I think it’s probably a good idea I have something that explains what this is, and that introduces me.
Hi all who have found my page. My name’s Cooldoode27. I know… doode instead of dude. It’s just something I’ve done since I was little and it’s always stuck with me.
Well…… hi.
I’m an amateur artist (Really just a person who has access to paint).
I’m a video game addict to say the least. But I have a big imagination and far too much time in my ADHD brain to not be using it (gets worked around the clock ⏰)
Trying to hold a conversation with me is difficult as I tend to zone out into my own thoughts but I try my absolute best to listen and will even silence my own thoughts if I need to.
Things I think are cool: Star Wars. LOTR, Fallout, DnD, WH40K, Medieval knights, and Steven Universe.
I have a big obsession over keeping my childish imagination alive no matter what anyone tells me.
I am open to many things, just ask (but you might have to explain it to me first)
I am currently writing a story (two… or was it three 😵💫)
An alternate universe for Steven Universe.
A story about the grim reaper and his children.
And a story about the reaper’s son and an angel.
My current focus is the first.
Steven Universe Reclamation
Follow Peridot, Lapis and OC gem Strider on their journey to reclaim their stolen lives.
This is the page where I will post updates and art for it.
The setting and design of the AU is set up so that episodes from the show can still happen. Though there are many differences.
Steven universe Reclamation is designed for a more mature audience.
The AU focuses on a universe where there was an era before the first era. A batch of first generation gems were created long before the first era. Something went wrong and only two emerged. One has the power of life, while the other spews Death.
The main story takes place during the events of Steven universe’s story. Keeping everything the same as the show up until THE MESSAGE
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Peridot opens the curtain. She leans out, looks at the door, then takes a step closer to strider. She adjusts the cloth covering her right arm and keeps it pinched together with two fingers at the base of her neck.
“… … … soooo.” Strider says breaking the long silence.
“… 😳!” Peridot’s brow and shoulders jump.
The two stand there in awkward silence.
“… … th… thanks” she keeps her eyes down and head low as she quietly mumbles this. She turns to go back into her room but stops halfway. She gazes at her bench for a minute.
Strider also stopped when he went to turn away.
……
They both turn. He goes to speak, she walks past him. He barely has time to move to the side and he backs into the backroom wall. He sees her casually walk over to his bench.
……
After stopping in front of it, she turns to the left and looks at him over her shoulder.
“…… well” she says.
“(Little head shake), what?” Strider says.
(Peridot gestures enhancer to his bench)
“… Are we going to fix my limb enhancer?”
She says.
“… m” (strider)
“… Or are you just going to stand there?” She says.
He is frozen. But after a few a seconds pass, he calmly walks over. She moves to her left stepping out of his way. He sits down. She places her enhancer on the desk. Then…… nothing. They both stare at it.
She takes quick glances at him several times.
“Is he going to do anything?” she says in her head.
“… do…… I have your permission… to work on this?” He hesitantly asks.
“…… yeah-yes. Yes.” She stutters.
He waits a moment. After it passes, he calmly picks the enhancer up and examines it.
While he holds it up to his face, looking into the opening Peridot’s arm would normally fill, peridot’s closed lips twitch.
“… Hey” she suddenly speaks.
He instantly stops and looks down at her on his left.
Her open hand by her side clenches.
“… you…… don’t need to ask for permission. …… anymore” she says, her eyes and head staying low.
He slowly lowers the enhancer; gently resting it on the desk’s wooden surface.
“…… *closes eyes, takes deep breath*… if we’re going to be friends…… we need to treat each other equally” she says.
“I need to treat you. Like you’ve been treating me” she says quietly to herself.
“…… peridot.” He says softly.
“So from now on, everything I said you have to do, you don’t have to do…… unless you … want to do what I said, then you can.
(Rapid head shake)
You don’t have to do what I say anymore-” she says finally lifting her head and facing him.
“-I get it.” he says. Her body jerks.
“…You don’t have to say anymore.” He says with a soft tone.
…
He calmly returns to the enhancer.
…
For a minute, no words are spoken. The only sounds being that of metal turning metal.
He sets the enhancer down, standing it up on its black rim. His hands let go and rest on the desk.
“…… Peridot. About the way I’ve treated you. I-.” He says.
“-I think I understand why.” She says.
He looks at her on his left.
“You were treating me the same way Steven was. Then… you started treating me the same way I was treating you. And… I didn’t notice the first part… until recently.” She says lowering her head and eyes down to her left.
……
The silence feels loud.
…
“……… well” he says.
Her eyes snap to him on the farthest point of her vision.
“… I didn’t realise you were being nice until today. So I guess we’re both not good at noticing that stuff.” His voice is quiet.
……
The two sit there in silence………
…
“…… right.” *places hands on desk* “weee… should begin” he says.
“… right!”
Both turn their attention to dissecting the broken enhancer.
Peridot discovers that her enhancer’s frame can split into two pieces: revealing the enhancer’s inner workings.
Strider sets the frame pieces aside, then carefully studies the electronics.
Peridot leans a little closer: peering over his metal arm.
Opening the black disk at the end of the enhancer.
*bzt!…… bz…*
Both snap their gaze to the flicker of green energy on the black end of the enhancer.
… *bzt! WWWRRRRR!*
Their eyes widen then snap to the enhancer’s inners. A dangerous looking ball of energy forms where peridot’s hand would be in the enhancer.
Strider instantly summons a barrier around it.
…Both double blink in sync.
The two stare at the cube and contemplate whether they saw what they believe they saw. Strider opens the cube a little before immediately sealing it again when some energy flicks out.
“Yep!” They say in sync.
Peridot freezes and her eyes widen.
“… that was in my enhancer.” She mutters in realisation.
When trying to examine it again using an opaque cube, the ball of energy becomes volatile. It expands against the cube’s walls, then suddenly vanishes leaving the cube empty.
Peridot’s anger boils and she goes to let it out on strider… but she stops herself. She realises that if she had ignored him, her enhancer could’ve exploded while she was wearing it.
Her anger fades and she finds herself letting out a depressing sigh believing that she’s going to have to go without her enhancer now.
However strider examines the enhancer and finds that was not the power supply. Just a ball of energy like the ones her blaster fires.
“A few things look damaged, but-“
Peridot’s energy reignites.
“-Then it still works!?”
She spurts out, springing up on her stool; hand planted on the desk to keep steady, her body leaning over his arm casting her shadow over the enhancer.
He recoils from her positive display of emotion; something he’s not used to.
“…… Possibly” he says.
Peridot looks at him for a few seconds with a slightly open mouth resembling a smile of excitement 😃, then turns her full attention to her enhancer.
Her hands reach in……… and freeze.
Her lips purse. Her eyes hurriedly study the internals.
“…… I don’t know where to start” she internally says to herself.
She looks at strider from the corner of her right eye.
After a couple moments, her hands slowly retract as she carefully sits down.
…
She sits there; her gaze focused on her enhancer.
Her hands resting on her lap gently clench into fists.
“…… um” she says after being silent for fifteen seconds. She calmly turns her head to strider and looks him in the face. Not with sharpness or coldness. Not straight on. She tilts her head up, looking at him… softly.
“……where do we start?” She asks, her voice soft.
Strider is still for a few moments. Then the centre of his lips part just a smidge.
“…… w… well.” He appears to stutter. He turns and faces his desk properly.
“We should see if any parts are reusable and replace any that aren’t” He says reaching up and adjusting a light.
“…… s-Sure” she says raising her voice to hide the stutter.
Strider brings the enhancer closer. Peridot leans closer so she can see down into the enhancer, and the two get to work.
A compilation begins, showing them work through the night.
They carefully open the inner frame revealing the circuits and wiring.
Jumps ahead to: peridot leaning in then reaching in and pulling out a burnt wire.
Delicately they remove a circuit board and lay it on a towel. Peridot picks it up and studies it. Turning it over, spinning it around, checking front and back.
Holding it in her real hand feels weird. She stops many times and stares at her hand.
In the corner of her eye, she notices strider watching her from the corner of his. When they notice, they return to their work.
More of the frame is opened and more damaged parts are found.
Removing the cone shaped casing, strider delicately fixes the dents while peridot tests the circuit board.
Strider finishes his job and places the casing on the desk.
He turns and walks over to peridot.
“How we doing over here?”
“About 75% of energy is flowing through the circuits. Everything else looks fine.”
“Good. 75% is better than nothing.”
The two carefully place the circuit board back inside the enhancer.
They reassemble the enhancer back into one piece. Peridot slides her arm in and tries turning it on.
There is a surge of power; attaching the enhancer to her arm. Strider puts her deactivated fingers down in front of her enhancer.
She aims her enhancer at them and clenches her open hand inside the enhancer; curling her fingers as if gripping a ball.
The external fingers do nothing. With no success there, she moves her hand around; performing basic and her most common configurations; but the fingers remain idle. So she sets it down.
Strider switches the battery charger off releasing the enhancers grip on peridot’s arm. Peridot slides her arm out.
They examine the external frame and notice burn marks on the surface where her fingers attach and hover around.
Strider drags two fingers across its burnt surface.
“Is it the same issue as my foot?” Peridot asks.
“Unfortunately reversing the magnetic field won’t work here.” He says.
He grabs a tool and opens it up, the entire black cylinder is sparking. Bad, but a sign it could still work.
Strider grabs some paper and draws up a diagram of both forms; assembled - disassembled
Peridot points to various spots on the enhancer; Strider jots everything down.
Both of them look down at the diagram. Then both turn and look at the pile of parts meant for the drill.
Various shots of their hands grabbing stuff from the pile of parts play.
Outside, Peridot pulls a circuit out from a junk piece of her hand ship.
As she’s walking back inside, she stops and notices an empty cardboard box. Next shot shows her carrying the box under her arm as she enters the barn.
As she passes the door, we see Strider in the background with peridot’s pod. He extracts wires, circuit boards, and the screen interface.
Jumps over to Peridot sitting on her knees rummaging through the pile, tossing parts into the box.
Strider places his parts on the desk. He stops and looks his desk left to right. He turns to his right then his left and spots a table in the corner. Peridot stands up and grabs her box. But her box won’t move. She squats and tries to pick up the box.
In the background Peridot struggles in picking her box up while we focus on strider setting up a table extending the width of his work area.
Peridot grunts. She activates her stasis beam and picks the box up. She turns and her head gently jerks back. Strider steps to his right reaching up to his shelves and starts bringing tools down. Peridot places her box on the table and walks over to her work area. She returns and places a toolbox beside the box.
Strider sits down on his stool. He assembles two stands and places both half’s on them. Peridot walks over and hops up on her stool. She slides strider’s tablet onto the desk. Strider looks down at it, then lifts his eyes to her face. She is looking down at her stool making herself comfortable.
Strider places two fingers on the screen and flicks up opening it. He taps a folder, swipes, and opens a file containing a blueprint of the enhancer. Peridot lifts her head and sees the file. She sits forward and stares down at it.
(Shot from behind; so backs facing us)
Strider places a finger on the screen pointing at something. Peridot nods.
(Changes to their hands)
Delicately they remove parts piece by piece; placing each part on their designated spot on the diagrams.
When one finds a reusable part, they show it to the other for their judgment, then put it on a metal tray.
Each singed wire, each fried circuit, each switch, distributer, node and stabiliser. Every damaged part is replaced and made anew.
The night flies on by: welcoming the next day.
Peridot awakens lying on her couch in her corner. At first she doesn’t remember how she got there, then remembers that she herself walked over and laid down to rest but fell asleep.
She sits up and stretches her arms above her head. Then she rubs her face with her right hand. She opens her eyes and looks at her hand. She forgot she took her enhancer off. So she admires her hand for a little while. Then… she touches her face.
The sensation feels weird. It’s not foreign like her screen fingers. She can feel what her face feels like. It feels… smooth.
Slowly peridot touches every part of her face. When her fingers are denied entry to her eyes by her visor, she freezes.
Slowly she slides her fingers along the edge of her visor, feeling its round edge.
After a moment or two passes, she brings the fingers of her enhancer up… then slowly … removes her visor. She brings her left hand down and rests it beside her thigh. Very slowly… with a very shaky arm. She brings her hand up to her forehead… and gently presses her fingertips on her gemstone.
Her lips part a smidge while her breath is frozen.
(Now we don’t see her fingers touching her gem, instead we are focused on her eyes)
As she feels the surface of her gemstone, there are some little hitches in her breath… some twitches in her eye.
Slowly peridot lowers her arm down to her stomach… where her hand slowly tightens its grip on her clothing.
For a couple moments… everything is silent.
Not long after, she hears movement from the main room. She looks to her curtain upon hearing the sound. Quickly she puts her visor back on, then gets up. She fashions her blanket over her shoulder and walks over to the curtain.
She carefully brushes the curtains aside and looks into the main room. She spots strider standing by his bench working on something in front of him, hidden from her by his large frame. Still tired, she yawns then walks over and tiredly says hi. Strider turns to his right and smiles before responding cheerily, but also softly. He drags a stool over. Peridot takes a seat beside him.
A short while later she groans tiredly and rubs her eyes again. She’s up far too early. The sun isn’t even up yet.
Peridot yawns again then rests her right shoulder against the wooden beam. Shortly after doing that, she falls asleep.
Strider stops working loudly when he notices peridot is asleep. He also uses his powers to help her be comfortable and keep her from falling off her chair.
When she wakes later, her groggy eyes slowly try and open. After some yawning and rubbing of the eyes and face, she opens her eyes.
When she’s fully awake her half shut eyes open fully upon seeing her new enhancer resting in front of her on the bench.
Strider has her new enhancer on a stand on his bench.
Peridot slowly slides her feet onto the floor and stands up. Her steps are slow and heavy. After moving herself forward, she stands facing her new enhancer.
She hesitates… then reaches out. Her hand flinches… then reaches out and runs her fingers along its green shell.
Strider enters the barn and stops. Peridot hasn’t noticed him, so he stands there as quietly as he can and watches peridot admire her new enhancer.
Peridot eventually notices him. She glances when she sees him in the corner of her vision. Then her brain works and her eyes snap wide.
……
After remaining still for a minute, her eyes and head slowly slide and turn to him.
…
He smiles lightly.
(Peridot looks to her right. But after a couple moments, she brings her eyes back to his face)
“… …… morning” she says softly and quietly.
Strider walks over and stands beside her.
They both stare down at the enhancer on the desk.
……
“Wanna give it a whirl?” (Strider)
“……🤨… what?”
“… (smiles as he sighs)… wanna put it on?”
……
*stares at him for 10 seconds*…… *looks down at enhancer*
“…… *small smile*… yeah” (quietly)
Strider smiles.
Strider picks the enhancer up and places its opening facing peridot.
Strider presses a finger by the opening. The opening splits into four equal parts of a circle.
Peridot grips the enhancer keeping it still and slides her arm inside. Strider watches as peridot adjusts and correctly aligns her arm with the enhancer’s elbow caps.
When she’s ready, she takes her fingers off. Strider removes his finger.
The enhancer joint hisses then slowly compresses. The four parts slowly close and restore the circle: this time wrapped around peridot’s arm.
Peridot slowly slides her arm off the bench and curls it. She turns and faces strider as he reaches into a box and pulls out the missing fingers. Strider holds the fingers in front of the enhancer’s black surface.
The stiff fingers vibrate…… then slowly levitate and hover in front of the enhancer.
Peridot brings her hand in front of her face and studies it.
……
Peridot steadily lowers her arm letting it rest by her side. She turns her head and lets her eyes slowly drag across the messy surface of the bench as she turns her face to his.
“… … thanks” she says.
*awkward silence and stare for 10 seconds*
“… … yeah… no problem” (strider)
*awkward silence for 10 seconds*
*warp pad sound*
*Steven and Amethyst enter the barn*
*Strider and Peridot are working*
At the end of the day, when Steven and amethyst are outside, peridot gets strider’s attention. Once she has his attention, and while gripping the part of her enhancer that is fastened around her elbow joint, she loudly whispers that something’s wrong with her enhancer. Strider sets his tools down and turns to face her.
Quietly he asks “what’s wrong with it?”
Peridot glances at the door, then quickly jogs over to him. She holds her slightly curled arm up to him and points to her elbow joint.
Strider narrows his eyes upon seeing some red on peridot’s green skin. Peridot rubs the red part as she tries to say it’s irritating but can’t find that exact word. Strider says “irritating?” To which peridot says “yes! That word! Irritating!”
Strider leans a little closer for a better look.
Peridot worriedly looks past strider, her attention focused on the entrance.
Luckily for peridot, Amethyst calls it quits for tonight, calling out to strider asking if they’re still getting that part tomorrow. And when he says yes, Amethyst lets them know that they need to get some sleep first.
Without turning, Strider wishes them a goodnight.
Once the other two are gone, strider tells peridot to set it down on the bench and take it off.
Peridot is quiet for a couple moments, then with her eyes avoiding his, she asks for a reminder of how to open it.
Once opened, peridot slides her arm out revealing a large area of red irritated skin, not green. While they talk and study the enhancer, peridot continually rubs the area of irritation making it worse. Strider notices her doing that, so he grabs a clean wet cloth and tells peridot to keep it pressed on the area.
She first objects. But as she’s asking
“How does pressing this hel-“
*Peridot presses wet cloth on skin*
“-…… ohh… that feels nice” she whispers to herself.
Strider asks if there’s any other issues.
“Yeah. It’s heavy.” Peridot says.
“Only half of its systems are functioning. Remember?” He says.
*Peridot peeks under the wet cloth*
*peridot looks at her enhancer*
“Can we fix it?” She asks.
“…… most likely.”
He rubs his chin.
“…But we’ll need a few things.” He says
Peridot hops up on the stool beside him… just like she did that morning.
She scoots closer and starts explaining her theories.
Strider has already figured it out and has a solution…… but…… hearing peridot talk……… seeing her lively…
*strider lightly gazing at peridot yapping away on his right*
…Stirs something in him.
Instead of ending peridot’s non-stop rant, strider works with it, expanding upon it, allowing them to talk all night long.
Peridot’s duct taped foot falls apart causing her to trip and get angry. She wobbles over to her curtained off corner and grumbles. This is after strider regained his barrier powers so he’s smarter. Peridot tries fixing it in her corner but finds no success. She gets angry and tosses it through the curtains. Strider catches it as he was right outside her area. Peridot turns back to her small bench and slams her hand on it. Her right limb enhancer fingers tremble for a moment. She lifts her hand and looks at her fingers.
“Were you trying to hit me…” strider says. Peridot’s head jerks up and she spins around.
“… or was it just bad timing?” He says. Peridot grits her teeth and growls. She stands up and rips the curtain open.
She glares up at him with a slight frown and tense lips. His stares down at her with a neutral expression.
“What do you want!?” She says while staring up at him angrily.
He extends his hand that holds her foot. She looks at her foot, then glares up at him.
“…… you having trouble fixing this?” He asks. Her brow furrows.
“… would you like a hand fixing it?”
Her furrowed brow softens. She peeks past his right arm and scans the main room.
“Where is Steven… (leans and looks at door) and Amethyst?” She asks while scanning the room then entrance.
“Getting the item you asked for.” Strider says.
Peridot glares up at him from the corner of her eye. She glares at him for a few moments, then closes her eyes and lowers her head.
“… fine” she sighs and lets her arms hang by her side.
“Okay. Take your enhancer off and-“
(Peridot’s eyes snap open and wide)
“-NO!!” She screams up at him.
Strider’s head gently jerks back (almost like he simply straightened himself up)
Peridot is panting now. Strider remains still and calm. Peridot slowly calms down and catches her breath.
“(Swallow). No. Those two could be back any minute… they might see me.” She says. Her voice sounds scared, shivering.
Strider turns his head and looks at the entrance to his right.
For a few moments nothing happens. Peridot glances at the entrance, then glares at him.
A barrier wall slowly forms on Strider’s right. Upon full ascension it now blocks any view from the entrance. Peridot grumbles and stands on her one good leg, lifting her stump off the ground. She holds onto the curtain and pulls a sour scowl. Strider turns his head and looks down at her. She huffs. Strider takes a small step forwards and starts lowering himself.
“Ah! No! No! You are not coming in here!” She shouts pulling the curtain halfway. Strider stops and lifts his head. Peridot stands there panting with a wide angry glare. Strider finishes taking a knee.
“You know what no! I’ve changed my mind!” Peridot spurts out. She looks at her disconnected foot.
“Just give it here!” She says and attempts to take it from strider. Her movements cause the metal sheet she was standing on to slip out from under her, and she falls backwards.
(In slow motion)
Peridot’s eyes widen. She yelps. Strider’s eyes widen and he instantly extends his hand forwards. A soft barrier chair forms and catches peridot.
(Normal speed)
Peridot opens her eyes.
………
She slowly looks around.
………
She feels around and grips something and uses it to sit up.
……
Slowly she looks down under her arms and sees strider’s grey barrier colour. She lifts her head to see strider with his hand extended slightly… but with concern in his eyes. The two remain silent and stare at one another for a few moments.
But eventually… Peridot lowers her eyes down and to her right. Slowly slides her forearms onto the arm rests… grips them… and sits up. She turns her head in the same direction and angle as her eyes and keeps it there.
Strider slowly retracts his hand and lowers it by his side.
(Hydraulics quietly hiss)
He remains on one knee, her foot resting in the palm of his right hand, while he waits for her to speak.
…… (glance)
Peridot makes a quick glance at him, checking if he’s still there.
……
Silence takes hold for another minute.
“…… (small quiet sook)” (peridot)
A small sook escapes peridot mouth, and she turns her head away more.
Strider remains staring, blinking at a normal interval.
…… (glance)
Peridot glances again, but keeps eye contact this time.
……
(After a few moments)
“…(sighs)” (peridot)
She sighs, Slowly slides her other foot out of the way… then raises her stump.
“… fix it” she mutters quietly under her breath while avoiding eye contact with him. Strider tilts his head down and begins studying her stump.
……
Peridot crosses her arms.
……
… It becomes quiet again…… awkward.
…………
After a minute of this, peridot grumbles.
“Can you hurry up.” She growls quietly. Strider lifts his eyes and looks at her.
“This is tiring. So hurry up” her low toned voice starts to grow annoyed. Strider looks at her stump again. He lifts his left arm and rests his hand under her stump, holding it. Peridot sees him do this from the corner of her eye.
“That doesn’t change that I’m still holding it up.” She growls through gritted teeth. Strider studies the electronics. Gently he rotates her leg to the right… then to the left. Peridot’s closed eyes and tensed brow twitches annoyed.
“Hurry… uuuP!” she slowly growls.
“…(growl)… will you shut up” Strider quietly grumbles.
Peridot’s eyes widen with anger.
“As a matter of fact No! I will not Shut! up!” She raises her voice, grips the arm rests, and sits forward bringing her face closer to his so she can angrily glare at him.
Strider quickly glances up at her with a frown.
A surge of yellow light flows up a circuit in peridot’s stump which instantly catches strider’s attention.
Peridot sighs in a groan like fashion, lying back and letting her head arch back.
Strider studies her stump again for another minute.
Peridot brings her head forward and stares at him.
“………… (sighs)” peridot sighs.
“Look. It’s broken you pebble.“ she says.
Strider ignores her.
“… it blew up” she adds.
Again— strider ignores her
“Are you listening!?” She shouts.
“Mhm” is the only thing peridot gets from him.
“You can’t fix it!” She shouts angrily.
“You sure?” Strider says in his mind; His eyes gently narrow, focusing them on her stump.
“Whatever you’re thinking, it’s not gonna-“
*Strider presses the foot against the stump and sends a jolt of energy from his left hand into the circuits instantly reattaching the foot creating a loud power up sound*
“-WORK?!?” Peridot shouts shocked as she launches forward in her chair and stares at her fixed foot.
Strider lowers her leg and slowly stands up.
Peridot stares in disbelief at her fixed leg.
“…H-HOW?!?” She shouts snapping her eyes to him.
Strider finishes standing up.
“…i reversed the magnetic field.” He says monotone. Peridot looks down at her leg. Gently she rotates her leg left, then right, then rolls her ankle around which makes her restored foot roll.
Strider turns and walks back over to his bench. Peridot shakes her head and snaps out of it.
“Wait!” She squeaks. She spins to her right and slides off the high chair.
*the chair slowly disappears as she spins*
She slides off and plops onto the ground on both feet
*the chair fully disappears when her feet touch the ground*
She turns and hurries over to him.
“Hey!… HEY!” She shouts as she marches over to him. Strider sits at his bench and returns to work.
Peridot stops beside him and stomps her foot down.
“HEY!” She shouts.
……
Strider shows no reaction and continues working.
Peridot’s angered face twitches as she can see he’s ignoring her.
“……nnnnrrrrr-uuuuuuhhh….. Tck!” She turns her head away from him and crosses her arms.
…
She opens her left eye after a waiting a few seconds to see if she’s gotten his attention. Strider continues working.
Peridot grumbles. She turns away more. After a few seconds she peeks over her shoulder: strider’s still ignoring her.
