DON'T MESS WITH ME, I HAVE THE POWER OF SCIENCE AND CANADIAN TELEVISION ON MY SIDE! (IC Blog for a canon divergent and AU Peridot from Steven Universe; please read the rules before interacting!) (Follows back from Timey-Roleplay-Hub.)
oh, goodness… sorry, i didnt see this earlier – um – are you ok? did you fall??
OH STARS I NEED TO CHECK MY BLOG MORE OFTEN
THERE’S NO NEED TO WORRY! I’VE BEEN RETURNED TO MY TRUE AND SIGNIFICANTLY MORE DURABLE FORM NOW, AND ALL SIGNS OF IMPACT DAMAGE HAVE VANISHED ALONG WITH MY TEMPORARILY ORGANIC STATE!
WE ENLISTED THE HELP OF A HUMAN FRIEND WITH BASIC MEDICAL KNOWLEDGE AT THE TIME, SO IT WAS MORE OF A NUISANCE THAN A SIGNIFICANT DANGER. I ALSO HAD TO LEARN TO COMPENSATE FOR HUMANS’ INHERENT “SQUISHINESS” BY BEING “GENTLER” WITH MYSELF
IN SHORT, YES I DID FALL NUMEROUS TIMES, BUT I AM “OK!” IT TAKES MUCH WORSE THAN A FEW CRANIAL INJURIES TO KEEP ME DOWN! NYEHEHEH
NOW I’M GOING TO FLY ALL OVER LITTLE HOMEWORLD TO TEST MY FRESHLY RETURNED METAL POWERS IN ACTION!! IT’S TIME TO DEFY GRAVITY AT EXTREMELY HIGH VELOCITIES
I HAVE BEEN RETURNED TO FULL POWER AT LAST!!! TAKE THAT “MAGIC ANON,” YOUR ATTEMPT TO “NERF” ME MAY HAVE BEEN SIGNIFICANT BUT IT COULDN’T HOLD ME BACK FOREVER!!!
The sudden shout snapped her wide awake with a startled yelp, followed by a brief scramble as she attempted to discern the source and then—
THUD.
Peridot realized several things in rapid succession.
1, for the first time in almost 2 weeks, her impact with the floor hadn’t caused any actual pain, just an awareness of its occurrence. 2, Lapis was standing over her with a mildly surprised expression, though she didn’t seem displeased; if anything, the look on her face was relief.
And 3, as Peridot glanced down to her hands with a rough little grumble, she realized they had returned to their usual shade of bright green.
She was a gem again.
Sitting upright with a jolt, Peridot could feel a fluttering sense of giddiness gathering in her chest, spreading a broad grin across her face. A few little bubbly laughs spilled out, almost catching her by surprise. She was back, really back. Practically bouncing to her feet, raw energy seemed to vibrate inside her like the crackle of an electrical current.
“AT LAST!” Peridot cast a quick glance around the room to locate her tablet, then swiftly drew it over to her with a flick of the wrist. “Nyahaha! My metal powers are back in full force!” That grin had only grown more from her success, accompanied by a familiar triumphant cackle. “No more unfortunate impact damage, no more walking to grab tools barely out of my radius, and no more annoying organic maintenance requirements!” She swiftly typed out a message on the device before setting it aside, looking incredibly proud of herself.
“Wow, you really are back to normal,” Lapis commented with a faint smirk. When one of her hands reached down and ruffled Peridot’s hair, the little technician was in too good of a mood to let it get under her skin.
“Yes I am!” Peridot declared fiercely, “And now that I’ve returned to maximum functioning capacity, I’m going to enjoy it!” Lapis looked like she was about to ask what that meant, before the smaller gem darted to the door, snatching up her trash can lid that was propped up against the wall beside it. She opened the door then shot her hydrokinetic roommate a mischievous look; there was only one thing that could mean.
One of Lapis’s eyebrows raised slightly as she straightened, her smile becoming just a bit more prominent. “Oh, so you want a race?” It had been a long time since the pair had zipped around Little Homeworld at their breakneck pace, seeing which of them could reach a destination first. Sure a warp pad was more efficient, but this wasn’t about efficiency; it was just more fun.
