A Dream is a Wish

❛    I  AM  THAT  mister  steven  universe !      ❜  you  confidentially  say  as  the  other  calls  out  for  you.  you  didn’t  know  why  the  other  didn’t  recognize  you,  about  everybody  knew  that  you  were . .  well,  you !  a  bright  smile  is  on  your  face  as  you  wait  for  the  other  to  tell  you  what  she  needed  to  speak  to  you  about.

“Oh. Uh...” She’d approach, looking around. No one was... stopping her from stepping towards him or telling her to stay back. “...Wow that was a lot less trouble than I thought. I was expecting bodyguards? Security detail...? Hmmm...” She’d just clear her throat. “Well. Regardless, I am here to speak with you. See... I see you all over my consoles back home. And I gotta ASK... Since your school talks a lot about Gems transitioning to your system... I have to ask...”

This was embarrassing. She’d take a moment and try and collect her thoughts...

“...What exactly do you all know about this... ‘Homeworld’ place...?”

A sigh of relief escapes from Black Star.  She was grateful that Jasper not only understood her point, but agreed with it to!  Although, the Diopside disagreed with Steven’s method being referred to as brainwashing, Black Star didn’t want to anger the orange gem.  But the tiny gem winced when Jasper slugged the wall closeby.

“S-Spar?”  Oh dear, fighting was one of her least favorite things.  That hand is still on the back of her head, a loud, highly nervous chuckle coming out of her.  “I’m uh.. n-not really the best.  You’d probably poof me in a second-” yes, she was trying to get out of it.

// JASPER  //

“UGH. Fine I’ll… I’ll stay with you then. Until she comes back for you, and I can beg her to hire me so I can get off this dirtpile of a planet.” She rubbed her face. “I’ve been here for way too long, it’s starting to wear on me… You have NO IDEA what I’ve been through…”

          “YOU… YOU WANT TO BE HIRED?” The pearl tilted her head. “Well, why didn’t you just say so– I– I can hire you as a guard for me, maybe? I’m sure my Hessonite wouldn’t mind if I recruit someone to keep me out of trouble. She knows I need it.”

‘ you like acting ? thats cool ! im coral . im still new to … everything ! i dont know what the heck a diamond is but steven told me i was bubbled for a real long time. everything here is so lovely and friendly compared to the war ! i love it here now . ’ you smile up at the larger gem. ‘ you seem real nice, zultanite . would you like to be friends ? ’

“...Friends?”

you shake her hand. yeah, you had a feeling she wasn’t from around here. hell, you weren’t either but you at least knew enough not to suddenly ask questions to a stranger who was drinking and pissed about their deal of cards.

‘ jesse mccree , sorry IRIS, i ‘unno where m’ manners went. so , shoot. gimme yer questions ‘n i’ll answer what i can ’

you nod , ‘ mhm ! i like it ! its like … planning an attack but it’s so much better because it’s gonna help people not hurt them ! ’ you explain excitedly. you were … actually doing good . ( which wouldn’t surprise anyone but you , you were meant to mend the fabrics of pearls’ garments, hence why you were under them in caste . you just didn’t know . )

‘ this feels so natural , like i was made for it ! ’ you laugh softly. how exciting was it to be here, taking a class, and learning things rose would never have taught you.  you loved this sewing thing !  then again, what DIDN’T you love ? 

“Hah... well, I sadly as not.”

Her fingers were very clumsy with these but... “I’m glad someone’s having fun. I just can’t wait to go back to acting practice.” she chuckled. “You got a name? I’m Zultanite, one of the, ah, later additions...”

you down shots of whiskey and throw down the shit hand you were dealt. ‘ come on , man, i was so CLOSE , ya got this shit rigged or some’n ? ’ and then you turned around and suddenly someone was asking you about culture. ah, well, what was the harm in letting her ask her questions?

‘ ah , sure , what’s up ? ’ you pause. ‘ i aint as cultured as i look , so i might not be able t’ answer some o’ yer questions . ’

“Oh but LOOK at you!” She scanned him from top to bottom. “You’re dripping with culture! Simply dripping with it! oh Im’ sorry, manners.” She held out a hand to shake.

Sooooo... Beach City huh?

The gem was new in town, but not in the way most assumed. 

