somedayshouldbetoday

[somedayshouldbetoday]

What Would It Take Just To Find... Ch 1

In the Beginning

Day 1, 10:34

The group chat was absolutely buzzing, and Ex could hardly keep track of what was even going on. All he knew was that the phone in his hand had given an unearthly screech before opening up to an entirely different screen than the one he had been in. It seemed to start out with people nagging another person (Yoosung... with a star~*) to do well in school and quickly devolved into name calling and a minor debate on the topic of nepotism.

“This place really hasn’t been used recently, has it... Where’re the cleaning supplies...” Ai mumbled, swiping a finger at the desk right next to the entrance of the apartment and frowning at the layer of dust that was disturbed. 

“Master, I think you should look at th- Don’t just wipe the dust on your pants!”

Faithfully ignoring him as always, Ai cozied up next to Ex to read the screen. “Ah,” Ai supplied oh so helpfully. 

“I think we are starting to raise a little panic,” Ex said flatly, noting that the one under screen name 707 had finally noted their intrusion. At that moment, the computer on top of the desk also flared to life, and the chatroom soon mirrored itself onto the screen. 

[707]: Whoa! 

[707]: TWO INTRUDERS?!

[707]:

[Yoosung★]: 

[Yoosung★]: omg...

[Yoosung★]: There are TWO hackers in the chatroom!!!

“Not that I have any computer skills,” Ai sighed, taking a seat down to read the screen. Ex decided to sit down on the floor next to the rolling chair and kept reading from the phone.

[ZEN]: Dude, settle down...

[Jumin Han]: Who are you? Reveal yourself! Hey, Assistant Kang!

[Jaehee Kang]: Yes, I am here.

[ZEN]: You were so quiet, I thought you were somewhere else.

[Jaehee Kang]: Nothing was out of the ordinary so I was just watching.

[Jaehee Kang]: But I see something has happened.

[Yoosung★]: omg...

[Jumin Han]: Why are there strangers in our chat room?

[Jaehee Kang]: No one can enter without installing the private app that we use... it seems like they have downloaded the RFA messenger.

[Yoosung★]: I thought Seven only let us download it?

[Guest2]: And I thought apps were only for the phone an stuff?

[Guest2]: I’m typing at you from a computer rn.

[Yoosung★]: GAHHHH IT’S TALKING!!!

(Ai ignored the flat stare that Ex shot. It was not worth it and his ire eventually redirected.)

[Guest1]: ...’it’?

[Guest1]: That is rude and uncalled for. Master is not an ‘it’.

[Guest2]: ‘Master’ does not actually mind and minds more that you are calling said Master ‘Master’. -_-

[Guest2]: We’ve talked about this, Ex, smh.

[Guest2]: Well, it’s a bit late, but hello everyone. 

[Guest2]: To answer your question, I’m Ichihara Ai. Pleasure.

[Guest1]: ...And I’m Xavier.

[Guest1]: WHICH IS MY FIRST NAME

[Guest2]; HIS FIRST NAME IS CHARLES

[Guest2]: T-T Aw, c’mon, Ex. 

[Guest1]: NO. You tell that joke all the time.

[Guest1]: NOT THIS TIME.

[Guest2]: Awwww....

[Guest2]: ...?

[Guest2]: Hello?

[707]: Sorry. ^^; It was just pretty funny to watch you two, lol.

[Jaehee Kang]: 

[Jaehee Kang]: THERE IS NOTHING FUNNY ABOUT THIS!

[707]: GAH! 

[707]: So scary!

[707]: T-T

[Guest2]: lol

 [Jaehee Kang]: How did you find out about this place? Where did you download the app?

[707]: Oh wait...

[707]: Just found something weird.

[ZEN]: What is it? Hurry up and tell us.

[707]: Just traced the IP...

[707]: It’s coming from inside Rika’s apartment.

[Yoosung★]: Rika’s apartment?

[Jumin Han]: Where was it again?

[Jaehee Kang]: The location is not revealed. I know it to be classified.

[707]: Anyway, someone must have broken into her apt.