“Yes! And I’m going to WIN this time too! You don’t stand a chance against my flawless navigational skills!” replied the little gem with a blaze of her trademark enthusiasm— before bolting outside with the trash can lid, leaping onto it and shooting off like a stone out of a slingshot. Lapis couldn’t help a bit of a snort laugh, stretching both arms over her head briefly.
“No fair,” she called teasingly, “You didn’t say where we’re racing to!” Lapis wasn’t worried, though; Peridot had gotten longer head-starts than this and still lost the race. Maybe she’d let the gremlin have this one, though; no need to sour her mood.
She glanced back one more time before heading to the door, something shiny catching Lapis’s eye from the edge of her vision.
There, on the little desk beside Peridot’s sleeping area, was a necklace adorned with a familiar, green, triangular pendant. She stared at it a moment, realizing that in all the bustle she hadn’t even noticed it sitting there. There was no doubt about it, that was the same one Peridot had worn while transformed into her human shape with that weird ‘magic anon’ effect.
Lapis paused briefly before turning back to the door, leaving it where it was.
They could figure out what was up with that later. Right now, she had a race to very convincingly lose. Her watery wings twisted free between her shoulder-blades, curling downward at her sides; with their six points, they almost resembled the large, elegant spread of an eagle now.
A glint of green shot mockingly across her vision, and she took flight.
In the end their race would conclude in a tie since neither one knew where the finish line was supposed to be, but by the time the gems ran out of steam they didn’t really care which of them actually claimed victory.
The pair flopped into the grass, Peridot’s makeshift platform laying on one side of her and Lapis propped up on her elbows on the other. With the long-awaited return of her ferrokinesis and Lapis’s realization that, for he first time in a long, long while, she had used her powers without feeling afraid at all...
THE EXTENSIVE NEEDS OF THIS FORM HAVE CLEARLY IMPACTED MY FUNCTIONING CAPACITY, THAT’S THE ONLY LOGICAL EXPLANATION!! I NOT ONLY COMPLETELY LOST TRACK OF TIME, BUT ALSO FAILED TO FULFILL ANY OF THE VARIOUS TESTS AND STUDIES I INTENDED TO! CLEARLY MY QUESTION OF HOW HUMANS ACCOMPLISH PRODUCTIVITY WAS NOT MISPLACED. INTERNET ANGRY FACE.
BUT I DIGRESS.
WHILE THE... ... ... LIMITATIONS ARE EXCEPTIONALLY ANNOYING AT BEST, THERE ARE SIGNIFICANTLY MORE UPSIDES THAN I HAD INITIALLY EXPECTED. HUMAN SENSORY FUNCTION IS LACKING IN CERTAIN MANNERS COMPARED TO WHAT GEMS CAN DETECT, BUT THEY ALSO SEEM TO HAVE DEVELOPED OTHER ENTIRELY UNIQUE ADAPTATIONS FOR BETTER UNDERSTANDING THEIR ENVIRONMENT. SOME OF THEM ARE MORE PLEASANT THAN OTHERS.
FOR EXAMPLE, I COULD DO WITHOUT THE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PROVIDED BY THIS ALTERED SENSE OF SMELL. IN MOST SCENARIOS THE SENSATIONS IT PRODUCES ARE... ... ... UNPLEASANT, EITHER THROUGH BEING OVERPOWERING OR OUTRIGHT APPALLING.
TASTE IS MORE COMPLICATED. WHILE I COULD IDENTIFY MINERALS AND MOLECULAR COMPOSITIONS VIA THIS METHOD AS A GEM, AS A HUMAN THESE SENSORY FUNCTIONS ARE SIGNIFICANTLY MORE ABSTRACT. THERE IS GREAT VARIATION IN BETWEEN VARIOUS MATERIALS, EVEN WITHIN THE CATEGORY OF WHAT IS CONSIDERED “EDIBLE,” AND VERY LITTLE CLEAR CORRELATION BETWEEN THE RESPONSE IT CAUSES AND WHAT IT IS COMPRISED OF.
