Trip Across The Cosmos

l Independent-Nora Universe l Penned by Kiara l semi-selective l OCs are welcome! !!, > follows from astral-spirit icon credit- @two-sides-halved

[erisdiamas]

Name: Erisa Diamond(Universe in some verses)

Age: 22(or 15 depending on the verse.)

Parents: Rose Diamond and Greg "Universe" Demayo

Personality: Eris has a very headstrong and stubborn nature of refusing to give up and can get relentless when she is focused on a goal, much like Rose she can be persuasive to get her way often trying to use her status as "Pink" to get her way which is a toxic trait she tries to repress. She's overly confident around human beings often feeling like she needs to show off to be needed or to fit in....She has a bit of a Imposter issue however as Eris matures and gains a sense of individuality- she grows a bit more flirty, a bit more reckless, her desires are the Diamond's fuel- paired with undying curiousity- it could make or break her as long as she gets the answer- as friendly as this woman can be, Eris can be tricky and often silvertongue around topics relating to Rose.

Powers: Due to still having Pink's gem, her powers are tied to her emotions and she's a very hotheaded and impulsive girl. Her "Pink" mode flares up when she's overwhelmed with conflicted feelings towards Rose and often flares up when dealing with her issues. Eris has a very difficult time summoning her shield but is use to concealing and bubbling herself to avoid physical confrontations due to how the Diamonds use to.....discipline her. The woman however experiment with Rose's botanokinesis.

About: The Diamonds after discarding this "organic form" as Pink acting out and throwing another tantrums they've grown tired and had enough of this little "charade" and decided to punish her until she decides to stop being unprofessional and childish so they locked her up in the tower to maybe....jog her memory and get the 'Diamond' in line and to finally be the Diamond she was meant to be....until Pink's "old" Pearl came to her rescue after refusing to watch the cycle of abuse continue with "another" Pink Diamond.

--Rules--

🌸~Rules~🌸

Rules are simple! I don’t condone the actions of my muse meaning Mun =/= muse I'm open for shipping and exploring romantic dynamics but ONL

[catboymoments]

Adult Azura!!! I love her so so much she’s my sweet little girlbeast

[catboymoments]

Re: Archivists and Azura, what are their dynamics like with her? Like when they interact with her?

What’s interesting with them is the fact that they’re so beyond mortal understanding, but this strange mortal is unpredictable. She’s new. and it’s shaking everything they’ve been used to over their millennia of isolation.

[two-sides-halved]

 SEND “FUSE WITH ME!” AND I’LL TELL YOU | Accepting

What type of gem we’d make: @erisdiamas (Pink Diamond) + Gem Steven (Pink Diamond) = Crimson (Red Diamond)

Personality of the fusion:

Protective of Family, Especially Greg Universe

Stoic

Laid Back But Not Afraid to Fight

Stability of fusion:

Similar to Sugilite, their personalities can sometimes mesh so well they forget they were even a fusion.

Height of the fusion (in comparison to other characters)

[two-sides-halved]

 SEND “FUSE WITH ME!” AND I’LL TELL YOU | Accepting

What type of gem we’d make: @erisdiamas (Pink Diamond) + Gem Steven (Pink Diamond) = Crimson (Red Diamond)

Personality of the fusion:

Protective of Family, Especially Greg Universe

Stoic

Laid Back But Not Afraid to Fight

Stability of fusion:

Similar to Sugilite, their personalities can sometimes mesh so well they forget they were even a fusion.

Height of the fusion (in comparison to other characters)

[two-sides-halved]

 SEND “FUSE WITH ME!” AND I’LL TELL YOU | Accepting

What type of gem we’d make: @erisdiamas (Pink Diamond) + Human Steven (Pink Diamond but gemless ) = Cherry (Pink Diamond)

Personality of the fusion:

Bubbly

Upbeat

Silverling personified

Stability of fusion:

Stable through mutual connection

Height of the fusion (in comparison to other characters)

[two-sides-halved]

 SEND “FUSE WITH ME!” AND I’LL TELL YOU | Accepting

What type of gem we’d make: @erisdiamas (Pink Diamond) + Classic Steven (Pink Diamond) = Sakura (Red Diamond)

Personality of the fusion:

Does No Harm, but Takes No Shit

Stability of fusion:

Due to Eris' past actions, Classic Steven doesn't trust Eris fully like he used to, while Eris on the other hand doesn't even enjoy being with him at all because of her jealous.

Height of the fusion (in comparison to other characters)

[erisdiamas]

THE BEST HERO EVERRR

[procyoren]

Continuing with the su mermaids I did last year :)

[two-sides-halved]

Continued from here | @erisdiamas

"Nah, it's fine... I get you were only trying to spare my feelings... I do appreciate that... but I've had most of my family tip toe around the important stuff until it blew up in my face... so it's hard not to just explode at the most minor things because I feel like someone's hiding something even worse... ya know?" He said while finishing up that sandwich he had in his hands, before wiping it in a paper towel that was on the table, then picking up that thermos with the meal supplement protein shake.

Gem Steven instinctively put down the thing in his hand to hold hers leaving the shake on the coffee table in the living room following her outside, holding a hand over his eyes slightly as his diamond shaped pupils adjusted to the actual light of outside. Though there wasn't much pain as gems were made of hard light with mass, it was the surprise of how bright the outside was during that time of day. He walked holding her hand the entire way, hearing what sounded like Peridot's voice, only for everything to go dark again as his face was smashed into the sand.

Gem Steven muffled into the sand a bit before turning over under neath the large gourd dog. "Awww, look at you you're such a good gourd, aren't you? Aren't you??" He asked with a chuckle as he pet over the big puppy.

"Wait... How many more of these puppies are there, Peri??" He asked. "Maybe I could work my animal companionship powers to some good work..." He replied, carefully picking up the large gourd that was on top of him and seating him down next to him on the ground while he cleaned the gunk off his head and clothing. His eyes scanning the skies for any suspicious seagulls.

[erisdiamas]

“According to my calculations, it should be nearing above it’s capacity of 60…and since Spring is rolling around the corner, the greenhouse has just enough sweat to milk out a few puppies! Isn’t human gardening, fun?!” Peridot’s screen hovered as she went back to furiously logging in the location of this specific gourdpup, before lowering it down to properly look at the man in front of her.

“Gem Steven!!!” It wasn’t just the gourd with enough force to knock him to the sand, a fiesty green gremlin who hasn’t seen one of her favorite people on Earth or, well, ever- is just enough to make her barrel into the man… Amethyst was heard in the background using her whip to pull down the bellpepper bull…by its horns- gritting her teeth, she sent Peridot a wink and Gem Steven a short wave.. with her booted foot.

“Will you be around?! To help! Stars, we need your expertise!” Peridot sounded as if she were pleading but the gem was naturally dramatic, its amazing, the naturally stoic kindergardener being a ray of sunshine on… well, Earth.

Bemused, Eris stepped back with a snort filled chuckle at the antics already unfolding, smacking her father figure’s back as if to egg him forward- “Well? C’mon, we need you in the pen.. before Amethyst gets distracted and poofed again..” She nudged towards the purple gem now being chased by the bell pepper bull..before shape shifting into a regular bull and chasing it back.. only to end up bumping horns as soon as Amethyst gets a bit pissed at the sand being kicked into her eyes.

“Apparently, depending on the soil and what we fertilize it with, the organics that spark to life have a bit… unique dispositions.” Okay, the girl found that out on accident, she was only trying to create a body, a person, someone for- someone who can understand and be there for another certain person who needs that care, sadly it didn’t pan out… so Eris opted to make her dad a pet so he doesn’t get lonely when she’s out of town instead of a full blown girlfriend.

Peridot chimed in excitably- “What’s fascinating is, that’s exactly the formula of how Gems are made.. obviously it’s not sucking up the Earth to create new life but- I mean, it’s incredible and oh so great at easing the Little Homeworld gems into the life cycle of a organic, you can call it insane but thanks to my expertise on growing attached to things that… uh.. decay and wither away, I get to inflict that on other-otherwise immortal beings!” She cared not for how morbid she sounded, she had taken her time to grieve Pumpkin and it still hurts til this day.. and while, if she stayed on Homeworld, she would’ve never outright be granted the full extent of being her own person, having her own bonds outside a pretentious caste system.

[two-sides-halved]

Gem Steven was listening to Peridot. Slowly blinking to see if that was the number of the pupkins that they had or if that was just the max compacity of the number of people who could be in a greenhouse at once time. He seemed somewhat lost in the sauce looking at the skys above before Peridot got his attention, and he gave the other a hug, noting amethyst and waving back. "Yea, I've got no problems with helping.... but did you say you lost over 60 pupkins?" He asked.

Gem Steven looked back toward Eris, and he looked over. "..." He looked over confused at why in the world there was a bull shaped bell pepper, then looked over with a blank look for a moment. Not saying a single thing but kept his thoughts to himself "... so you're the reason why there's so many different varieties of plant based animals.... I am well aware of how fragile and finite and organic can be and would very much not like to be reminded of that fact when I just woke up from my nap... I do not need an existential crisis on top of the one I just got out of."

Gem Steven stretched out a bit. "I think I regret leaving the house so soon after waking up... I'm happy to help but someone needs to dumb it down like a considerable amount without the mention of mortality... please."

[erisdiamas]

“I wanted to create a pet for you- a companion, if you will… but I accidentally went overboard and Peridot looked so happy to be surrounded by so many pups and I just couldn’t help myself, plus Human wasn’t entirely against the idea and uh… well.” She stepped aside to allow Peridot to show him the full scale of her accidental creation, all different kinds of vegetables vaguely resembling animals that roam the area, from a eggplant spider monkey to a massive broccoli shitzu, in the back, there were a few Quartz proudly holding up their adopted pets.

“It was an accident, I didn’t expect so many but.. it’s going good so far, the program is for Gems and testing them raising organic life- lucky them, I was raised by non organic tyrants, my luck is astounding- Dad? You there?” Eris crouched down slightly to wave her hand in his face, as he seemed to keep dazing over.

“I know it’s a lot for your first day back- but you don’t need to help- I’ll lead the bull back into it’s pen then we can give relax at the Moonspire, okay?” Her tone was gentle, and it honestly sounded a bit like a mother soothing her overstimulated child, it was as if something shifted within Eris when the man was “gone.”

