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p0rkbun · 1 year

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MODERN LAPIS LAZULI — headcanons°.✧

⤿Warnings: mention of toxic relationships, mention of a school shooting, past trauma, fluff

⤿A/N: I don't take requests, sorry! This is for indulgent purposes haha

✦From what i can interpret from the show, Lapis most likely still has trauma after expriencing certain events.

✦Lapis is a college student who has recently received therapy after experiencing the past trauma of a school shooting a few years ago and being in a toxic relationship. She met Steven, a boy in middle school, during her time receiving therapy. Steven and Lapis are much like siblings, similar to the show; Lapis is awfully protective of him, but she's a little guilty that she doesn't really have time to spend with him.

✦After graduating high school, she met a girl named Jasper, and they got into a relationship, but it quickly got toxic because of their personalities clashing. Lapis broke up with Jasper after a year and proceeded to take therapy. (They were both toxic, just letting you know)

✦Now that she's a junior college student majoring in art history, she's roommates with Peridot and also friends with two other girls who both have the same hair color as her(nice Lapis and mean Lapis)

✦Speaking of appearances, I can see her having the same blue hair but with an undercut haircut. Her skin is tan (she definitely has freckles too), and she's a fan of dressing in crop tops a lot, along with a long dress or jeans.

✦She's very reserved and stoic; she might come off as cold when you meet her, but when you get to know each other, she's friendly and loves to talk about art. She has some issues trusting people because of past trauma; she may be rude sometimes, but she's quick to apologize if you're someone close, like Steven.

✦Because you and Lapis shared a seat together and both majored in art history, your friendship began when you two occasionally worked on projects. Lapis has begun to grow fond of you after some time spent studying together. When Peridot nags her to ask you out, she always shoots her a glare and tells Peridot to mind her own business.

✦Whenever you weren't looking, Lapis would glance at you just to admire your focused face when you two were working on a project. She smiled and thought you looked adorable. She looked away and acted dumb when you caught her that one time.

✦Now that Peridot has been bugging her about you like a thousand times, she finally asked you out on a date. She took you to a beach city that's just a few miles from your college. Beach City was also where Steven lives with his family, and you guys met him on your date. Steven was overjoyed and might've spilled some embarrassing facts about Lapis.

✦Of course, she quickly tells you to buy some donuts before Steven continues anymore. She got a box of donuts that filled with three glazed blueberry donuts and three of your favorites. She offers to pay, but you beat her to it.

✦You two spent your date together, eating donuts, walking on the beach, and playing in the arcade until it was evening. You two sat on the sand, looking at the setting sun. She told you that she had fun, and you replied back with the same thought. Eventually you two started a deep conversation that led her to open up about her past. You reassured and comforted her, and she appreciated that and also appreciated you.

"You know....you really are amazing." Lapis snorted and smiled. She looks at you lovingly and holds your hand. "Thanks for agreeing to go on a date with me, I'm glad you had a great time." She tugs a hair strand behind your ear.

✦Your date ended, and you two got to your dorms. Lapis walked you to your dorm first. Before she left for hers, you gave her a kiss on the cheek. Peridot finds Lapis coming back to their dorm with a dorky smile. She smirks knowingly.

°.✧•—✦

#lapis lazuli #lapis lazuli x reader #lapis x reader #lapis #steven universe #steven universe x reader #lapis lazuli headcanon #headcanons #steven universe headcanons #x reader #steven universe fanfiction #fanfiction

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fanfoolishness · 2 years

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after the storm, the stars (Steven Universe Future)

Set immediately after the events of I Am My Monster. Steven and Connie head for home, and Steven begins to realize it's okay to be the one who needs help. 2700 words.

(Steven angst, family feels, Connverse cuteness, Connie is a BAMF. Just had to do it, folks.)

Steven ached all over. He’d never been this tired in his life.

He clung to Connie, his arms wrapped around her waist, his blanket slipping off of his shoulder as Lion walked them home across the ocean. The waves rippled under Lion’s vast pink paws, water rolling in, and out. Like the way Steven’s chest rose and fell, rose, and fell. He breathed deeply, the ocean air crisp and clean and light. The storm clouds that had gathered late in the afternoon were finally gone, and evening sunlight dappled the waves.

Steven rested his head against Connie’s shoulder, tears and snot smudging against her shirt. “I’m making a mess,” he mumbled. “Snot everywhere.”

She glanced back at him, giving him a watery smile. “Steven. You really think I care about that right now?”

He tried to take her question seriously; he opened his mouth to answer. But his head swam, everything inside it fuzzy mush and confusing half-memory --

He’s vast, as vast as everything hurting him, and finally he can’t hide anymore -- they’ll all see what he really is, the horrible thing he is underneath all the fake smiles --

He thrashes in the water, his rage and pain boiling the seas, his throat raw as he wails --

His family’s looks of fear and horror -- but then their arms tight around him -- their love, their tears, their comfort --

“Steven?”

“Huh?” He groaned, rubbing his head. They were nearly home. Except his home’s roof was in pieces and the Diamonds’ massive ship had toppled over in the sand beside it. Cracked trees littered the hillside accusingly. His gut twisted. “I did all that,” he whispered. “Didn’t I?”

Lion carried them across the sand, up the steps to the front door.

Connie slid off Lion, holding a hand up to help Steven down. She nodded, her eyes too bright. “Yeah. You must have been hurting so badly.”

I was.

I am.

But that was too hard to say. The broken sobs on the ocean waves still lurked just beneath the surface, ready to spill out again if he said the wrong thing, if he said too much. He blinked back fresh tears, trying to find something else to focus on.

He took her hand, carefully sliding down Lion’s side, clutching the blanket’s corners tightly in his other hand. “Uh -- where’d this come from, anyway?” he asked as he landed on the porch, twitching the blanket a little closer. It was an easier topic of conversation than… everything else.

“Pearl had it, stored in her gem,” Connie said simply. “When you -- came back to being you -- I guess your clothes didn’t make it. Which is fine!” She blushed, averting her eyes. “I mean, I -- I didn’t see everything.”

He blinked at her. Then, somehow, he giggled. Just a little. The sound was rusty in his throat, but it felt good. “You know I used to run around Beach City completely naked, back in the day?” He had no idea why the memory had come back to him now, but it had, and giggling was better than wallowing.

“What?” Connie squawked, squeezing his hand hard in her scandalization. “Steven! Like, when you were little?”

He pulled at his lower lip with his teeth. “Uh… when I was like ten or eleven? That’s little, right?”

“Steven, oh my gosh, you’re such a nudist.” She tapped him playfully on the arm and he blushed, ducking his head.