I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DETERMINE THAT “BITTER” IS CAUSED BY MATERIALS WITH A HIGH BASE VALUE, WHEREAS “SOUR” CAN BE CAUSED BY HIGH ACIDIC VALUES. “SPICINESS” SEEMS TO BE SOME KIND OF CHEMICALLY INDUCED PAIN RESPONSE, WHICH ONLY CONFUSES ME AS TO HOW ANY HUMANS FIND IT ENJOYABLE. BEYOND THAT, IT IS A MYSTERY TO ME AND HAS VERY LITTLE LOGICAL USAGE. EVEN PERFECTLY HEALTHY FOODS CAN TASTE BAD FOR REASONS THAT ARE ENTIRELY UNCLEAR TO ME. WHAT IS EVEN THE POINT OF THAT???
ANYWAY. MOVING ON. DESPITE THESE SHORTCOMINGS OF THE ORGANIC CONDITION, NOT EVERYTHING ABOUT THESE ADDED SENSORY FUNCTIONS IS NECESSARILY BAD.
I WAS SURPRISED TO FIND THAT A FAIR NUMBER OF EARTH FOODS ARE ACTUALLY FAIRLY ENJOYABLE. I SEEM TO HAVE A PREFERENCE FOR EDIBLES THAT ARE “SWEET” IN NATURE, THOUGH THIS IS NOT ALL-INCLUSIVE. ADDITIONALLY, “COFFEE” IS SIGNIFICANTLY BETTER THAN ANTICIPATED, WITH THE PROPER ADDITIVES. DESPITE NUMEROUS WARNINGS THAT ITS “CAFFEINE” CONTENT MAY CAUSE HYPERACTIVITY, I EXPERIENCED NO SUCH SIDE-EFFECTS FROM ITS CONSUMPTION. MAYBE I HAVE A HIGH TOLERANCE?
ADDITIONALLY, PHYSICAL CONTACT PRODUCES SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT SENSATIONS THAN I AM ACCUSTOMED TO. WHILE EXTREME CONDITIONS ARE STILL PAINFUL, OFTEN EVEN MORE THAN PREVIOUSLY, I’VE FOUND THAT MODERATE WARMTH IS... STRANGELY COMFORTING. “SOFTNESS” PRODUCES A SIMILAR SENSATION. WITH BOTH OF THESE COMBINED, SLEEP IS A GREATLY IMPROVED EXPERIENCE.
IN CONCLUSION; WHILE I DO NOT FEEL THAT THEY NECESSARILY MAKE UP FOR THE UNFORTUNATE IMPLICATIONS OF ORGANIC SURVIVAL REQUIREMENTS AND A HIGHLY LIMITED LIFESPAN, THERE ARE SOME FEATURES OF THIS CONDITION THAT MAY NOT BE ENTIRELY TERRIBLE.
STARS IT’S BEEN ALMOST TWO WEEKS. I REALLY HOPE THIS ENDS SOON. I MISS HAVING METAL POWERS AND FLAWLESS EYESIGHT AND NOT EXPERIENCING STRUCTURAL FAILURES FROM HITTING THE GROUND TOO HARD!!!
SINCE IT IS NORMALLY IMPOSSIBLE FOR A GEM TO BECOME A HUMAN OR VICE VERSA, I HAVE DETERMINED THAT THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR SCIENTIFIC COMPARISON BETWEEN THE EXPERIENCES OF TWO VERY DIFFERENT SPECIES AND WILL BE RECORDING MY OBSERVATIONS ACCORDINGLY. IN ADDITION, THE FORMAT OF THIS “BLOGGING” WEBSITE MAKE IT A SUITABLE LOCATION TO STORE THAT INFORMATION FOR LATER ANALYSIS, ALONG WITH ALLOWING ME TO SHARE ANY FINDINGS AS THEY OCCUR.