[two-sides-halved]

Gem Steven nodded a bit as he stretches out to the point where his shoulders popped. "Oh." He blinked looking over the crop-esque live stock that had. He gave a grin. "Yea, I'm here, sorry I was spacing out a bit... still kinda stuck on how many there were... I've only ever made the two when I was younger and one of them was by accident... but hey, not all accidents are bad things... I think you did a really good job here, Sweetpea." He smiled. "I think it's nice that you've got a sort of adoption program going on for the gems."

"Nah, nah, I don't wanna sit on the sidelines, I need to get out there and do something." He replied. "I just don't exactly know how to handle a bull, and I don't wanna end up hurting it in front of the other planimals."

[erisdiamas]

“Hah- let’s keep you away from that bull then.. they uh… really like pink.” In Amethyst’s hold (whip) was a particularly eager bull who seemed excited to see the man- to the point where it started pawing at the ground as if it were reeving up to bounce!

Eris didn’t care to notice, instead nudging him to pay attention to the peach made bat on Cherry Quartz’s shoulder, giggling at how cute it is-“It was a lot of work- I mean I even had to draw up paperwork in Gem for them to sign, I had to make sure they could handle and take responsibility for their pet… shocking no body, they’re already doing better than humans by a longshot.” She said with a roll of her eyes then they widened upon seeing the notification on her phone.

“….The reopening is in 20 minutes or so but uh.. someone else will be there to slice the ribbon.”

[empanadastheresurrection]

I keep having this Stupid Though play though my head of Steven and Connie trying to make out and Spinel Walks in the room is like 'HEY STEVEN WANT TO PLAY A GAME'

You know, I been having it but with Peach, it IS real that he can't catch a break, it's just a matter of who is the one interrpting him lmfao

[jetcat-14]

*Connie and Steven making out*

Steven: want to go to third base?????

Spinel: ARE YOU GUYS PLAYING BASEBALL???? CAN I PLAY ??? *Already in the room*

[empanadastheresurrection]

ok putting this here bc the doodle is suggestive lol

galaxy's worst little sister award goes to...

[empanadastheresurrection]

Could You Draw Younger Connie with her Glasses ...........

I love debut Connie's design so much SOMEBODY GIVE HER CHOCOLATE MILK AND A GOOD BOOK

Since she uses days for training and burns her eyesight so much doing schoolwork at night, AU Connie got prescribed resting glasses. Only 0.75 tho!

Do not let Steven know.

[empanadastheresurrection]

nah, not that

It's mostly because he is fucking unhinged

[two-sides-halved]

Continued from here | @erisdiamas

"Nah, it's fine... I get you were only trying to spare my feelings... I do appreciate that... but I've had most of my family tip toe around the important stuff until it blew up in my face... so it's hard not to just explode at the most minor things because I feel like someone's hiding something even worse... ya know?" He said while finishing up that sandwich he had in his hands, before wiping it in a paper towel that was on the table, then picking up that thermos with the meal supplement protein shake.

Gem Steven instinctively put down the thing in his hand to hold hers leaving the shake on the coffee table in the living room following her outside, holding a hand over his eyes slightly as his diamond shaped pupils adjusted to the actual light of outside. Though there wasn't much pain as gems were made of hard light with mass, it was the surprise of how bright the outside was during that time of day. He walked holding her hand the entire way, hearing what sounded like Peridot's voice, only for everything to go dark again as his face was smashed into the sand.

Gem Steven muffled into the sand a bit before turning over under neath the large gourd dog. "Awww, look at you you're such a good gourd, aren't you? Aren't you??" He asked with a chuckle as he pet over the big puppy.

"Wait... How many more of these puppies are there, Peri??" He asked. "Maybe I could work my animal companionship powers to some good work..." He replied, carefully picking up the large gourd that was on top of him and seating him down next to him on the ground while he cleaned the gunk off his head and clothing. His eyes scanning the skies for any suspicious seagulls.

[erisdiamas]

“According to my calculations, it should be nearing above it’s capacity of 60…and since Spring is rolling around the corner, the greenhouse has just enough sweat to milk out a few puppies! Isn’t human gardening, fun?!” Peridot’s screen hovered as she went back to furiously logging in the location of this specific gourdpup, before lowering it down to properly look at the man in front of her.

“Gem Steven!!!” It wasn’t just the gourd with enough force to knock him to the sand, a fiesty green gremlin who hasn’t seen one of her favorite people on Earth or, well, ever- is just enough to make her barrel into the man… Amethyst was heard in the background using her whip to pull down the bellpepper bull…by its horns- gritting her teeth, she sent Peridot a wink and Gem Steven a short wave.. with her booted foot.

“Will you be around?! To help! Stars, we need your expertise!” Peridot sounded as if she were pleading but the gem was naturally dramatic, its amazing, the naturally stoic kindergardener being a ray of sunshine on… well, Earth.

Bemused, Eris stepped back with a snort filled chuckle at the antics already unfolding, smacking her father figure’s back as if to egg him forward- “Well? C’mon, we need you in the pen.. before Amethyst gets distracted and poofed again..” She nudged towards the purple gem now being chased by the bell pepper bull..before shape shifting into a regular bull and chasing it back.. only to end up bumping horns as soon as Amethyst gets a bit pissed at the sand being kicked into her eyes.

“Apparently, depending on the soil and what we fertilize it with, the organics that spark to life have a bit… unique dispositions.” Okay, the girl found that out on accident, she was only trying to create a body, a person, someone for- someone who can understand and be there for another certain person who needs that care, sadly it didn’t pan out… so Eris opted to make her dad a pet so he doesn’t get lonely when she’s out of town instead of a full blown girlfriend.

Peridot chimed in excitably- “What’s fascinating is, that’s exactly the formula of how Gems are made.. obviously it’s not sucking up the Earth to create new life but- I mean, it’s incredible and oh so great at easing the Little Homeworld gems into the life cycle of a organic, you can call it insane but thanks to my expertise on growing attached to things that… uh.. decay and wither away, I get to inflict that on other-otherwise immortal beings!” She cared not for how morbid she sounded, she had taken her time to grieve Pumpkin and it still hurts til this day.. and while, if she stayed on Homeworld, she would’ve never outright be granted the full extent of being her own person, having her own bonds outside a pretentious caste system.

[two-sides-halved]

Gem Steven was listening to Peridot. Slowly blinking to see if that was the number of the pupkins that they had or if that was just the max compacity of the number of people who could be in a greenhouse at once time. He seemed somewhat lost in the sauce looking at the skys above before Peridot got his attention, and he gave the other a hug, noting amethyst and waving back. "Yea, I've got no problems with helping.... but did you say you lost over 60 pupkins?" He asked.

Gem Steven looked back toward Eris, and he looked over. "..." He looked over confused at why in the world there was a bull shaped bell pepper, then looked over with a blank look for a moment. Not saying a single thing but kept his thoughts to himself "... so you're the reason why there's so many different varieties of plant based animals.... I am well aware of how fragile and finite and organic can be and would very much not like to be reminded of that fact when I just woke up from my nap... I do not need an existential crisis on top of the one I just got out of."

Gem Steven stretched out a bit. "I think I regret leaving the house so soon after waking up... I'm happy to help but someone needs to dumb it down like a considerable amount without the mention of mortality... please."

[erisdiamas]

“I wanted to create a pet for you- a companion, if you will… but I accidentally went overboard and Peridot looked so happy to be surrounded by so many pups and I just couldn’t help myself, plus Human wasn’t entirely against the idea and uh… well.” She stepped aside to allow Peridot to show him the full scale of her accidental creation, all different kinds of vegetables vaguely resembling animals that roam the area, from a eggplant spider monkey to a massive broccoli shitzu, in the back, there were a few Quartz proudly holding up their adopted pets.

“It was an accident, I didn’t expect so many but.. it’s going good so far, the program is for Gems and testing them raising organic life- lucky them, I was raised by non organic tyrants, my luck is astounding- Dad? You there?” Eris crouched down slightly to wave her hand in his face, as he seemed to keep dazing over.

“I know it’s a lot for your first day back- but you don’t need to help- I’ll lead the bull back into it’s pen then we can give relax at the Moonspire, okay?” Her tone was gentle, and it honestly sounded a bit like a mother soothing her overstimulated child, it was as if something shifted within Eris when the man was “gone.”

[two-sides-halved]

Continued from here | @erisdiamas

"Nah, it's fine... I get you were only trying to spare my feelings... I do appreciate that... but I've had most of my family tip toe around the important stuff until it blew up in my face... so it's hard not to just explode at the most minor things because I feel like someone's hiding something even worse... ya know?" He said while finishing up that sandwich he had in his hands, before wiping it in a paper towel that was on the table, then picking up that thermos with the meal supplement protein shake.

Gem Steven instinctively put down the thing in his hand to hold hers leaving the shake on the coffee table in the living room following her outside, holding a hand over his eyes slightly as his diamond shaped pupils adjusted to the actual light of outside. Though there wasn't much pain as gems were made of hard light with mass, it was the surprise of how bright the outside was during that time of day. He walked holding her hand the entire way, hearing what sounded like Peridot's voice, only for everything to go dark again as his face was smashed into the sand.

Gem Steven muffled into the sand a bit before turning over under neath the large gourd dog. "Awww, look at you you're such a good gourd, aren't you? Aren't you??" He asked with a chuckle as he pet over the big puppy.

"Wait... How many more of these puppies are there, Peri??" He asked. "Maybe I could work my animal companionship powers to some good work..." He replied, carefully picking up the large gourd that was on top of him and seating him down next to him on the ground while he cleaned the gunk off his head and clothing. His eyes scanning the skies for any suspicious seagulls.

[erisdiamas]

“According to my calculations, it should be nearing above it’s capacity of 60…and since Spring is rolling around the corner, the greenhouse has just enough sweat to milk out a few puppies! Isn’t human gardening, fun?!” Peridot’s screen hovered as she went back to furiously logging in the location of this specific gourdpup, before lowering it down to properly look at the man in front of her.

“Gem Steven!!!” It wasn’t just the gourd with enough force to knock him to the sand, a fiesty green gremlin who hasn’t seen one of her favorite people on Earth or, well, ever- is just enough to make her barrel into the man… Amethyst was heard in the background using her whip to pull down the bellpepper bull…by its horns- gritting her teeth, she sent Peridot a wink and Gem Steven a short wave.. with her booted foot.

“Will you be around?! To help! Stars, we need your expertise!” Peridot sounded as if she were pleading but the gem was naturally dramatic, its amazing, the naturally stoic kindergardener being a ray of sunshine on… well, Earth.

