4108/Camping Buddies

Camping Buddies
Date of Scene:	14 May 2016
Location:	Avatar World <AW>
Synopsis:	Peridot is introduced to camping, smores and that the fact that you don't eat sticks.
Cast of Characters:	20, 836

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Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    The blind girl made sure to stock up on some supplies before she made it to the world that she originated from, knowing fully well what wasn't available there. And to blend in easier she's wearing her usual bending clothes, with a matching satchel that's filled. Along with the coordinates to meet up, Toph had sent instructions to Peridot along with the message to bring what she could carry with her that she couldn't be without for one night or two. Sure, she's planning for them to stay close to a town just in case, with a nearby warp gate, but she doesn't think there will be problems.

    For now Toph is waiting, sitting on a rock next the road leading into town, munching on a dumpling. Hopefully it won't be long until Peridot arrives, it would be better if they don't spent too long on the walk to where she was thinking they could set up camp for the night.

Peridot (836) has posed:
Fortunately what gems lost in social graces, they made up for in spades in efficiency. Peridot wanted for very little in terms of food, water, sleep or all the other things biological life required. She only needed two things. Her trust hand-blaster, and a continence mode of transportation.

    The tiny green gem stood imperiously upon a ramshackle construction of her own design. It looked out of place in this world- just as out of place as it's driver-. Made up of old tv-cases, large barrel drums for wheels, and a system of belts and pulleys. Peridot controlled the whole thing with an old nintendo power glove she had scavenged somewhere.

    She arrives with startling punctuality, neither late or early.

    "I have arrived as we have discussed and am fully equipped and prepared for all objectives pertaining to fun."

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    Upon Peridot's arrival Toph turns her head, grinning as she swallows the food in her mouth. "Good! So... welcome to the Earth Kingdom!" Toph greets the gem, gesturing to the rolling hillsides, farmlands and nature that stands before them. "The largest nation in my world, and my homeland! Except I was born in the south, and we're not going there today for various reasons. This area is a bit more temperate this time of year, and not to mention the view is probably a bit nicer. Come on!"

    With that she gets off of the rock and begins leading the way down the road, finishing up her dumpling and begins setting the pace. "So... anything interesting happen lately? How did that job go by the way? For that angry Italian sounding girl..." They never did talk about that further.

Peridot (836) has posed:
Peridot rolls up along side Toph as she looks around taking in the nature and splendor of a far less advanced society. "It is... quaint. I suppose." She says with some hesitation. Although she had been forcing herself to be more open minded about earths bounty, it was overall a huge adjustment for the gem.

    "As for my job. It went well. I exceeded my parameters and was paid a sum that I was told was quite a lot." She rubs her head. "Although human laws were broken in the process, I am currently under the impression that what I accompliced that day was still in the defense of this planets inhabitants, or rather helping the helpless from the opportunistic. Therefore, still within the confines of a greater good so to speak." A rather wordy way to say she helped those in need.

    "At any rate. Do not think your gesture has gone unnoticed, as I realize you yourself will not enjoy the view you are intent on displaying for my benefit." She begins to look around idily. "I somehow did not imagine a place like this to be your Homeworld. I think I've always just imagined you in large human cities."

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    Far less advanced indeed, there are no major buildings, no noise of cars or anything, people in the distance are wearing simple clothes, and the forests and hills are green. Just by the looks of it, the farmers aren't using any technology either. By the looks of it, some of them are bending the earth though.

    Toph nods as Peridot goes over the brief summary of the job she was hired to do, and well... even if she's explaining things in a complicated manner, Toph does get the gist of it; Peridot did it to help people. Which is a good thing. "If you don't harm people, then helping others is a good thing. Kinda why I joined the Union in the first place!"

    No, the view isn't something Toph cares for. Though she does look amused at Peridot's comment. "The town I come from isn't that large, really. And I only began spending time in large human cities on other worlds because my supervising officer at the time went to them. It's nice, but man is it noisy too," Toph says and sticks her tongue out. "And while I can't see the view here, I do notice how clean the earth is here, and I can smell how fresh the air is."