“……mmmmmn… fine” she sighs quietly. She takes a deep breath, straightens up, uncrosses her arms and faces him.
“(Deep Huff)… Hey. Can I talk to you for a moment.” She says with a cheerier voice. Strider stops, gently puts his tools down, slowly sits up, then slowly turns and faces her.
“… sure. What did you want to talk about.” Strider says. Peridot narrows her eyes with annoyance while strider’s narrow with smugness.
“Explain how you fixed my foot” she demands, throwing her right arm down pointing at her foot which she just stomped.
(A few days prior)
Strider finds he struggles to understand things, so he uses the internet to learn about everything, and the next morning shows that.
Peridot wakes up in her corner of the barn. She sits up and rubs her forehead before getting up onto her feet. She parts the curtain and walks into the main room. Strider hears the curtain open. He lifts his head, then turns and looks at peridot over his shoulder.
“Oh. Good morning peridot. Did you rest well?” He says this, then returns to work. Peridot is in the middle of stretching her arms above her head.
“Yeah. Mor……”
Peridot’s eyes snap open and she freezes. Her arms remain raised in the air. Her head remains still, but her eyes slowly slide over to him.
“…… wwwwhat” peridot says quietly in her mind.
(Peridot is spooked by strider’s Change in behaviour. Amethyst gets spooked by it too. Later peridot approaches and questions him. To her this positivity is a problem.
The only positive person she knows is Steven. He’s the one she associates positivity and kindness with. Not Strider.
But as two days pass, opinions change. This change is now acceptable as strider is able to respond intellectually and properly to her. The friendliness is weird, but the cooperation is very welcome.
The weirdness is still there, she’s just more comfortable with it.
A short compilation plays showing strider trying to be friendly with peridot. But peridot ignores him and his charity every single time.
I.e.
Strider seeing peridot struggle to keep a large piece of metal up while trying to work on wiring at the same time. He hurries over and holds the metal for her, but very quickly peridot scowls at him, picks up her stuff and walks away.
Strider catches a tool she dropped and hands it back to her, she snatches it out of his hand and gives him a cold shoulder.
Strider interacting with his tablet while working at his bench late at night. Peridot marches from her bench, snatches his tablet while he’s in the middle of using it and storms off into her curtained corner.
Same thing happens three days in a row.
With each day: strider’s positivity and energy dies. He’s not as quick to help her, nor does he care anymore.
On the fourth night when peridot goes to snatch his tablet, he grabs it with his hand and shields it across his chest. This shocks peridot, but shock quickly leaves her and is replaced with anger.
She reaches to try and take it; strider turns more away from her: hiding the tablet under his right armpit.
She shouts telling him to give it to her. Strider doesn’t budge so peridot angrily stomps off and into her corner. She angrily sits on her couch and crosses her arms.
While grumbling she tries using her screen, but like many times before: it just glitches and doesn’t work.
Peridot buries her face in her hands and sits there with her head down.
Hearing peridot make a whimper sound from the corner, Strider slowly looks over his shoulder.
The next time peridot opens her eyes, Strider’s tablet is next to her. She excitedly picks it up and starts using it.
Strider quietly walks back to his bench, sits down and resumes working.
Unfortunately things grow worse between them.
Peridot continues to keep herself closed off from the group. Working so interaction stays to a minimum.
In order to learn about him, peridot begins running tests and experiments while they’re working.
This pushes strider into a very bad mood.
She makes the heaviest thing fall so he has to catch it. She does many things to try and startle him.
Instead of learning about him the way she learnt about Steven and Amethyst, she’s doing all these antagonising things to him.
A few days later and peridot has learnt something. She’s learnt strider’s speech pattern and can accurately predict what he’s going to say. But strider fires back and shows that he can do the same with her speech pattern. She gets annoyed as he mimics her, has a fit, and tells him to stop; but he continues mimicking her. She growls… and he doesn’t. They end up staring at each other. Peridot is angry with a nasty scowl while strider is apathetic.
During the stare off strider asks her why she’s copying him.
She tells him she was putting what she learnt from her tests to use.
Strider’s brow hardens.
Peridot questions why he’s copying her. Strider is silent while peridot glares at him with a pointed finger in his face.
Strider remains silent.
Peridot slowly lowers her hand and crosses her arms.
………………
……(4 second deep breath in, 6 second out) … straightens head facing work……
“…… well…. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.” He says.
Peridot’s smug smile slowly sinks and she opens her eyes.
“… … …” her brow furrows.
“What does that…-“ she turns to strider… but he’s gone.
“-mean?” She quietly finishes her sentence. She quietly gets up from her stool and slowly takes a couple steps forward into the main room. She leans to her right around the tractor and sees strider standing by his workstation working. Peridot lowers her head a little bit and her brow tenses.
“Imitation…is the sincerest form of flattery?” She says in her head.
“……… *deep depressing sigh*” strider sighs.
His chest sinks. His hands on the desk slowly close into fists.
“………”
His hands stop, hesitant to close fully.
……
His eyes open and stare down at his desk.
………
Then they narrow.
The cold fingers burn. They groan… rattle… and grind as they become…… fists.
Later at night, peridot lies there on the couch in her corner. Staring at the ceiling… thinking.
Strider stands by the drill engine chassis with a diagram. He reaches in and pulls out one of peridot’s parts. He walks over to his desk and puts it down.
He stays by his desk for a few moments; his left side facing the desk while his front faces the wall to the backroom.
…
He pins the diagram to a board on his left, picks something up, then turns to his right and walks towards peridot’s workstation.
He sets something down and flicks a switch turning on an orange light. Then he turns…… and leaves the barn.
As strider’s mechanical steps fade, Peridot’s brow furrows. She’s had enough of not knowing what he meant. And so for the first time… she decides to use the internet.
She’ll use the tablet that she took from Strider earlier that day.
She turns her head and spots it on the surface of her desk. Her cylindrical fingers extend to it. They struggle to curl and grip its flat surface, pulling it closer and closer with each try.
Her fingers suddenly curl gripping the tablet, pulling it off the desk, dropping it on the floor; creating a loud thud.
She freezes after instantly snapping her arm to her side. But then she unfreezes because she remembers; Strider’s not here.
“Uuugh” she quietly groans. She sits up by sliding her right arm back. She looks at the floor and finds her device. She twists her body, reaches down, scoops it up with her left hand and brings it to her as she turns and lies on her back again.
Remembering what she’s seen, she turns the device on. The screen is bright, but she is unbothered by it.
Her eyes scan the screen for ‘the internet’.
……
After looking for a minute she can’t find it
Among the other round squares (app icons), none say internet. She lowers the pad onto her chest and glares up at the ceiling.
Her eyes narrow and her lips shrivel as she thinks.
She searches her memories, trying to remember if she ever saw strider using it.
…
A memory does come to mind.
She remembers watching strider from the corner of her eye: she saw him tap on the bottom left corner, then tap a big ‘E’ symbol.
Her memory ends. She looks down at the pad.
She lifts it up (keeping the bottom of it resting on her chest) and makes the screen face her.
She taps the screen turning it on. Her eyes drift to the bottom left. She taps the icon in the corner and a tab opens. She scans for the big E, even scrolling down to the E section, but again she can’t find it. Then her brow furrows.
“Internet” she whispers.
She looks at the bottom left and sees a search function. She taps it and a keyboard appears.
… (limb enhancer finger whir)
Her pinky, ring and middle fingers of her enhancers rest on the back of the device while she types with the remaining two.
……
Slowly, she spells the word out and types it.
(Typing as she does this)
“…in……ter………… net”
(The search function holds her typed word… but waits for something else)
Peridot slowly looks over the screen, wondering why it hasn’t brought what she typed.
Suddenly the assistant activates and a small pop up appears.
“Please hit enter so that I may assist you.” Is what the pop-up says. Peridot scans the keyboard and sees the enter key. She presses it. The big E symbol appears.
“…Hm”
Tap
She presses her finger on the big E. A bright tab opens with a search bar in the centre with the words:
“Search the web”
…
She taps on the search bar. The keyboard appears.
“Okay” she says quietly and begins typing.
“Im.. mee..tay..shin…… is the… sin...” Peridot looks up at the screen and stops as a list of suggestions has appeared below the search bar… with what strider said as the top one…Spelt correctly.
…
She stares at it for a moment… then selects that one.
The tab displays the phrase at the top and a list of websites below it.
Peridot reads the screen with a tensed and narrow brow.
“… This doesn’t tell me what I want to know” she mutters.
Her fingers gently and repetitively tap the back of the tablet…… and she gets an idea.
Remembering conversations she overheard between Steven and strider, she taps the search bar and adds the words:
“(previous search) What does this mean?” Hitting enter, the search bar automatically rearranges her sentence into
“What does (previous search) mean?”
The tab displays the phrase’s definition.
“Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery means: trying do what someone else does, think like someone else thinks, is a compliment to that person.”
After reading that definition, Peridot’s finger accidentally presses on the word sincerest when she tries scrolling. The definition of sincerest appears on the screen.
“saying what they genuinely feel or believe”
Her head gently moves back: pressing into the couch cushion. She looks at her finger, then notices words with a lie under them.
……
She pauses for a few seconds, then presses the word compliment. Its definition appears.
“A polite expression of praise or……… ad…miration“ peridot slowly freezes up as she reads it. Her squinting eyes slowly widen and her lips part from an empty gasp.
“… praise…… or…… admiration” she slowly and quietly whispers to herself.
Peridot then gets flashback as she thinks about the times he’s copied her.
The time he saw her crossing her arms, so he crossed his.
Seeing how he copied when she would rub her chin with her hand while resting her elbow on her forearm. Rolling his eyes.
Or how more recently whenever She, Steven, or Amethyst do or complete something he’d say “good job” or “well done”
And many more moments like that.
Peridot lies there gazing up at the ceiling… lost in deep thought.
“… praise or admiration…” She says quietly to herself with a soft voice. And without her realising… the tiniest smile has formed on her open mouth.
Peridot lifts the pad off her chest and taps on the word admiration.
Tap… tap… tap tap tap…… (search loaded)
She repeatedly taps the word until the page suddenly changes.
“something regarded as impressive or worthy of respect.” Is what comes up.
Peridot’s eyes widen a little more.
“Define respect” she says quietly and searches that.
“admire (someone or something) deeply, as a result of their abilities, qualities, or achievements.
“Qualities definition” (peridot)
“a distinctive attribute or characteristic possessed by someone or something.
I.e: she shows strong leadership qualities"
“………………” peridot is… speechless. She blinks, and her lips tremble a little. She closes her mouth to stop it.
She looks at the screen, and does one more search: care definition.
“feel concern or interest; attach importance to something”
And
“look after and provide for the needs of”
Her eyes widen… as she starts realising. Her memories play.
Strider shielding her from the explosion. Shielding her from being crushed. Apologising for picking her up. Showing concern for how she’s feeling. Making sure she’s safe. Making sure she’s taking care of herself. Catching things from falling on her after yanking something from the pile. Providing what she needs. Changing things to better comfort her. Talking to her from outside her room while she hides until her anxiety passes. Leaving a light on a night for her. Giving her the tools she needed. Building the parts for her. Finding the parts she needed. Explaining things in a way she could understand. Keeping Steven and Amethyst from doing anything that triggered her. ……… keeping her safe.
But then her memories shift to answer her newest thought “why did he change?”
Then it all becomes clear.
Just like she was made aware of her behaviour towards amethyst and Steven and how ‘rude’ it was, her behaviour towards Strider plays clearly in her mind. The shouting, yelling, ordering, ignoring, complaining, all of it. His behaviour as of late reflects hers.
Then her mind sees the bigger picture. He still showed care for her even when she was horrible to him.
Peridot remembers how Steven did these things. She remembers how she’s been doing the things Amethyst and Steven do.
Learning about stretching from amethyst. Learning about friendly gestures from Steven like gift giving or high fives. Learning slang from amethyst and using it when trying to talk to her. Paying attention to what Steven says about how her words can do more harm than actions thus she speaks more carefully to him and amethyst.
Learning so she can understand them…… but she’s been blind in seeing…… that strider has been doing the same thing… with her.
He’s been learning about her and responding in ways that make her feel comfortable and safe.
This entire time he’s put her first…… and she’s put him out of sight.
Suddenly her lips tremble. She feels… a swelling in her chest.
Her two fingers slowly moves.
“… It feels like… there’s a…” she slides her fingers up to her throat and gently touches it
“solid mass… right here” she says slowly in her mind. She feels around but can’t find the lump.
So… she gently swallows… and the lump goes away. But there’s something else.……… warmth. She feels warm.
“What is this?” Her mind asks.
Her mind flashes images of moments she’s felt this warmth.
Steven hugging her. Amethyst calling her cool after reconciling.
But she’s felt this before that.
……… eyes slowly widen
“…… Peridot?” Strider’s soft voice speaks.
(Memory)
(Peridot snaps her head up, staring up at strider in the bunker)
“… I want to help you”
“…… h… help?”
“… like me” (Steven)
(Peridot snaps her head down to Steven on her right)
(Present)
Peridot lies there on the couch. Her eyes blink.
“He’s…… help… no…” her mind pauses. The warm feeling returns. “He… cares about me”
And while she doesn’t know or understand this feeling……… it makes her feel… at ease. It calms her. Makes the troubling feelings she’s had these past few weeks… vanish
“… m……… (sleepy exhale)”
Suddenly her eyes feel sore. She drops the tablet letting it lie face down on her chest. She slides her fingers under her visor and rubs her sore eyes: they feel dry.
Yet her fingers glisten with wetness.
She blinks a few times but that doesn’t stop the soreness. The bright light in the darkness has finally started affecting her. She rests her head back, then closes her eyes to rest…… but she doesn’t do that… because she falls asleep. And her sleep isn’t disturbed like it has usually been.
For the first time in her life… she’s finally able to get an undisturbed good nights rest.
(The next day peridot is going to start behaving differently. She wants to show strider that she appreciates him the same way he’s shown her. Do what she’s been doing for Steven and Amethyst.
So she tries taking on his style of attitude, the way he talks, the way he behaves. Trying to mimic him… politely.
She wants to understand him.
Peridot wakes-
“M…… mmmmh………”
-slowly.
Her eye lids slowly flutter. They do not wish to open and want to stay closed for just a little longer.
……
She gives in and allows her eyes to remain closed for just a few more minutes. Allowing her heavy head to slowly turn to the right and rest her face against the cushion. Her yellow hair presses softly against her cheek adding extra comfort.
She breathes in…… and lets out a soothing exhale.
After a few relaxing minutes, her eyes flutter and slowly open.
POV: her eyes open. A familiar brown colour stands before her blurry sight.
Blink… blink-blink… *remain half closed*
“(Tired, awaking groan)”
*Couch cushions rustling*
Her heavy body slowly turns till it is resting its back on the pillow and she is facing the ceiling.
“………(deep breath in through nose)… (deep exhale)”
She takes a deep breath.
Slowly she raises her head off the pillow.
“m…MH”
(Slow quiet whirs of robotics in her fingers as they curl)
Slowly, her arms slide back. Her elbows pressing into the seat cushions. The pillow forming around her diamond caps.
“M… mhh”
She sits up a bit, lifting the upper part of her back off the seat cushions.
She sits up a bit more, higher than her elbows can support her and starts to fall back.
“!”
She gasps through her nose. Her right arm snaps back planting its stump into the cushion stopping her fall. Her arm trembles from her weight so she quickly slides back until her hip collides with her enhancer.
She breathes quickly for a few seconds then steadies.
She turns her body dragging her legs off the couch. Her feet plant heavily on the floor creating a gentle thud.
She breathes in raising her shoulders, then breathes out lowering them.
She slides her fingers under her visor and rubs her eyes. She stands up and takes a step forward bumping into the coffee table. She removes her fingers from her face and stretches her arms high above her head. Feeling they’ve been properly stretched, she lets them lower to her sides.
Then she stands there and thinks.
Her face twitches. Tensing, furrowing… then nothing. She looks to the doorway of her room and stares at it.
Her fingers reach forward and grip the sheet. As she steps forward, they slowly move the curtain to the side allowing her to stare into the main room.
She looks around the room for what she wants…… and finds him sitting at his desk. Hunched forward with his gloved hands working.
… *quick nose breath in then a huff* …
She straightens up. Clenches her fist. Then after much hesitation… steps out and starts walking over to him.
*peridot walking over*
Her hands nervously tense and hover in front of her stomach as she walks over to him.
“Okay Strider…… let’s talk” She says in her mind.
(Possible end of episode)
New beginnings
*stops behind him*
“… let’s get his attention” her internal voice trembles.
*peridot raises her right hand*
*opens mouth*
“G-“
“-Morning peridot” strider’s low vibrating voice cuts her off.
“………-“ she opens her mouth again.
“-the part you wanted me to make has been constructed and placed at your workstation.” He cuts her off again.
“If greetings are over. You should get back to work” He says.
Her hand that hesitates to extend to his back slowly lowers to her side.
“…… right” she hesitates to say.
Her metallic foot takes a step back.
“That is not how he normally greets me. I remember saying that to myself when I first heard him speak that way.” Peridot’s voice speaks as she turns to her workstation, stops, and looks back strider… but her lips didn’t move when her voice spoke.
“He is…… different than he normally is.” Her voice is heard again as it shows her later in the day.
Peridot approaches strider. Strider gets up and walks away.
“He wanted me to be nice. I’m being nice. I don’t understand what I’m doing wrong” her voice speaks again.
“Hi strider” she says as cheerfully as she can. Strider glances at her on his left, stares, then resumes working.
Peridot lies down on her couch at night and stares at the ceiling.
Her eyes narrow. She sits up when she sees the morning light. She gets up and heads into the main room.
“Morning” she says jogging over to him.
Strider remains silent.
“How you doing buddy?” She asks placing her left hand on his desk and leaning on it.
Strider ignores her.
“I am doing everything he does. What am I doing wrong?” her voice sounds agitated like she’s speaking through her teeth.
“I am behaving like him. I am talking to him. I am asking him the same questions he asks me.”
(Shows peridot being positive. Her walking over and talking to him; he turns away showing his back to her. Peridot noticing him getting frustrated at his desk. She gets up walks over and asks if he’s alright. Strider turns his head and glares at her with narrow apathetic eyes)
Peridot analyses Strider’s expressions and his voice.
“Why is he looking at me like that? Am I doing it wrong?” Her voice says.
“I don’t understand” her voice adds.
She copied his behaviour perfectly. She was friendly. She was interested in what he was doing.
“… What did I do wrong?” She whispers to herself as she rubs her chin.
There are many things that are making strider behave like this. But the main one is how Peridot has been treating him… before and while trying to understand him.
Peridot has pushed strider too far.
In trying to understand him by running tests and experiments, regardless of her intentions, she’s not treating him like a person. And now she suddenly wants to be nice?! Act as if she hasn’t done anything?!
Some would say to give her some leniency cause she’s not used to doing this stuff.
Then why didn’t she do this stuff on Steven and Amethyst? Why does she have to dissect him? Why did she have to scare him? Berate him. Ignore and turn away from him.
“Why is she doing this to me!” A thought screamed in his mind.
Why?
Because Peridot doesn’t know how to express her care in any other way than the way it’s been given to her.
She tries harder to give Strider the kindness he deserves, but this makes strider feel worse. She uses words he’s been using in an attempt to show she’s been listening. She returns his tablet and even compliments him … but all of this has been done too late.
Hearing peridot use words only he’s spoken reminds him of a moment the week before.
He had used Peridot’s favourite word “Clod” once in response to peridot’s comment about how goofy Amethyst and Steven were on one day.
Peridot snapped at him. With her anger, she said that’s her word. Strider, not wanting to be in bad graces with her; apologised and reframed from using it again.
Peridot being nice and the others accepting it; forgetting that she’d been angry with them for the past couple weeks seemed to bother him.
(It reminds him how when other gems calmed down after being angry they were forgiven. But if he did it, he wasn’t forgiven)
All these nice things peridot is doing. It’s seen as mockery and bullying.
For the first time in her life, Peridot is allowing her emotions to affect her. She feels weird. This feeling is unlike any she’s had before.
It has been almost a week of this. Peridot once again attempts to start a friendly interaction with strider by using an excuse that she needs help with a part.
Peridot looks down at the part set on her workstation. She looks over at strider. Strider finishes work on a part and slides it to his right. Peridot instantly stands up knocking her stool over. Quickly she picks up her part and walks over to strider.
“Strider. I’d like to ask for your assistance in completing this part… please”. She says
“You see-“ she begins, but before she can finish, Strider’s left hand reaches back and takes the part.
“Perfect” she says in her mind.
Strider brings it in front of him.
“So strider. Any sugg-“
SLAM!
She is cut off again, this time by strider slamming her finished part in front of her on the desk… dismissing her.
Peridot had started to speak and she had a smile because she thought it worked. But she’s barely able to get four words out before strider slams the part down and goes back to his own work.
*Peridot’s smile sinks*
Her head slowly turns and lowers till she is directly staring down at the device she hoped would help her.
Slowly her hands rise, take hold of the part, and un-energetically drags it towards her.
Staring down at the part, peridot feels a tightness in her chest… a swelling in her throat.
Slowly, she turns her head to the right and looks at him, trying to see his face, trying to see what expression he has. But his metal body blocks her sight.
Letting the part remain on his bench, she very slowly turns around. Her head down… eyes to the floor. And depressingly walks away.
However after only taking a few steps… she stops.
Her back facing her failed plan.
Her mind is empty. Her thoughts are still.
These past few days have caused her to question everything. Her mind runs around the clock, trying to find what she did wrong and what to do next.
*Peridot slowly turns around and faces strider. Hoping for… something*
“…… I—— I don’t understand…”
A whimperish version of her voice says in her mind.
She slowly backs away from him.
She only wants to show him she cares. Her left hand begins trembling lightly. She’s making things worse between them… the opposite of what he’s been doing. She doesn’t understand why it’s not working. She’s doing exactly what he’s doing. Taking interest in his stuff. Learning about him. Acting like him. But it’s not working!
*peridot clenches her trembling hand into a tight fist*
Slowly, peridot turns her body to the entrance……… and spots Steven.
“……Steven” Her eyes widen as she gently gasps his name.
She glances over her shoulder, then jogs over to Steven.
“… Steven” she gently calls out his name. *Steven lifts his head and turns around*
(Peridot reaches him with her jog and stops)
“Hey Peridot” He greets her.
Again peridot glances over her shoulder.
*Steven notices peridot’s odd state of behaviour*
“… Peridot?”
“Can—can I talk to you—— please.” Her final word sounds weak, revealing desperation. Her body is hunched forward. Shoulders raised. Hands and arms tensed in front of her stomach. There’s a certain twitch in her nervous expression. Her attention keeps getting drawn over her shoulder.
“Umm— yeah. We can talk.” Steven says.
Peridot glances over her shoulder, then hurriedly walks forwards, place her hands on Steven’s back, and guides him away from the barn.
“Peridot, Where are we going?” Steven asks.
“Sssh” she says and continues guiding him along.
Inside, for the first time this day, strider is watching them over his shoulder. His face baring an empty expression.
Slowly he turns his head away and returns to work.
*Peridot walks Steven over to the fence and stops*
*She checks over her shoulder again*
“Okay, this is fine.” She turns and looks down at Steven.
“Steven—e-ehh—I’ve…… I’ve created a problem.” She says. When talking to him, she expresses nervousness; her fingers unorganised and rubbing her wrists.
Steven notices.
“What kind of problem?” He asks.
Peridot raises her shoulders and begins rubbing her biceps. She lowers her head.
“Well…… I think I’ve made strider upset with me” Her voice is quiet when she speaks.
Steven tilts his head a little to the left.
“How do you know he’s upset?” Steven asks leaning to his left, trying to see peridot’s face.
“… (anxious quick sigh)… he hasn’t been…… him…… you know” she sounds frustrated.
Steven tilts his head.
“…(shrugs shoulders)… strange. Weird!? He’s been… (waves hands around)…… I—RRH!! I DON’T KNOW!!!” Peridot says all this while nervously looking back and forth at the barn and Steven, shrugging, stuttering, and ending it off with a stomp and nervous shout.
“Uah” Steven nervously recoils from peridot’s loud voice.
“HhaH, hhaH, hhaH, (depressed sigh)”
Peridot breathes heavily then lets out a sigh as she calms down. Letting her head lower and her eyes to look at the floor.
Steven’s body eases allowing him to straighten up and face peridot again.
“… do… you know what’s made him upset?” Steven asks slowly.
………
Peridot stares at him blankly.
Then the right side of her face tenses. After a couple seconds she crosses her arms and grips her biceps tensely.
…… (nod)
Slowly she nods.
“Okay. If you know what’s upsetting Strider, you can talk and apologise to him, that’ll-“
Peridot’s teeth grit.
“-NNRRR!-I’M NOT GOOD AT TALKING” she screams, stomping her foot and throwing her clenched fists by her side.
Steven recoils.
Peridot stands there panting fast through her nose. Her chest rapidly expanding and shrinking.