Bemused, Eris stepped back with a snort filled chuckle at the antics already unfolding, smacking her father figure’s back as if to egg him forward- “Well? C’mon, we need you in the pen.. before Amethyst gets distracted and poofed again..” She nudged towards the purple gem now being chased by the bell pepper bull..before shape shifting into a regular bull and chasing it back.. only to end up bumping horns as soon as Amethyst gets a bit pissed at the sand being kicked into her eyes.

“Apparently, depending on the soil and what we fertilize it with, the organics that spark to life have a bit… unique dispositions.” Okay, the girl found that out on accident, she was only trying to create a body, a person, someone for- someone who can understand and be there for another certain person who needs that care, sadly it didn’t pan out… so Eris opted to make her dad a pet so he doesn’t get lonely when she’s out of town instead of a full blown girlfriend.

Peridot chimed in excitably- “What’s fascinating is, that’s exactly the formula of how Gems are made.. obviously it’s not sucking up the Earth to create new life but- I mean, it’s incredible and oh so great at easing the Little Homeworld gems into the life cycle of a organic, you can call it insane but thanks to my expertise on growing attached to things that… uh.. decay and wither away, I get to inflict that on other-otherwise immortal beings!” She cared not for how morbid she sounded, she had taken her time to grieve Pumpkin and it still hurts til this day.. and while, if she stayed on Homeworld, she would’ve never outright be granted the full extent of being her own person, having her own bonds outside a pretentious caste system.

[kaycartoons]

Happy autumn everyone! Seriously though fall is one of my favorite aesthetics in animation.

[alvaro-notstarrs]

@plethoraworldatlas PUMPKIN???

PUMPKIN???

[two-sides-halved]

Continued | @erisdiamas

His gaze remained more toward the floor in this melancholic haze, before the words got through. His eyes shifted, a slow blink almost as if his eyes made an actively crunchy sound from the disuse of his lids.

Was he ok? How does someone even begin to describe the state he was in? If it meant physically, the only things that hurt were his stomach from the lack of food for a month but that hardly phased him after a few years worth of missed meals when living with the Diamonds before the shit storm that had hit his previous home and his eyes from their lack of blinking since had been staring down at the floor after his self imposed trip into the room to just give himself a moment to deal with everything, only to end up with the room deciding he needed to have a full month of detox rather than just a few hours like he had planned.

If the question were only focused on his emotions, it was hard to tell since they were just as frazzled as they always were, even more so due to the room deciding to play some sort of long game with him even if it was for his benefit. It was as if a piece of himself was missing. and it had been gone for so long he only just now realized it was gone, but it was so hard to put anything into words that fully explained how he felt.

He didn't know how to answer, how does anyone answer a question like that as if it weren't the hardest question to answer when anyone could ask him of all people?

He rubbed his face slowly, taking a deep breath before letting it out slow. He couldn't say that he was fine, because that was a lie. He didn't feel like burdening her with his feelings because he's supposed to be the older one, the one who guides, not the one who falls apart whenever anything just gets too much to bare. He clenched his fits to the point where his knuckles turned nearly white than his already pale skin. How is it that he can dump his trauma for the room to see, yet can't just express himself in front of a living breathing caring person, maybe it was because of the age between them, maybe it was because his upbringing was literally having to deal with people literally 1000s of years older than him having to fix all his problems to the point where he's so burnt out he'd rather keep shelving his own problems then just deal with them.

Once again he turned back to the floor, before finally speaking aloud. "I'm not ok, but that's ok..."

[erisdiamas]

“You haven’t been okay since you were aware of your own existence… and considering the gravity of the cosmic fuck you’re been put through… it’s only fair to feel not okay with that.” She bent down.. finding a spot near his knee.. leaning into the fluffy pink clouds that seemed to swirl around the room.. as if it were mimicking the ones at the beach.. it reminded the woman of her first time seeing the sun.

“If you don’t wanna talk… you can communicate with me the way we know how.. our own language.” Her eyes fluttered down to the floor he kept ‘burning holes’ into- as if she could possibly understand the man that was struggling to breathe and accept himself.

“Or. You could tell me… stars, I have to know..” Her breath seemed caught up in suspension.. a pink mist expels and wafts through the roof of her maw as if her own body was overheating! Eris reached into her own gem and pulled out an entire plate complete with a comically large sandwich to boot!

“How do you take your subs? Lettuce? Toppings? I have a literal refrigerator in this thing!” She knocked on the upright Diamond lodged in her bellybutton- sparking up a warm glow at just the touch of its beholder… as if something shifted- as if she accepted something..

“Please, I’m not gonna bombarde you.. just know you could talk to me, in your own terms.”

[two-sides-halved]

Gem Steven was quiet. It's not like she was lying to him that he's been not ok since he was aware of his own existence, hell, wouldn't most people be disillusioned with their own existence when they were literally an accident, and not even in the way a normal person would come into existence via a hole in the condom or missing a few days of your birth control. But literally having someone pull you out of your original body and wanting someone else and being stuck with you. He watched her take a seat by him out of the corner of his eye. He stayed silent, his gaze focused on the floor again.

Gem Steven's mind was reeling, he knew damn well that communication was piss poor in this family. She was trying her best and he was shutting her out, and it's not like he hadn't been on the other side of that fence, when his brother didn't talk to him in a full month when they were kids. Hell, he's still pissed off that she left and didn't say anything and it's been years since then too.

The smell of a sandwich ripped him away from his thoughts, and he looked over at this sandwich that looked as if it came out of a show of mystery solving teens and their talking dog. His eyes looked at her confused for a moment. His stomach growled loudly causing the room to shake around them, it had been a month since he had eaten after all. He took a deep breath.

"Usually I tend to have either a meatball sub, or a turkey." He replied with a muttering. "You didn't up route the whole fridge from the kitchen, did you??" Gem Steven asked with a squint.

[erisdiamas]

“Why are you in my business? You’re not my Dad. I figured you’d want a little snack! Am I missing anything?”She responded, promptly assembling his sand which - making sure to dump the meatballs as much yet as tender as she could- knowing the man, judging by his reaction? It’s inevitable. After rolling the sandwich up - Eris summoned a shield - and in a flash of pink, sent it flying towards Gem Steven’s lap, heated and ready.

“Is this good enough, Gem?” Her voice came out surprisingly gentle- as if the man might vanish into the floor that he was getting lost in- his eyes in a somber gaze.. it was heartbreaking to see, it left a bad taste in the the woman’s maw.. but hey! We have a sandwich station and food is the universal gateway, baby!

[two-sides-halved]

Gem Steven sat there as if he was calculating and recalculating his response. "It's one thing if it was just like a mini fridge you bought yourself, its another when its the fridge from the kitchen used by more than just one person... you know what fuck it, it doesn't matter."

Gem Steven looked down at the sandwich she had made. "It looks wonderful." He replied taking a single bite making sure to take everything, making soft noises of him enjoying his food. "It tastes even better."

[erisdiamas]

She made a hum of content, pleased at the fact that she managed to make her father-elder brother figure eat after hearing it’s been- well, Human said a month of self isolation but he has been stashed away here since she’s been back… and she’s been here for weeks at this point! For stars sake, she even got a job! She wishes he told her he was proud.

Tilting her head, Eris scanned the man and the crumbs on the side of his cheek- and giggled, reaching out to scoop it in her hand.. and offering it back to him as Gem were a pigeon or a seagull on Beach City’s boardwalk.. she smiled in a odd manner too as if she held a secret.

“Yeast in this troubling time?” She sounded somewhat chipper, absentmindedly twirling the strands of her own brown mane.. pushing the container of turkey towards him with nothing but a flick of her finger… that too- slid towards him.

[two-sides-halved]

Gem Steven was so focused on his food he didn't pick up on the eerie feeling of it all, until he could have sworn he heard his brothers' voice but neither Steven other than himself was present. Wait, didn't he leave the room. Just a moment ago, why was there all the pink clouds around him. Why was Eris acting so odd cheery?

He looked over at her confused on what she was even talking about at this point. He blinked for a split second he could see Rose, and not even the usual familial similarities a mother would have with their child, but it was almost more like she was just Rose, rather than Eris.

Meanwhile, Gem Steven was zoned out sitting on the couch. A thousand yard stare into the floor was all that was on his face, a fly even walked across his eyeball and he wasn't even phased by the movement. Connie was watching from the dining room table silently thinking of her own plan of how to jolt Gem Steven awake, stroking her chin while staring at him.

Human Steven crossed his arms, watching Eris shaking a two different sandwiches in front of Gem Steven's unemotive face. "Eris, I understand that you're worried, I'm worried too. I'm not even sure what happened in the room that put him into this sort of weird state of being. He just went in, stayed for a whole month, then walked out silently and just sat down on the couch... He didn't even bite the furniture or me. I don't even know if using two grinders as smelling salts are even having an effect on him."

[erisdiamas]

Eris hummed… and completely sidelined Human’s words to instead opt for the other woman pondering from the kitchen table- “…I’m thinking we bubble him and roll him into the ocean….no, what if the jellyfish poofs him or something!” She suddenly gasped in horror at the imagery of a simple shock poofing the Gem underwater.

“It’s not normal- I’ve been back for weeks and even then it’s like… he’s gazing past me.. I don’t think he even knows I’m back let alone anybody else.” Eris blamed herself, anyone with common sense would connect his meltdown in the woods to the self isolation that had the woman even more worried… he should’ve been back.

“Alright, we might have to do this the good ol Universe way and hijack his mind.” Even her determination felt desperate.. as if she was still the little girl with the dirty grubby gloves reaching for his soul.

“You know I bet this was him! I bet he took advantage of Gem.. considering how the camping trip went it only makes sense for Raspberry to seep his poison in—“ The young woman looked erratic as she started to accuse the manifestation of negative thoughts of everything under the sun…knowing deep down- she was at fault as well.

[two-sides-halved]

Human Steven took a deep breath irritated by being ignored. It's like no one in this house cares what he thinks until everything's gone to shit and he's the one who's gotta fix everything. He went to the kitchen and got a drink silently seething, since he doesn't wanna have anyone else upset but himself. While Connie replied. "See I was thinking more of just using the kitchens sink hose to spray him with cold water but then i don't think that it would reach him or even get to the right temperature."

Human Steven muttered. "A jellyfish wouldn't be enough to poof Steven, not even Yellow Diamond could have the juice to poof someone has that stubborn, not that she would... even if he was in a daze..." He took a big sip of his water.

