Scene #4552: "Return of Lapis"

Owner	Pose
Lapis Lazuli	Lapis Lazuli took a slow, deep breath, her hands wrapped tightly around herself. It was almost as if she was cold, but that was impossible. After all, she was a gem. The cold vasteness of space couldn't give her more than a minor chill, what could the ocean do? No, what had her messed up was the great crack running down her gem. One great crack in the middle, going almost all the way through, leaving the outer ring open. Unfortunately, smaller, hairline cracks were forming out from it. She could feel it, her gem was getting worse. She needed healing. She needed Steven. She took another step, the ocean's water enveloping her body with each step. It was comforting, at least. It soothed the discomfort and pain. She was almost there, she could feel it. At least, she hoped it was. She wasn't sure how much longer she'd last, exerting herself like this. She felt the sand underfoot begin to incline up, allowing her to gradually make her way to the beach. Before she was out, she saw the great statue and her lips parted in a great smile. Steven. Just a little further. The rush of excitement disrupted her form for a moment and her leg gave out, making her fall forward. It took her only a few moments to regather herself, to calm herself. Almost. There. She stood back up and began to walk up once again. A smile broke her lips. Her head broke out from the water, revealing the telltale sign of her damage. Her eyes, normally blue, were now merely mirrors. But slowly she made her way out, until finally, her feet touched dry sand. It burned, but it was a good burning. Soon she'd have help.
Ran Itoh	It's cold in Germany. Ran is so tired of being cold! You know what isn't cold? The /beach/. And what could be beachier than a place called Beach City? There's even supposed to be a huge, amazing statue hidden somewhere. She'd love to be the one to find it! Ran doesn't know that the blatently false 'secret' angle is just Mayor Dewey's latest hamfisted method of trying to increase tourism. Decked out in a pair of demin cutoffs (/awfully/ short ones, at that) and a fairly modest, sporty bikini top, the blonde shields her eyes from the sunshine as she staaaaaaaaaaaares up at the enormous goddess. "Wooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooow!" she croons, brown eyes wide. Barefoot in the sand, Ran's sandals have been unceremoniously dumped in a pile with her light jacket and beach bag.
Kotone Yamakawa	Why would Kotone come back to a 'quiet' little place like Beach City? Though it seemed to be more of a town from it's size? Well Aside from owing Steven Universe dor saving her from the minion of the Black Tears? The Donuts and Pizza. That and she was from a small little place herself. She was wearing something well more casual than stealth gear but it would still mark her as a oddball from the multiverse, she may have been tailed for part of her time by a young man with dreads. Thankfully she'd lost the odd youngman but wasn't expecting to spot Ran and she called out. "Hey Miss Itoh what are you doing here?" She hasn't noticed Lapis just yet...
Peridot	Peridot was strolling down the beach next to Toph. Whom by now she considered her human sidekick and stalwart ally in the battle against... basically everything Peridot viewed as a hostile. Peridot was carrying a large cardboard box. On the side it had been hastily labeled 'science things - DO NOT TOUCH'. "...And that's why brass couplings from this quadrants are objectively superior to most found in other similar dimensions. Everyone thinks it's all about torque, but really if you can easily break down resource management to a science; as I have. You have to consider durability, and availability which brings me to my seven point analysis on the subject of optic cabling versus crystalline gel tubes typically employed on modern gem warships and-" Toph is then saved another long-winded explanation as the color blue strikes against it's compliment, the orange sand of the beach. Peridot stops mid-sentence and abruptly drops the box of her things, spilling the contents onto the sand. Her hand shook as she raised it to her mouth. "..L.. Lazuli?" she uttered as her eyes widened into saucers. Big globs of tears quickly welling up as she rubbed her face with her forearm in an attempt clear her vision. She wasn't entirely sure this wasn't an illusion. "LAZULI?" She called again, before breaking into a run towards the blue gem. "LAZULIIIIIIII!" She abruptly face plants into the sand, before pushing herself back up and launching into a hug. Peridot was unaware of anyone else here. Unaware Lapis was even hurt! She merely hugged her and cried. "I-I-I THOUGHT Y-Y-Y-YOU WERE SHATTEEEERED!" She sobbed.