R    But just in case Peridot thinks this whole world is like this... "There are some large cities and settlements here though. Like the city of Ba Sing Se up to the north east. It's the largest city in this world, but it's a horrible place to visit. So many rules and regulations, it's still being fixed up after the hundred year war, and well... the people there /suck/. Then you have the Fire Nation capital, the Air temples... and the North Pole. Obviously I haven't been to the latter, because it's all ice. I wouldn't be able to see diddely squat up there!"

Peridot (836) has posed:
"An interesting set up." Though Peridot had a certain reverence for rules and regulations that once bordered on the obsessive, she had little interest in adhereing herself to human rules. Much less trivial ones.

    "I uh.." She pauses looking off to the side. "I wish I could show you my homeworld." Her gaze rises to the sky. "I think you would have liked it actually, if such a thing could be permitted. Your unique skill set puts you in a great position to appreciate the architecture. More so than humans with functioning vision spheres."

    "But I suppose that will never come to pass." She adds listlessly.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    "Seriously, all Ba Sing Se is made up of are rules and people who follow them. It's so messed up, and soooo many snobs. Ugh, there's a reason why I never wanted to be a proper little lady like my birth parents wanted me to..." Toph mutters. But enough about the worst city in the world. Or the multiverse, in her opinion.

    The talk about Homeworld earns a soft nod. "Heh, I bet it would be interesting from my point of view if it's made up of metal and gems. Maybe you could make a miniature model sometime?" she suggests. Or you could describe it to me and then I could make a model for you, might be quicker. For tonight though, we're going to stay away from civilisation, though it won't be too far away from the town. Tonight we're going to camp /up there/." The blind earthbender points up to the top of a hill overlooking the area. And well... it's kinda high up, up past a thick forest and a roaring waterfall that cascades down a cliffside before it continues through the landscape as a lazy river. But the view from up there must be something else. "So come on, we gotta get there before it gets too late!" Toph grins and heads on ahead. "We're going to make a camp fire and grill hot dogs and smores when we get there, so you got that to look forward to!"

Peridot (836) has posed:
Peridot looks over the scenery with some measure of appreciation. She had been exposed to many such sights since her time on earth. Oddly enough she still wasn't fully accustomed to seeing so much water everywhere. Oceans, rain, waterfalls. It didn't seem to get old.

    "I don't know what any of those things are!" She proclaims raising her hand and pointing with a grin. "But I will make short work of them!"

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    Well, it appears that one of her goals for this camping trip is being met. Peridot appears to actually enjoy herself. Considering how stressed out she had been on previous occasions, it's good to hear that she can actually focus on something and learn that human activities aren't too bad. "Good, because I brought extra ingredients. Now move your gravity connectors or whatever you call them," Toph states.

    - Several steep climbs and hills later -

    Luckily the trip up the hillside wasn't too rough, not when you have an accomplished earthbender with you. And for Peridot the view might be worth it. For as long as the eye can see, there's green accepted by hills, as well as the sun starting to set in the west. There are towns, settlements, not to mention weird animal life that should be completely new to the gem. Turtleducks in the stream, weird rabbits with horns and bills, frogs with squirrel tails... why, there was even a deer with a serpentine tail! Toph didn't seem to pay much attention to the strange creatures however, clearly not seeing anything wrong with them. Literally.

    For now though the earthbender is busy setting up the twigs and logs they've found, working on getting a fire started. "Man, it's been a while since I've slept outside like this," she mutters. "Don't get me wrong, I love having a comfy bed, tons of food easily accessible and all that handy stuff, but there's something else about just getting to sleep outside. Especially when the weather is nice like this.

Peridot (836) has posed:
Peridot's struggles a little with the physical aspects of climbing. More so because of how short her limbs were; the gem was surprisingly agile when she wanted to be. Unencumbered by limb enhancers. And she only complained a few times!

