2835/Homeworld Gem Party Part 1

Homeworld Gem Party Part 1
Date of Scene:	18 August 2015
Location:	Gem Warship <GW>
Synopsis:	Lapis, Peridot and Ferham convene with the newly returned Jasper. Jas and Fer have a... tiff.
Cast of Characters:	516, 836, 849, 858

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Lapis Lazuli (849) has posed:
With her wings spread, Lapis slowly glides in around the gem warship. She's been gone for a while this time, really pushing the limits on her range as she performed her normal recon tasks. There are quite a few things she'd found, some more important than others. There was a particular lion with a surplus of glowing geodes that looked like something she'd seen in her memories. It was such a long time ago, but she was certain there had to be another warp pad around there.

    Unfortunately, aerial recon didn't really serve to finding said warp pad, she'd likely need to go on foot with Elvis Robonoid to really find the pad succintly. She'd left the robonoid behind for this particular search.

    There was also the matter that she'd been communication with Sunstone, but that simply wouldn't come up. Homeworld didn't /need/ to know about that.

    Coming down on her approach, her body reorients for landing at one of the airlocks, feet coming down first. Ever so delicately her toes touch the metal of the ship, and she steps forward quickly. Behind her, her wings folds and dissipate into water droplets before vanishing into her glowing gem. By the time she's through the airlock, her gem's glow has already faded.

    Eager to report to Peridot about the presence of possibly another warp pad, Lapis heads straight for the bridge. The elevating platform she stands on brings her to the correct level and she passes through the pressurized doors that open with a hiss. "Peridot, I think I might found another pad."

Jasper (858) has posed:
     Unfortunately for Lapis, Peridot isn't on the bridge. Jasper doesn't know why she isn't and, really, has no inclination to ask. If she wants to know, she'll shout for her. Peridot has tasks to attend to, Jasper knows, and she can count on her companion to get to them promptly. For now, the bridge is under her direct supervision - not that she has anyone to supervise.

     At the sound of Lapis' voice, however, Jasper turns. Her golden eyes narrow at the sight, face twisting in a slight scowl. "Really, now?" Jasper says, and then growls out: "And just where have you been?"

Lapis Lazuli (849) has posed:
    Lapis pauses, heart metaphorically skipping a beat or two when she sees Jasper and no Peridot. Looking up to Jasper, Lapis swallows hard. Just the way Jasper /looks/ at her makes her feel guilty. If there's anything that Jasper is with certainty, it's big, intimidating, and incredibly strong. With a cracked voice still holding a modicum of authority, Lapis replies, "I've been scouting.."

    She could try to explain that the multiverse is extremely large and takes time to search, but for some reason she feels that the orange gem likely doesn't care about that.

Jasper (858) has posed:
     "Under whose authority?" Jasper barks, taking a few slow steps towards Lapis. "I certainly don't remember letting you out of that cell!" One hand reaches out, taking hold of Lapis' chin so Jasper can look her squarely in the eye.

     "And just what were you scouting for, I wonder? Under no supervision? You think because you won one little insignificant victory, that allows you to do as you please?!"

Lapis Lazuli (849) has posed:
    Lapis steps backwards once or twice as Jasper approaches. Her own stride is so much smaller, and Jasper still easily closes on her without much effort. With a small gasp, her jaw is squarely in Jasper's fingers. Her own hands raise and lightly grip Jasper's wrist as she scowls. The intended goal is partially completed, and Lapis' eyes look at Jasper's briefly, before flicking to the side toward to the door, then back at Jasper.

    "Peridot," Lapis mumbles. "I was looking for -- No! I wasn't.." She's still on about Malachite, Lapis is sure of it. It was quite rough for Lapis too, but likely nothing like what Jasper went through given her disposition. Given that abuse of power.

Jasper (858) has posed:
     "Peridot?" Jasper asks, brow raised. "She's not here. It's only you and me - again," she hisses. With wrists that could be more like tree trunks, it's hard to imagine being able to pry her grip off through force alone.