“… kjt! AAAAAAGH!” She screams in frustration. She turns away from Steven and begins walking around, stomping the ground while muttering insults at the floor.
“NNNAAAGH”
She screams again and grips her hair.
“Woah! Peridot. It’s okay.” Steven tries to calm her down.
“NO! ITS NOT OKAY!! NNRRR!!” Peridot starts muttering insults.
“WHY CANT HE UNDERSTAND?!?” She shouts, her tensed hands torn down from her hair and hovering in front of her face.
Steven’s head jerks back a little… then his brow rises.
“Understand?” He asks.
Peridot stands where she is, panting heavily and fast.
…… … … …
Her breathing begins to slow… as she begins to calm herself down.
“… … … … (long deep breath in then out)… …”
Peridot’s behaviour is completely unlike her normal professional self that Steven is used to seeing. So Steven remains silent.
“I… (deep breath)… I have recently realised. …… that…… strider…… cares about me.” She says; head hanging down, arms limp and dangling, voice quiet.
Her torso straightens up a little.
“And so…… I’ve been——trying…… to show him that I…… also care. ………”
She pauses for a couple moments. Her hands tense: closing halfway.
“…… but… he—he doesn’t understand.” She says. Her voice soft, not as stern as it usually is. She slowly turns her head and looks at the barn.
Her lower eyelids tense with an expression she has come to recognise as sad.
“……… Steven.” She says quietly.
“…Yeah”
She lowers her eyes, then slowly turns her head and looks down at him.
“… how do I show him?” She asks with her soft voice again.
“……………… have you tried telling him?” Steven asks after a very long pause. Peridot’s brow tenses a little. She turns her head and looks at the barn.
“…How……would I tell him?” Her voice is slow: soft and quiet. “I’m…… not good at ……… telling people things.” She says softly.
“… that’s not true.” Steven says.
“… you don’t count” she quietly mumbles.
“…… well. What are you trying to show him?” Steven asks.
“…… what he’s been showing me.” Peridot hunches forward a little, then rubs the back of her neck.
“Annnd. What do think he’s been showing you?” Steven says at a slow pace.
Peridot lowers her eyes. She lets her hand slide off and join her dangling arms.
“…… that… he likes…… and cares about me …… a lot” peridot’s voice is extremely quiet and slow.
……… (smile)
Steven smiles.
“Then you should tell Strider that you like him.” Steven says.
Peridot slowly lifts her eyes off the ground, staring them at the fence post in front of her. Then turns to the left and lowers them to Steven’s face.
Steven extends his smile when she makes eye contact with him.
……
Peridot’s down expression slowly rises into a small smile.
“… you’re such a curious thing Steven”
Peridot’s quiet voice says in her mind.
… (huff)
Peridot huffs. She straightens herself lifting her chest and holding her head up high. She turns and faces the barn. Her right hand clenches by her side. Then she walks over and goes inside.
After entering, she stops a few steps inside.
“…… hm” peridot’s left brow rises.
“Steven. Where’s amethyst?” She asks.
CRASH!
Steven and peridot jump a little and look to the door. Peridot looks over her right shoulder while Steven turns around.
“…… Ow” Amethyst groans from outside.
“(Sighs). Nevermind.” Peridot says and walks to the entrance.
She grabs the left side of the doorway and leans outside. She sees amethyst near the fence picking up the part she dropped and trying to carry it.
“Hey amethyst?” Peridot loudly calls.
“(Grunt) Yeah” amethyst grunts as she struggles to keep the part balanced on her back.
“Can you find another part for us?” Peridot says loudly but not rudely.
Amethyst groans instantly straightening up, letting the part fall onto the ground behind her.
Peridot steps back, turns, walks over to the large part she was working on and takes a knee. Amethyst comes walking in, hunched forward slightly, her limp arms dangling in front of her.
“…(deep sigh). What part?” She groans from behind her hanging hair.
“One of those noisy power generators.” Peridot replies.
“Engine” Strider says sharply but monotone.
Amethyst turns her head in Strider’s direction.
“She wants an engine” strider repeats in the same tone. He brings the part in his hand in front of him and carefully tightens a screw.
Peridot glances at strider. At the same time, Steven looks over at peridot.
“… is…… that what you want… Peridot?” He asks kindly.
“……… yes” peridot quietly replies.
She turns to her right, and looks at Steven.
“I would like an engine” she says in a tone close to her normal one, only it’s a little softer.
………
“UAAAH” Amethyst loudly groans. She arches her head back, turns, and walks out of the barn.
“Come on Steven” she groans, grabbing his hand as she walks past him. Peridot watches the two exit the barn. After hearing their voices fade into the distance, she slowly turns her head and looks over her left shoulder at strider.
“Okay. Do what Steven said. Tell him…… before you make things worse.” She says in her mind.
She takes a deep breath, calmly stands up, slowly turns around and faces strider.
“…(deep breath)…(smiles). Hey strider, can I talk to you for a moment?” She says cheerily as she walks over to him.
SqueAK!…
Strider stops in the middle of turning his screwdriver. Peridot comes to a stop a couple steps behind him; placing herself in the middle of the room.
Strider’s metal body sighs. He lowers his arms and rests his occupied hands on the bench.
“… is this another test?” He mutters sharply.
“What?… No! Nononono. No more tests.” She says; shaking her hands frantically.
“Then what do you want?” His low voice vibrates angrily as he goes back to work.
“I want you to listen!” She accidentally shouts.
“You don’t get to tell me what to do” he snaps back dropping his wrists onto the desk. Not shouting, but not calm.
“No Not that! I-NRRH!…No. I just want to talk to you!” she says calming herself, but her voice holds some desperation.
………
“…… (sigh)” strider sighs and lowers his head. Gently he presses his hands on the bench and rises. The boards creak, his hydraulics groan. For a moment he is still. Then the groaning returns. His head leads turning to the left: His body follows. Placing its left foot down; using it as an axis as he steps away from the stool… and faces her.
……
His systems sigh.
…
“… what did you want to say?” He mumbles. His voice is low. There’s no energy to it.
“… well…… I just… noticed that you… haven’t been yourself lately. You know… talking a lot… being strange…. saying nice things…(nervous chuckle).” Peridot says smiling nervously because strider’s expression is apathetic.
He’s clearly not interested and wants her to get to the point.
Her little smile fades as her eyes slowly lower. Her fingers begin to fidget and rub each other.
“And…… and I feel like that’s my fault.” She says from her lowered head.
Strider’s half lowered eyelids lift a little.
“(Deep breath)”
She takes a deep breath and lifts her head.
“I’m not good at understanding things that are……(*open mouth no words)… Nh! I’m just not good at understanding things!” She says, her voice speeding up: speaking rapidly in a quiet panicked shout.
Strider’s eyes change a little, expressing some worry.
“That’s not true.” He says quietly.
“Hmph. If it was, then you wouldn’t be upset with me right now.” She says waving her left hand by her side as she talks, then letting it drop.
“…I’ve been… trying to show you something.” She says.
“I’ve been copying you… as a way… to show you ‘That’ something.” She says pointing at him with double finger guns.
“……”
She nervously smiles and locks her fingers together, resting them against her thighs… waiting for him to ask what that something is……… but he’s not.
He stands there. Resuming his apathetic expression.
Her smile sinks again. The right side of her upper lip rises. Her fingers unlock and rub the back of her neck for a couple of moments. Then she lets her hand lower and dangle by her side.
“…… peridot……… I……”
“You’ve shown that you care about me…… and only recently… I’ve realised…how much.” She speaks with a lower and quieter tone.
His brow rises a little.
(Starts rubbing back of her neck)
“You have your… strange way of showing… care for me.” She gently and nervously swirls her left hand as she speaks. Her right heel twists a little outwards.
“(Stops rubbing)… sooo…… this— is…… my way… of—— saying…” her voice goes quiet on the last word. Her hand clenches into a fist.
Slowly she lifts her head… and looks him in the eye.
“…I…… like… and care about you……… a—a lot.” Her voice is softer than normal. It is gentle… caring; with her eyes looking and head lowering down and to the right on her final word.
Strider freezes.
“…… (long silent gasp)”
His eyes slowly widen and his mouth hangs open for a silent gasp. Stuck gazing at peridot. His thoughts frozen.
As he gazes at her… his pupils begin to dilate.
“…(female giggling happily)……… (smiles)… they like you”
A soft… sweet… warm female voice is heard in his mind.
His eyes widen even more. His chest slowly rises and expands like lungs.
“…… what?” Strider hears his own voice speak quietly. He sees a blurred face in a yellow and green lit room.
“(Giggles)… I said they like you” that sweet voice says with a warm smile; the only detail he can make out.
…… blink-blink-blink
His eyes rapidly blink three times…… and slowly, his tightly closed fingers… uncurl.
His metal hands lightly tremble… and his throat feels…… tight.
The screwdriver he was holding falls from his hand and lands on his metal foot.
………………… *blink-head shake*
He blinks and his head does a little shiver; snapping out of it.
He finds himself gazing directly at what he can see of her lowered and turned away face.
……
Peridot slowly draws her eyes over and looks at him from the corner of her sight.
……
The two gaze at each other silently. One frozen… the other waiting nervously.
“…… … I… L” his tongue gets stuck behind his teeth. There is a rough lump in his throat. His eyes rapidly blink twice. His lips lightly tremble.
Her right hand slowly curls into a fist inside her enhancer. Her nose tenses creating lines under her worried eyes.
He frees his tongue as his mouth opens further… and he starts again.
“…… I… like.. you too… Per—Peridot” he finally speaks. Slowly…… softly… like the way he normally does.
Her lips part, her tension vanishes: slowly drawing air into her chest as her head rises and faces him.
…………
*Awkward staring for 20 seconds*
Peridot blinks then instantly snaps her gaze to the right.
…
A little bit of her upper lip purses allowing her lower lip to fold over it.
Meanwhile… by the open window upstairs, Steven and amethyst have been listening in.
“(Long quiet awing gasp)” Steven slowly turns his brightly smiling face and star filled eyes to amethyst.
“I know buddy.” Amethyst very quietly whispers to Steven.
Strider and Peridot stand there in this awkward silence they’ve created.
Strider calmly turns his head the same amount of distance that peridot did, but turning to his right.
…
After a couple moments, peridot slowly turns her head… and looks at him. She sees him looking away.
Slowly, she lowers the hand that scratched the back of her neck… as she turns her body… and faces him.
She lets her cone shaped forearms rest down by her sides as she gazes at the left side of his face.
…
After a couple of nice moments, her left hand slowly curls into a fist.
Amethyst quietly climbs down and the two quickly get away from the barn.
Peridot hesitantly takes a small step forwards.
She finds it difficult to breathe normally, finding herself panting quietly.
“…… st… strider” she stutters softly.
…
Strider slowly lifts his head but remains facing the door. He gently blinks.
…
Then his head turns a little
……
Then he faces her.
…
The two stare at one another in silence.
“…… th… thank you…… f… for caring… about …me.” She says with a soft voice.
And a few seconds later… the right side of her mouth smiles.
…………… bump……….. bump………
Strider’s open hand… curls a little.
A rectangular prism slowly forms on the ground beneath the screwdriver and begins to rise vertically; bringing the tool to his hand.
Peridot feels like she needs to say something else. Strider picks his tool up.
“…… about the other day.” She says.
Strider stops and looks at her.
“… how I said clod was my word.”
She continues, keeping her eyes aimed down again. She rubs her right bicep and slides her eyes to the right.
“…… you can use it… it’s not actually my word…… it’s just a word” she says.
Strider tilts his head the smallest bit… then a tiny smirk forms.
“…… thanks” he says softly.
Peridot quietly rubs her bicep. Strider starts turning to his bench.
“…… I’m… sorry I keep doing things that… hurt you.” She whispers quietly.
“…… I’m… nothing… but…… but” peridot whispers under her breath. Strider freezes.
“…(sighs depressingly)… I’m sorry.” She says quietly. Her head lowered and hands gripping biceps tightly.
……
“…… you’re… not to blame… for this” his voice slow and soft.
Peridot lifts her head.
“…… peridot… I’m sorry for how I’ve treated you. It was stupid, and…… I was dumb.
I didn’t understand what you were trying to do. And I caused it to become a problem. ……… I’m sorry” he says in the same soft manner as before.
“……There it is again…… that weird feeling in my chest” peridot says in her mind as she begins to feel warm. The tenseness washing away. Colours becoming more vibrant. The weight on her shoulders lifting off.
Strider smiles a little.
“…… we should do this more…” he says, head slightly lowered, eyes to the floor.
Peridot snaps to attention.
“…talking to one another…-”
*Strider lifts his head, looks her in the eyes*
“-…seems to fix things.” He says.
…… Peridot’s lips slowly part.
“…… I… agree” she says; matching his soft tone.
*Quiet in the distance bang*
Strider’s eyes snap to the entrance.
“… you okay amethyst?” (Steven’s faded voice in the distance)
“…… (wheeze exhale) yeah” (Amethyst’s winded voice in the distance)
“I think the goof balls are back” strider says turning his head towards the entrance. Peridot’s eyelids jump and she snaps her head to the left.
“…(groaning)” (amethyst in the distance)
“Hmph (smirks).”
Peridot smirks and crosses her arms. Strider’s eyes slide to Peridot.
“Don’t you mean… the goofy clods.” She smirks.
“……… (chuckles once)…… yeah… the goofy clods.” He says softly.
Peridot smiles a little.
*Crash!*
“… owww” (Steven)
Peridot and strider’s eyes snap wide.
“Steven” they shout in sync.
They rush to the door, swinging out its left side and see Steven by the trees on the ground holding his arm.
They rush over to him.
“Steven!” Peridot worriedly calls out his name as she runs over to him.
“Tst… hey guys” Steven flinches.
Strider and peridot reach Steven and both immediately drop to one knee.
“Steven! Are you hurt?!” Strider says; immediately scanning him up and down.
“(Little groan), yeah. I’m okay” Steven says.
“Let me see” strider says extending his gloved hands.
Steven uncovers his injury and raises his arm to strider. Peridot leans closer; worry covering her face as she scans his arm.
Strider gently cups the underside of Steven’s arm. Peridot leans closer.
Steven’s arm has a tiny scratch. Nothing serious.
Strider breathes a sigh of relief. He turns and looks at the thing that caused it.
An old motorbike.
“…(sighs)…” strider sighs again then stares at Steven with a parental look. He raises a finger and calmly points at him.
“You’re lucky it’s only a scratch. If it had cut your skin, we would’ve needed to take you to the hospital to get a tetanus shot.”
Peridot’s head jerks back and her brow jumps. She turns her head and looks at strider. Strider sees her in the edge of his vision.
“… I read about human injuries on the internet……… I’ll explain later.” He says.
“………” peridot says nothing. But she continues staring at him. She starts to think. Slowly she turns and looks at Steven. She observes how caring Strider is with him, and is reminded of how caring he is to her.
“I’m fine guys…” Steven says rubbing his arm.
“… Buuut maybe you should help Amethyst.” He says while slowly turning his head to the motorbike on his left. Strider and peridot look at the motorbike… and hear amethyst groan from under it.
Peridot stands up, grabs the bike’s handlebars, digs her feet in, and pulls… lifting the bike off amethyst.
“… hGH…… nnhhhh”
Peridot lifts the bike: keeping it upright. She lets out an exhausted huff. She stands on her toes and leans over the bike.
Amethyst is lying there flat as a pancake.
“… (sighs and rolls eyes)……come on… GGGet Up” she sighs.
“…… uuuuugh!”
Amethyst groans in a sigh like matter. She slides her hands back and sits up.
Peridot lowers back onto her feet, then looks down and studies the bike.
“It’s impressive that you managed to drag this thing here in such a short time.” Strider says.
(tap-tap) peridot taps the speedometer.
Amethyst crosses her arms and smiles all smugly
“…… except you didn’t” strider says as he wraps Steven’s arm.
Amethyst’s eyes snap open.
“WHAT?!”
She springs up.
“I did so. Steven tell them” (amethyst)
“I’m not saying you didn’t drag it here.” (strider)
“Then what are you saying?!” (Amethyst)
“That you didn’t drag it here today.”
Peridot chimes in.
“…… Why?” (Amethyst)
Strider finishes bandaging Steven. He turns his head and looks at amethyst, resting his left forearm on his thigh.
“Because we saw you throw it in the bushes yesterday.”
Amethyst freezes, then her lips slowly purse.
“…………… riiiiiight” she says.
Peridot crouches, pulls out her screen, and studies the engine closely, taking note of possible parts. Strider stands up and walks over. He sees her hand holding the handlebars, so he extends his hand and holds the bar. Peridot removes her hand and places it on the engine. Amethyst gets up.
“You okay?” Strider asks.
Amethyst dusts herself off.
“Yeah” she says extending her arms back and out to the side to stretch her chest. She walks over and stands beside Steven.
“mmm… no good.” Peridot grumbles and stands up. Strider takes a knee and has a look.
Steven rubs his wrapped arm. After doing so, he lifts his head and looks over at strider and peridot.
Strider and peridot talk amongst themselves about the engine. Peridot stating that it’s useless, while Strider suggests that they should keep it.
Amethyst gently elbows Steven then nods with a smile towards the two. Steven smiles and they watch the two bicker about the engine.
Strider creates barriers to hold the bike still. He grabs the engine and pulls it out. He holds it in both hands, rotating and inspecting each side.
“… yep… no good” he says.
“Told you” peridot brags.
Strider rolls his eyes as he puts the engine back in place and stands up. He looks down at the bike… then glides his hand over its chassis.
*Peridot standing on strider’s left: The fingers on her right hand start shaking*
Peridot looks down at her hand. She quickly crosses her arms, turns and hurriedly walks back to the barn. Strider grabs the bike and wheels it over to the barn, leaving it outside and resting it against the wall.
Strider steps inside the barn and stops. Amethyst and Steven go to enter the barn. Strider turns around.
“Hold up.” He says.
Steven and amethyst stop.
“Can you guys go to the bunker and grab something for me?” He asks.
“Come on!!!” Amethyst immediately groans.
“It’s small, okay.” He says.
“… UUUGH!” Amethyst groans again.
“What do you need?” Steven asks.
“It looks like and is about the same size as this screwdriver” strider says holding a screwdriver between both hands.
“Sure” Steven says. Steven turns, grabs amethyst’s arm and pulls her with him.
“Whyyyyy?” Amethyst groans.
Strider watches them disappear into the woods.
As soon as he sees the stream, he turns around and rushes over to peridot’s corner.
“Peridot, you okay?” He says standing just outside her room.
“Uhh-Yeah! Fine! I’m fine” she says loudly.
She’s not.
Currently her left hand is keeping her right arm pinned on her bench as its fingers and frame are freaking out. Her left hand constantly reaches round from right side to left side of its frame trying to do something.
(Robotics sounds and hum)
Suddenly its fingers transform.
Peridot’s eyes widen and she begins panicking.
“Yep!”
Bang bang bang
Her fist slams repeatedly against her enhancer.
“Everything’s fine!” Her voice trembles; but she tries to hide it.
DANG!
Her enhancer transforms again, this time into her photon blaster.
“Uhoh!” (Peridot)
*Photon blaster charging up sound*
Strider’s eyes snap wide. His mind flashes the moment in the bunker when she aimed her blaster at Amethyst. His mind snaps back to the present. He tears the curtain open. Peridot bolts at him. He throws himself out of her way. She bolts past him; her left hand gripping her right arm aiming it down at the floor as she bolts to the entrance.
As she reaches the middle of the room, the familiar sound of her blaster firing whirs. She flings her arm up; aiming it at the open door. Her foot slips out from under her... and she falls.
FFFFFWwuuP-BANG!!!
Her blaster fires off a powerful shot, one far too unstable to control. The force expelled from its release instantly slams her body into the ground.
CRK!-BOOM!!
The floorboards snap and the ground beneath parts into a small crater.
All the air is ripped out of her.
(Wood exploding sounds)!!!!
Her shot hits the roof and blasts a large hole through it; exposing the yellow sky.
…
Peridot lies there, empty of breath.
Her form struggling to perform its most basic functions.
Her eyes stay open, unable to move. Her vision: nothing but a blur. Her mouth hangs open, her throat feels tight and her chest……
… crrrrk…… creakkkk…… CRACK!… BREAK!
Wooden boards creak, crack, then a support beam stretched across the room snaps and falls.
As the dust settles, and peridot’s eyes open, a familiar sight is seen.
Strider hunched over her; using his body to shield her.
(Hydraulics groan)… THUD
Strider’s body groans as he rises causing the beam to roll off his back and thud on the ground behind him.
“<Haah>, <haah>, <haah>, M!”
Strider’s brow tenses and his eyes scrunch shut with a pained look on his face. He drops back onto all fours bringing him back over Peridot.
“(Wheezy exhale through nose)… peridot”
He opens his eyes and looks down at peridot underneath him.
“……*LOUD GASP*!!!!!! … cough! cough—COUGH!!”
Peridot gasps for air to replenish what was robbed from her. Her chest expands and all her functions return. as she descends into a painful coughing fit.
Her closed eyelids flutter as she tries to open her eyes.
(Ringing sound in ears)
Her ears ring, deafening all other sounds. Her eyes slowly open. Darkness holding control over the sides of her narrow vision.
(Close up side shot of her face)
“… uuugh…… there it is again…”
(Peridot’s pov: blurriness, the light through the roof, barely able to see what’s over her)
“…tst… that…… weakness… that makes… (flinch)… my form hurt”
Her weak voice barely wheezes in her mind as she comments about the soreness in her body.
“*weak wheezy breathing*………… what……… is…… that” her mind weakly speaks as her squinting, fluttering eyes spot something… glowing…… deep within Strider’s chest.
“… Mh!”
Her mind shifts as she is stabbed with an excruciatingly painful spasm in her back. Her shoulders tremble arching back and her neck seizes. Her eyes forcibly shut; scrunching tightly and forcing her to grit her teeth.
Her right arm, seemingly locked by her side, tries flailing frantically in distress. Banging its underside on the floor. Her blaster starts charging.
“Peridot!” Strider shouts… though it is faint in her ears.
The flashes of green light return. A familiar green wall. Her shadow cast upon it. A tall silhouette on top of her shadow. Her right arm extended towards the wall in blaster form… trembling as it can’t move.
“… … … PERIDOT!”
Peridot suddenly hears Strider shout.
“AGH! Hah hah hah hah hah hah hah”
She suddenly gasps and pants rapidly. Her eyes snapping open; wide and blind.
“Peridot” strider’s voice is softer now.
She sees his blurred figure on top of her.
“You’re safe…… You’re safe peridot.
Her vision begins to clear.
Bzt! Bzt! ..bbbz… (powering down)… tink-tink tink-tink-tink, (rolling on wood)
Her blaster enhancer sparks twice, then loses power. Her floating fingers stiffen, taking on an appearance similar to pieces of chalk, fall to the ground, and roll along the floorboards: getting stuck in their gaps.
“Mmh!”
She groans, arching her aching back, and tries to sit up.
“Take it easy.” Strider says.
Peridot fails to lift herself up and falls back down.
“Uuugh!” She groans.
“Peridot!?” he says.
*Wheezy gasping inhale-immediate exhale* for ten seconds. (Peridot)
Strider lifts himself off of peridot and rests back on his knees beside her.
“NhhG” She groans again as she strains to roll onto her left side.
“Hah, hah, hah, nhrg! Mh! Nnnnnnnrrrrr!”
Panting and groaning, trying to pull her heavy enhancer over as she rolls onto her left side.
Strider looks at her arm. Barriers rise under and assist her turn over.
Peridot groans and rolls onto her stomach.
Strider makes barriers form underneath to cushion her.
“Peridot” his soft voice says with deep concern.
Peridot groans and tries to rise onto all fours.
“NH! MHN!” She groans as her back spasms again forcing her flat on the floor.
“Hah><hah><hah><hah><hah><hah”
She pants fast.
“You’re okay. Take it easy.” He says with a soft voice.
……
The spasms fade.
She stays still, deciding to lie there and rest for a couple minutes.
……
Her knees slowly rise in preparation to get up.
……
Her feet slip in the footboards as she tries to curl her legs.
“Peridot” he says.
“Hah><hah><hah, hn—rrrrrhhG” she grunts and groans.
“Please…” he says… almost pleading.
She freezes.
“You’re safe……”
……
Slowly, every tense muscle in her body fades as she allows herself to do nothing.
Strider sits there and quietly observes.
“That looked pretty bad” he says softly in his mind.
…
(A few minutes pass)
Peridot plants the stump of her dead enhancer on the ground. Then plants her other hand down, slides her right leg, then her left, and sits back on her knees.
“… <haah>……<haah>……<haah>…………(deep sigh)”
She pants slowly. Then lets out a deep sigh.
“You okay?” Strider asks.
“…… yeah” she says quietly.
She looks at, then lifts her powered down enhancer.
(Peridot stares at her enhancer. Her chest slowly expanding and shrinking)
A flicker of power goes through its circuits.
“(Depressed sigh). It’s broken” she mutters; letting the strength in her arm go.