    "I've never slept before. Though as I understand it, gems have the ability to sleep. Just, not the need." Peridot answers as she watches Toph make the fire. "I suppose I will be adding that to my list of new things to try today."

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    "Well, sleeping is kinda mandatory for organic creatures," Toph shrugs. "Cats sleep most of the day actually. They are only awake for a few hours here and there. Then you have nocturnal creatures who sleep while the sun is up, and then get up to hunt and stuff when then night falls." Probably not the best thing to say if Peridot is nervous about those things, but Toph clearly doesn't look like she's afraid of something like that happening.

    "Trying new stuff is what makes life fun, you know," Toph adds, then looks mighty pleased with herself as she's done setting up the camp fire. "There! Now to get it lit!" If she were a firebender, that would have been easy. But instead Toph grabs two nearby rocks that she collected for this very purpose, crouching down by the logs. And it's a somewhat easy process to bend the rocks together hard and fast enough to create friction, which leads to a spark that catches in the dry grass she set at the bottom of the camp fire underneath the twigs... and voila.

    The fire catches, and although it's small to begin with, Toph looks satisfied as she rises to her feet again, tossing the rocks aside. "Okay! Now you get to put the hot dogs onto some sticks!" It's something easy to do.

Peridot (836) has posed:
Peridot looks at the food with mild curiosity. "The last time I ate, and drank something..." She murmured as she took the hot dogs and look a the collection of pointy sticks. "I was hosting a confederate dinner party aboard the gem warship." Though the memory didn't seem to stress her out any. More innocent reflection. "I think if you were capable of vision, you would have been amused and or impressed by the dress I wore."

    She begins to impale the hotdogs on the stick. Though perhaps not in the conventional way, she more or less had the basic concept down. She just seemed to do it with a measure of unpracticed carelessness.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    With Peridot on the process of getting the hot dogs ready for grilling over the camp fire, Toph begins fishing out the ingredients for smores. Heck, this might actually be more fun than she thought it would be. And maybe Peridot will think so too. Though Toph blinks when Peridot talks about the last time she ate at a... dinner party.
    "Wait. /You/ hosted a Confederate dinner party?!" Toph laughs, looking honestly amused as she turns her head slightly. "And you wore a /dress/? A formal dress, or...?"

    Okay, this is beyond hilarious. It's clear Toph wants more details about the entire deal. And she does seem keen on listening as she sits down by the camp fire and begins combining some crackers, marshmallows and chocolate for later. "So what did you do at that dinner party? Think up evil plots to mess with us poor Unionites?" she teases a bit.

Peridot (836) has posed:
"If you were stuck on a ship all day with just Jasper." She starts in an amused tone. "You would be desperate for company too." Though Peridot's cheeks turn dark green at Toph's reaction to her wearing a dress. "I.. Thoroughly researched customs, and it said the hostess must wear a formal dress. So I did." Her shoulders hunch a little.

    "Nothing so dramatic was discussed." she waves her hand some. "Cards were played. The deliberate poisoning was administered in controlled doses. I made Jasper be social. I think... everyone had fun." She rubs behind her neck.

    "I wonder what the guest are doing now. Or if they even want revenge on me." She looks up towards the sky in thought.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    "Yeah... I get your point, she doesn't seem like a master of conversation," Toph responds with a nod after giving it just a second's thought. "I was stuck inside my childhood home or twelve years, so yeah... I know what it's like to be desperate for company."

    There are some people you can easily imagine wearing a dress, really. But Peridot? Would she be just as creative as wearing dresses as she is in naming stuff in a manner more complicated than it needs to be? It's also a bit hard to imagine Feds just sitting around, having fun. "Heh... cards, huh? No offence, but I'm having a hard time imagining /Jasper/ being social without it involving punching and threats..." Though Toph sobers up when Peridot seems to think about whether those same people she ate dinner with are now the same people who want to harm her for no longer being affiliated with them. Her expression is serious when she reaches out to take one of the sticks with the hot dogs on them, and she shrugs. "I bet many of them want to kick my ass too if that's a comfort. There are always people out there who want to hurt you, especially in a big place like the multiverse. For instance, last year one of the Feds actively tried to kill me..." Toph's expression is blank as she recalls that situation. "You haven't heard any of them contacting you or such on the radio, though...?"

