Important Gem Mission Time Go!
iwastheultimatequartz:
The mountain of a Gem inside the warm, safe cave sat up abruptly at an unfamiliar sound. To say she had been lucid since Pearl left would be very incorrect: the listless Jasper had continued her duties as if in a haze. With the silence from both the winds and the emptied spaces no longer occupied by a certain slender Gem, Jasper had managed to effectively turn off all thought.
Her busy moments involved cooking, cleaning, and caring, but beyond that, she often ended up lounging on top of one of the Corrupted Gems, indulging in their furry comfort while she could.
Sometimes, she heard her phone make noise. Jasper usually just turned away onto her side when that happened. The weeks spent with Pearl had taken something from her. Though she was often restless before, now she was perfectly fine with staying still and embracing the everlasting silence.
That’s why her face looked very grumpy when she slowly walked over to the Sanctuary’s doors and pushed them open. A flow of cold air glided through the doorway, almost unfamiliar with how long she’s spent inside. Almost. No, what was very unfamiliar was the face staring at her with unmatched determination.
Actually, wait. That was an almost too. She’s seen this face twice, both times not too far away from Steven’s face. The human he fused with - an impossibility made possible by the half-Gem. He spoke of her often too.
Connie.
Jasper scrutinized her for a long moment. The large Gem did not know to what to say, nor did she know why the human was out here.
So, instead of asking her why, Jasper slowly began to just… close the doors.
Connie froze when she saw the face of the Quartz. She’d been so sure that she’d be fine, that the fear of fighting Jasper twice would be outweighed by the Good she’d heard from Steven. It wasn’t. It was probably evident on her face, for at least a few seconds, before she saw the hulking Gem start to close the Sanctuary Doors.
Her gloved hands tightened around her backpack straps and she shut her eyes tight, forcefully blurting out her words before they could simmer and leave her.
“IMSOSORRYTOBOTHERYOUBUT-- I wanted to see if there was anything I could help with here at the Sanctuary!!” Her voice was sharp and forceful and only a little bit frightened. Her brows were tight down across the top of her nose and her head was slightly bowed.
She didn’t want to come this far and be turned away. Somehow, Jasper just shutting the Sanctuary Doors in the small girl’s face was a bigger wound to her pride than if Jasper simply hadn’t opened the doors in the first place. This was Judgement. Jasper had decided that Connie wasn’t worth her time.
Connie definitely wanted to be worth Jasper’s time! Especially now, when Pearl was still poofed and Steven was concerned about the Quartz Soldier’s wellbeing. If Steven couldn’t afford the time to go to the Sanctuary to check on her, the least Connie could do was go in the half-Gem’s place!