Her dead enhancer falls and dangles by her side.
Strider extends his hand to her.
She lifts her head, stares at his hand for a moment, looks up and stares at his face for a moment, looks at his hand, and takes it.
He gently cups the underside of her bicep while also creating a barrier construct that supports her lower back to alleviate most of the work as he helps her onto her feet.
“……tst!”
Peridot flinches forcing her to hunch forward.
Quickly she presses her hand into her back.
After a moment, she slowly tries to straighten up.
Strider immediately forms a chair under her. “Here, sit” He says guiding her to sit down. He holds onto her arm enhancers so she doesn’t fall when sitting down. But her enhancers slip through his hands because of his careful grip. So he grips her diamond elbows caps.
“Take it easy.” He says: softly scanning her for injuries as she takes a seat.
“… I’m fine” she says quietly.
He looks at her face, then looks at her arm. “Clearly she’s lying” he says in his head.
He makes arm rests form and gently brings her arm up after noticing how she struggles to lift it. He does a quick study of her enhancer.
Peridot stops rubbing her back and lets out a slow sigh as she rests back. Strider’s brow furrows a little as he notices red markings on peridot’s skin.
“You need to take it off.” He says.
“… no” her arm reaches over and weakly places its hand on her powerless enhancer.
He lifts his eyes and looks at her face. Her hand tenses on her enhancer.
“…… Peridot” he says softly.
Peridot’s shoulders begin to tense up.
“The longer you delay this… the higher the chance those two see what you’re hiding.” He says softly.
… … …
After a couple of silent moments, peridot closes her eyes and sighs. Her hand slowly slides off her enhancer. She turns, and tries to raise her arm to him. Strider makes the arm rest rise. She looks down, then lets her arm rest on it.
Strider calmly shifts to his left (peridot’s right) and gently places his hand on her enhancer.
Peridot watches him study it. Her eyes suddenly looking exhausted. She lets out a deep sigh and lets her body sink into the chair. The tense and sore feeling in her body slowly fades away. Allowing her to feel relaxed.
Strider slides his hands up and gently grips where her arm meets her enhancer. Peridot flinches when his gloves touch her skin.
“… sorry” he says with a soft tone after she flinched.
He slides his right hand round the side of her enhancer.
“… why doesn’t this have the release?”
He mutters quietly to himself.
“… (deep breath in and slowly sits up)… release?” She says. Now she’s sounding like herself. The soreness is gone.
“When I designed these, I made it so they could be easily removed. I assumed not everyone would want to wear it all the time.” He says.
Peridot tilts her head a little to the left and listens. A headrest forms on her left.
“Hmm, There’s supposed to be a button to make it release.” He says. He feels around for the button for a hot minute.
Not finding it makes him sigh.
“It appears yellow removed it……… why?” He mutters the last part.
……
Suddenly he freezes. He realises why. He lifts his eyes and looks into peridot’s eyes. But quickly shakes his head and returns his attention to her arm.
(In his head)
“Right…… gems can’t have imperfections…”
Peridot looks down at her arm.
“Where should it be?” She asks.
“…… (Sighs)… well. There’s supposed to be an additional part here” he points to her bicep. She looks at her bicep. He makes a hologram style barrier form on her bicep.
“You’d press the button, and it would instantly release.” He says. He remains pointing at her bicep for a few seconds, then lets his arm drop and sighs. His projection fades.
“… how are we gonna get it off?” She asks.
“…… m💡” his right brow rises. He creates a barrier construct and brings over several things. Some wires, a car battery, and some tools.
He makes a couple of small tables form around him and places the items on it.
He grabs some wires and starts working. Peridot watches intensely but relaxed.
“…… (annoyed grunt)” strider grunts for he can’t thread a wire through a thin hole. Peridot notices. She makes two of her fingers float over and thread the wire through. Strider pauses, then looks at her. She glances at him for a few seconds, then gently nods to the wire with her head and eyes. He returns his attention to the wires.
After a couple minutes, he has created something: Makeshift jumper cables.
Instead of clamps he has thin wires. He turns to peridot and attaches the wires to the point of connection of her enhancer. He sends a minor jolt of power from his fingers through the wires.
HISS!
As soon as he does that, the guard around peridot’s diamond elbow cap lets out a loud hiss and immediately opens up by expanding into four separate pieces of a circle.
“(Dusts hands)… there we go” he says dusting his hands off. He lifts his eyes off the enhancer and looks at peridot.
His small smile sinks. Peridot is staring at her arm. Frozen with a downed expression.
This will be the first time… in forever… that she’ll see her arm… her real arm.
Strider gazes at her face and waits.
After what feels like three minutes… peridot slowly lifts her left arm, reaching over herself, and places her hand on her right limb enhancer. Her fingers slowly grip and hold it in place.
She takes a deep breath, then slowly slides her right arm out.
Her lips part for a silent gasp. Her eyes gently widen as she brings her small hand up to her face.
…
For a couple moments she studies it; slowly opening and closing it… as if it’s a new limb.
“………… you okay” strider asks quietly. Peridot clenches her hand into a soft fist. She lifts her eyes from it and looks at him.
“……… yeah” she says softly. Lowering her hand onto her leg.
*Warp pad sound in distance*
Peridot snaps her suddenly widened eyes to the doorway. Strider immediately grabs peridot’s broken enhancer. He quickly helps Peridot up and takes her to her corner. He grabs a small blanket and places it over her shoulders which covers her biceps. He hears Steven and amethyst getting closer. He quickly pulls peridot’s curtain closed and rushes over to his bench.
Peridot double blinks.
“… what just happened?” She says in her head.
It all happened soo fast. One moment she was sitting, the next she is sitting on her couch in her room.
“Are you sure that’s what he wanted?” Steven says as he enters the barn with amethyst.
“Positive. He just wanted some alone time with……” amethyst’s words stop as she turns and lifts her head to be met with strider.
“……peridot” she quietly squeaks out. Strider calmly leans forward and takes the tool from Amethyst.
“Cheers” he says.
He straightens up.
“You know what. I think we’ve done enough work for today. Why don’t you two go home and get some sleep in your house.” He says.
*amethyst gets an excited expression*
“You mean…” (amethyst)
“Yeah” strider smiles.
“Woohoo! Aww yeah! Pile here I come” amethyst throws her hands in the air, turns and starts jogging to the warp pad.
Steven and strider watch amethyst. When she gets to the fence, Steven looks inside the barn.
“… where’s peridot?” He asks.
“She’s in her corner” (strider)
“I’m fine!” Peridot shouts.
“I didn’t say you weren’t” he calmly shouts over his shoulder.
Strider looks down at Steven.
“She’s fine” he says quietly.
“I heard that!” She shouts.
Strider smiles. Steven smiles.
“Bye peridot” Steven waves.
“Bye!” She shouts.
Strider waits until he sees the warp stream.
Once he does, he slowly turns and walks over to peridot’s corner.
“Are they gone?” She whispers.
*He stops in front of the curtain*
“Yes” he whispers.
Peridot tears the curtain open.
She turns her head and stares at the entrance.
“That was too close” strider and peridot say in sync. strider looks down at her, she looks up at him.
……………
Awkwardly they stare for a minute.
“…… soooo” (strider)
“…………” (peridot)
“… wanna…… work on this now…” he says holding her enhancer.
“…… orrr…… should I give you a minute to get your bearings together?” He says.
Peridot’s eyes squint and her brow furrows confused.
“…… what?” She says.
“……… (sighs)” strider sighs, letting his head and arms flop.
“… work now…… or work later” he says.
“…(sighs).. how am I supposed to know that.” She says. Strider extends his hand down to her. She looks at it.
“… tch! You and your weird phrases.” She says. She takes his hand and stands up.
“Oh I’m sorry. Do you want me to go back to being boring.” He says as she walks past him.
Little does strider know, peridot… is smiling. And little does she know… he is too.
And little do they both know… that Steven is listening with a pressed ear.
“Tch!” Peridot rolls her eyes. She grabs strider’s stool as he reaches for it and sits down. Strider freezes for a second, then turns his head and looks at her. Peridot glances at him, then adjusts her blanket.
“… heh”
Strider chuckles. He then slowly takes a knee on her left. Her holds up her enhancer, and says:
“… shall we begin?”
……… small smile
Peridot stares at him from the corner of her eye, then smiles.
Steven smiles hearing their friendly chatter.
Continue
💬 0 🔁 0 ❤️ 0 · New beginnings continued · Peridot opens the curtain. She leans out, looks at the door, then takes a step closer to strider
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My Alternate Universe plays around and allows episodes from the show to still play out. So here’s a timeline of my story
Timeline
Up to episode 50 (The Message) of season one of Steven universe is the same, no changes.
Reclamation AU starts just before this episode. It focuses on what’s happening on homeworld instead of Steven and the gems.
It focuses on how lapis sent the message and her capture.
Between episode 51 and 52:
Focuses on Peridot receiving her orders, meeting her escort and retrieving her informant. The reclaimer (antagonist) joins peridot as her second escort.
During The return:
Focuses on the travel to earth from homeworld. Shows how jasper is more focused on her own agenda than Peridot’s. Focuses on The reclaimer’s observations and actions on the ship.
When they arrive at earth, the reclaimer is sent down to the kindergarten before descent on beach city because peridot has taken command and prioritised the mission over jasper’s vendetta. The reclaimer gets left behind as Jasper takes command and forces peridot to go to beach city because peridot was only confident when her obedient bodyguard was present.
The events of Peridot landing on the beach in The Return play out like the actual episode.
The Reclaimer arrives before conflict erupts causing an extended dialogue before Steven and the gems are blasted.
Steven and the gems are defeated, then a conflict between the Reclaimer and Jasper breaks out but is quickly ended by peridot.
Jail Break
Plays out like actual episode besides a change in which lapis and Steven do not get to interact as the Reclaimer moves her to another cell before Steven awoke.
Steven has a close call with the Reclaimer; almost being spotted by it as it walks the corridors.
Jasper and Garnet fight like actual episode.
Pearl, Amethyst and Steven are stopped from entering the bridge by the reclaimer and held off long enough for Garnet to destroy the reactor.
Reclaimer turns ship around and ejects peridot out in an escape pod before reactor was destroyed. Also ejects lapis out in an escape pod as they enter atmosphere.
Ships crashes on the beach.
Jasper rises out of the rubble alone. Reclaimer rises out of burning rubble and stands beside Jasper.
Jasper gets poofed then cubed (Reclaimer’s version of bubbled)
Reclaimer incapacitates crystal gems and kidnaps Steven.
And here is where the timeline starts to create its own episodes/chapters
New episode: Far and Wide
Desc: After being kidnapped by the reclaimer, Steven is forced to travel alongside it as it takes him somewhere.
The episode focuses on The reclaimer taking Steven somewhere. Initially heading inland until they come across Peridot who joins it in hopes of being protected. The trek takes a couple of days as Steven’s needs have to be addressed. The final destination of the trek takes Steven, peridot and the reclaimer to watermelon island where the stranded lapis resides. The reclaimer hands Steven over to lapis so that its task may be completed. Being told its task is done the reclaimer turns to peridot and leaves with her moments before the crystal gems arrive.
New episode: Stranded
Focuses on the reclaimer and Peridot searching for any means to establish communication and to get off earth. Showing where last episode left off with the two warping off the watermelon island.
The two will be shown finding a crashed gem ship which peridot decides to use as the hideout and main base. She commands the Reclaimer to clear the ship while she tries to get it working again. Reclaimer ends up finding corrupted gem on ship and captures it in secluded part of ship before returning to peridot and pointing out the reactor is busted. The reclaimer has no voice of its own so it speaks using recorded audio. So peridot hears her own voice.
Full Disclosure has Steven talk with Connie after returning home from island while Stranded is happening
Joy ride plays the same.
Back to show timeline until episode 7
During episode 7: Rising Tides, Crashing Skies
After Steven and the gems finish watching Ronaldo’s documentary. When Steven clicks the like button, the screen glitches with static for a few seconds. When it stops the screen and lighting are different. The screen is greener and slightly see through. The room is dark. Slowly it starts zooming back, the screen getting smaller, more of the room becoming visible in frame. Eventually it zooms back enough till we are hovering over a familiar metal shoulder.
Reveals the reclaimer is in the lighthouse. Various other videos Ronaldo has recorded are shifted through and partially shown on the reclaimer’s screen. It’s white pin sized lights for eyes staring… analysing. Flickering… revealing more inside those abyss filled sockets. Static noise growing louder as its eyes flicker more.
Then suddenly the static stops and Peridot’s voice is heard getting the reclaimer’s attention. The reclaimer’s head slowly turns to the left to reveal its now on the gem ship staring at peridot. Its white dots stare at her standing in the rundown corridor. After glaring at it for a couple seconds, Peridot huffs and walks away, disappearing down the corridor.
Closing scene: the reclaimer and peridot leaving their ship and warping to the kindergarten.
Season 2 episode 8: Keeping it together
Reclamation version: Retrieval
Steven and the Gems find Peridot emerging from the bunker in the kindergarten. When she is being pursued by Pearl and Amethyst the Reclaimer appears and chases after them letting Peridot escape. Steven and Garnet leave the bunker to see Pearl and Amethyst running away from the reclaimer and so flee with them. The reclaimer ends its pursuit at the warp pad upon seeing the crystal gems warp. It turns and goes back to the kindergarten bunker meeting up with peridot in the middle. Peridot wipes the dust off her body as she complains to the Reclaimer. The reclaimer pays no attention to her. She notices and sighs before saying “(sighs) I don’t know why I even bother”
Peridot turns on her screen to look at the data she downloaded from the bunker only to find when it opens that it’s corrupted and torn static. So after groaning she commands the Reclaimer to follow as she needs to go back down into the bunker.
When they enter the bunker peridot immediately walks over to the console and interacts with it. While she’s doing that, the reclaimer positions itself halfway down the ramp leading from the lift. After a couple moments of the reclaimer watching peridot, Its attention slowly shifts down and to its left. Staring at the natural stone of the cave. A black/dark grey partially see through box forms around something down there. The reclaimer slowly shifts its attention to the large display.
The last thing of note before it ends is the focus on the reclaimer’s white eyes… as distant and echoing audio from the episode Coach Steven quietly plays from the reclaimer.
Episode 9: Chille Tid
Reclamation version: Establish Connection
Focuses on Peridot and The Reclaimer travelling back to the gem ship after last episode. Peridot studies old documented sites on her screen as she heads into the main chamber of the ship. The Reclaimer quietly stops and waits till peridot is out of sight. Once she is the door on its right opens. It throws the cube it made at the bunker in the room then proceeds to the main chamber where peridot is.
Peridot grunts and grumbles annoyed as she’s having no luck getting old gem tech to work. Hearing Peridot mumble that she just needs to get the communication relay working, the Reclaimer plays audio of the gems and Steven talking about the communication spire.
Peridot slowly turns and looks at the reclaimer over her left shoulder with a scowl. The Reclaimer’s screen forms and pin points where the spire is. Peridot looks at the screen… then grinds her teeth. She loudly expresses annoyance by yelling at it, then she turns away and grumbles that it should’ve revealed this to her sooner. The Reclaimer (as usual) doesn’t react or respond. Peridot sighs as she facepalms. After a few seconds pass she huffs then turns and tells it to follow her as she heads to the warp pad.
While exiting the ship the reclaimer stops in the doorway. Peridot (while standing on the warp pad) growls with clenched teeth when she looks back and sees it standing there. She shouts: “Hey! CLOD!” then yells “you broken!? Get over here Now!” While pointing at the warp pad beneath her. The Reclaimer does nothing. Peridot grumbles, then commands the reclaimer to take her to the communication spire with gritted teeth. The reclaimer obeys.
They travel to the spire. They find it is destroyed and so peridot orders the reclaimer to fix it. The two head back to the ship once it is repaired and peridot tries to format her message to be compatible with the spire. The reclaimer leaves the ship without peridot noticing and goes to the kindergarten.
As it’s going down the kindergarten lift a quiet beeping sound can be heard. The reclaimer’s white dots expand into circles. It’s screen forms with the words *NEW REQUEST ADDED.* with text below that text reading *LOCATION: HOMEWORLD*
The reclaimer closes the request screen and opens a new screen… one showing a direct link with Homeworld.
New episode: Pieces of the past
Peridot’s captured pod picks up a signal coming from an isolated location. Steven and the gems track the signal and find an old wrecked gem base from the war. The base is overgrown. Nature has tried to reclaim the land robbed from it.
Steven and the gems proceed cautiously inside. The gems unknowingly trigger a silent sensor alerting the Reclaimer who has returned to the ship peridot is trying to repair. The Reclaimer slowly turns its head and stares over its shoulder. Its white dots (now encircled by grey rings) glow.
The Gems explore the base finding symbols and old writings that indicate that this base was once used by the Crystal gems.
While exploring further into the base, they find a large open room with a glass domed roof. Long ago, one could’ve gazed at the stars from in here. A beautiful architectural design… left to ruin. The lighting is a welcome change for Steven and the gems after having to travel through corridors upon corridors of darkness.
The gems decide they need to stop and figure out where they are. Pearl and Garnet start looking around. Steven and
While resting, something on the walls catches Steven’s attention. He and Amethyst go to a wall that’s covered in vines. After Steven points out that he thinks there’s something behind it, he and the gems remove the vines.
No longer obstructed by the vines, they find faded and destroyed murals of the diamonds. Beneath them are scribbles of old gem text most likely written before the rebellion.
Pearl and Garnet stop to look at the murals. Meanwhile amethyst is bored. Spotting a loose vine hanging from the ceiling, she gets Steven’s attention before climbing on it and swinging around. Pearl tells amethyst to get down and tries to snatch her out of the air as she swings past. Amethyst tells Pearl to chill out and it’s not like the roof is going to collapse.
Right as she says that her vine snaps sending her smacking flat as a pancake against a wall. Pearl yelps Amethyst’s name and rushes to help her. Amethyst pulls her squished face off the wall like a starfish and says she’s okay and comments how the wall is surprisingly soft. Pearl sighs then rouses on amethyst telling her to get down. Amethyst tells Pearl to relax. Garnet tells amethyst to listen to Pearl. Amethyst sighs and says fine.
As amethyst starts to climb down, the wall drops like the curtains of a stage. Amethyst hits the ground and the soft ‘wall’ falls on and covers her… like a blanket. Pearl glances at the wall, then her eyes widen. Slowly she turns and stares at the wall. Garnet and Steven walk over and stare up at the wall. Amethyst crawls out from under the fallen curtain asking why no one gave her a hand. After seeing them staring at the wall she turns and looks at it too.
Concealed behind this curtain are Murals untouched by time. These murals are not of the diamonds.
On the left is a tall, four armed, ice/ocean blue female gem. No planets surround her. She is not stood tall or shown to be mighty. Instead she is on her knees… level with the gems crowded around her. Golden light glowing brightly from within the her. The gems around her look happy and joyous. Another mural shows this gem standing with her arms open. Gems running to her like a child to their mother. Another mural shows her hugging a gem that’s resting in her lap with one set of arms while her other set are holding someone’s hand and helping another to their feet.
Whoever she was, Gemkind chose to remember her as motherly and kind.
On the right is a tall, dark grey male gem. There is only one mural.
Sword in hand, held firmly by his side. Head arched back, his gaze fixed upon the corner where the wall and ceiling meet. Gems running and cowering scared behind him, one holding onto him tightly and burying their face into his back. His pose and posture is of defiance… but to what.
Sliding their eyes to where the gem is looking… everyone freezes.
In the corner where he gazes… is White diamond. Towering over all. An eyeless face with an evil grin. Her long fingers reaching out to snatch those who flee from her.
Whoever he was, gemkind must have revered him as their protector.
In silence the four stare at the wall.
Steven goes to ask, but amethyst asks first: “Woah, who are they?” The room goes silent again. Neither Pearl nor Garnet respond. “Do you guys know them?” Steven asks. Looking up at Pearl’s face, Amethyst notices there is an angry twitch in her brow.
“Pearl?” Steven says. “Sorry Steven. I don’t know who these gems are” Pearl says. “For someone who doesn’t know you sure are staring at them a lot” Amethyst mutters. Amethyst (not satisfied) approaches the wall. “Hey there’s some writing here” Steven hurries over. Pearl walks over and squats to read it. “What’s it say pearl?” Amethyst asks. Pearl’s eyes scan the writing, then a couple moments later she says. “It’s too faded to read” she stands up and looks up at the mural.
Steven looks over at Garnet. Garnet’s gaze has remained fixed on the mural of the light gem. Steven walks over to Garnet and stares up at it too. Steven asks Garnet if she knows ‘her’ referring to the light gem. Garnet’s fist slowly clenches, then she turns her head away. “We should keep moving” garnet says. Pearl and Garnet walk away. “Well that was weird” amethyst says, then starts walking after them.
Steven turns to the wall and gazes up at the murals again. He pulls his phone out and snaps a couple photos.
“Steven” Pearl calls. “Sorry *stores phone in pocket* coming”
Steven jogs over to Pearl and passes her through the doorway. Pearl takes one last look at the murals, then leaves.
The gems enter the centre of the base and find the cause of the signal being a malfunctioning dashboard in the centre of the room. Before they can interact they hear peridot’s voice approaching. The gems quickly leap and hide on the roof using a hole in the ceiling, then peak over and watch.
Peridot and the reclaimer enter the room with peridot on her screen talking but the gems can’t make out what she’s saying. The reclaimer stands in the doorway staring at peridot crouching and interacting with the panel beneath the console.
A small corrupted monster suddenly leaps out of the shadows from the other side of the room and attacks peridot. The Monster phases through peridot as she’s a just hologram. The Reclaimer catches the monster with one hand and slams it on the ground. Then crushes its form poofing it. The reclaimer turns and leaves… but Steven’s foot slips causing a piece of the ceiling to fall and its thud echoes. The reclaimer stops. Then after a few silent seconds pass, its head instantly snap around 180 degrees and stares at them. The gems pick up Steven and bolt. The reclaimer doesn’t follow and turns its attention to the gem it captured.
On its way out it stops in the room with the murals. Slowly its head turns and stares at the one of the Grey gem. But after a couple seconds pass and a twitch in its hand, it turns and leaves.
Episode 10: Cry for Help
Plays out like normal
However, reveals that the reclaimer is at the temple while Steven and gems aren’t there. The Reclaimer witnesses the gems turning on each other using a surveillance device it left at the spire. It stands outside the ship peridot will use during Friendship and watches the crystal gems fall apart.
Reclaimer’s right hand by its side twitches… then tenses and trembles.
End
New episode: New Parameters
The gems pursue a new signal found by peridot’s pod that leads them to the kindergarten. The gems warp in and search for Peridot.
The gems pause after travelling a fair bit as they hear peridot’s mumbling voice and her footsteps approaching. They peak around and see her shadow approaching. So the gems set up an ambush to capture her.
As they are ready to ambush her, Pearl discerns the difference in the sound of peridot’s footsteps and realises too late that it’s the reclaimer.
The gems have their ambush turned against them and flee. But unlike the other times where running away works… it doesn’t this time. The reclaimer pursues and sprints after them. As the reclaimer closes in on them, Steven and the gems get saved by a corrupted gem who manages to injure the reclaimer. The gems go to use this opportunity to potentially destroy the reclaimer, but Pearl spots peridot leaving the bunker and pursues her.
The reclaimer knocks the corrupted gem down, then rips its gemstone out and crushes it. After doing so the reclaimer falls to on knee and is left open. Garnet and Amethyst attempt to strike the reclaimer. The Reclaimer lifts its head and spots peridot being pursued. It instantly repairs its body using liquid similar to peridot’s robonoids, booms past Garnet and knocks pearl away from peridot. The gems try and fight the reclaimer but end up failing. After knocking the gems down… The reclaimer turns its gaze on Steven and chases him. A pursuit through some narrow passages in the kindergarten ensues. Steven uses this to his advantage and slips into a spot that’s impossible for the reclaimer’s bulky frame to follow him.
But Steven gets dragged out by telekinetic force. Right when the Reclaimer is about to grab him its arm freezes then recoils. Distracted, Steven is able to escape. The reclaimer stares in the direction Steven escaped in. Then it turns its attention to its misbehaving arm, trying to tense its fingers and form a fist.
Garnet gets mad at pearl for leaving Steven and the reclaimer shows less care and respect when escorting peridot back to the ship. Simply stomping past making peridot follow it… not the other way round.
Back to show until after episode 15: Friendship
Friendship plays out like normal.
But at the end of the episode, as it seems to end on a positive note, Steven receives a distressing call from Connie.
Nightmare hospital
Arriving at the kindergarten bunker, Peridot finds the Reclaimer is absent. However the bunker screen is accessing and opening files eventually bringing up the details of Priyanka and the hospital she works at. Playing audio of Connie mentioning the hospital.
At the end of nightmare hospital. Steven, Connie, Priyanka and Lion are outside in the parking lot.
Steven suddenly feels ill, falls to his knees and grips his stomach. Connie and Priyanka go to him.
Steven’s eyes snap wide. He knows where this agonising feeling comes from.
