Scene #3182: Dolls and Gems Drink Tea

Owner	Pose
Peridot	Like most Homeworld Gems, Peridot cared about perception and status. So even an innocent visit as this, Peridot intended to make a show of the power at her command. It was her first encounter with a syndicate member outside of Zwei and she intended to do it correctly. Though the purpose of this mission was to learn about human culture-- Peridot wasn't going to do so without displaying a little of Homeworlds culture along side of it. Homeworlders valued strength. Might made right. The Warship loomed over the village. It was an ominous sight to behold. A large green hand perched in the sky. The Gem ship was an impressive vessel on it's own. There was no telling if the hand belonged to a much larger machine or not. It pointed it's long fingers in the general direction of Alice's house and basked the village in it's incandescent green glow. Unless the locals were accustomed to strange sights such as this, it was going to make for a particularly interesting conversation piece. The ship lowered itself from the sky turning palm up, the giant hand tilted so just the tip of it's finger pressed into the ground, leaving a large fingertip shaped indention. Peridot was seemingly rolling out the massive green carpet for herself and her entourage. Standing there with her arms clasped behind the small of her back. Peridot is raised to the surface of the palm. Visible for only a moment before a green orb swallowed her and her bodyguard up. It transported them along the massive length of the ship and released them once they neared the earth. She stood tall, and surveyed the area around her with suspicion, perhaps even a small measure of contempt. All of this nature was a strange site for her to behold. "I don't expect trouble." Peridot started, without looking to Jasper. "Therefore I expect you to learn a thing or two from this excursion as well. We are to learn the details of this ritual ceremony, should we play host to Confederate or Syndicate officers. I will not be accused of not doing my due research on the matter on Gem-Human relations." She squinted, her expression souring. "Whether or not this was a tactic employed by Quartz is irrelevant to me. Unlike her, I do it purely out of necessity." At this, she looked to Jasper briefly. "If I am capable of this- to drink any of the vile liquids on this planet. Well, I don't expect to be the only one making sacrifices while we're stranded here." She turned forward again and straightened her bodysuit and then promptly waited to be greeted by someone, turning her nose up while assuming an at ease stance.
Jasper	If might makes right, then Jasper certainly makes up /might/. Peridot might stand tall but Jasper is taller still. She's wearing her cape, because this is apparently some kind of ritual ceremony, and the cape makes her look all the more imposing. Made of some dark fabric, it contrasts with her orange form and her white mane of hair. When Peridot talks, Jasper stares ahead. Sometimes, it's hard to tell if she's listening but Peridot would know that Jasper is /always/ listening, particularly when she doesn't look like she is. At the mention of Quartz, she lets out a low breath but says nothing. Still a sore point. That final point, something about 'drinking' (whatever that is) causes Jasper to glare at her commanding officer. "Why? Why should /I/ suffer for /your/ ridiculous notion of playing nice with this 'tea'?"
Alice Margatroid	Sitting on the roof of her cottage, the dollmaker of Gensokyo, the puppeteer who decided to play host to these two strange offworlders... and by strange, she looks into the sky and shakes her head, eyeing the giant green hand-ship. "Well, I know I'm not going to be at the Human Village for a while." Alice sighs softly and floats towards the ground and back into the house, the kettle whistle going of. "Hourai. Shanghai. Just stay in my room for now." she comments, Hourai and Shanghai giving a curious look before moving off. Meanwhile, at the Human Village. There's a youkai holding a small sign written in Japanese and English letters. 'Peridot' 'Jasper'. She looks very proud of this sign for some reason, so much so, the sight of the giant hand doesn't seem to bother her. She's got a bushy tail and dog ears, a wolf tengu to be precise. Must be on loan for an apology at the Mountain that prominantely displays in Gensokyo's backdrop. "Ah... I... think that's them. Come, follow me. I'll lead you safely through the forest where you need to go." and with that, the youkai takes to the sky and ... then drops back to the ground, walking towards the forest.
