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cheetahsprints · 5 years ago

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Schoolyard Gossip

Prompt: Little Homeschool

Summary: Peridot learns that Little Homeschool has a thriving rumor mill, and she's the latest victim. Meanwhile, Amethyst stakes a claim which may cost what she wants most.

Words: 2181

Peridot dances in place as her Botany & Permaculture class comes to a close. She's headed to teach Meep Morp - or as it's registered, 'Sculpting & Making Art with Items' - Class next, but that isn't the source of her excitement. Almost immediately, she spots Amethyst. She finishes inhaling her fries, probably fresh from the boardwalk. They fall into step, chatting and laughing. Her next destination is baseball practice. This is a usual part of their routine.

However, something new happens. A warm purple hand slightly bigger than her own engulfs hers. Warmth spreads to her core. For a moment, she blames it on the sun emerging from the cloud. Logically, she knows her hard light projection isn't so affected. She's glad she doesn't have organs, or they'd be clumsily somersaulting. For years, she wondered if she was imagining the spark growing between them.

These days, Amethyst's time is quite full - at least compared to before. It's such a reward, teaching and guiding gems. The memory of the pride in Pearl's eyes when she said she wanted to have a part in her still makes her giddy. It's great to put her Earth culture knowledge to good use. Steven was a harder case, with the nerve to doubt her.

She chalked it up to personal issues - he was used to helping in a certain way. That boy was lost… anyone could see it, but Amethyst was clueless about how to get him out of the funk. She does have free time to hang out with her fellow OGs - as they've been nicknamed by formerly corrupted gems, never mind that they were Crystal Gems during the war while Amethyst was incubating - as well as the new gems she's come to consider family. She's even taken up art lessons, suggested by her old friend Vidalia, and encouraged by her current crush, Peridot.

Yet, none of that is so exciting as the time between Earth Stuff 101 and Baseball practice. That is when she gets to enjoy her walk and talk with Peridot. She can see Peridot enjoys Little Homeschool just as much as she does, if not more. Peridot is basically the poster child of Reformed Gem, and she wears it loud and proud. Amethyst doesn't always completely follow the topic Peridot is on, but she appreciates that Peridot gives her a chance, expects her to be smarter than Amethyst makes it seem - truth is, she is more knowledgeable than she lets on. Stars forbid anyone think she's a nerd!

In any case, Amethyst does follow the way Peridot's eyes light up when she's passionate. She doesn't miss her wide grins, showing off pointed canine-esque teeth that seems a common trait among green, yellow, and orange gems. She loses herself in Peridot's charming, if dorky, laughter. She tracks the movements of Peridot's fingers when she's frustrated, dragging them through her hair or gnawing them. Today she can't resist breaking the bubble and grasping her hand. She does resist the urge to grab her alluring behind. That wouldn't track unless they were explicitly a couple.

Peridot wouldn't have expected holding Amethyst's hand to be a revelation, but it is. This is just where she wants to be. She doesn't want it to end. Inevitably they reach a literal crossroads where they must part ways for now. For the rest of the day, it's difficult to focus. She has to mentally rebuke herself several times and endure instances of Lapis and others raising an eyebrow at her. She rubs her hand that held Amethyst's with the other, trapped in disbelief.

Was it just two friends being friendly and platonically holding hands… does she dare read into it?

Browsing the internet and her own mental database of romantic information is neither helpful or productive. The history is too confusing. It reminds her of the time she briefly thought Amethyst was jealous of Lapis, after Pearl let slip everyone thought they were dating - first of all, ew, Peridot shudders at the memory of drowning those rumors - only for it to turn out Amethyst's was preoccupied with Jasper, resulting in a grim attitude.

Overall, Peridot has a terrible history of being able to read Amethyst. She'd have better luck with Garnet. Nonetheless, as the weeks pass, the hand holding becomes part of the routine. Though exhilarating, it has downsides. It's distracting for one, and Peridot is certain she saw student gems pointing and whispering. It comes to a head in class at the end of the week.

"So, who can tell me the importance of bees in agriculture?"

To Peridot's pleasant surprise, one of the gems near the back, a known slacker, raises her hand. Peridot points, and instant regret is the result.

