Scene #2942: Lapis Returns

Owner	Pose
Guest Lapis Lazuli	With a beep, an alert reaches Peridot. It's been nearly a week, but there's finally been a state change with Lapis' gem. The alert isn't particularly detailed, Elvisbot is a rather simple robonoid. In Lapis' quarters, Lapis slowly regenerates into her usual form. The glowing white fade that consumes her body slowly fades as she sinks to the ground to her knees. For a moment, she seems as though she's just woken up from a very long nap. Blearily she looks left and right before stretching. Getting to her bare feet, she scoops up Elvisbot and holds it up to her face. "Hello, Elvis." She greets it with a small smile. Giving it a small hug, she walks out of her room and goes to the common area to try and locate Peridot.
Peridot	Peridot at the command bridge pouring over data. She was preparing a message to send out into deep space and decided what sort of information it should contain. She had to be careful after all, it was an open frequency and anyone would be able to listen in. But, she considered it a risk worth taking. She looked down as her console began beeping. An alert from Elvis bot. Peridot smiles lightly, and switches the alarm off. As the door opened, she looked over to the blue gem, and hopped down from the elevated console, landing with a loud clang. "Lapis." She said in what sounded like contained exuberance. She still had to keep up appearances after all. "You're awake, finally. How are you feeling?"
Guest Lapis Lazuli	As Lapis enters the bridge, she stops only momentarily to look at Peridot before setting down Elvis and running towards the green gem. In a sort of giggle laugh, she swings her arms around Peridot and gives her a big hug. So much for appearances. They always seem to be a little wasted on Lapis, she's just too dynamic to easily predict. Snuggling into Peridot's shoulder, despite her likely disgust or confusion, Lapis says, "You came back for me!" She releases Peridot and takes a step back, "..Thank you.."
Peridot	Peridot blinks as she is pulled into a hug. Her brows raised as she stared off towards the far wall. She is still for a moment. But tentatively she raises her and places it on the small of Lapis's back. It was a small gesture, but she returned the hug. As Lapis steps back, Peridots face is contorted. Her nostrils flared, her eyes squinted and the corners of her lips tightened into a thin line. It was a very strange expression on her face, almost comical. And the smallest of sniffle betrays the reason. She was fighting back tears. Her posture stiffened and her fingers curled into fist. The scene of Lapis sacrificing herself to save her on her mind, seeing her reformed had triggered happiness that she wasn't expecting. The hug didn't help either. "Y-yes. You are a valuable asset to my mission, therefore it was prudent to see you returned to active duty." Her head tilted up slightly averting her eyes.
Guest Lapis Lazuli	Lapis' expression softens a bit more as she tilts her head a little. She recognises what Peridot is trying to hold back, but she doesn't say anything about it. It touches her deeply in the sense beyond words, she can tell that Peridot was worried. That last thing she had seen was Peridot being warped off before just.. darkness. She was back in her gem. Time passed, she knows it has. She certainly did take time to really repair her body, and being digested inside of a monster really didn't help her. With a soft voice, "I'm .. It's good that you're safe, Peridot."
Peridot	Peridot nodded and turned, heading back to her console. She raises her hand to her face, momentarily lifting her visor and using the fact that her back was momentarily turned to her advantage. "Yes. I knew going back alone without an arm would prove fruitless, therefore I recruited the aide of Jasper. You have her to thank for poofing the beast's body, which made your extraction possible." "We have successfully neutralized all threats present in the caverns and it's now under our control... and.. Thanks. For.. what you did." Her back was still turned, she clasped her hands together behind her back. "I have a remarkably good memory. I will not forget it."
Jasper	One can always hear Jasper before they see how. Some might think it's a psychological tactic, others might think she's just too brutish to walk softly. So, when Jasper comes marching up the hall, Peridot and Lapis get a fair bit of warning. "Well, well, well," Jasper says from the hallway, her face split by a leering grin. "I see that our newest hero returns to the land of the embodied. I assume this is some sort of debriefing, Peridot," she continues.
Guest Lapis Lazuli	Lapis nods slowly. When Jasper's mentioned, she freezes and makes a face. "Jasper did?" Is she disgusted or surprised? The hate for Jasper runs deep, just as Jasper has a rather deep seated hate for Lapis. The betrayal did happen, even if it seems so far off. "Did you find anything?" Lapis asks with a bit of curiosity as she relaxes again. At the thanks, she offers a small smile. The familiar footfalls of something large causes her to turn in her place to look back towards the bridge entrance. When Jasper steps in, Lapis' hackles metaphorically rise a bit. She's immediately more stern, cautious, and on guard. It may be that Jasper came to save her, but she doesn't trust the other gem's motives. Jasper cares about a lot of things, and other gems isn't one of those things.
