夢は負けない

★*･ @pluvirosea.

it’s an understatement to say  that geno was flabbergasted by admitted empathy, not because steven was incapable of it —— heavens, no —— but because he could have never imagined that such a charismatic and sweet boy could have problems belonging. being half-gem be damned, he’s as thoroughly human and average as it possibly got, and while some may have taken that as an insult, oversimplifying things, geno adored that. being so real and like he fit in with the world around him, breathing and living and feeling, was so endearing. the little things like not being a spirit given form, not being in a vessel made of crafted material, were huge. it was mystifying; organic beings were so captivating. oh, how he wished he could be among them as one of them, not as an outsider created by the merciless hand of destiny.

—— were they really all that different, though? gems were creatures from the cosmos, and in part, steven was exactly that. wasn’t he more akin to mario, then, if they were both normal human beings with a sprinkle of the cosmos over their hearts? a half-gem and a star child didn’t seem so far apart, but both of those and a literal star were not that similar, right?

whatever the case, the gems themselves were as foreign to this planet as he was… and look at them going, making lives for themselves like they were born here from jump (well, he believed that some were, but those were semantics). why couldn’t he do that? there shouldn’t be anything stopping him.

❝ making a place where you belong, huh? i… guess i’ve already got a head-start then, ❞ he assured out-loud, mostly a comfort for himself, coupled as a sign for steven to not worry about him much. it already felt so strange talking openly about his problems, but when someone as understanding as he could lend an ear, it was impossible to resist. he didn’t want to burden him, but there was no denying how much this helped.

❝ i’ve made a lot of friends here. being back up there and just… serving… ❞ a hand fell to the grass and clutched the blades. ❝ i was happy to grant everyone’s wishes. i still am. i just wanted to grant just one wish of my own… and now that i’m finally here, sometimes —— i wonder if my elders were right all along. ❞ a shaky breath was taken in. ❝ —— but they’re not. i’m not just a servant. i’m my own person. it’s weird, knowing i can give myself something for once, but… my friends really wanted me to come back, and i really wanted to grant that wish. ❞

plucking a pretty little daisy from the ground below, he twirled it from its stem between his fingers, smile broadening. ❝ besides, how can i resist? this planet is beautiful! all of the people here live so much more independently than stars do… and i think that’s awesome. that doesn’t stop them from taking responsibility, but… ❞ he grinned, reaching out and slipping the daisy into steven’s hair. ❝ … it doesn’t stop them from taking care of themselves, too, and that’s important, isn’t it? ❞

          Legs criss-crossed on the grass, the teen slowly swayed from side to side, intently listening to Geno's tale. He always was curious about his origins; he'd be a fool to not take mental notes right now, especially when he was trusting him with these secrets. He was grateful for that, though. Steven prided himself on radiating a welcoming aura, wanting to be that calm, caring shoulder anyone could lean on when they needed it. So the fact that Geno was comfortable enough to open up like this warmed his heart more than it normally was.

          He didn’t even need to know who Geno’s friends were in order to tell that they were good ones. Of course, he knew of their names, for the most part (’cause who doesn’t know a name like Super Mario?), but that was about it. Geno was in good hands, down here on Earth. Steven already knew he made the right choice to come back down to this planet, with how happy he was with stuff down here, but this just cemented it. Not to mention the--

          "--!!" Oh, that was...cute. That was very, very cute. He will cherish this flower forever. A tinge of pink lightly colored his cheeks for a brief handful of moments, but was quickly replaced by a brighter smile than his previous. "Of course!" he agreed, a content chuckle slipping through to complement the confirmation. "This world's so big and beautiful... It's amazing." Exactly why his mom wanted to protect its light. "And you have every right to keep being a part of it. Like, who says you can't grant your own wishes?! Of course you can!" He's done it, even. Perhaps that was making him a bit biased, in that regard, but it still felt like a way the two of them could relate. "You're your own guy! You always were." Screw what those crabby old sticklers think, eh? "No matter what those elders, or anyone else, says."

          Y'know what? He's placing the lollipop on Geno's lap. It's yours, buddy. He has tons. He could literally pull, like...three more out of that same pocket. And that's just one of four pockets on him. Dude pockets are ridiculously deep as is; they're bottomless pits. "Sometimes, when I’m really feelin’ it, I come up here and just...chill. Look down on Beach City from here.” The lighthouse did give a pretty good view of the whole place. Steven couldn’t help but take it all in, a deep, satisfied sigh leaving him as he looked on with sentimentality. “I wouldn’t have it any other way, the way things are here. No matter what happens, no matter where everyone goes--... We always have this lil’ dot on the map to turn back to when things get hairy.”