“Aw, come on, Connie, that was forever ago.”

But the light moment vanished, replaced by his own shrill voice echoing in his head. I’m not that kid anymore! He shivered in his blanket, and Connie’s face shifted immediately from silly to worried again.

“Come on, let’s get you inside and find some real clothes. Just, um, watch your step.” An understatement, given what he’d done to the house.

Steven nodded, turning and patting Lion on the cheek. Lion’s breath was a warm whuff against his hand. “You’re the best, Lion,” he whispered.

Lion rumbled, a bassy, gravelly sound that made Steven’s chest vibrate, the closest thing Lion could manage for a purr. Steven smiled tearfully at him. Lion had always been comforting before -- when Steven could get him to sit still, that was -- but the way he’d let Steven hold him as he cried… Steven didn’t have words for it. “You deserve all the Lion Lickers in the world,” he managed, and Lion licked his face, then took his leave.

Connie and Steven watched him leap down to the sand, then portal away. On the beach, the Diamonds had brought the others back from the Cluster’s hand. They all stood in a group talking to each other, the Diamonds sitting down to make it easier to speak with the Gems and Greg. Though Steven couldn’t see his dad or the Crystal Gems clearly, he could see the Diamonds’ giant faces, wearing mingled exhaustion and relief.

“Everyone’s going to want to talk to me, aren't they,” he said softly. “Do you think I’m in trouble?”

Connie opened the front door, which immediately fell off its hinges. She shrugged as if the door was a problem for another day, and led him inside with her hand still firmly clasping his. “Not trouble. Just… they feel terrible for not helping you way sooner. And for hurting you in the first place.” A flash of anger crossed her face. “And if you ask me, they should feel bad. They were supposed to be the grownups, you know? Not you. Not me, either.” She sighed.

He followed her up the stairs, his damp feet sticking to the wood with a schlop, schlop sound. He carefully avoided looking at the gaping hole in the roof, though what he could see out of the corner of his eye made his heart race.

He turned his attention back to what Connie had said. Her words rattled him. He’d taken responsibility for so much, for so long, that it was genuinely bizarre to think of the fact that technically, he was still a teenager. And teenagers weren’t supposed to be in charge.

“Huh. I -- that makes sense, I guess. Never thought of it like that.” He finally let go of her hand to collapse on his bed, swaddled in the blue blanket, shivering more than ever. He closed his eyes, the exhaustion catching up to him again.

“How do you feel now?” Connie asked. He could hear her rummaging around in his dresser, drawers creaking.

“Sore everywhere,” he admitted. “Like, bones, skin, gem, everything. And my head hurts, and my eyes feel all puffy, and my nose is stuffed up. From all the crying, I guess. But… I… I think I needed it. The crying, I mean.” He scrubbed at his face with the back of his hand. “That sounds so weird.”

“Not to me.” Connie sat down on the edge of the bed and he opened his eyes. She had his pajamas in her lap, and she was grinning crookedly at him. “I’m a teenage girl. If you think I don’t know how important a good cry can be, you have another thing coming, mister. Sure, stupid hormones are probably to blame sometimes, but like, I get it.” She gazed at him. “It’s just, you… you have so much to cry about. Do you remember the Sky Arena?”

A long beat. He’d almost gotten Stevonnie -- Connie -- killed, all because of his own stupid feelings that he couldn’t bear to face. “Of course,” he said carefully.

“It was so hard for you then, too,” said Connie, looking away, her hands fidgeting in her lap. “You hadn’t even told me about what happened with Bismuth. Or with Eyeball. You thought you had to just pretend it didn’t happen. Like if you pretended you were fine, you really would be.”

He nodded, his hand half over his face, his eyes burning again. “I guess that’s my specialty,” he tried to joke, but the words hung between them, too true to be funny.

“I think it’s time to find a new Steven specialty,” said Connie, leaning over and kissing him on the forehead. “Like, a Steven self-care power. You can do it! It’s just gonna take practice, like all your other powers.”

She dropped the pajamas in his lap, letting out a long breath. “Come on, you should probably get out of that wet blanket. I’ll meet you downstairs?”

“Sure,” he said. There was so much more he wanted to say, apologies and explanations and worried questions like do you still love me and are we really jam buds forever, but he forced himself to sit up instead. He watched her head downstairs, wondering if he was really safe to leave alone.

He stared down at his pajamas. He got to his feet creakily and tried kissing the back of his hand, hoping his healing powers would take care of his exhaustion and the bone-deep ache. But his body felt just the same after the kiss, and he sighed. Figures. Healing powers didn’t work on emotional injury. He let the blanket fall and carefully got into his pajamas, wincing when he moved wrong.

More trauma. How much cortisol did I use this time?

He tied the drawstring on his pajama pants, his fingers fumbling. Maybe he could ask Connie to talk with her mom again. He remembered the concern in Dr. Maheswaran’s eyes, the weight of her firm but supportive hand on his shoulder. Maybe she would know what to do.

He turned to head down the stairs, but a flash of movement caught his eye. He turned, startled, but it was just himself in the mirror.

Steven reached out, touching the mirror’s cool glass. His reflection reached towards him, looking mostly like a normal human teenager. Except that there were big circles under his eyes, puffy red ones; his dark hair had tangled curls twisting in every direction; and his face looked both like a scared little kid’s and a weary old man’s.

But there were no pink diamond pupils staring back at him. No pink glow humming in his bulging hands. No monstrous claws ripping their way out of his flesh. And that was something, wasn’t it?

“I’m Steven,” he whispered. “Just Steven.”

I’m a mons--

“No, no --”

He wrapped his arms around himself, willing himself to stay small, to stay Steven, to stay human. He panted with the effort, his shoulders shaking as he squeezed his eyes shut.

How am I supposed to live if I always feel like I’m about to die?

He tore himself away from the mirror, practically tripping over himself to get down the stairs. Don’t be alone, don’t be alone. Though it wasn’t like that had helped him before, had it --

He drew himself up at the bottom of the staircase, still breathing hard.

Connie and Greg and the Gems were waiting for him, just like before, when he’d -- exploded -- but the air itself felt different. His breathing slowed as he registered the difference, the fear receding with each breath he took. He blinked in surprise, trying to figure out what it was.

The charge that had laid heavy in the house for weeks was gone; he hadn’t realized how thick fear, and anger, and shame could feel. There was just a clean breeze blowing in through the hole in the roof and the broken front door, the soft sound of distant waves, and the tiredness in his bones looked like it had found a home on everyone else’s shoulders.

He sagged against the wall, swallowing, lifting one hand. “Hey, guys.”