Peridot (836) has posed:
Peridot rubs her chin. "The robot." She answers after a moment. "The creepy murderous robot." She had directly been apart of assisting HK on at least one mission- to kill a pony with a gem-eating pet dragon. Peridot shakes her head and pushes the dark memory out of her mind. "So long as I could convince Jasper that what I was doing served Homeworlds best interest, she had to take orders from me. Which is why things... kind of fell apart the moment she became convinced that I wasn't."

    "They have not. I have been keeping a very low profile." She says, nearly sounding proud. "They may be tougher, and stronger than me." She points at her head with a light grin. "But very few of them are smarter than me. In fact, I'd say most were fairly dim-witted and predictable. I'm starting to wonder if they even know I betrayed them."

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    "Yeah... creepy is only the start of describing him," Toph mutters with a visible shudder. "That blasted piece of scrap metal seems to hate me for being a metalbender, and it tried to kill me while Goldie and Pepper watched..." Ugh. Toph too pushes the grim thoughts out of her mind as best as she can. It's easier to talk about Jasper, somehow. "Yeah, she seemed upset at that. It's a good thing that she's bubbled now and has some time to cool down..." If she's even capable of doing that.

    The hot dog is starting to look somewhat grilled now, though being blind Toph has no way of knowing that. So she pulls it back and carefully touches it with her fingers, checking the temperature. Nopes, still doesn't feel hot enough. So back over the fire it goes.

    The talk about the Feds though, that makes Toph look pensive. "Eh, there are some pretty devious Feds out there. Don't underestimate them. You're not the only brainiac who's worked for them. Like Tesla, she's a smart cookie. And Lute, well... he might /seem/ stupid, but he's got these... idiot savant moments, I guess you can call them? I'd say they figured out /something/ happened after you and Jasper stopped reporting in. Add in that you've spoken on the open channel, and I'm sure somebody has overheard you." Toph pauses. "I don't say this to scare you, just... be careful, and don't underestimate them."

Peridot (836) has posed:
"There is a lot you can say about Jasper, but you can't say she was bad at her job." Meanwhile, Peridot's hotdogs are charred black and rock hard since she was holding them too close to the flames. She seems unaware that she is even doing anything wrong.

    "I actually regret you never met Lazuli either." Her expression brightens. "She used to be my informant.. and my prisoner. But for a long time, she was the only gem on the planet that didn't hate my facets! I freed her shortly after being stranded here. For a long time she was my only refuge from the absurdity of this planet and it's inhabitants. The crystal gems were trying to bubble me, Jasper was always breathing down my neck. It was nice to be able to talk to someone who can fully relate with you." Peridot mimics Toph's movements idily, without touching her dog since she knew it was hot. But, she was following the ritual none-the-less. After Toph puts hers back in, Peridot likewise puts the charred lumps of coal that were once hotdogs back into the flames. "I miss her." She admits.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    "Nah, she seemed good at her job description of being loud and smashing stuff in with her fists and her forehead..." Toph murmurs where she sits. It's too bad she can't see the state of Peridot's hot dogs.

    The talk about Lazuli does catch Toph's interest, and she raises her head a bit to show Peridot that she is paying attention to what she's saying. And well... from the way Peridot describes her, it sounds like the two were friends. And when Peridot says she misses her... Toph reaches over and punches the gem slightly in the arm. "Sometimes friends go missing in the multiverse. There are people I knew who are no longer here, and I miss them too. But maybe she'll come back someday, and maybe you two can set up a base somewhere. You know, do your own gem stuff?" she suggests.

    Okay, the hot dogs should be okay now! So Toph pulls the stick back, then reaches out to touch one of the hot dogs. Satisfied that it's at the right temperature, she begins eating it. Then sniffs the air. "Something smells burnt." It's not her hot dog though, it tastes fine. So she begins checking out her other hot dogs. No, all of them seem to be okay too...?