Toph Beifong	Things have been a bit busy lately, but there's always time for friends. And people who Toph get along with usually don't have problems getting her to tag along. Especially not Peridot, who seems to be the gem that Toph spends the most time with nowadays. Even if she doesn't really get most of the science talk. You'd think she'd absorb some knowledge by now, but while she nods her head at the right times and pays attention to anything regarding metal, she's by far no engineer. "Well, it wouldn't make sense to go for inferior materials," she offers with a shrug. "And replacing them all the time sounds like a bother." There, she said something that most likely won't upset Peridot, and maybe she can enjoy the feel of soft sand between her toes. Beaches aren't all that bad, really. And Beach City seems like an okay place. And it seems like other people are here too. One person she doesn't know, but the familiar voice of Kotone reaches her ears. So Toph raises her hand and waves at her, though just as she's about to call out in greeting she halts. The blind teen can't help but blink and narrow her eyes as she notices faint vibrations as the unfamiliar shape approaches from the ocean. "Hey," she begins, then nods her head in the direction of the blue figure, "Isn't that a gem...?" Considering Peridot's reaction it seems to be. Even as Peridot begins running on her short legs towards the unfamiliar figure Toph stands still. Lazuli... wasn't that the gem that Peridot has spoken about a lot, saying how she was the only gem she was certain didn't hate her for a while? Well, that explains the reaction a lot, doesn't it? Before she follows though the earthbender kicks into the sand, causing the spilled items to get knocked back into the box, and then she half hurries after the green gem. Though the teen does look a bit concerned as she walks closer. Something doesn't seem right... "You okay there...?"
Lapis Lazuli	Lapis Lazuli blinked as she heard the voice. She glanced up and worry crossed her features. Why was Peridot here? She should NOT be here. She couldn't be here. Steven was supposed to be here. Steven HAD to be here. Had the gems returned? Had they destroyed them? Despair started to fill her. If the gems had come and taken over, then she was doomed. A damaged Lapis wasn't valuable to anyone. It wasn't-- And then suddenly she was tackled. She yelped and fell back, her body unable to support the weight. "P-Peri," she said softly. "I zzn't. I zzarlz zas." Her body fizzled in and out with each word, the extra weight from the peridot making her already damaged core struggle to maintain her form. "I need zzeven. I..." Then a new thing popped into her mind. "Zzere aze your enhazzzmenzz?" Her body was stopping its fizzling and starting to get wavery, her body starting to compress under the much smaller gem. Like laying on top of a very firm bag of pudding with a hole. "You're so tiny." Oh, she gets to get THAT out at least. It was a little shocking for her. "Where is the rest of you?" Oh, sure, that gets out too.
Ran Itoh	She knows that voice! "Oh... Kotone~" Ran greets the cyborg girl with a wave and a smile. (She's still a teeeeeeny bit embarrassed about mistaking Kotone for a scary stalker robot.) "I wanted to visit a beach! I haven't been to one in foreeeever." She digs her toes into the sand for emphasis. And then there is shouting, and some very-nearly-crying, from a little further down the shoreline. "??" There's an awfully soggy-looking girl over there. "Oh no! I think someone nearly drowned!" Ran hurriedly tells Kotone before running toward the Gems and Toph, sand kicked up in her wake. "Is everybody all right?!" Ran yelps, skidding to a stop in the wet sand just as Lapis begins to lose control of her physical form. "I'm a n... urse..." Pause. Blink. "...Did you almost drown?" the blonde asks, because her possible patient flickering in and out of reality is not the important part of what's happening right now. She glances at Toph and Peridot. ...So green. "You two, what happened?"
Peridot	Peridot grins between her tears. The full realization of what was occurring hadn't fully set into until she heard Lapis and saw her own reflection in her eyes. The grin quickly melted away into utter dismay. ".... By the stars! I was moderatly correct! You're half shattered!" Peridot releases her gently, as though she was made of glass. It's only then that Peridot seems to acknowledge the presence of other beings. She wasn't alone. Her instincts was mostly to distrust a new face- especially given the current sensitive nature of the situation. However, she had to apply logic to keep a cool head. Though her old limb enhancer had been refashioned into a blaster, she did not pull it. Instead, she fell back on her secondary instinct. Shouting. "YOU!" She points to Ran as she approaches. She knew what a nurse was from briefly visiting a confederate medical wing once. "WE ARE IN A CRISIS. GET US THE STICKY PASTE AND ADHESIVE FILM." She moves behind Lapis and begins inspecting her gem. "We have a cracked gem here!" "TOPH! Um! DO your dirt magic!" She exclaimed, motioning towards Lapis's back. "Fix it! Fix it! Fix it! Fix it! Fix it! Fix it! Fix it! Fix it! Fix it! Fix it!"
Toph Beifong	OKAY, hearing that makes Toph tilt her head a bit. Either this Lapis has a severe speech impediment, or something is really wrong. "Why do you need Steven?" Toph asks. "I dunno if he's around here today--" The shouting from Peridot however makes Toph wince, considering she's standing right next to her. Even as Ran arrives at the scene the earthbender is rubbing at her ear as if that will make it stop ringing, and she lets out a pained grunt. "So that's why she feels--" And then there's more shouting, now directed at her. The girl's eyes widen, though Lapis might notice that she's not actually looking at anything, with her eyes a milky green. "Wait, calm down before you have an aneurism!" she states, holding up both her hands. Sure, she can sense the gems and all, but... can she use her bending to fix a special gem like this? For one, using her bending on a gem she just met without even asking /her/ first seems wrong. All in all the teen looks uncertain and torn as she faces Lapis. "Uh... can I inspect your back before Peridot breaks herself...?" she inquires.