[707]: It spoke just now so it must be a person. ^^;

[Guest2]: ...

[Guest2]: Q-Q Ex... 

[Guest2]: Are we criminals now?!

[Guest1]: -_- Calm down.

[Yoosung★]: WHO ARE YOU? HOW DID YOU GET INTO RIKA’S APARTMENT?!

[Yoosung★]: HOW DID YOU GET THIS APP?!

[Guest1]: We were invited.

[Guest2]: Q-Q Some guy asked us to drop in.

[Yoosung★]: ?!

[Guest2]: He gave us the password to the door and everything.

[Guest2]: Said it was because Rika asked?

[Yoosung★]: No way...

[Guest1]: ...You need not believe us. But if you are going to kick us out of your chatroom you had best do it soon.

[Guest1]: I would rather not be arrested for making sure Master’s Good Samaritan act would go well. We will evacuate as soon as possible.

[Guest2]: We’ll, ah, also leave the phone we were asked to drop off here, too.

[Jumin Han]: Quit shitting around.

“Ex,” Ai choked, barely bursting out laughing.

“No,” he said flatly, never taking his eye off the screen. The group was beginning to threaten them and he was beginning to lose his patience. Ai gently placed a hand on his hand and soothing ran fingers through his hair.

Just as well, the group derailed the conversation to the views on a video. Or maybe not. Jumin Han quickly got the group back onto questioning the pair of intruders. Damn. Though it seemed like Seven was finally running background checks on them.

In the meanwhile, it seemed like the group members were starting to introduce themselves. Talks of both of their genders and the member’s photos went up. Ai laughed when nobody recognised Jaehee’s picture. 

Out of nowhere (although he expected it at this point), Ai took the phone and snapped a picture of the two of them to add to the chat. 

It wasn’t a bad picture, per se. Ai, with wavy black bangs and a short ponytail, gave a cheerful smile, dark eyes glittering mischievously. Ex on the other hand served as a severe contrast. His fair skin and long, straight, blue-ish locks braided off to the side did nothing to make the glare from his sharp teal eyes and scowl less intimidating. If he had one complaint, it was that the lighting was so bad that it made Ai’s tan skin look darker, but from the enthusiastic way the picture was posted he had to guess that Ai had no cares at all about that. As usual.

[Guest2]: The grumpy looking one is Ex! I’m the cutie over there~

[ZEN]: WOW! You really are cute... 

[ZEN]: Sorry for us being so brash, the whole situation must be strange to such a cute little lady.

[Guest2]: o-o Ex...

[Guest2]: I never knew you were a little lady.

[Guest1]: I’m not.

[Guest2]: Should I start calling you m’lady?!

[Guest1]: If you are trying to piss me off, it’s working.

[Guest2]: Q-Q Help...!!!

“Don’t pretend to be so distressed when you’re laughing so hard you’re almost falling out of your seat,” he scowled. Ai simply gave him waggled eyebrows and pointed at the screen.

Oh. V had logged in. There was a little drama between him and Yoosung, but it seemed V was willing to at least hear out an explanation of why they were there. In the end, the boss man concluded that whoever Unknown was, he must have been entrusted to the task by Rika and that the two of them were to be trusted. With some coaxing, he managed to get everyone to relax and Seven began to explain things about the RFA when a picture got Ex’s attention. 

It was a black and white picture of Rika, apparently, hosting one of the parties that would be his and Ai’s responsibility but...

[Guest1]: Excuse me.

[Guest1]: But by any chance, did Rika...

[Guest1]: Frequent an old style church?

[Yoosung★]: Yes...? Why are you asking?

[Yoosung★]:

[Guest1]: Master...

[Guest2]: That. Is the stupidest thing I have ever heard, Ex.

[Guest1]: It does explain things.

[Guest2]: No. No it doesn’t.

[ZEN]: ? 

[Yoosung★]: What are you two talking about?

[Guest2]: Mm... a while ago. We met someone named Rika who looked like that at a church but...

[Guest1]: Well, she and Master had a philosophical debate on things. 

[Guest1]: I guess she would think you a good candidate?

[Guest2]: That is absolutely ridiculous.

