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Post by DornKoon on Feb 25, 2024 23:01:02 GMT
 Steven had been having a difficult time sleeping that night, the dreams had been oddly vivid... and at the same time completely weird. After tossing and turning a few times, drinking some water... and having a sandwich, he decided to go for some fresh air; maybe that could help. So, he left the house and walked down onto the beach, feeling the sand against his feet as he walked towards the water, finding himself a familiar rock to sitt on in order to look out over the ocean. He listened to the beating of the waves, the faint sound of life still active in the darkness, combined with the soft rustle of the wind. Steven sat in silence, still in view of the house if anyone should look outside. It was not like he was trying to hide or anything, this was just... well... he was not sure what it was. Clearing his head? Avoiding to go back to sleep? Maybe he would dream more about those window... platform things? It had felt so real, but as he woke up in his bed it clearly had not been real... even if it felt that way. "Maybe I could call Connie?" He muttered to himself, "No- it's the middle of the night... that would be weird, even for me. Maybe dad? No-" It did not feel like anything he could turn to Greg Universe with, his father was great... but the magic and weird was not his thing. Maybe he could ask the gems? But that also seemed a bad idea, they would just overreact about it. He picked up a small rock, tossing it and listening as it hit the water with a satisfying splash. |
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Post by Bixir on Feb 26, 2024 7:15:54 GMT
Things had been... not calm, but that was not to say that things were amiss. Steven was doing well with his training. Very well. He was coming into his own, far more quickly than Pearl had expected. They had no metric to adequately measure Steven's progress, with his fighting prowess nor with the use of his Gem. There was no precedent for any of this. That he was able to negotiate with a Lapis Lazuli at all was enough for Pearl to reconsider... well, everything.
Steven wasn't the only one who was restless.
Pearl had given Steven some time to wander the beach before she set out. He had enough reason to think that Pearl was watching his every move (she was). Now, she watched him toss a rock into the ocean. She hesitated, then put on a warm weariness about herself. "Steven?"
She walked out from the clearing she had come from, not far from the winding pathway leading up to the temple house. She walked toward him, though slowly, waiting to see how much he wanted her company at this hour. She didn't need to tell him that. "Is everything alright?"
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Post by DornKoon on Feb 26, 2024 10:31:38 GMT
"Hi, Pearl," Steven did not look away from the ocean when Pearl spoke, at least not right away. He picked up another small rock and held it without throwing it.
What should he tell her? Pearl would know something was on his mind, so... how much should he tell? Still, he did not make an indication that he wanted her to go away, so his silence on that was enough to tell his guardian that he did not mind her presence.
"I couldn't sleep," said Steven, tossing the rock and watching it soar through the air and vanish into the dark waters with another splash. "I've-" he paused... should he lie? No, that seemed an awful thing to do... and Pearl deserved better than him making up some childish lie about nightmares. "I've been having these weird dreams lately, but they feel like more than dreams. I usually dream about fun things, like cookie cat... Connie... or going on adventures with you guys. But-" another pause followed as he glanced at Pearl over his shoulder. "This feels unsettling- and real."
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Post by Bixir on Feb 26, 2024 17:29:00 GMT
Pearl winced. This was never easy for her. She closed her eyes for a moment, welling away the sadness that threatened to reveal itself. That was not what Steven needed to see right now. Part of her was pleasantly surprised at this development, overjoyed, even. It meant so many things, so much potential that Steven was continuing to discover for himself. The next step!... Most of her pressed that away from this moment. He had already been through a lot lately. Steven was many things, certainly, but one of those things was a child.
Pearl finished walking over to Steven. She stopped in front of him before gingerly getting down on her knees, which put her at eye level with Steven sitting on the rock. Pearl smiled, reassuring. The evening was quiet; the only sound were the waves, pushing and pulling against the shore. "Would you like to talk about these dreams?"
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Post by DornKoon on Feb 26, 2024 18:50:37 GMT
Steven glanced at Pearl as she sat beside him on the rock. Maybe this was also a dream? It would not be a surprise if he had fallen asleep without noticing; no, this had to be a reality, still... Steven could not be sure. He had to be certain, so Steven turned to look at Pearl before reaching up to touch her cheek, almost hesitantly... as if he was worried she would vanish or rebuke his gesture.