WHILE SLEEPING WAS NOT A NEW ACTIVITY FOR ME, EXPERIENCING INTENSE PHYSICAL EXHAUSTION THAT COMPELS ME INTO A LONG TERM OF TOTAL PHYSICAL INACTIVITY WAS AN ENTIRELY NEW SENSATION AND I STRONGLY DISLIKE IT.
THE PROCESS ITSELF WAS NO DIFFERENT, AT LEAST IN ANY WAYS THAT I WAS ABLE TO DISCERN. FORTUNATELY NONE OF THE DREAMS WERE UNPLEASANT.
THAT SAID, THE NEEDS OF THIS BODY ARE NOT ESPECIALLY INTUITIVE AND MOST DISCOMFORT HAS NO CLEAR CONNECTION TO THE PROPER REMEDY. SO FAR “THIRST” IS THE EASIEST FACTOR TO IDENTIFY AND SATISFY, A DRY MOUTH IS UNPLEASANT AND WATER FROM ANY FAUCET CAN EASILY ALLEVIATE IT.
HYGIENIC NEEDS ARE FAMILIAR TO ME DUE TO MY PROLONGED IMPRISONMENT IN STEVEN’S BATHROOM, BUT THE INCLUSION OF THESE FACILITIES IN OUR HOUSE DID NOT SEEM LIKE AN IMPORTANT FEATURE AT THE TIME OF CONSTRUCTION. CLEARLY THIS WAS A MAJOR OVERSIGHT. IN THE MEANTIME, STEVEN HAS AGREED TO TEMPORARILY LEND ME THAT SPACE AT THE BEACH HOUSE WHEN NECESSARY.
THE PROBLEM OF “HUNGER” SEEMS TO BE THE MOST SIGNIFICANT. I THINK I MAY BE EXPERIENCING SYMPTOMS ALREADY, AND DO NOT LOOK FORWARD TO THE PROCESS REQUIRED TO REMEDY IT. NEEDLESS TO SAY I HAVE BEEN “PROCRASTINATING” ON THIS PARTICULAR ACTIVITY. HOWEVER, IT SEEMS TO BE NEGATIVELY IMPACTING MY MOOD, ASIDE FROM THE UNCOMFORTABLE SENSATION IN MY ABDOMINAL REGION. IT ALSO MAKES VERY ANNOYING NOISES SOMETIMES. UGH.
IN CONCLUSION: BEING CONTROLLED BY A SERIES OF ORGANIC BEHAVIORAL IMPULSES AND REQUIRED BIOLOGICAL PROCESSES IS WEIRD AND AWFUL, AND I HAVE NO IDEA HOW HUMANS MANAGE TO BE PRODUCTIVE WHILE BEING FORCED TO WASTE SO MUCH TIME JUST TENDING TO THEIR HIGH MAINTENANCE BODIES. IF THERE IS ANY BENEFIT TO COUNTER THESE NEGATIVES, I AM NOT YET AWARE OF IT.
Woah. This is uh, new. Hopefully this is temporary... But in the mean time, there's something very important you gotta think about, Peri. As a human you gotta eat. Don't worry- I'm here to help. I know like, everything about being humanish.
AH, AMETHYST! IN THIS I ADMIT YOU MAY BE OF SOME ASSISTANCE
BASED ON WHAT LITTLE I KNOW OF HUMAN FUNCTION I BELIEVE THERE IS SIGNIFICANTLY MORE INVOLVED THAN JUST EATING, BUT I KNOW THAT IS AN... ... ... UNFORTUNATELY UNAVOIDABLE CONSEQUENCE OF THIS TRANSFORMATION
“... Hm.” Peridot wasn’t sure if that was a good hm or a bad hm; at the moment, everything Lapis did was setting her more on edge. She found herself fidgeting incessantly in her seat, watching and waiting to see what the eventual verdict would be. At the very least she wasn’t being restrained again, so that was a good sign, right..?
Finally the tablet was set aside, her roommate’s sharp golden eyes flicking back to the human. The expression in them had changed; there was something a bit more conflicted, a bit less harsh and cold. Lapis seemed... Contemplative. There was a soft tap as the blue gem’s sandals touched down, hopping back out of her hammock to approach Peridot once more.