His dad broke away from Connie and the Gems, giving Steven a warm smile despite his red-rimmed eyes. “Hey, Schtu-ball.” Greg wrapped him in a fierce and crushing hug, and Steven leaned into it, resting his head on his dad’s shoulder. “How are you feeling?”

Steven tried to speak past the sudden lump in his throat. “Tired, mostly. Um, a little embarrassed. Mostly really, really sorry.”

“Steven…” The hug tightened even more. “You don’t have to be sorry.”

“But Dad, I scared everyone -- I could have hurt someone -- more than I already have --” He choked, and then he was crying again: not the heaving, heartbroken sobs from before, but something quieter, an echo of the pain he’d felt then. He sniffed, trying to stop himself.

Greg didn’t seem to mind. “I love you, Steven.” The tears kept coming, but his dad kept talking, his voice soft and gentle and safe. “We all love you. We love you when you’re happy, or mad, or sad -- even when you make mistakes. The same way you’ve always loved us through our mistakes,” Greg murmured into his ear. “We love you, no matter what.”

The tears slowed. Even when you make mistakes. He’d told them all of it, finally. His hatred for White. What he’d done to Jasper. Asking Connie to marry him. It was all out in the open. He trembled.

“What -- what do we do now?” he asked thickly.

“We help you, kiddo,” said Greg, and this time his voice cracked, too. Steven pulled back to see tears shining in Greg’s eyes. “Like we should have been doing all along.” He cupped Steven’s face with his hand, wiping away Steven’s tears with his thumb while ignoring his own. “The Gems and I, we messed up, and we hurt you. And we’re so sorry. We should have protected you.”

Steven nodded, not trusting himself to speak again without more tears. But there was something new blooming in his chest, something fragile beneath the exhaustion and the sadness. It almost felt like relief.

Greg leaned his forehead in to touch Steven’s. “But we’re gonna find a way through this, as a family. I called Dr. Maheswaran while Lion was bringing you home. We have some options to get you started with a therapist, and we’re gonna do everything we can to help you. All of us.” He raised his voice slightly. “Right, guys?”

Steven looked past Greg, catching the eyes of the Gems. Garnet smiled gently at him, raising her hands and forming them into a heart. Pearl laid a hand over her chest, her eyes kind as she held his gaze. Amethyst gave him a teary but determined thumbs up.

And beside them was Connie, her face shining. She was still here, his best friend, even after all the ways he’d messed up. She grinned hopefully at him. “I talked to my folks. They said I can spend the night -- I mean, on the couch, of course.” She winked at him, and he managed to grin back, the feeling of relief now dizzying.

They really do still love me.

Steven glanced up, catching sight of the hole in the roof. This time he didn’t look away, even though shame roiled in his belly, even though his heart rate sped up. But as he looked, he realized that through the destruction, through the pain, he could see the first evening stars beginning to rise. It’d been weeks, maybe months since he’d really appreciated the stars. Ages since he’d noticed the simple beauty of them seen from Earth. Ages since he’d remembered the beauty of the stars seen from the human point of view.

Steven grabbed the throw blanket from the sofa, spreading it down on the floor beneath the hole in the roof. “You know, you can get a pretty good view of the stars from here,” he said. “Do… you guys wanna watch them with me?”

“Of course,” said Garnet.

They all got down on the floor, a pile of humans and Gems huddled close together. Steven and Connie held hands while Pearl pointed out star systems. Garnet predicted every shooting star. Greg brought up song ideas, and Amethyst made up fake constellations, each ruder than the last.

If sometimes Steven got teary again, the others didn’t mind. Sometimes they talked about it, with soothing voices and questions they didn’t push him to answer; sometimes Steven just felt a hand on his shoulder, or a gentle pat of his cheek, and that was enough to help him quiet down again. He was with his family, which was all that really mattered.

And the night air flowing through the house was crisp, and clear, and light.

#steven universe future #suf #steven universe #steven universe fanfiction #i am my monster #fanfoolishness steven universe fic #connie maheswaran #connverse

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citrusella-flugpucker · 29 days

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A Steven Universe fic?! Gasp! This is for the @glowweek event (specifically day 1 of it). I'm not planning on other fics this week (I was taking a well-deserved break after a huge fic chapter last week and the total death (as in it won't stay on) of my keyboard's e key) but just saw the first prompt and remembered I'd started a fic in 2022 I never finished that was probably like two paragraphs from being in a postable state, so I spent some free time finishing it. Enjoy!

Once a Bubble Buddy, Always a Bubble Buddy

⸻It wasn't like this last time. A fic started in 2022 and spruced up and finished for Glow Week 2024, specifically the first prompt: Glow or Dark!

It was really nice to experience the feeling of seeing a prompt and going "I have just the WIP for that" lol

#steven universe #steven universe future #steven universe fanfic #steven universe fanfiction #GlowWeek #glow week

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marsssbarrrr · 11 months

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Dance to Forget - Bismuth (Steven Universe) x Tourmaline Homeworld Gem Reader

thought of this while listening to my FNAF playlist shhhhhh

Entertainment. That’s what you were. That’s all you ever could be, all you ever would be.

You’re a black tourmaline gem. A healer. You stood for stability and protection and health. After screwing up on the battle field, you were…demoted. To the Diamonds, you were nothing but entertainment now. You’d been taken from the rest of the Tourmaline’s, the healers, and forced to dance. You were lucky they didn’t shatter you.

You’d messed up. Bad. You’d tried to save a Jasper on the front lines with your abilities and failed when the Crystal Gems attacked. A Bismuth and some kind of fusion. The defected Ruby and Sapphire, you assumed. And your Jasper had been taken in the conflict.

This wasn’t just some Jasper. She was one of Homeworld’s most valuable fighters. And you’d let her be poofed and bubbled away.

The Diamonds forced you to dance. To be their personal entertainment.

This was four years ago.

You sat in your chamber, staring at your hands. You were S/C with black hues and a black gem on your chest. A cracked gem on your chest. You were defected. Different. Unworthy.

They should have just poofed you, you thought.

“Tourmaline.”

You stood, facing the yellow Pearl.

“Yes?”

“Yellow Diamond requests your presence. Immediately.”

She unlocked your cell and you shuffled along behind her. The walk was silent. Awkward.

Yellow Diamond? You expected Blue. Yellow and White never requested you. Ever.

You enter the room behind the Pearl. “My Diamond,” she saluted, “The Tourmaline you requested.”

You bowed your body into a curtesy, not quite looking the Diamond in the eyes. “My Diamond.”

She barely glanced from her tech. “Well. Get on with it.” She continued tapping and scrolling through her maps and plans. “Tourmalines,” she muttered.

You winced. “Yes, my Diamond.”