Everyone’s attention snaps to the sounds of heavy mechanical steps. They look forward… and see the Reclaimer rapidly approaching them.
Lion attacks blasting the reclaimer with a roar blast… which has no effect.
The reclaimer, 20 steps away from Lion, suddenly appears beside Lion and delivers a swift backhand launching Lion into the side of a car: knocking Lion unconscious.
“Lion!” Steven shouts.
The three quickly get up and rush back inside the hospital. The reclaimer pursues them inside.
A game of cat and mouse ensues.
The three stay on the move and hide from the reclaimer. A few close calls, but they manage to get close to the entrance.
As they boom it outside, the reclaimer grabs Steven and gives him to stare into it glowing red eyes. It’s grip tightening around.
Suddenly the reclaimer recoils. Releasing Steven and stepping back, its body convulses keeping it paralysed.
Connie grabs Steven and they book it outside. Lion wakes and sees them get in the car. The the car starts and hurriedly leaves with Lion trailing beside it.
The reclaimer bursts through the front doors. But it is too late. It only catches a glimpse of the car escaping the parking lot.
Its mechanical eyes stare where it lost sight of the car………… then its eyes shift to the right……… to the sound of police sirens.
Peridot spins around to the sound of the bunker’s lift descending.
The lift reaches the bottom with the reclaimer standing upon it.
The reclaimer descends the ramp and approaches. Peridot gets up and immediately starts berating the reclaimer as it approaches her.
The reclaimer stops in front of peridot… its robot red eyes staring down at her.
Down by its right side…… its blood covered had clenches into a fist.
The images in this post are crappy, rushed, drawings for a storyboard I created for a specific scene in my story.
This crappy storyboard of mine is of peridot from Steven Universe Reclamation.
Some context:
Peridot recently experienced a severely traumatic and painful event which has resulted in her legs, and right arm enhancer to permanently fuse with her body.
She has been okay since the event, but has needed time to heal. While healing, The OC Gem Protagonist (Strider) stays with her, making sure she is safe, comfortable and not in pain. This gem and Peridot started off badly, but the two have become good friends while working on the drill (this is unrelated to the storyboard).
Once healed, and given specially made braces that restore her function to walk, she returns to the barn and resumes work on the drill.
It doesn’t take long since returning to work for her to have a mental episode, believing herself to be worthless and a flawed gem that shouldn’t exist.
This is all due to previous events, and the trauma inflicted on her by the Antagonist of the story.
Strider stops Peridot from hurting herself. He stays with Peridot and comforts her, saying many supportive things that help her calm down and remove the negativity inside her. These words overall help Peridot to feel better and understand that everyone cares deeply about her no matter what. Strider’s words and the actions he took to comfort her make her heart feel lighter and less burdened by trauma. When her episode is over, she now needs time to recover and relax.
After spending the rest of the day doing nothing at the barn, she goes for a walk and brings her tape recorder with her. Steven, Amethyst, Lapis, and Strider are concerned, but she assures them she will be fine.
This is the description of each panel.
it is the afternoon. Peridot has left the barn and is going for a walk. She walks by the cliffs edge above the ocean. While walking she turns on her recorder.
Peridot forgoes making a log and continues walking with her eyes lowered to the ground.
Peridot is visibly sad. Although she is feeling better than the past few weeks, the events that have befallen her hang heavily on her shoulders. The accident has forever changed her. Both mentally and physically. While walking, the wind blows in from the sea.
Peridot stops as the wind brushes through her messy hair. Then she turns and looks at the ocean.
A shot of peridot’s knee braces that allow her to walk after her injury.
A close up shot from behind peridot of her damaged robotic arm.
Peridot looking out at the ocean below
Peridot getting messy blurred flashbacks of that horrible night.
A shot of the sky during sunset. The wind blows through the tree behind her. And sunlight slowly crawls down the tree behind her as well as slowly sliding down her face.
Peridot gets startled by a seagull squawking and her eyes snap wide.
She snaps her head up. 11.5: Her eyes stop and she stares out across the ocean at the warm sunset.
Peridot stops her thoughts and freezes up in slight awe.
Peridot starts slowly closing her eyes as various different peaceful things occur around her. Sounds of ocean waves. The soft breeze brushing across her face. The branches of trees dancing in the wind. Peridot is starting to feel at peace. Noticing earth’s beauty for the first time since coming here.
Peridot slowly opens her eyes. And then softly smiles.
She would start to slowly sit down
Peridot sits down letting her legs hang and dangle over the cliffs edge.
Peridot takes a deep breath, then sighs.
After a couple moments, she takes her visor off, slowly leans back, and lies down on the grass, resting her hand and tape recorder over her stomach. She closes her eyes and slowly dozes off.
Peridot opens the curtain. She leans out, looks at the door, then takes a step closer to strider. She adjusts the cloth covering her right arm and keeps it pinched together with two fingers at the base of her neck.
“… … … soooo.” Strider says breaking the long silence.
“… 😳!” Peridot’s brow and shoulders jump.
The two stand there in awkward silence.
“… … th… thanks” she keeps her eyes down and head low as she quietly mumbles this. She turns to go back into her room but stops halfway. She gazes at her bench for a minute.
Strider also stopped when he went to turn away.
……
They both turn. He goes to speak, she walks past him. He barely has time to move to the side and he backs into the backroom wall. He sees her casually walk over to his bench.
……
After stopping in front of it, she turns to the left and looks at him over her shoulder.
“…… well” she says.
“(Little head shake), what?” Strider says.
(Peridot gestures enhancer to his bench)
“… Are we going to fix my limb enhancer?”
She says.
“… m” (strider)
“… Or are you just going to stand there?” She says.
He is frozen. But after a few a seconds pass, he calmly walks over. She moves to her left stepping out of his way. He sits down. She places her enhancer on the desk. Then…… nothing. They both stare at it.
She takes quick glances at him several times.
“Is he going to do anything?” she says in her head.
“… do…… I have your permission… to work on this?” He hesitantly asks.
“…… yeah-yes. Yes.” She stutters.
He waits a moment. After it passes, he calmly picks the enhancer up and examines it.
While he holds it up to his face, looking into the opening Peridot’s arm would normally fill, peridot’s closed lips twitch.
“… Hey” she suddenly speaks.
He instantly stops and looks down at her on his left.
Her open hand by her side clenches.
“… you…… don’t need to ask for permission. …… anymore” she says, her eyes and head staying low.
He slowly lowers the enhancer; gently resting it on the desk’s wooden surface.
“…… *closes eyes, takes deep breath*… if we’re going to be friends…… we need to treat each other equally” she says.
“I need to treat you. Like you’ve been treating me” she says quietly to herself.
“…… peridot.” He says softly.
“So from now on, everything I said you have to do, you don’t have to do…… unless you … want to do what I said, then you can.
(Rapid head shake)
You don’t have to do what I say anymore-” she says finally lifting her head and facing him.
“-I get it.” he says. Her body jerks.
“…You don’t have to say anymore.” He says with a soft tone.
…
He calmly returns to the enhancer.
…
For a minute, no words are spoken. The only sounds being that of metal turning metal.
He sets the enhancer down, standing it up on its black rim. His hands let go and rest on the desk.
“…… Peridot. About the way I’ve treated you. I-.” He says.
“-I think I understand why.” She says.
He looks at her on his left.
“You were treating me the same way Steven was. Then… you started treating me the same way I was treating you. And… I didn’t notice the first part… until recently.” She says lowering her head and eyes down to her left.
……
The silence feels loud.
…
“……… well” he says.
Her eyes snap to him on the farthest point of her vision.
“… I didn’t realise you were being nice until today. So I guess we’re both not good at noticing that stuff.” His voice is quiet.
……
The two sit there in silence………
…
“…… right.” *places hands on desk* “weee… should begin” he says.
“… right!”
Both turn their attention to dissecting the broken enhancer.
Peridot discovers that her enhancer’s frame can split into two pieces: revealing the enhancer’s inner workings.
Strider sets the frame pieces aside, then carefully studies the electronics.
Peridot leans a little closer: peering over his metal arm.
Opening the black disk at the end of the enhancer.
*bzt!…… bz…*
Both snap their gaze to the flicker of green energy on the black end of the enhancer.
… *bzt! WWWRRRRR!*
Their eyes widen then snap to the enhancer’s inners. A dangerous looking ball of energy forms where peridot’s hand would be in the enhancer.
Strider instantly summons a barrier around it.
…Both double blink in sync.
The two stare at the cube and contemplate whether they saw what they believe they saw. Strider opens the cube a little before immediately sealing it again when some energy flicks out.
“Yep!” They say in sync.
Peridot freezes and her eyes widen.
“… that was in my enhancer.” She mutters in realisation.
When trying to examine it again using an opaque cube, the ball of energy becomes volatile. It expands against the cube’s walls, then suddenly vanishes leaving the cube empty.
Peridot’s anger boils and she goes to let it out on strider… but she stops herself. She realises that if she had ignored him, her enhancer could’ve exploded while she was wearing it.
Her anger fades and she finds herself letting out a depressing sigh believing that she’s going to have to go without her enhancer now.
However strider examines the enhancer and finds that was not the power supply. Just a ball of energy like the ones her blaster fires.
“A few things look damaged, but-“
Peridot’s energy reignites.
“-Then it still works!?”
She spurts out, springing up on her stool; hand planted on the desk to keep steady, her body leaning over his arm casting her shadow over the enhancer.
He recoils from her positive display of emotion; something he’s not used to.
“…… Possibly” he says.
Peridot looks at him for a few seconds with a slightly open mouth resembling a smile of excitement 😃, then turns her full attention to her enhancer.
Her hands reach in……… and freeze.
Her lips purse. Her eyes hurriedly study the internals.
“…… I don’t know where to start” she internally says to herself.
She looks at strider from the corner of her right eye.
After a couple moments, her hands slowly retract as she carefully sits down.
…
She sits there; her gaze focused on her enhancer.
Her hands resting on her lap gently clench into fists.
“…… um” she says after being silent for fifteen seconds. She calmly turns her head to strider and looks him in the face. Not with sharpness or coldness. Not straight on. She tilts her head up, looking at him… softly.
“……where do we start?” She asks, her voice soft.
Strider is still for a few moments. Then the centre of his lips part just a smidge.
“…… w… well.” He appears to stutter. He turns and faces his desk properly.
“We should see if any parts are reusable and replace any that aren’t” He says reaching up and adjusting a light.
“…… s-Sure” she says raising her voice to hide the stutter.
Strider brings the enhancer closer. Peridot leans closer so she can see down into the enhancer, and the two get to work.
A compilation begins, showing them work through the night.
They carefully open the inner frame revealing the circuits and wiring.
Jumps ahead to: peridot leaning in then reaching in and pulling out a burnt wire.
Delicately they remove a circuit board and lay it on a towel. Peridot picks it up and studies it. Turning it over, spinning it around, checking front and back.
Holding it in her real hand feels weird. She stops many times and stares at her hand.
In the corner of her eye, she notices strider watching her from the corner of his. When they notice, they return to their work.
More of the frame is opened and more damaged parts are found.
Removing the cone shaped casing, strider delicately fixes the dents while peridot tests the circuit board.
Strider finishes his job and places the casing on the desk.
He turns and walks over to peridot.
“How we doing over here?”
“About 75% of energy is flowing through the circuits. Everything else looks fine.”
“Good. 75% is better than nothing.”
The two carefully place the circuit board back inside the enhancer.
They reassemble the enhancer back into one piece. Peridot slides her arm in and tries turning it on.
There is a surge of power; attaching the enhancer to her arm. Strider puts her deactivated fingers down in front of her enhancer.
She aims her enhancer at them and clenches her open hand inside the enhancer; curling her fingers as if gripping a ball.
The external fingers do nothing. With no success there, she moves her hand around; performing basic and her most common configurations; but the fingers remain idle. So she sets it down.
Strider switches the battery charger off releasing the enhancers grip on peridot’s arm. Peridot slides her arm out.
They examine the external frame and notice burn marks on the surface where her fingers attach and hover around.
Strider drags two fingers across its burnt surface.
“Is it the same issue as my foot?” Peridot asks.
“Unfortunately reversing the magnetic field won’t work here.” He says.
He grabs a tool and opens it up, the entire black cylinder is sparking. Bad, but a sign it could still work.
Strider grabs some paper and draws up a diagram of both forms; assembled - disassembled
Peridot points to various spots on the enhancer; Strider jots everything down.
Both of them look down at the diagram. Then both turn and look at the pile of parts meant for the drill.
Various shots of their hands grabbing stuff from the pile of parts play.
Outside, Peridot pulls a circuit out from a junk piece of her hand ship.
As she’s walking back inside, she stops and notices an empty cardboard box. Next shot shows her carrying the box under her arm as she enters the barn.
As she passes the door, we see Strider in the background with peridot’s pod. He extracts wires, circuit boards, and the screen interface.
Jumps over to Peridot sitting on her knees rummaging through the pile, tossing parts into the box.
Strider places his parts on the desk. He stops and looks his desk left to right. He turns to his right then his left and spots a table in the corner. Peridot stands up and grabs her box. But her box won’t move. She squats and tries to pick up the box.
In the background Peridot struggles in picking her box up while we focus on strider setting up a table extending the width of his work area.
Peridot grunts. She activates her stasis beam and picks the box up. She turns and her head gently jerks back. Strider steps to his right reaching up to his shelves and starts bringing tools down. Peridot places her box on the table and walks over to her work area. She returns and places a toolbox beside the box.
Strider sits down on his stool. He assembles two stands and places both half’s on them. Peridot walks over and hops up on her stool. She slides strider’s tablet onto the desk. Strider looks down at it, then lifts his eyes to her face. She is looking down at her stool making herself comfortable.
Strider places two fingers on the screen and flicks up opening it. He taps a folder, swipes, and opens a file containing a blueprint of the enhancer. Peridot lifts her head and sees the file. She sits forward and stares down at it.
(Shot from behind; so backs facing us)
Strider places a finger on the screen pointing at something. Peridot nods.
(Changes to their hands)
Delicately they remove parts piece by piece; placing each part on their designated spot on the diagrams.
When one finds a reusable part, they show it to the other for their judgment, then put it on a metal tray.
Each singed wire, each fried circuit, each switch, distributer, node and stabiliser. Every damaged part is replaced and made anew.
The night flies on by: welcoming the next day.
Peridot awakens lying on her couch in her corner. At first she doesn’t remember how she got there, then remembers that she herself walked over and laid down to rest but fell asleep.
She sits up and stretches her arms above her head. Then she rubs her face with her right hand. She opens her eyes and looks at her hand. She forgot she took her enhancer off. So she admires her hand for a little while. Then… she touches her face.
The sensation feels weird. It’s not foreign like her screen fingers. She can feel what her face feels like. It feels… smooth.
Slowly peridot touches every part of her face. When her fingers are denied entry to her eyes by her visor, she freezes.
Slowly she slides her fingers along the edge of her visor, feeling its round edge.
After a moment or two passes, she brings the fingers of her enhancer up… then slowly … removes her visor. She brings her left hand down and rests it beside her thigh. Very slowly… with a very shaky arm. She brings her hand up to her forehead… and gently presses her fingertips on her gemstone.
Her lips part a smidge while her breath is frozen.
(Now we don’t see her fingers touching her gem, instead we are focused on her eyes)
As she feels the surface of her gemstone, there are some little hitches in her breath… some twitches in her eye.
Slowly peridot lowers her arm down to her stomach… where her hand slowly tightens its grip on her clothing.
For a couple moments… everything is silent.
Not long after, she hears movement from the main room. She looks to her curtain upon hearing the sound. Quickly she puts her visor back on, then gets up. She fashions her blanket over her shoulder and walks over to the curtain.
She carefully brushes the curtains aside and looks into the main room. She spots strider standing by his bench working on something in front of him, hidden from her by his large frame. Still tired, she yawns then walks over and tiredly says hi. Strider turns to his right and smiles before responding cheerily, but also softly. He drags a stool over. Peridot takes a seat beside him.
A short while later she groans tiredly and rubs her eyes again. She’s up far too early. The sun isn’t even up yet.
Peridot yawns again then rests her right shoulder against the wooden beam. Shortly after doing that, she falls asleep.
Strider stops working loudly when he notices peridot is asleep. He also uses his powers to help her be comfortable and keep her from falling off her chair.
When she wakes later, her groggy eyes slowly try and open. After some yawning and rubbing of the eyes and face, she opens her eyes.
When she’s fully awake her half shut eyes open fully upon seeing her new enhancer resting in front of her on the bench.
Strider has her new enhancer on a stand on his bench.
Peridot slowly slides her feet onto the floor and stands up. Her steps are slow and heavy. After moving herself forward, she stands facing her new enhancer.
She hesitates… then reaches out. Her hand flinches… then reaches out and runs her fingers along its green shell.
Strider enters the barn and stops. Peridot hasn’t noticed him, so he stands there as quietly as he can and watches peridot admire her new enhancer.
Peridot eventually notices him. She glances when she sees him in the corner of her vision. Then her brain works and her eyes snap wide.
……
After remaining still for a minute, her eyes and head slowly slide and turn to him.
…
He smiles lightly.
(Peridot looks to her right. But after a couple moments, she brings her eyes back to his face)
“… …… morning” she says softly and quietly.
Strider walks over and stands beside her.
They both stare down at the enhancer on the desk.
……
“Wanna give it a whirl?” (Strider)
“……🤨… what?”
“… (smiles as he sighs)… wanna put it on?”
……
*stares at him for 10 seconds*…… *looks down at enhancer*
“…… *small smile*… yeah” (quietly)
Strider smiles.
Strider picks the enhancer up and places its opening facing peridot.
Strider presses a finger by the opening. The opening splits into four equal parts of a circle.
Peridot grips the enhancer keeping it still and slides her arm inside. Strider watches as peridot adjusts and correctly aligns her arm with the enhancer’s elbow caps.
When she’s ready, she takes her fingers off. Strider removes his finger.
The enhancer joint hisses then slowly compresses. The four parts slowly close and restore the circle: this time wrapped around peridot’s arm.
Peridot slowly slides her arm off the bench and curls it. She turns and faces strider as he reaches into a box and pulls out the missing fingers. Strider holds the fingers in front of the enhancer’s black surface.
The stiff fingers vibrate…… then slowly levitate and hover in front of the enhancer.
Peridot brings her hand in front of her face and studies it.
……
Peridot steadily lowers her arm letting it rest by her side. She turns her head and lets her eyes slowly drag across the messy surface of the bench as she turns her face to his.
“… … thanks” she says.
*awkward silence and stare for 10 seconds*
“… … yeah… no problem” (strider)
*awkward silence for 10 seconds*
*warp pad sound*
*Steven and Amethyst enter the barn*
*Strider and Peridot are working*
At the end of the day, when Steven and amethyst are outside, peridot gets strider’s attention. Once she has his attention, and while gripping the part of her enhancer that is fastened around her elbow joint, she loudly whispers that something’s wrong with her enhancer. Strider sets his tools down and turns to face her.
Quietly he asks “what’s wrong with it?”
Peridot glances at the door, then quickly jogs over to him. She holds her slightly curled arm up to him and points to her elbow joint.
Strider narrows his eyes upon seeing some red on peridot’s green skin. Peridot rubs the red part as she tries to say it’s irritating but can’t find that exact word. Strider says “irritating?” To which peridot says “yes! That word! Irritating!”
Strider leans a little closer for a better look.
Peridot worriedly looks past strider, her attention focused on the entrance.
Luckily for peridot, Amethyst calls it quits for tonight, calling out to strider asking if they’re still getting that part tomorrow. And when he says yes, Amethyst lets them know that they need to get some sleep first.
Without turning, Strider wishes them a goodnight.
Once the other two are gone, strider tells peridot to set it down on the bench and take it off.
Peridot is quiet for a couple moments, then with her eyes avoiding his, she asks for a reminder of how to open it.
Once opened, peridot slides her arm out revealing a large area of red irritated skin, not green. While they talk and study the enhancer, peridot continually rubs the area of irritation making it worse. Strider notices her doing that, so he grabs a clean wet cloth and tells peridot to keep it pressed on the area.
She first objects. But as she’s asking
“How does pressing this hel-“
*Peridot presses wet cloth on skin*
“-…… ohh… that feels nice” she whispers to herself.
Strider asks if there’s any other issues.
“Yeah. It’s heavy.” Peridot says.
“Only half of its systems are functioning. Remember?” He says.
*Peridot peeks under the wet cloth*
*peridot looks at her enhancer*
“Can we fix it?” She asks.
“…… most likely.”
He rubs his chin.
“…But we’ll need a few things.” He says
Peridot hops up on the stool beside him… just like she did that morning.
She scoots closer and starts explaining her theories.
Strider has already figured it out and has a solution…… but…… hearing peridot talk……… seeing her lively…
*strider lightly gazing at peridot yapping away on his right*
…Stirs something in him.
Instead of ending peridot’s non-stop rant, strider works with it, expanding upon it, allowing them to talk all night long.
Peridot’s duct taped foot falls apart causing her to trip and get angry. She wobbles over to her curtained off corner and grumbles. This is after strider regained his barrier powers so he’s smarter. Peridot tries fixing it in her corner but finds no success. She gets angry and tosses it through the curtains. Strider catches it as he was right outside her area. Peridot turns back to her small bench and slams her hand on it. Her right limb enhancer fingers tremble for a moment. She lifts her hand and looks at her fingers.
“Were you trying to hit me…” strider says. Peridot’s head jerks up and she spins around.
“… or was it just bad timing?” He says. Peridot grits her teeth and growls. She stands up and rips the curtain open.
She glares up at him with a slight frown and tense lips. His stares down at her with a neutral expression.
“What do you want!?” She says while staring up at him angrily.
He extends his hand that holds her foot. She looks at her foot, then glares up at him.
“…… you having trouble fixing this?” He asks. Her brow furrows.
“… would you like a hand fixing it?”
Her furrowed brow softens. She peeks past his right arm and scans the main room.
“Where is Steven… (leans and looks at door) and Amethyst?” She asks while scanning the room then entrance.
“Getting the item you asked for.” Strider says.
Peridot glares up at him from the corner of her eye. She glares at him for a few moments, then closes her eyes and lowers her head.
“… fine” she sighs and lets her arms hang by her side.
“Okay. Take your enhancer off and-“
(Peridot’s eyes snap open and wide)
“-NO!!” She screams up at him.
Strider’s head gently jerks back (almost like he simply straightened himself up)
Peridot is panting now. Strider remains still and calm. Peridot slowly calms down and catches her breath.
“(Swallow). No. Those two could be back any minute… they might see me.” She says. Her voice sounds scared, shivering.
Strider turns his head and looks at the entrance to his right.
For a few moments nothing happens. Peridot glances at the entrance, then glares at him.
A barrier wall slowly forms on Strider’s right. Upon full ascension it now blocks any view from the entrance. Peridot grumbles and stands on her one good leg, lifting her stump off the ground. She holds onto the curtain and pulls a sour scowl. Strider turns his head and looks down at her. She huffs. Strider takes a small step forwards and starts lowering himself.
“Ah! No! No! You are not coming in here!” She shouts pulling the curtain halfway. Strider stops and lifts his head. Peridot stands there panting with a wide angry glare. Strider finishes taking a knee.
“You know what no! I’ve changed my mind!” Peridot spurts out. She looks at her disconnected foot.
“Just give it here!” She says and attempts to take it from strider. Her movements cause the metal sheet she was standing on to slip out from under her, and she falls backwards.
(In slow motion)
Peridot’s eyes widen. She yelps. Strider’s eyes widen and he instantly extends his hand forwards. A soft barrier chair forms and catches peridot.
(Normal speed)
Peridot opens her eyes.
………
She slowly looks around.
………
She feels around and grips something and uses it to sit up.
……
Slowly she looks down under her arms and sees strider’s grey barrier colour. She lifts her head to see strider with his hand extended slightly… but with concern in his eyes. The two remain silent and stare at one another for a few moments.
But eventually… Peridot lowers her eyes down and to her right. Slowly slides her forearms onto the arm rests… grips them… and sits up. She turns her head in the same direction and angle as her eyes and keeps it there.
Strider slowly retracts his hand and lowers it by his side.
(Hydraulics quietly hiss)
He remains on one knee, her foot resting in the palm of his right hand, while he waits for her to speak.
…… (glance)
Peridot makes a quick glance at him, checking if he’s still there.
……
Silence takes hold for another minute.
“…… (small quiet sook)” (peridot)
A small sook escapes peridot mouth, and she turns her head away more.
Strider remains staring, blinking at a normal interval.
…… (glance)
Peridot glances again, but keeps eye contact this time.
……
(After a few moments)
“…(sighs)” (peridot)
She sighs, Slowly slides her other foot out of the way… then raises her stump.
“… fix it” she mutters quietly under her breath while avoiding eye contact with him. Strider tilts his head down and begins studying her stump.
……
Peridot crosses her arms.
……
… It becomes quiet again…… awkward.
…………
After a minute of this, peridot grumbles.