"Sorry," Steven said, attempting to pull his hand back. "I was just worried I might be dreaming again."
He sighed.
"I guess I don't know how to make sense of them. I keep falling into this... dark ocean without getting wet. Each time, I land on weird glowing platforms made of colourful glass pictures of people I know, like you, Garnet and Amethyst, and... well-" He did not finish. Steven did not often bring up the subject of his mother, much less when with Pearl... she always got so weird whenever Rose was mentioned. "I hear your voices. Like that dream Loney Blade had in Lonely Blade III when he heard his father's voice asking him what kind of samurai he wanted to be. It was right before he learned the Boomerang Blade."
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Post by Bixir on Feb 26, 2024 23:55:00 GMT
Pearl did not flinch, and she did not hesitate. If anything, she welcomed Steven's gesture. Her face was warm to the touch, like touching a heat lamp. Not too hot, but a welcome reprieve from the evening cold. She let Steven pull his hand back. She did not want to force anything, now of all times. But that paled to the gap in Steven's words. Pearl closed her eyes again, holding back the tide. Neither of them wanted this. Why did it need to be so difficult?
She remembered when She had talked about these same dreams. They were not nearly as mild as Steven's. "What, err... How did that question make you feel, Steven? What did you want to be, in this dream?"
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Post by DornKoon on Feb 27, 2024 11:21:07 GMT
"How did it make me feel? What did I want to be?" Steven's brow furrowed, and he crossed his arms in contemplation; his gaze shifted to the sky, watching the stars in the night sky. How did they make him feel? That... was a good question. At first, all of it had been not very clear, but if he was being honest. It might be overkill to tell her every single detail, but a general idea?
"I wanted to be a protector; the dream offered me Mom's sword, the light cannon... and my shield; I picked the shield." Steven smiled slightly, glancing at Pearl. " And you told me the power to protect was mine. Or, your voice did, as I was standing on your fancy window. It was very-" he paused, trying to find the right word. "Comforting? I think. Amethyst asked me what I wanted to use the power for... and Garnet told me she knew how strong I was and told me not to be afraid. After which, I was attacked by those black antenna things you were fighting before, those little shadowy... bug guys."
Steven hugged his legs, watching Pearl's reaction, and he could tell she was... holding back.
"Do you think Dream Pearl was right?" Steven asked.
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Post by Bixir on Mar 1, 2024 19:18:31 GMT
In one moment, Pearl is maintaining a familiar distance, wanting to be there for Steven while remaining worlds away. In the next, her arms are wrapped around Steven's small, round form, squeezing him tightly. Her long arms reach around the length of his body, including his hands and knees, as she pulls him in like she's hugging a ball. For a while, Pearl doesn't say anything. The moment is enough for her, whether Steven liked it or not. Her eyes remained closed, though the expression lying underneath was no longer sad. She looked relieved.
"You are a protector, Steven. That will never change."
Pearl opened her eyes and stared out at the ocean. It was so... calm. For the people of Beach City, the sight of the ocean itself was a relief. The Crystal Gems were still answering questions about that incident. To be frank, they had not had a moment's rest since. All of that could not be further from Pearl's mind. She did not let go of Steven. "Do you remember what we called those "bug guys", Steven?"
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Post by DornKoon on Mar 1, 2024 22:33:17 GMT
Steven was just about to say something, since it did not appear as if Pearl would reply right away, but... before he could he found himself in her embrace. It was not an unwelcome gesture; he just let it happen and continued. The embrace was all the answer he needed to know how she felt, but... the words that followed along with it were still nice.
"Yeah," said Steven with a slight smile, hugging Pearl back as best he could. "I had a feeling you were going to say that. It's still nice to hear it... even more with-" He paused, trying to find the right words. "everything." That was a good word to describe all the weird things lately... like the ocean going missing.