She found herself suppressing the urge to cringe away.
“So,” Lapis stated at last, “It sounds like Sunflower has seen this before, anyway. But before I believe all this, I want to make sure by asking you something.” Peridot straightened a bit, setting her hands in her lap to try and keep herself still. Nervous as she was, this was a breakthrough at least; it was progress, and that certainly gave her hope.
“Okay, go for it.”
“... Okay.” The blue gem lingered there for a moment, before finally seeming to settle herself on a topic. “If you’re really Peri, tell me something top secret. Something an imposter or a different Peridot wouldn’t know.”
“... If I told you, then it wouldn’t be top secret anymore,” Peridot pointed out. “But! I can still tell you something that is only slightly top secret,” she amended quickly, noticing the impatient look on her roommate’s face. “Is that good enough?”
“... Sure,” decided Lapis, clearly just wanting to get this over with.
Peridot considered her options... There were a lot of them, but she needed something... Special. Something that nobody else would know. Something she didn’t talk about on the blog, or even with most of the Order.
“... Okay.” She took a few breaths to steady herself; why was everything so much harder as a human? Her anxiety felt like it was trying to physically claw its way out of her chest. The little technician’s gaze lifted, hesitantly making eye contact. “When a world eater attacked the Order, I... I avoided you, afterward, because I was scared. I was scared of how I would react to you if I came back too soon, and didn’t want to hurt you like that.”
“But... You came for me, even though I hid myself away in a panic bunker to bury myself in work and cut everyone off. You came even though you’d never even been to the Order before. I... I’m sorry you had to do that for me.”
The last of the ice in Lapis’s expression melted away.
“... Stars, you’re sorry? I’m the one that should be sorry!” Peridot winced at the outburst, but it seemed that the realization had broken her friend’s composure entirely. “I could have really hurt you.” The little human hopped back to her feet, quickly closing the space between them to place one hand on the gem’s arm.
“Hey. Laz, it’s... It’s okay. I didn’t really believe it at first, either. I can’t really blame you for being skeptical.” Her grasp gave a gentle squeeze, but Lapis pulled away, turning her head to hide her expression.
“For a moment,” she stated bitterly, “When I saw that... Fake gem, around your neck. I felt so... Angry. If I hadn’t held back and taken a closer look--”
“But you did hold back, so it doesn’t matter--”
“Yes, it does, Peridot!” For a moment, the air actually vibrated around them, quivering precariously. Glass rattled, the fish tank bubbled, and a sickly, uncomfortable feeling hit the newly-human like a truck. She made a small, startled whimper and recoiled, unfamiliar with the sensation. Whatever that was, it felt... Dangerous.
That’s right, humans had a very high percentage of water in their composition. Had Lapis impulsively influenced those molecules...?
Fortunately Lapis noticed the reaction immediately, quickly pausing to try and collect herself. For a long while, neither of them said anything; the only sound was the soft bubbling of their frog tank, deep calming breaths, and the pulse that pounded in Peridot’s head like the beat of a drum.
“I’m sorry,” stated the gem quietly, “But it does matter. Humans don’t regenerate like gems do, and if I lashed out... You’re so much more...”
“... Fragile,” Peridot finished for her, crossing her arms uncomfortably.
“... Yeah.”
Everything fell silent again, unpleasant and oddly suffocating. It wasn’t a peaceful sense of quiet, more like a wet towel had been thrown over the scene and muffled the room-- leaving each of them alone with their thoughts.
“Peri... Are you scared of me?”
The question caught her off-guard. She wanted to say no. And any other time, she definitely would have. Peridot wanted to say so many different things; that things were still a little fresh, she was just rattled, that it was going to get better, that they’d figure it out.
That it wasn’t her fault, that she hadn’t done anything wrong. That it was all a mistake, a problem in her head left over from a different Lapis and a different world that had nothing to do with her at all.
Yet, the words caught, as if she was trying to cough up wads of cotton.