Peridot	It has a similar effect on Peridot. Her body-language shifts as she becomes more rigid. It was little surprise, she often felt her command over the orange gem relied on how she presented herself, and Peridot enjoyed being in command. The small hidden gesture at her face becomes frantic wiping with her forearm, before Peridot slaps her visor back on like nothing happened. She clicks her heels and does an about-face turn. Her eyes closed, but dry. Her nose up-turned. "It is a debriefing. I was just telling Lapis that we discovered a communications tower. It's old, but the ferocity of the corrupted gems has proven to be a boon. It's untouched by humans and wild-life alike." "I've dispatched robonoids to go and repair it. Soon we will be able to utilize it to search for Homeworld. It will be far more effective as a searching tool, as the warships transmission beams are narrow. The tower is broad wave lengths and can cover more ground." "The drawback however is that our transmission will not be secure. So we will need to be careful about what we say. Anyone can listen in."
Jasper	"Ensure that it is operational as soon as possible," Jasper commands, stalking into the bridge proper, although the mission is technically Peridot's. Jasper likes to be heard, as if Peridot wouldn't have it restored ASAP. "We can worry abou the content of the message later. If we don't let on that we think it's anything but secure, we can lure our enemies into a trap where we can crush them." There's that feral tone of voice again. She's looking forward to it. Lapis' silence seems to confuse Jasper, though. "You're not going to say anything?" she asks. What use is goading if the enemy doesn't respond! "Not even a thanks for saving your gem from that corrupted beast?"
Guest Lapis Lazuli	With a bit of surprise, Lapis looks to Peridot. "A communications tower? Is that true? We could find Homeworld!" She even seems hopeful for a moment before the moment escapes her with the usual reasons of why that plan is flawed. She wants to go home, but not the home that imprisoned her, or will quarter her for her transgressions. She realizes that what she did was an affront, but at least some part of her feels .. Looking back to Jasper, Lapis looks a little unsettled. Unsure. ".. Thank you for saving me, Jasper." She's unsure what to think about this. But Jasper can pretty much goad Lapis into saying anything she wants. She is scared of the orange gem, through and through.
Peridot	"I had the same thought. We can reveal just enough information to make it seem like we are unaware... but nothing specific. Nothing that the humans will be able to decipher without knowing what our terminology means." Peridot nods. "We will put that ploy into our repotoire. For the time being, the union has been leaving us alone." "It will certainly help. However I have learned more troubling news that may explain the absence of our home planet. Aside from possibly not unifying or being relocated out of our reach-- It appears as though time becomes malleable during a unification. It's quite possible that Homeworld has not even formed yet to create the balance of magic and minerals that created our proto-gem predecessors... or on the other hand. It could have risen and some unforseen event has caused it to fall many years ago already. It's time me be out of sync with us by thousands.. millions of years." She rubs her temples. "The list of theories that don't end well for us grow the more intel I gather about unification."
Jasper	Jasper's lips press into a thin line. "Homeworld exists," she says, like it's an immutable fact. For someone like Jasper, the chain of command just vanishing - or, worse, never existing in the first place - is something she can't even conceive of. "We'll make contact with Yellow Diamond and that is that. That theory is nonsense. Trash." Sometimes, one might want to envy her simple headstrong viewpoint. It certainly seems to make things simpler to Jasper. Perhaps she picks up on Lapis' fear, perhaps she wants to get some measure of satisfaction from her imprisonment, perhaps Jasper is just a terrible being. Who knows. But she still asks Lapis, like a drill sergeant who thinks someone spoke out of turn, "What was that, Lapis Lazuli? I don't think I heard you."
Guest Lapis Lazuli	"Homeworld does exist, and so does Yellow Diamond." Lapis affirms, looking between Peridot and Jasper. It might be a surprise to Jasper to hear her say that with such conviction, especially given the circumstances of their.. deal. But for better or for worse, she knows that it's the truth. When Jasper presses into her a bit further with her orders, Lapis takes a nervous step back. She's not going to run away, but her voice is meek, "T-thank you, Jasper. For saving me from the corrupted gems.." Her eyes divert uncomfortably, "I would still be there if you didn't save me.."
Peridot	She grimaces at this exchange. "Jasper." She started in an impatient tone. "As grateful as Lapis is, I'm sure even Yellow Diamond will be forced to acknowledge the great service she is providing Homeworld us in return. She saved me at the cost of her own freedom, and without me this entire mission will be a complete wash from the ground up." Peridot stepped forward. "You both owe each other." She went on, trying to play the mediator, raising her index finger into the air to accent her point, her gaze on Jasper. "And don't bother denying it, unless you know how to disassemble, repair and reconstruct an injector with only a box of scraps to work with as raw materials." She smirked a bit, hooking a thumb under her vest.
Jasper	"I'll be the judge of what is worth Yellow Diamond's time," Jasper retorts. However, as Peridot talks, Jasper's eyes and gloating gaze wander from Lapis. Her expression becomes odd, almost like that thing the Steven did - what was it, choking? Yes, she looks like she's trying to bring up something stuck in her throat. "But yes," Jasper growls out, "I think Yellow Diamond might be inclined to display some measure of leniency against you, Lapis Lazuli, given the invaluable assistance you provided to Peridot. Sacrificing your life for the Homeworld is..." Jasper sneers at nothing in particular. "Is the mark of a loyal Gem." Is that... a peace offering? In a very Jasper way, of course.