Steven also looked out over the ocean; what he felt when he looked at the ocean was certainly different from what Pearl saw. What Steven saw was, adventure, possibilities, and a far off horizon waiting to be explored. A feeling that had started to grow even stronger lately. At the question, he furrowed his brow, thinking back to the time the Crystal Gems had been fighting those weird bugs. They did call them something...
"You said they were heartless?" He said, slightly hesitantly. " But I just assumed that was a metaphor I did not understand. Like, ooh, those monsters are so heartless. Like grown-ups talk in those love movies on TV. How could you do that to our love? You're so heartless! I was waiting for my show to start, so I had to watch the end of one of those..." Steven paused, glancing at Pearl again. "But- I get the feeling it's not that kind of heartless?"
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Post by Bixir on Mar 3, 2024 17:03:32 GMT
Pearl furrowed her brow, like she always did when she needed wanted to correct someone. Usually Amethyst. "Those are Shadows, but yes, Steven. They are Heartless by the nature of their very being. It has nothing to do with behavior - they lack the instinct to... Pearl stopped. Steven didn't need to hear any of this. She needed to get to the point.
Pearl raised her right hand, gently pressing it against her Gem resting in her forehead. A holographic moving image presented itself: there was the form of a nondescript person, with a facsimile of a heart inside their body. "Everyone has a light within them: a burning desire that brings them happiness in life. So long as a person nourishes their light, they will live a long, happy life."
The projection changed. Now, there was a nondescript darkness closing in around the person. They looked afraid, curling themselves into a ball. Inside of them, the heart began to shake. Pearl's expression softened. "If that light begins to fade, or worse, is exploited by someone, something terrible may occur." The curtain proceeded to engulf the person, and their heart. The projection became a blank mass of pitch black for a moment. After the image toiled in this darkness for several seconds, the image began to clear. In the place of the man was one of those bug-like creatures. A Shadow.
"They become Heartless, dark versions of themselves who long to reclaim what they have lost. The only way for them to do that is to attack those who still have their hearts." The projection changed to crudely animated versions of the Crystal Gems, Steven included, fending off some of these Shadows. At the end, these Shadows were bubbled by Garnet and whisked away.
"In a way, they are not that different from the corrupted Gems we have encountered, Steven. The best that we can do for them is to return them to the Temple for safekeeping."
Pearl stopped, again. The projection faded, and the light withdrew into Pearl's forehead. Was this helping him understand, or only making it more confusing? "Steven, there is a lot that I need to tell you. I know that even this is a lot of information to take in. But, there is a reason that you encountered Heartless within these "dreams"."
She relaxed her grip over Steven, though didn't exactly let him go, either. "So, you fought these Heartless. What happened next?"
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Post by DornKoon on Mar 3, 2024 21:20:59 GMT
"Heartless..." Steven muttered once Pearl's projection ended; his eyes lingered on the spot where the hologram had been. It was a lot to take in and more to accept. "So those little creatures are... people? Like dad, or Connie? Humans... whose light faded. That's-" There was a pause; Steven tried to find the right word; horrible... awful? Dangerous? "Sad..." His hand absentmindedly went to his gem, grasping it like he always did when thinking deeply, maybe a little bit of Mom would come to him if he did it? Who could say... he certainly not.
"A reason?" He looked to Pearl again, he was curious what that reason could be. It had been a dream, so they were not real... so did it mean something else, or... how could Pearl know? Steven examined Pearl, getting nothing from her face that he could use; even so, Steven continued:
"Well, I defeated them... and they turned into smoke and vanished. After that, a staircase appeared, made from... coloured glass. So- I walked up and came to another one of those platforms. It had-" He hesitated for just a brief moment before he continued. "Mom on it, like the painting at home, but made of glass. When I walked onto the platform, I heard her voice call out my name, saying to trust in my heart. But before I could answer. There came this... big, very big, thing with long arms and weird hair, like tentacles." Steven, unable to do holograms, jumped down from Pearl's embrace, collected a long twig from the ground and began to draw what he remembered of the thing from the dream, making outlines of it in the sand. "It had a big hole in its stomach, like this, shaped like a heart." Steven looked to Pearl, smiling before looking at his masterpiece. It was not that good, but hopefully good enough to make the point.