And so, you danced. The Pearl snickered to a White Pearl next to her, the two of them giggling.

You danced and danced. Maybe for hours, maybe for minutes. After all this time, you’d learned to lose yourself and forget.

“MY DIAMOND,” another Yellow Pearl burst through the door, panting, “We’re under attack.”

Yellow looked to her, nostrils flaring. “Arm the Rubies and Quartz’s. No soldier can rest, call on the injured if necessary-”

The spire shook. They were here.

Walls fell and everything passed in a blur. Fighting and screaming, poofing and bubbles, Chashing swords, crumbling stone.

You turned, and there stood the Pearl. Pink Diamond’s former pearl.

You stumbled back, falling to the ground. “No no, no please-”

You stopped, looking around and panting. This…wasn’t the spire. Some kind of…cave? You looked up. Bubbles. Bubbles with gems inside them.

“You’re okay- I promise. You’re okay now.”

Your head whipped forward. A boy. A Human boy? Were you on Earth?

“What- How- Where am I?”

“You’re on Earth,” the boy kneeled in front of you and you shifted back further. He extended his hand. “You’re safe now.”

You looked into his face, tears brimming. What? Earth? Safe- what was this?

“No. Nono, no. This can’t be Earth- no. The Diamonds- the Diamonds will shatter me for this.”

You scrambled back further, getting to your feet and stumbling into the wall. Your hands slowly made their way to your face. “I-I’ll be shattered for this…”

“The Diamonds are gone.”

This voice was deeper. You looked ahead of you. The Fusion and the Pearl. The Pearl.

“Y-You,” your breath picked up again, looking to the Pearl. “You poofed me- you bubbled me.”

She looked down. “I’m so sorry, Tourmaline…”

“How…how long have I been…”

“About 3,200 years.” You looked to the Fusion.

“Three…thousand years..?” You looked to the ground, hands falling to your side. “Three thousand…years?”

“The war has ended,” started the fusion, “The diamonds surrendered. They’ve changed.”

You scoffed. “Changed? The Diamonds?”

“It’s true,” the human boy started, “They’re different now.”

Slowly, you began to understand. They explained everything. The end of the war. The Cluster. The Diamond’s cooperation. How they’d forgot you. Their personal entertainment. Their perfect plaything.

Now you sat, in what they called a “living room”. Alone again. It was dark out, everyone was hidden away. The Human-Gem hybrid, Steven, slept snoring loudly above you.

You got up, opening the door and walking down the steps to the beach. You looked out to the waves, and you danced.

You don’t know how long she was standing there, but at some point she whistled. “Nice moves, Tourmy.”

You stopped short, whipping your head to her. “What- Who are you?”

“Bismuth.” She said nothing else.

“You…you’re the Bismuth from the front lines.”

She looked down. “I found you to say…I’m sorry about that. If we’d known what they’d do to you, we wouldn’t have left you there.”

You looked away, bringing your hand to your cracked gem. “Nothing you can do about it now.”

She sighed. “I’m sorry. I just wanted to say that.” She turned, beginning to walk away.

“…wait-!” you reached out, resting a hand on her arm. “Do you want to…” you looked away, blushing. “…dance? With me?”

She smiled. “Sure,”

And so you danced again in the moonlight. Maybe it was hours. Maybe minutes. But you didn’t lose yourself in pity. You lost yourself in her.

And then there was a glow. And you weren’t alone anymore.

Idk if i should make a part 2 lol i’m lazy

#steven universe #bismuth #bismuth x reader #steven universe fanfiction

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fanficbutnow · 3 months

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Summary:

Pearl learns swordfighting.

---

So, catching up in Whumpuary isn’t going as well as I wanted. This was for prompt 6, and I need 9 more fanfictions by the end of the month to complete it. I have started on six of them, and I’m hoping to get another done by today, but it’s still a big ask. Still, I’ll see how I go.

---

Tags, Warnings, and Rating are under the 'Keep Reading'.

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Steven Universe (Cartoon) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Pearl/Pink Diamond (Steven Universe) Characters: Pearl (Steven Universe), Rose Quartz | Pink Diamond, Pink Diamond (Steven Universe) Additional Tags: Swordfighting, Whump, Pearl doesn't understand humans, Pearl is completely dedicated to Pink Diamond, to her own detriment, Middle Ages, Blindfolded

#Steven Universe #Steven Universe Fanfic #Steven Universe Fanfiction #Pearl #Pearl Steven Universe #Pearl su #Pink Diamond #Pink Diamond su #Pink Diamond Steven Universe #Whumpuary2024 #Whumpuaryno6 #Blindfolded #@Whumpuary #ao3 #fanfiction

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sincerely-astra · 10 days

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Hiii <3

can i request Garnet with a s/o who uses ASL? like they can hear it's just their first/home language lol

☁️Garnet x reader who uses ASL☁️

As someone learning ASL, this request got me so excited! :)

Garnet first met you in a party supply store, Garnet getting party decorations for Steven's birthday party.

You were trying your best to communicate with the cashier, trying to return an item you had accidentally bought the day prior, but no matter what you did the cashier was still left utterly confused.

Nonetheless, you continued trying to communicate with them even over their growing frustrations. They kept asking for you to, "Just tell me what you want!" Refusing to look at any note you wrote to them.

The tension kept rising as the cashier was about to kick you out, thankfully though, Garnet was there just in time to stop a potential fight.

She stopped the cashier mid sentence and turned to you, calmly asking, "What excatly do you need?" Then quickly taking the note you handed to her, reading it, and turning back to the cashier.

"They are looking to return this item."

And after one frustrated grumble later, you managed to get your money back! ...In store credit-

A win is a win you suppose.

Garnet led you out of the store, having bought her supplies while the cashier processed the return.

The automatic doors closed behind you two, and you turned to face Garnet, signing, "Thank you!" And although Garnet didn't understand what the sign meant, she replied with a, "No problem." Before walking off to the temple.

After that, you hadn't seen eachother for a while. Garnet had missions, and you had life to deal with.

Garnet being busy didn't stop her from thinking about you though, infact, your interactions intrigued her. Of course, she's met deaf and hard of hearing people before, but something about you stuck out to her...

...

Maybe, it's because she thought you were cute.

When she came to this revelation, she thought it was as good as a time if any to learn ASL.

' It's an important skill. ' She tried to rationalize, just a tad in denial.

When you guys met again, this time at the Big Donut, you can only imagine your suprise when you asked Garnet about her day in ASL, and she signed back-

You were rightfully ecstatic!

Only a few people in Beach City knew ASL, so it was nice to actually be able to communicate with someone else. Not to mention, Garnet was a fast learner too!