"Yea, well he only got out of the room like a few hours ago." Connie replied. "So it's not like he was keeping tabs on what was going on out here or he would have left sooner." Human Steven took a sip. "Yea, he left his phone out here so it's not like I could remind him it's been a day or more... and even if I did, it'd be dead by the time you got in the full swing of doing all your classes."

"Although, I would agree with you... but I'm not feeling that same sense of dread I usually get off of him when he gets in a funk... like I know you and Steven have the empath powers... but like there's a different vibe I'm picking up... and I don't think going in his mind and fixing the problem for him is the best idea... as much as you want to be there for him, I don't think it's exactly healthy... and who knows maybe he's just thinking and you ripping him from his thoughts would mess up some big break through he's having." Connie suggested.

Gem Steven remained staying at the floor, however there was a slight twitch in his fingers that seemed to be a blink and you'll miss it type movement. While in his mind, he was struggling with trying to get out of a highchair while some sort of Eris Rose fusion was trying to feed him a red puree of strawberries. "Let me out of this stupid thing!"

[erisdiamas]

The Eris-Rose fusion seemed to huff out a sigh- “Gem Steven! You sit down and let me fix this! Prepare for the aero plane!” She tightened his bib and proceeded to try and feed grown man struggling to break out the chair.

Now back to the actual Eris.. she seemed to be mulling over Connie’s suggestion… and found it made a lot of sense, perhaps he’s in there working through some pretty drastic changes and thoughts… considering everything.. considering the fact that the old Eris would’ve said fucked it and launched in regardless of others opinion reaffirmed the fact that teaching those classes truly helped her mature faster..even if it took a three day power frenzy to figure out some semblance of what she wanted to do moving forward.

“….I know and you’re right.. perhaps I’m being a tad bit selfish…you know I would’ve loved if he were there when…” Eris was ready to finally let out the disappointment of Gem not being there to walk her to her first job… wondering how he’d think about her class and method of teaching, how he was the one she looked forward to impress.

Her gaze immediately locked onto the slightest of twitch, widening in alert-“Look!!! Look!! You saw it too, right?!”

[two-sides-halved]

Gem Steven struggled in his highchair, gagging as she tightened the pip around his neck. "I don't need you to fix anything!" He replied. "I am a grown man, hell I am older than you are!!" He struggled gagging against the fabric as it was fastened with the click of a button.

"There's nothing wrong with being a bit selfish sometimes, and he absolutely would have been so excited to hear you got a job that's close by." Connie replied.

Human Steven nodded. "Yea... I'd say make sure to brace for any sudden loud noises... or rapid movements from him ok. It's rare but sometimes when he's yelling in his dreams they kinda wake him up and he continues the sentence out loud.... and even if he says your name in the sentence there's a good chance he's not talking to you."

Gem Steven's lower eyelid twitched on his left side, his fingers twitching again. His breathing was suddenly more present, sounding irritated with slight grunts.

[erisdiamas]

“Oh, Steven… why do you hate us? Why do you hate me? I love you. Erose’s expression was hidden by the shadows of her own massive locks of Neapolitan-like curls of brown and two shades of pink.. she peered down, her motions nearly fluid- their Diamond eyes landing on the man.. suddenly her fingers entwined with his.. fully facing him with the face of Rose.. the red mashed up purée reappeared in her palms.. “Must you be so feisty?” She started humming a soft tune, wagging the spoon of mashed up strawberries as if she were a conductor wagging her finger directing an invisible choir…patting her lap with the other hand.

-

“Oh please, I bet he wished all on the stars in this solar system for me to choose anything closer to him… he’s such a over protective old man, sometimes I worry about him. Scratch that, I often do… who wouldn’t? He never talks of a future, he doesn’t even accept help so..”Her eyes found Gem Steven’s fidgety limbs.. not caring for the fact her own face softened from the sight of her father figure so.. eerily elegant- it was a weird thing to find adorable.

The now older woman found herself tempted to share the hazy details of experiment she created for Gem, someone who came to be as a result of the woman’s frenzy and determination to curate someone to serve as Gem’s counterpart.. someone who would stay, grow- well, emotionally, with the man- bottom line is she failed at conjuring the perfect being for her dad.. embarrassing! Waste of good soil too, hiding an entire body at Peridot’s greenhouse with the help of a bored ex while you’re on a Manic Diamond episode for days isn’t exactly Eris’s idea of a fun time..but to be fair, who would be proud of a failure? The Diamonds were never proud of her and she actually had a chance to be born.

“So what? We wait for him?”

[two-sides-halved]

Gem Steven stared at this odd combo piece meal of his mother and his sister that he treated more like a rebellious teenage daughter he couldn't relate to before Rose's face was all he could see, not even his own mother, but the painting of classic Rose herself, the one that hung above the doorway, one that Classic Steven himself just put into Classic Lion's mane since he couldn't deal with all the struggle and strife she indirectly caused. "I don't hate you. I never hated you… sure everything you did had some sort of negative effect on the gems, or my brothers... or me... but I know that you're not intentionally a dick, you just didn't take anyone else's feelings into consideration because you were raised with this above it all mindset that you had to literally grow out of..."

"Well, Gem's not someone who easily forgets and forgives when he feels like he's the one responsible for something even when he's told it wasn't his fault." Human Steven replied, crossing his arms a bit. His eyes trail from Eris to his brother's brow as it twitches changing expression.

Gem Steven's eyes open flashing a pair of red diamonds for a moment before his hand slaps away the nothing in front of his face. "WILL YOU QUIT IT WITH THE MUSHY STRAWBERRIES?! I AM TRYING TO TALK TO YOU!! DAMN IT!!" His eyes blink a few times, his red diamond eyes returning to their normal pink hue before he looks around seeing his brother, Connie, and Eris, the two messy sandwiches on the table before he looked around almost trying to remember what the fuck was happening and could only remember he had left the room, but then the whole shit that happened in his mind kinda made him unsure if he even left the room so in typical Gem Steven fashion he bit the closest person two him which just happened to be Eris.

Which of course he bit down hard enough to confirm that she wasn't going to disappear, before taking his teeth off her, and he took a few breaths.

That seemed to calm his frazzled energy. "Thank fuck you're not clouds... sorry for the bite... oh hey... you're you... that's so good you're you..." He replied holding her face in his hands. "how long have you been in town? i hope I wasn't keeping you from having any fun trips and what not with my self imposed solitude." He replied scratching behind his head.

[erisdiamas]

The painting shot him one last “look” suddenly opening its eyes to reveal Diamonds.. her expression was defeated, filled with heartbreak as it reached out to console Gem, as if a simple apology would erase everything that all of the collective damage Rose has caused… so instead she musters up a smile that doesn’t quite reach her eyes- a familiar one, she reached out to caress his cheek.. leaning on his head onthe way Eris was known to..finally she looked ready to speak… before doing a complete 180• attempting to forcibly feed him the purée once more.

She spun the man around and into her arms, squeezing his form as if he’d poof right there… from her vice like grip, it’s amazing that Gem didn’t- Eris was grinning ear to ear, not caring about the shark bite like nibble she had received from the man that was a needy old man to her…nuzzling into his neck as if she were a lioness reunited with her cub.

“Gem, I’ve been back for weeks- Did I interrupt your date with- what was it? Strawberries? I thought you hated strawberries?” Her eyelashes fluttered slightly releasing her iron clad grip to allow him to “breathe”

“Well, of course it’s me- dont tell me you have another daughter in there.” Eris said tapping the man’s forehead as if it were gonna open like a music box and launch a cuckoo bird of his ‘other kid’.

[two-sides-halved]

Gem Steven stared at her for a moment as he was regaining his thoughts. "You didn't interrupt anything... there was no dating... it was like one moment we were talking and suddenly you morphed in to mom and I was in a baby high chair that was my sized and I was doing my best to communicate with this weird fusion of you and mom and it was like it was a one sided conversation and she wasn't listening to me and it was frustrating..." He replied.

"Pfft even if I wanted to have a kid with Scarlet, that's already too much work as is... I mean yea, it's no entire replica of Beach City, but that's just something that I'd rather the room not do."

Connie stretched out a bit. "Well now that you're no longer in your weird comatose state. I'm gonna bounce." "And I can walk you back to your campsite." Human Steven replied, as Connie is already half way out the door. "See ya guys."

[erisdiamas]

“Gem, do I remind you of our dead mom, yes or no.” Eris seemed perplexed at the strange revelation- Connie perhaps was wrong, she should’ve hopped in his mind sooner! Speaking of, the woman could already hear the pretty knight descending the steps- popping her own ginormous head through the screen door to shout her goodbyes to the other woman.

She took her seat next to Gem, already wrapping her arms around his- before bursting out in a fit of snort filled laughter, letting go of him to cover her own lips- “You’re gonna get your cloud girlfriend pregnant and have a fluffy baby shower filled with pink whales officiated by some bizarre fusion of- hear this, our dead mom!”

[two-sides-halved]

Connie and Human Steven already shouting goodbyes back. "When you were younger, you reminded me of mom but what teen isn't rebellious from time to time?" Gem Steven replied to her questions. "That's just nature rather it be inherited from mom or dad is a whole other story. But that was different."

Gem Steven held himself irritated with her reply was filled with laughter. "You know I'm really regretting telling you what was troubling me because hearing you laugh at it makes me feel like my feelings don't matter. and I shouldn't be so open with anyone ever again." He says in a sort of deadpan tone.

[erisdiamas]

“You’d be so lucky, unfortunately you’re not getting rid of me.. at least for the rest of the day, I’m taking a break after the mountain trip- do you know how hard it is to round up rowdy Quartz into a bus? Thank stars for Peridot’s modifications, we would’ve never even had the room on a regular human bus!” One may argue the warp pad would’ve been more effective, Eris would quickly shut that down in the name of true Earthling experience.

“I’m sorry- love is love, you’re absolutely right.” The woman proceeded to make a mental note to help him find a partner or die trying- would he prefer a Gem? A human? Does he have personality preferences? He did dodge the questions when the pair went camping so it’s best not to push… and plus, she can always meddle in private.

“You know half of the class has never even seen Lapis, it was actually ridiculous- half of them were surprised we even had a plan for the day and there’s no paperwork or any special requirements of the class so what even was the point of employing her? Community service? You know she shown up the moment we got back and gave me a thumbs up! Like I need her approval… she’s lucky I don’t put her back in a mirror..”

The girl was prepared to go on a heated tangent about how aggravating Lazuli was to deal with and how she completely wasted the potential of a more artistic oriented class.. her face lit up as if she remembered something- mainly because she forgot!!

“I got the job by the way! Its like whatever, its no biggie.. uh so ill be here for a bit.. longer?”