"You and Professor Amethyst are a thing right? I have a bet with a Nephrite who doesn't believe me!"

Peridot glares at the Quartz, indignant. "My social life is none of your business. However, as it stands, I am certainly not seeing anyone in a romantic capacity."

Kunzite sees fit to chime in, "With respect, that's coprolite. I asked the same of Amethyst yesterday, and she said, and I quote, ya darn right, that's my girl and don't forget it."

Peridot's eye twitches, her stone well chipped. What kind of sick joke is this? Amethyst is supposed to be her friend. Sure she's given to pranks, part of what Peridot adores about her, but this is too much. It's embarrassing to be contradicting and upsetting because it's not true. In love with her or not, she's going to kill Amethyst. Grinding her teeth she manages, "You. Did not. Get called on. Or raise your hand. Thus your comment will be ignored and stricken from the log."

"There's a log?"

"Silence!"

Peridot releases her class early, all the better to prepare for the confrontation soon. Unfortunately, traversing the grounds turns out to be a task. Every gem that crosses her path has to give their opinion, as the word of the exaggerated relationship between her and Amethyst has already spread like wildfire.

When Amethyst reaches for Peridot's hand, Peridot yanks away from her with a borderline snarl. It cuts deep. Did she mess up already? Amethyst has been taking it as slow as possible despite the screaming desire within her - or rather because of it. Peridot is careful and easily startled, like a deer. With her, it was two steps forward and twenty steps backward if you weren't cautious.

Amethyst notes that Peridot is tense enough to be shaking. An old stream of self loathing enters Amethyst's consciousness, but she redirects it with reason. She'll hear out Peridot before she jumps to blaming herself. It might just be -

"I'm setting a boundary," Peridot claims, her volume wince inducing. "You are not to lie about my love life AS A JOKE. That is private, not to mention a hurtful breach of trust!"

- a misunderstanding. Amethyst recoils as though struck by the force of Peridot's accusation. Puzzled, she mumbles, "Uh, what? Sorry, no idea what you're getting at, Dot." In the past she would've been incensed at the implication, but she maintains a relaxed air.

If she fumes too, Peridot's ire is likely to become an inferno.

Peridot takes a sharp inhale. She barks, "Don't play dumb, I know you're not. WHY DID YOU TELL KUNZITE WE'RE DATING? I can't walk a meter without getting congratulated or someone making a comment!"

"Wha -"

Amethyst squints, checking that Peridot's gem isn't cracked. Wasn't she mad about her spreading lies? Amethyst points at her saying, "If you wanted it to be a secret, you should've mentioned it, and not held my hand in public."

"YOU - WHAT - I -"

Many gems have stopped to take in the scene. Peridot notices them and her cheeks darken. She digs her fingers into her hair in a way that would be adorable, under circumstances where her aggravation wasn't directed at Amethyst.

Peridot seems to gather her thoughts and promptly explodes. "YOU SEEM TO BE UNDER THE IMPRESSION WE'RE TOGETHER! I DON'T RECALL GETTING THE MEMO, AMETHYST!"

"Instead I get this information from a gem in my class - unbelievable," Peridot finishes, her voice soft and cracking by the end. "This prank has gone too far."

Amethyst actually has to clamp her hands on either side of her head to suppress the onslaught. It takes a moment, past the slight ringing and giggles from the peanut gallery, to register what she said. Amethyst moves her hands to rub her own face, uncertain if she wants to scream, laugh, cry, or some combination of the three. She remembers before the whole Pink Diamond revelation, when it seemed dangerous to hope. That fear didn't dissipate until the corrupted gems were healed.

Now it seems, she had gotten ahead of herself and wrecked the train.

"Peri - Peridot, listen I -"

Amethyst stares hard at the ground, unable to meet Peridot's angry eyes. "It's not a joke. I thought my feelings for you were obvious, I just didn't want to - to push it, to scare you away. I swear I didn't mean to hurt you."

A few tears slip. She swiftly wipes them away, sniffling. When she dares to look up, Peridot is staring at her, lips parted. Peridot is aghast, thrown by what just occurred. She was embarrassed at being played for a fool, now she's ashamed of her indiscreet outbursts. She was seconds away from demanding an apology. She wants to drop down and beg forgiveness.