Peridot (836) has posed:
Peridot takes her hotdogs from the flames. "Of course they smell burnt. Isn't that what we were doing?" She ask, perplexed. She blows on her hotdog a few times. Before seemingly disgruntled, she takes a canteen and pours some water over it. Loud pops and snaps follow as it cools filling the air with steam.

    Then Peridot takes a bite, eating the charred lumps, and the stick in one go. However, she doesn't seem particularly disturbed by the taste of either, and simply chews idly.

    "That sounds like a lot of fun actually." She answers. "The crystal gems already know most of this earth stuff, but me and Lazuli could learn together since neither of us are particularly familiar with it." She swallows. "I hope she's just lost. I sent her on a scouting mission, and she never returned. But, it's a feasible outcome, given the size of the multiverse."

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    "Uuuuh," Toph begins, then points to her own hot dog. "They're supposed to be warmed up without getting burnt, at least not much. That's when they taste the best..." The crackling sound as Peridot pours water over her hot dog isn't missed, and Toph arches an eyebrow. Well, if she likes the taste of burnt hot dogs, then why not? Maybe it's a good thing she can't see Peridot eating the stick as well.

    Huh, that's a good idea Peridot has there. "It's always more fun learning stuff along with somebody else who's on the same level as you, yeah. And when she returns maybe I could meet her too. It doesn't sound like she's like Jasper, and well... I like most of you gems. I did hear that Steven kid on the radio a few times as well, he sounded like fun, even if he's a kid." Somehow it doesn't seem like Toph considers herself in the kid category when she says that. Then again, she's a teenager. Most teenagers doesn't want to consider themselves kids.

Peridot (836) has posed:
"The Steven.. or, I mean.. Steven." Peridot clears her throat. "He was a nice enough... whatever he was. He certainly caused a lot of problems for everybody. But.. yes, he was... nice."

    "You certainly didn't like me when we first met." She smirks, taking another bite of coal and stick, chewing loudly. "And I had to recover that corrupted gem." She points idily. "And you turned into that.. big thing and Ferham had to fly me away."

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    Thinking back on when they first met, Toph looks pensive. "Well, can you blame me? You took the first gift Goldie made for me! Sure, he could always make a new one for me, but that was the prototype," she points out. "If I auctioned it off it would probably fetch a nice price. But I won't, because I already have enough money, and that glove is special to me. We humans sometimes get sentimental over items that won't be as meaningful to others," she explains, then begins eating on another hot dog.

    Then she shrugs. "At least you're not acting like you did back then, you seem to be able to have fun now." Toph narrows her eyes a bit. "So... are you able to keep secrets?"

Peridot (836) has posed:
"Exposure to objective truths has had.. something of an impact on me." She acknowledges. "And though I miss my home planet. I do not regret the decisions that have landed me here. I am fully committed to grasping this new way of life." She says with some confidence.

    Her lower lip tightens a little as she leans. "I believe secret keeping is well within my range of responsibilities."

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    From what she can tell, she's being honest. "Yeah, learning how to get along with people and thinking for yourself instead of mindlessly taking orders does make life worth living if you ask me. Getting to spend time with family, friends, doing stuff that might not be too constructive, but are a great load of fun..." Toph comments with a smile, gesturing to the camp fire. It won't get stuff done, like reports or stuff like that, but they will be having fun, right?

    Peridot can probably keep a secret, Toph figures. But she needs to realise that while this might seem trivial, it's something that should be gossiped about. "Don't tell anybody else about this, because for now it's best kept a secret..." Toph grins a bit as she leans in closer. "... but I'm going to be a big sister!"

Peridot (836) has posed:
Peridot head tilts some as the news is related to her. She has a basic grasp on human family units, thanks in large part due to the occasional explanation from Toph and the consumption of family based dvd dramas. However the full impact was mostly lost on her. She had no idea what it meant to have a sister.