Lapis Lazuli	Lapis Lazuli let out a sigh of relief once the extra weight was relieved and her form was able to stabilize. Slowly she sat up and smiled at Peridot. "H-hi Perizzz." Fizzled again, though not as badly. "I... I'm back," she said cheerfully, before reaching out and touching her on the face. She blinked a few times and wondered if her eyes were malfunctioning again. She then showed her back. "I-I need Steven. There was an accident." Then, before Peridot's eyes... one of the cracks spread out. All the way to the end on the right side.$r Just a little extra and it wasn't fully down to the bottom of the core. But those cracks were getting wider. Fortunately, no new ones were forming, but the extra pressure had been that push. made the crack a little wider. she was on the verge of shattering. She needed help, now. Well, okay, she'd probably be fine for a few more days. "Steven... isn't... here?" There was that fear again. "But... I... I can't... I'm finally free... I..." There was a look of despair on her face again and her form was going wavery again. She was close to popping. Popping now would... probably be bad.
Kotone Yamakawa	Kotone Yamakawa had run into Peridot once long ago and thankfully it wasn't a hostile encounter. Peridot had been a bit abrasive but not hostile. So Kotone isn't going to think too much about her being here. This was a region where the Gems did lurk in the multiverse right. Then Toph also appears and she waves to the Earth and Metal Bender. "Come out to enjoy the Beach Toph and ... I'm not sure. I only run into... a few." She grins at Ran for a moment. "Man I know the feeling I'm from the North American West Coast. A small town right on the water." She nods with a bit of a grin. "We should go see what we can do." She'll sprint after Ran and take a moment to catch up with Lapis and everyone else. She also took note Peridot was concerned about Lapis as well. Friend of yours? Also is there anything we can do? She asks of Peridot, who may not even recall her. "Steven? Wait do you mean Steven Universe?"
Ran Itoh	"Sticky pa..." She wants glue? (Ran is /mostly/ sure that Peridot is a she.) "Wait a minute, what are--" The blue girl isn't blue because she was drowning. She's blue because... okay, Ran has no actual idea /why/ Lapis is blue. But that small shouty girl is green, and there are gems /embedded into their bodies/, and Ran isn't so stupid that she doesn't realize there's some significance there. "I... I don't even know how to /start/ treating that conventionally. You'd need, like, a jeweler!" She actually /winces/ as the crack grows wider. "That's... that's not good, is it..." It's not a question. Ran drops to her knees on the sand, gently reaching out to take Lapis's hand if she's not rebuffed. But 'dirt magic'? "Can you help with this?" she asks Toph, noting what appear to be cataracts in her eyes.
Peridot	Peridot's face contorted into an expression of fear. She reached out towards the gem, but stopped short of touching it. "No. no no no no no no no!" She shouted. "Stop stop stop stop stop!" She yelled at the lengthening crack. A pang of guilt and a feeling of helplessness washed over her. It would be just her luck to get her best friend and then immediately lose her right away. "I should have never sent her on that mission! Ah! I did this to heeeer!" Her eyes wavered as a stream of tears ran down her face. She looked to Kotone. Whom she totally did not recognize. "This all my faaaaault!" She jumped to her feet and began running in circles, madly flailing her arms. "Someone do something! Someone get the Steven! Get Rose! Sticky paste! Dirt magic! Welding tools! Get me twine and I'll tie it around her gem! Anything! I will staple you back together if I have to!"
Toph Beifong	"I doubt there is any other Steven in this area who hangs out with gems!" Toph points out to Kotone. And besides, Steven did seem to be able to help his fellow gems. But without him here, then that task falls to them, doesn't it? While Toph is unable to see the damage, she can sense it, as well as hear it as the cracks spread and widen. While Toph isn't afraid, she does look shocked. There was that one time when Peridot was afraid of her own gem being broken in some way, and how she had made Toph inspect it. But even without touching Lapis, the teen can tell just what is going on. And since the new gem is showing her back, she's giving them permission to help from what Toph can tell. If it's this cracked, then what happens if the gem no longer stays in one piece? Shattering... that means death to a gem, doesn't it? While Peridot freaks out easily, Toph has never witnessed her friend being like /this/ before. Even as Ran asks Toph if she can help, the girl has already stepped forward, both hands extended as she quickly places them over Lapis' gem, a look of concentration on her face. After a few seconds she frowns, then she begins twisting her left hand slightly. "I... I dunno if this will hurt or not, but... I'm sorry, please stay still so I can help you!" she cautions, then draws her left hand gradually back, her right hand staying still on Lapis' gem. And after a few seconds, with a yanking motion of the fingers of her left hand, Toph pulls back her hand, withdrawing some rocklike material that clearly does not belong in the blue gem it was in. Is that was caused Lapis to crack? Either way Toph lets out a breath, tossing the piece of volcanic rock aside as she focuses... and the gem on Lapis' back slowly becomes less cracked. "Hey, you said you're a nurse? You got any magic healing thingies...?" This... is not like bending a normal gem stone, that much Toph can sense. And this will take more to completely heal up, but hopefully she can make things better until they are able to completely heal Lapis up somehow!
