Give It Up For The Shorty Squad

She started towards the temple, but stopped and turned to wait for Pearl. “It’s in your room, right? And do you like the flowers I got you?”

Amethyst easily grasped Pearl’s hand, following dutifully behind. “Okay!” she said, darting over to the place Pearl kept her various tea boxes. “This one?”

Amethyst crept up behind Pearl, a small array of flowers she’d found hidden carefully behind her back. She grinned, albeit a little nervously, as she said, “Pearl! I got something for you!”

She hoped an assurance that she wasn't going to drag Pearl into town to human watch or follow Rose and Greg would make Pearl more likely to say yes. They had pretty different interests, but Amethyst could deal if Pearl wanted to do boring stuff.

“Huh?” Aryn looked up and blinked in surprise when she saw the folder, shaking her head no. “No, I haven’t…” She said, holding out her hand to take it from her girlfriend.

“Huh?” Aryn looked up and blinked in surprise when she saw the folder, shaking her head no. “No, I haven’t…” She said, holding out her hand to take it from her girlfriend.

She moved to a chair, sitting down and leaning on her knees with her face still in her hands. “Oh my god why didn’t Mom tell me you were the kid Aunt set up for adoption. Did she not know?

“Huh?” Aryn looked up and blinked in surprise when she saw the folder, shaking her head no. “No, I haven’t…” She said, holding out her hand to take it from her girlfriend.

Amethyst put her hands up in surrender when she saw that Zirconia had his weapon ready to summon (probably) though the grin on her face plainly spelled out that she didn’t think he was a serious threat. She really didn’t have a reason to, considering that Pearl trusted him enough to hang around the house.

“I didn’t sneak up on ya,” Amethyst pointed out. “I’ve got the TV on and everything. You just weren’t paying attention.”

She opened her mouth to tell him he should probably just go and train since it wasn’t going to be a long trip, but at the suggestion of assistance, she stopped. “Umm… what kinda job are you thinking of? G said I can’t be a punching bag for training, so if that’s what you mean, can’t help ya.”

Zirconia sighed and did his best to explain. He guessed that since she was part of the Crystal Gems, he may as well indulge her and explain his issue.

“I guess I could do a demo for you?” she suggested, hopping down to the ground level. “Not in the house, though. It’s kind of hard to explain everything when you’re trying not to destroy everything in the house.”

She moved to lean against the doorway, waiting for his response. She could only think of when she’d tried to teach Steven, and how her advice had basically been useless, but maybe that had just been because he was only half Gem? Zirconia was a full Gem, and probably really close to summoning it anyways.

“Huh?” Aryn looked up and blinked in surprise when she saw the folder, shaking her head no. “No, I haven’t…” She said, holding out her hand to take it from her girlfriend.

That said, this cannot possibly be a trap. Why would they bother tricking the Xenotime into a trap when they had her dead to rights and had ample opportunity to bubble or shatter her? No, this was a genuine offer. But why make it?

After about half an hour, the Xenotime finally spoke up.

“Huh?” Aryn looked up and blinked in surprise when she saw the folder, shaking her head no. “No, I haven’t…” She said, holding out her hand to take it from her girlfriend.

{ @cxbiczirconia gets a starter }

“Hey, not quite a stranger,” Amethyst greeted from her perch in front of Steven’s TV. “Sup? If you’re looking for Pearl, she and Garnet went out to get stuff.”

Shopping, specifically, but hopefully Zirconia wouldn’t ask about that, because then the discussion would probably lead to revealing why Amethyst hadn’t been invited this time. No one needed to repeat that story.

“Just me, right now.”

Zirconia turned around, his hand near the gem on his forehead. Thankfully, it was the Quartz known as Amethyst. And even then, Zirconia hadn’t found out the weapon of his gem just yet, but his instincts to summon it were starting to show.

“You shouldn’t sneak up on a gem you aren’t familiar with.” Zirconia advised, placing his hand back down to his side. “I see. Then perhaps I will wait for their return. Or maybe I can train on my own in the meantime. Whichever is more beneficial.” He said, pondering before looking at Amethyst. Slowly, an idea came to him.

“I didn’t sneak up on ya,” Amethyst pointed out. “I’ve got the TV on and everything. You just weren’t paying attention.”

That said, this cannot possibly be a trap. Why would they bother tricking the Xenotime into a trap when they had her dead to rights and had ample opportunity to bubble or shatter her? No, this was a genuine offer. But why make it?