[Guest2]: I’d rather hear about what we’ll be needing to do.

Well, now that Ai was scowling at him, Ex decided it’d be a better use of time to jot down their responsibilities. 

This first day was going so well already, wasn’t it?

#what would it take just to find... ch 1 #into the trashbin #oh hey look a second mm fanfic when i still have 3 drafts of the first one

[somedayshouldbetoday]

That’s a terrible idea- 707

Summary: An Era 2 Peridot is chosen by the hacker to join the RFA. A stupid not quite crossover that made me laugh. Scenario is right after Seven chases away the hacker.

——————————

“You’re actually an alien.”

“Eeeyeeaaah.” Dot (Dot, they called her, because apparently her full name was too long) rubbed one of her limb enhancers and looked away sheepishly.

It was one thing to say over and over that you were a space alien, especially when there was an earthling that was weirder and more out there than you were. It was another thing when that earthling was staring at you like he couldn’t breath, eyes bugging out of his head. Were... humans supposed to look like that? If it weren’t both indecent and inconvenient she’d take off her limb enhancers. The way he was staring at her floating fingers was starting to make her squirm.

It was when glass crunched beneath her feet as she tried moving towards him that Seven finally snapped back into himself.

“Don’t!”

Dot stiffened, stopping hesitantly. Seven looked down at her feet in panic and literally swept her off her feet. He set her down more gently than she thought he was given how frazzled he was, checking her soles. Ah, did he think she-

“I don’t, ah, have flesh for the glass to settle into,” she said, smiling in what she hoped was a reassuring manner. Whoops. Guess it wasn’t because he fixed her with a serious expression, worry swimming under his eyes. Dot raised her hand towards him then withdrew when he startled away. Okay. She was raised to be a Kindergartener, not a babysitter. How does one communicate feelings? Argh, she wished the Steven were here to help, he’d know what to do.

Sharply, Seven stood and grabbed his things, retreating into a corner. He spared her a look, breathing a little before speaking. “You’re... okay?”

Dot nodded. “Are you?”

His face settled into a grim expression as he began setting up his equipment. “It doesn’t matter.”

“I... would say that is wholly untrue and that your well-being is quite of import, Seven.”

She winced at the look he leveled her with. “No, it isn’t.”

The gem wanted to argue with that, but Seven seemed to be pointedly ignoring any sign of worry for him after that. Maybe he really was fine? He was working and functional, which by gem standards meant he was fine but the Steven sometimes said that people pretended to fine when they weren’t. Was that what was happening here??? Why were humans so hard to figure out?

“Okay, then,” Seven sighed, snapping Dot out of her thoughts, “I’m... going to rebuild the security system here. I brought my laptop and everything... I’ve got to remake the whole thing so that Saeran...” He shook his head. “Please keep him a secret, Dot. So that no one else gets hurt.”

“You have my word as a Peridot,” she nodded. He looked just a little relieved before setting back to his task.

------

Except that his task was taking forever. He didn’t seem to move at all, the sound of typing constantly in the background. He didn’t seem interested in eating or sleeping, having been working constantly since he started. It’d been almost a day now. Dot was starting to get worried. The Steven and Connie, as Facet 2F5L Cut 5XG had explained, required such things because of their fleshy biology. It stood to reason that all humans needed that, then, right?

As distracting as chatting on the messenger and attempting to get enough of Seven’s attention to get him to move and do something else was, the thought that his very important work might suffer because he absolutely refused to take care of himself brought Peridot to her feet.

She tried one more time to get his attention, but he continued, typing away as consistently as ever with his back towards her. Well then. If the human was going to be unreasonable.

Dot made her way out of the apartment and headed towards the elevator.

-----

Where was she?!

Seven had decided to take a glance back at Dot, just a .07 second glance to see if she was all right. Enough to assess her well being, not enough to get her gaze if she was looking back at him.

But she wasn’t there.

Seven was up and dialing her number in an instant, walking around and hoping that she was just in the restroom or that she was in the kitchen or maybe in the closet-

Her phone rang in the bedroom. He pushed his way in and saw it abandoned on the bed.

