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[ENTRANCEWAY] IC CONTACT
You've reached Peridot, leader of the Crystal Gems. I can't get to your call right now, but you can leave a message, and if I'm not too busy being a great savior and all-around wonderful gem, I'll get back to you.
[pause]
...Is that all I do? When does it- [BEEP]
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[She casts a look at the mirror as if she can feel the presence of regular Lapis looking through it and growing angrier. She turns back and slyly adds in what's an attempt at subtlety:] We should take a walk! Take in some of that Real Side air?
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M'Lapis actually hesitates, a bit torn about how to play this. On the one hand, she would have liked to milk the current moment more. That would really be ideal. The best-case scenario might not be a possibility no matter what she does, and it's not clear exactly how far she can push it, but if she plays her cards right there may well still be something there.
On the other hand, there's definitely a lot of appeal in just walking off with Peridot. That's not a bad move at all. Except that only half of it aligns with what M'Lapis actually wants to do, left to her own devices. There are ways to work that too, to get some of the best of both worlds, but it'd be a bit lukewarm, wouldn't it? There's so much more pizzazz in picking one direction or another and playing it to the hilt.
In the end, although she again probably wouldn't admit it, it perhaps comes down to sheer contrarianism. All else being equal, M'Lapis doesn't really feel like giving anyone else what they want, regardless of whether or not it might also work for her. No, that's not what she's here for today. She turns to sit on the end table and then turns once again to facing Peridot, her back to the mirror which she absolutely doesn't want to draw any more attention to.]
Oh, I definitely will. There's gonna be plenty of time for that, though. And I wouldn't want to give you the wrong idea.
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In that she doesn't know how to have them.]
I don't understand.
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Well, let's see... Like, again, we all know you've been looking forward to this, right? There's no shame in it. Anyone can want a change of pace sometimes.
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She swallows, nodding. Yeah, she's right. Wonderland has become smaller and more tightly controlled, which is good for her need for structure, but bad for her newfound sense of freedom and need to hurl herself bodily into productivity that doesn't feel meaningless.
She looks around and slumps, her voice taking on the edge of a defeated sigh, like M'Lapis has basically forced her to admit something she was trying so very hard to ignore.] Things have been getting... routine around here.
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Routine, exactly! Nothing ever changes for you anymore. Your life is boring. So it's no wonder you'd crave a little time with someone like me, someone who's actually fun! [Big smile!] You're desperate!
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Either way, it's not comfortable. She flusters a bit, for a different reason this time. Surprise, the egocentric little brat doesn't respond to negging.] I'm not desperate.
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[She hops off the table again, actually. So there is a line! That's interesting! There are always more things she would have liked to be able to do, but this is going to feel good.]
But you've gotta be fair here. What's in it for me?
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Wait. What do you mean what's in it for you? That's not how this works!
[She would know. Part of her redemption arc™ was learning that.]
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Peridot... look, I really didn't want to have to be the one to explain this. [Yeah right.] But, you know, they say that if you're bored you're boring. It's you. The problem is you.
[The quarters are still close, and M'Lapis points, putting her finger right in Peridot's face. She's affecting a bit of ruefulness, as if she really did regret having to give this harsh but fair honest concrit, and even that is shaky. Beneath it is only sunny and cheerful as ever, like she's helpfully explaining something Peridot will have to agree with.]
You've gotten boring. The thing is, I'm better than anything else in your life right now, but you, by definition, aren't. And it's not like I don't appreciate the offer and all, but this isn't about you and it never has been. You're fun once in a while, but I didn't come over just to see you. I don't need you!
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But... if that's true then why hasn't the real Lapis bridged the weird gap between them? Is she grateful that she's pulled back? Is she finally free of her incessant hovering?
That thought is quickly overwritten by the very real situation at hand, however, which is someone right in this moment does not like her. And that is terrifying. It opens too many doors.
Is she, Peridot, not inherently loved by all?
Maybe this is not the lesson she should be taking from this, but it sure is the one that she's become fixated on. Her cowering reaches a point where she can either curl into a fetal ball and wail or she can snap back and, in the end, Peridot's ego always wins. She will not stand here and just take this defamation of her character.
She plants both feet on the ground, clenches her fists at her side, and after a moment of incoherent growling, finally snaps.]
Fine! Then go hang out with someone else. And good luck finding anyone in this place who's as interesting and wonderful and lovable as me, the great Peridot. You'll be back. Heh. [She crosses her arms over her chest and tries to sneer, but it's more of a grimace. She's shaking now and not all of it is anger. Anger is just what she decided on between a buffet of other feelings. Anger has always served her well.