Lapis Lazuli	Lapis Lazuli screamed, her eyes going wide as the foreign substance was removed. Her eyes went wide for a moment and she stood there, shocked. Then instinct kicked in. "YOU WON'T HURT ME!" she screamed. How could they? Peri was there! Peridot was supposed to help her! The enhanced pain made her panic and she lifted out her hand. There was a rushing sound as the waves suddenly began to rise up, towering over them in a great fist. Massive and powerful and then-- A new line formed in her gem. Almost all the way through. A chunk of her gem now just stood on a sliver of rock. Toph's magic probably the only thing stopping her from shattering. The wave crashed down and she went nearly limp, shaking with pain as her own powers caused more damage to her. Fortunately, toph was healing her. Unfortunately, she was unable to see this. All she could feel was it and that extra burst of power and pain had temporarily stunned her. When she could fully move again, she just sat there, tears beginning to flow down her eyes. "P-Peri... Peri..." she said softly, barely above a whisper. "Help... me..." she finally begged, the fear rising from her voice even larger than that watery fist.
Ran Itoh	It's amazing, watching a gemstone move and heal like... like... like something Ran doesn't know about. Like flesh, when she and the Rabbit are really in tune with each other. She thinks about synchro rates and frowns vaguely. "I wish Hikky were here, he'd be able to help keep everybody calm." It's not said to anybody in parrticular, but she maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay be thinking of Peridot while she wishes out loud. Toph finishes taking her turn, and Ran (metaphorically) steps in. "Right, at least I don't think I can make it any worse..." The blonde girl tugs at a silvery chain around her neck. There's a cute little bunny charm on it, and Ran glances at it while saying the magic word. "Pe-ru-so-na!" Above them, a white and dark figure, masked and hooded, spins into being. Ran lays her hands gently on top of Lapis's gem, and the newly-summoned creature lays its hand over Ran's. "It's going to be okay," she promises them. Even if she doesn't know entirely what's going on, even if she's out of her depth, Ran won't let anybody die! Most healing magic seems to be made of light, of sparkles, of magic. Ran's is darkness, black like soot, and it feels like lying down in a familiar bed, like being pulled toward sleep, like comfort. "Diarahan!"
Kotone Yamakawa	Kotone Yamakawa eyes go wide as she sees the crack getting bigger. She's not too versted on gem's but she knows that /can't/ be good right? Someone's body should not be cracking like that so far as she knows, regardless of what they are. "I know where he lives. Do you need me to go get him?" With Peridot's panic it's clear this is on par with a humah having a chest or gut wound. IT does sound like it would be a good idea to try and find Steven wouldn't it though she can only gues he could do something to help but then Toph gets to work. She's kinda just watching she's not seen bending quite like that or healing from it. Still it may be best for her to run off to find Steven asap.
Peridot	Peridot squinted. Seeing Lapis slip away, the gem who had once done so much for her a life time ago, was unbearable. She knelt beside Lapis and grabbed her hand. "I'm here! I'm here." Somehow, Peridot had managed to calm down. The fear of losing her had managed to overpower her blind panic and sharpen her thoughts. So while the others worked on her gem, Peridot talked to her and let them focus. "You can't go yet! There is so much I have to tell you! I've done so much! I've changed so much! I'm not even the same gem anymore." She laughed uneasily, her face wet with tears and ocean water. "I'm a crystal gem now! Their new leader, actually! I think. I know all of that sounds insane. Me, with those clods." She squeezed her hand. "Speaking of clods, I called Yellow Diamond a clod. Right to her cloddy clod face. I wish you could have saw that." She wipes her face on her shoulder. "and Jasper! I stuck a destabilizer right in her back. And then kinda accidentally let her escape again. It was partially Toph's fault. So that might be something we have to deal with later. Point being, I'm basically the most rebellious rebel on the planet now." "And I'm just getting started! You need to not shatter! I need you there to witness the next galactic scale crime I commit! The next unmatched feat of anarchy! And I need to show you that though the vast majority of human inventions are aweful there are some things that are not terrible! You're the only gem I've ever trusted! Please, don't go!"
Toph Beifong	The scream itself makes Toph wince, though stopping would only make it worse. And the sound of waves doesn't exactly make Toph less nervous about this entire thing, and the earthbender forces herself to keep still. Focus on the gem, she tells herself. "I... I'm sorry for making you hurt, but I had to get that thing out," she explains. Okay, if Ran can contribute, then now is the time! Only once she's sure she's done everything she can to patch the gem up as best as she can does Toph step back, exhaling and withdrawing her hands. Is... she actually shaking a little? "She's less cracked now, she won't shatter," Toph assures Peridot. Where is Steven though...? This is something that will take more than just duct tape to fix...