Peridot	"Destruction will get us the resources we need." Peridot began, taking the moment to inspect her floating fingers. "But emboldening our alliance with a cosmically large entity will net us more resources. It is simple math." "When we have the entire might of Yellow Diamonds army at our back. Maybe we don't play so nice. But, between you, Lazuli and the warship. We are forced to take advantage of whatever alliance we can, even if that means thinking outside of the box. But such fore-thought and cunning strategy application is why Yellow Diamond put me in charge to begin with." As she spots the sign, identifying her name. "We are greeted, at last." She acknowledges before stepping down from the Warships fingertip. She approaches the creature. "You. Furbeast. Lead us to your master!" She goes on in a commanding tone, raising her arm and extending her fingers.
Jasper	As Peridot turns to try and command the creature, Jasper grits her teeth at Peridot's back. Yellow Diamond might have put Peridot in command but Jasper is nothing if not utterly aware of the chain of command - and thinks that she could do better. "Whatever you say," she intones. She stomps along following Peridot and the strange 'furbeast' towards their destination. She's not much of a conversationalist.
Alice Margatroid	Suddenly, the youkai stops and slowly turns her head towards the two. "You have one chance to apologize for the insult or I leave you here and let the youkai in the forest have you for lunch. Or I can inform Keine about this and.. it won't be pretty for your giant hand." She taps her foot, a frown on her face, "Or shall I call you greenface and orangeface?" a smile comes back to her face, "Now shall we?" Alice, however, taps her foot, waiting. Three cups. Three plates. One large tea kettle. "What's got the tengu being so slow... she's usually faster than this..." she mutters, "Dont' tell me I'm going to have to see them and guide them..."
Peridot	Peridot grimaces at this. "It talks." She says with a measure of surprise. "I was under the impression that earth beast were incapable of speech." She rubs her chin thoughtfully. Peridot pauses in her tracks some as she measures the validity of the threats. "What use is the mountain of intel I posses without proper cross-reference algorithms! Such incidents will continue to slip through the cracks." She rubs her temple. She narrows her eyes. "Now you listen here. We didn't come here to battle the natives. We are here to meet with your master and learn the foreign application of teacraft!" She points dramatically. "You are either an ally or a burden to that objective. We are not your enemy, but if such is your wish- a war can certainly be arranged!"
Alice Margatroid	A click of the radio and Alice sighs, "Great..." she mutters, "Time to go diffuse that situation... and ready a show for the tengu on the mountains as an apology." she places the tea kettle on a small magical burner and sets it to warm before leaving the house and flying over the trees overhead. "Couldn't have gone far..." she mutters, tracing over the treeline. The Tengu stares. "And I didn't come to get you to be called a furbeast, it's a bit of respect here in Gensokyo, but I'd be glad to take you on in a duel!" she puts her hand on her sword hilt and ... tap tap tap.. "Go home. I'll take it from here. Tell your Master I'll see him about payment for this. Two shows next week?" Alice gives a stern look towards Peridot and Jasper as the Tengu pouts but takes off in flight towards the Mountain. "Come." and wordlessly she beckons the two to follow her after that. Various dolls peek out from the wooded areas, lining the way towards the western style cottage in a clearing. The door opens on its own as a doll peeks out from behind it. "Need I remind you to not provoke the locals. If I knew you were coming in that giant thing... I would have come got you myself. I figured you'd leave it out of Gensokyo and go through the gate..." Heading into the cottage, she makes her way to the kitchen, the whistling of the kettle once again loud, only to taper off as its removed from its heat source. "Come, sit down."