    But, as much as she was in a constant state of being a fish out of water, Peridot was perceptive. She could see the joy on Toph's face, and she mirrored her expression, with a hint of confusion and her usual honesty. "That appears to be fantastic news!" She replies, raising her arms.

    "As I understand this, it's the equivalent of... me befriending another Peridot who emerged from the same kindergarten as me." She explains, with a smile. "Granted, this is not a celebrated event on my home planet. I can see it is a much larger deal here." She offers with a grin. At least she being supportive.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    The mirrored expression isn't necessary as Toph can't exactly see it. And well, she can hear that Peridot is a bit confused about it. Though she does grin and nod. "Yeah, it's really good news. Except, well... it's not like you befriending a fellow Peridot. More like you befriending a Sapphire who emerged from a different kindergarten. Well, at least in my case. But the bond is closer. I've kinda chosen my own family, after all."

    She does pause for a moment. "So... you don't celebrate new gems being made?" They don't have individual names either, so... they do appear to be a society that is less driven on individuality. "It's a really big deal here with people having babies. And family stuff, which you might have understood if you watched those shows I got you for Christmas," Toph adds with a shrug as she eats her hot dogs. Man, slightly burned hot dogs are the best. Though she would probably protest if she had to eat them charred like Peridot does...

Peridot (836) has posed:
"To be honest I don't have a lot of memories from when I first emerged." Peridot answers. "Gems emerge as what you would consider a fully formed adult." Peridot was munching down on the rest of her stick now. Having long eaten the hot dogs. But she doesn't seem to be having much trouble. Gems were a durable species, it seemed.

    "I suppose we are given a unique facet and cut number. So that's... -something- like a celebration." Peridot smirks. "I suppose in it's own way it's like a unique last name. Similiar to how you are uniquely identified from other Tophs by your middle and last name Beifong."

    "My full name would be Peridot Facet-2F5L Cut-5XG." She explains. "So if ever cannot find me amongst other Peridot's, that is how you would have to call for me."

    "So ahh.." She struggles momentarily. She had some experience with human children. She was Steven's sole guardian for a while. "Do you intend on feeding it Cookie Cats and video games?" She inquires. "I had to raze many human factories and settlements to attain these things for Steven once."

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    "Eh, I don't have any memories from my first years alive either, nobody does that I know of. And most of your childhood are only bits and short memories," Toph states with a shrug, then she begins preparing the smores for roasting. Sweet dessert after some tasty hot dogs!

    "And yeah, you told me that. Humans, well... we are born kinda small," Toph states while gesturing with her hands. "Then they grow until their late teens. So I'll probably not end up too tall."

    Peridot Facet-2F5L Cut-5XG. Gotta remember that. "Oooor I could just call you Cloderella and say that Dirt Wizard is looking for you..." This is said with a big grin, clearly meant to poke at their silly nicknames. "Now give me your stick and I'll set up some smores for you to roast as dessert."

    For a moment the blind girl looks confused when there's talk about felines of tasty quality as well as video games. When Peridot goes into details though, Toph lets out an 'aah' of understanding. "Uh, no. The first time babies don't eat sweets. Or solids. When they are babies they mostly eat, cry, poop and sleep. And they can't even hold their head up on their own, their muscles are too weak," Toph explains with a serious look on her face. "My cousin is nearly two, and she only learned to walk last year. And even that she doesn't do well. Video games are for when they are several years old, and even then they need easy games. Like... press on the dog, hear it bark. Stuff that you and I would probably find boring after five seconds. Tops." There's a brief pause before she continues. "When the kid is old enough I'm definitively going to teach them how to steal cookies, play pranks and how to fight, though." Because she's going to be an /awesome/ big sister.

Peridot (836) has posed:
"Such long gestation periods." Peridot remarks thoughtfully. She rubs her chin as she looks up. "However, it actually makes sense. Given the nature of your species chemical driven biology. Off-spring creating powerful chemical reactions that foster bonding. It's about the only way a species like yours could survive."

