The first sensation she felt was an intense light bombarding her closed eyelids. The second sensation was an oppressive heat on the entirety of her body, which was trapped under three layers of blankets and sheets and curled up in a fetal position. She immediately kicked her legs upward to provide new, fresh air to her bed as she pulled the billowing covers over her eyes, groaning with confusion. The hair around her face clung to her temple and wrapped around her neck, and as she breathed in deeply, she took in the heavy scent of old linen spray. It all made her want to slip back into unconsciousness, away from the disturbing unfamiliarity.

Minutes passed before she finally pulled the covers down enough to glare blearily at the clock.

7:50!?

The blankets flew off the bed as she nearly fell to the floor, reaching for her dresser drawer- and knocking her fingers against a very scratchy wall that was much closer than it should have been. She withdrew her hand in pain and blinked at the vertical pattern of brown, blue, and gray lines. It took her several seconds for her to realize that this was not her bedroom, that the bed she had slept in was not her bed, and that her dresser was nowhere to be found. Instead, an open suitcase lay in the corner of a small but cluttered room, displaying her delicates, the sundress that she had worn the day before, and a large collection of papers.

The strange surroundings would explain the stark difference in climate. Ireland was much colder this time of year, and it was rarely this bright. Wracking her brain, she recalled an event the day before, vividly reliving the sensation of being thrust out of the way of a massive object that was inches away from impacting her head before collapsing on the ground in the tangle of someone else's arms, breathless, wide-eyed yet blind, with the drums of war seeming to drown her ears in the deafening sound of-

Oh, right. She shook herself out of her verbal thought fantasy and forced herself to remember what had happened after she had met the mysterious women. After a moment or two of staring at the beige carpet, she remembered having dinner with Steven and...James? No, Jamie. Jamie the theater director. Her possible future boss. Also, the man who was supposed to pick her up any time today.

At the thought of him seeing her in such a sweaty, breathless state, she panicked momentarily before she remembered that showers were one of the wonders of the twenty-first century, and she was drowning the heat in her body before she had even begun to think about the day before her. If Steven certainly was throwing her a welcoming party, she had to make a good first impression on the townspeople. She wondered if the mayor would be there. She wondered when Jamie would arrive. She wondered if "the gems" would come to meet a new human in the area.

As she stepped out of the bathroom and into the boiling atmosphere in which she had awoken, wrapping herself in a thick white towel, she wondered how she was going to dress for such awful weather with nothing but her work clothes and cold-fighting dresses to choose from. The thought of morning tea also came to mind, and she groaned as she remembered that she had foolishly forgotten to buy another box before she had left the country. It was turning out to be a morning of disappointments and surprises.

She sighed as she combed her hair, staring at her reflection in the mirror. She hadn't thought of herself as lovely in a long time, but it hadn't really come to mind until now. Looking over her narrow, pale face with high cheekbones underneath her round green eyes, she couldn't think of herself as lovely now, especially with her wet, dark hair hanging in curly clumps around her features, giving her skin an even paler appearance. She didn't mind. It was her face, and she wouldn't appreciate waking up to anything other than its familiarity in the mirror, especially on a day like today.

Her eyes fell down to the rest of her body as she moved the comb to the other side of her head. With the towel wrapped tightly around her chest, she could hardly make out any curves apart from the slight indentation of her waist. Again, this was an element of her body that she could appreciate; large curves and an impressive collection of flesh in one place, in her opinion, would feel awkward for her dexterous work, and she doubted her nimble, knobby fingers would move as quickly, even if the extra mass was muscle. Although she had nothing to show for how appreciative of her small, comfortable body she was, she felt it was a better body for herself than she could have wished for.

Once her hair was tied back, she was soon standing, arms crossed, over the hotel bed and a display of three dresses, all of which made her cringe at the thought of wearing in this weather.

"I really didn't think this through. What am I going to do? I have nothing to wear!"

A sudden knock made her jump and clutch the towel over her chest. She stared at the door for a long moment before venturing to peek through the peephole. On the other side was a woman in a mail carrier's uniform, holding a package under one arm and a satchel under the other. Her countenance was warm, yet she had an air of responsibility around her. All of these things the woman in the towel noticed before she pulled away from the door. "Just a moment, please! I'm not yet decent!" she called.

The carrier replied from the other side, "No worries!"