     "I'll ask you one more time!" Jasper snaps, "Tell me what you were looking for, or I'll have the destabiliser primed to loosen your lips! Need I remind you, brat, that I'm here to ensure the success of this mission... and anything that is an impediment will be /dealt with/."

Lapis Lazuli (849) has posed:
    Lapis' grip tightens a little bit. "I'm looking for signs of homeworld," she says, squirming a little bit and closing her eyes. "I didn't 'escape from my cell'!" Her eyes reopen, looking back at Jasper in the eyes. "I'm not your prisoner and I'm not Peridot's prisoner."

    Firmly, Lapis replies with a small scowl, "Now let me go."

Jasper (858) has posed:
     Jasper grins, revealing fangs - and it is absolutely not a pleasant one. It's an expression of 'go on, try me, I dare you'. "You don't give orders to me," Jasper seethes, seeming like she's just a few words away from blowing her top, "Now, what did you just say to me?!"

     Someone could cut the tension with a knife!

Ferham (516) has posed:
     Ferham was just making her way up to the command bridge on the gem warship when woah--what was going on here?? All of a sudden, it seemed one of Peridot's allies was being accosted by... some kind of giant ogress of a woman with long white hair? That wasn't good. Ferham came in just in time to see Jasper baring her teeth at Lapis, apparently sufficiently alarmed at this.

     "Watch out, giant vampire women!" Ferham already had her electromag whip in her left hand, giving it a crack against the floor.

Peridot (836) has posed:
    The is the hiss of a door, as Peridot happened to be with Ferham as she walked onto the bridge. As she surveys the scene before her, she blinks in mild surprise. It didn't take a genius to figure out what was happening on the bridge- and Peridot was a genius! So, she purses her lips and holds her hand up in front of Ferham to stop her from advancing forward. "Don't." She instructed. "I got this."

    Peridot walked forward. "Jasper! Stop! Lapis is helping us of her own free will as a citizen of Homeworld." She approached the two of them and stops, her arms crossed. "I've absolved her of her crimes and she's been a proven asset during my time here on earth."

Lapis Lazuli (849) has posed:
    Lapis' eyes widen a little bit when Jasper presses in further with her toothy grin, immediately she regrets even /trying/ to reason with Jasper. Fighting with her is *always* the worst thing you can do, and trying to order her away was just as fruitless. Now she's just frightened again, and Jasper being a bear, can smell fear from at least thirty miles away.

    The timely distraction with Ferham is helpful, followed by Peridot's entry gives Lapis times to just step back and out of Jasper's reach. Jasper gets a spare look, then she moves to behind Peridot. Yeah! Go Peridot!

    Ferham gets a small strained but thankful smile. That close to being poofed.

Jasper (858) has posed:
     The sudden arrival of a whip-wielding pink figure and Peridot seems to calm Jasper, if only because it redirects her attention away from Lapis. The whip cracks against the floor and, as if in response to the sound, Jasper's already called her crushing helmet to her head. "You..." she says to Ferham, "Who are you? /What/ are you?" Rage, it seems, is giving way to confusion.

     Which Peridot seems to be able to capitalise on. "Have you now?" she seems to muse, "/All/ of her crimes?" What an odd question. She glares at Lapis from over Peridot's shoulder. "I was just reprimanding her for leaving without telling me, that is all. Ensuring the security of this ship."

     From there, Jasper marches around the trio of Peridot, Lapis and Ferham - like she's trying to figure the latter out. She's not too bright, Jasper, and while she seems to get that Ferham is some kind of warrior - she's not sure what she is, or her role on the ship.

     "Peridot, explain this... thing?"