“I...” she trailed off. Why was this so hard? And more importantly, why wouldn’t her hands stop shaking? Lapis finally turned to look at her again, and the expression in her eyes broke Peridot’s heart.
She looked so... Defeated.
“I’m sorry,” Peridot blurted out, knowing it was the wrong answer but somehow not being able to offer any of the correct ones.
“No, it’s.. It’s okay. I understand. I don’t blame you.” She didn’t sound angry, or upset, just terribly sad. Regretful. The sound of it was awful, setting a fire inside the technician; she hated seeing her friend like this, hated hearing her so pained and hopeless. It was familiar in all the worst ways.
Why was it so hard to get her thoughts out of her own head?! It was like something in the path from her brain to her mouth was on the fritz, turning everything she wanted to say into indecipherable static.
Lapis was almost to the door when something finally gave way.
Peridot didn’t even really feel herself move; it was like one moment she was frozen in place next to the bench, the next she’d practically flung herself across the room to wrap both arms around the gem tightly, holding onto her from behind. Lapis stiffened in surprise from the contact, but didn’t pull away.
“Please..! Don’t leave--!” Stars she was a wreck. Was that really the best she could do? The best she could say? The human wanted to scream into her hands. This was stupid, she was stupid, it was all a mess and she was making it worse--
Lapis let out a long, heavy sigh, interrupting her thoughts.
“Ugh.. I’m doing it again.” Peridot felt Lapis’s hands overlay her own, gently unwinding the hug-- but not entirely breaking it. Instead, she turned and bent down to return the embrace, if only for a few seconds. “I’m not leaving you behind, okay? I promised not to do that again, and I meant it.” She paused briefly, breath catching before she continued.
“But...” There it was, the ‘but.’ Peridot felt her heart sink.
“I need to take a step out for a bit, okay? I’ll be back soon, I just need to clear my head.” Lapis frowned, biting her lip a little as she looked Peridot over. “Will you be alright? I can drop you off at the beach house first, if you want.”
“I.. I’ll be okay.” Peridot didn’t really want to be alone at the moment, but at the same time she was realizing she probably needed to be.
Everything had been so much, so fast, and she still wasn’t acclimatized to it.
She needed some time to think, and get used to her new form.
“Okay. I’ll be back soon.” Lapis drew back, casting the human one more worried look before slipping out the door. It slid shut behind her with a soft hiss, and Peridot felt like it was the sound of air escaping a balloon; she practically deflated, slumping into the nearby hammock with a frustrated whine.
There was absolutely no way she could have botched that worse.
Ugh, why couldn’t I have just told her I wasn’t scared! That would have solved all of this! Yet, Peridot knew exactly why she couldn’t say that; because it wasn’t true, no matter how much she insisted to herself otherwise.
She was scared, even though she knew she shouldn’t be.
The memories of another sequence of events with another Lapis still clung to the edges of her mind, reaching shards and howling voices and a blade of ice that pierced her very core. That had been terrifying even when she was a step away from immortal. Now, she was rooming with someone on a similar scale of power, someone volatile and dangerous-- even if she didn’t want to be.
Much as she hated to admit it, Lapis was right. One slip, one lapse of judgment, one moment of weakness could seriously injured her... Or worse.
Why did things have to be so complicated?! One hand thumped against her forehead with a small grunt of frustration-- only to draw out a little annoyed complaint in turn. What was even the point of that being painful? Humans didn’t make any sense, poorly constructed and inefficient-- and now she was stuck as one. She hated it.
And now her abdomen was producing the most annoying noises on top of it all, accompanied by a vague sense of discomfort. What does this heap of organic matter want now?! Truth be told, she felt too aggravated to try sorting that out at the moment. Peridot really hoped that wasn’t the notorious sense of ‘hunger’ she’d heard about before.
Humans could go a while without food, right? Waiting a little wouldn’t hurt, probably. She could head to Steven’s place later, maybe...
In the meantime, she pushed herself off the hammock and swiped up her tablet, settling on a pillow by the ladder to the second floor. Peridot was missing her powers already, it was so much easier being able to grab it from a distance.