“Can you hurry up.” She growls quietly. Strider lifts his eyes and looks at her.
“This is tiring. So hurry up” her low toned voice starts to grow annoyed. Strider looks at her stump again. He lifts his left arm and rests his hand under her stump, holding it. Peridot sees him do this from the corner of her eye.
“That doesn’t change that I’m still holding it up.” She growls through gritted teeth. Strider studies the electronics. Gently he rotates her leg to the right… then to the left. Peridot’s closed eyes and tensed brow twitches annoyed.
“Hurry… uuuP!” she slowly growls.
“…(growl)… will you shut up” Strider quietly grumbles.
Peridot’s eyes widen with anger.
“As a matter of fact No! I will not Shut! up!” She raises her voice, grips the arm rests, and sits forward bringing her face closer to his so she can angrily glare at him.
Strider quickly glances up at her with a frown.
A surge of yellow light flows up a circuit in peridot’s stump which instantly catches strider’s attention.
Peridot sighs in a groan like fashion, lying back and letting her head arch back.
Strider studies her stump again for another minute.
Peridot brings her head forward and stares at him.
“………… (sighs)” peridot sighs.
“Look. It’s broken you pebble.“ she says.
Strider ignores her.
“… it blew up” she adds.
Again— strider ignores her
“Are you listening!?” She shouts.
“Mhm” is the only thing peridot gets from him.
“You can’t fix it!” She shouts angrily.
“You sure?” Strider says in his mind; His eyes gently narrow, focusing them on her stump.
“Whatever you’re thinking, it’s not gonna-“
*Strider presses the foot against the stump and sends a jolt of energy from his left hand into the circuits instantly reattaching the foot creating a loud power up sound*
“-WORK?!?” Peridot shouts shocked as she launches forward in her chair and stares at her fixed foot.
Strider lowers her leg and slowly stands up.
Peridot stares in disbelief at her fixed leg.
“…H-HOW?!?” She shouts snapping her eyes to him.
Strider finishes standing up.
“…i reversed the magnetic field.” He says monotone. Peridot looks down at her leg. Gently she rotates her leg left, then right, then rolls her ankle around which makes her restored foot roll.
Strider turns and walks back over to his bench. Peridot shakes her head and snaps out of it.
“Wait!” She squeaks. She spins to her right and slides off the high chair.
*the chair slowly disappears as she spins*
She slides off and plops onto the ground on both feet
*the chair fully disappears when her feet touch the ground*
She turns and hurries over to him.
“Hey!… HEY!” She shouts as she marches over to him. Strider sits at his bench and returns to work.
Peridot stops beside him and stomps her foot down.
“HEY!” She shouts.
……
Strider shows no reaction and continues working.
Peridot’s angered face twitches as she can see he’s ignoring her.
“……nnnnrrrrr-uuuuuuhhh….. Tck!” She turns her head away from him and crosses her arms.
…
She opens her left eye after a waiting a few seconds to see if she’s gotten his attention. Strider continues working.
Peridot grumbles. She turns away more. After a few seconds she peeks over her shoulder: strider’s still ignoring her.
“……mmmmmn… fine” she sighs quietly. She takes a deep breath, straightens up, uncrosses her arms and faces him.
“(Deep Huff)… Hey. Can I talk to you for a moment.” She says with a cheerier voice. Strider stops, gently puts his tools down, slowly sits up, then slowly turns and faces her.
“… sure. What did you want to talk about.” Strider says. Peridot narrows her eyes with annoyance while strider’s narrow with smugness.
“Explain how you fixed my foot” she demands, throwing her right arm down pointing at her foot which she just stomped.
(A few days prior)
Strider finds he struggles to understand things, so he uses the internet to learn about everything, and the next morning shows that.
Peridot wakes up in her corner of the barn. She sits up and rubs her forehead before getting up onto her feet. She parts the curtain and walks into the main room. Strider hears the curtain open. He lifts his head, then turns and looks at peridot over his shoulder.
“Oh. Good morning peridot. Did you rest well?” He says this, then returns to work. Peridot is in the middle of stretching her arms above her head.
“Yeah. Mor……”
Peridot’s eyes snap open and she freezes. Her arms remain raised in the air. Her head remains still, but her eyes slowly slide over to him.
“…… wwwwhat” peridot says quietly in her mind.
(Peridot is spooked by strider’s Change in behaviour. Amethyst gets spooked by it too. Later peridot approaches and questions him. To her this positivity is a problem.
The only positive person she knows is Steven. He’s the one she associates positivity and kindness with. Not Strider.
But as two days pass, opinions change. This change is now acceptable as strider is able to respond intellectually and properly to her. The friendliness is weird, but the cooperation is very welcome.
The weirdness is still there, she’s just more comfortable with it.
A short compilation plays showing strider trying to be friendly with peridot. But peridot ignores him and his charity every single time.
I.e.
Strider seeing peridot struggle to keep a large piece of metal up while trying to work on wiring at the same time. He hurries over and holds the metal for her, but very quickly peridot scowls at him, picks up her stuff and walks away.
Strider catches a tool she dropped and hands it back to her, she snatches it out of his hand and gives him a cold shoulder.
Strider interacting with his tablet while working at his bench late at night. Peridot marches from her bench, snatches his tablet while he’s in the middle of using it and storms off into her curtained corner.
Same thing happens three days in a row.
With each day: strider’s positivity and energy dies. He’s not as quick to help her, nor does he care anymore.
On the fourth night when peridot goes to snatch his tablet, he grabs it with his hand and shields it across his chest. This shocks peridot, but shock quickly leaves her and is replaced with anger.
She reaches to try and take it; strider turns more away from her: hiding the tablet under his right armpit.
She shouts telling him to give it to her. Strider doesn’t budge so peridot angrily stomps off and into her corner. She angrily sits on her couch and crosses her arms.
While grumbling she tries using her screen, but like many times before: it just glitches and doesn’t work.
Peridot buries her face in her hands and sits there with her head down.
Hearing peridot make a whimper sound from the corner, Strider slowly looks over his shoulder.
The next time peridot opens her eyes, Strider’s tablet is next to her. She excitedly picks it up and starts using it.
Strider quietly walks back to his bench, sits down and resumes working.
Unfortunately things grow worse between them.
Peridot continues to keep herself closed off from the group. Working so interaction stays to a minimum.
In order to learn about him, peridot begins running tests and experiments while they’re working.
This pushes strider into a very bad mood.
She makes the heaviest thing fall so he has to catch it. She does many things to try and startle him.
Instead of learning about him the way she learnt about Steven and Amethyst, she’s doing all these antagonising things to him.
A few days later and peridot has learnt something. She’s learnt strider’s speech pattern and can accurately predict what he’s going to say. But strider fires back and shows that he can do the same with her speech pattern. She gets annoyed as he mimics her, has a fit, and tells him to stop; but he continues mimicking her. She growls… and he doesn’t. They end up staring at each other. Peridot is angry with a nasty scowl while strider is apathetic.
During the stare off strider asks her why she’s copying him.
She tells him she was putting what she learnt from her tests to use.
Strider’s brow hardens.
Peridot questions why he’s copying her. Strider is silent while peridot glares at him with a pointed finger in his face.
Strider remains silent.
Peridot slowly lowers her hand and crosses her arms.
………………
……(4 second deep breath in, 6 second out) … straightens head facing work……
“…… well…. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.” He says.
Peridot’s smug smile slowly sinks and she opens her eyes.
“… … …” her brow furrows.
“What does that…-“ she turns to strider… but he’s gone.
“-mean?” She quietly finishes her sentence. She quietly gets up from her stool and slowly takes a couple steps forward into the main room. She leans to her right around the tractor and sees strider standing by his workstation working. Peridot lowers her head a little bit and her brow tenses.
“Imitation…is the sincerest form of flattery?” She says in her head.
“……… *deep depressing sigh*” strider sighs.
His chest sinks. His hands on the desk slowly close into fists.
“………”
His hands stop, hesitant to close fully.
……
His eyes open and stare down at his desk.
………
Then they narrow.
The cold fingers burn. They groan… rattle… and grind as they become…… fists.
Later at night, peridot lies there on the couch in her corner. Staring at the ceiling… thinking.
Strider stands by the drill engine chassis with a diagram. He reaches in and pulls out one of peridot’s parts. He walks over to his desk and puts it down.
He stays by his desk for a few moments; his left side facing the desk while his front faces the wall to the backroom.
…
He pins the diagram to a board on his left, picks something up, then turns to his right and walks towards peridot’s workstation.
He sets something down and flicks a switch turning on an orange light. Then he turns…… and leaves the barn.
As strider’s mechanical steps fade, Peridot’s brow furrows. She’s had enough of not knowing what he meant. And so for the first time… she decides to use the internet.
She’ll use the tablet that she took from Strider earlier that day.
She turns her head and spots it on the surface of her desk. Her cylindrical fingers extend to it. They struggle to curl and grip its flat surface, pulling it closer and closer with each try.
Her fingers suddenly curl gripping the tablet, pulling it off the desk, dropping it on the floor; creating a loud thud.
She freezes after instantly snapping her arm to her side. But then she unfreezes because she remembers; Strider’s not here.
“Uuugh” she quietly groans. She sits up by sliding her right arm back. She looks at the floor and finds her device. She twists her body, reaches down, scoops it up with her left hand and brings it to her as she turns and lies on her back again.
Remembering what she’s seen, she turns the device on. The screen is bright, but she is unbothered by it.
Her eyes scan the screen for ‘the internet’.
……
After looking for a minute she can’t find it
Among the other round squares (app icons), none say internet. She lowers the pad onto her chest and glares up at the ceiling.
Her eyes narrow and her lips shrivel as she thinks.
She searches her memories, trying to remember if she ever saw strider using it.
…
A memory does come to mind.
She remembers watching strider from the corner of her eye: she saw him tap on the bottom left corner, then tap a big ‘E’ symbol.
Her memory ends. She looks down at the pad.
She lifts it up (keeping the bottom of it resting on her chest) and makes the screen face her.
She taps the screen turning it on. Her eyes drift to the bottom left. She taps the icon in the corner and a tab opens. She scans for the big E, even scrolling down to the E section, but again she can’t find it. Then her brow furrows.
“Internet” she whispers.
She looks at the bottom left and sees a search function. She taps it and a keyboard appears.
… (limb enhancer finger whir)
Her pinky, ring and middle fingers of her enhancers rest on the back of the device while she types with the remaining two.
……
Slowly, she spells the word out and types it.
(Typing as she does this)
“…in……ter………… net”
(The search function holds her typed word… but waits for something else)
Peridot slowly looks over the screen, wondering why it hasn’t brought what she typed.
Suddenly the assistant activates and a small pop up appears.
“Please hit enter so that I may assist you.” Is what the pop-up says. Peridot scans the keyboard and sees the enter key. She presses it. The big E symbol appears.
“…Hm”
Tap
She presses her finger on the big E. A bright tab opens with a search bar in the centre with the words:
“Search the web”
…
She taps on the search bar. The keyboard appears.
“Okay” she says quietly and begins typing.
“Im.. mee..tay..shin…… is the… sin...” Peridot looks up at the screen and stops as a list of suggestions has appeared below the search bar… with what strider said as the top one…Spelt correctly.
…
She stares at it for a moment… then selects that one.
The tab displays the phrase at the top and a list of websites below it.
Peridot reads the screen with a tensed and narrow brow.
“… This doesn’t tell me what I want to know” she mutters.
Her fingers gently and repetitively tap the back of the tablet…… and she gets an idea.
Remembering conversations she overheard between Steven and strider, she taps the search bar and adds the words:
“(previous search) What does this mean?” Hitting enter, the search bar automatically rearranges her sentence into
“What does (previous search) mean?”
The tab displays the phrase’s definition.
“Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery means: trying do what someone else does, think like someone else thinks, is a compliment to that person.”
After reading that definition, Peridot’s finger accidentally presses on the word sincerest when she tries scrolling. The definition of sincerest appears on the screen.
“saying what they genuinely feel or believe”
Her head gently moves back: pressing into the couch cushion. She looks at her finger, then notices words with a lie under them.
……
She pauses for a few seconds, then presses the word compliment. Its definition appears.
“A polite expression of praise or……… ad…miration“ peridot slowly freezes up as she reads it. Her squinting eyes slowly widen and her lips part from an empty gasp.
“… praise…… or…… admiration” she slowly and quietly whispers to herself.
Peridot then gets flashback as she thinks about the times he’s copied her.
The time he saw her crossing her arms, so he crossed his.
Seeing how he copied when she would rub her chin with her hand while resting her elbow on her forearm. Rolling his eyes.
Or how more recently whenever She, Steven, or Amethyst do or complete something he’d say “good job” or “well done”
And many more moments like that.
Peridot lies there gazing up at the ceiling… lost in deep thought.
“… praise or admiration…” She says quietly to herself with a soft voice. And without her realising… the tiniest smile has formed on her open mouth.
Peridot lifts the pad off her chest and taps on the word admiration.
Tap… tap… tap tap tap…… (search loaded)
She repeatedly taps the word until the page suddenly changes.
“something regarded as impressive or worthy of respect.” Is what comes up.
Peridot’s eyes widen a little more.
“Define respect” she says quietly and searches that.
“admire (someone or something) deeply, as a result of their abilities, qualities, or achievements.
“Qualities definition” (peridot)
“a distinctive attribute or characteristic possessed by someone or something.
I.e: she shows strong leadership qualities"
“………………” peridot is… speechless. She blinks, and her lips tremble a little. She closes her mouth to stop it.
She looks at the screen, and does one more search: care definition.
“feel concern or interest; attach importance to something”
And
“look after and provide for the needs of”
Her eyes widen… as she starts realising. Her memories play.
Strider shielding her from the explosion. Shielding her from being crushed. Apologising for picking her up. Showing concern for how she’s feeling. Making sure she’s safe. Making sure she’s taking care of herself. Catching things from falling on her after yanking something from the pile. Providing what she needs. Changing things to better comfort her. Talking to her from outside her room while she hides until her anxiety passes. Leaving a light on a night for her. Giving her the tools she needed. Building the parts for her. Finding the parts she needed. Explaining things in a way she could understand. Keeping Steven and Amethyst from doing anything that triggered her. ……… keeping her safe.
But then her memories shift to answer her newest thought “why did he change?”
Then it all becomes clear.
Just like she was made aware of her behaviour towards amethyst and Steven and how ‘rude’ it was, her behaviour towards Strider plays clearly in her mind. The shouting, yelling, ordering, ignoring, complaining, all of it. His behaviour as of late reflects hers.
Then her mind sees the bigger picture. He still showed care for her even when she was horrible to him.
Peridot remembers how Steven did these things. She remembers how she’s been doing the things Amethyst and Steven do.
Learning about stretching from amethyst. Learning about friendly gestures from Steven like gift giving or high fives. Learning slang from amethyst and using it when trying to talk to her. Paying attention to what Steven says about how her words can do more harm than actions thus she speaks more carefully to him and amethyst.
Learning so she can understand them…… but she’s been blind in seeing…… that strider has been doing the same thing… with her.
He’s been learning about her and responding in ways that make her feel comfortable and safe.
This entire time he’s put her first…… and she’s put him out of sight.
Suddenly her lips tremble. She feels… a swelling in her chest.
Her two fingers slowly moves.
“… It feels like… there’s a…” she slides her fingers up to her throat and gently touches it
“solid mass… right here” she says slowly in her mind. She feels around but can’t find the lump.
So… she gently swallows… and the lump goes away. But there’s something else.……… warmth. She feels warm.
“What is this?” Her mind asks.
Her mind flashes images of moments she’s felt this warmth.
Steven hugging her. Amethyst calling her cool after reconciling.
But she’s felt this before that.
……… eyes slowly widen
“…… Peridot?” Strider’s soft voice speaks.
(Memory)
(Peridot snaps her head up, staring up at strider in the bunker)
“… I want to help you”
“…… h… help?”
“… like me” (Steven)
(Peridot snaps her head down to Steven on her right)
(Present)
Peridot lies there on the couch. Her eyes blink.
“He’s…… help… no…” her mind pauses. The warm feeling returns. “He… cares about me”
And while she doesn’t know or understand this feeling……… it makes her feel… at ease. It calms her. Makes the troubling feelings she’s had these past few weeks… vanish
“… m……… (sleepy exhale)”
Suddenly her eyes feel sore. She drops the tablet letting it lie face down on her chest. She slides her fingers under her visor and rubs her sore eyes: they feel dry.
Yet her fingers glisten with wetness.
She blinks a few times but that doesn’t stop the soreness. The bright light in the darkness has finally started affecting her. She rests her head back, then closes her eyes to rest…… but she doesn’t do that… because she falls asleep. And her sleep isn’t disturbed like it has usually been.
For the first time in her life… she’s finally able to get an undisturbed good nights rest.
(The next day peridot is going to start behaving differently. She wants to show strider that she appreciates him the same way he’s shown her. Do what she’s been doing for Steven and Amethyst.
So she tries taking on his style of attitude, the way he talks, the way he behaves. Trying to mimic him… politely.
She wants to understand him.
Peridot wakes-
“M…… mmmmh………”
-slowly.
Her eye lids slowly flutter. They do not wish to open and want to stay closed for just a little longer.
……
She gives in and allows her eyes to remain closed for just a few more minutes. Allowing her heavy head to slowly turn to the right and rest her face against the cushion. Her yellow hair presses softly against her cheek adding extra comfort.
She breathes in…… and lets out a soothing exhale.
After a few relaxing minutes, her eyes flutter and slowly open.
POV: her eyes open. A familiar brown colour stands before her blurry sight.
Blink… blink-blink… *remain half closed*
“(Tired, awaking groan)”
*Couch cushions rustling*
Her heavy body slowly turns till it is resting its back on the pillow and she is facing the ceiling.
“………(deep breath in through nose)… (deep exhale)”
She takes a deep breath.
Slowly she raises her head off the pillow.
“m…MH”
(Slow quiet whirs of robotics in her fingers as they curl)
Slowly, her arms slide back. Her elbows pressing into the seat cushions. The pillow forming around her diamond caps.
“M… mhh”
She sits up a bit, lifting the upper part of her back off the seat cushions.
She sits up a bit more, higher than her elbows can support her and starts to fall back.
“!”
She gasps through her nose. Her right arm snaps back planting its stump into the cushion stopping her fall. Her arm trembles from her weight so she quickly slides back until her hip collides with her enhancer.
She breathes quickly for a few seconds then steadies.
She turns her body dragging her legs off the couch. Her feet plant heavily on the floor creating a gentle thud.
She breathes in raising her shoulders, then breathes out lowering them.
She slides her fingers under her visor and rubs her eyes. She stands up and takes a step forward bumping into the coffee table. She removes her fingers from her face and stretches her arms high above her head. Feeling they’ve been properly stretched, she lets them lower to her sides.
Then she stands there and thinks.
Her face twitches. Tensing, furrowing… then nothing. She looks to the doorway of her room and stares at it.
Her fingers reach forward and grip the sheet. As she steps forward, they slowly move the curtain to the side allowing her to stare into the main room.
She looks around the room for what she wants…… and finds him sitting at his desk. Hunched forward with his gloved hands working.
… *quick nose breath in then a huff* …
She straightens up. Clenches her fist. Then after much hesitation… steps out and starts walking over to him.
*peridot walking over*
Her hands nervously tense and hover in front of her stomach as she walks over to him.
“Okay Strider…… let’s talk” She says in her mind.
(Possible end of episode)
New beginnings
*stops behind him*
“… let’s get his attention” her internal voice trembles.
*peridot raises her right hand*
*opens mouth*
“G-“
“-Morning peridot” strider’s low vibrating voice cuts her off.
“………-“ she opens her mouth again.
“-the part you wanted me to make has been constructed and placed at your workstation.” He cuts her off again.
“If greetings are over. You should get back to work” He says.
Her hand that hesitates to extend to his back slowly lowers to her side.
“…… right” she hesitates to say.
Her metallic foot takes a step back.
“That is not how he normally greets me. I remember saying that to myself when I first heard him speak that way.” Peridot’s voice speaks as she turns to her workstation, stops, and looks back strider… but her lips didn’t move when her voice spoke.
“He is…… different than he normally is.” Her voice is heard again as it shows her later in the day.
Peridot approaches strider. Strider gets up and walks away.
“He wanted me to be nice. I’m being nice. I don’t understand what I’m doing wrong” her voice speaks again.
“Hi strider” she says as cheerfully as she can. Strider glances at her on his left, stares, then resumes working.
Peridot lies down on her couch at night and stares at the ceiling.
Her eyes narrow. She sits up when she sees the morning light. She gets up and heads into the main room.
“Morning” she says jogging over to him.
Strider remains silent.
“How you doing buddy?” She asks placing her left hand on his desk and leaning on it.
Strider ignores her.
“I am doing everything he does. What am I doing wrong?” her voice sounds agitated like she’s speaking through her teeth.
“I am behaving like him. I am talking to him. I am asking him the same questions he asks me.”
(Shows peridot being positive. Her walking over and talking to him; he turns away showing his back to her. Peridot noticing him getting frustrated at his desk. She gets up walks over and asks if he’s alright. Strider turns his head and glares at her with narrow apathetic eyes)
Peridot analyses Strider’s expressions and his voice.
“Why is he looking at me like that? Am I doing it wrong?” Her voice says.
“I don’t understand” her voice adds.
She copied his behaviour perfectly. She was friendly. She was interested in what he was doing.
“… What did I do wrong?” She whispers to herself as she rubs her chin.
There are many things that are making strider behave like this. But the main one is how Peridot has been treating him… before and while trying to understand him.
Peridot has pushed strider too far.
In trying to understand him by running tests and experiments, regardless of her intentions, she’s not treating him like a person. And now she suddenly wants to be nice?! Act as if she hasn’t done anything?!
Some would say to give her some leniency cause she’s not used to doing this stuff.
Then why didn’t she do this stuff on Steven and Amethyst? Why does she have to dissect him? Why did she have to scare him? Berate him. Ignore and turn away from him.
“Why is she doing this to me!” A thought screamed in his mind.
Why?
Because Peridot doesn’t know how to express her care in any other way than the way it’s been given to her.
She tries harder to give Strider the kindness he deserves, but this makes strider feel worse. She uses words he’s been using in an attempt to show she’s been listening. She returns his tablet and even compliments him … but all of this has been done too late.
Hearing peridot use words only he’s spoken reminds him of a moment the week before.
He had used Peridot’s favourite word “Clod” once in response to peridot’s comment about how goofy Amethyst and Steven were on one day.
Peridot snapped at him. With her anger, she said that’s her word. Strider, not wanting to be in bad graces with her; apologised and reframed from using it again.
Peridot being nice and the others accepting it; forgetting that she’d been angry with them for the past couple weeks seemed to bother him.
(It reminds him how when other gems calmed down after being angry they were forgiven. But if he did it, he wasn’t forgiven)
All these nice things peridot is doing. It’s seen as mockery and bullying.
For the first time in her life, Peridot is allowing her emotions to affect her. She feels weird. This feeling is unlike any she’s had before.
It has been almost a week of this. Peridot once again attempts to start a friendly interaction with strider by using an excuse that she needs help with a part.
Peridot looks down at the part set on her workstation. She looks over at strider. Strider finishes work on a part and slides it to his right. Peridot instantly stands up knocking her stool over. Quickly she picks up her part and walks over to strider.
“Strider. I’d like to ask for your assistance in completing this part… please”. She says
“You see-“ she begins, but before she can finish, Strider’s left hand reaches back and takes the part.
“Perfect” she says in her mind.
Strider brings it in front of him.
“So strider. Any sugg-“
SLAM!
She is cut off again, this time by strider slamming her finished part in front of her on the desk… dismissing her.
Peridot had started to speak and she had a smile because she thought it worked. But she’s barely able to get four words out before strider slams the part down and goes back to his own work.
*Peridot’s smile sinks*
Her head slowly turns and lowers till she is directly staring down at the device she hoped would help her.
Slowly her hands rise, take hold of the part, and un-energetically drags it towards her.
Staring down at the part, peridot feels a tightness in her chest… a swelling in her throat.
Slowly, she turns her head to the right and looks at him, trying to see his face, trying to see what expression he has. But his metal body blocks her sight.
Letting the part remain on his bench, she very slowly turns around. Her head down… eyes to the floor. And depressingly walks away.
However after only taking a few steps… she stops.
Her back facing her failed plan.
Her mind is empty. Her thoughts are still.
These past few days have caused her to question everything. Her mind runs around the clock, trying to find what she did wrong and what to do next.
*Peridot slowly turns around and faces strider. Hoping for… something*
“…… I—— I don’t understand…”
A whimperish version of her voice says in her mind.
She slowly backs away from him.
She only wants to show him she cares. Her left hand begins trembling lightly. She’s making things worse between them… the opposite of what he’s been doing. She doesn’t understand why it’s not working. She’s doing exactly what he’s doing. Taking interest in his stuff. Learning about him. Acting like him. But it’s not working!