[two-sides-halved]

"I can only imagine how a bunch of solders given the freedom to just chill out can be a little rowdy and rough house because they all have this pent up energy due to the 1000s of years standing still and taking orders." Gem Steven replied with a chuckle.

"Yea. The hallucination was not about Scarlet... in fact since I know Scarlet isn't real... the only time I see her is either in the room or in my dreams and only in the good ones." Gem Steven replied, scratching behind his head. "This hallucination just made me realize I've just been pushing you to not help me and because we're both incredibly stubborn it ends up having the opposite effect... like its good you wanna help people, but I don't wanna become so reliant on you to the point where you're gone I can't function right..."

"Not surprised she sucks even as a half-assed facsimile of a person." Gem Steven replied. "She's lazy, holds little value over other people's time and effort but the moment it gets in her way she either fucks off for other people to fix it or makes everyone else have to adjust to her needs because the gems didn't want to step on her toes... so I'm not surprised she lacks any actual passion for what she's supposed to be doing for others." Gem Steven replied. "I'm sorry you had to find out that she's awful the hard way." He paused for a moment.

His eyes squinted as if he was trying to look for context clues in the air, before it clicked that Eris was taking over for Lapis. "OH!! That's great, Eris! I'd love to sit in on a class and watch the master at work, if you'd be ok with that?"

[erisdiamas]

“….You know if it took you being locked out to reach that conclusion, I should go to your room instead of seeking therapy!” Because the young woman was totally stable these days- has to be since she’s a teacher now, mental health problems isn’t gonna prevent her from teaching those Gems!

“-Okay, Lapis might be… emotionally constipated but she still loved me, you know?! Understood me.”

Eris’s cheeks flushed with that familiar hot pink as she listened to the man’s tangent on her ex girlfriend… it was as if the mere mention of her flipped the switch back off in her brain- because she found herself covering her mouth up.. face redder at the mere embarrassment from defending Lapis.. reverting to defending her as if they were still dating.. but it’s not that summer anymore, she’s home.. and Lapis isn’t there.. still, the urge to snap at Gem had to quickly be quelled with the fact he just got back.. her father figure doesn’t deserve that excessive stress.. instead she mustered a tedious smile.

“Oh, Gem..You can rely on me for as long as I exist, as long as I am alive, I am yours.. and I don’t wanna keep being shut out to the point I have to hijack your mind- Raspberry is also a massive migraine, I couldn’t possibly fathom what it’s like for you… regardless, I’d like to.” Without a second thought, she nuzzled into Gem’s chest, as if she were a cub seeking to reassure its parent.. in a way, she is.

“Well, I do have to go and pick up some papers… It’s Friday so I don’t think my students will be around- don’t embarrass me, Dad.” Eris quickly released her somewhat iron grip on the Gem to hold him at length- to really observe the man after not seeing him for awhile. “Hey, I didn’t know when you’d wake up but uh… I made your lunch for the past few weeks… it was hell to keep it all fresh yet I succeeded.. with a note attached.”

Clearing her throat, she quickly sped towards the fridge, opening up to reveal the packaged subs that resembled the one from his previous episode, she handed one over- “I made this one today… huh… we might be the same height now.”

[two-sides-halved]

"I-- what are you talking about locked out?" Gem Steven asked confused as hell. "No, don't go into the room... I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy." Gem Steven replied.

"Might be? Might be?? if Lapis even had bowls I think she'd shit on people like she was a bird, the only difference is its natural for the birds, she's doing so with malice... and I have no doubt she understood you, because how else would anyone be able to play someone like a fiddle if they didn't know how to emotionally manipulate them." Gem Steven replied.

Gem Steven looked down at the other and huffed remembering how many times she had to use her powers on him, how many times she had to solve his problems. "I appreciate that you're willing to help me, but I need to learn how to deal with this shit myself instead of always having to rely on you..."

"I do appreciate that you'd make food for me, Sweetpea.... I'll be sure to go through all of it when I can.... and I can try my best to not embarrass you." He paused taking the sub from her looking at her in the eyes rather than down at an angle, it was odd. "Yea... I can see that..."

[erisdiamas]

“…locked out of reality? The thing you go through from you dissociate for months at a time? I’m a poet, I get dramatic.. and metaphorical!” Eris replied nudging him once more.

“It’s fine, Gem… It’s really no big deal, I can handle just about anything and it costs nothing to take care of a loved one… even if it’s..” The younger woman paused, she wanted to say taxing but she had just said it costs nothing.. and the man would see it as her calling him a burden and he just woke up! Her father’s fragile,right now!

“Even if Lapis… is draining.. and difficult… There’s a part of me that doesn’t regret going through it… or helping you- it fills me with content and satisfaction that I could love and nurture the two of you to the best of my abilities and I will never regret that.” She exhaled after the intense tangent, not noticing that in all of that ranting.. she was gripping onto the man’s shoulders as if to drill in the mantra of “YOU ARE SEEN.”

Sheepishly muttering out an apology the woman then snatch her old worn out satchel on the wall.. ran back into the kitchen to pour herself a concoction of Human Steven’s diabolical protein shake… coffee… and whatever the fuck the red bits are.. immediately heading to the warp before remembering… it had probably been awhile since he has actually been outside… since he has smelt the Earth!

“You know what? It’s a chill day, everyone is relaxing from the desert expedition… we could bump the hot springs at the Moon Spire event a little earlier than on schedule… it should be done, Pearl didn’t seem keen on the idea of such an historic artifact being used as ‘an amusement lounge” and it’s so silly because- the Moonstone as depicted in the stature was a stuffy aristocratic slob that switched out her Pearls as if she were a human picking her outfit of the hour, the only reason she even got a shrine was because she was yet another gem that Blue ‘beautifully crafted’ in her image… so basically another waste of resources.” Okay, the girl could admit that being a tyrant waiting in the eternal wings of Homeworld wasn’t just consistent emotion abuse.. her brain was subjected to ‘academic’ abuse too.. she’d be starved by now if she didn’t remember that eon old story.

Clearing her throat, she hopped off the pad and pulled out her phone to shoot Peridot a message on the grand opening- “We walk today. I need to stretch my legs and… classes aren’t usually this full on a Sunday so it’s not too overstimulating for…us… I think someone would be pretty excited to know you’re awake.

[two-sides-halved]

Gem Steven was quiet through it all, listening and hanging on to every word as she spoke, his mind in the background examining just about everything she said with deeper meaning. Yea, he had his problems and he did his best to try and solve them himself without any help from anyone else... yet some how, some way he was still always helped by his brothers or her, which at this point he wasn't aware what role she played in his life. He wasn't her father, geologically they'd be the same as siblings... he couldn't even understand how he was switching the entire dynamic on its head.... he was supposed to be the older one, damn it.

His fists slightly clenched right as Lapiss' name was mentioned. That was reflexive, but also Lapis was the whole fucking reason why they were having a falling out in the first fucking place. Now he was practically being compared to Lapis. His jaw clenching hard. He felt her shoulders being squeezed, his eyes looking up at her with a blank expression. He had nothing to say, at least not right now when he felt a bit too hot headed in the moment.

He heard the slight apology wondering if that was more for even uttering Lapiss in front of him, or if she could feel how much he hated being compared to her. He looked over, sort of zoning out on the history lesson, he'd heard it from Pearl before when he was a child, and his brain had more pressing matters on how to FIX THIS.

Gem Steven heard the other cough, listening to the other offering to take him on a walk. He stared at the floor again, he didn't want to be alone with his thoughts, but his thoughts had a way of creeping in no matter what. His nose picked up on the sent of that familiar meal supplement shake, and his eye twitched a bit. "I'm open to take a walk.... I need to clear my head anyway."

[erisdiamas]

“Then you’re gonna love the hot sprin…” Suddenly the woman froze, the discomfort was radiating from the man who seemed to have tensed up… realizing her mistake, she realized the outcome she was trying to walk eggshells around came to fruition- instinctively she reached for his clutched fist.. the thought of needing to FIX THIS situation and soothe it before it spirals out of her control… and she knows a great deal of control.

“Can you please at least understand that I’m not comparing you to her..I never could, you know that right? I dont see her in you..” Which was true yet… why’d the girl feel her own hair rise and spike up? She refused to think about it, the way the both of them made her feel so inadequate at caring for them.. as if her care and love was nothing but invasive to those that screech to be left alone, apart of Eris feels as if something in her broke long ago and it’s a part of her that’s screaming at the Diamonds to look at her, to talk to her, to finally let her in.. but she was always met with the silence of the tower, the coldness of being pushed into closing up again.. she felt as if she were hardwired to nurture and even if she’s not fully a Gem… why does it hurt to be denied what she felt her purpose was? Is she too intense? Too much for them, the way she was too much for Yellow and Blue? Is that why they can’t love her properly?

“You treat me better, you’re very good to everybody around you, Gem.. you’re nothing like that parasite.. I mean, stars- the asshole has damaged me in so many ways, ways you’d never do me. I trust you, okay?” Eris didn’t know whether to crush him in a hug or maintain her distance, so instead of prying as she used to, she instead tossed over a spare bottle- “Here, its Humans. We might as well drop this off to his office when we’re there… Peridot is gonna be so happy to see you.. Oh! We also have a surprise!” She couldn’t help but grin widely… filled with warmth that she previously thought was incapable of doing anymore- she couldn’t wait to introduce him to the Gourdpups!

[two-sides-halved]

Gem Steven looked up as he was spoken to. He knew that's not what she meant to do, but he couldn't help but think that he was absolutely difficult to deal with when he even so much as gotten irritated with something and no one could understand why. He took a deep breath. "Eris, I understand that you meant to just explain that sometimes caring about someone costs nothing, but can be taxing... I know you weren't making the comparison that I did by connecting two dots that have no business being anywhere near each other... I'm sorry I get difficult to deal with..."

"I can't say I'm the most empathetic person to ever exist cause I have my limits... after my limit gets past... all there is is irritation and confusion because how come everyone else has so much more patience for someone when mine ran out sooner... and for good reason most of the time." He sighed. "I'm sorry that I make you feel like you're not doing enough... the fact you're trying to get through my fucking thick skull is more than enough, because most of the time if Steven doesn't see it, I'm on my own with that fuckery."

Gem Steven looked up at her. "Yea, because most of the people I'm around I care about... but you've never seen how I am around Lapis because I try to keep myself out of those negative situations if I can help it, and if I can't I have to keep civil... lest another building be thrusted upon me." He sighed a bit, before catching a bottle. "... what do you mean office... he's not just up in his room doing little homeschool things from there??" He asked. "geez a lot can happen in a month..." He looked over. "Oh a surprise?"

