Cease, desist. {AutoPlay}

“I needed a human name — Bob was the first that came to mind. It’s a name Steven used when talking to me, after he used his healing powers on my gem.” Lapis offered a wry shrug of her shoulders. “It seemed like a good fit, I guess.”

Looking down at her lap, Lapis gripped the blue baseball cap that had once belonged to Steven, and turned it around in her hands. Peridot’s question had managed to catch her by surprise. HAD she enjoyed the game? She hadn’t gone into it with much enthusiasm, but.. come the end, she was actually starting to enjoy herself, a feat she didn’t think possible with the Crystal Gems around her.

❝ I suppose many names could fit you. On Earth here being named after gems aren’t    common practices, however if you were going to be named something similar to your    gem like they did, I would have suggested something along the lines of taking either    ‘lapis’ or ‘Lazuli’ and finding something like Amethyst did with Amy and the such. ❞

Even Peridot couldn’t think of one for herself, but there were some names that came to mind. Even one from her favorite tv show of course. Her ‘sort of’ did make her smile at the very least.

❝ I know what she did was wrong. Believe me, if Jasper did that to me, I would    feel disgusted and appalled as well. I don’t wish to help her , what I want to do    is find out if she has even a shred of real regret. I want to find out  if she truly    feels sorry for what she did to us, or if she would say it ‘just to survive’.  Not    to mention if we took her, instead of home world we’d be safe from them. ❞

“…Do you think she knew about Malachite? Jasper was high up in the ranks, right? For someone so close to Yellow Diamond to fuse…that must’ve really made her angry…”

❝ Oh jeeze.. You’re right, what if she did find out about that, what’s going to happen.    Lapis we need to get Jasper back. I know you hate her but-- if Yellow Diamond is     mad at her, she’s in danger. ❞

     Well, at least THAT was over. 

     Lapis had yet to change out of her ‘Bob’ uniform, and had just said      goodbye to Steven, assuring him that she indeed did plan on staying      at the Barn. It would take some getting used to, but she was.. willing to      try to be civil with Peridot. Sighing, the water gem sat herself down on      the floor, pressing her back against the wall, closing her eyes and trying      to relax. Maybe now she could get some rest. She still felt physically      and emotionally drained — her flight with Steven, followed immediately      by the issues with Peridot and the rubies.. really hadn’t given her the      chance to rest up.

     Still, she could feel that she was being watched, and slowly, Lapis opened      one eye to gaze at the green gem watching her, and tried to not sigh.      Seemed like she wasn’t going to rest JUST yet.

❝ Oh, hello ‘bob’ as they are calling you in that outfit. I don’t quite understand    this tradition however I suppose I should learn it.❞

Peridot snickered, to be fair, Lapis didn’t look back in that outfit. Actually it somewhat fit her, a tshirt and shorts? Probably more interesting than that blue dress that she had seen for the past year or more with Lapis. Crossing her small arms, the gem tilted her head slightly as she began thinking about what exactly they could talk about.

Let’s be honest, Peridot wasn’t certain if she actually enjoyed what she had just done so let’s ask and find out.

❝ I wish I knew it seems like both the Rubies, and Yellow Diamond both asked    about Jasper now, I wonder if she did something worse than what I did..❞

The closest word Lapis would pick to describe what she was feeling as she watched an enactment of courtship of an alien species was… surreal. Maybe even a little cringey due to how dramatic all the characters were.

Unless… this was how humans reacted when they sought eternal companionship. Did they really exchange that much fluid with their mouths???

A snort slipped out as Lapis failed to stifle a laugh. ❝I never figured you to be the type to enjoy this sort of thing.❞

❝ Do not judge these shows without watching them entirely. For one moment you    may make fun of it, and the next you’ll be like me, as the humans say ‘shipping’     the characters and making charts with comparisons, and who fits with who best.❞

Peridot slowly sat on the floor with legs crossed, the much smaller gem looking up at the taller gem. She was kinda curious what she thought about all this, also the height difference that the two of them had now that her limb enhancers were gone.

“I hope you don’t mind if I bring in a bunch of stuff.”

If they were going to room together, Lapis was going to make her living space as comfortable as she can. Which meant hoarding a number of things that might be useful in conducting ‘research’. Human trinkets mostly, but in addition to that were messy Earth samples like flowers, leaves, and soil.

❝ That is quite alright Lazuli , as for the ‘DVD player’ it is a metal box used to    play back already recorded footage. So yes, simply we can watch anything    we place in there , from movies, tv shows and such of that nature.❞

In a way, it was similar to her being able to ‘replay’ past memories and what happened in the past. However Peridot wasn’t going to bring up the past right  now. 

Wings drawn back into her gem, she sat with knees tucked to her chest, still keeping some distance away from Peridot. Yet, she curiously watched her work around with this TV.

Ah. So it was like some sort of projection…

❝It’s very…bulky,❞ she commented, before growing considerably quiet as the DVD began to play, her brows ever so slowly scrunching, in a mix of intrigue and utter confusion. Well… more confusion.

What. Is. This.

❝ Eheh.. It’s quite simple really, you see this object is collecting signals and playing    it back for human amusement. However this is a pre-recorded show on a ‘DVD’ as    they call it. Meaning we can watch it whenever we want..❞

Oh! She was enjoying it, at least it sorta seemed like she was. Peridot sat down, a bit close but not too close as she watched one episode she had seen at least  fifty times.

She sighs. ❝…Has anyone told you that you sometimes talk too much?❞  

Immediately however, she feels a twinge of guilt for the snappy comment. As Steven mentioned, the green Gem was seemingly trying very hard to win her… what… trust? Friendship? It still sounded laughable. But since they now shared a living space, it was fair that Lapis should try acting civil towards her too.

❝ Oh Lazuli, you have been missing out~. Allow me to show you. It’s really simple     once you see them.❞ 

Pushing a rather large box with a TV on it half way over the divider so they both could watch it, she placed in a DVD into the player and turned on camp pining hearts, it was one of the better seasons obviously..

❝ What do you want in place of these paint cans? Anything you interested in?    Oh, also, I have decided on bringing the T.V and my DVDs downstairs and    we can place them in the middle of the divider so we can both watch it..❞

    ◈ ┆ — – ‘ you think three and a half flimsy gems can protect you from an ARMY ?? the Authority had FORGOTTEN bout this flimsy planet, deemed it UN-COLONIZABLE, but you have bought their a t t e n t i o n back here. We thought the REBELLION here was DEAD AND GONE, all the lives lost in a battle you’ve NEVER seen and you just could not leave it be could you !!?? ‘ 

❝ They are stronger than you believe and I am rather certain you know that, since they     beat you twice now. However my plan was not to bring a war back, Yellow Diamond     demanded I come back, I couldn’t leave this home of mine where I am treated with      something more , back at homeworld I was nothing but a number now?  ❞

Peridot went silent for a moment before looking high up at the other gem, the one who was so angry at her, she sighed.