Peridot	Peridot tightened the corner of her lips. It was about to become a job for Jasper- particularly when the sword hilt was tapped. She had taken a step back. However, as the situation is defused she reasserts her presence and straightens her bodysuit once more. She walks with Alice, her stern expression melting away somewhat at all the various dolls peeking at them from the forest. She whispers to Jasper. "This expedition may not be as harmless as I suspected. Stay on gaurd. If things turn sour you are to remove me from this location." As she reaches the house. She clears her throat. "Margatroid." She starts as a form of greeting. "I knew no other name for the beast therefore I utilized an educated guess based on earth terminology and visual descriptors." And then, in a curious tone. "I assumed you were it's master. I did not expect it to be on loan." "As for the warship. I am too valuable to my home planet to head into an unknown location without appropriate backup." Her own tone stiffens. "Clearly this was the tactically prudent maneuver given the hostile nature of servant creatures on a peaceful mission and willingness to escalate. Something neither of us wishes to occur."
Jasper	Tap tap tap. Jasper frowns and, for a moment, it looks like she's about to step forward and start something. But she doesn't, only nodding when Peridot whispers to her. So, she decides to stare at Alice for a few moments. "I appreciate the sound of someone screaming," she says at last, grinning as she also faisl to realise that it's the kettle. "Fills the place with a familiar aire. Now, I'd rather stand. I don't 'sit'."
Alice Margatroid	Alice turns her head and looks at Peridot with a confused look, shaking her head. "Alice will do fine for now." she comments, "However, not knowing someone's name is not an excuse to insult. A simple 'miss' would do." a pause, "This warship, is it possible to move it out of distance from the Village? Or hide it...? I will walk you back when we're done here." A turn to Jasper, shaking her head, "It's a kettle, its whistle is from steam." a pause, ten dolls peek out from the door frame.. a few upside down from the roof. "You are her bodyguard, am I correct?" a pointed question, "Then you may stand right there..." as she points towards a corner, out of the way but still within view of everyone. A few of the unnamed dolls float around Jasper for a moment before feeling uncomfortbale and dashing off under the couch. "Your... bodyguard is intimidating. But here in Gensokyo, we don't need such. It's generally peaceful. Now, to what you actually came here for." Alice smiles a bit and moves to sit down, taking the pot in one hand and placing her cup near the spout. A light green liquid is poured out and steam fills the air over the cup. "This is green tea, it aids in health as well as a popular casual drink and formal drink." a pause, "Are you familiar with how to drink water?"
Peridot	"It shall stay!" She insist. "Assuming no further hostilities, it will be of no concern or consequence to anyone." Peridot moves over to the table and finally takes her seat. She looked around uncomfortably at all the various flatware. A bead of sweat rolling down the side of her face. She was furiously trying to riddle out everythings purpose, and more importantly figure out which could be used as a weapon. "Jasper! We are here to partake. If we are blind-sided by such an event, I will not have you embarrassing our species. Sit with us and learn the teacraft." "If she is intimidating then she is performing her function in an adequate manner. Thank you." Peridot seemingly took it as a genuine compliment, rather than a concern. "We have many enemies on this planet. If not the natives, than any among the union, or rebellious gems may seek to take advantage of this scientific excursion." As Alice pours the tea. Peridot leans back in chair as far as she can. She didn't seem entirely sure that it wasn't going to explode. "I.. I have not had water. My attempts to practice this maneuver have ended in failure. Instructions were... unclear. The difference between drinkable and non-drinkable liquids is arbitrary and strange to me." "But such is our goal. To identify and conquer the ignorance that dwells within the ranks of my mind."
Jasper	With every doll that peeks out to look at her, Jasper's eyes flit to watch each of them in turn. Her hands clench into fists through pure reflex and she forces herself to exhale and relax them - and not to swipe at the dolls that are floating around her. Ngh, this place-! Fine. She'll /sit/. Jasper marches over towards the table and takes a seat. It is, in all honesty, probably a touch too small for her. She's all hunched up in the chair, but apparently serious in forcing her nine-foot tall muscular frame into the chair. "The only thing I've learned about water is that I can drown people in it!" She punctuates the point with her fist on the table. Thunk. Silverware clatters quietly.