She grabs Amethyst by the wrist and sprints to her greenhouse. It's guaranteed empty for a while, allowing them privacy that Peridot should've granted in the first place. She stutters for a bit as her mind races faster than her tongue can keep pace.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have yelled at you like that in front of everyone. Argh! I'm such a clod!" Peridot hugs one of the potted plants to her chest and gazes at Amethyst, beseeching. "I don't know what's going on anymore, what are we?"

Amethyst reaches for her, hesitates, then drops her arm. Had Peridot possessed insides, they would've turned to dust at that. Amethyst says, "I accept your apology, I know how proud you are and I get why you lost it like that - I shouldn't have assumed. I - I didn't think we were dating yet exactly, but you didn't have a problem with us holding hands… I just… I didn't want anyone to think you were - but I didn't have the right -"

Realization striking, Peridot interrupts, "You were afraid someone would make a move, before you got the chance to take the next step."

"Yeah! But that was the wrong way to handle it. I should've talked to you instead of er -" Amethyst snorts. "Marking my territory, as it were."

Peridot frowns. Words are hard, feelings are hard. Once upon a time, Peridot wouldn't be able to have this type of conversation without some kind of intermediary. She takes a second to marvel at how far she's come before continuing to explain.

"Regardless, my reaction was overblown. I - it was painful, the implication when it wasn't reality, so I thought. It was jarring enough that a tasteless joke seemed in the higher percentile of probability than the idea that you were… more or less telling the truth," Peridot explains.

Amethyst blurts, "Can I hug you?"

Peridot opens her arms, and Amethyst rushes forward. Peridot notes that she's careful to hold back in order to avoid knocking them over along with the table behind Peridot. She relaxes into the embrace, relief coming over her. When Amethyst's arms loosen, Peridot shifts to press her lips to Amethyst's gemstone. Amethyst strokes her back.

"Hopefully the students will stick their noses elsewhere after that mess."

"Don't worry about the gossip line, I've got a little hook about a certain Pearl and her new squeeze I can cast as a distraction," Amethyst claims.

"I can still be your girl, if you still want that," Peridot murmurs.

Amethyst's eyes are shining. "Of course I do, ya nerd.

Peridot sighs, tilting her head as a fond smile invades her visage.

"At least my critical cognition isn't weighed down by exponential density as compared to my stone."

Amethyst blinks, processing her 'peri-phrasing' as she dubbed it. Her expression melts into understanding, then flashes into false rage. "Oh really? You can run but you can't hide!"

Amethyst lunges at her. Peridot uses her power to smack Amethyst square in the face with a trowel and makes good her escape. She dives under the nearest table, army crawling her way to the exit. Her hair gets tussled, but it's the least of her concerns. Amethyst bellows a battle cry, summoning her whip in Peridot's peripheral vision. Peridot reverts to sprinting on all fours, while Amethyst races after her laughing and cracking her whip. Chasing down her favorite green geek-mobile, Amethyst muses that the scene is sure to cause a lot of speculation.

#amedot #amedotweek #little homeschool #su:f #su fic #mild angst #mutual pining #miscommunication/lack of communication #sometimes when I write dialogue for Peridot I have no idea if it makes actual sense

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thevoidgod · 4 years ago

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A Conversation With the Void-God

I have studied the arcane arts of the Void for many years. Through passion and borderline insanity, I found the Fringe Athenaeum. The infamous--and legendary plane the Void-God inhabits. Seldom few have written treatises of such a magnificent place, let alone listen to the abyssal voice of the Void-God himself. However, I postulate none have returned from his realm, for many reasons. It may be rumor, but rumors start somewhere, and I am not one to ignore information despite how it circulates, lest it hide the truth. My fail-safe for this is woven into my ritual. I will have an hour before I am pulled back to my physical body. After practicing my projection techniques, I am confident nothing can interfere with my fail-safe.

The andeamer believe Mariax Stygal entices passionate scholars to his realm, or those seeking answers to their questions, and quickly the descent into madness begins in the feverish search of those answers. I, however, am willing to take that chance as I have reasons to believe none have my gifts. I also was not intentionally drawing the attention of the Void-God.

“We have a visitor.”