Ferham (516) has posed:
     At the arm out in front of her from Peridot, Ferham halted in her tracks as the green triangular-haired girl told her to not intervene. Her whip's length returned to the handle after cracking it, disappearing for the time being. As Jasper seems to address her however, Ferham tenses up again, her green eyes focusing on the large burly woman. "Is this a... another of your race, Peridot?" Ferham asked, looking over at the green woman briefly, before looking back at Jasper and giving her a stern look.

Peridot (836) has posed:
    Peridot watched Jasper as Lapis moved behind her. As Jasper changes the topic towards Ferham, Peridot sighed quietly. It appeared her authority on the matter wasn't going to be called into question. Which was just as well, at the end of the day Peridot only had her words as a defense against the much stronger gem.

    She takes the out. Let's talk about Ferham!

    "Jasper... this is Ferham. She was the first being I met after I created our alliance with the Feds." Peridot turned her attention to the reploid woman. "At the time, I thought you dead. So I needed a replacement escort. That's when I..." She paused her. The truth of the matter may cause some complications with Ferhams programming. "..convinced her to assist our efforts." She then looked to Ferham. "And this.. is Jasper. She's something of.. a problem solver from my Homeworld. Specifically for problems that can be solved by punching."

Lapis Lazuli (849) has posed:
    Lapis glances towards Peridot when Jasper says she was 'just reprimanding her for not telling her about leaving'. Like that's even remotely close to the case, but Lapis is rather intimately familiar with Jasper's mode of operation. Fighting just isn't worth the pain, and she just submits.

    The mention of forgiving all of her crimes gives her a pause, though.

    Trying to be a little helpful, Lapis tries to ease the tension in the room with a message to Peridot. "I found one of the Earth islands. It might have a warp pad on it."

Jasper (858) has posed:
     Jasper meets Ferham's stern look with an even gaze. Peridot might worry about Jasper's strength but she /does/ listen, even it seems to be more that she believes it's her choice than anything else. She's quite recalcitrant, really, providing it's not Yellow Diamond doing the talking...

     The helmet vanishes from her head and Jasper continues to scrutinize Ferham. "So, this is your new escort, then?" she asks Peridot. "Funny. She's so... small." To Jasper, at least. "I don't like the idea of being replaced by a machine. How well do you fight?" She actually pokes Ferham's chest, to punctuate her point. "Maybe I should make sure that you're up to the task, little... pink... bird." Yeah, thankfully Peridot has enough brains for the whole ship.

     She's not really paying attention to Lapis. She'll know, in moments, if she's telling the truth by how Peridot responds. She's more concerned about this new rival!

Ferham (516) has posed:
     "Yes, that's right, I hold that... honor," Ferham looked over to Peridot, whom she gave a little smile to, in passing as she relaxed a bit more and leaned against the doorway of the corridor. Fer looked back at Peridot as she explained things, then back toward Jasper, apparently realizing /this/ is who she replaced. Wuh oh. As Jasper approached and her belly was poked like that, Ferham looked down and back up at the large white-haired gem.

     "Fairly well, for an elite, I have been told," the femmebot nodded, before frowning just a bit. "Small? from my end you look like you've been working out in a gym for years," Ferham reached up and trailed a gloved finger over one of Jasper's biceps, if she could. "As you can see my model retains a woman's feminine... qualities," she smirked a little.

Peridot (836) has posed:
    Peridot nods at Lapis at the mention of a warp pad. "Another one? This is good. In an ideal scenario one of these warp pads will take us to a warp hub. If the warp pads are here, then it might be a safe assumption that a lot of our old gem tech abandoned on earth made it over. At least some of it."

    "Finding a communications tower would be a significant find. At this point, I'd settle for one of our old colony ships. There won't be much salvageable tech, but there might be something there. Good job. At my earliest convenience I will arrange for us to explore your findings."

    "I've also dispatched a squad of robonoids to repair the first warp pad you located. Soon we'll be able to see where that one goes as well."

