Chapter 50

Not quite mundane

"Pearl, you're shaking the table."

"That's nice, Steven."

"Pearl. My food is gonna fall off."

"Sure. I'll get to it tomorrow."

"Pearl!" Steven yelped as his bowl of cereal fell over his lap and coated his knees in milk and bits of frosted flakes. "Ew, gross! Awh... That was my last box! Now we've gotta wait for the supply truck to come into town."

"Glad to hear it, Steven." Her eyes were vacant. Her face turned to the beachside. The cause of chaos was her knee, rapidly bouncing up and down beneath the table. It was as if she was completely gone.

It was just at that time Amethyst reappeared from her room, carrying a hot dog that was more than likely a decade out of date. "Yo. Steven. Did'cha pee yourself?"

"No! The table started bouncing because of Pearl and it fell all over me." He replied, upset. "Pearl... you're starting to worry me. You've been like this ever since we got back. You haven't helped out with rebuilding the city. Even Jasper and Lapis are out there right now."

"Well. They're most likely making out more than mending the rubble." Amethyst replied with a haphazard shrug. "But he's right. You're in a weird-ass funk, P."

"I'm fine." She blinked, snapping back to reality. Her pale gaze finally lucid. "I need to talk to Sapphire and see if she's got any news."

"I already talked to her this morning. She told me that if you're not gonna stop bothering her with... whatever you're doing, she's going to file a restraint order." Steven furrowed his brows. "What are you doing with her, anyway?"

"Waiting." Pearl replied.

That was true. Pearl was waiting.

...

"Hey." Buck nudged at Jasper.

Jasper narrowed her eyes suspiciously at the teenager. She didn't particularly trust anyone who so casually wore shades; even indoors. "...Hey."

"We just wanted to tell you that we think you guys helping us out is like... super cool. My house got blown up in the whole thing and like... The shelters you guys helped build really let me and dad get back on our feet."

"Oh." Jasper looked around, realising that many of the people constructing and mending broken walls were gazing in her direction. "Hey. It's... it's the least we could do. This planet didn't ask to get involved in an intergalactic space war... for the second time."

"Yeah. Well. Thanks, space mama. You and the blue chick are pretty cool. And the rest of your, uh, cool household."

Buck sauntered away, not glancing back as he left a fairly confused Jasper standing in the middle of a half rebuilt house. "Huh." She glanced around at her newfound audience and flushed. "What are you all looking at? Never seen a rock hard at work before? That's right. Stop giving me the attention I desperately desire. Good."

"Jeez, Jasper." Lapis rolled her eyes as she strode over, arms covered in flecks of cement. "Anyone else might've thought you don't have issues."

"Shut it." She glanced away, red-faced. "How's things on your end? You'd better have been busy."

"I've done well enough. I guess my job's easier than yours as I'm just mixing this stuff." Lapis stretched out languidly, smirking at Jasper's flush. "Nice to see you adapting to the local culture. Blushing isn't a gem thing as far as I'm aware."

Jasper opened her mouth only to immediately close it. "Shut up." She bit her lip, growing hotter in the face. "For your information, warrior class gems such as I are naturals at adapting. I'm practically camouflaged."

Lapis glanced at the humans around them; then at the eight foot tall, strikingly orange hulk of a rock and slowly nodded. "Yeah. Camouflage. I can't tell the difference, to be honest."

A thick lip was curled. Jasper hissed. "Fine. I see how it is. I'll show you." She prodded a finger at Lapis' midsection. "I'll show you all. I can blend in just fine."

"Oh?" Lapis raised a brow. "What's that? A challenge I hear?"

Teeth were bared. "Indeed. I can become human enough for this place. Pah. It's got to be easy. These people aren't nearly as powerful as us; let alone cultured or... Well. They're incomparable to gemkind. I, my dear Lazuli, will be indistinguishable upon these human crowds."

Lapis' lips curved into a naughty ghost of a smile. "Alright. Be human for a whole month and I'll... I'll take you out on a human date."

Jasper looked away. Surprised. "Fine. It's a... Win-win for me."

"Likewise. But if you lose, you're footing the bill." She brushed a hand through her hair and smirked. "No help from Steven or any of the other humans. You have to pay for the whole thing. With money you've earnt from your human job."

Jasper narrowed her eyes at the other. "Is that so?"

"Oh, yes. And if you haven't managed to earn the money by then, I'd be quite happy to employ you as a servant to do my bidding."

"Fine!" She huffed. "Same to you! You lose, you pay for the bill to our extremely fancy human date! And if... WHEN I win, I'll make sure to have a bath... In the fanciest champagne they stock! That... You! You will pay for! Hah! Haha!"

"Okay." Lapis cocked a brow. "Fine. It's a deal. From this moment on, you're a human for the rest of the month."

"Fine! That's exactly what I am!" She bellowed, screeching to the heavens. The whole street stared at her as if she were insane. "I AM BLENDING IN. AS A NORMAL. AVERAGE. HUMAN. BEING."

Lapis could only shake her head and sigh. This was going to be an entertaining month.