First things first, check the blog for any further information, then maybe frequent some of the chatrooms...
And if that didn’t help any, maybe some Tubetube videos would.
oh boy. Uhh, I’m at work so I might vanish again fairly soon but from what I’m seeing back a little ways on the blog it looks like rana got hit with anon magic??? that human Is her
anon magic? hm. this better not be some sort of joke.
if nothing else, I think there’s some questions I can ask her that nobody else would know the answers to. if she has that information, maybe you’re right.
What blob thing? Peridot didn’t get the chance to finish that thought.
The little technician’s tablet clattered to the floor, a sharp yelp escaping her lips as something lashed around her middle abruptly, lifting her into the air. “WH-- HEY--” Her struggle didn’t last long; all at once she froze, face-to-face with none other than Lapis Lazuli herself. The gem had come down from the second floor, descending the ladder behind Peridot while she was preoccupied.
Normally, Peridot would’ve laughed this off, maybe called her a clod and demanded to be put down. This was her best friend! A dork who prided herself in ‘whispering to frogs’ and parroting bits of Camp Pining Hearts dialogue and still didn’t quite get the concept of money. Lapis was ridiculous, and silly, and sometimes incredibly sweet... And against all odds, there was no denying that the pair of polar opposites had forged an incredibly strong bond.
But in that moment Lapis was staring at a total stranger, and Peridot felt the disconnect immediately. Her friend had no idea who she was, or what she was doing lurking around the pair’s house. And why should she? Peridot didn’t exactly look like herself right now. The cold judgment in Lapis’s eyes sent chills straight down her spine.
It was just like that first day at the barn, only even worse.
The last time Peridot felt this mortally terrified, she’d been facing down a timeline devouring eldritch nightmare... Not her own roommate.
An unfamiliar pounding beat in her ears; was that her heart? Were hearts supposed to be audible? Stars, she felt like her breath was caught in her throat, but there was nothing actually obstructing the former gem’s airways. Her chest was so tight, as though the visceral sense of fear had clamped around her abdomen like a metal vice.
Every tiny animal instinct in her body was screaming at her to run, hide, escape, but that wasn’t much of an option at the moment.
The gold-streaked gem was glaring at her grimly, expression charged with a vague sense of annoyance and contempt. Three of her wings had curled around from the left, wrapping around Peridot’s middle and holding her aloft; her limbs dangled helplessly, entirely out of reach of the floor. She kicked a few times furiously, but to no avail. Lapis’s expression didn’t change at all.
“Are you done? I could put you in a timeout bubble until you cool off, but I hear humans need air.” Peridot immediately stiffened.
“Yes, I’m ‘done,’” she replied meekly, struggling to find the right words. This definitely had to look pretty bad. As far as Lapis knew, the terrified human was a home invader at best. Gems didn’t just turn into humans, this was entirely unprecedented-- and she didn’t even have an explanation for it! Stars, what was she going to do?! Peridot was pretty sure Lapis wouldn’t actually hurt her on purpose, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t by accident.
Wow, it was weird actually being nervous about those violent jokes that the duo had previously tossed around like they were nothing. They were just jokes, right? Peridot suddenly wasn’t as sure of that as she’d have liked.
“Good.” Lapis scrutinized her a moment, eyes scanning over her as the blue gem picked up on a few details in sequence... Then focused very specifically on the necklace, or rather, on its crystalline adornment. Her gaze darkened, and Peridot felt that fear grip her all the more tightly as she realized this looked even worse than she’d initially thought.
Oh stars. She thinks that’s my gem. It looks just like it.
“What,” demanded the figure coldly, “Is that?” One sharp claw pointed straight to it, and the water tendrils around Peridot’s middle tightened abruptly-- she gasped in alarm, grabbing at them with her hands. It did no good, her fingers sliding through the liquid uselessly. Peridot was yanked closer, one of Lapis’s hands reaching out and grabbing onto the necklace to get a better look.