    She also turns her attention to Jasper, at the mention of being a replacement. "Don't think of her as a replacement." She said, forming her fingers into the holopad. She floated it toward Lapis, where it a had a map of the planet. Perhaps she wanted to log the coordinates? Multi-tasking! "Think of her, as a coworker. Or, backup. We have many pressing issues to attend to. I will need more than one escort- especially as I find myself needing to leave the warship more and more."
    
    As Ferham touched Jaspers bicep, Peridot squinted a little. Without realizing it, she took a step back from Ferham... just in case. She cleared her throat. "I'll uh.. let you two sort out a schedule among yourselves."

Lapis Lazuli (849) has posed:
    Lapis steps up to the holopad, examining it for a few moments. The thing between Ferham and Jasper is.. interesting. But she wouldn't want to be caught staring, Jasper might punch her with a destabilizer just for that much. So instead she briefly inspects the holopad, picking out a few landmarks before pressing a beacon point of interest for /about/ the location the island was. The imagery wasn't really complete for that part of the map, so it was really just a rough guess.

    Nodding to Peridot, Lapis says, "I haven't seen any evidence of any major gem technology. Or a powercore." She grits her teeth a little, knowing that means they'll probably have to steal it. But it's for a good cause, right?

Jasper (858) has posed:
     Jasper listens to Peridot. Okay, not a replacement - a backup, yes. That helps. Not that Peridot is aware of what happened on Earth, but Jasper would not have handled clawing her way back to her place on the ship only to find out that it had been taken from her. Yes, backup is good. It's a good word, because Jasper has never needed backup before and there's no way she could even consider it now!

     Some part of her is annoyed that Lapis was apparently telling the truth, given everything Peridot is saying. How inconvenient.

     And then Ferham touches her and while, for a moment, Jasper appreciates the compliment, it's definitely wise that Peridot backed off a few steps! One big, meaty hand shoots up and grips Ferham's hand like a vice!

     "First mistake. Touch me again, robot, and you'll pull back a stump," Jasper growls. She doesn't let go, however, and she turns to look at Peridot out of the corner of her eye, keeping Ferham in her peripheral vision. "Can you repair this one, Peridot? I have the overpowering urge to /spar/ with my new /coworker/."

Ferham (516) has posed:
     "Sparring won't do me a lot of good, I'm afraid," Ferham replied in a high tone as if she was some sort of hapless female, at the moment. She even was playing it up as if she was one. "Oh please, don't pull my hand off, I need it for things!" she made a surprised face and put her other hand to her chest, as if she was in distress. "As for your question... I am not sure she can," she replied cool-ey to Jasper, about whether or not she could be repaired by Peri.

     "So please let go, please and thank you," her tone was much more casual now, looking up at Jasper in the eyes.

Peridot (836) has posed:
    "Repair her? Hmm." Peridot rubbed her chin. "Human technology isn't my specialty, the fact that it's archaic makes it simple in some regards but causes complications in terms of interface and-" She paused, realizing that this techno babble was likely going to be lost on.. well, everyone except Ferham.
    "The short answer, is actaully yes. Her construction has some similarities to older gem tech that I can work with and make repairs on. So long as her central processing and storing isn't damaged, I can make repairs."
    "Just don't... kill each other. Remember your job is to protect me." She states matter-of-factually. Perhaps even relishing her self-appointed status as the most important gem on the planet.

Lapis Lazuli (849) has posed:
    Lapis, now done with the holopad, watches Jasper and Ferham uneasily. Nodding momentarily to what Peridot's indicated about not killing each other, she adds on, "And take it out of the ship." That should go without saying.

    If the hole through the core of the ship is any testament to.

    It's.. amusing to say the least out of how Lapis has avoided any one particular title. She seems to fluctuate from task to task rather easily. Perhaps 'general use' would be the best title for her. Thankfully, any serious damage to a gem could likely be repaired by Steven, if he were willing.