Alice Margatroid	Alice just sighs at the two. "If you say so, but I reserve the right to tell you that if it does cause a problem, the resident miko will not be happy. Aside from this..." she looks to Jasper.. "My dolls will not harm you, relax." a pause, "If you're capable of such." as Jasper gets semi-scolded by Peridot, a crack of a smile is given before she gives a bit of a nod, three dolls fly over with a small glass of water in hand. One for Jasper, one for Peridot and one for herself. "We'll start with something cold for now." Alice moves to pick up the glass, one hand around gently, the other under the bottom. "It's... effective at that, yes.. however, we won't be using water to do that today." She lifts it up to her lips and gently tips it before tipping it back upright and setting it down. "This is what you would normally do to drink tea. Pick up the glass, cradle the bottom, lift it to your lips, tilt it gently until the liquid touches your lips and slowly sip."
Peridot	"Water is not exactly common on our home planet. Present in small quantities if that. Nor is the consumption of organic matter and liquid common. What we are attempting to do is far beyond the original scope of our mission- far beyond the scope even of any gem procedure, be they scientific or invasive in nature. Gems do not share tea or bread with..." She stopped herself here momentarily. She opted to drop the descriptor she was about to employ and substitutes a less abrasive one. "Other species." She was at least making an effort. "We are however, capable of doing so and I have extensively studied the process by which it is accompliced in order to prepare my body for what it is about to endure in the name of gem diplomacy." As the dolls floated around her, Peridot shrinks in her chair a bit. Her reaction far more defensive than Jasper's. She watched them warily. Only slightly relaxing her posture when they finally left. Listening to Alice's instruction, Peridot then lifts the cup. "Harmless.." She murmurs. "Can they be weaponized?" She goes on in a curious tone. She raises the cup to her lips. Her floating disembodied fingers cradling the bottom. She was surprisingly delicate, when she wanted to be. "We.. generally don't put things in our mouth..." Though hesitant, she uplifts some of the contents in her mouth. Where she stores it for a moment. She looked to Alice with a concerned expression. Her cheeks puffing out slightly. An absurd look for a planet invader. She seemed unable to ask her question, and decides ultimately to make an executive decision. She inhales the liquid. Followed immediately by a splattering from her mouth across the table, as she drops the cup and lurches over in a coughing fit. "AUUGHH -KOFF-" Her eyes water and she puts a hand up to her chest, hitting it a few times. "What-- ahguh... -hack--" "It--- -koff- It diverted into my lunges! I thought- I thought it would.. just know where to go."
Jasper	Jasper does not like water. She doesn't like it when it's there near her, she doesn't like it when it rains from the sky, she doesn't like it when people hit her with it and she still doesn't like it when it is bound in a glass. She stares at it like Alice has offered her a dagger, point first. Step one, pick up the glass. Step two, cradle it. Step three, lift to lips. Step four, tilt /gently/. All in all, the glass seems so small in her hand. Jasper drains it in a second. She slams it back down on the table, perhaps lucky that she didn't shatter it. "There," she declares, "I've prevailed over this 'drinking' challenge. Our diplomacy is therefore concluded and our supremacy is obvious." She slams Peridot on the back, too, to stop that incessant coughing. Bam!
Alice Margatroid	"...That's acceptable." she comments on the 'other species' remark. "It's a good thing you are learning then, knowing the social customs of ones area is beneficial." she gives a bit of a nod, "My dolls? They're far from harmless. Every doll in here, I want to say about a hundred or so, is capable of self defense with bullets, lasers and melee weaponry from lances to swords and to razor blades." this is said as casually as possible. Alice watches after her instruction, waiting. She stifles a giggle from the puffed cheeks and eyes the concerned expression. "You swallow..." a pause, then the cup's dropped and she's drenched with backwash water... "..." "YOu typically hold your breath for a moment to swallow. You have to guide it, it doesn't guide itself." she comments once more, "Take a sip and breathe in through your nose, hold the breath, swallow, your body ..." a pause... "SHOULD know where it's going to go. Then you exhale. Let's try that again." Alice's fingers dance in the air, they look almost like they're just wiggling inconsequently as another doll brings in a glass of water towards Peridot, then she looks to Jasper and a smile comes to her face. "Good job, Jasper. However, your diplomacy isn't working here. You just drank water... not tea." another pause, "Do not slam my glasses down and calm your boisterous nature. It has no place in a diplomacy nature of this caliber." Her face turns from that smile to a stern look, before turning to Peridot, "Pardon my tone with your subordinate, but it's a skill to learn if you need to have a successful diplomatic adventure." a pause, "At least, thats what I've been seeing."
