"So, she hasn't moved from that spot since?" said Greg. Steven had been at the car wash today.
"No," said Steven. "I mean, I've never seen her come down. She just stays up there, at the top of the lighthouse. All day. All night, too, from what Garnet tells me."
"Well…" Greg looked at Steven, sitting slouched on the back of his van next to his son, in such a dogged way, "For the sake of my blood pressure, let Topaz keep her privacy?"
…
That same evening, Steven made way up the hill to the lighthouse. He carried with him a stomach full of unrest, and it got more full the higher he climbed up the lighthouse's spiral staircase. When he got to the hatch at the top of the steps that let out to the gallery, Steven grabbed his bellybutton and breathed.
The hatch creaked open. Fresh air blew through Steven's hair, which somehow made him more anxious. He pulled himself up and started around the lighthouse, to the side facing the sea. The first thing he saw was Peridot's foot, then Topaz's foot propped on the railing that surrounded the gallery. Topaz was leaning against the lighthouse with her arms crossed, just looking out. Steven couldn't see her face behind her hair in the wind. She looked too much like a statue, and it reminded him too much of that day when she fell into the ocean.
"Anything?" said Topaz, snapping Steven from his trance.
"S-sorry?"
"Has there been any activity from the warp system?" she said more sharply.
"Um, n-no! I mean—"
"Then what?"
Steven was feeling rushed and pushed. "I just… was wondering," he said. "Are you feeling ok?"
Now Topaz looked him dead in the eye. It stung him in the belly. "No."
"...You wanna talk about it?"
"Not in the mood. To talk."
She looked back to what she was looking at, if it was anything. Steven stood there a moment, with the wind climbing up the lighthouse, holding onto his bellybutton. "I'll come back later," he said, then left. Topaz, and Peridot's foot, disappeared as he rounded the gallery. Steven was consumed the way Topaz looked at him just now. He also thought, again, on why Topaz is the way she is. And he thought sincerely of Topaz and Peridot, what they must mean to each other, whatever that may be.
From the beach outside his home, Steven has a picturesque view of the lighthouse looming over his home. He could see Topaz as a speck. Then he went inside and found Pearl cooking dinner. Beef stroganoff.
…
Two days later, Steven walked back up to the lighthouse with a photo album and a board game. He thought it'd be good to show Topaz something meaningful, or maybe have some fun with her, if at all possible. He tried to not get his hopes up, however. Tried to. He wasn't sure how she'd react, so he was nervous.
He climbed out onto the gallery, and found Peridot's foot, but this time it was on Topaz's foot. Topaz was lying down, asleep, her head lolled to one side. She had apparently tried to slip on Peridot's foot as if it were a shoe, but it clearly did not fit because it was a foot. Peridot's foot was stuck on the toe of Topaz's boot.
She slept the same way as before, quivering like a dog on the run, groaning like a mummy in the grave. Steven thought he noticed her breathing more than what he remembered, and more than what was required to make the noises she was making. Maybe it was just him.
Steven thought it would be ok if he just popped a squat there and just look through the pictures he was going to show Topaz. These pictures were from before the advent of smart phones, so they contained a sensation of legacy, especially the photos of his mom and dad. After a while, as Topaz was still asleep, Steven opened up a simple game of checkers and played with himself. He tried to be as quiet as he could with the pieces and with celebrating to himself when he won against himself. It was during his second game, when the Steven on the red side had crowned a second king that Topaz began to stir. She groaned and touched her face as if she had a headache. When she noticed Steven, she groaned and rolled her eyes, as if her sleep helped her none.
"Hi, Topaz," said Steven.
She did a sit up, grabbed Peridot's foot, and got up. "Anything?"
"…No. Not yet."
"Then leave me alone."
"I brought these with me. You know, to show you!" Steven grabbed his photo album.
Topaz said, "Can't you bother someone else?"
"I-I just thought it'd be nice to experience a little bit of Earth. And to maybe take the edge off things and—" Topaz held out her hand to him, for the album. He handed it over. It was already open on a page somewhere in the middle. "That's my dad!" Steven began, but Topaz didn't even look at it. She threw the photo album off the gallery like it was a piece of trash. "NO!" yelled Steven as he caught the railing, watching it fall to the ground. Topaz walked around him, and kicked the checkerboard off as well.
Steven's cheeks were hot, "Stop! What are you doing?!"
Topaz looked at him like he was nothing, "You are to come to me when you have intelligence on Peridot's location. That's it."
Steven shrunk at her height, but he stood his ground and then stood up. He couldn't yell at her. "It's not good to keep worrying about the same thing all the time. When there's nothing you can do to help it."
"Scat."
Steven left, he sure did. Topaz was truly beginning to be insufferable. And that thought made him think of Peridot, and how impatient she must be. It made him sad to think about it.
All the pictures were ok and still in the album, but he was still missing three checkers pieces.
…