    "That in conjunction with your rapid adaptability, given the limited lifespan duration. Begins to paint a much easier to understand picture of humanity."

    "I have successfully eaten my stick." She concludes. "It was delicious, thank you."

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    "Yup. Nine whole months. Makes me wonder if I ever want kids," Toph adds, then listens as Peridot comments on stuff that she actually didn't know. Huh. Chemical reactions? It would make sense, though.

    There's a deadpan look on Toph's face when she realizes... that Peridot ate her stick. "Okay, let's get you another stick. You're only supposed to eat the stuff we put on the stick, for your information. Like the hot dogs and the smores." Though she can't help but be amused as she holds her stick over for Peridot to take. "Just hold it over the fire until it turns golden, don't let it get burned. Then you eat the smore, and /only/ the smore. Got it?" Then she reaches over and takes one of the other sticks, one of the subpar ones. It will do for smores though, so eh. No worries.

    "So... are the other Peridots like you?" It's a valid question in her mind, and Toph can't help but look curious.

Peridot (836) has posed:
"I'm not? Geez, the rules on what you humans do and don't eat seems strangely arbitrary." She comments in a humored tone before taking another stick and listening to the instructions carefully. She often worked fairly well when they were given so specifically. "Golden. Don't burn it. Got it." She acknowledges. Missions parameters set.
    "There are thousands of other Peridot's." She answers. "And they're all pretty much just like me. Technicians." She goes on, before pausing a moment. "Well.. I suppose I am different from them now. They are less.. enlightened, than I am." She nearly beamed. One thing she had grown accustomed to on earth was the heightened sense of individuality. Here she was the only Peridot. Not just a Peridot.

    "Peridot's do various tech related missions for Yellow Diamonds court. Many of us, such as myself become certified kindergartner." She hesitates a little. "Which makes ...us..." She bites her lower lip. "That is to say, it makes -them- instrumental to expanding the number of planets under Homeworlds empire."

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    It's not like she can fault Peridot for her reasoning. Heck, she seems to know more about humans than humans know about Gems, so... well. "You got a point there... and some humans are picky eaters, and others eat weird stuff. Like bugs, moldy cheese and icky parts of various strange animals.

    Thousands of Peridots is a scary thought for a moment, and Peridot might just see Toph shudder at the thought. Though she does consider something. "They might just consider you broken, even though you aren't. If they're really so stuck on serving Yellow Diamond that they can't see her flaws and all, I mean." The comment about Peridots being the ones who play a big part in expanding Homeworld's reach across their galaxy though, that is a bit scary to think about. "Do you know why they do it? Expand like that, I mean. Don't you have enough resources on your own planet to live? It's not like you need food, Pearl said something about you guys living off of sunlight or something..." Do the diamonds want to rule as many people as possible?

Peridot (836) has posed:
"I have no doubt they will." She answers. "For just that reason. The flawless nature of Diamonds is drilled into us from the beginning. I'd still be a loyal Homeworlder, if I hadn't so firmly came to develop my own viewpoint, cut off from the guidance of my manager. I may have never saw the flaws myself."

    "To put in plainly. Gem society is a type two civilization." Peridot goes on in a scientific tone. "Humans are type... 0.5. Type one is harnassing all the energy of your own planet. Gems achieved this many thousands of years ago. We can successfully convert 100% of a planets resources into usable, efficient energy. Adjusted for entropy, of course." She snorts as she giggles. Like she just rattled off the most obvious fact. "Honestly it's a scientifically beautiful process, I wish I could show you a holograph." It seems she still harbored some appreciation for her home planets tech.

    "A type two civilization can harnass the power of their solar system. That is to say, they utilize all the energy output of their sun, and nearby orbiting planets. This is where gem society is." She made broad gestures with her hands, even if Toph couldn't see.