No... No! Did someone grab her? Had she been kidnapped from right under his nose?! He couldn’t have let her down this easily...!

The door to the apartment opened, followed by the sound of the soft rustling of plastic. Seven scrambled towards the sound and was greeted with a startled Dot setting an armful of shopping bags on the floor.

“Seven? What are you-”

“Where were you? Where did you go on your own?!” He felt her flinch as he grabbed her shoulders, and for a moment, both of them wondered if he’d start shaking her, but his hands just stayed there.

Dot glanced at the plastic bags on the floor. “Just downstairs, across the street to the convenience store. Which, by the way, is a strange name for the place, because it took a lot of badgering and I still didn’t find what I was looking for.”

“What you were looking-” Seven followed her gaze and saw various kinds of snackeries, chips of all kinds.

“You know, the Honey Buddha chips? Your edible of choice? They didn’t have any in stock so I just bought one of everything. I at least got the PhD Pepper cans.” And sent the bill to the Dad. Although it was in the name of a good deed, so there was that.

Or maybe it wasn’t so good. Seven looked positively livid as what happened sunk in.

“You don’t need to care for me!” he growled, his grip tightening.

“I beg to differ!” Dot huffed. “You have not slept or eaten this past day! I am fairly certain that your internal workings are being strained with this nonsense.”

“It doesn’t really matter what happens to me! What if you had been kidnapped or something while you were out?!”

“Well then, I’d probably just shoot at them!” She paused. “Not at at them, but just in the general direction. A warning. Because you flesh bags probably would disintegrate if I actually shot you.”

He gave her a wild look like he couldn’t believe what she was saying. Sighing she clenched her fist and the cannon on her arm formed and energized. It was almost comical when he stumbled backwards away from it. Almost.

Now that she was free from his grip, she took the opportunity to reach for a bag and offer it to him. He stared at it. She stared at him. This was going more poorly than she had hoped or even expected. At worse, she was thinking he’d ignore her again, not look at her like her light body had suddenly misformed.

“Seven,” Dot started gently, “I think that you underestimate something here.”

His eyes snapped up to her, reminding her of a frightened animal. Dot took a calming breath and tried to relax a little.

“I’m underestimating something...?”

"Yes,” she said, smiling slightly. “Seven, you are working to protect me, and everyone else, correct?”

He nodded back.

“Then it stands to reason that I would want you in working order.” Nodding to herself, she thrust the bag into his arms. “Which means. Food and rest for you.” Patting his back, she started gently pushing him to the bedroom.

It took about 7 seconds for his brain to restart, but the moment 707 could think again he started struggling against her. “I can’t really stop! I have to get this done as soon as possible-”

“And what happens,” she frowned, starting to shove harder, “ when your work is less than satisfactory because you refuse to attend to your biological needs!”

They reached the doorframe and he held on to it, refusing to go any further.

“But I need to leave as soon as possible, it’s dangerous for me to be here-”

“Like it’s not dangerous for me to be here-”

She shoved harder. He resisted.

“No, you don’t understand, the agency will find me soon and I need to work every minute to keep you safe before they find me-”

“Oh, like you’re the only being hunted, too-”

“Can you please just-!”

“Can you just-!”

His fingers finally slipped and he yelped as both of them tumbled to the floor, the chips spilling all over the floor. Seven pushed himself up on his forearm, groaning. “Hey,” he sighed, pushing his glasses back into place, “are you okay...?”

“Just. Peachy.”

“That’s goo...”

Ah. The Seven was starting to turn red, with his internal temperature rising. Did it have to do something with the position of him right on top of her with his face right next to hers? Probably, but who knew with this guy. He quickly jumped away like she had burned him. Or maybe he was afraid of her alien cooties. Dot was getting too exasperated to care really.

“Sorry!” he squeaked as he pulled away.

Dot just continued to lay there, fighting the urge to pinch the bridge of her nose. They sat there in silence for a while, with Seven hovering uncertainly around her. “I’m fine, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“Er, are you just... going to stay on the floor like that? That can’t be comfortable.”