She was stood at the entrance to Little Homeworld and just. Stared. Gems! People like her! With... with rocks sticking out of their bodies and junk! For once, Okenite felt... ridiculously out of place. For one thing, she was pretty short and the vast majority of these people were... tall. Very tall. and huge! What were they feeding them...?

The short and stout white haired gem would just. Inhale and do her best walk in because she was here to impress! And possibly relax and learn a thing or two! 

She’d also need to make a point in finding this Steven Universe guy. 

Ever since she’d gotten the consoles back home working again, it had been all Steven, all the time. Who was this kid? He was just a kid basically! And Okenite wanted to MEET this guy, see why he was suddenly all over her consoles...

// JASPER  //

“What? Come on, you’re not gonna shatter THAT easily, are you?”

she pulled down the Pearl, holding her in her face. “…” Jasper squinted and just inspected the pearl with a sigh. “…Fine. I’ll put you down for now. But once we’re done with this break I’m gonna keep holding you up so we can look!”

even if she didn’t really BELIEVE the pearl was that delicate, she’d TRY and be careful…

          “YOU’D BE SURPRISED AT HOW DELICATE i am.” Pearl states. She wasn’t really all that delicate, her Hessonite tossed her around all the time, but… She didn’t like it when strangers did that to her, so she played all sensitive. “I… I don’t think my Hessonite will be here for a while.”

“Uh... So... I’m supposed to just... repeat this motion so that I might repair this garment?”

Zultanite wasn’t particularly PLEASED with the fact that she felt like she had to take classes at Little Homeschool. But sadly, it was the off season. The acting troupe she’d gotten with was still practicing but they weren’t touring any time soon. So she busied herself with homecraft classes. And while she wasn’t the BEST, she liked to challenge herself...

Still. 

Sewing was... weird to her. The instruments were so small. Smaller than what she was used to using...

Las Vegas. A large city in the middle of the midwestern desert, home to many hotels, and largely known for its decadence and gambling... 

IRIS looked up from her notes as she was gently moved along. So. This was a facet of human culture. A place so large, so busy... She’d not been in the United States very long, as she was mostly working in Europe. But... she’d insisted that she learn MORE about the facets of the way humans works. And that included the fact that she wanted to visit most, if not all major cities in the world!

She’d.. .normally go with an aid to keep her from wandering but the second they got accommodations, she was off and wandering!

Just so many people, all of them looking so busy! she’d lost track of her aide ages ago, and besides! She prefered to ask people personally what the life was like here.

And here was a fellow with a lot of... culture!

Red serape, cowboy hat, tasteful novelty belt buckle... Perfect!

// JASPER  //

“D’you see her?”

She was yelling despite the fact that the Baroque Pearl wasn’t even… that far away from her. Jasper was just jogging along the streets, trying to keep the pearl up high in order to see if her Hessonite was there…

          “N-NO– I– I DON’T..” She trembles from the loudness of Jasper’s voice. “I don’t see her! Could you put me down, please? I don’t want to get cracked or shatter or– I’m very delicate!”

“What? Come on, you’re not gonna shatter THAT easily, are you?”

she pulled down the Pearl, holding her in her face. “...” Jasper squinted and just inspected the pearl with a sigh. “...Fine. I’ll put you down for now. But once we’re done with this break I’m gonna keep holding you up so we can look!”

// JASPER  //

“Hmmm… Fine.” She’d pick up the Pearl and just hold her up. “You stay up there, and I’ll carry you around. If you see here, you better point me in her direction. Got it?” This wasn’t a request… 

          “G-GOT IT!” The pearl squeaked out, terrified. Her physical form trembled in the Jasper’s grasp, but she didn’t struggle. She knew better. 

“D’you see her?”

“Oh.. camp, that makes sense” Black Star replied, examining the camp Jasper had sent up.  There were lots of large boulders littered around.  Did the Quartz punch them in her spare time, throw them?

“No!  No no no no,” the runt quickly answered, waving her hands to emphasize her point.  “I don’t think.. that sort of thing should be forced, I mean.  Like..” a hand moved to the back of her neck as she chuckled nervously.  “Going to Little Homeschool.. I think.. gems should only go when they’re ready to, not just.. dragged kicking and screaming.”

“Well. At least someone here has some sense. That STEVEN keeps trying to take pity on me, hopin i’ll fall in line with the REST of those gems he’s gone and brainwashed. I don’t buy it for a second.”