Voice } i think it's time you learned a little better, the nature of this silly little mess...

[slapfight]

[this was in no way a good event for Peridot. oh, it had started out well enough, resistances, rebellion, standing up for the little guy, but it had all been wrong, and there for a brief moment, she was something she wasn't supposed to be. not in a metaphorical sense either. in a very real, very horrifying sense.

and then it was over. and she was back to being a gem, as if it had never happened, and was she supposed to forget that? forget that form, that body when she could remember it clearly. this is probably not bothering anyone else, but it's bothering her, and she isn't sure how to bring it up or discuss it or anything.

so she goes to her own stand-by... being bitter.]

Log Date... [she pauses, suddenly realizing she has no idea what the date even is anymore, and then goes on.] Undated Log zero-dash-zero-dash-one.

This is a public transmission from Peridot. Full designation "Peridot Facet-2F5L Cut-5XG," a gem formerly of Homeworld and currently of Earth. Allied with the Crystal Gems. [a snort escapes her- the sound pained] See that's the important word there- Gem. That's what I am. I can deny and change my intended purpose until my form dissipates, but I can't stop being a gem, am I right?

[another noise, this one more pained than the last.] As the last few days will attest, I am not right. At all. It seems whatever machinations Wonderland has in place cannot only take our memories, toy with our minds and sense of reality, and keep us locked on this miserable planet that's a poor copy of Earth, but it can also change our entire make-up on a whim. And who's to say it has to change us back? Are there people who've been stuck like this? [her voice rises, hysterical in pitch] Is this why there's a lizard that talks?? I've never seen a lizard that can speak on Earth! They just crawl around and do things with their tongues! I know, because I followed one around for most of an Earth cycle once out of sheer boredom! Maybe he was once a human, and Wonderland decided, "Why don't I just make him a lizard? It'll be great!"

[she stops mid-rant, unsure of where she was even going with this. she's fine. it's okay. she just... needed to vent about it. publicly. now the healing can begin?

right?]

Talking about what makes you feel bad is supposed to make it go away, right? Why isn't it working?

[maybe because that isn't at all talking about it, Peri.]

Comments

[slapfight]

But that's still internal logic, and that can be cracked. It's just a matter of fighting nonsense with nonsense... [if only Steven were here...]

[determinedest]

In a matter of speaking, I guess! [They shrug with considerably more cheer than they're feeling.]

The residents here...it's kind of like another language. If you speak to them in the same roundabout way they speak to us, they're way more likely to say something you can understand.

[slapfight]

Hhuh... I've never tried talking to them before. [THINK LIKE A WONDERLANDER...]

[determinedest]

Some of them are very nice! Some of them...also make no sense at all, but, you know. That's just how it is.

[slapfight]

I assumed the "nice" was all just a clever ruse to lead us into a false sense of security... But maybe I should give them a chance, if only for the sake of gaining useful information.

[determinedest]

I'm not sure if they mean to be...weird. Maybe just staying in this place for too long makes them like that.

[Which doesn't exactly bode well for the strength of everyone's sanity in the long-term but they can burn that bridge when they get to it.]

[slapfight]

[yeah that is the EXACT LOGICAL CONCLUSION SHE MAKES.] Oh my stars, is that gonna happen to me? I'm still deciding where to put my Crystal Gem star! I can't conform to anything else right now.

[determinedest]

[Frisk speedily seems to realize that they've taken a wrong conversational turn, and hastens to backpedal.]

But I mean, I could be wrong! We, um, we don't really know for sure. Maybe we should find out before we, we decide to stay in the, in the long term.

[slapfight]

Right. First I... should talk to one of them. Next time they announce an event...

I should probably quash the desire to put a stop to that completely. They're only harbingers, not the actual cause.

[determinedest]

Yeah. Maybe the Queen's in charge, but everyone else...I mean, the Duchess doesn't seem to like her that much during that mirror event, right? It's like they were fighting or something. Maybe she'd be willing to help us.

[slapfight]

Talk to the crazy riddle woman?

[well go big or don't go at all, that's her motto, so...] She is a matriarch, herself, so she would be the best option... But how do we appeal to her? I only know what Diamonds like.

[determinedest]

...diamonds?

[Well, "peridot" and "amethyst" are both gems, so it stands to reason that "diamond" would be one too. Peridot places an odd level of stress of importance on the word. Part of some kind of...abstracted hierarchy, maybe?]

She did ask us for that gold thread that one time. If we can help her, she might help us.

[slapfight]

[she waves that question away. SHHH SHH NO TALKING ABOUT THE GEM MATRIARCHS. THAT'S STILL A SORE SUBJECT.]

Right. That makes sense. Rulers love people who can be useful to them. This may go against my nature as a fully fledged Crystal Gem, but if it's for the greater good...

Hah! I'm so brilliant.

[so... brilliant. Frisk helped too, she guesses.]

[determinedest]

[Frisk feels like a few leaps in conclusions were made here, or possibly some kind of high-powered rocketships to the distant world of conclusions. They seem to be more of a sounding board for Peridot's ideas than a mutual in plan-making, but honestly, given the way things have been for them for the past few days...that's fine with them.]

So "scratch their back and they scratch yours" kind of thing?

[slapfight]

Precisely. [and then... because it's polite and Steven would want her to show her appreciation.] You've been very helpful.

[determinedest]

Oh. Uh...thanks? I'm glad that you're...well, I hope you feel better anyway.

[Not the most graceful of ways to end this conversation, but they appreciate the attempt for politeness on Peridot's part, if obliquely.]