You rapidly signed back to Garnet, asking when she learnt ASL and if there was anything like sign language for gems.

Garnet and you grew expectionally close in one afternoon.

From then on, you would visit the temple to hang out with Garnet. This, of course, meant you met the other gems, Steven, and eventually Connie, you all got along well though.

Steven and Amethyst love to go on adventures with you, Pearl enjoys having you help out around the temple, and Connie is actually learning ASL from you.

You make sure to reserve some time with Garnet too amid the shenanigans.

As Garnet grew closer to you, it was getting harder and harder to deny her feelings for you. The inner Ruby and Sapphire in her were urging for Garnet to confess to you, in the most cheesy ways possible...

Garnet knew how she'd confess to you, and she didn't even need future vision for it.

Garnet invited you to go on patrol with her during the evening, which was really just strolling on the beach.

And as the sun set hit the tide, the temple back in the distance, Garnet turned to you and signed, "I love you." A simple gesture, but something she really hope you would love.

How could you say no to that???

You guys were now officially dating, And Garnet is absolutely in love. Ruby and Sapphire are not helping, as they urge her to hurry up and get a ring-

Garnet loves to get you any kind of ASL related thing she can find, shirts, mugs, pins, bumper stickers, all of it.

She also teaches the Crystal Gems (minus Pearl) ASL so they can communicate easier with you.

It was while you were dating that you told Garnet why you use ASL and it's cultural significance to you, which she is extremely supportive of. It really doesn't matter if you can or can't hear, she loves you for you.

And if you want to open up about your voice and actually speaking, then she's more than happy to help you. Definitely makes sure you are completely comfortable with it and makes sure you won't push yourself too hard, she doesn't want you to feel forced to do anything.

The first time Garnet heard your voice her jaw dropped, her thought process was literally, ' How can someone be so perfect? '

Loves your voice, 10/10, would 100% listen to it again, only if you want to though.

It really doesn't matter how often she uses her future vision, you always leave her breathless.

God help any bullies that try and mess with you, Garnet is not having it. She might seem calm, cool, and collected, but inside, she is seething.

How can they bully someone for such an arbitrary thing like using another language??

Personal bodyguard Garnet❤️💙

Now, when Garnet unfuses and you get to meet Sapphire and Ruby, you best believe they are all over you.

Ruby is determined to learn ASL from you and no one else!

Sapphire is just giddy to meet the person Garnet loves so much. She would also love to learn ASL too though.

Ruby and Sapphire would practice with eachother and go on dates while only communicating in ASL-

Garnet would also love to meet your family if you'd let her, being able to see your family and culture is definitely on her bucket list.

Sorry that this is so long, I just love Garnet-

#x reader #drabble #headcanon #reader #steven universe pearl #steven universe fanfic #steven universe fanfiction #steven universe garnet #steven universe #steven universe amethyst #steven universe steven #steven universe connie #american sign language #ASL #Pearl learned ASL from Rose #Greg too #Amethyst totally learned the curse words first #Steven is kind of bad at ASL-

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boygirldykefag · 3 months

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Fusion Therapy Chapter Two: A Phone Call

Chapter One ^

Peridot laid on the couch in Steven’s room, arms around her knees. There was an empty bowl of ice cream in front of her and a mess of ice cream around her mouth. The cushion below her face was wet. Steven and Amethyst sat on either side of her.

“What about Funland?” Amethyst suggested.

“No, no way,” Steven said.

“Farming?”

“Even worse.”

Peridot whimpered.

“What about building a huge robot?”

“Maybe.”

“No!”

Amethyst sighed.

“I think you just have to wait this out, buddy.”

Peridot whimpered again.

Steven sighed.

“I wish Garnet was here.”

“Dude. We can’t just futurevision this problem away!”

“You’re right,” Steven said with defeat.

“Steven?” Peridot piped up.

“What is it?! What do you need?!”

“Do you have any blue ice cream?”

“No, we don’t have any blue ice cream.”

“Clod.”

“But I can get you some non-blue ice cream.”

She considered it.

“That will suffice.”

Steven took her ice cream bowl and walked to the kitchen.

“It’s been two weeks, and still no sign of Lapis,” Steven said to himself as he scooped Peridot the last of the ice cream. “Peridot’s not showing any signs of recovery. I don’t know what to do.”

Steven brought the ice cream to Peridot, and she scarfed it down.

“Why isn’t this making me feel better?!” Peridot exclaimed.

“Peridot, the only thing that’s gonna do that is time.”

Peridot wailed and cried.

“Yo, Steven. Can I talk to you outside?”

“Of course, Amethyst.”

Steven and Amethyst got up and walked to the door.

“Hang in there, Peri,” Amethyst said.

“What did you want to talk about, Amethyst?” Steven asked once they were outside.

“Yo, man, we’re getting nowhere.”

“I know.”

“What do we do?!”

“I don’t know.”

There was a long pause.

“Do you think Smoky Quartz could help?” Steven suggested.

“No, probably not.”

“Garnet? Pearl? Sardonyx?”

“No! The only gem who can help Peridot is Peridot!”

Steven’s phone rang. He looked at it.

“It’s my dad.”

Steven answered the phone.

“Hey dad.”

“Hey Shtewball! I got someone here who wants to talk to you.”

“Um. Okay.”

Steven waited.

“What is it?” Amethyst asked.

“I dunno.”

Steven waited.

“Hey Steven,” Lapis Lazuli said on the other end.

“Lapis?!” Steven exclaimed.

“Lapis?!” Amethyst exclaimed.

“Lapis?!” Peridot exclaimed.

Peridot scrambled outside.

“Gimme the phone!”

She tried to take the phone.

“Hey Lapis, where are you?”

“I’m at the car wash.”

Steven was dancing around Peridot as she tried to take the phone from him.

“Do you want us to come to you?” Steven asked.

“Who’s we?”

“Gimme the phone Steven!”

“Me, Peridot, and Amethyst.”

Lapis Lazuli sighed.

“Okay.”

The three of them made their way to the car wash. Lapis Lazuli was washing a car using her powers.

“You’re doing great Lapis!” Greg said.

“Lapis!” Steven shouted.

“Steven!”

Lapis Lazuli stopped what she was doing. The two of them hugged.

“I’m so glad you’re okay,” he said.

Lapis Lazuli turned to Peridot. She was already crying.

“C’mere.”

They hugged. Peridot was sobbing and crying.

“I missed you so much!”

“I missed you too.”

They kept hugging. Their gems started glowing. Lapis Lazuli pushed Peridot away.

“Listen. I’m sorry. For leaving.”

Peridot sniffled and whimpered.