Jasper (858) has posed:
     "What?" Jasper asks Ferham, "Sparring doesn't help you?" The very thought of it seems to shock her. "How do you hope to learn new tactics? To learn to fight a Gem? You seem brave, that's good - you're going to need that." She turns to look at Peridot, the technobabble going in one ear and right out the other. "I won't kill her," she says, "I just want to know how much of the weight I'm going to have to pull."

     She releases Ferham's hand - still attached to her arm, of course - and crosses her arms. "Only because you asked so nicely," she says, quite sarcastically. "And there's plenty of room in the barracks or the prison block," Jasper remarks, mostly defying Lapis' comment.

Ferham (516) has posed:
     "Oh no, and I left my fuzzy handcuffs at home," Ferham replied in a bit of a falsetto voice, apparently to Jasper's threats of the brig. "Do we even have one of those?" she asks as a quick aside to Peridot, before working the wrist that Jasper had held as if it was perhaps a little sore still. She stepped back from Jasper all the same, careful not to bump into Peridot with those wings of hers. "If I won't be needed for the moment I'm going to get some fresh air, bit too much testosterone in here," she muttered before quickly making her way out.

Peridot (836) has posed:
    Peridot rubbed her head. The fuzzy handcuff reference going over her head. However she wrote it off as one of the many earth simile's that she didn't typically understand. Handcuffs in general were not terribly effective on any gem worth their minerals given their inherent shape shifting capacity. And what did their texture have to do with anything? She puzzled. However, when asked about the brig, Peridot answered. "We do."

    Though it looked like they weren't taking it anywhere, unless Jasper did something else reckless. Peridot was relieved. She saw no need to rank their strength in comparison to one another just yet. She knew exactly what each of their strengths and weaknesses were.

    Seeing that Lapis had marked the map, Peridot recalls her fingers. "Data logged. Thank you."

Lapis Lazuli (849) has posed:
    Lapis also doesn't seem to understand the fuzzy handcuffs reference, or if she does understand it, she chooses not to show it. For a moment she seems unsure about the tenacity between Ferham and Jasper, and she nervously glances from Peridot to Jasper. Not out of cowardice but more like, 'Okay, when is there going to be a helmet going through a wall'. Jasper's been begging for a fight since she got on this ship, and just hasn't been quenched.

    By Lapis and now by Ferham.

    This was likely just a powder keg ready to blow. Not an "if" but a "when". Lapis nods in acknowledgement when Peridot mentions her data entry, then she gently lays a hand on the green woman's shoulder. "We should investigate Steven's console unit." She's referring to the game station.

Jasper (858) has posed:
     If it goes over Peridot's head, Jasper isn't even sure where it is in relation to her head. "The brig's one of the more reinforced sections of the ship. If we're going to fight, that'd be the place to do it. Or off the ship. I don't care."

     Peridot might not need to rank their strength but Jasper needs it. It's how she assembles her view of the world. Jasper at the top, and everyone else below her. If someone fights her, can prove that they're strong enough to do so without resorting to cheap trickery, then they might get to be towards the top of the ladder - maybe not true respect but something close to it. Acknowledgement? Understanding? Who knows.
     But Lapis is right, Jasper's battle-lust needs an outlet... and it's going to fall on an unfortunate someone sooner or later. Lapis upset her view of the world, had subdued her entirely - and it's obviously a deep mental wound in her core that she can't understand. It won't go away until she wins, and wins hard.

     But, for now, she lets Ferham go, scowling at her back. For now.

     Only because she complimented the muscles and, therefore, her strength! That entitles her to some small mercy. But only for now.

Peridot (836) has posed:
    At the mention of the game station, Peridot blinks curiously. She had a passing curiosity in the thing, and to it's credit she had perfectly utilized it to lay a trap for Sunstone. Which has gone a way to significantly bolster the device's merit in Peridot's eyes. But she wasn't quite sure what Lapis's interest in it was. Unless she was trying to get her away from Jasper for a moment.
    To Jasper she nods. "Be aware. I've been doing various scans of energy spikes in my search for a power source, and I believe I found something that we can investigate further. If these humans put so much attention into guarding their useless plastic trinkets- " A reference to the toy store heist. "- They are sure to defend their possessions of true value. We will have a fight on our hands."
    Then she turns her attention to Lapis. "Very well, let's investigate." She said, starting for the barracks where they had established a room for Steven.