Lapis Lazuli	Lapis Lazuli stared at her. Slowly the pain was fading away. The gem across her back was beginning to heal as well, the little cracks filling in, hard rock replacing empty air. Starting from the outer edges and then slowly moving inside. Fragment by fragment her gem repaired. Her form completely stabilized, no more fizzling or popping. Her eyes were still mirrors, though. She stared at Peridot as she tried to process that. "You're... the leader of the crystal gems? Truly?" Oh dear. "You called Yellow Diamond a clod? You got in contact with Homeworld? They're here? Are they... coming?" The pain was going away, allowing her to focus on more important things. Like the fact she wasn't dead. "You... destabilized Jasper?" Well, she was already pretty unstable. Finally, the extent of the magic could do was finished. A small little hole still remained in the gem. But there were no more cracks, no more rough edges. Most importantly, no more pain. She could see clearly. She could feel clearly. She could focus. And then... Poor Peridot would be swept up in her arms as she stood up and she laughed. That hug was tight, too. If she was garnet, that'd be a popped gem right there. Instead she just laughed and twirled. "I'm free! I'm finally free of that wretched burning hell!" she screamed, twirling around and... okay, the big problem was that she was a little over excited and there were great pillars of twirling water rising out from the ocean in imitation of her movements. Poor Peri was going to get dizzy at this rate. But her friend wasn't dying. It would take her a few moments to finally stop, before hugging the tiny gem close. "I'm free... I'm... I'm finally free..." She fell to her knees and just held the gem like a tiny little teddy bear. "W-why are you so tiny? How did you become leader of the crystal gems? Where's Steven, is he okay?" She couldn't keep the smile off her face.
Peridot	As her gem healed, and as she got some reassurance from Toph Peridot relaxed visibly. She hadn't been under that much distress since she was a loyal Homeworlder with the weight of the empire pressing down on her shoulders. If gems had physical beating hearts, hers might have just given out. As Lapis lifted her up, Peridot laughed. At least, until the dizziness overpowered her and her cheeks puffed out. Fortunately, it had been weeks since she last ate anything. (burnt marshmallows and sticks). As she is hugged, Peridot blinked, before closing her eyes and hugging the blue gem gently around the neck. "I've always been tiny! Jasper destroyed my limb enhancers. I never got around to making new ones." She laughs again. "And of course I'm the leader! Who else is gonna lead that operation of misfits? If they aren't constantly crying and singing-" Said she, while crying. At least she wasn't singing. "...They're making emotionally charged executive decisions instead of reviewing simple facts and logic. They need me more than ever!" "Steven is fine. As fine as a gem-encrusted meat-human can be, I suppose."
Ran Itoh	It's working. It's working! Ran turns just enough to the side to give Toph and encouraging smile, and then remembers that the other girl seems to be blind. Oops... "Good job," she says instead, watching the gem on Lapis's back seal back up slowly. Tsuki-no-Usagi finally wavers and vanishes, Ran unable to keep her manifested any longer. It's fine though - 'Lapis' is doing much better. Ran can't help but grin, watching the two gems reunite properly. Their relief is infectious!
Kotone Yamakawa	Kotone Yamakawa looks very concerned at Lapis with a cncerned look on her face. "Steven just lives further down the coast. I'm going to go get him and I'm Kotone. Ran has my cell number. I hopefully shouldn't be too long." Kotone looks to everyone else for a moment. She pauses for half a second logner taking a good look at everyone. "Hey nothing is wrong with singing!" However with that Kotone is off like a shot and people might catvh sight of a certain blonde teenager chasing her with a camera calling for her to show her true form and admit to her dastardly plan. Also dang Kotone can run fast enough to kick up a sand cloud as she goes.
Toph Beifong	It certainly seems that Lapis is doing better now, with her form appearing more stable, and her voice not messed up with discord or whatever that was. Somehow Toph looks amused when Peridot claims to be the leader of the Crystal Gems, as well as the other things that the two friends share. Though the moment those water pillars burst up from the ocean Toph can't help but yelp, turning with a slightly panicked look on her face. "What the crud...?!" What's causing that?! There was some water earlier too, but... wait. Is that Lapis doing that? But as long as the water isn't going to crash all over them, then it's okay... "Steven is fine, I met him not long ago," Toph assures Lapis. "So you're the Lapis that Cloderella here have talked about, huh?" Somehow Toph looks a bit amused where she stands, resting her hands on her hips. Let the two have a moment. Toph does reach out to punch Ran lightly in the arm though. Good going. "Thanks for the help, nurse lady." Whoever you are. It's not like Toph has heard her voice before.