*peridot clenches her trembling hand into a tight fist*
Slowly, peridot turns her body to the entrance……… and spots Steven.
“……Steven” Her eyes widen as she gently gasps his name.
She glances over her shoulder, then jogs over to Steven.
“… Steven” she gently calls out his name. *Steven lifts his head and turns around*
(Peridot reaches him with her jog and stops)
“Hey Peridot” He greets her.
Again peridot glances over her shoulder.
*Steven notices peridot’s odd state of behaviour*
“… Peridot?”
“Can—can I talk to you—— please.” Her final word sounds weak, revealing desperation. Her body is hunched forward. Shoulders raised. Hands and arms tensed in front of her stomach. There’s a certain twitch in her nervous expression. Her attention keeps getting drawn over her shoulder.
“Umm— yeah. We can talk.” Steven says.
Peridot glances over her shoulder, then hurriedly walks forwards, place her hands on Steven’s back, and guides him away from the barn.
“Peridot, Where are we going?” Steven asks.
“Sssh” she says and continues guiding him along.
Inside, for the first time this day, strider is watching them over his shoulder. His face baring an empty expression.
Slowly he turns his head away and returns to work.
*Peridot walks Steven over to the fence and stops*
*She checks over her shoulder again*
“Okay, this is fine.” She turns and looks down at Steven.
“Steven—e-ehh—I’ve…… I’ve created a problem.” She says. When talking to him, she expresses nervousness; her fingers unorganised and rubbing her wrists.
Steven notices.
“What kind of problem?” He asks.
Peridot raises her shoulders and begins rubbing her biceps. She lowers her head.
“Well…… I think I’ve made strider upset with me” Her voice is quiet when she speaks.
Steven tilts his head a little to the left.
“How do you know he’s upset?” Steven asks leaning to his left, trying to see peridot’s face.
“… (anxious quick sigh)… he hasn’t been…… him…… you know” she sounds frustrated.
Steven tilts his head.
“…(shrugs shoulders)… strange. Weird!? He’s been… (waves hands around)…… I—RRH!! I DON’T KNOW!!!” Peridot says all this while nervously looking back and forth at the barn and Steven, shrugging, stuttering, and ending it off with a stomp and nervous shout.
“Uah” Steven nervously recoils from peridot’s loud voice.
“HhaH, hhaH, hhaH, (depressed sigh)”
Peridot breathes heavily then lets out a sigh as she calms down. Letting her head lower and her eyes to look at the floor.
Steven’s body eases allowing him to straighten up and face peridot again.
“… do… you know what’s made him upset?” Steven asks slowly.
………
Peridot stares at him blankly.
Then the right side of her face tenses. After a couple seconds she crosses her arms and grips her biceps tensely.
…… (nod)
Slowly she nods.
“Okay. If you know what’s upsetting Strider, you can talk and apologise to him, that’ll-“
Peridot’s teeth grit.
“-NNRRR!-I’M NOT GOOD AT TALKING” she screams, stomping her foot and throwing her clenched fists by her side.
Steven recoils.
Peridot stands there panting fast through her nose. Her chest rapidly expanding and shrinking.
“… kjt! AAAAAAGH!” She screams in frustration. She turns away from Steven and begins walking around, stomping the ground while muttering insults at the floor.
“NNNAAAGH”
She screams again and grips her hair.
“Woah! Peridot. It’s okay.” Steven tries to calm her down.
“NO! ITS NOT OKAY!! NNRRR!!” Peridot starts muttering insults.
“WHY CANT HE UNDERSTAND?!?” She shouts, her tensed hands torn down from her hair and hovering in front of her face.
Steven’s head jerks back a little… then his brow rises.
“Understand?” He asks.
Peridot stands where she is, panting heavily and fast.
…… … … …
Her breathing begins to slow… as she begins to calm herself down.
“… … … … (long deep breath in then out)… …”
Peridot’s behaviour is completely unlike her normal professional self that Steven is used to seeing. So Steven remains silent.
“I… (deep breath)… I have recently realised. …… that…… strider…… cares about me.” She says; head hanging down, arms limp and dangling, voice quiet.
Her torso straightens up a little.
“And so…… I’ve been——trying…… to show him that I…… also care. ………”
She pauses for a couple moments. Her hands tense: closing halfway.
“…… but… he—he doesn’t understand.” She says. Her voice soft, not as stern as it usually is. She slowly turns her head and looks at the barn.
Her lower eyelids tense with an expression she has come to recognise as sad.
“……… Steven.” She says quietly.
“…Yeah”
She lowers her eyes, then slowly turns her head and looks down at him.
“… how do I show him?” She asks with her soft voice again.
“……………… have you tried telling him?” Steven asks after a very long pause. Peridot’s brow tenses a little. She turns her head and looks at the barn.
“…How……would I tell him?” Her voice is slow: soft and quiet. “I’m…… not good at ……… telling people things.” She says softly.
“… that’s not true.” Steven says.
“… you don’t count” she quietly mumbles.
“…… well. What are you trying to show him?” Steven asks.
“…… what he’s been showing me.” Peridot hunches forward a little, then rubs the back of her neck.
“Annnd. What do think he’s been showing you?” Steven says at a slow pace.
Peridot lowers her eyes. She lets her hand slide off and join her dangling arms.
“…… that… he likes…… and cares about me …… a lot” peridot’s voice is extremely quiet and slow.
……… (smile)
Steven smiles.
“Then you should tell Strider that you like him.” Steven says.
Peridot slowly lifts her eyes off the ground, staring them at the fence post in front of her. Then turns to the left and lowers them to Steven’s face.
Steven extends his smile when she makes eye contact with him.
……
Peridot’s down expression slowly rises into a small smile.
“… you’re such a curious thing Steven”
Peridot’s quiet voice says in her mind.
… (huff)
Peridot huffs. She straightens herself lifting her chest and holding her head up high. She turns and faces the barn. Her right hand clenches by her side. Then she walks over and goes inside.
After entering, she stops a few steps inside.
“…… hm” peridot’s left brow rises.
“Steven. Where’s amethyst?” She asks.
CRASH!
Steven and peridot jump a little and look to the door. Peridot looks over her right shoulder while Steven turns around.
“…… Ow” Amethyst groans from outside.
“(Sighs). Nevermind.” Peridot says and walks to the entrance.
She grabs the left side of the doorway and leans outside. She sees amethyst near the fence picking up the part she dropped and trying to carry it.
“Hey amethyst?” Peridot loudly calls.
“(Grunt) Yeah” amethyst grunts as she struggles to keep the part balanced on her back.
“Can you find another part for us?” Peridot says loudly but not rudely.
Amethyst groans instantly straightening up, letting the part fall onto the ground behind her.
Peridot steps back, turns, walks over to the large part she was working on and takes a knee. Amethyst comes walking in, hunched forward slightly, her limp arms dangling in front of her.
“…(deep sigh). What part?” She groans from behind her hanging hair.
“One of those noisy power generators.” Peridot replies.
“Engine” Strider says sharply but monotone.
Amethyst turns her head in Strider’s direction.
“She wants an engine” strider repeats in the same tone. He brings the part in his hand in front of him and carefully tightens a screw.
Peridot glances at strider. At the same time, Steven looks over at peridot.
“… is…… that what you want… Peridot?” He asks kindly.
“……… yes” peridot quietly replies.
She turns to her right, and looks at Steven.
“I would like an engine” she says in a tone close to her normal one, only it’s a little softer.
………
“UAAAH” Amethyst loudly groans. She arches her head back, turns, and walks out of the barn.
“Come on Steven” she groans, grabbing his hand as she walks past him. Peridot watches the two exit the barn. After hearing their voices fade into the distance, she slowly turns her head and looks over her left shoulder at strider.
“Okay. Do what Steven said. Tell him…… before you make things worse.” She says in her mind.
She takes a deep breath, calmly stands up, slowly turns around and faces strider.
“…(deep breath)…(smiles). Hey strider, can I talk to you for a moment?” She says cheerily as she walks over to him.
SqueAK!…
Strider stops in the middle of turning his screwdriver. Peridot comes to a stop a couple steps behind him; placing herself in the middle of the room.
Strider’s metal body sighs. He lowers his arms and rests his occupied hands on the bench.
“… is this another test?” He mutters sharply.
“What?… No! Nononono. No more tests.” She says; shaking her hands frantically.
“Then what do you want?” His low voice vibrates angrily as he goes back to work.
“I want you to listen!” She accidentally shouts.
“You don’t get to tell me what to do” he snaps back dropping his wrists onto the desk. Not shouting, but not calm.
“No Not that! I-NRRH!…No. I just want to talk to you!” she says calming herself, but her voice holds some desperation.
………
“…… (sigh)” strider sighs and lowers his head. Gently he presses his hands on the bench and rises. The boards creak, his hydraulics groan. For a moment he is still. Then the groaning returns. His head leads turning to the left: His body follows. Placing its left foot down; using it as an axis as he steps away from the stool… and faces her.
……
His systems sigh.
…
“… what did you want to say?” He mumbles. His voice is low. There’s no energy to it.
“… well…… I just… noticed that you… haven’t been yourself lately. You know… talking a lot… being strange…. saying nice things…(nervous chuckle).” Peridot says smiling nervously because strider’s expression is apathetic.
He’s clearly not interested and wants her to get to the point.
Her little smile fades as her eyes slowly lower. Her fingers begin to fidget and rub each other.
“And…… and I feel like that’s my fault.” She says from her lowered head.
Strider’s half lowered eyelids lift a little.
“(Deep breath)”
She takes a deep breath and lifts her head.
“I’m not good at understanding things that are……(*open mouth no words)… Nh! I’m just not good at understanding things!” She says, her voice speeding up: speaking rapidly in a quiet panicked shout.
Strider’s eyes change a little, expressing some worry.
“That’s not true.” He says quietly.
“Hmph. If it was, then you wouldn’t be upset with me right now.” She says waving her left hand by her side as she talks, then letting it drop.
“…I’ve been… trying to show you something.” She says.
“I’ve been copying you… as a way… to show you ‘That’ something.” She says pointing at him with double finger guns.
“……”
She nervously smiles and locks her fingers together, resting them against her thighs… waiting for him to ask what that something is……… but he’s not.
He stands there. Resuming his apathetic expression.
Her smile sinks again. The right side of her upper lip rises. Her fingers unlock and rub the back of her neck for a couple of moments. Then she lets her hand lower and dangle by her side.
“…… peridot……… I……”
“You’ve shown that you care about me…… and only recently… I’ve realised…how much.” She speaks with a lower and quieter tone.
His brow rises a little.
(Starts rubbing back of her neck)
“You have your… strange way of showing… care for me.” She gently and nervously swirls her left hand as she speaks. Her right heel twists a little outwards.
“(Stops rubbing)… sooo…… this— is…… my way… of—— saying…” her voice goes quiet on the last word. Her hand clenches into a fist.
Slowly she lifts her head… and looks him in the eye.
“…I…… like… and care about you……… a—a lot.” Her voice is softer than normal. It is gentle… caring; with her eyes looking and head lowering down and to the right on her final word.
Strider freezes.
“…… (long silent gasp)”
His eyes slowly widen and his mouth hangs open for a silent gasp. Stuck gazing at peridot. His thoughts frozen.
As he gazes at her… his pupils begin to dilate.
“…(female giggling happily)……… (smiles)… they like you”
A soft… sweet… warm female voice is heard in his mind.
His eyes widen even more. His chest slowly rises and expands like lungs.
“…… what?” Strider hears his own voice speak quietly. He sees a blurred face in a yellow and green lit room.
“(Giggles)… I said they like you” that sweet voice says with a warm smile; the only detail he can make out.
…… blink-blink-blink
His eyes rapidly blink three times…… and slowly, his tightly closed fingers… uncurl.
His metal hands lightly tremble… and his throat feels…… tight.
The screwdriver he was holding falls from his hand and lands on his metal foot.
………………… *blink-head shake*
He blinks and his head does a little shiver; snapping out of it.
He finds himself gazing directly at what he can see of her lowered and turned away face.
……
Peridot slowly draws her eyes over and looks at him from the corner of her sight.
……
The two gaze at each other silently. One frozen… the other waiting nervously.
“…… … I… L” his tongue gets stuck behind his teeth. There is a rough lump in his throat. His eyes rapidly blink twice. His lips lightly tremble.
Her right hand slowly curls into a fist inside her enhancer. Her nose tenses creating lines under her worried eyes.
He frees his tongue as his mouth opens further… and he starts again.
“…… I… like.. you too… Per—Peridot” he finally speaks. Slowly…… softly… like the way he normally does.
Her lips part, her tension vanishes: slowly drawing air into her chest as her head rises and faces him.
…………
*Awkward staring for 20 seconds*
Peridot blinks then instantly snaps her gaze to the right.
…
A little bit of her upper lip purses allowing her lower lip to fold over it.
Meanwhile… by the open window upstairs, Steven and amethyst have been listening in.
“(Long quiet awing gasp)” Steven slowly turns his brightly smiling face and star filled eyes to amethyst.
“I know buddy.” Amethyst very quietly whispers to Steven.
Strider and Peridot stand there in this awkward silence they’ve created.
Strider calmly turns his head the same amount of distance that peridot did, but turning to his right.
…
After a couple moments, peridot slowly turns her head… and looks at him. She sees him looking away.
Slowly, she lowers the hand that scratched the back of her neck… as she turns her body… and faces him.
She lets her cone shaped forearms rest down by her sides as she gazes at the left side of his face.
…
After a couple of nice moments, her left hand slowly curls into a fist.
Amethyst quietly climbs down and the two quickly get away from the barn.
Peridot hesitantly takes a small step forwards.
She finds it difficult to breathe normally, finding herself panting quietly.
“…… st… strider” she stutters softly.
…
Strider slowly lifts his head but remains facing the door. He gently blinks.
…
Then his head turns a little
……
Then he faces her.
…
The two stare at one another in silence.
“…… th… thank you…… f… for caring… about …me.” She says with a soft voice.
And a few seconds later… the right side of her mouth smiles.
…………… bump……….. bump………
Strider’s open hand… curls a little.
A rectangular prism slowly forms on the ground beneath the screwdriver and begins to rise vertically; bringing the tool to his hand.
Peridot feels like she needs to say something else. Strider picks his tool up.
“…… about the other day.” She says.
Strider stops and looks at her.
“… how I said clod was my word.”
She continues, keeping her eyes aimed down again. She rubs her right bicep and slides her eyes to the right.
“…… you can use it… it’s not actually my word…… it’s just a word” she says.
Strider tilts his head the smallest bit… then a tiny smirk forms.
“…… thanks” he says softly.
Peridot quietly rubs her bicep. Strider starts turning to his bench.
“…… I’m… sorry I keep doing things that… hurt you.” She whispers quietly.
“…… I’m… nothing… but…… but” peridot whispers under her breath. Strider freezes.
“…(sighs depressingly)… I’m sorry.” She says quietly. Her head lowered and hands gripping biceps tightly.
……
“…… you’re… not to blame… for this” his voice slow and soft.
Peridot lifts her head.
“…… peridot… I’m sorry for how I’ve treated you. It was stupid, and…… I was dumb.
I didn’t understand what you were trying to do. And I caused it to become a problem. ……… I’m sorry” he says in the same soft manner as before.
“……There it is again…… that weird feeling in my chest” peridot says in her mind as she begins to feel warm. The tenseness washing away. Colours becoming more vibrant. The weight on her shoulders lifting off.
Strider smiles a little.
“…… we should do this more…” he says, head slightly lowered, eyes to the floor.
Peridot snaps to attention.
“…talking to one another…-”
*Strider lifts his head, looks her in the eyes*
“-…seems to fix things.” He says.
…… Peridot’s lips slowly part.
“…… I… agree” she says; matching his soft tone.
*Quiet in the distance bang*
Strider’s eyes snap to the entrance.
“… you okay amethyst?” (Steven’s faded voice in the distance)
“…… (wheeze exhale) yeah” (Amethyst’s winded voice in the distance)
“I think the goof balls are back” strider says turning his head towards the entrance. Peridot’s eyelids jump and she snaps her head to the left.
“…(groaning)” (amethyst in the distance)
“Hmph (smirks).”
Peridot smirks and crosses her arms. Strider’s eyes slide to Peridot.
“Don’t you mean… the goofy clods.” She smirks.
“……… (chuckles once)…… yeah… the goofy clods.” He says softly.
Peridot smiles a little.
*Crash!*
“… owww” (Steven)
Peridot and strider’s eyes snap wide.
“Steven” they shout in sync.
They rush to the door, swinging out its left side and see Steven by the trees on the ground holding his arm.
They rush over to him.
“Steven!” Peridot worriedly calls out his name as she runs over to him.
“Tst… hey guys” Steven flinches.
Strider and peridot reach Steven and both immediately drop to one knee.
“Steven! Are you hurt?!” Strider says; immediately scanning him up and down.
“(Little groan), yeah. I’m okay” Steven says.
“Let me see” strider says extending his gloved hands.
Steven uncovers his injury and raises his arm to strider. Peridot leans closer; worry covering her face as she scans his arm.
Strider gently cups the underside of Steven’s arm. Peridot leans closer.
Steven’s arm has a tiny scratch. Nothing serious.
Strider breathes a sigh of relief. He turns and looks at the thing that caused it.
An old motorbike.
“…(sighs)…” strider sighs again then stares at Steven with a parental look. He raises a finger and calmly points at him.
“You’re lucky it’s only a scratch. If it had cut your skin, we would’ve needed to take you to the hospital to get a tetanus shot.”
Peridot’s head jerks back and her brow jumps. She turns her head and looks at strider. Strider sees her in the edge of his vision.
“… I read about human injuries on the internet……… I’ll explain later.” He says.
“………” peridot says nothing. But she continues staring at him. She starts to think. Slowly she turns and looks at Steven. She observes how caring Strider is with him, and is reminded of how caring he is to her.
“I’m fine guys…” Steven says rubbing his arm.
“… Buuut maybe you should help Amethyst.” He says while slowly turning his head to the motorbike on his left. Strider and peridot look at the motorbike… and hear amethyst groan from under it.
Peridot stands up, grabs the bike’s handlebars, digs her feet in, and pulls… lifting the bike off amethyst.
“… hGH…… nnhhhh”
Peridot lifts the bike: keeping it upright. She lets out an exhausted huff. She stands on her toes and leans over the bike.
Amethyst is lying there flat as a pancake.
“… (sighs and rolls eyes)……come on… GGGet Up” she sighs.
“…… uuuuugh!”
Amethyst groans in a sigh like matter. She slides her hands back and sits up.
Peridot lowers back onto her feet, then looks down and studies the bike.
“It’s impressive that you managed to drag this thing here in such a short time.” Strider says.
(tap-tap) peridot taps the speedometer.
Amethyst crosses her arms and smiles all smugly
“…… except you didn’t” strider says as he wraps Steven’s arm.
Amethyst’s eyes snap open.
“WHAT?!”
She springs up.
“I did so. Steven tell them” (amethyst)
“I’m not saying you didn’t drag it here.” (strider)
“Then what are you saying?!” (Amethyst)
“That you didn’t drag it here today.”
Peridot chimes in.
“…… Why?” (Amethyst)
Strider finishes bandaging Steven. He turns his head and looks at amethyst, resting his left forearm on his thigh.
“Because we saw you throw it in the bushes yesterday.”
Amethyst freezes, then her lips slowly purse.
“…………… riiiiiight” she says.
Peridot crouches, pulls out her screen, and studies the engine closely, taking note of possible parts. Strider stands up and walks over. He sees her hand holding the handlebars, so he extends his hand and holds the bar. Peridot removes her hand and places it on the engine. Amethyst gets up.
“You okay?” Strider asks.
Amethyst dusts herself off.
“Yeah” she says extending her arms back and out to the side to stretch her chest. She walks over and stands beside Steven.
“mmm… no good.” Peridot grumbles and stands up. Strider takes a knee and has a look.
Steven rubs his wrapped arm. After doing so, he lifts his head and looks over at strider and peridot.
Strider and peridot talk amongst themselves about the engine. Peridot stating that it’s useless, while Strider suggests that they should keep it.
Amethyst gently elbows Steven then nods with a smile towards the two. Steven smiles and they watch the two bicker about the engine.
Strider creates barriers to hold the bike still. He grabs the engine and pulls it out. He holds it in both hands, rotating and inspecting each side.
“… yep… no good” he says.
“Told you” peridot brags.
Strider rolls his eyes as he puts the engine back in place and stands up. He looks down at the bike… then glides his hand over its chassis.
*Peridot standing on strider’s left: The fingers on her right hand start shaking*
Peridot looks down at her hand. She quickly crosses her arms, turns and hurriedly walks back to the barn. Strider grabs the bike and wheels it over to the barn, leaving it outside and resting it against the wall.
Strider steps inside the barn and stops. Amethyst and Steven go to enter the barn. Strider turns around.
“Hold up.” He says.
Steven and amethyst stop.
“Can you guys go to the bunker and grab something for me?” He asks.
“Come on!!!” Amethyst immediately groans.
“It’s small, okay.” He says.
“… UUUGH!” Amethyst groans again.
“What do you need?” Steven asks.
“It looks like and is about the same size as this screwdriver” strider says holding a screwdriver between both hands.
“Sure” Steven says. Steven turns, grabs amethyst’s arm and pulls her with him.
“Whyyyyy?” Amethyst groans.
Strider watches them disappear into the woods.
As soon as he sees the stream, he turns around and rushes over to peridot’s corner.
“Peridot, you okay?” He says standing just outside her room.
“Uhh-Yeah! Fine! I’m fine” she says loudly.
She’s not.
Currently her left hand is keeping her right arm pinned on her bench as its fingers and frame are freaking out. Her left hand constantly reaches round from right side to left side of its frame trying to do something.
(Robotics sounds and hum)
Suddenly its fingers transform.
Peridot’s eyes widen and she begins panicking.
“Yep!”
Bang bang bang
Her fist slams repeatedly against her enhancer.
“Everything’s fine!” Her voice trembles; but she tries to hide it.
DANG!
Her enhancer transforms again, this time into her photon blaster.
“Uhoh!” (Peridot)
*Photon blaster charging up sound*
Strider’s eyes snap wide. His mind flashes the moment in the bunker when she aimed her blaster at Amethyst. His mind snaps back to the present. He tears the curtain open. Peridot bolts at him. He throws himself out of her way. She bolts past him; her left hand gripping her right arm aiming it down at the floor as she bolts to the entrance.
As she reaches the middle of the room, the familiar sound of her blaster firing whirs. She flings her arm up; aiming it at the open door. Her foot slips out from under her... and she falls.
FFFFFWwuuP-BANG!!!
Her blaster fires off a powerful shot, one far too unstable to control. The force expelled from its release instantly slams her body into the ground.
CRK!-BOOM!!
The floorboards snap and the ground beneath parts into a small crater.
All the air is ripped out of her.
(Wood exploding sounds)!!!!
Her shot hits the roof and blasts a large hole through it; exposing the yellow sky.
…
Peridot lies there, empty of breath.
Her form struggling to perform its most basic functions.
Her eyes stay open, unable to move. Her vision: nothing but a blur. Her mouth hangs open, her throat feels tight and her chest……
… crrrrk…… creakkkk…… CRACK!… BREAK!
Wooden boards creak, crack, then a support beam stretched across the room snaps and falls.
As the dust settles, and peridot’s eyes open, a familiar sight is seen.
Strider hunched over her; using his body to shield her.
(Hydraulics groan)… THUD
Strider’s body groans as he rises causing the beam to roll off his back and thud on the ground behind him.
“<Haah>, <haah>, <haah>, M!”
Strider’s brow tenses and his eyes scrunch shut with a pained look on his face. He drops back onto all fours bringing him back over Peridot.
“(Wheezy exhale through nose)… peridot”
He opens his eyes and looks down at peridot underneath him.
“……*LOUD GASP*!!!!!! … cough! cough—COUGH!!”
Peridot gasps for air to replenish what was robbed from her. Her chest expands and all her functions return. as she descends into a painful coughing fit.
Her closed eyelids flutter as she tries to open her eyes.
(Ringing sound in ears)
Her ears ring, deafening all other sounds. Her eyes slowly open. Darkness holding control over the sides of her narrow vision.
(Close up side shot of her face)
“… uuugh…… there it is again…”
(Peridot’s pov: blurriness, the light through the roof, barely able to see what’s over her)
“…tst… that…… weakness… that makes… (flinch)… my form hurt”
Her weak voice barely wheezes in her mind as she comments about the soreness in her body.
“*weak wheezy breathing*………… what……… is…… that” her mind weakly speaks as her squinting, fluttering eyes spot something… glowing…… deep within Strider’s chest.
“… Mh!”
Her mind shifts as she is stabbed with an excruciatingly painful spasm in her back. Her shoulders tremble arching back and her neck seizes. Her eyes forcibly shut; scrunching tightly and forcing her to grit her teeth.
Her right arm, seemingly locked by her side, tries flailing frantically in distress. Banging its underside on the floor. Her blaster starts charging.