She spun around to hastily run her eyes over all the clothing visible in the room before she dashed for the suitcase, lifting neatly folded clothes out to find the polyester robe at the bottom. It wasn't much, but it was all that she had that wouldn't kill her from heat stroke. She tossed the towel into the bathroom and shut the door- a bit too loudly- before donning the shortcoming garment and tying the sash securely around her waistline. She sighed, gave herself a mental slap, and opened the door to the hallway.

The postwoman immediately gave her a friendly smile. "Hey! I hear you're the newcomer to town. I just wanted to drop by and welcome you before everyone else has a go at you on the beach. My name's Barbara."

Another yank on the sash to make sure it was tight, and then a reply came: "Cordelia. Byrnes. It's a pleasure." She stumbled over her words slowly, hesitantly at best. "I apologize, I'm usually more...presentable than this, but today I just…"

Barbara gave her a knowing smirk. "Couldn't find anything to wear?"

The timid woman nodded, silent.

"I know how you feel. I only know how ill-prepared for a heatwave I am until it actually hits," Barbara joked. "Do you want me to pick something up for you while I'm making the rounds?"

"Oh, I, I couldn't ask you to do that!" Cordelia replied, flustered by the offer.

"That's why I'm offering. Actually, I think I have a dress or two that never fit me anyway, but I think they're your size," she guessed, sizing her up. "Your color, too."

"I… Thank you, Barbara. That's very generous of you. How much do you want for it?" At this point, with little to no resources and few options available, Cordelia had no choice but to take up a complete stranger's offer to receive a hand-me-down dress.

Barbara waved her hand. "Don't worry about it. Think of it as my welcoming gift to you."

"That's so very kind of you..!"

The mail carrier shrugged with a smile. "Just being neighborly. I'll bring it by in half an hour, okay? Until then." With a small wave, Barbara went about her business delivering the package. Cordelia shut the door and sighed quietly, leaning her shoulder against the frame. She shook her head to herself. "I need to work on my introductions…"

After receiving clothes and advice to have breakfast at the Big Donut from Barbara and exchanging a slightly awkward, we'll-see-each-other-later farewell, Cordelia changed into the jade summer dress- a bit short for her comfort, but perfect for the weather- and ventured into the town. Morning had long since arrived, and townspeople were going about their business, running errands, doing their jobs, or taking a day to relax in the bright, welcoming sun.

Cordelia pushed the rim of her broad-rimmed hat up to check the sign above the small building before pushing open the glass door. She found two individuals arguing behind the counter over something to do with "pudding". They didn't seem to notice the sound of the bell, so Cordelia stepped inside and tried to call their attention. "Pardon me..."

"I told you, Sadie, it's not pudding if it has rice in it!" the taller employee with strange ear lobes claimed. He was tall and lanky, with a bright orange puff of hair on his head.

"Lars, it's tapioca, give me a break!" the shorter employee exclaimed, throwing her wide hands in the air. "Why are we even having this argument? It's pudding! Just pudding!"

"For the last time, it's! Not! Pudding!" Lars, as Sadie called him, cried in exasperation. Sadie groaned and rolled her eyes, and it was only then that she noticed the stranger standing on the tile across the store front. "And another thing, it's not- Oof!" Lars was interrupted by a swift elbow to the stomach as Sadie plastered a large, nervous smile over her face. "Hi! Welcome to the Big Donut! What can we get for you today?"

Cordelia glanced to the side, then back to the young lady. She cleared her throat quietly and took another step forward. "I was wondering if you served breakfast…" she began.

"Sure! Would you like a donut?" Sadie offered quickly. Lars rubbed his stomach, scowling.

"That sounds… Yes, please. How much?" Cordelia asked, reaching for the wallet in her pocket.

Lars answered, "Two fifty." Sadie held up a hand, then gestured to Cordelia. "Wait. Aren't you the new town member? Cordelia, right?"

The woman in question squeezed the pouch in her pocket, blinking her eyes twice. "I… Yes, but, how did you know that?"

Sadie smiled. "Word travels fast around here. Jamie told my mom, and my mom told me. It's nice to meet you! I'm Sadie, and this is Lars."

The young man in question waved a little, keeping his eyes focused on something other than Cordelia. "Hi…"

"It's a pleasure to meet you both," Cordelia replied, approaching the counter. "I must say, I'm rather shocked. Where I come from, it's a surprise if someone knows you exist after you've met them several times. I suppose a small town really is a completely different world."