Lapis Lazuli	Lapis Lazuli nods slowly, not letting Peridot go. She was her little dorito bear. She slowly nodded and smiled. "Well... I think I like you like this. It is very refined and dignified. A compact approach for such a wonderful gem." Hey, she wasn't dead, wasn't in pain, wasn't trapped. Today was a good day and she felt like buttering up Peridot now. Later she could be flat and snarky. "I see. So you're the leader now." She really couldn't see that happening. She then glanced towards the others. Were they human? She stared at them for a few moments, before glancing to Ran. "Is that human the same type as Steven? Is that why it was able to heal me, due to healing saliva? Do all tiny humans have healing powers?" She still couldn't stop smiling, though. She needed to fully heal, of course. But that could wait. She wasn't on the sea floor anymore. She wasn't dying. She wasn't-- She blinked a few more times and then the smile began to leave her face and her hug tightened just slightly as she tensed up. It... wasn't a good tense. The shadow of her hair fell over her eyes as she lowered her gaze. "Peridot... I'm... not scouting anymore. There are... things out there. Places out there. Some are nice. Some are..." Her voice cut off and she took a slow, deep breath. Even though she didn't need to breath, it helped. As did controlling the water. "Is homeworld coming? Do they still intend to do things with this planet? Or... has the... other places driven them away?" There was another rumbling and the spirals of water crashed down again. It felt good. To lash out with her power. To let it flow. She thought the first time she'd cracked it had been bad, but this had been worse. At least she didn't have anywhere she needed to fly right now.
Peridot	Peridot wipes her face dry as she is put down. Looking up to Lapis was a strange and different viewpoint for her. She had never felt her newfound height so much as this nostalgic encounter. At the accusation of Ran being like Steven, Peridot suddenly realized she didn't know. "That.. is a good question. I don't think it's the same... set up. Probably a quirk of the multiverse as I've encountered several humans who harbor no such skills." At the suggestion of no longer scouting Peridot nods. "Everything keeps changing. There are no missions, anymore. No jobs- no responsibilities other than to keep the beings of this planet safe.. ish." She waves her hand some. "Depending on how much you like them." "I just take days and events as they come now." At the mention of Homeworld, Peridot tenses some. "Well, I am public enemy number one on Homeworld right now. I suspect the planet is crawling with hunter killer drones with my profile embedded in them. But, between you and Toph. I think I can laugh that off now. -Nya-Ha- -ha- -ha-!" "This planet is so big they'll probably never find us. Plus, I've implanted several false leads and traps in the places they're likely to look. We're safe."
Toph Beifong	"Not all humans have healing powers," Toph comments, though Elites in the multiverse seem to have a higher concentration of them... It's good that Peridot and Lapis both are better now, with Peridot no longer freaking out and Lapis no longer at risk at shattering. Though there's still that hole there in her gem that needs fixing up... but how? Maybe Steven will know, and Kotone did run off to find him. So Toph stays behind. The blind girl does look a bit amused at the chatter between the two. Homeworld can try to mess with them, anyway. It's not like they will let them. "So... you feeling better now, Lapis?" Toph asks.
Lapis Lazuli	Lapis Lazuli slowly cheers up, smiling. "I see. So there are no worries, then." She stared at the little green gem. She doubted Homeworld saw her as much of a threat. But if the crystal gems were here, they were safe. She'd seen enough things in the other worlds that she suspected gemworld might have finally just decided they weren't worth the hassle. Still, she now knew some places she could hide. Big enough for her and Peridot. And Steven. She supposed the crystal gems could maybe stick around. She then smiled at Peridot. She was so small, so tiny. It just... felt weird. She made a mental note to make some ice limb enhancements for her later. She then glanced back to the child. "Yes, thank you for your assistance." She then blinked a few times. "O-oh. I thought you were a human, are you a gem?" She paused and looked down at Peridot. "Her eyes are like mine, is her gem damaged as well? Is that why she is so small?
Peridot	Peridot shakes her head. "This is Toph. She's almost killed me several times!" She announced cheerfully. "We get along better now." She added. "Her vision spheres don't work like ours. Instead her gravity connectors pull double duty and serve to feed synaptic visual input directly into her brain through vibration! It's quite a fascinating adaptation. In some ways that gives her superior sight than we do." "Toph was instrumental in assisting me in realizing the imperfections present in Homeworld society and has acted as something of a liaison between myself and earth society. A job she has more or less excelled at." Peridot turns to Toph. "And this is Lazuli! She was once my informant when I came to assist in the destruction of earth. You may recall her as the only gem on the planet that didn't wish me harm. A defining feature, I have to say that has cemented her position as my friend."
Ran Itoh	She wasn't expecting a shoulderpunch! Thankfully Toph is a merciful warrior. "Ah, I'm just glad I was able to help~" Ran warbles. The crashing, roaring ocean finally draws her attention, though there doesn't seem to be any real danger... not right now, anyway. The waterspouts all crash back down into the sea. She would ask who or what Steven is, but-- "Healing ...spit??" /Ew!/ "I'm Ran," she introduces herself to them all. Perhaps most people would get a little bit lost trying to follow Peridot's explanation, but somehow Ran is able to follow along. For the most part. "Oh, so even though you're blind you still know what's going on around you? That's so cool!"