“Peridot!” Strider shouts… though it is faint in her ears.
The flashes of green light return. A familiar green wall. Her shadow cast upon it. A tall silhouette on top of her shadow. Her right arm extended towards the wall in blaster form… trembling as it can’t move.
“… … … PERIDOT!”
Peridot suddenly hears Strider shout.
“AGH! Hah hah hah hah hah hah hah”
She suddenly gasps and pants rapidly. Her eyes snapping open; wide and blind.
“Peridot” strider’s voice is softer now.
She sees his blurred figure on top of her.
“You’re safe…… You’re safe peridot.
Her vision begins to clear.
Bzt! Bzt! ..bbbz… (powering down)… tink-tink tink-tink-tink, (rolling on wood)
Her blaster enhancer sparks twice, then loses power. Her floating fingers stiffen, taking on an appearance similar to pieces of chalk, fall to the ground, and roll along the floorboards: getting stuck in their gaps.
“Mmh!”
She groans, arching her aching back, and tries to sit up.
“Take it easy.” Strider says.
Peridot fails to lift herself up and falls back down.
“Uuugh!” She groans.
“Peridot!?” he says.
*Wheezy gasping inhale-immediate exhale* for ten seconds. (Peridot)
Strider lifts himself off of peridot and rests back on his knees beside her.
“NhhG” She groans again as she strains to roll onto her left side.
“Hah, hah, hah, nhrg! Mh! Nnnnnnnrrrrr!”
Panting and groaning, trying to pull her heavy enhancer over as she rolls onto her left side.
Strider looks at her arm. Barriers rise under and assist her turn over.
Peridot groans and rolls onto her stomach.
Strider makes barriers form underneath to cushion her.
“Peridot” his soft voice says with deep concern.
Peridot groans and tries to rise onto all fours.
“NH! MHN!” She groans as her back spasms again forcing her flat on the floor.
“Hah><hah><hah><hah><hah><hah”
She pants fast.
“You’re okay. Take it easy.” He says with a soft voice.
……
The spasms fade.
She stays still, deciding to lie there and rest for a couple minutes.
……
Her knees slowly rise in preparation to get up.
……
Her feet slip in the footboards as she tries to curl her legs.
“Peridot” he says.
“Hah><hah><hah, hn—rrrrrhhG” she grunts and groans.
“Please…” he says… almost pleading.
She freezes.
“You’re safe……”
……
Slowly, every tense muscle in her body fades as she allows herself to do nothing.
Strider sits there and quietly observes.
“That looked pretty bad” he says softly in his mind.
…
(A few minutes pass)
Peridot plants the stump of her dead enhancer on the ground. Then plants her other hand down, slides her right leg, then her left, and sits back on her knees.
“… <haah>……<haah>……<haah>…………(deep sigh)”
She pants slowly. Then lets out a deep sigh.
“You okay?” Strider asks.
“…… yeah” she says quietly.
She looks at, then lifts her powered down enhancer.
(Peridot stares at her enhancer. Her chest slowly expanding and shrinking)
A flicker of power goes through its circuits.
“(Depressed sigh). It’s broken” she mutters; letting the strength in her arm go.
Her dead enhancer falls and dangles by her side.
Strider extends his hand to her.
She lifts her head, stares at his hand for a moment, looks up and stares at his face for a moment, looks at his hand, and takes it.
He gently cups the underside of her bicep while also creating a barrier construct that supports her lower back to alleviate most of the work as he helps her onto her feet.
“……tst!”
Peridot flinches forcing her to hunch forward.
Quickly she presses her hand into her back.
After a moment, she slowly tries to straighten up.
Strider immediately forms a chair under her. “Here, sit” He says guiding her to sit down. He holds onto her arm enhancers so she doesn’t fall when sitting down. But her enhancers slip through his hands because of his careful grip. So he grips her diamond elbows caps.
“Take it easy.” He says: softly scanning her for injuries as she takes a seat.
“… I’m fine” she says quietly.
He looks at her face, then looks at her arm. “Clearly she’s lying” he says in his head.
He makes arm rests form and gently brings her arm up after noticing how she struggles to lift it. He does a quick study of her enhancer.
Peridot stops rubbing her back and lets out a slow sigh as she rests back. Strider’s brow furrows a little as he notices red markings on peridot’s skin.
“You need to take it off.” He says.
“… no” her arm reaches over and weakly places its hand on her powerless enhancer.
He lifts his eyes and looks at her face. Her hand tenses on her enhancer.
“…… Peridot” he says softly.
Peridot’s shoulders begin to tense up.
“The longer you delay this… the higher the chance those two see what you’re hiding.” He says softly.
… … …
After a couple of silent moments, peridot closes her eyes and sighs. Her hand slowly slides off her enhancer. She turns, and tries to raise her arm to him. Strider makes the arm rest rise. She looks down, then lets her arm rest on it.
Strider calmly shifts to his left (peridot’s right) and gently places his hand on her enhancer.
Peridot watches him study it. Her eyes suddenly looking exhausted. She lets out a deep sigh and lets her body sink into the chair. The tense and sore feeling in her body slowly fades away. Allowing her to feel relaxed.
Strider slides his hands up and gently grips where her arm meets her enhancer. Peridot flinches when his gloves touch her skin.
“… sorry” he says with a soft tone after she flinched.
He slides his right hand round the side of her enhancer.
“… why doesn’t this have the release?”
He mutters quietly to himself.
“… (deep breath in and slowly sits up)… release?” She says. Now she’s sounding like herself. The soreness is gone.
“When I designed these, I made it so they could be easily removed. I assumed not everyone would want to wear it all the time.” He says.
Peridot tilts her head a little to the left and listens. A headrest forms on her left.
“Hmm, There’s supposed to be a button to make it release.” He says. He feels around for the button for a hot minute.
Not finding it makes him sigh.
“It appears yellow removed it……… why?” He mutters the last part.
……
Suddenly he freezes. He realises why. He lifts his eyes and looks into peridot’s eyes. But quickly shakes his head and returns his attention to her arm.
(In his head)
“Right…… gems can’t have imperfections…”
Peridot looks down at her arm.
“Where should it be?” She asks.
“…… (Sighs)… well. There’s supposed to be an additional part here” he points to her bicep. She looks at her bicep. He makes a hologram style barrier form on her bicep.
“You’d press the button, and it would instantly release.” He says. He remains pointing at her bicep for a few seconds, then lets his arm drop and sighs. His projection fades.
“… how are we gonna get it off?” She asks.
“…… m💡” his right brow rises. He creates a barrier construct and brings over several things. Some wires, a car battery, and some tools.
He makes a couple of small tables form around him and places the items on it.
He grabs some wires and starts working. Peridot watches intensely but relaxed.
“…… (annoyed grunt)” strider grunts for he can’t thread a wire through a thin hole. Peridot notices. She makes two of her fingers float over and thread the wire through. Strider pauses, then looks at her. She glances at him for a few seconds, then gently nods to the wire with her head and eyes. He returns his attention to the wires.
After a couple minutes, he has created something: Makeshift jumper cables.
Instead of clamps he has thin wires. He turns to peridot and attaches the wires to the point of connection of her enhancer. He sends a minor jolt of power from his fingers through the wires.
HISS!
As soon as he does that, the guard around peridot’s diamond elbow cap lets out a loud hiss and immediately opens up by expanding into four separate pieces of a circle.
“(Dusts hands)… there we go” he says dusting his hands off. He lifts his eyes off the enhancer and looks at peridot.
His small smile sinks. Peridot is staring at her arm. Frozen with a downed expression.
This will be the first time… in forever… that she’ll see her arm… her real arm.
Strider gazes at her face and waits.
After what feels like three minutes… peridot slowly lifts her left arm, reaching over herself, and places her hand on her right limb enhancer. Her fingers slowly grip and hold it in place.
She takes a deep breath, then slowly slides her right arm out.
Her lips part for a silent gasp. Her eyes gently widen as she brings her small hand up to her face.
…
For a couple moments she studies it; slowly opening and closing it… as if it’s a new limb.
“………… you okay” strider asks quietly. Peridot clenches her hand into a soft fist. She lifts her eyes from it and looks at him.
“……… yeah” she says softly. Lowering her hand onto her leg.
*Warp pad sound in distance*
Peridot snaps her suddenly widened eyes to the doorway. Strider immediately grabs peridot’s broken enhancer. He quickly helps Peridot up and takes her to her corner. He grabs a small blanket and places it over her shoulders which covers her biceps. He hears Steven and amethyst getting closer. He quickly pulls peridot’s curtain closed and rushes over to his bench.
Peridot double blinks.
“… what just happened?” She says in her head.
It all happened soo fast. One moment she was sitting, the next she is sitting on her couch in her room.
“Are you sure that’s what he wanted?” Steven says as he enters the barn with amethyst.
“Positive. He just wanted some alone time with……” amethyst’s words stop as she turns and lifts her head to be met with strider.
“……peridot” she quietly squeaks out. Strider calmly leans forward and takes the tool from Amethyst.
“Cheers” he says.
He straightens up.
“You know what. I think we’ve done enough work for today. Why don’t you two go home and get some sleep in your house.” He says.
*amethyst gets an excited expression*
“You mean…” (amethyst)
“Yeah” strider smiles.
“Woohoo! Aww yeah! Pile here I come” amethyst throws her hands in the air, turns and starts jogging to the warp pad.
Steven and strider watch amethyst. When she gets to the fence, Steven looks inside the barn.
“… where’s peridot?” He asks.
“She’s in her corner” (strider)
“I’m fine!” Peridot shouts.
“I didn’t say you weren’t” he calmly shouts over his shoulder.
Strider looks down at Steven.
“She’s fine” he says quietly.
“I heard that!” She shouts.
Strider smiles. Steven smiles.
“Bye peridot” Steven waves.
“Bye!” She shouts.
Strider waits until he sees the warp stream.
Once he does, he slowly turns and walks over to peridot’s corner.
“Are they gone?” She whispers.
*He stops in front of the curtain*
“Yes” he whispers.
Peridot tears the curtain open.
She turns her head and stares at the entrance.
“That was too close” strider and peridot say in sync. strider looks down at her, she looks up at him.
……………
Awkwardly they stare for a minute.
“…… soooo” (strider)
“…………” (peridot)
“… wanna…… work on this now…” he says holding her enhancer.
“…… orrr…… should I give you a minute to get your bearings together?” He says.
Peridot’s eyes squint and her brow furrows confused.
“…… what?” She says.
“……… (sighs)” strider sighs, letting his head and arms flop.
“… work now…… or work later” he says.
“…(sighs).. how am I supposed to know that.” She says. Strider extends his hand down to her. She looks at it.
“… tch! You and your weird phrases.” She says. She takes his hand and stands up.
“Oh I’m sorry. Do you want me to go back to being boring.” He says as she walks past him.
Little does strider know, peridot… is smiling. And little does she know… he is too.
And little do they both know… that Steven is listening with a pressed ear.
“Tch!” Peridot rolls her eyes. She grabs strider’s stool as he reaches for it and sits down. Strider freezes for a second, then turns his head and looks at her. Peridot glances at him, then adjusts her blanket.
“… heh”
Strider chuckles. He then slowly takes a knee on her left. Her holds up her enhancer, and says:
“… shall we begin?”
……… small smile
Peridot stares at him from the corner of her eye, then smiles.
Steven smiles hearing their friendly chatter.
Continue
💬 0 🔁 0 ❤️ 0 · New beginnings continued · Peridot opens the curtain. She leans out, looks at the door, then takes a step closer to strider
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A few posts ago I asked about how Garnet and Pearl would handle my OC gem Strider considering their history in my AU.
Well in this post I want to talk about how Pearl and Garnet would handle their first interaction with Peridot since the events of my AU’s version of Catch and Release
First I need to clarify the differences between canon Peridot and Reclamation Peridot during Catch and Release
At this point in time during catch and release, peridot is completely different.
She’s not a little desperate… she’s terrified.
When she kidnaps Steven and brings him to the warp pad, she is frantic. She’s scared and violently on edge. She trips and drops Steven like the show except she doesn’t show frustration… she shows pain. She takes longer to get up and her limbs are trembling.
She gets up and limps over to the homeworld warp with Steven in her stasis beam and drops him on it. She doesn’t comedically point at the pad with her fingers. Instead shouting
“I. WANT. TO. GO. HOME!” As she throws Steven on the warp pad. Peridot stands there panting. Each breath is a gasp for air and she grips her chest as the beating returns. She starts groaning and sobbing in pain.
“I just want to go home” peridot whimpers and begins to cry. Her body trembling and teeth chattering. Steven sits up and sees peridot crying. “Peridot?…Are you-“
“-RR! ENOUGH!!!” Peridot screams, her face full of anger. Steven recoils. Peridot forms her blaster and aims it directly at Steven’s face.
“You fixed lazuli’s gem didn’t you?” Peridot says, panting with a scared and trembling voice. Steven looks at the blaster; peridot’s arm is shaking.
“DIDN’T YOU!!” Peridot screams, shoving her blaster closer.
“AH! YES!” Steven shouts scared while shielding his face.
“Then do it to this!” Peridot shouts double tapping the warp pad with her foot. “NOW!!!” She screams; her shaking getting worse and is now clearly visible.
“Ok Ok!” Steven rapidly says. He licks his hand and slaps it on the warp pad.
Peridot slowly moves her head to the left, then to the right. “What (struggling gasps).. what was that?!?” She asks, her voice broken and shaking, tears crawling down her face as she tries to speak.
“It……doesn’t always work.” Steven says.
Peridot slowly turns and looks at Steven with wide eyes and a slightly agape mouth. Her blaster shuts off, her arm falls and hangs limp by her side.
She collapses onto her knees. “……n………n……no” peridot childishly sobs. “…no” she quietly sobs as she brings her hands to her face. “Nooooo…(hyperventilating)… no…nooo! (Straining Gasp)” She sobs as she lowers her head and begins weeping.
Steven’s eyes widen in sadness. He slowly stands up. Peridot is full on crying now with tears pouring down her sad face. “……Peridot?” Steven quietly says as he slowly steps closer.
Steven then tries to approach peridot to comfort her but when she opens her eyes and sees his hand she screams, throwing herself back and scurrying away. Peridot cowers from him on the other side of the Homeworld warp pad sobbing and whimpering.
For a while, Steven has to spend time building up trust with peridot. He takes it slow and carefully. Staying where he is and talking. Telling Peridot he’s not gonna hurt her and that he can help her.
It takes a while but eventually peridot sits up and allows Steven to approach. When close enough Steven notices peridot is bruised around the neck, has scratches on her face, and there is a slight burn on her clothes. Peridot tries to keep it together but cracks and starts crying again, this time curled into a ball on her side.
Steven pauses for a couple moments, then gently places his hand on peridot’s back.
After Steven makes a promise to peridot that he’ll help her, peridot’s mind tries to work. She tries to process his words and sits up. She’s able to keep eye contact with him and eventually lets him hold her hand. Peridot asks if he will protect her to which he says he will. Hearing that the beating in peridot’s chest soothes.
Amethyst then warps in and sees the two. And instead of jumping straight into action, she stops and attempts to gain a better understanding of the situation.
After a brief exchange and amethyst seeing how scared peridot is, garnet and pearl warp in and immediately try to go at peridot. Steven and amethyst defend peridot. When the two calm down they are able to see that peridot is terrified.
(Okay I got off track)
That was the last time Garnet and Pearl saw Peridot before they were poofed and put into bubbles by the antagonist.
So the next time they see peridot is what should’ve been the episode It Could’ve Been Great. Which in my AU is almost two months later. And is called Consequences.
While Garnet and Pearl have been locked up in the antagonist’s version of a reinforced bubble. Steven, Amethyst, Peridot and the OC gem that was revealed and freed from within the Antagonist’s body when it was defeated during catch and release (Strider), have had the time to build a friendship and get to know each other (similarly to how Steven and the gems got to know peridot in the show)
Except the friendship they’ve created is much stronger than it is at this point in time in the show.
Peridot has an understanding of what it’s like to be free and have something to call her own. Steven and Amethyst have shown her that.
A big piece of peridot’s adjustment was Strider. Peridot wasn’t the only one learning. Slowly over time and being around them Strider started remembering who he was, and in turn this allowed him to help, talk to, and open peridot up allowing her to become friends with them. He helped her understand stuff she couldn’t understand and she did the same for him.
After some setbacks caused by lapis which have halted the drill’s completion, exhausted Peridot, and put Strider on the brink of death: Peridot, Steven and Amethyst go to the moon to acquire the Cluster’s co-ordinates.
While gone, events occur between Strider and lapis causing the bubbles (that until this point couldn’t be opened) to pop freeing Pearl and Garnet.
Up at the moon, Peridot’s adjustment to earth is further shown as she has no admiration or awe for the diamonds and no care for the original plans for earth. Instead she’s focusing what little energy she has on finding the cluster’s co-ordinates.
After successfully finding the co-ordinates and they go to leave, Peridot notices the diamond communicator. She asks Steven to bring her the diamond communicator and once he hands it to her she explains what it is. After explaining what it is she hands it to Amethyst and tells her she can destroy it if she wants. Amethyst and Steven trust peridot and let her keep it.
The three hop in lion’s fur and lion takes them back to earth. A complication occurs launching the three out of lion’s mane as they come out of the portal on earth. Peridot quickly grabs Steven and holds him close as she takes the brunt of the force when they collide and skid along the gravel.
Once recovered Peridot immediately checks on Steven. Peridot panics and shakes Steven until he responds to her. She asks if he’s okay and he says he’s fine. Amethyst landed in a bush beside the barn but she’s alright besides from having a sick feeling in her stomach. Peridot’s body trembles a little from the pain but by focusing she’s able to stop the trembling that occurs every time she gets hurt. Steven discovers peridot’s entire back is scratched and grazed. Peridot lets him use his healing spit and finds out how disgusting it feels.
Steven and peridot go to help Amethyst out of the bush when peridot notices a graze on Steven. She gently karate chops his head and rouses on him for lying to her. Then turns and tells him she’s going to get the medical supplies.
Pearl and Garnet immediately start searching for Steven. As they’re about to leave the house, Pearl recognises the contents of a cardboard box, remembering that she last saw these items in the barn the last time she was there. So she and garnet hurry to the barn.
Back at the barn Steven is trying to pull amethyst out of the bush. His grip slips and he stumbles backwards falling into lion’s mane. When Steven falls in, pearl and garnet warp in.
Inside the barn peridot has put the diamond communicator down and is searching for the first aid kit. While searching she grabs her tape recorder off her belt and starts a log.
She talks about their mission to the moon and expresses her curiosity towards Lion. After finding the first aid she decides she’s going to ask Steven about lion. But when she turns and takes a step outside she is confronted by garnet.
Sorry that took so long but now we’ve reached the point.
So currently the idea I have is that garnet and pearl will be hostile to peridot.
The injuries peridot sustained protecting Steven make her appearance look similar to when they last saw her…… aside from the robotic arm. So their initial reaction is that it hasn’t been that long since they were bubbled.
They believe peridot is still a threat or hostile to them and has down something to Steven.
So when they confront peridot, peridot stumbles back scared, trips over, and bangs her head… as well as crushing her tape recorder. Not given a chance to collect herself, garnet towers over peridot and demands to know where Steven is.
However recently I’ve been drawn to a more social interaction.
It starts off the same, but instead of stepping outside, garnet steps inside the doorway as peridot is about to step into it and take her eyes off the medical supplies.
The two almost bump into each other. Peridot stumbles back spooked, trips over and falls on her butt by the workbench near the entrance… and accidentally crushes her tape recorder.
Garnet and pearl step forward and march with hostile expressions. But peridot’s attention is not on them. Her attention is on her tape recorder.
An interaction on the moon base between her, Steven and amethyst let peridot know she is welcome on earth and is a friend of Steven’s. Her recorder means a lot as it holds the memories she cannot remember of their time together, and that got hurt instead of her. If she had banged her head then she would’ve been set off and in a panicked state.
Garnet and pearl demand answers from peridot, but peridot’s attention is on the tape recorder:
“… noo” peridot quietly sooks.
(Scoops it up)
“Peridot! Where is Steven!” Pearl firmly shouts.
“WAIT!” Steven cries. Pearl and Garnet snap around to see Steven sprinting in.
“Steven!” Pearl cries relieved. She turns and jogs towards him, but Steven runs past her, past Garnet and goes straight to peridot.
“Ar-Are you okay peridot?” Steven asks after taking a knee beside her.
(Stares at broken recorder in hands)
“…… (sad sigh)… yeah” peridot mumbles.
Pearl and Garnet are shocked. Then Garnet and Pearl snap at Steven going “what are you doing!?”
Pearl tells Steven to get away from peridot. He says no and shields peridot behind him. Garnet plants her foot forward, raises her voice and tells Steven to move. Steven says “NO! Peridot’s-“
But Garnet and Pearl don’t let Steven finish. They bring up what peridot has done. She brought Jasper and the Reclaimer to earth. She shot them with her ship. She tried to crush Pearl and garnet.
“Steven! She attacked us! She attacked you!” (Pearl)
“… YES!” Steven screams
*Pearl and garnet are taken aback*
“She did!………” (Steven)
*Steven slowly turns around and faces Peridot*
*peridot takes her eyes off garnet and looks at Steven’s face*
“… but she’s been trying to make up for it.” Steven says.
*Steven calmly extends his hand to Peridot*
*Peridot looks at his hand*
*after a moment peridot’s fingers slide into his hand*
*Steven Looks at Pearl and Garnet while holding peridot’s hand*
“…Peridot’s our friend” he says.
“Yeah!” (Amethyst)
*Amethyst rushes past Pearl and joins Steven in shielding peridot*
“So back off!” (Amethyst)
“You okay Peri?” Amethyst whispers.
While I have already written how they’re going to interact after this part, I was curious and wanted to know what you guys think is going to happen next/what would happen next.
How do you think Garnet and Pearl would respond? What’s their next move? Knowing how they behave in the show; what seems the most likely outcome?
Hi all, wrote this summary in a discord channel and thought I’d post it here. It’s just about Steven Universe Reclamation’s version of Gem harvest.
Most of Gem harvest (thanksgiving episode) in reclamation is the same.
Strider’s involvement is very little due to events that happened a few chapters prior.
The gems helped Strider fight an internal battle within his gem’s core which resulted in him losing his memories.
Two weeks later and with constant efforts and care from Peridot, his memories return at the same time as Hit the diamond.
After that event, the gems got strider to rest.
Since then, peridot has been making strider rest, not letting him do anything besides lying down, unaware of the effects of too much rest.
Strider has insisted that he’s fine many times, but peridot doesn’t listen.
So by the time of Gem harvest, strider is very sluggish and tired. The day pumpkin is created is the day strider decides to get up and not let peridot tell him what to do.
Throughout the chapter, peridot is quite worried and protective of strider.
When the cooking is being done, garnet suggests to peridot that she and strider should go on a walk, that way peridot can keep an eye on him and strider can wake up.
While they’re on a walk, they finally have a proper conversation. Because for the past few weeks, peridot has been ignoring him and doing what she thinks is best for him.
He asks if she’s being protective because he didn’t tell her the truth about what was going on inside him. Peridot reveals she’s been doubting him ever since he lied. He almost died because he lied. This is the second time he’s almost died in her hands.
Strider lets that sink in for a minute.
He apologises and tells her he was scared because he knew what would happen and that someone could’ve died. And someone did. She died. Her consciousness was cut from her gem. Thankfully she was revived, but still, she died.
Strider tells peridot how sorry he is and how stupid he was. He tells her that he will never lie to her about stuff like this ever again. Even promising to make a device that tells her his vitals.
Having talked and cleared things up, they both feel better than they have in weeks. So they enjoy the rest of their walk, and end up finding a patch of flowers: inspiring peridot to later grow flowers.
When the two return to the barn, garnet sees the two are back to being themselves.
Sitting down at the table, Andy is in a little bit of a better mood because Strider told the gems to buy meat while at the supermarket, but it doesn’t do much to stop Andy from leaving.
DISCORD SERVER It's a whole lotta fun and very active :] super proud of the community we've developed! You can share your art, and talk about your OCs there. I share sketches and fun YGPIM stuff there, too!
I don't consent to my work being used with or to train generative AI
[66]
The next one is an absolute beast- and I won't be posting it tomorrow. See you Thursday!
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PATREON
DISCORD SERVER It's a whole lotta fun and very active :] super proud of the community we've developed! You can share your art, and talk about your OCs there. I share sketches and fun YGPIM stuff there, too!
I don't consent to my work being used with or to train generative AI
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
✓ Live Streaming✓ Interactive Chat✓ Private Shows✓ HD Quality
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Free to watch • No registration required • HD streaming
PATREON
-
DISCORD SERVER It's a whole lotta fun and very active :] super proud of the community we've developed! You can share your art, and talk about your OCs there. I share sketches and fun YGPIM stuff there, too!
I don't consent to my work being used with or to train generative AI
Cooldoode27
Reclamation AU @cooldoode27 - Tumblr Blog | Tumlook