“Ever since I was Malachite I’ve been so scared of fusing.”

“I know.”

Lapis Lazuli gasped.

“Even though it was only a few seconds, I experienced what it’s like to be you. You’ve suffered so much.”

“Yeah.”

“And I wanna help!”

“What?”

“After my ship crashed and before the Crystal Gems captured me, I was all alone! I had nothing! No one! And I know it’s nothing compared to what you’ve gone through, but you’re not the only one that’s felt trapped, the only one that’s felt alone! Lapis Lazuli, these past months with you have been the happiest of my life. You’re the greatest friend anyone could’ve asked for. And maybe… we could be a little more… than friends.”

Lapis Lazuli blushed.

“Peridot.”

“I know you’re hurting. I know there have been some real clods who didn’t treat you the way you deserve to be treated. But you don’t have to suffer alone anymore.”

Peridot tenderly put Lapis Lazuli’s hand in between both of hers.

“Thank you. The truth is, I don’t wanna be scared anymore. I don’t wanna keep running. I’m ready to move on. I’m ready to heal.”

“That’s what I’m here for.”

“I’d rather not do this here.”

“Of course.”

#steven universe #su #lapidot #su peridot #su lapis lazuli #peridot steven universe #lapis lazuli steven universe #steven quartz universe #su fanfiction #su fanfic #steven universe fanfiction #steven universe fanfic #su amethyst #amethyst steven universe #not my best work but it's decent enough

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mouschiwrites · 1 month

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💜- Headcanons

💙- Oneshots

🩵- Blurbs/drabbles

STEVEN

Sick?! - 💙

Steven With a Reader Who Loves Musicals - 💜

HOLLY BLUE AGATE

The Agate and the Sapphire - 💙

(divider by saradika)

#steven universe #steven universe fanfiction #steven universe x reader #su x reader

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mister-celery · 4 months

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do you like steven universe?

do you like bob burger?

heres a crossover i wrote yesterday at 1am that nobody asked for! you are welcome

#steven literally just eats a burger #su #steven universe #bobs burgers #bob belcher #linda belcher #gene belcher #tina belcher #louise belcher #celery fic tag #fanfiction #bobs burgers fanfiction #steven universe fanfiction #su fanfiction #steven universe x bobs burgers crossover

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stevenoftherings · 1 month

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Welcome to the madness!

Hello one and all and welcome to Middle-Earth--but with a Steven Universe twist!!

This is basically a sideblog that I (@mymanyfandomramblings) have created to talk about my AU--currently entitled Steven of the Rings (although that is a working title). You might have seen some of my sister's art for this AU (particularly this gorgeous drawing) floating around, and I thought it was time for a sideblog about it.

Currently, I'm six chapters and about 18k words into the first book--the Fellowship of the Gems, and yes, I do accept questions about this AU. I really don't know if anyone else is terribly interested in this idea, but if you are, I would love to talk!

Designs for the Gems (and Connie) and Steven and Greg for this AU which were originally posted on my main.

#steven universe #steven universe AU #lord of the rings #lotr #su lotr au #steven universe fanfic #steven universe fanfiction

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novantinuum · 2 months

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Fandom: Steven Universe Rating: Teen Audiences Words: 6.0K~ Summary: In another world, he doesn’t have his mother’s sword or shield to hide behind when Bismuth lands her strike. The bubble pops. Steven falls apart. Chapter summary: In which what was once hidden becomes known.

It's been a long road getting here folks, but here we are! Almost three years after my last update, we're back on the road. I will provide the first chunk of the chapter here on my blog as a preview- but later stuff is going to be weird to format here, so please follow the AO3 link above to check out the whole thing.

If you read this and enjoy, I’d greatly appreciate your support through reblogs here, or kudos/comments on AO3. Thank you! <3

Chapter 14: system/REBOOT, Part 2

The smoke obscures everything at first, filling this barren crack in the planet’s crust to its brim. Firmly engulfed within this plume, Ruby’s surroundings are electrified with an air of static uncertainty, an uncertainty so stark that— riding upon the wake of it— the very potential of Garnet’s future vision itself would’ve surely been rendered null and void. After all, as she’s personally experienced, such power of foresight is never completely immune to lapses in accuracy upon the advent of unexpected happenings. And she’s pretty damn certain that this… that instantly familiar warm glow she spotted, wholly enveloping Steven and Amethyst’s forms as they embraced… would count as unexpected.

Her jaw drops as a tall figure emerges from between currents of receding smoke, light pink freckles dusting their shoulders and cheeks like glistening constellations. Chocolate brown gemstones are visible upon their chest and the center of their large belly, one circular and the other irregularly pentagonal. They proudly brandish Amethyst’s leggings and Steven’s star— the salmon pink shirt having stretched into a strappy crop-top across their broad upper body. Most notably though, they appear to have three arms, two of them linked at the elbow and able to bend freely from the other. As the fusion shifts upon their heels, a thick fringe of wavy dark hair falls in front of one of their eyes… eyes which are perpetually glowing with the very same pink irises and diamond pupils Steven exhibits whenever he’s using his powers, and blown wide with shock as they attempt to process the distinct meaning of their existence for the very first time.

And boy oh boy, does Ruby sure understand that feeling. Going off of the narratives she always hears from humans, the experience of two Gems’ first dance and synchronization is somewhat akin to a baby learning to walk. It’s all untested, all brand new. And despite any amount of confusion or trepidation one might face in such a circumstance, no one else in all the universe is more equipped than you to take those first steps.

Regardless, the fusion moves right past their initial surprise to produce the most genuine, star-bright grin Ruby’s seen all week, and triumphantly pumps all three fists in the air. “What a beautiful day!” they proclaim.

Appearing suitably annoyed by their sudden attendance in this spar, their Beta kindergarten opponent harshly grinds their right foot into the soil, their face screwing into a sour grimace as they demand to know who this new Gem is supposed to be.

Now, if either one of them— Amethyst or Steven— were facing this mighty quartz’s questioning individually, Ruby’s sure they’d be doomed to crumble under the pressure. After all, Steven’s only a child, and Amethyst is cripplingly insecure. But the inherent magic of fusion is that the combination of two or more Gems is always stronger than the sum of their parts. They’re a physical embodiment of the bond held between each other, of their camaraderie and affection and love. And it’s that very love… that inner strength and belief in one other, regardless of circumstance… that blossoms into a brand new facet of existence, given life through the sheer depth of their connection.

It’s for this reason this fusion is capable of brushing off the ferocity of Jasper’s words like they’re nothing but crumbling granules of sandstone dirtying their shirt. Brimming with a renewed lease of confidence, they summon their weapons, make a grand show of fusing them into one, and proudly name themself Smoky Quartz.