Dot didn’t answer, though she could feel his anxiety growing. She crossed her arms, closing her eyes as she looked away.

“I’m sorry for worrying you,” she sighed. “It seems like I can never just do a nice thing without hurting someone.”

Dot. Dot, stop. Seven is having too much emotional trouble for you to start giving him yours, too. Actually heeding her internal voice, Peridot Facet 2M1I Cut 6MC quietly got up, retrieved her phone, and walked out into the living room.

------

The typing in the background picked up again. Dot just laid down on the couch and stared up at the ceiling, trying to get her thoughts together. Okay. So don’t care about the Seven’s well being, that’s off the list. You’d just mess that up again. You have, already, just like all the other things you tried. Actually, Dot, it may be better not to do anything.

Dot gave a quiet huff, listening to the sound of Seven’s keyboard in the background.

Tap Tap Tap Tap Tap Tap Tap Tap Tap TapTa p t ap T a p

?

For something so consistent, the sound was starting to falter. Suddenly, there was a quiet shuffling and the couch sunk a bit next to her.

“You should stop gripping your head like that,” Seven said quietly.

Like...? Ah. Dot hadn’t realised she had started gripping her hair, running her fingers through roughly as she thought. She let go, laying her arm across her chest. The two of them sat in silence for a little.

“It’s cute,” she said suddenly. She felt him start, but ignored it. “That robotic cat. You made it, yes? The craftsmanship is pretty good, for an earthling.”

“...thanks.”

And like that, awkward conversation negated, right?

“...Dot, what did you mean earlier?”

Wrong, apparently. Dot gave a soft sigh, weighing her options. “I meant that your allergy to kindness is detrimental to your health. You do need to eat and sleep, Seven.”

“I meant about you hurting people,” he snapped. Still so touchy. Peridot chuckled.

“So I am not allowed to care about you, but not the other way around?” Seven sat silently, waiting. Dot shook her head. “If you open up a bag of chips, I’ll tell you.”

A beat, then he shuffled away, followed by the sound of plastic packaging crinkling and crunching. Dot cracked an eye open and snorted at the face he was making. Apparently the snack was less than satisfactory, but he did do as she asked.

“I came to Earth because another Peridot failed to complete her mission,” she began. “Facet 2F5L Cut 5XG. I was supposed to finish her job. I thought... I thought it was the right thing to do.” She wiggled her fingers at the memory. “Let’s just say I was wrong. I didn’t realise this place was so...”

“Messed up?” Seven offered.

“Alive,” Dot said instead, sitting up. She gripped the hand closest to hers in her fingers, enjoying the readings of his pulse that they picked up. Especially when that pulse picked up. “The Steven and some dangerous criminals known as the Crystal Gems helped, ah... inform... my decision to... stop reporting to Homeworld.”

She definitely had to laugh at his face now. “Dangerous criminals?!”

“Yeah, the worst ones, they turned their backs on gemkind for your fleshy hides,” she smiled. “They stop gems like... like me from hurting you.” Then the smile bittered a bit, turning self-depreciating. “I came this way because the Steven noted a great historical site for me to investigate when I found a lost device, and I thought, wow! I would be so upset if I lost my device, it would not be too difficult to return this to the proper human. Especially since I was given proper coordinates.” At this she huffed. “I tried to be nice and I ended up being a security threat. I tried to be nice to you, and I ended up just causing you distress and messing up your work. I tried to do the right thing then and now I’ve been branded as a traitor, probably to be shatter- Why are you looking at me like that.”

Ah. He was doing that bug eyed thing again. Were his oculars even effective when he kept looking at things like he couldn’t believe they were real? She tapped his forehead with her free hand and his eyes refocused on her.

“Hello, Seven. Welcome back to Earth. How was space? I hear that the alpha quadrant is lovely.” She frowned. “Are you okay?”

“You have all that on you, you have me hurting and ignoring you, and you’re still asking if I’m okay...?”

“Well, yeah, of course,” she said, fixing him with a confused look. “I care about you.”