His voice echoed through the Void. I searched for its origins, yet it came from everywhere… In my circling search, I found the Void-God himself stood behind me. I did not recognize this being to be him at first, no I thought it simply one of his minions.

It was a macabre creature. Imitating the form of a man veiled in black yet twisted by its own nature. It’s eyes… Its hollow eyes bore through me and I only admit to my fear now.

I dealt with these beings before, simple ones as I have learned, nothing like the behemoths that lurk the abyssal plane. I pulled the energy of the Void around me so easily. I was not bound by a veil that obscured the worlds. It was invigorating, to suddenly come from walking in water to walking on land and such ease of manipulation may have inflated my confidence at this encounter.

“Begone or I will destroy you.”

The stoic face like a mask twitched. A smile tugged the Chelsea grin across its face. He laughed.... Deep, carving, and tapping into some auxiliary fear hidden deep within me. “I know what you seek.”

“I seek nothing from you.” I so wisely stated he began to circle around me. Steps echoed through walls. Walls that had changed since I last observed them. New walls, shelves lined with books that organized themselves. Other void creatures wandered at a distance. The colors of the skies had changed their tones.

He paused. Eyes locked onto mine, or at least that is what I felt. “Are you sure of that?”

A vicious chill raced down my spine. It was at that moment, I recognized who was before me. “You are him...” I managed to say and state the obvious in the presence of the Lord of shadows.

“And you are [redacted], but you call yourself ‘Nightbane’ among your… peers.” Perhaps it was my own projection, but I felt a sting of judgement. One could never use their true name in my field of study.

“Surely, you know—”

“Naturally.” My defense of my pseudonym had become reflexive, but I sensed the Void-God would have none of it. He turned away. Hands clasped each other behind his back as he walked to the edge of the island we stood upon. His realm was ever changing… Perhaps at his will? “You have questions,” he said.

“Many.” I attempted to gather whatever sense I could, but it was difficult in such a being’s presence. I knew my risks coming here, yet… I never believed I would be in the presence of the Void-God.

“Ask and you shall receive.”

“I must know more about what your kind is—Voids and their nature.”

He looked over his shoulder. Another humored smile twitched. “My kind?” He laughed, a gentle laugh, yet it still unnerved me to my core. “You dive into depths one never surfaces from when it comes to my kind and I do not speak of the inhabitants of the Void.”

“You are not a being of the Void?”

He turned to me, “No.”

“Then what are you?”

“Our topic is: ‘what are Voids’.” I simply nodded. Finally, I saw the realm around me shaped to him. From the stone we stood on, it built upon itself a throne of sorts for him and he sat. “I do love these chats with your kind,” a slow hand rose and a blackened finger pointed to me. Behind me a throne like his had come from the ground when I wasn’t looking. “Do not mistake me, however, I lack tone and the nuance of speech so know that everything I say, I say literally. I have no sleight of hand reserved and no mirror to my words.”

“Ah,” I nodded, somewhat relieved. If he was telling the truth anyhow…

What are the Voids?

Your curiosity of the Void is shared by many, but seldom few have sought their answers at the source. These creatures are not unlike you but know that you are more [pause] special than they. They come in a variety; you have dealt with those that are but the equivalent of children; weak, blunt, small.

They are not dangerous, because they are small things. It is the intelligent ones you ought to fear and avoid. The Greater Voids were not given their positions. They took them. They are the most willful and intelligent Voidlings you will find and that is what makes them dangerous.

Where did they come from?

From the Void. This is their genesis. They are not born and do not die. They can be created from other Voids. Recycled by defeat or devoured. Some are merely contained, shackled by their foes.

What are their goals?

Their goals? Every creature has its goals and those are known only to them. Many know but a fraction of the Greater Voids. Hismael Hamariel does not have compulsion to corrupt the hearts of men. Valac Vetis is not forced to create dreams in the sleeping mind.

I see their symptoms, not their illness.

Why do they harm the living?

What makes you think they are not alive themselves? They are but another form of life. I do not know the minds of ants; however, I can speculate.

As I stated before they come in a variety same as humans. The dichotomy of man is not unique. Voids may attack because they are an animal defending its territory the same as nations defend their borders. …Or they attack because they are like a man, fearful and frightened seeking to end whatever perceived threat is near.