[erisdiamas]

“And I’m sorry too- for making you feel as if you were made of glass, I guess my tendency to fix things before they worsen still hasn’t fully been cured from my system yet!” She, on the other hand had the complete opposite problem that her older brother dash father figure had- the woman found herself caring too much, even now she feels the residual tension with bringing up Lapis.

“A month..” Eris tasted the word in her maw, somehow it felt strange- has it really been merely little over a month since they’ve been together? It felt like decades apart, it felt as if it yesterday when she was knocking on his room door wondering if he was coming back, wondering if the man would be proud enough to acknowledge her growth.. while Human was a big help with this adjustment period.. and while he is her older brother, a fact she has grown to fully accept… now she’s here with the man that honestly matters more than he’d ever grasp the full extent of, his meaning to her… it felt… surreal? Here she was, face to face, new angle due to her growth spurt and she still felt like a kid eating a messy grilled sandwich with measly pink gloves, apart of her will always need the man’s approval… and it hurts, but she’ll manage.

“Yea! A surprise- you’ve missed a lot in your cryo chamber… so let’s catch you up!” Eris held out her hand for him to grab… excitedly leading him through the boardwalk into the entrance of Little Homeworld, the smell of the sea tickled her nose and made her burst out into a little grin, it was hard for her to be so tense around such a beautiful place.. she seemed lost for awhile, guiding him (seemingly) by heart to the gem owned towned before the yipping and nasally screeching broke her melancholic train of thought, getting louder and louder.

“WAIT WAIT WAIT!!! OH STARS!!!” There was a green blob progressively getting near, a purple blur of light following closely behind appearing to be equally as exhausted- “Oh good! You’re here! I have terrible news! Our pups… escaped!” As if on cue, a massive squash shaped.. doberman appeared to have crashed into Gem, slobbering all over his soft pink hair with its hung orange tongue.

“Well-“ Eris couldn’t help but attempt to stifle her laughter watching the gourddog bathe her father in pumpkin seeds and slobber, earning her a nudge from Amethyst who also proceeded to double back in laughter- “Gem already found gone!” The response earned a weary glance from the greenhouse gem.. who began tapping furiously at a holopad- documenting the specific pup that they found- “While I would find that humorous, what if a seagull swoops in and decides they’re a quick meal! Snap! Pumpkin innards everywhere! It’ll be a pumpbash! They’re too fragile at this stage! They’re just puppies!” Unfortunately Peridot never got over pumpkins death… and she’ll make it everyone’s business, she refuses to let them die unnaturally.

[two-sides-halved]

Continued | @erisdiamas

His gaze remained more toward the floor in this melancholic haze, before the words got through. His eyes shifted, a slow blink almost as if his eyes made an actively crunchy sound from the disuse of his lids.

Was he ok? How does someone even begin to describe the state he was in? If it meant physically, the only things that hurt were his stomach from the lack of food for a month but that hardly phased him after a few years worth of missed meals when living with the Diamonds before the shit storm that had hit his previous home and his eyes from their lack of blinking since had been staring down at the floor after his self imposed trip into the room to just give himself a moment to deal with everything, only to end up with the room deciding he needed to have a full month of detox rather than just a few hours like he had planned.

If the question were only focused on his emotions, it was hard to tell since they were just as frazzled as they always were, even more so due to the room deciding to play some sort of long game with him even if it was for his benefit. It was as if a piece of himself was missing. and it had been gone for so long he only just now realized it was gone, but it was so hard to put anything into words that fully explained how he felt.

He didn't know how to answer, how does anyone answer a question like that as if it weren't the hardest question to answer when anyone could ask him of all people?

He rubbed his face slowly, taking a deep breath before letting it out slow. He couldn't say that he was fine, because that was a lie. He didn't feel like burdening her with his feelings because he's supposed to be the older one, the one who guides, not the one who falls apart whenever anything just gets too much to bare. He clenched his fits to the point where his knuckles turned nearly white than his already pale skin. How is it that he can dump his trauma for the room to see, yet can't just express himself in front of a living breathing caring person, maybe it was because of the age between them, maybe it was because his upbringing was literally having to deal with people literally 1000s of years older than him having to fix all his problems to the point where he's so burnt out he'd rather keep shelving his own problems then just deal with them.

Once again he turned back to the floor, before finally speaking aloud. "I'm not ok, but that's ok..."

[erisdiamas]

“You haven’t been okay since you were aware of your own existence… and considering the gravity of the cosmic fuck you’re been put through… it’s only fair to feel not okay with that.” She bent down.. finding a spot near his knee.. leaning into the fluffy pink clouds that seemed to swirl around the room.. as if it were mimicking the ones at the beach.. it reminded the woman of her first time seeing the sun.

“If you don’t wanna talk… you can communicate with me the way we know how.. our own language.” Her eyes fluttered down to the floor he kept ‘burning holes’ into- as if she could possibly understand the man that was struggling to breathe and accept himself.

“Or. You could tell me… stars, I have to know..” Her breath seemed caught up in suspension.. a pink mist expels and wafts through the roof of her maw as if her own body was overheating! Eris reached into her own gem and pulled out an entire plate complete with a comically large sandwich to boot!

“How do you take your subs? Lettuce? Toppings? I have a literal refrigerator in this thing!” She knocked on the upright Diamond lodged in her bellybutton- sparking up a warm glow at just the touch of its beholder… as if something shifted- as if she accepted something..

“Please, I’m not gonna bombarde you.. just know you could talk to me, in your own terms.”

[two-sides-halved]

Gem Steven was quiet. It's not like she was lying to him that he's been not ok since he was aware of his own existence, hell, wouldn't most people be disillusioned with their own existence when they were literally an accident, and not even in the way a normal person would come into existence via a hole in the condom or missing a few days of your birth control. But literally having someone pull you out of your original body and wanting someone else and being stuck with you. He watched her take a seat by him out of the corner of his eye. He stayed silent, his gaze focused on the floor again.

Gem Steven's mind was reeling, he knew damn well that communication was piss poor in this family. She was trying her best and he was shutting her out, and it's not like he hadn't been on the other side of that fence, when his brother didn't talk to him in a full month when they were kids. Hell, he's still pissed off that she left and didn't say anything and it's been years since then too.

The smell of a sandwich ripped him away from his thoughts, and he looked over at this sandwich that looked as if it came out of a show of mystery solving teens and their talking dog. His eyes looked at her confused for a moment. His stomach growled loudly causing the room to shake around them, it had been a month since he had eaten after all. He took a deep breath.

"Usually I tend to have either a meatball sub, or a turkey." He replied with a muttering. "You didn't up route the whole fridge from the kitchen, did you??" Gem Steven asked with a squint.

[erisdiamas]

“Why are you in my business? You’re not my Dad. I figured you’d want a little snack! Am I missing anything?”She responded, promptly assembling his sand which - making sure to dump the meatballs as much yet as tender as she could- knowing the man, judging by his reaction? It’s inevitable. After rolling the sandwich up - Eris summoned a shield - and in a flash of pink, sent it flying towards Gem Steven’s lap, heated and ready.

“Is this good enough, Gem?” Her voice came out surprisingly gentle- as if the man might vanish into the floor that he was getting lost in- his eyes in a somber gaze.. it was heartbreaking to see, it left a bad taste in the the woman’s maw.. but hey! We have a sandwich station and food is the universal gateway, baby!

[two-sides-halved]

Gem Steven sat there as if he was calculating and recalculating his response. "It's one thing if it was just like a mini fridge you bought yourself, its another when its the fridge from the kitchen used by more than just one person... you know what fuck it, it doesn't matter."

Gem Steven looked down at the sandwich she had made. "It looks wonderful." He replied taking a single bite making sure to take everything, making soft noises of him enjoying his food. "It tastes even better."

[erisdiamas]

She made a hum of content, pleased at the fact that she managed to make her father-elder brother figure eat after hearing it’s been- well, Human said a month of self isolation but he has been stashed away here since she’s been back… and she’s been here for weeks at this point! For stars sake, she even got a job! She wishes he told her he was proud.

Tilting her head, Eris scanned the man and the crumbs on the side of his cheek- and giggled, reaching out to scoop it in her hand.. and offering it back to him as Gem were a pigeon or a seagull on Beach City’s boardwalk.. she smiled in a odd manner too as if she held a secret.

“Yeast in this troubling time?” She sounded somewhat chipper, absentmindedly twirling the strands of her own brown mane.. pushing the container of turkey towards him with nothing but a flick of her finger… that too- slid towards him.

[two-sides-halved]

Gem Steven was so focused on his food he didn't pick up on the eerie feeling of it all, until he could have sworn he heard his brothers' voice but neither Steven other than himself was present. Wait, didn't he leave the room. Just a moment ago, why was there all the pink clouds around him. Why was Eris acting so odd cheery?

He looked over at her confused on what she was even talking about at this point. He blinked for a split second he could see Rose, and not even the usual familial similarities a mother would have with their child, but it was almost more like she was just Rose, rather than Eris.

Meanwhile, Gem Steven was zoned out sitting on the couch. A thousand yard stare into the floor was all that was on his face, a fly even walked across his eyeball and he wasn't even phased by the movement. Connie was watching from the dining room table silently thinking of her own plan of how to jolt Gem Steven awake, stroking her chin while staring at him.

Human Steven crossed his arms, watching Eris shaking a two different sandwiches in front of Gem Steven's unemotive face. "Eris, I understand that you're worried, I'm worried too. I'm not even sure what happened in the room that put him into this sort of weird state of being. He just went in, stayed for a whole month, then walked out silently and just sat down on the couch... He didn't even bite the furniture or me. I don't even know if using two grinders as smelling salts are even having an effect on him."

[erisdiamas]

Eris hummed… and completely sidelined Human’s words to instead opt for the other woman pondering from the kitchen table- “…I’m thinking we bubble him and roll him into the ocean….no, what if the jellyfish poofs him or something!” She suddenly gasped in horror at the imagery of a simple shock poofing the Gem underwater.

“It’s not normal- I’ve been back for weeks and even then it’s like… he’s gazing past me.. I don’t think he even knows I’m back let alone anybody else.” Eris blamed herself, anyone with common sense would connect his meltdown in the woods to the self isolation that had the woman even more worried… he should’ve been back.

“Alright, we might have to do this the good ol Universe way and hijack his mind.” Even her determination felt desperate.. as if she was still the little girl with the dirty grubby gloves reaching for his soul.

