IC RADIO CONTACT

[starseedling]

✆CHANNEL FREQUENCY: 123.78383
DESCRIPTION: Steven will be fairly quick to answer, on average, but it's also entirely possible that he'll forget his radio or get distracted from answering.

✉MAIL BOX LOCATION: Mailbox on Door
DESCRIPTION: It's wooden and a little crooked but Steven is gradually covering it in sequins and jewels.

Comments

[periphrasing]

...That... I don't really want to think about the implications for Earth, if that theory turns out to be correct.

[She kind of sinks onto the table, one hand in her hair.]

It's bad enough that Blue Diamond is here at all, but I really don't like the fact that she's apparently so far ahead of us in the time-stream. It puts us at a significant disadvantage for combating her.

[starseedling]

I don't like it either... I didn't even realize she'd seen me before. She didn't act like she had! But I guess Lapis told her I was here first, so I didn't really see her first impression or anything...

[It's not like she's very easy to read, he guesses.]

But what are we supposed to do? I feel like I need to... stop her? But she isn't even doing anything!

[periphrasing]

Like I told Lapis, I think our best bet is to use her own weapon against her. Figuratively speaking, of course.

[starseedling]

[Steven gapes.]

She has a weapon?!

[periphrasing]

What-- NO! Figuratively, I said FIGURATIVELY! You know-- [She flaps one hand.] Like a metaphor!

[AKA those things that she's kind of terrible at detecting in most other circumstances.]

[starseedling]

Oh! A metaphor!

[Okay, he knows what a metaphor is. That totally makes sense. He puts a hand on his chin and nods, like he is totally on the same page as her now.]

I see! But, um... what is her... figurative weapon, then?

[periphrasing]

The Ringmaster, obviously. She's using her deal with the Ringmaster to put us at a disadvantage and get something that she wants, so it follows that one or more of us could sign a new contract to do the same thing.

[starseedling]

Oh... right.

[That gives Steven a great deal of pause. He'd been considering the same thing, ever since talking to Blue Diamond... he hadn't even considered asking for something of that magnitude. Probably because usually bringing people back from the dead like that doesn't seem possible. Maybe gems work by different rules, though?

There's so much that he could ask for, though. Couldn't he ask for Earth's protection from Homeworld? Or something that would allow him to heal the corrupted gems? There are so many things. The idea of staying here only one year seems impossible, sometimes.]

There are so many things we could ask for... [He sounds more subdued now, like the concept makes him uncomfortable.]

There's just so much that still needs to be fixed, and it doesn't feel like I can do anything about it, back home. If Pink Diamond really came back... would it really be that bad? It's been so...

[It's caused so much pain.]

[periphrasing]

[Peridot frowns at him.]

I'm not saying we undo that. [Muttering:] Mostly because I don't think the Ringmaster would allow us to counteract another person's contract by having her do the exact opposite. We wish for something to prove your innocence, or make it so that the Diamonds all collectively forget about Earth. Something like that!

[starseedling]

That second one sounds nice, actually.

[Steven frowns, looking contemplative as he stares off at the floor.]

Even if it means having to work here longer...

[Which he's sort of uncomfortable about, at the moment. A year is still a long time for him.]

[periphrasing]

Well it's not like you would have to be the one to make that contract, necessarily. Anyone else from our world could take on the burden just as easily. Like Pearl! You should ask Pearl. She's all about putting herself on the line to save the Earth and stuff like that, right?

[Hope you weren't expecting Peridot to suggest that she might do something altruistic herself, LOL.]