He looked like he was going to say something, but then he stood up again and marched himself right back to his corner. Dot was going to yell at him, but then the crunching of chips mixed with the sound of insistent typing. It sounded even more frantic than usual, his heartrate slightly elevated.

Well then. If the human was going to be this brand of unreasonable. She smiled and got up. She had some cleaning to do.

#and while cleaning she finds a particular picture book with a floppy disk inside #but that's for later #cutting it off here for now #that’s a terrible idea fic #tati 707 ch 1 #into the trashbin

[somedayshouldbetoday]

That’s a terrible idea Ch 1

Zen muttered to himself, cursing Mr. Oh-Look-At-Me-I’ve-Got-A-High-Education-But-Couldn’t-Be-Bothered-To-Learn-Freaking-Manners out under his breath as he sneezed into a tissue. Just when he thought to pop in and brighten up the RFA chatroom with a selfie or two, Jumin Freaking Han had to come in, pick a fight, and show off his stupid cat! Seriously, that man had no decency whatsoever.

Before he could rebuke anymore than he had, though, Seven took control of the banter, joking about a new way to kidnap Elly-welly who must have been soooo sick of being cooped up all the time and that she shouldn’t worry because soon God Seven would come! Zen could almost hear the sigh Jaehee was heaving in the background. While she didn’t get ill around them as he tended to, Jaehee held no real love in her heart for the felines because of how much extra work Jumin’s caused her. Like right now, with Jumin asking her to please tighten security while he’s away at a meeting. After politely reassuring him that she would get right on it (an admirable display! Zen never would have been able to hold it together in front of him) Yoosung logged in to chat about how college was going for him.

Thus continued another idle day for the RFA. This is really what the charity group had been reduced to nowadays- a quietly boisterous chatroom for a group of friends. Zen wanted to host parties again- all of them did, he was sure. But as long as the leadership remained gone and no one took Rika’s role, the most he could do for the RFA was look gorgeous and share his good looks with them as much as he could.

Today the banter more or less consisted of trying to convince Yoosung to do better at school because he was being considered as an intern for C&R, which led to the trust fund kid and him arguing over the definition of nepotism and blah blah. Honestly, he was more upset with Jumin’s attitude than whatever the hell it was they were arguing about.

Today would have been like any other day if it weren’t for one tiny interruption.

—————————

She typed in the passcode to the door and entered the apartment.

“Okay,” she typed into the app, “I’m here now. Should I just... leave the phone here?”

She waited for a response, looking around the place. It was... small. A bed, a desk, a kitchen, a restroom. Not that she really needed any of those things, but the place looked... dusty. At the very least it didn’t look very lived in. Maybe she could request to stay the night in return for her valiant effort in returning this phone? She should have asked for accomodations from the guy studying abroad! It would be easy for her to track down the signal of his phone. Although the story didn’t quite make sense to her- what kind of communication device stores no useful information for contacting the owner or known associates and contacts a random stranger instead? Still, she would be quite upset if she lost her device and quite happy if it was returned, so Dot went out of her way. Besides, she was in the country already, visiting for the sight that Steven had noted for her. She might as well help out while she was around.

Although the guy was taking his sweet time getting back to her. Dot glanced back down to the phone and blinked twice when she saw that her messages with the stranger she was talking to disappeared. Instead, a new chatroom with even stranger strangers opened up. Apparently, it had been running for a while because there was already a long backlog but it seems like the current topic was- Oh.

It was her. They seemed to think she was a hacker in their chatroom.

“While it’s true that I’m technologically inclined,” she typed in greeting, “I did not hack your chatroom.”

The other green one, Yoosung, started freaking out even more with her insertion into the conversation with at least two others, Zen and 707, causing chaos in the background. Good grief, what is even going on.

The one named Jaehee typed first. “Excuse me, but could you please identify yourself?”

Easy enough question! “Certainly! I am Peridot Facet 2M1I, Cut 6MC. Are you who I am returning this phone to?”

#that’s a terrible idea fic #tati ch 1 #self indulgent crossover fanfic #oc work #-gurgles from a stab wound as i force myself through the beginning- #hopefully i hit the fun stuff soon and hopefully i learn to write better;; #into the trashbin