"Yeah, haha, it's nice. You get used to it eventually," Sadie answered, retrieving a donut for her customer. She held up a hand when Cordelia pulled out her wallet. "It's on the house. Welcome to town," she said with a smile.

"Oh... Thank you." Cordelia slowly returned the wallet to her purse, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

"Sure thing. Oh, and is it true you're working for the theater here?"

Lars covered his mouth as he snickered. "The theater? As in, that lame-o mailman who bombed in Kansas?"

Sadie elbowed him. "Lars! Jamie did not 'bomb' in Kansas, he just..!"

As the two employees bickered once more, Cordelia silently took her breakfast in hand and seated herself at a table.

"What, he just chickened out at all the competition and decided to come running back home?"

"You're being cruel! He's a fantastic actor!"

She looked at the glazed donut curiously and with a hunger urging her forward, finding the item more tantalizing as the seconds ticked by.

"Like you would know…"

"What did you say!?"

When she was about to take her first ever bite of a donut, the bell over the front door jingled, and Steven Universe entered the building.

"Good morning, everyone!" he greeted cheerfully as he skipped inside. Sadie waved a bit as Lars ignored him. The boy halted when he noticed the thin woman in the corner. "Cordelia! Hi! It's great to see you here! This is my favorite place to get a breakfast donut!"

He grinned at her, and she responded with a small smile. "It's lovely to see you here, too, Steven, and a good morning to you."

"What do you think of Beach City so far? I know you haven't had the full experience yet, but lemme know what your first impression is!" the boy urged her. Cordelia tapped a finger to her chin and gazed up at the ceiling. "Well, that's rather difficult… I was nearly crushed yesterday, but I have met rather charming people." She smirked slightly as Steven nodded with hopeful eagerness.

"Yeah, yeah?"

"I'd say…" Cordelia began dramatically, breathily, before smiling genuinely. "It's a lovely town."

"Yyyyyes!" Steven pumped his fist. "I'm so happy! I can't wait for you to meet everyone at the barbecue and-!" He froze, eyes wide, and gasped. "The barbecue."

Cordelia blinked at his startled expression before the boy dashed to the counter, trading a few dollars for the prep-prepared donut bag that Sadie had ready for him, and returned to the entrance with short but swift-moving legs. "I'll see you later, everyone! I have important gem business to take care of!" His eyes sparkled as he left the donut shop in a great rush. The three occupants of the restaurant watched his exit for a moment or two before Cordelia exchanged a thoughtful glance with Sadie, and Lars simply scoffed, leaning his elbow on the counter.

Jamie eyed the subject closely, cradling his chin in a hand as his eyes squinted in an inspective manner. They gazed up and down, observing the object in question with great thought before the mailman stood up straight and exhaled, groaning anxiously, "I have no idea what to buy..!"

"Hey, Jamie!" Steven greeted as he approached the tiny gardening store on the corner of the street.

"Ah, hey, Steven," Jamie replied sadly. "Are you here to get a present for Cordelia, too?"

"Not yet. I was thinking of getting her something from here," the boy replied.

Jamie sighed again and cast his eyes over the shelves of succulents, plastic pots, and tiny glass spheres with holes in the top. The entire shop was so small that a portion of the merchandise had to be shelved on racks just outside the glass windows in the front. Inside were much bigger pots and plants and bags of dirt, fertilizer, tools, and many other items a gardener needed. At least with two walls of windows, the plants received as much sunlight as they needed. The shop owner emerged from the propped-open front door and asked with a smile, "Do you need advice, young man?"

"Well, I'm trying to find a welcoming gift for Cordelia-" Jamie started.

"Ah, and she enjoys the art of raising life from the ground? Why not a pot of daisies? Or perhaps a hanging vine is more her fancy?" The shopkeeper gestured to the plants in the store, which varied greatly in color and moderately in size.

"Those all sound fantastic, but I...don't actually have that much money to spend…" Jamie grimaced slightly.

"Aw, come on, Jamie, I'm sure Cordelia will like whatever kind of plant you give her!" Steven assured him with a smile. As Jamie opened his mouth to speak, the ground began to shake violently. "Wha- Gah..!"

The shopkeeper grabbed the door frame, gasping and crying out, "My shop!"

