The next morning brought a new set of problems.
Steven was walking down the Boardwalk- the Surface Pearl following him like an overly-curious shadow.
"OH! A SEAGULL! LOOK STEVEN! A SEAGULL!" The Gem pointed at the sea bird excitedly!
"That's...GREAT Surface Pearl...look at that!"
"Hey! The arcade! I bet I'm better at that driving game then my host!"
Steven stopped- uncomfortable. "Can...can you not...? Call Pearl a "host"? It makes her sound like she has parasites...or...something..."
The Gem gasped, before puckering her lips in offense! "STEVEN! DID YOU JUST CALL ME A PARASITE?! I NEVER-!"
"ACK! Nonononono! I'm just saying it sounds really creepy when you call "regular" Pearl a "host"!"
""REGULAR PEARL"?! What am I?! Organic meat bits?! Steven! How could you say such things?!" The Gem began to weep with absolute grief!
"Oh jeez..." the small boy perspired as he attempted to calm down his new friend. "Look, Surface Pearl...I don't really feel comfortable calling you the "Pearl inside of Pearl's Pearl" either...it's too long and sounds so...erm...general? But I need help differentiating between you guys...maybe a nickname?"
The Gem gasped and clapped in excitement- her mood changing immediately! "OH! Really Steven?! You'll give me my OWN nickname?" The Pearl giggled with glee! "You really are treating me like my OWN Gem! This...that is-so STRANGE! So...WONDERFUL..."
Steven patted his new friend on the arm. "Of course! You ARE your own Gem...as far as I'm concerned! Just like Pearl...or me!" The boy smiled.
"Oh! Steven!" The Pearl embraced him! "I can see why SHE cares about you so dearly...why I care about you so dearly!"
Meanwhile, Pearl was viewing this tender scene from the sidelines...inside her own head...with only a screen to display what was going on in the outside world.
"Steven...oh Steven...I wish...I-I was there...not stuck in HERE..." Pearl looked about her bland surroundings bitterly. She thought about her current situation.
Was...was this what her Surface Pearl always felt like? Seeing life through another's eyes? Never having any say in what choices were made? A sudden shiver of realization hit Pearl like a ton of bricks! She-she had been treating her "Pearl"...like a PEARL!
A HOMEWORLD PEARL!
A servant created to do all her bidding! It...was so lonely here...so...alone.
It was also curious...
According to Gem anatomy, there should be (at least) four other Surface Pearls in here. Where had they gone? Perhaps this is why her singular Surface Pearl was so unhappy? The Gem internally wondered how to get them back. Perhaps, if she could find a way, her other self would be more willing to return...
Haven't worked on this one in a while, eh?
Surface Pearl is emotional, short chapter is short, new SU Future is on tonight! WHOOT!
I've actually written the rough for the next three chapters on this one...they are equally as short, but it's kinda nice just to be writing again all the same!
Practice makes perfect after-all!