Toph Beifong	"I'm a human, all right," Toph confirms with a nod. And then there's the comment about her eyes... At first Toph looks surprised for a moment, and then after a second... she laughs! "Oh mavaaaaaaan!" Somehow this is hilarious to her. Heck, Toph even reaches out and punches Peridot in the arm. "She's kinda like you, isn't she? Man... 'broken'... Remember that? Vision spheres? You saying it was somehow my parents' fault? Huh?" It's a strange thing to be nostalgic about, isn't it?" But Toph sees the humour in many situations, maybe because she doesn't see the situations themselves. She does take pity on Lapis though, and she sobers up with only one final snicker, even as Peridot explains matters in her own weird way. Gravity connectors. Heh. "I'm blind, I've been unable to see since I was born. And no, I'm just short. I'm not a fully grown human just yet, though I'm getting there." She /is/ taller than Steven, and at fifteen years now she does look less like a child than she used to when she first joined the Union over three years ago. "And yeah, I do remember you talking about her and wanting to find her again. Glad you did!" With that Toph extends her hand to Lapis. "Toph Beifong, ensign of the Union. Not to mention I'm the greatest earthbender of all time." So the other girl is called Ran, huh? "Haven't heard you on the radio before... and yeah, I see with my feet. Very handy, though the sand makes it a bit tricky since it's so loose and all," she explains, kicking a bit into the sand.
Lapis Lazuli	Lapis Lazuli eyed the child as well. She managed to turn Peridot to helping the humans? Maybe she wouldn't be bad. "Thank you. My name is Lapis Lazuli, I am a Lapis Lazuli," she reiterates matter of factly. Ah, gems and their names. "It is... good to be back." She cringed a little. "Of course. The only gem who wished for what was best for you." Totally not ominous at all. She reached out and took the hand, shaking it. "You can... see with your feet? That is quite a strange ability." She wondered if Peridot had tried to dissect the child or figure out how it worked. "A pleasure to meet you both. Toph. Ran." She slowly stood on her feet, wobbling and taking a small step back. Her eyes were brought back down to Peridot and she smiled. "So you have joined with the crystal gems then, yes? They haven't tried to revert you to your crystal form and bubble you at any point, then?"
Peridot	At the mention of being like her, Peridot laughed as her gem glowed. "I know! Oh! It's going to be so great to not be the only one who's clueless about everything surrounding them anymore!" Peridot nods to Ran. "Yes. Well, I suppose I'm officially in your debt, it seems. You have un-done some damage I inadvertently caused when I initially sent her on such a dangerous mission alone. At least, you have caused the situation to stabilize. A sustainable outcome while a more permanent solution is figured out. Thank you. The crystal gems will see you are repayed." At the mention of her checkered history with the gems. Peridot cleared her throat and looked to Toph. She had been poofed by the gems once. Impaled right in her chest by the Pearl. Something Peridot didn't much care for, but she had to admit- she was firmly acting in the interest of Homeworld when it happened. "There was.. some conflict- before I came to my senses. And, I currently like some gems more than others." She went on diplomatically steepling her fingers. "But, they haven't tried anything like that for quite some time."
Toph Beifong	"Hey, for me it's strange that you guys see with your eyes," Toph says with a casual shrug. "As for Cloderella here, she did do some bad stuff before, but that's over. Besides invading my academy with weird tech stuff I think you're being an exemplary gem!" It's teasing, that much Peridot should know from the grin spreading across Toph's lips. "If Peridot misbehaves I will noogie her myself." "So... what are you going to do now that you're no longer a scout...?" It's a valid question.
Lapis Lazuli	Lapis Lazuli cocked an eye at that. Conflict. Oh, indeed she imagined there had been. Still, she felt better. "Then, perhaps we can enter the structure?" she asked, motioning to the temple. It wasn't that she was tired. She was just completely and utterly exhausted and desired nothing more than to sit down and calm herself after the ordeal. She paused for a moment and gingerly reached out, putting a hand on Peridot's head and gave it a small squeeze. She then pulled it back and sighed. It was real. It was all real. She was here now. She was safe. It wasn't home, but it was a home. Then one of the humans left. Though a concerned look flashed across her face and she reached out one more time to touch Peridot. It was all too good, wasn't it? Peridot joining the crystal gems, her being saved at the last moment. Her surviving. What if she was back there, still? Her hand reached out one more time and she put it on Peridot's head one more time, not taking it back this time. Just felt it. Letting the stimulation wash over her. It was real. She could feel it. It wasn't some vivid fantasy. "Let's... let's go inside... okay?" she asked softly, her voice so low it could barely be heard over the waves. She glanced to Toph. "Cloderella? And... now? I just... I want to rest. I want to envelop myself in the water. Perhaps once Steven has healed me I can travel to the moon." She still wasn't taking the hand off Peridot. "The moon is far safer. I... also saw some places that were nice on my travels. Some worlds that I wouldn't mind exploring more. Many that I shall never visit again, however."