“Wait— has Steven ever fused with one of you before?” Peridot asks her with burning curiosity, her expression still partially frozen in a dumbfounded little ‘o.’

“With his friend, yes— but never with a Gem,” Ruby says, her chest puffing out with considerable pride. “This is his first time!” Then, cupping her mouth with her hands, and unable to dampen that intense vindictive streak she currently harbors against their foe: “Go get her, Smoky! Make her regret she ever formed!”

The fusion serves up a snappy finger gun with their unladen hand. “You got it! One party trick coming right up…”

Flashing the two of them an almost impish smirk, Smoky doesn’t waste a single second. Immediately following a groan worthy pun about yo-yos, they catapult their weapon— a double shield linked on a central axel and tethered to Amethyst’s whip— high into the sky and back down upon Jasper, hitting her thrice in the face and gut and knocking her a few steps back.

Peridot lets out a gleeful peel of laughter as she watches this unbelievable turn of their tides, clutching a hand to her heaving chest.

Seething red, Jasper gains her bearings upon her feet once more and charges towards them with the flat of her helmet barred.

Smoky’s eyes flare wide with urgency. “Wha-oh!”

They artfully cartwheel out of the way, and manage a perfect side dodge as their opponent attempts to sling her fist directly into their face.

It’s glorious form. Absolutely impeccable by any means of assessment. In truth, Ruby thinks the odds have never been so steeply tipped in their favor while fighting against this stubborn, infuriating Homeworld Gem. So why does she still find herself powerless to quell that oh-so-familiar panic rising like coastal storm surge within her core? Why can’t she dispel the shadowy reminder of all the terrifying what-ifs that taunt her day-in and day-out, possibilities she’s unable to sort through on her own, possibilities she’s unable to truly see?

Because without Sapphire, Ruby’s just a ruby. She’s nothing, no one. It doesn’t matter how far she runs from her lowly Homeworld origins; she’ll never erase the damning, bitter fact that Gems like her were created to be replaced. And stars, everyone keeps looking to her as a leader, but she doesn’t know what she’s doing at all! Her cut of Gem wasn’t built for leadership. She didn’t come here hungering for a fight! She only followed the others to this shards-forsaken wasteland of a kindergarten because she wanted to protect them, and look at all the good that brought: an army of caged, corrupted Gems guarded by an enemy she’s grown too timid to face head-on, even though that’s literally the entire point of her!

Just, ugh—!

What a useless protector she makes.

…But maybe she’s enough to protect at least one of them. After all, her role as one of Sapphire’s guardians wasn’t all fighting and punching. The other rubies and her would also spend time discussing strategy, overseeing the whereabouts of their assignment, and keeping an eye on their immediate environment in case they need to act upon any abrupt predictions from Her Clarity. And in such moments of peril, their most important duty was to escort their assignment to a safe distance. It’s a fact of life that’s deceptively easy for a soldier like her to forget.

So, is that it, then?

Is that her purpose in this scenario?

Should she place her focus on ushering Peridot away from this battle, instead of becoming an active participant?

(Or is she just mining for ways to excuse the coward’s way out?)

Outright quivering in her boots, Ruby grabs Peridot by the arm and begins to pull her away from the heart of this battle. Her friend, however, tugs back in overt resistance.

“Wait— we can’t leave yet, I can fight!” she cries, jabbing her pointer towards the iron bars caging one of the corrupted quartzes within the excavated cliffside. “I’ve got my metal powers!”

Sweat beads on her forehead as she flushes, sinking ever deeper into the brambles of her shame. “But I, uh- I just think Smoky’s got it handled, y’know? Wouldn’t wanna get in their way, or nothin’…”

“Are you kidding?? They’re brawling against Jasper! They can use all the help they can get!”

With zero warning whatsoever, the business end of their fusion friend’s yo-yo zips towards their heads, only narrowly leaving them time to duck. They watch with slack-jawed amazement as Smoky utilizes their weapon’s stored inertia to securely wind the cord around Jasper’s torso and launch them clear into the sky. Gravity’s most primal nature dictates that what goes up must always come down, however, because mere seconds later the Homeworld Gem plummets into the chalky ground so hard that she leaves behind a small crater. A plume of rusty brown dust explodes from the collision point, entirely engulfing Ruby and Peridot.

The two of them cough as the powdery soil settles once more and visibility is restored.

“On second thought,” the former kindergartener proclaims as she brushes the debris off her unitard, “perhaps we should give them some room.”

She nods, grabbing her by the hand once more and leading her up the path to safety. Perfect, one friend protected. And as an added bonus, they can stand on the raised shelf at the far edge of this natural amphitheater (the one Amethyst treaded across before getting the sneak on Jasper a few minutes ago) and still have a clear sight of the battle.

…A battle which, going off her years of combat experience and her intimate knowledge of the parties involved, just might roll to a victorious end for Smoky in the near future. For the obvious reasons she can’t offer this prediction with any degree of confidence, but regardless, its likelihood seems to be surging skywards with each and every failed retaliating strike Jasper attempts. She’s panicking, Ruby can tell. That stubborn, reputation-obsessed Gem can attempt to hide it all she likes, but if one knows what to look for the signs are obvious. Her eyes are blown as wide as her own exit hole as she scries her surroundings for any possible advantage, and her stance has grown awkward and stiff— the very image of a traditionally offensive fighter who has been forced to assume defensive strategies for the first time in her existence.

Which is to say, the brute’s been violently knocked out of her comfort zone.

Fuming with obstinate desperation, Jasper flicks the dirt off her uniform with the back of her hand and throws herself into a viciously fast spin dash, molten bright embers trailing behind as she surges straight towards Smoky Quartz. Thankfully, the fusion sees this potential strike coming a mile away. Licking their lips, they launch their yo-yo so that its body wraps around a narrow outcropping of stone jutting out from the cliffs above them. The weapon grips the dense rock like a grappling hook. They whoop in well-earned victory, swinging up and over Jasper’s attack as effortlessly as a petal dancing on the wind.

Helpless to halt her momentum, the Beta Kindergarten quartz slams headfirst into the far cliff wall. Despite her deep-set animosity towards her Ruby can’t help but cringe at the awful clash of the impact, clutching her own vulnerable gem ever tighter within her palm. Chaos explodes. Hand-dug prisons are torn apart. This forsaken crack in the Earth is filled with clamoring footsteps once more as Jasper’s corrupted Gems claim their long-stolen freedom, fleeing in every direction.

“No!” the soldier hollers, arm outstretched as she clambers to her knees. “My army!”

