise—"
"Because you were watching me?" giggled Steven—this talking made him feel better—no more islands.
"Yes, well," Pearl continued, pretending it was nothing, "then I set out your clothes, made you breakfast, and woke you up. Later on, after you had gone out, I cleaned your room: swept, mopped, washed the dishes, cleaned the counters, busy, busy," she tittered.
Garnet behind her shades, said, "I had already swept and mopped earlier."
Pearl was cornered. "W-well…" Amethyst snickered at her, which she didn't like. "Hm! I just like to make sure things are in order for Steven! What have you been doing all day?"
"Nuh'n much," said Amethyst.
"Typical. And you can't even fold Steven's clothes right, they're going to get wrinkled."
"Oh, yeah?!" barked Amethyst, "I'll wrinkle you—"
"Enough!" said Garnet. They sat for a moment, then Amethyst got up staunchly and trudged off to her Room. Oh, how should things turn out this way?
Everyone went back to folding on their little islands. They finished (Pearl redid Amethyst's stacks) and put away the laundry, then went about their business. Steven followed Garnet out onto the shoreline again (she'd been spending more and more time away from the Temple, and Steven could guess why). He played with the water washing and receding around his feet. Garnet just stood there. Steven saw an opportunity with what just happened. He asked, "Why do Pearl and Amethyst have to fight all the time?"
Garnet simply said, "Conflict of interest."
"What, like, they're interested in fighting each other?"
"Not exactly. Their personalities clash. One wants one way, the other wants another. When someone or something opposes those wants, it can make them bitter."
"Bitter…" Steven digested the word. "But, we're a part of a team, right?"
"Steven, it's nothing to worry about. Everyone has arguments sometimes. Pearl and Amethyst, even if they're on the same team, they're personalities are very different."
"And that makes them bitter towards one another?"
"Sometimes, yes."
"What if they weren't on a team? Like, on the opposite team. Would that make a difference in how they treat each other?"
Garnet looked at Steven now, making him a little nervous. "Then they might be interested in fighting each other," she said.
"Okay," was all he said, and with that, Steven went on a stroll down the beach, toward town. Even though Garnet gave him some enlightenment, he wasn't exactly content with what she'd told him, feeling there was something deeper to be dug up. Approaching town he thought about his dad, and decided it'd been awhile since they last spent time together.
It'd been a slow day at the car wash, and his dad was real happy to see him. Steven was happy, too. They spent the afternoon just hanging out, talking about silly things and fiddling with the six-string, singing a little bit, and his dad even showed him a thing or two on his soundboard, then they shared a pizza. By evening, when the sun was about to start setting and Steven and his dad were just enjoying each other's company in the peace of it, Steven started to think about things again, and thought it a good idea to get advice from more than one source. He was much more at ease with his father, but it still wasn't easy for him to figure out how to bring it up, so, eventually, he just went for it. "Dad. Why are some people bitter?"
"Bitter?" his dad said, checking Steven. "Where's this coming from all of a sudden? Is something going on with the Gems?"
"Well, not with Garnet or Amethyst or Pearl, but… I've been thinking about the other Gems. I mean, even if someone is on the other team, what causes someone to be so mean and hateful?"
"…Woof! That's a loaded question, buddy." His dad scratched his head. "Um, well… when it comes to the other Gems, I guess it's just got a lot to do with fighting for their side, ya know? And also a lack of understanding with each other, I suppose. I mean… ugh, I'm not really the best person to answer that sort of question."
Steven knew his dad was talking about war, which was perhaps much more complex than what he really tried to ask him. "Mm. What if there were no sides? Like, just normal people, or something. What would make someone mean to others, even if they haven't done anything to them? Not on purpose, anyway?"
His dad hummed, "As much as I can figure, it's got something to do with that they've been denied a lot in their life or have come across a lot of troubles or obstacles, and instead of avoiding them or brushing them off or outgrowing them, they choose to hold onto them, even confront those problems and any others that come their way head on sometimes, and I suppose all that just kind of becomes them. Does that make any sense?"
"I guess… well, why do they choose to be like that? It seems like it only makes everyone sad."
"You couldn't be more right, son. …That question, too, I can't really answer. It just depends on who they are. Everyone's got different reasons for things: I've thought a lot about it myself, actually, and the best way I've come to see it is that there's something out there that keeps them going whether they realize it or not—a reason that they keep fighting, so that maybe it'll pay off in the end, ya know? …I don't like you worrying about this kind of stuff. You're too young for—"
Steven deeply gasped in revelation! He hugged his dad, then shouted, "Thanks for the advice, dad!—gotta go!—had fun today!—love you!—bye," and ran for home.
Before he was too far, all his dad could stumble out was, "Wha—uh—love you, too!"
Steven ran all the way home, and by the time he got there he was right sweaty and panting and had a stitch in his side. He went inside to find Amethyst pretend-sleeping on the couch. Lion was still sleeping at the foot of the couch, but Steven had woken him and he seemed full of feline contempt.
"Ame—thyst…" panted Steven, "Amethyst…"
Amethyst stirred. "Mm, keep it down, Steven."
"But… Amethyst. We've got to go back in there. I know what to—"
"No."
"But—"
Amethyst sat up on her elbows, "I told you never again. It's not our problem, and I'm not going to pretend it is. So learn to deal with it." She flipped over, away from Steven. "Garnet can handle it," she said solemnly.
"I…" Amethyst pretended to snore loudly to make him go away. Lion was particularly salty toward them both and begrudgingly got up. Seeing no other option, Steven was hit with a wonderful idea. He crooned, "Lion!"
…
