"You did what?!" Peridot screamed. "With who?!"
"I went flying with Lapis Lazuli." Julianna replied sheepishly. "But it's amazing out there!" Her eyes widened in excitement.
"I told you specifically not to leave the base."
"I know," Julianna answered. "But I only meant to step outside for a moment, and Lapis Lazuli saw me, and she was so nice, I couldn't tell her no- we just went flying. That's all. I didn't even talk to anyone else."
"What if the Authority had found you?" Peridot screamed. "You know what they do to unregistered gems."
"But they didn't. No one found me, and I'm still completely safe."
"That's not the point! You're to listen to everything I tell you and do as I say, because I know better than you do. I go out there because I have to. It is not a pretty place." She snapped. "It's full of corrupt and selfish gems. I'm only trying to protect you."
"Okay." Julianna sighed and stare down at the ground. "I'm sorry, Peridot."
"Don't ever do it again. It's late. Go to sleep." She bolted the door to the exit and sighed to herself. "What have I gotten myself into?" She thought to herself. "Was not being alone all the time really worth all this bullshit?" She shut down the base's computer systems before going to bed herself, weary from all of the day's activities and all the worry Julianna had caused her.
-Two Hundred Years Later-
"You're two hundred and ten years old today, Julianna," Peridot stated matter-of-factly as she worked on booting up the base computers.
"Has it really been that long?" Julianna mused, beginning her daily work routine.
"Yes, it has," Peridot responded, confused as to why she would ask such a stupid question.
"How old are you?" Julianna stole a quick glance at her, hoping she wouldn't notice it.
"Much older than you." Her voice was dull, as she had very little interest in small talk.
"Oh." Her voice hinted at a slight disappointment, but she did nothing to show it, continuing to polish the dashboard.
Later that night, Julianna returned to her and Peridot's bedroom, a book laid across her lap. During one of the first investigations of the Earth, a gem had discovered books, and they had started to become a popular pastime on the Homeworld planet as well, the gems of higher classes with no real job to do writing at crazy speeds, their works impeccably similar to the works of humans, and often imitating their culture.
"I don't understand what you see in those silly things," Peridot stated, settling down on her bed and removing her limb enhancers.
Julianna fought to keep her head on straight. "I just find them interesting," She replied, trying to keep her eyes on her reading and off of Peridot. "Gives me something to think about."
"You already think far too much. Maybe you shouldn't read so many of those."
"Are gems really all that different from humans, Peridot?"
"Most of us are. But you're different."
"What do you mean?" She asked, delicately folding the corner of the page and closing the book, setting it beside her. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
Peridot rolled her eyes, annoyed at the thought of having to fake a conversation with her. She tossed her a mirror. "Take a look at yourself, Julianna. A close look." She instructed. "Then pick up one of those books and and study the girl drawn on the cover. You look more like them than us.
Part of your gem is white diamond, so your complexion is similar to that of a human's, and so is your hair. You have humanlike eyes and a humanlike build; plus your diamond gems make you slightly taller than most gems. You're almost human, Julianna. Most gems aren't. But you're special."
Julianna stared into the mirror. "Why was I made like this?"
"You were made from gem fragments. There weren't enough pieces of the pink diamond to incubate you so they filled it in with the white. It happens more often than not. But combinations like yours are more rare. Most combination gems turn out the same way they would if they hadn't been a combination at all."
She bit her lip in hesitation. "Do gems ever fall in love?"
"Some of them do. But gems are warriors. Any sort of deep attachment to another gem could lead to disaster."
"So if a gem were to fall in love… what would happen?"
"Same things as humans, I suppose. It's just riskier and you're more likely to lose them. Gems don't really have the togetherness structure that humans do. The two of us being together all the time- that's quite a rare thing for gems to have. Most gems are parts of large squadrons, or stay independent. Others will leave their mentors at a young age to join the militia."
She nodded slowly, feeling very fortunate. She felt a spark in her heart for Peridot, and she knew she was lucky to get to spend so much time with her, even though she'd never reciprocate such things. Peridot probably already had a girlfriend, since she spent so much time out of the base. She'd met tons of gems, surely she would've found one suitable to her needs. Still, she decided to ask.
"Do you have a girlfriend, Peridot?" She asked, biting the inside of her lip as she awaited an answer.
"No. I've never really found another gem I've liked."
"Oh. Okay." She looked down, a soft disappointment filling her inside. She had hoped that she might feel the same, but loving your teacher or student was frowned upon in human culture, and she supposed it was the same way with gems. "Would you ever want one?"
Peridot shrugged. "If the opportunity ever came up, I might."
An idea formed in Julianna's mind, and before she could talk herself out of it, she leaned in and softly pressed her lips to Peridot's.
The green gem's eyes widened, an awkward blush filling her cheeks. "I… Didn't know you felt that way." She stated, sort of weirded out. But that kind of contact was rare for her, so she decided she'd pretend a little to take advantage of it until she grew bored of it.
"I'm sorry, should I not have done that?" Julianna peered at her hesitantly, afraid she may have ruined everything.
"No, you should have. I'm glad that we can finally move forward. Because I feel it too." Peridot, of course, was lying. But after years of tension and unfulfilled physical needs, she jumped at the chance. A little more pretending was a worthy price to pay.