Peridot	Peridot is slammed face first into the table, such is the force of even a casual slam from Jasper. Much less one intended to help clear her lunges. She is dizzy for a moment before she reaches up, and carefully checks on the gem embedded in her forehead. Her voice is hoarse from the recent swim it took. "AH.. careful..!" She seemed satisfied that her gem was not cracked. Before sitting up right. She looked to her escort with a small measure of suspicion. "How did -you- do that so easily?" Her eyes squinted. While comfortable with the idea that Jasper was stronger than she was. She seemed uncomfortable of the idea that Jasper could grasp a simple human concept with more ease than she. She takes the next glass. And listens to Alice. She listened with the ferocity and concentration of someone being instructed on how to disarm a bomb in their very own lap. "Lift. Close air valves. Drop. Swallow." She repeated with a military zeal. "Pause. Exhale." She then proceeds to do that very process. Though awkward and stiff, she goes through maneuver- taking a massive gulp of air before going for the sip. On this go around, she appeared to have found a measure of success. She blinked a few times as she looked down, placing her hand over her throat. "Ah-HA! I have conquered the drink challenge!" She seems to have little issues with Alice giving Jasper further orders.
Jasper	"Because I wasn't going to let a little glass of water stop me from doing anything," Jasper replies, sounding like it should be obvious to Peridot. "Unless you mean hitting you like that - which should be obvious!" Alice just gets another glower. "Well, that might be because I'm not a /diplomat/. Such a concept doesn't exist. Then bring on the tea, the quicker we can be done with this the /better/." She punctuates her point by thrusting her finger against the table top. Well, at least it's not her fist this time. The chair is still much too small for her.
Alice Margatroid	Alice shakes her head a bit, "You seem to have conquered the drink challenge, Miss Peridot. And for that, congradulations." she gives a light nod and the tea cups are poured a bit more with hot tea then placed in front of them. "The second challenge. A hot beverage. The tea itself. This time, I want you to hold it in your mouth, taste it. Relish the flavor of the green tea, then swallow." Alice soon demonstrates this by showing the same methods from before but before she sets down the cup and swallows, she seems to have let it stayed in its location.. her cheeks not puffed out like Peridot's was earlier. Three seconds go by and down it goes, before she takes another longer sip and lets that down as well DURING the sipping.
Peridot	Peridot grumbles a little, coughing once more into her hand. She glances at Jasper. "Don't forget the mission parameters. We are representing Homeworld now. I can do all the heavy mental lifting, but you need to at least be able to hold your own. This is why I brought you and not Lazuli. She will need very little coaching... where, you will be an ongoing side-project I am sure." "Consider it a battle." She finally mentions. "A battle fought with ceramics. There is a strategy surrounding the positioning and methodology of the way these creatures dine. You can exude power by how deftly you handle the--" She points at the kettle. "The armored tea vessel." "I have witnessed it first hand on the image cube. Diplomats have power in words and utensil minutia! Power that can be wielded by our capable hands if we but seek the knowledge of tea liturgy! Ah-Hahah!" Peridot stands and takes the hot beverage within her hands. "Yes! Bring on the next challenge, I will see this beverage broken before me and driven into my gullet!" She splashes it into her mouth some zeal before immediately spitting it back into the cup. "AHHH YOU WERE CORRECT. IT IS HOT." She yells in a strange manner that seemed to be a tone of surprise.. but also confirmation of what she already knew.