“You know I bet this was him! I bet he took advantage of Gem.. considering how the camping trip went it only makes sense for Raspberry to seep his poison in—“ The young woman looked erratic as she started to accuse the manifestation of negative thoughts of everything under the sun…knowing deep down- she was at fault as well.

[two-sides-halved]

Human Steven took a deep breath irritated by being ignored. It's like no one in this house cares what he thinks until everything's gone to shit and he's the one who's gotta fix everything. He went to the kitchen and got a drink silently seething, since he doesn't wanna have anyone else upset but himself. While Connie replied. "See I was thinking more of just using the kitchens sink hose to spray him with cold water but then i don't think that it would reach him or even get to the right temperature."

Human Steven muttered. "A jellyfish wouldn't be enough to poof Steven, not even Yellow Diamond could have the juice to poof someone has that stubborn, not that she would... even if he was in a daze..." He took a big sip of his water.

"Yea, well he only got out of the room like a few hours ago." Connie replied. "So it's not like he was keeping tabs on what was going on out here or he would have left sooner." Human Steven took a sip. "Yea, he left his phone out here so it's not like I could remind him it's been a day or more... and even if I did, it'd be dead by the time you got in the full swing of doing all your classes."

"Although, I would agree with you... but I'm not feeling that same sense of dread I usually get off of him when he gets in a funk... like I know you and Steven have the empath powers... but like there's a different vibe I'm picking up... and I don't think going in his mind and fixing the problem for him is the best idea... as much as you want to be there for him, I don't think it's exactly healthy... and who knows maybe he's just thinking and you ripping him from his thoughts would mess up some big break through he's having." Connie suggested.

Gem Steven remained staying at the floor, however there was a slight twitch in his fingers that seemed to be a blink and you'll miss it type movement. While in his mind, he was struggling with trying to get out of a highchair while some sort of Eris Rose fusion was trying to feed him a red puree of strawberries. "Let me out of this stupid thing!"

[erisdiamas]

The Eris-Rose fusion seemed to huff out a sigh- “Gem Steven! You sit down and let me fix this! Prepare for the aero plane!” She tightened his bib and proceeded to try and feed grown man struggling to break out the chair.

Now back to the actual Eris.. she seemed to be mulling over Connie’s suggestion… and found it made a lot of sense, perhaps he’s in there working through some pretty drastic changes and thoughts… considering everything.. considering the fact that the old Eris would’ve said fucked it and launched in regardless of others opinion reaffirmed the fact that teaching those classes truly helped her mature faster..even if it took a three day power frenzy to figure out some semblance of what she wanted to do moving forward.

“….I know and you’re right.. perhaps I’m being a tad bit selfish…you know I would’ve loved if he were there when…” Eris was ready to finally let out the disappointment of Gem not being there to walk her to her first job… wondering how he’d think about her class and method of teaching, how he was the one she looked forward to impress.

Her gaze immediately locked onto the slightest of twitch, widening in alert-“Look!!! Look!! You saw it too, right?!”

[two-sides-halved]

Gem Steven struggled in his highchair, gagging as she tightened the pip around his neck. "I don't need you to fix anything!" He replied. "I am a grown man, hell I am older than you are!!" He struggled gagging against the fabric as it was fastened with the click of a button.

"There's nothing wrong with being a bit selfish sometimes, and he absolutely would have been so excited to hear you got a job that's close by." Connie replied.

Human Steven nodded. "Yea... I'd say make sure to brace for any sudden loud noises... or rapid movements from him ok. It's rare but sometimes when he's yelling in his dreams they kinda wake him up and he continues the sentence out loud.... and even if he says your name in the sentence there's a good chance he's not talking to you."

Gem Steven's lower eyelid twitched on his left side, his fingers twitching again. His breathing was suddenly more present, sounding irritated with slight grunts.

[erisdiamas]

“Oh, Steven… why do you hate us? Why do you hate me? I love you. Erose’s expression was hidden by the shadows of her own massive locks of Neapolitan-like curls of brown and two shades of pink.. she peered down, her motions nearly fluid- their Diamond eyes landing on the man.. suddenly her fingers entwined with his.. fully facing him with the face of Rose.. the red mashed up purée reappeared in her palms.. “Must you be so feisty?” She started humming a soft tune, wagging the spoon of mashed up strawberries as if she were a conductor wagging her finger directing an invisible choir…patting her lap with the other hand.

-

“Oh please, I bet he wished all on the stars in this solar system for me to choose anything closer to him… he’s such a over protective old man, sometimes I worry about him. Scratch that, I often do… who wouldn’t? He never talks of a future, he doesn’t even accept help so..”Her eyes found Gem Steven’s fidgety limbs.. not caring for the fact her own face softened from the sight of her father figure so.. eerily elegant- it was a weird thing to find adorable.

The now older woman found herself tempted to share the hazy details of experiment she created for Gem, someone who came to be as a result of the woman’s frenzy and determination to curate someone to serve as Gem’s counterpart.. someone who would stay, grow- well, emotionally, with the man- bottom line is she failed at conjuring the perfect being for her dad.. embarrassing! Waste of good soil too, hiding an entire body at Peridot’s greenhouse with the help of a bored ex while you’re on a Manic Diamond episode for days isn’t exactly Eris’s idea of a fun time..but to be fair, who would be proud of a failure? The Diamonds were never proud of her and she actually had a chance to be born.

“So what? We wait for him?”

[two-sides-halved]

Gem Steven stared at this odd combo piece meal of his mother and his sister that he treated more like a rebellious teenage daughter he couldn't relate to before Rose's face was all he could see, not even his own mother, but the painting of classic Rose herself, the one that hung above the doorway, one that Classic Steven himself just put into Classic Lion's mane since he couldn't deal with all the struggle and strife she indirectly caused. "I don't hate you. I never hated you… sure everything you did had some sort of negative effect on the gems, or my brothers... or me... but I know that you're not intentionally a dick, you just didn't take anyone else's feelings into consideration because you were raised with this above it all mindset that you had to literally grow out of..."

"Well, Gem's not someone who easily forgets and forgives when he feels like he's the one responsible for something even when he's told it wasn't his fault." Human Steven replied, crossing his arms a bit. His eyes trail from Eris to his brother's brow as it twitches changing expression.

Gem Steven's eyes open flashing a pair of red diamonds for a moment before his hand slaps away the nothing in front of his face. "WILL YOU QUIT IT WITH THE MUSHY STRAWBERRIES?! I AM TRYING TO TALK TO YOU!! DAMN IT!!" His eyes blink a few times, his red diamond eyes returning to their normal pink hue before he looks around seeing his brother, Connie, and Eris, the two messy sandwiches on the table before he looked around almost trying to remember what the fuck was happening and could only remember he had left the room, but then the whole shit that happened in his mind kinda made him unsure if he even left the room so in typical Gem Steven fashion he bit the closest person two him which just happened to be Eris.

Which of course he bit down hard enough to confirm that she wasn't going to disappear, before taking his teeth off her, and he took a few breaths.

That seemed to calm his frazzled energy. "Thank fuck you're not clouds... sorry for the bite... oh hey... you're you... that's so good you're you..." He replied holding her face in his hands. "how long have you been in town? i hope I wasn't keeping you from having any fun trips and what not with my self imposed solitude." He replied scratching behind his head.

[erisdiamas]

The painting shot him one last “look” suddenly opening its eyes to reveal Diamonds.. her expression was defeated, filled with heartbreak as it reached out to console Gem, as if a simple apology would erase everything that all of the collective damage Rose has caused… so instead she musters up a smile that doesn’t quite reach her eyes- a familiar one, she reached out to caress his cheek.. leaning on his head onthe way Eris was known to..finally she looked ready to speak… before doing a complete 180• attempting to forcibly feed him the purée once more.

She spun the man around and into her arms, squeezing his form as if he’d poof right there… from her vice like grip, it’s amazing that Gem didn’t- Eris was grinning ear to ear, not caring about the shark bite like nibble she had received from the man that was a needy old man to her…nuzzling into his neck as if she were a lioness reunited with her cub.

“Gem, I’ve been back for weeks- Did I interrupt your date with- what was it? Strawberries? I thought you hated strawberries?” Her eyelashes fluttered slightly releasing her iron clad grip to allow him to “breathe”

“Well, of course it’s me- dont tell me you have another daughter in there.” Eris said tapping the man’s forehead as if it were gonna open like a music box and launch a cuckoo bird of his ‘other kid’.

[two-sides-halved]

Gem Steven stared at her for a moment as he was regaining his thoughts. "You didn't interrupt anything... there was no dating... it was like one moment we were talking and suddenly you morphed in to mom and I was in a baby high chair that was my sized and I was doing my best to communicate with this weird fusion of you and mom and it was like it was a one sided conversation and she wasn't listening to me and it was frustrating..." He replied.

"Pfft even if I wanted to have a kid with Scarlet, that's already too much work as is... I mean yea, it's no entire replica of Beach City, but that's just something that I'd rather the room not do."

Connie stretched out a bit. "Well now that you're no longer in your weird comatose state. I'm gonna bounce." "And I can walk you back to your campsite." Human Steven replied, as Connie is already half way out the door. "See ya guys."

[erisdiamas]

“Gem, do I remind you of our dead mom, yes or no.” Eris seemed perplexed at the strange revelation- Connie perhaps was wrong, she should’ve hopped in his mind sooner! Speaking of, the woman could already hear the pretty knight descending the steps- popping her own ginormous head through the screen door to shout her goodbyes to the other woman.

She took her seat next to Gem, already wrapping her arms around his- before bursting out in a fit of snort filled laughter, letting go of him to cover her own lips- “You’re gonna get your cloud girlfriend pregnant and have a fluffy baby shower filled with pink whales officiated by some bizarre fusion of- hear this, our dead mom!”

[two-sides-halved]

Connie and Human Steven already shouting goodbyes back. "When you were younger, you reminded me of mom but what teen isn't rebellious from time to time?" Gem Steven replied to her questions. "That's just nature rather it be inherited from mom or dad is a whole other story. But that was different."

Gem Steven held himself irritated with her reply was filled with laughter. "You know I'm really regretting telling you what was troubling me because hearing you laugh at it makes me feel like my feelings don't matter. and I shouldn't be so open with anyone ever again." He says in a sort of deadpan tone.

