Shut Up & Fuse With Me

to the rescue

Another seemingly boring day tick tocks away slowly, each miserably quiet moment being chipped away at by the second. A bathroom only holds so much appeal, and Peridot's interest in toiletry is stretching thin, and it leads a gem to wonder what other invoking discoveries lie outside the Steven's bathroom.

Home alone, with the Crystal Gems carting even the worthless brown human on their mission, Peridot is sure she'll be able to snoop a little.

Nudging open the door hesitantly, the technician gem sticks her nose between the ajar crack and inhales deeply, nervously. Inch by inch, she creeps further from the bathroom, her eyes narrowed and focused as she jolts out, into a skitter. Clambering over the island counter, she hurdles herself into the kitchen, landing with a thud and a softly uttered, "Oof." She made it. Lying on her back adjacent to the fridge, she breathes deeply. Catches her breath, studies the ceiling and counts the seconds dribble by. Finally convinced she's truly alone and safe, Peridot climbs slowly to her feet, knees bent slightly to keep from spilling into eye view.

"Ugh," she abruptly straightens and strolls to a stop in front of the food cube. "I am being ridiculous! Those clods aren't even here."

Confident in herself now, the green gem yanks open the food box door, stepping further into its vicinity to get a better view of choice. She had noticed that purple quartz's explicit affinity for the items laid inside the wrappings and containers that wait at bay to be devoured. If the sufferable quartz likes it, why wouldn't her admirer?

So, with trepidant ease, Peridot swipes a smallish plastic tub from the lowest shelf and flips off its flimsy top. The inside looks like a microscopic oasis of creamy snow, and Peridot's lips curl in faint disgust. She checks the label.

"Cool Whip?" Laying heavy emphasis on the H, Peridot shrugs and dips a finger into the already half empty substantial whipped cool, or whatever, then examines it closely. "Ehmm... Er, well... If... Amethyst likes these edible human supplements, then..."

With a shrug, she laps the foam away and tastes, smacks her lips and lets the melting flavor access her throat. With an enthusiastic squeal of delight, she takes another finger full and scoops it past her smiling lips. "Oh! It's... It's entirely pleasant!" Too passionately, Peridot begins her feast.

By the time the container is empty, Peridot has stepped back and closed the fridge, climbed back onto the counter to sit perched vicariously on the edge.

As she licks desperately at the remnants of the delicious cream on the inside of the container, the warp pad sounds and brightness floods the room briefly, illuminating Peridot's knee-jerk reaction of throwing the tub and jumping to the floor, arms splayed out over her head.

"Who go there!" The sugar is rushing fast to her head and the gem is hyper as the Steven and his human mate appear, particularly bruised and breathing heavily.

"Steven!" Peridot exclaims, running to his center. Still merely uncomfortable with severe physical contact, she only pats his shoulder. "You're hurt."

"So isn't Connie," Steven snaps, stumbling to a seat on the warp pad's platform edge, where Connie has fallen to her knees. She has a hand to her gut and Steven pats her soothingly, calming her nonexistent sobs.

"Yes, I see." She doesn't care about Connie, though. Not really. "Where are the rest of the Crystal Cl..um, Gems..?"

"Still fighting," Connie wheezes. She's trembling and hurt, but she manages an intimidating sharp eye to Steven. "Like we should still be doing."

Peridot's lip quivers as she turns her gaze away from Connie's pained anger to Steven's own stern exterior. Her insides waver at the maturity in his voice as the young half human speaks.

"No, Connie. They got to you. They knocked you off your feet, and that blow to your stomach is gonna mess you up, especially if you try to strain yourself!" His expression softens, and Peridot's inner mechanisms churn with strange emotion. Like she wants to... Fight back.

"But... The gems.." A deep breath before Connie can continue, however shakily. "They need us. They..."

Steven is silent now as he rubs Connie's back, and the something inside Peridot is boiling now. Brimming with determination, fists clenched, she pushes past them and stands in the center of the pad.

"H-hey! Peridot, what are y-?"

"No time for casualties, Steven! Where are they?"

"Th-the kindergarten.."

He tries to inquiry about her intentions, but she's already gone as the words begin to leave his mouth.