Jasper	Jasper eyes the teacup with that same resigned hostility that she's been sporting since she sat down. She grips it in her hands and, well, as hot as it is, she doesn't seem to mind. That's because, surely, holding the heated vessel is part of the challenge. She's still gripping it in both hands as she listens to Peridot explain the 'battlefield'. Hmm. Surely there couldn't /really/ be power in this bizarre sideshow. Surely. Jasper glances at some of the utensils. Surely. The tea goes down with the same forced ease as the water did. She holds it for three seconds, no more, no less. And when she opens her mouth - is that /steam/ that wisps around her fanged canines? "What else've you got?" Jasper growls out, leaning her elbows on the table, arms crossed over each other! "Oh, a little heat won't shatter you, Peridot. Sounds like that tea's got the better of you!"
Alice Margatroid	Alice takes a look at Peridot and frowns, "Perhaps you may need more practice, but your subordinate here seems to have taken to it like a natural." a pause, "Still as boisterous..." she stifles a gigle, however, at 'armored tea vessel' "That's .. .kind of cute." she comments, shaking her head as she watches Jasper down the tea without an issue and Peridot's trouble. "Perhaps... the subordinate is better than the Master." She shakes her head once more and looks to Peridot. "Slowly, if you think it's a bit too hot, gently blow air onto it.. like so." as she picks up her cup, purses her lips and blows gently on the liquid in the cup. It moves the steam and it looks to still be steaming, "It may take a few moments or a few gentle breaths to cool it down a bit but patience is a virtue." o O (Which none of you have....) Alice leans back in her chair a bit, "I never did think of it as a battle fought with cermaic. I may have to look at that line of thinking one day..."
Peridot	Steadily. She makes another attempt. "I will not be bested by this. Entropy will ultimately tame this wild solvent." She shot back before carefully, and slowly raising it up to her mouth. She was careful to blow on it this time. A little too vigorously, splattering some on the table. Gems were not inherently neat guest. "Ha. The laws of thermodynamics betray your concoction!" She announced. After she was satisfied the temperature had been lowered to something her sensitive mouth could handle she took a small sip and held it in her mouth as instructed. Her expression concentrated into agitated focus. Then, her mood seemed to quiet all at once. Her body language shifting from boisterous to something more genuine. Her shoulders lowered into a less defensive position as her brows raised. It was the first time since she first emerged from the ground that she had tasted something. Something that tasted good. She stared in silence at the table, as the world fell away from her. This is what drinking was supposed to be? She swallowed the contents of her mouth, setting the cup back on the table with a soft clink. She looked back up, her eyes refocusing. She looked towards Jasper and Alice as though she had just been dunked under water and resurfaced at a new location. For a moment she looked lost. She is silent for a moment before finally clearing her throat and looking back to the tea. Her mechanical fingers rotating it in her hand slowly. Inspecting it more carefully than she initially had. "...Curious."
Jasper	"What Peridot has failed to mention is that I am her subordinate for the duration of this mission, assigned to ensure her protection from rebel Gems." As she talks, Jasper picks up a saucer, examining it. "What a pathetic shield," she decides, setting it down. "If this really is a battlefield, this equipment is terribly designed." She goes to grab one of the dolls out of the air - if one is in easy reach - and to compare it to the 'shield'. Frankly, she probably thinks the cups are the helmets of her enemies. It might be best not to dissuade her - who knows how she'd take it. And she watches Peridot, too, as Peridot seems to have some kind of epiphany. Jasper frowns, narrowing her eyes. Peridot might have the edge when it comes to intelligence but Jasper's not stupid, she's cunning, and she can recognise someone thinking a bit more than they should. As Peridot turns the cup this way and that, Jasper clears her throat. Loudly. "Purely. Out. Of. Necessity." Jasper says, and each word is clearly enunciated, which makes it sound all the more like an implicit threat.