[erisdiamas]

“You’d be so lucky, unfortunately you’re not getting rid of me.. at least for the rest of the day, I’m taking a break after the mountain trip- do you know how hard it is to round up rowdy Quartz into a bus? Thank stars for Peridot’s modifications, we would’ve never even had the room on a regular human bus!” One may argue the warp pad would’ve been more effective, Eris would quickly shut that down in the name of true Earthling experience.

“I’m sorry- love is love, you’re absolutely right.” The woman proceeded to make a mental note to help him find a partner or die trying- would he prefer a Gem? A human? Does he have personality preferences? He did dodge the questions when the pair went camping so it’s best not to push… and plus, she can always meddle in private.

“You know half of the class has never even seen Lapis, it was actually ridiculous- half of them were surprised we even had a plan for the day and there’s no paperwork or any special requirements of the class so what even was the point of employing her? Community service? You know she shown up the moment we got back and gave me a thumbs up! Like I need her approval… she’s lucky I don’t put her back in a mirror..”

The girl was prepared to go on a heated tangent about how aggravating Lazuli was to deal with and how she completely wasted the potential of a more artistic oriented class.. her face lit up as if she remembered something- mainly because she forgot!!

“I got the job by the way! Its like whatever, its no biggie.. uh so ill be here for a bit.. longer?”

[two-sides-halved]

"I can only imagine how a bunch of solders given the freedom to just chill out can be a little rowdy and rough house because they all have this pent up energy due to the 1000s of years standing still and taking orders." Gem Steven replied with a chuckle.

"Yea. The hallucination was not about Scarlet... in fact since I know Scarlet isn't real... the only time I see her is either in the room or in my dreams and only in the good ones." Gem Steven replied, scratching behind his head. "This hallucination just made me realize I've just been pushing you to not help me and because we're both incredibly stubborn it ends up having the opposite effect... like its good you wanna help people, but I don't wanna become so reliant on you to the point where you're gone I can't function right..."

"Not surprised she sucks even as a half-assed facsimile of a person." Gem Steven replied. "She's lazy, holds little value over other people's time and effort but the moment it gets in her way she either fucks off for other people to fix it or makes everyone else have to adjust to her needs because the gems didn't want to step on her toes... so I'm not surprised she lacks any actual passion for what she's supposed to be doing for others." Gem Steven replied. "I'm sorry you had to find out that she's awful the hard way." He paused for a moment.

His eyes squinted as if he was trying to look for context clues in the air, before it clicked that Eris was taking over for Lapis. "OH!! That's great, Eris! I'd love to sit in on a class and watch the master at work, if you'd be ok with that?"

[erisdiamas]

“….You know if it took you being locked out to reach that conclusion, I should go to your room instead of seeking therapy!” Because the young woman was totally stable these days- has to be since she’s a teacher now, mental health problems isn’t gonna prevent her from teaching those Gems!

“-Okay, Lapis might be… emotionally constipated but she still loved me, you know?! Understood me.”

Eris’s cheeks flushed with that familiar hot pink as she listened to the man’s tangent on her ex girlfriend… it was as if the mere mention of her flipped the switch back off in her brain- because she found herself covering her mouth up.. face redder at the mere embarrassment from defending Lapis.. reverting to defending her as if they were still dating.. but it’s not that summer anymore, she’s home.. and Lapis isn’t there.. still, the urge to snap at Gem had to quickly be quelled with the fact he just got back.. her father figure doesn’t deserve that excessive stress.. instead she mustered a tedious smile.

“Oh, Gem..You can rely on me for as long as I exist, as long as I am alive, I am yours.. and I don’t wanna keep being shut out to the point I have to hijack your mind- Raspberry is also a massive migraine, I couldn’t possibly fathom what it’s like for you… regardless, I’d like to.” Without a second thought, she nuzzled into Gem’s chest, as if she were a cub seeking to reassure its parent.. in a way, she is.

“Well, I do have to go and pick up some papers… It’s Friday so I don’t think my students will be around- don’t embarrass me, Dad.” Eris quickly released her somewhat iron grip on the Gem to hold him at length- to really observe the man after not seeing him for awhile. “Hey, I didn’t know when you’d wake up but uh… I made your lunch for the past few weeks… it was hell to keep it all fresh yet I succeeded.. with a note attached.”

Clearing her throat, she quickly sped towards the fridge, opening up to reveal the packaged subs that resembled the one from his previous episode, she handed one over- “I made this one today… huh… we might be the same height now.”

[two-sides-halved]

"I-- what are you talking about locked out?" Gem Steven asked confused as hell. "No, don't go into the room... I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy." Gem Steven replied.

"Might be? Might be?? if Lapis even had bowls I think she'd shit on people like she was a bird, the only difference is its natural for the birds, she's doing so with malice... and I have no doubt she understood you, because how else would anyone be able to play someone like a fiddle if they didn't know how to emotionally manipulate them." Gem Steven replied.

Gem Steven looked down at the other and huffed remembering how many times she had to use her powers on him, how many times she had to solve his problems. "I appreciate that you're willing to help me, but I need to learn how to deal with this shit myself instead of always having to rely on you..."

"I do appreciate that you'd make food for me, Sweetpea.... I'll be sure to go through all of it when I can.... and I can try my best to not embarrass you." He paused taking the sub from her looking at her in the eyes rather than down at an angle, it was odd. "Yea... I can see that..."

[erisdiamas]

“…locked out of reality? The thing you go through from you dissociate for months at a time? I’m a poet, I get dramatic.. and metaphorical!” Eris replied nudging him once more.

“It’s fine, Gem… It’s really no big deal, I can handle just about anything and it costs nothing to take care of a loved one… even if it’s..” The younger woman paused, she wanted to say taxing but she had just said it costs nothing.. and the man would see it as her calling him a burden and he just woke up! Her father’s fragile,right now!

“Even if Lapis… is draining.. and difficult… There’s a part of me that doesn’t regret going through it… or helping you- it fills me with content and satisfaction that I could love and nurture the two of you to the best of my abilities and I will never regret that.” She exhaled after the intense tangent, not noticing that in all of that ranting.. she was gripping onto the man’s shoulders as if to drill in the mantra of “YOU ARE SEEN.”

Sheepishly muttering out an apology the woman then snatch her old worn out satchel on the wall.. ran back into the kitchen to pour herself a concoction of Human Steven’s diabolical protein shake… coffee… and whatever the fuck the red bits are.. immediately heading to the warp before remembering… it had probably been awhile since he has actually been outside… since he has smelt the Earth!

“You know what? It’s a chill day, everyone is relaxing from the desert expedition… we could bump the hot springs at the Moon Spire event a little earlier than on schedule… it should be done, Pearl didn’t seem keen on the idea of such an historic artifact being used as ‘an amusement lounge” and it’s so silly because- the Moonstone as depicted in the stature was a stuffy aristocratic slob that switched out her Pearls as if she were a human picking her outfit of the hour, the only reason she even got a shrine was because she was yet another gem that Blue ‘beautifully crafted’ in her image… so basically another waste of resources.” Okay, the girl could admit that being a tyrant waiting in the eternal wings of Homeworld wasn’t just consistent emotion abuse.. her brain was subjected to ‘academic’ abuse too.. she’d be starved by now if she didn’t remember that eon old story.

Clearing her throat, she hopped off the pad and pulled out her phone to shoot Peridot a message on the grand opening- “We walk today. I need to stretch my legs and… classes aren’t usually this full on a Sunday so it’s not too overstimulating for…us… I think someone would be pretty excited to know you’re awake.

[two-sides-halved]

Gem Steven was quiet through it all, listening and hanging on to every word as she spoke, his mind in the background examining just about everything she said with deeper meaning. Yea, he had his problems and he did his best to try and solve them himself without any help from anyone else... yet some how, some way he was still always helped by his brothers or her, which at this point he wasn't aware what role she played in his life. He wasn't her father, geologically they'd be the same as siblings... he couldn't even understand how he was switching the entire dynamic on its head.... he was supposed to be the older one, damn it.

His fists slightly clenched right as Lapiss' name was mentioned. That was reflexive, but also Lapis was the whole fucking reason why they were having a falling out in the first fucking place. Now he was practically being compared to Lapis. His jaw clenching hard. He felt her shoulders being squeezed, his eyes looking up at her with a blank expression. He had nothing to say, at least not right now when he felt a bit too hot headed in the moment.

He heard the slight apology wondering if that was more for even uttering Lapiss in front of him, or if she could feel how much he hated being compared to her. He looked over, sort of zoning out on the history lesson, he'd heard it from Pearl before when he was a child, and his brain had more pressing matters on how to FIX THIS.

Gem Steven heard the other cough, listening to the other offering to take him on a walk. He stared at the floor again, he didn't want to be alone with his thoughts, but his thoughts had a way of creeping in no matter what. His nose picked up on the sent of that familiar meal supplement shake, and his eye twitched a bit. "I'm open to take a walk.... I need to clear my head anyway."

[erisdiamas]

“Then you’re gonna love the hot sprin…” Suddenly the woman froze, the discomfort was radiating from the man who seemed to have tensed up… realizing her mistake, she realized the outcome she was trying to walk eggshells around came to fruition- instinctively she reached for his clutched fist.. the thought of needing to FIX THIS situation and soothe it before it spirals out of her control… and she knows a great deal of control.

“Can you please at least understand that I’m not comparing you to her..I never could, you know that right? I dont see her in you..” Which was true yet… why’d the girl feel her own hair rise and spike up? She refused to think about it, the way the both of them made her feel so inadequate at caring for them.. as if her care and love was nothing but invasive to those that screech to be left alone, apart of Eris feels as if something in her broke long ago and it’s a part of her that’s screaming at the Diamonds to look at her, to talk to her, to finally let her in.. but she was always met with the silence of the tower, the coldness of being pushed into closing up again.. she felt as if she were hardwired to nurture and even if she’s not fully a Gem… why does it hurt to be denied what she felt her purpose was? Is she too intense? Too much for them, the way she was too much for Yellow and Blue? Is that why they can’t love her properly?

“You treat me better, you’re very good to everybody around you, Gem.. you’re nothing like that parasite.. I mean, stars- the asshole has damaged me in so many ways, ways you’d never do me. I trust you, okay?” Eris didn’t know whether to crush him in a hug or maintain her distance, so instead of prying as she used to, she instead tossed over a spare bottle- “Here, its Humans. We might as well drop this off to his office when we’re there… Peridot is gonna be so happy to see you.. Oh! We also have a surprise!” She couldn’t help but grin widely… filled with warmth that she previously thought was incapable of doing anymore- she couldn’t wait to introduce him to the Gourdpups!