"I fought it with my shield, but- I ended up falling into this weird black smokey stuff, and mom was telling me, I would be okay, and something about me holding the mighties weapon of all. That I should not forget..." Steven stopped midsentence, and his mouth opened and closed a few times... before his cheeks turned slightly pink. "I don't remember what Mom's voice told me not to forget."
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Post by Bixir on Mar 5, 2024 7:22:37 GMT
Pearl nodded, her face solemn. It was indeed sad. She allowed Steven to remove himself from her arms, watching him make his own demonstrations in the sand. It was only a few days ago that she had been making sand castles with Steven at this very spot. Why did that memory come to mind? Nonetheless, she smiled.
"I am sure you will remember eventually, Steven. What matters is that you hold your mother's voice in your heart." Pearl got up from the sitting rock and walked over to Steven. She lowered herself to his height, sitting on her knees.
"It is rare, but people who have a strong heart can have dreams like the one you just described. That you chose the shield is even more important: it means that you are in tune with your true self, Steven." HPearl reached out to grasp Steven's hands with her own. "There is a place where people with strong hearts can go to learn how to fight Heartless and protect others."
Pearl's smile turned anxious. "It.. is not on Earth. When you are ready for that kind of journey, Steven, I could take you there."
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Post by DornKoon on Mar 5, 2024 9:59:48 GMT
"This is- a lot to take in." Said Steven, having been silent for a while after Pearl was done talking. "I've only just learned about Homeworld, and now there is also a place to train people with strong hearts. That is- a lot." Young Universe bit his lower lip and watched his hands against Pearl's. "I don't think I need that kind of training; I mean-" He paused; the idea of training with someone other than the gems felt... wrong. How could he possibly leave Earth?!
"I got you guys and Connie. I don't need anyone else to train me to protect others, and we will figure out how to fight the Heartless. I don't want to leave Earth; this is my home... and I'm a Crystal Gem; I want to protect this world." Steven took a deep breath; it did feel nice when Pearl told him he was in tune with his true self... whatever that meant, it sounded cool, like he was connected with the True Steven!
"Strong-Heart Steven, that could be my superhero name." He said it aloud without thinking about it, momentarily losing himself to the idea of being a superhero... like in the movies. Pearl did notice that Steven was floating ever so slightly a few inches off the ground, so... he felt happy and excited about it all.
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Post by Bixir on Mar 7, 2024 6:22:41 GMT
Pearl placed a hand to her mouth. She looked surprised. She took a deep breath. Why did she expect anything else? When Pearl withdrew her hand into her lap, she was smiling. "Well, good. That was a test, Steven, and you passed. None of us want you to become overwhelmed."
Pearl stood up, needlessly dusting off her unimpeachable figure. "I don't know if you will have more of these dreams, Steven. But, as long as you follow your heart, I know that everything will be alright." Pearl smiled warmly at Steven. Proudly. "You are growing into a responsible young man." Then Pearl... narrowed her eyes? And put her hands on her hips? Uh-oh.
"Which means you can go back to bed, Steven. It is very late."
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Post by DornKoon on Mar 7, 2024 11:59:11 GMT
"A test?" asked Steven curiously. He was not sure he understood in what way he had been tested, or why he passed. Was it because he made the choice not to want to go to this other place? Or was it because of something else? "Yeah, that's good to know, that I passed." Maybe it was best not to look too deep into it? For the moment, he seemed to have done something right.
Steven watched her get up, taking in her words. Then, she put her hands on her hips, and for a moment Steven wondered if he did something wrong... right after passing a test. Until she spoke, and:
"Oh, yeah-" Steven had completely forgotten about getting out of bed, and thankfully the idea of the dreams seemed less dangerous now. Steven was still not entirely certain about all this with Heartless, strong hearts, and all that, but it would come with time. He also needed to talk with Connie about what he had learned. "I do need to get some sleep, I have a feeling tomorrow will be a great day. I'm helping Dad at the wash."
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