          STEVEN LOOKS SO FUCKING GOOD UGHHHHHHHH LOOK AT . HIM GO!!!!! LOOK AT HIM GOOOOOOOOOOOOOO HE’S DRIVING AND LOOKING SO FRESH AND KCKING ASS

*weakly throws up peace signs* n…nya……. *dies*

Having averted her gaze, Spinel made a quiet squeak as she heard both Steven coming closer and him talking to her.

“U-Uh…” she stuttered out, trying to find her words as quickly as she could. With a sigh, she pushed out, “I’m… fine.”

She gave another sigh, settling in and laying against the rock. However, she felt too embarrassed to admit her mistakes.

She had meant to go to Pink Diamond’s palanquin. She had done it on impulse, of course, not planning it, like… well, other mistakes she had made. As soon as Pink Pearl told her about it, she started making her way there, once the pearl had left. They had become friends by then, but Spinel worried that once (or, if) she returned, she would want to stop associating with her. The thought sent a shiver down her spine.

What if Steven was the same way, too? Of course, it was hard to tell, with the way he was approaching. He was trying to calm her, but it felt like alarms were going off in her mind, while she scrambled for something to say to explain herself.

“I-I… wanted to explore, is all,” she lied. She closed her mouth and bit her tongue, looking away again. With her lying like this, he probably wouldn’t trust her at all…

          Having to force oneself to say that they're okay is a guaranteed sign that they're not. Steven could tell from a mile away that there was something wrong here, without even seeing the tears down her face. "Yeah?" It was still a soothing tone, reminiscent of familial concepts that the teen, unfortunately, never got the chance to fully experience. But it was just how he was; he wanted to be a caring figure to people. Not necessarily a mother figure, of course, but more like...a doting brother.

          He wanted to sit down next to her, against the rock, but there was hardly any room there for Spinel, yet alone another figure. So, criss-crossed like a preschooler waiting for class to start, he sat down in the sand as close to her as he comfortably could. "This place is pretty big, huh?" A chuckle slipped out, leaving the smile on his face. It suited him more that way, anyway. "Without Lion, I dunno what I would've done. And I found him here! Though..." His eyes shift to the side for a brief moment. "It was more like he found me here, but... Whatever, heh." Cue a grunting Lion in the background.

          Gently, but slowly, he scooted a bit closer to her. He then held a hand out to her, palm up, inviting her to place one of hers on top of his. "I wouldn't have found you without him. Trying to navigate this world by yourself is already hard, so havin' him around is a huge help with that 'kinda stuff. Plus, it's more fun to travel with friends. A road trip calls for tons of fun! Wacky inside jokes, funny pictures, but the best part? All the good memories you make."

Hearing her own name be called, Spinel, wide-eyed, spun around to see Steven in the distance. She hurriedly wiped the tears from her eyes. If he saw her like this, especially after running away like that, and getting lost, she’d die of embarrassment.

Spinel ducked behind a rock. Hiding, something she now often did. She was shameful for what she’d done; she was sure that Steven was still mad at her, and sometimes, being with the diamonds didn’t exactly help. The only person who really understood was Pink Pearl, but now, Spinel had gone and run away, so she probably mistrusted her now.

Worries flashed through her mind as she hid. This was a stupid hiding place, anyway; she had barely any cover, plus she was, like, bright pink. Despite how ridiculous it was, Spinel shamefully did her best to duck away from Steven’s gaze.

          There weren’t that many places one could hide in the middle of a desert, first off. Not to mention the pink against the beige was obvious. Steven, however, wasn’t the one to spot the Gem in question; it was Lion. The teen was too busy clinging to the mane to notice the sudden shift in direction.

          But once he saw her, he saw her. A breathy “Spinel...” barely made its way out of his mouth, heavily laced with the relief one would only feel at the end of a long journey. He was glad, even grateful to have found her at all. He was beginning to think he’d have to head back home and find Garnet, hoping her future vision would find Spinel in good health.

          “...” She was still distrusting of him. He could feel it. It hurt, sure, but there had to be a reason for her to still be like this. Was she not happy with the Diamonds? Is that why she ran away? There’s so much here that he can’t figure out how to understand. Would it have been better for her to stay on Earth? Stay in Little Homeworld? What could he have done differently?

          Once Lion came to a halt as close as he could get, Steven gave his mane a thankful pat before carefully sliding off to the sand below. “Spinel...?” He wanted to stay as calm as possible, give her the impression that he was here out of his own free will. Which was true, though. The Diamonds didn’t ask him to help find Spinel; that was his own doing. Heck, if Pearl and the others knew where he was right now, if his dad knew where he was right now, he’d have quite the lecture.

          And he was, sprinting to his room to gather any necessities he may need to go searching for her. What did he need? His phone, for sure, but maybe his wallet? Some water? Goodness, this backpack was going to be mad heavy.