Alice Margatroid	The moment Jasper reaches out to grab a doll, it backflips away and instantly summons its shield and lance. One of Alice's Lance Dolls. "I would appreciate it... if you didn't try to touch them without asking, Jasper." the size doesn't seem to intimidate her, but the voice... "It's called a saucer and it's not meant to be used as a shield. And this equipment is perfectly designed for the task its being used for." Alice pauses, waving the defense doll back, whos equipment dissapears and the rest of the dolls scatter to hide. She then proceeds to look at Peridot and hmms, a part of her lip curls into a smile. "Peridot? Is the taste okay or have you not had the time to actually taste anything?" She turns back to Jasper, frowning, "And Purely... Out... Of... Necessity... I would appreciate it if you DID NOT treat my cutlery and table armor... err.. serving dishes like they were battlefield weapons. I really do not wish to say this again as your Master seems to understand the importance of niceities when in the company of a host."
Peridot	Peridot fidgets with her cup, staring back down at it's contents. "I..." "Drinking is not part of any mission parameters for a--" She is cut off by Jasper. Her assertion as to the purpose of this mission carried with it a very silent accusation. One Peridot heard, and understood. She cleared her throat. Some things were off-limits, and there unspoken rules she must abide by. She suddenly stood at the table, her chair scraping against the floor. "This is how gems do things! The tea ritual is a battle. One waged with words. They are not literal weapons, but like weapons they are tools one can use to win battles." She went on in sudden defense of Jasper. "Your tea... It is an adequate enough balance of chemicals and water that will serve it's function of throat lubrication so that words may pass more easily." Her expression reverted to disconcerted concentration. Her default expression. "This.. has been enough for today." She announces. Her gaze shifting away from Alice. "Margatroid." She began, calling her by her first name felt too informal for her taste. "You have performed a noteworthy service to the Gem Empire. A perfect recreation of earth ceremony may be beyond us, but we now know enough to get by, thus rendering this mission a success thanks to your voluntary efforts." "Thank you for educating us. We will be returning to our ship now."
Jasper	"Why?" Jasper shoots back at Alice about the dolls, like she's personally offended. "I'm not going to break them. I was told this was a battle and it looked like a shield for a miniature combatant." When Alice continues, Jasper just remarks: "As you wish." It's kind of snide, though, because proverbial wheels are already turning in Jasper's head. Jasper knows that she's just yanked hand on Peridot's reins, reminding her that - as much as Peridot might want to experience things - she happens to share her ship with someone stronger than her, someone who may have been created to be a hardliner die-hard for the Homeworld cause. As Peridot makes to leave, Jasper follows. She pauses for just a split-second at the threshold as she goes, and turns her head just enough that Alice might catch sight of her feral shark's grin. And then she's gone.
Alice Margatroid	Alice gives a bit of a nod, looking between the two. "I believe I understand then." she comments on the sudden defense, before Alice got out of her chair when the others did. She gives a polite curtsey "I will take this as a compliment then and you are welcome. If you wish to have tea again, as a personal pleasure, i will make sure to have a spot at a table for you Peridot." a pause, looking to Jasper, "However, I would like you to be without Jasper next time." She gives Jasper's snide comment a frown before shaking her head, her dolls moving behind her, she eyes the shark-grin from Jasper and nods. She knows what she's going to have to do with THAT one.. "Jasper, you respect might, it seems. Perhaps there's ONE way I can teach you a few things. For now, I do wish you two a good evening. Just head straight to your ship and out the gate. I'll make sure it doesn't bother the locals after you leave." As the door shuts from the two Gems leaving, Alice slumps in her chair. Hourai and Shanghai come out from peeking around the corner and Hourai starts, "Alice... those two were stranger than the fox who decided to wear Marisa's clothing." And Shanghai chimes in, "Weirder than even the weirdest fairy..." a pause, "Weirder than the fake miko too... Are they coming for tea again?" "HOpefully only Peridot next time. I have something in mind for Jasper if she comes back by herself too..." a magic card is slipped out into her hand. "A puppeteer must know her audience... Come, we need to clean up the cottage."