Steven saw the fire coming before anyone else did. He summoned his shield and grew it to cover the front of the shop, or at least most of it, before whatever was burning and falling from the sky smashed into the pink energy and bounced onto the street with a high-pitched squeal, writhing in the orange flames. A single plastic pot fell to the ground from the vibration. As Jamie peeked between his fingers at it, the object of attention grew many small nubs on one side, wiggling them frantically as the mass tossed itself over the ground. "Wh...What is that..!?"

Steven narrowed his eyes when he noticed the small angular shape in the creature's center. "It's a...a gem!" The shield disappeared and Steven kneeled before the burning creature- except, it didn't appear to be burning…

Too little, too late, Steven realized that the otherworldly glow was preceding the creature's explosion, which covered the scene in a cloud of tangerine dust. Jamie reflexively flinched as Steven coughed and peered into the smoke, searching for the gem. A voice made him lift his head.

"Steven!" Pearl cried out, reaching her ward, spear in hand, to see the empty street with no sign of a corrupt gem. "Did it hurt you? Where is it? I think I injured it!"

Steven was significantly more somber than his caretaker. "We're okay, Pearl. It just exploded," he explained sadly.

"But where's the gem..?" Pearl let her spear dissolve into light as her eyes scanned the ground meticulously. She moved in a graceful fashion to inspect the area from many different angles, high and low. "Where is it!?" she grunted in frustration, scowling.

As Pearl and Steven searched for the missing gem and the boy tried to calm his caretaker into explaining what had happened, Jamie noticed a toppled plant on the sidewalk a few steps from where he was rooted to the spot. He pulled himself away from the supernatural pair and picked it up, holding it upright so the long green stem and the apricot-colored bulb were stretching upwards towards the sky. The bulb was big enough to fit into Jamie's palm, and the curled tips of the petals indicated the readiness of the flower to bloom. Jamie turned and called to the hidden shopkeeper, "Excuse me, good shopkeep! How much for this blossom?"

Several minutes later when Steven had been abandoned by an obsessive Pearl on a quest to search for a missing gem, the boy returned to the mailman's side with a sigh. The young thespian turned to Steven with a grin on his face. "Steven! I found a present for Cordelia! Isn't it pretty, like she is?"

Steven looked at the potted plant in Jamie's hands, and he smiled. "Yeah! That one looks great! Maybe I can find another plant for her so that one isn't lonely!"

"An excellent idea, my good Steven!" Jamie walked through the store with Steven until the boy's eye spotted a small plastic pot with a tiny green sapling. He read the label aloud: "'Sakura Tree'...What's a Sakura tree?"

The shopkeeper appeared beside the two boys and smiled. "Ah, a Sakura tree is a type of cherry tree, very popular in Japan."

Steven's eyes sparkled at the idea, while Jamie looked skeptical. "Wait, can a Sakura tree survive in this climate? Isn't this area different from Japan?"

"Perhaps, but I have seen stranger things in this town than a Sakura tree that can survive in America."

Jamie nodded. "Fair enough."

Steven gently took the tree from its shelf, announcing, "This is it! This is the gift I'm gonna give Cordelia."

The two friends bought their gifts, but when Jamie asked what kind of plant he was purchasing, the shopkeeper merely shrugged and replied, "Perhaps it is a cousin of the tiger lily. Not all of my suppliers are exactly 'conventional', so sometimes my plants come as a surprise."

The sun was well over the horizon now, and the gulls were visiting the sidewalks and parking lots in search of newly-bought food in the hands of unsuspecting (or experienced, very much expecting) passersby. Steven proclaimed, "This is gonna be the best barbecue welcoming party ever!"

Jamie grinned. "It sure seems like it! I let just about everyone know when I delivered their mail this morning. I hope the rest got the notes I slipped in their mailboxes."

"Great! Now I just need to set up the barbecues and chairs!" Steven hugged the Sakura tree closer to his chest, careful not to crush the branches.

"Do you need any help with that?" Jamie asked. Steven gladly accepted the offer, inviting him to his house to get what they needed, and the two of them made their way to Steven's abode, treading up the sand to walk through Steven's front door.

Author's Note: I apologize for the long wait. I started college, and I've been getting used to my new lifestyle. Needless to say, I was eager to update this chapter, but I'm a little too tired to post the exciting parts just yet. The exposition is finished, and the rising action will soon begin! The next chapter is when the action really starts, trust me. Anyway, thank you for reading, and look forward to another update within the month (hopefully)!