          Think, Steven. Think... Where could she have gone? He didn’t even get the chance to talk to the Pearl in question, but Blue Diamond’s Pearl had briefly mentioned that there was talk between the two pink Gems about remnants of Pink. He was already heading to Lion down by the sand with the intent to travel across countries, but there were loads of places he could be checking for her. “Can you help me sniff out Spinel, buddy?!” he asked his fluffy companion, an obvious strain in his voice as he held back the anxiety this all brought on. Sure, he definitely should be getting more help with this than just himself and Lion, but grabbing the rest of the Crystal Gems was far from the front of his mind. He had to find Spinel, and he had to find her now.

          The second Lion nodded in approval, the worried teen hopped on the back of his friend. With a shaky ruffle of his mane, Lion roared open a portal, hopping through shortly after.

          It didn’t take long to lose track of how long they’d been searching; the constant change in time zones as they zoomed through familiar continents quickly became a blur into one consecutive passage of time. It was still kind of morning, right? Or was it the evening by now? Whichever it was, he was mentally exhausted. The Diamonds, even, couldn’t keep watch over Spinel as she healed herself. It was really up to him to fix this, huh? He thought everything was under control! Everything was on the path to healing now!

          “--- SPINEL !!”

          But it wasn’t. Even after everything that happened between the two of them, she still couldn’t trust him. She still couldn’t lean on him for support. She still would rather opt to suffer in silence. And Steven wasn’t going to let her torture herself like this.

Nya!

Y'know, like. Nya

In the night, wild with fright, the old magic stirs. Blooming with grace, it will rise up to meet your face ---

@pluvirosea wanted a starter

It’s been so long since Miku has gotten a long break. At least it feels like that to hear. As much as she likes her idol career it can be rather monotone at times. Seeing the same people everyday. Hearing the same criticisms everyday. Doing the same routine everyday.

When Miku was give this extended break she was quick to leave Tokyo. One place of interest was Beach City. She saw it on some blog online. The blog’s runner was wierd, but the things he wrote about was what caught her interest. He took pictures of these strange looking people and structures.

She wanted to know more about them. There’s been many unreal things Miku has encountered. Now the perfect time to go. With some convicting she and her mother made their way to the town. First stop was a statue at the waterside. A nice house was just under it with a boy coming out the front door. Does he live there? Why not say something. Miku runs from her calling mother straight towards the boy.

“Hey! Do you live here? This place is amazing! That blog was smart to take pictures of this place. I would’ve never known about this place of it wasn’t for him!”

          It was a good thing the teen didn't go to some uniform human school. How did Connie handle the lack of free time? Of course, he'd love to be able to accompany her one of these days and see what's so good about it, but it felt like something that would only be appropriate if she was the one to ask him. Besides, it'd be hard to explain why he's never stepped foot on an academic campus.

          He was proud and supportive of her, as always, but on days like today when the sun was crisp and clear in the cloudless sky, he wished it was any season other than the ones that included school. Those were the thoughts rolling calmly through his mind as he stepped outside and to the front railing of his home, the pink sleeves of his jacket slightly draped over the wood once he went to lean on i--

          "Hm?" Now, that's a voice. It didn't take long for Steven to notice the girl approaching. If he didn't know any better, he'd think that was Miku Hatsune. Is that Miku? Is that actually Miku? Miku freakin' Hatsune? Oh, wowie wowie wow. "Uh, yeah!" Half bringing himself back to reality, half confirming her observation to be true. Instead of making this conversation unnecessarily loud, he decided to head down to greet her, dashing down his steps almost two at a time. It didn't take long for him to get within a better earshot distance.

          And that was going to consist of a fun time at the arcade. It had been quite a while since he'd gone down there by himself. Usually, he'd go with someone, but he couldn't find anyone to ask. Oh, well. Next time, ri--?

          "Whoa!" There's someone! A very special someone, even! Riddled with soft, content laughter, Steven's head lifted to see the source of the hug. "Hehey, Mom. What's up?"

[Sentence Starters] The Greatest Showman (2017) || ACCEPTING

          There was a pause, free hand stopping halfway to his jacket’s pocket. He, initially, felt like it was a time to have his phone – a teenager’s default catch-all for the cool things technology could do – in his hands, but it was immediately clear that he was mistaken. So the teenager slid the hand back to his side instead.

          “…” Steven knew this feeling. Probably not in the same vein, he figured, but he was still all too familiar with what the feeling was. And it was a painful one, often sticking to one’s subconscious like a discarded piece of gum on the bottom of a shoe. Except that gum was sharp, and wanted to stab you at any possible moment. “Same, honestly. There was a point where I wasn’t sure where I fit in. I was always just…in the middle of it all. Never stickin’ on one side of it.”

          “– So I made the place where I belonged. Not just for me, but for all the other Gems that were havin’ trouble with that. Anyone that wants to settle down around here, they have every right to. And I wanna help ‘em be comfortable with it.” His hand went back to his pocket, but not for his phone. Instead, he pulled out a small lollipop, the stick of it a bit smaller than his palm.