Guest Lapis Lazuli	Lapis looks up to Jasper, and then to Peridot in an expression similar to a child watching her parents fighting. It's a somewhat unusual expression, but both of them are in a position of superiority over her. She's just.. The water gem. At the moment, anyways. Looking back to Jasper from Peridot, Lapis seems even more wide-eyed surprised when Jasper says that there might be leniency for her. A loyal gem? It won't go to her head, but she responds with, "I did what was right." It's certainly not nicer having Jasper here, but there's some measure of comfort that there's another gem here. She would prefer any other gem (other than YD) to be here, but Jasper is still a gem. Stepping forward and over to Jasper, Lapis pauses for a moment while looking up to Jasper's eyes. There's a beat skipped, then she extends her hand, palm up.
Peridot	At this Peridot takes a step back. It had surprised her to hear Jasper offer any kind of ground for Lapis to stand on. Her smirk turned to a faded grin. She felt a bit successful in her mediation. Keeping her team from killing each other was just one of the many jobs she had to perform and she suddenly felt like she had made some ground in that department. She is silent, as she looks from Lapis to Jasper. Not daring to ruin the moment with needless interjection.
Jasper	"Good," Jasper states to Lapis, "Then see to it that you keep doing that." She draws back and crosses her arms, trying to regain some measure of her threatening presence. Her eyes glance down at that hand, and Jasper frowns. "What is it that you want?" It brings back one memory. It might be too much for her to take the hand. That is, if Jasper has assumed correctly.
Guest Lapis Lazuli	There's a proverbial knot in this situation, if Lapis has assumed correctly herself. Something that has to be taken care of before there can be any kind of resolution. If Jasper is scared or ashamed of what happened with Malachite, and Lapis is scared of Jasper, things will only go back to being terrible. That is the knot. Everything from then has been building up to now, and what could happen in the future. The circumstances, being without homeworld, Steven missing, everything has lined up to point to the fact that.. Lapis and Jasper need to atleast be /amicapable/ of working with each other. At least for now. So Lapis stands there with her hand out and a determined look. "Prove that you aren't scared of me and take my hand." For just a moment she's in control of the situation, or she feels that way. She's not suggesting a fusion, such a thing could possibly wreck the bridge, though it's quite spacious. "I won't hurt you," she adds, in a somewhat softer and more sincere tone.
Jasper	Jasper's seen that look before. She'd misread it, and Lapis, once before and she's leery of doing it again. She's not quailing in fear - fear makes Jasper angry, as Lapis might well know - but she's been burnt once, and a soldier doesn't walk back into fire without a very good reason. And trust has never been a good reason for anything, as far as Jasper is concerned. "Peridot," Jasper says, not taking her eyes off Lapis, like it's a battle for dominance. "Retrieve a destabiliser. You know what to do." It's easier to trust when one has insurance, and when one realises that there's no convenient source of water. If Lapis is opening herself to such a bad bargaining position then she might just be sincere. Jasper's hand is, like the rest of her, big. She reaches out and, in that moment, it's apparent that she could encapsulate all of Lapis' hand in her grip. Hell, she could probably do all sorts of harm by just /pulling/. There's no fusion dance, no elegant ballroom waltz. Just Jasper's hand settling around Lapis' own.
Guest Lapis Lazuli	Lapis glances over towards Peridot for a moment at the request for a destabilizer, but she doesn't try to stop Peridot. Given her own certainty, it's just as much a defense for her if Jasper tried to get some sort of revenge. Trust is a scarce resource between these two, and like fire and water, it's hard either of them to be in sync at any one time. Malachite is an example of that. Lapis' hand is small and soft, and frankly a little cold right now. Her projection is human enough, but she just manifested from her gem not thirty minutes ago. She doesn't do anything major in response to Jasper taking her hand. She just maintains eye contact and lets her stern expression melt away into a slightly strained but earnest smile. Her shoulders even lower a little bit. "We'll find Homeworld, Jasper."
Peridot	Peridot had settled back against the wall, her arms folded as she watched. This had all come as a surprise to her, even more so when Jasper seems to agree. Peridot herself had been afraid to do a fusion with Lapis again after all the sordid details came to light. She couldn't imagine what actually being imprisoned by a fusion must have been like. Though she had managed to put it behind her, she wondered if Jasper ever could. Then as she speaks her name and request a destabilizer, Peridot doesn't make a move, but her eyes do glance to the compartment at her console. It's where she kept her own personal destablizer most of the time. "We don't need it." She finally says, looking back forward. It appeared this encounter would continue without the training wheels on to keep them from toppling over. "She's one of us."
Jasper	Jasper doesn't smile. Her expression is flat and neutral - but given what usually prompts a smile from her, that's probably a good thing. She's not one to forgive but she can, in the pragmatic sense, forget. She doesn't say anything to Lapis, just nods, but she acknowledges Peridot verbally. "Yes," Jasper says, "Because we are the Homeworld Gems. And even if we're the only three left in this universe, we'll make the traitors rue the day they ever took up Rose Quartz's banner!"