Smoky lands on the ground in a sturdy crouch a few feet away. “You ready to chill out, yet?” they ask with slitted eyes, Ruby sensing a hint of Amethyst’s bitter anger seeping into their otherwise affable demeanor. “Or d’ya need another few rounds?”

Jasper falls to her hands, seemingly too exhausted to push herself to her full height at this time. Breathing heavy, she lets out a wry peal of laughter, a sound that quickly warps and bends into an emotion that’s as unrecognizable as it is unnerving as she drags her fingers inwards, scouring thick gouges in the rusty soil.

“Jaspers… never… give… up,” she huffs, her orange irises glowing like the rejuvenating embers of a rebounding wildfire as she tilts her face up to regard them head-on.

And this is where the winds of fate begin to shift.

The embers catch.

The dry brush underfoot erupts into a violent rush of flame.

Jasper quickly averts her eyes from Smoky, her wanting gaze falling upon the lone cage still left intact, its metal bars not destroyed by her prior collision with the wall. Within… stands the last Gem of her corrupted army, roaring in clear displeasure at the frenzy of commotion occurring outside. The quartz delivers a devious, knowing smirk as they slide their zealous glance away from that captive Gem and back to Smoky.

Ruby hates to admit it, but she knows exactly what she’s planning. She’s already seen this type of emotion flit across Jasper’s features before, months back when she emerged from the burning rubble of her ship— humiliated by her defeat at the hands of a being she deemed impure— and caught a fleeing Lazuli by the wrist. She’s seen it from Pearl, who— feeling just as inadequate and small as she herself does this very second— ultimately stumbled under the pressure and made one of the biggest mistakes of her whole life. Hell, Ruby’s experienced this desire herself, albeit in a far different context… lovely and love-sick amidst Sapphire’s abrupt departure, briefly entertaining a fleeting, selfish thought that she dares not act upon.

Fusion-lust.

Jasper intends to force a fusion with the last corrupted quartz still held captive in her prison.

She grits her teeth, thousands upon thousands of possible futures full of her own cowardice and hesitation burning to blackened cinders under the heat of her fury. Fusion is special. Fusion is sacred! It’s like… a feeling brought to life, a spellbinding rush of togetherness, the mystifying sensation of becoming someone who— on the metaphoric scale of things— must’ve burst into some intangible form of existence the very moment a fusion’s partners first met. Despite whatever twisted rhetoric Homeworld may spew to the Gems chained under its rule, fusion definitely isn’t meant to be a means of increasing one’s power. It isn’t meant to be used as a mode of control or coercion. And stars above, she’ll be damned if she lets anyone abuse this special type of relationship on her planet.

No more hiding.

No more hesitation.

The only soul in this entire Kindergarten who can put an end to this is her.

“Peridot!” she calls, grasping her friend by the shoulders to capture her full attention. “There’s no time to explain, but I have a plan. When I call for you, use your metal powers to break open that last cage, right down there!”

Peridot’s expression— halfway obscured behind her tinted visor— spins with ample confusion amidst the abruptness of this request. “B-but I thought we were spectating!”

Ruby bites at her lip, averting her nervous gaze for just a moment, just long enough to contemplate all the impulsive choices that have led her to the edge of this impossibly steep precipice. All of her insecurity, her terror, her doubt. Every timid half-step forwards, inevitably followed by a full step back. In many ways, she feels as if she hasn’t committed to a single fearless act since the day she pushed her love out of a rebel’s striking range and singlehandedly changed the entire course of reality. Where’d that Ruby go? The Ruby who dares to create ripples with every fiery footfall?

And most importantly— for the good of her planet, for the good of her family— can she become that Gem again?

“I can’t just watch…” she admits, clenching her fists at her side. “Not anymore. I’m going in.”

Steeling herself for the jump, she lowers to her haunches, nervously tapping her fingers against her gem-less palm.

“This is for you, Sapphy,” she whispers to herself, and then surges upwards into a sprint.

Her toes leave the ground right at the rocky shelf’s edge.

Hollering in furious dissent, the squat Gem practically soars over the Homeworld-aligned quartz thanks to the subtle updrafts produced by the waves of flame fanning out from her feet. She barely has time to process the confusion wresting control of Jasper’s otherwise confident countenance— or the wide, knowing grin Smoky levels towards her— as she triumphantly lands upon the battlefield and sets her plan roaring into motion.

Ruby clutches her gem tight within her grasp (a long-held defensive habit she can never seem to shake), and bursts into a fiery sprint around her foe. The intense friction and heat only feeds the white hot blaze licking up around her feet as she traces a full circle around Jasper, locking her securely within a cage of fire. This ring won’t last forever, but it’s good enough as a distraction for what comes next.

“Peridot, now!” she shouts, desperately hoping her friend can hear her over the untamed roar of the inferno she’s generating… desperately hoping her new metal powers work this time and help her set that poor corrupted Gem free.

But despite the crushing anxiety of all these unknowns, she doesn’t dare take her eyes off her foe as she continues to spiral around her, pushing the scorching walls of this prison ever inwards. She doesn’t dare let up her pace, doesn’t dare allow Jasper even an inch of leeway to escape. The gemstone inlaid within her palm pulsates with an intense thrum of energy, burning brighter than it has her entire five thousand nine hundred years of existence. A breathless, lilting laugh slips from between her lips, tinged with tones of relief and sheer, boundless exhilaration. So this is what true bravery feels like, true power. This is what it feels like to genuinely be a Crystal Gem— not merely by proxy of the fusion she forms, but as her own person, too.

Far beyond her inferno’s ceaseless thrum, she can make out the rusty moans of bending metal… the victorious roar of the last corrupted quartz as it pushes free from its damaged cage and bolts away from this cursed amphitheater. She lets out a whoop of delight, pumping her fists to the sky.

And then her gambit falls apart.

Jasper’s own fist connects with her cheek before Smoky can even holler her name in warning, the impact knocking her clear out of her spiraling sprint and face first into the chalky soil underfoot. She hacks and coughs lying there amidst the resultant plume of dust, vying with every facet of her being not to crumple under the dawning prospect of having to defend herself in solo combat. Her jaw aches, but not enough to dampen her resolve. Not now. Not yet. Instead— standing stubbornly to her feet— she grits her teeth, summons her gauntlets, and swings back.

The mighty kindergarten quartz ducks effortlessly. She grins, the midday sun glinting off the edge of her helm’s visor, and then positions herself for the final strike.

[Continue to AO3 via link above for the rest]

#su #steven universe #ruby #peridot #jasper #smoky quartz #amethyst #su fanfiction #steven universe fanfiction #my writing stuff #crack the paragon

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