There was a long, uncomfortable silence; she had just enough space to breathe, but not very deeply. Mostly it just hurt, her ribs tightly compressed under the heavy pressure. Is she actually going to crush me?! I can’t believe I’ve only been a human for 15 minutes and I’m already going to--
“You have a really weird sense of humor.” The necklace slid from Lapis’s grasp, and the tendrils loosened. She immediately took deep gulps of fresh oxygen into her lungs, already feeling a bit better. The air definitely helped clear her head slightly, allowing for a few coherent thoughts to take form.
... Humor? What’s she talking about..?
“Just-- let me down--!” It wasn’t the most eloquent reaction, but at this point Peridot wasn’t sure she could formulate anything better. “This isn’t what it looks like!” Lapis raised one eyebrow, clearly unimpressed.
“Then what is it? Because right now, I think I’ve captured a member of Peridot’s weird fanclub that came in here looking for a keepsake. I guess you really do exist.” Peridot stared. That... Was not the conclusion she’d been expecting. Maybe the necklace wasn’t as exact as she’d thought; it wasn’t like Peridot could actually study the shape of her own gem while she was poofed. She might have laughed if this wasn’t such a tense situation.
At the very least, the ridiculousness did manage to calm her nerves a bit.
“Well,” she decided finally with just the smallest hint of smugness, “I guess that’s technically correct, I’m a very big fan of myself.” Lapis stared at her even more intensely; Peridot hadn’t even known that was possible. Maybe that had been a bit too bold. Suddenly she felt like a scared rabbit, wanting to just shrink and disappear down a hole.
“... What.” She could practically see the gears turning in her roommate’s head; this was probably at least the third tensest silence of Peridot’s existence, and she really wasn’t enjoying it.
Then finally it broke with a surprising sound. Snort. Suddenly Lapis was laughing, and although the water holding Peridot aloft didn’t release her, she did notice herself being lowered to the floor. She couldn’t have been more confused, did that actually work? It sort of seemed that way, though the gem-turned-human had a feeling it wasn’t quite that simple.
“Okay,” Lapis stated finally, “Either you’re some sort of weird human alternate, or that was the best Peridot impression I’ve ever heard.”
On second thought, that was actually a pretty reasonable conclusion.
“Nyeheh,” she chuckled nervously, “Close. It’s...” Peridot paused, suddenly not sure how she’d even explain this. “It’s just me, Peridot, but somehow I’ve been transformed into a human. It doesn’t make any sense to me, either.” Judging by he look on Lapis’s face, that apparently wasn’t very convincing... Her green eyes scanned over the area; was there anything she could use to prove it? Wait, my tablet! She instinctively attempted to draw it to her hand, but to no avail; her hand lifted, but the device gave no response. No metal powers. Right. Ugh.
“... Very funny. Now, what’s the real story? That’s impossible.” Lapis was waiting, but the look on her face wasn’t patient. Peridot cleared her throat; stars why was this so hard? She could hardly remember a time when Lapis was actually scary to her. It was like the technician was facing her own newfound mortality.
“Okay,” she decided finally, “Just... Try the tablet. They can sort it out, probably. You can use my account, just make sure to introduce yourself so they know who’s speaking.” The hydrokinetic gem followed her gaze to the tablet, frowning. Finally she strode over, scooping the device up and taking a seat on the hammock nearby.
The water bindings finally withdrew, releasing Peridot entirely. “I’ll try it, but don’t go anywhere.” Peridot nodded anxiously and seated herself on the bench nearby. Lapis promptly started tapping away on the screen, scrolling through posts and starting to type up one of her own.
Now Peridot just had to wait. Hopefully this wouldn’t end with being chucked into the ocean; she was suddenly very aware of her inability to swim.
THE PROBLEM IS OBVIOUSLY THAT I’M SUPPOSED TO BE A GEM, NOT A FRAGILE ORGANIC LIFE FORM THAT REQUIRES AIR, WATER, AND SUSTENANCE AND ALSO CAN POTENTIALLY BREAK IMPORTANT INTERNAL STRUCTURES JUST FROM HITTING THE GROUND TOO HARD!!!