Peridot	Peridot gasped. "Oh! Of course! Yes, we need to get you inside Lazuli." Peridot took her hand and began pulling it towards the temple. "We'll need to make sure you rest. No movement, no flying, no scouting, not even blinking. Just pure unaltered rest. You, a couch and several hundred dvd's I have steadily scavenged over the time I've been here. I actually have quite a few choice selections. Clearly, pining hearts is where we have to start. But, that's only the beginning! This one show was so good I seriously contemplated kidnapping a family of humans just to witness the kind of wacky hijinx that ensued! That is, until I found it's all fake." "But hey, that's kind of the charm in it! You get to not only obsess over the characters, but the beings who portray them! I personally call that a win- and have personally stalked several celebrities via the online chirper site." "Let's go, Let's go!"
Toph Beifong	When Lapis shows confusion about the nickname, Toph nods at Peridot. "That's my nickname for her. Like her calling me Dirt Wizard," the blind teenager explains with a grin of amusement. "And why go to the moon when you can stay here? I'm sure the Crystal Gems will help you if Homeworld is after you." It appears that Peridot has other plans though, and Toph blinks as she follows after the two gems. Oh right, it seems like somebody else will get to hear about Peridot's obsession with those sitcoms. Yet Toph can't help but blink and arch an eyebrow. "Seriously? I gave you all those DVDs so you wouldn't kidnap a family to begin with!" Well, as long as Peridot doesn't mess around too much on Twitter then that's okay. Which reminds her that she should get back to trolling more people there.
Lapis Lazuli	Lapis Lazuli smiled as she held that hand. It was small, tiny. It wasn't the hand she knew. It wasn't the hand she'd imagine if she was having some kind of... episode. Besides, Peridot was being far, far too Peridot for her to be anyone but Peridot. But she still didn't want to let go. Just had to be sure it was all real. She wasn't in a mirror, locked away, trapped, helpless. She wasn't dying, running, popped. She was here. With Peridot. A very small, very peridotty peridot. That was what mattered. "That sounds nice," she said with a weak smile. "I've seen a few of those before. The shows, I mean." She gave the hand a little squeeze. Yes, still there. Still real. She took another soft breath, before glancing back to the water. "And Steven will be here soon and everything will be alright. It is good that you haven't kidnapped any families, Peridot." She looked to Toph and smiled. "Thank you for looking over Peridot for me while I was away. I know she can be..." She paused. What was the proper word? "Very Peridot." There truly was no word. One more squeeze. Still there.
Peridot	"Ha. Dirt wizard. Funny, albeit still technically accurate." Peridot concludes. "Yes, yes- The Steven, or Rose. Either will suffice if you can stand the bizarre delivery method of their healing capacity. Frankly I've been trying to consider a more useful technique to employ it at will. Initial research suggest a system can perhaps be rigged up using plastic tubing, a bell, and dog treats. At least, according to this one human, Pavlov." "Steven however has proven uncooperative."
Lapis Lazuli	Lapis Lazuli nodded, following the little green gem to the house. "Of course. A better method would be better." Not the most intelligent thing in the world, but her focus was focused almost purely on Peridot. She was safe. She was... Ah, screw it. Poor Peridot would find herself scooped up and held in Lapis' arms, and carried up to the house. Screw holding hands, she needed more than that right now. She'd have probably picked up the dirt wizard too, but that would have been rude and she wasn't that strong. After all, Peridot was rather... light, you sea. She did stop outside the door to allow the little gem to open it. Didn't set her down, though. She remembered hearing Steven saying something about smelling warm cookies and the like, that it smelled like home. That it reminded you of where you belonged. She wondered if that would help. She decided to smell Peridot. Her eyes bulged and she coughed, giving a shudder. Okay, she hoped that wasn't what home smelled like. Like dirt, human, oil and something else she just couldn't identify. She glanced to Toph. Was it that? She wondered why humans insisted on this smelling thing. The ocean was nice, but the other things... shudder.
Lapis Lazuli	Lapis Lazuli smiled and soon they were inside the house, laying comfortably inside the couch. She only let Peridot go for a second, once the show had started the gem would find herself back into the blue gem's lap as Lapis struggled to keep herself calm. She wasn't trapped. She wasn't. She was here, with Peridot. A gem that had trapped her once, but that was in the past. Now the gem was safety, a nice, stable point for her to focus on and drive away those other thoughts. Slowly as the shows began to wash over her, her panic would begin to subside and while she refused to let go of her little comfort gem, her grip did loosen a little. After a few hours she'd probably even be able to let the gem go. Hopefully Peridot had nowhere to be.