    "Gems are in the process of transitioning from a type 2 civilization, to the ultimate society, A type 3 civilization." She gets a little starry eyed. "Utilizing the energy of your home galaxy. All stars. All planets. As you can begin to, very few societies stop at type 2 as an ever growing population requires more and more energy. And there can ultimately only be one type 3 civilization per galaxy." She explains. "This is the nearly unavoidable end goal of all sentient species. A race to be the first. Once you have that much energy at your disposal you have utter control and power over everything that lives there. Making you the ultimate authority. Though I wish my kind hadn't developed such... ruthless tactics to achieve it."

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    Well, it Toph needed a reminder that Peridot loves technical jargon and all that stuff, this is certainly one. The broad gestures aren't missed as Toph is keeping her feet on the ground, and she blinks as she listens. Strangely enough she doesn't seem offended by the fact that Peridot refers to humans as a type 0.5, figuring that she didn't mean to offend her with that comparison. Because most humans aren't as technologically advanced as gems. Which is kind of expected from a species that has more basic needs than gems do.

    "Nothing is stopping you from showing me a holograph. It just wouldn't really be constructive," Toph points out, obviously in a cheery mood tonight. Satisfied that her smores should be done by now, she does take a bite out of one of them. Mmmm, perfect!

    "I get the gist of it, and well... if would be nice if they managed to get to type 3 without messing up other planets and ruining it for other living beings. I mean, I might be human, but with only humans around me then my life would be really different. In a bad way." Finishing up another smore, the blind teenager leans forward a bit where she sits. "... I'm glad you're not like you were, you know. And you should probably eat your smores now before they start to burn."

Peridot (836) has posed:
"Agreed. I presented my plans to my Diamond and they were.. soundly rejected. Much in the same way that Jasper rejected them." She rubs the back of her neck and pulls her s'more back studying it carefully. She blows on it, and then gives it a nibble.

    "Oh hey. This is way better then the stick." She confirms, taking a less reserved bite.

    "I suppose it is strange to think. We were once enemies. I.. did cause a lot of damage when I got here." She puffs her cheeks out some looking off to the side. "Do you think... Do you think I should apologize?" She squints, suddenly nervous. "I hurt a lot of humans. I saw no value in non-gem life when I first arrived." She admits. "I.. don't fully even know the extent of the damage I did. Should I.. find out maybe? Try and fix it?"

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    "THAT is why we prefer to eat them rather than the sticks," Toph states, looking quite content as she chews on her treat. Though she does look a bit more serious when Peridot talks about apologising. It's a valid concern, and well... if she wants to apologise, then that hopefully means she's considering the feelings of those whom she's hurt. There's no response at first, though Toph raises her hand and points at Peridot. "Only apologise if you truly mean it. If you aren't sincere when you apologise, you'll only piss people off and make it worse."

    The earthbender sighs and considers this further. "If I were you, I would think about the people you have hurt. Try to consider how they felt about it, and how you would feel if somebody did something like that to you. Or something that would hurt you. Unless they're total dunderheads, then most people would be willing to hear you out if you truly want to apologise." It would be better for Peridot and easier to do this if she gets to know how, after all.

Peridot (836) has posed:
"Though there are some paralells, I am poorly equipped to fully understand in most cases. However, I do grasp some of the basics." She nods firmly. "No one likes to see friends hurt, so maybe that is a good starting point for me." She wolfs down the rest of her s'more her brows furrowed.

    "I'll tackle this problem by handling the easiest cases first!" The list of union members she had wronged was a long one, but some she had crossed some not so aggressively as others and some she did far less damage to. "In order of ones least likely to outright kill me on sight that is."

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    There's a nod of agreement from Toph when Peridot reveals her line of thinking. "Yeah, work your way up from the easiest ones to apologise to," Toph says with her mouth full of delicious cracker, marshmallow and chocolate. "Don't assume you can know how other people feel, either. Just let them know that you regret hurting them and that you won't do it again. It might work for most people."

    With that said though, Toph does stifle a yawn and reaches up to rub at her eyes. "Some people might prefer apologising over the radio, others want it done face to face. Kinda depends on the person. I guess..."