Lapis Lazuli (849) has posed:
    Lapis had seen quite a few things while exploring. Suffice to say she'd spent some time away from the cities, carefully avoiding them. For a normal person this might be difficult, with the need of shelter and sustenance. Gems have no need for this kind of thing, so for the most part, mainstream information eluded her. Things people might take for granted. Things like a billboard advertising games for the console she stole with Peridot.

    The bubble game in particular piqued her interest.

    Something was just fascinating by the mediocrity of it. At the very least she was intrigued enough to investigate the console with Peridot, and maybe even try one of these virtual simulations to see why they appealed to Steven.

    As Lapis heads to the door, she gives Jasper a curious look.

Jasper (858) has posed:
     "I'll be ready," Jasper tells Peridot. "You just make sure we're not wasting our time finding a bad power source." Her eyes catch Lapis' gaze as she gives her that curious look. "What're you looking at?" she snaps.

     Seems like she'll be staying on the bridge, to do whatever it is she does when she's not in a fight, looking for a fight, or thinking about fighting.

Peridot (836) has posed:
    Peridot walked up ahead, a stern expression on her face. As they departed the bridge. "If I can't find a battle for her, she's going to bring this ship down... again." She supposed that wasn't fair. She knew the fusion... Garnet had been responsible for that bit of destruction. But their battle had been neccesary, if not mutually destructive. Peridot rubbed her face. Just another stressful thing added to the list of stressful things she needed to do, to manage or find a solution for.

    "As bizarre as it sounds, I do hope whoever possess this power source I'm tracking makes us work for it." She squinted, momentarily looking to Lapis.

Lapis Lazuli (849) has posed:
    "I know." replies Lapis, inferring that she picked up on the same tension. There doesn't seem to be any surprise when Peridot relents that she'd like the fight for the powercore to be a hard one. "You want to direct that rage away from us, I understand. She might do worse than destroy the ship otherwise." There's a long pause as she looks at Peridot.

    "Are you going to be okay?" This is perhaps the first time Lapis has actually asked about Peridot's status. It sounds sincere.

Peridot (836) has posed:
    Her expression softened somewhat. She was mildly surprised Lapis asked about her. A lifetime of working with gems like Jasper and the entire military branch of the gem empire- such a line of inquiry was unheard of, and when it was asked- it was to ascertain whether or not an emotional status was a danger to a given mission. However, Peridot didn't read that in the blue gems voice. This wasn't an inquiry. It was... a simple question.

    "I am relieved." She answered, a bit robotically. "Jasper is back. She is hard-headed and difficult to manage, but besides you- she is the only other gem on this planet who I can always be certain has Homeworlds interest at heart. Thus making her a valuable asset."

    "I am also worried. I hold rank. But I have nothing in my arsenal that can prevent her from usurping my mission and asserting her own objectives. I do not currently believe this will be a problem. But, I once thought the same thing when I was originally sent to earth." She looks to Lapis. "She is a variable. Variables are difficult to plan for."

Lapis Lazuli (849) has posed:
    Lapis Lazuli stops on the elevation pad, which waits for Peridot to still before descending to the appropriate level. Like Lapis, Steven was unpredictable and oft to wandering the ship or leaving without supervision. At first this was likely an issue, but the kid is just difficult to track.

    When the platform stops, Lapis continues walking. "You have more in your toolbox than you think you do." Peridot is intelligent, and she holds to her deals. She can be a bit volatile and hardheaded at times, but this side of her is just.. compatible.

    Lapis seems pretty satisfied by that answer otherwise. "Do you have any plans for when the Crystal Gems show up?" There's a hint of worry in her voice now.