And then there are those who attack simply because they enjoy it. That variety, Void and man, are the closest I can confirm to be purely malevolent. They are always the intelligent kind of being. They know what they inflict on others.

Are there any who possibly help? In some way or have… traits we may consider “good”?

Yes, but you would not call them “Void” do you? The andeamer call them ätherä. But not all ätherä are benevolent Voids; they are something else.

I feel as though you’re trying to imply something—

I illustrate parallels simply because I find it the easiest means for you to comprehend. The beings of your worlds and Voids are not the same. One does not become the other.

What of the creatures called Void-turned? Many are under the assumption they’re possessed or become Void things leading many in my field to believe that we can become them.

I applaud the demonstrated will to learn in any subject, it was I admire most of you. It is what separates you from Void-borne; you can learn and change.

But to answer your question, I will be blunt: they are wrong. What you see is akin to a disease. They are not possessed in the way you think. Corrupted? Yes. Corrupted to the core of their DNA. This engineered disease does not “turn” a man into a void creature. It rots the mind like many natural diseases that deteriorate the fragile neural networks, but the difference is that whomever infected the individual can control the deterioration effectively making them a slave.

It’s a disease? Engineered? Your statement has so many implications…

Extract what you will from it then. Yes, it means you can create a vaccine to defend yourselves, but this disease functions more like cancer, and there will never be a cure for such an ailment.

There wouldn’t’ be a cure? How?

I know you’ve no background in biology, [sighs] so, I must abridge this to an extreme. The disease of the Void-turned is based off their own generic makeup. Once infected, the virus morphs to control them. However, death is never intended, common, but seldom have I seen an infector’s virus truly meld into the victims as to not kill them.

Hypothetically, a cure is possible. However, to cure every infected individual, one would need just as many panaceas.

You mention earlier how we differ from Voids, and it is what makes us “special”, as you say.

Humans can learn and change. You are dependent on it. Adaptability is very important for organisms from your pocket of existence. Voids do not possess that. They do not “learn” exactly, few do, and it is a complex subject matter I still observe. They appear to absorb information, but never truly use it.

You know of the Greater Voids, at least those the andeamer fear. Of all them, the only one I have truly witnessed to “learn”, that is to absorb information and then use it to change outcomes would be Hismael Hamariel. The great heart-stealer is one those whose meddling is merely fun. She learned how to make her victims suffer more.

Can you learn?

[laughs]I want you to revisit that question and think just a bit harder. I am not of the Void. Yes, I can learn, adapt, change, just as you. It is how I sit here, upon a throne in my world with hundreds of legions of servants beneath me.

Those Voids loyal to you, can they learn?

Some. My second, Ronove, is just one. The first. It took centuries, perhaps longer, but he can. He is my favorite lieutenant. I took him from being a scuttling little insect rushing away from being crushed under the sabatons of another and I showed him how to walk, now he is a god in every sense.

I’ve seen his name before, rarely. He is often attributed to being a servant of Mïzäirn.

You rarely see the names of those who have not caused suffering. And you often see my and Mïzäirn’s spheres overlapping.

You’re supposed to be the Greater Void of the shadows and secrecy, yet you’re forthcoming.

I know what you think, but don’t say: only if I am telling the truth. No, I cannot read minds; I have existed a very long time. The sphere of the encroaching darkness was assigned to me by the andeamer who, just as I, see only the methods and not the goals. I do not blame them, and I won’t bother to correct them.

Why would you not correct them when you’ve already shown me so much?

That is how I fit into their mythology. It is their interpretation to events, who am I to say they are wrong?

Well, given that you are very real and witnessed what they believe to be true why not tell them exactly what happened?

What makes you think I am an unbiased source? Do you know what else the andeamer think of me? They also know of my wrathful nature. There is not one voice in existence that ever tells the truth.

You said every creature has its goals and those are known only to them. What is your goal then?

You will live to see the ends, but now it’s time for you to wake up.

#worldbuilding #worldbuilding lore #fantasy literature #fantasy #fiction #fictional deities #dark fantasy #otherworld #writing #original character #lovecraftian #mysterious #original work #orginal writing #original content

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