Peridot (836) has posed:
    At the topic of the Crystal gems, Peridot tightens her fist. There was a headache she was glad to not have to deal with. She loosens her grip. "When they show up." She starts, looking at the floor in thought. "Statistically, we should have mopped the floor with them. If we're..." She then looked up. She wanted to say 'unified' but she stopped herself. She caught herself actively trying not to upset Lapis. Which, she thought was strange. She highly enjoyed chiding others.

    "If we're prepared. We have destabalizers. We have more intel than we did in the past. If we keep the Steven separated from them...." As the elevator reached its destination, Peridot stepped off the lift towards Stevens room. "I'm confident that we can keep them at bay or imprisoned. So long that we have the warship and Jasper on our side."

Lapis Lazuli (849) has posed:
    Lapis follows by Peridot's side as the lift ascends behind them back to the bridge. For a moment, she seems expectant when Peridot pauses, but doesn't seem to pick up on Peridot avoiding upsetting her. Probably for the best. The idea of fighting the Crystal Gems doesn't seem to upset her, either. The bit with Jasper was unusual, though. Her fighting, and about them getting away. Was that circumstantial, or had she really turned her back on Homeworld. Could she do it again?

    Lapis steps into the cell, the forcefield being off, given that Steven can just walk through it at any time. Approaching the television set, Lapis sits down infront of it on the many cushions. Then she looks over to Peridot expectantly.

Peridot (836) has posed:
    Peridot walked into the cell. The Steven was another can of crystal worms. If the Crystal gems reappeared, she would have to double security around the gem boy. He was a side-objective to be sure, but he was still important. Important enough to keep in the clutches of Homeworld.

    But, another problem another day.

    She sat next to Lapis, cross-legged and then looked to the Tv. She reached out and powered the devices on, as she had become familiar with their use before she baited her trap for Sunstone. "Alright, what are we investigating here? Did you wish to show me something? Did we get more messages?"

Lapis Lazuli (849) has posed:
    Watching Peridot activate all the devices, she takes careful note of what does what. The console greets them with its colourful bootup screen and sounds. Looking over to the pile of cases, Lapis picks up the one with the bubble-frog case art. "This is what I was looking for." Having stolen it, she'd better know what she grabbed!

    Leaning forward and crawling on all fours up to the TV, she examines the buttons through squinted eyes before pressing the 'Open' button, where the disk tray slides out from the TV.

    Cracking open the case, Lapis puts the disk in upside down and closes the tray.

    The TV goes black.

    Scooting back, LApis sits back in the pillows. Then the ominous words 'Disk Read Error' pop up on the screen.

    Lapis stares at it for a few moments before looking at Peridot, "I don't think I did it right."

Peridot (836) has posed:
    "It's truly bizarre that a culture capable of creating a being like Ferham also still utilizes Poly-carbonate plastic and aluminum to store data with reflected light. But to their credit, they are at least on the right track." She had to admit, Gem-tech utilized light refracting through gems frequently. These disk weren't different, merely simpler.

    Without saying anything Peridot took the disc out and flipped it. "The reflective portion has to face the optical pickup, or it will not function."

Lapis Lazuli (849) has posed:
    "I think things like Ferham came from a different universe." Lapis nods as Peridot fixes the disk, yet it still displays an error message. 'Not a Dvd'. This is confusing. Looking at the controllers, Lapis leans forward and examines the console before openning *it*, then she takes the disk from the TV and puts it into the console. Upon closing it, they get the actual screen for the game. "Why are there two of them, but only one works?" Confusing.

    In any case, Lapis picks up one of the controllers and hands the other to Peridot. Some of this comes intuitively, and she begins to navigate the menu. Multiplayer. New game. Two players. "Ready?" She eyes Peridot.

Peridot (836) has posed:
    "Because the engineers on this planet are clods." She answers with a light smirk. Humans were always acceptable targets for maximum chiding. "Their limited capacity for ingenuity means they don't always know when to optimize or combine systems."

    Peridot takes the controller, having already used one before. Though certainly not to play this specific game. "What is our objective here?" She asked, studying the screen for information.

Lapis Lazuli (849) has posed:
    Lapis readies herself as the game begins the startup countdown. Pointing towards the top of the screen she says, "I think we need to pop these bubbles. When popped in certain combinations, a frog will appear and we will have to fight it using our laser cannons." Then the game begins. Of course, Lapis is still getting used to the controls and just moves around without doing anything. The bubbles at the top of the screen look a lot like a brick-breaker type of game, and every one is coloured coded like candy-crush. Some items are in bubbles. Armor. Guns. Ammo. Powerups.

    "I saw it on a human information board outside of one of their cities." She confirms her source.

Peridot (836) has posed:
    "Wait, are we just playing this... just to play?" She squinted, holding her controller limply for a few moments. Her disinterest, she quickly found was feigned. She had been curious about these games since she first saw the Steven playing one and had took note of the mathematical precision the game had employed.

    "Hm.. Very well. If the objective is to destroy the frog. Then, it shall be utterly reduced to it's base chemical components and trace minerals." Peridot picks the controller back up. She took to it much more quickly. She multi tasked the control of several robonoids and a warship through digital interfaces. This was a walk in the park to her.

Lapis Lazuli (849) has posed:
    Lapis began to smile, taking hints from the way Peridot was using the controller to further her own position in the game. It took her a bit longer to succeed in shooting the bubbles, but she picked up fast in Peridot's lead. Peridot noticed the combos much sooner, though. Her bubble-popping expertise unmatched, and the scores showed it. As the game got faster, leading up to the boss, Lapis began to laugh. "No fair! You're so far in the lead!" It's hardly competitive, but the score makes it so. "I don't understand why we have to fight the frog after popping these bubbles."

Peridot (836) has posed:
    "A common theme among many planetary mythology, at a glance--" And, it was best to not go into WHY Peridot had been exposed to several different cultures. Most of them no longer had people to even spread their mythology. "Is the use of predatory animals and the various ways they are vanquished by champions."

    "Perhaps the frog is a small, but menacing predatory animal to humans. It would explain their depiction as a target." Peridot seemed relaxed. Much more so than she had been, in perhaps years. The task set before her brought her to the same place as when she was cleaning the bridge. The game took thought, but it was fairly undemanding. It allowed Peridot to think critically in a low-stakes environment, somewhere safe.

    "I may have perhaps been hasty in my judgement of these devices in the past. I can see now a parallel with a certain brand of gem tech. The holo-room."

Lapis Lazuli (849) has posed:
    "Humans being hunted by frogs? It's hard to imagine something so simple." Lapis repeats back, mostly on the same page. As the bubbles are finally eliminated and both 'avatars' are equipped. Lapis begins her fight with the frog, with Peridot. "It doesn't look very tough."

    Then the frog jumps on her avatar and instantly depletes all of her life. "A..ah! It got me!" She actually seems a little upset. "It's certainly less dangerous."

Peridot (836) has posed:
    "Small things can be dangerous." She comments. "Especially to a biological meat being. Poisons or corrosive materials in general. Perhaps frogs are venomous. This perhaps warrants further investigation."

    And so, Peridot played games with Lapis throughout the night. For once she didn't think about Kindergarten, Homeworld, the crystal gems, power sources, or any of the myriad of things that had monopolized her thoughts since being stranded on the planet. She simply played... and throughout the course of the night, learned she had a strong aptitude for it. She was a problem solver, a trouble shooter with twitch-like reflexes and precision that was normally applied to the repair of small machines.

    It was a good way to conclude a work day. She enjoyed Lapis's company, and by the conclusion of their battle. Peridot had been laughing--- though, cackling may have been a better word for it, as she systematically rid this digital world of all of its frog folk. But, at the least it was clear she was having fun.