Except where it doesn't.] Maybe I'm the one who's better than anything you've got going on. You just don't want to admit it. [And to punctuate this maturely, she sticks her tongue out.] Nyeh.
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Okay, you're really being melodramatic about this. I know it's tough to hear, but it's not fair to get mad at me for your own shortcomings. Sooner or later, you're going to have to accept that there's a ton you don't understand. You've never been as smart as you think you are, Peridot.
[So damn reasonable. Not a low blow at all.]
But I'll let you cool off a bit. Don't worry too much, all right? I'm not going to hold this against you.
[The pointing finger jabs forth anew, and Peridot's visor fogs up. While she's occupied with that M'Lapis traipses off, the hint of a giggle trailing down the hall as she disappears.]
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Unfortunately, her visor fogs up before she can make that decision and she ends up flailing about trying to unfog it (did she remove it? did a car horn distract us from ever seeing her remove it? we just don't know). By the time she manages to see again, M'Lapis is walking away giggling.
Well. Stars. She can't let her get the last word.] MAYBE YOU SHOULD... HRGH...
[Oh there's the frustrated screaming and foot stomping.] Stupid... [And incoherent grumbling continues.
And scene.]
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Maybe so. Peridot is awfully worked up, perhaps ready any moment to stomp off somewhere else to fume or whatever, and it would after all be impossible to stop her. There's nobody here to call out to her or reach a hand after her. There's no good way to get her attention. After all that drama, it must be very easy to miss something as small as words appearing on that same mirror again. So maybe Act One really was the end of it.
That would be a shame, though. For one thing, it's a little unfair to forget the other party who's been involved here. And, given a say in the matter, Peridot surely would want to notice, despite her mood. The writing is in a familiar hand, although across the glass it comes out backwards, a mistake no Mirror would make.]
?todireP
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It's either coincidence or just a feeling of unease like someone's watching her that makes her turn back to the mirror. Truth being told, she did forget that for M'Lapis to be here, Lapis would have to be on the other side.]
Lapis?! [Said out loud. She climbs back up onto the end table she'd unceremoniously vacated by falling when M'Lapis crawled out of the mirror like so much Ring Waif. She retrieves her marker and scrawls a screed against M'Lapis.]
YOUR MIRROR TRICKED ME. I HAVE NEVER IN MY ENTIRE LIFE MET A WORSE CLOD THAN THAT CLODDY CLOD...
[Honestly she's gonna be writing "clod" for awhile until she's stopped. That mirror can only hold so much.]
I can't believe I ended up having another use for this icon
There is a hesitation after Peridot finishes ranting. The writing on the other side finds some remaining blank space and proceeds more slowly, carefully, and correctly; it seems she noticed the translation problem and is attempting to write backwards for Peridot's benefit.]
I can h
[The h comes out reversed. That lasted absolutely no time at all. Man, whatever. Lapis gives up on that and goes back to writing normally-for-her and everyone will just live with it. The player, however, will not continue typing backwards because that's an even bigger pain OOC than it is for the characters, and we're not here to make life hard for ourselves. Peridot can adapt to it, anyway.]
I can hear you.
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It's her timing that is always off.
Well, at least they're having a conversation instead of the bare minimum of social interaction meant to keep things light and breezy and not focusing on the tragedy of their existence as of the dream side.]
Lapis. Am I boring?
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[The briefest of pauses, barely needed.]
I'm sorry
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Did you hear all of that?
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I should[There's some visibly serious trouble figuring out how to proceed from those two words, a couple false starts; eventually they just get erased.]
Are you okay?
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Nobody would have expected that.
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I wish I could just drag you back and put her back where she belongs, but it doesn't work like that.
[She pulls her knees up to her chin.]
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The thing is, though, she's had this done to her before and she's done this to herself before, and even if there's not much logic behind it, this one feels like both. Because she already was pulling away, wasn't she? Ever since that dreamland hit her with the feelings she has no idea how to handle. She's not present now, but it feels like she should have been more there all along. It feels like she should have said something long before M'Lapis used her voiceto tear Peridot down, like she could have done something that would have been protection against her. She doesn't know how and she doesn't know what else to do, but there has to be something missing, and it must be her.
For the most part, that isn't really true. Lapis can't actually stop her Mirror from doing whatever through sheer force of will, and in any case, a little awkwardness around the barn-room is hardly the worst thing this relationship has been through. But hey, considering the circumstances, she could be doing a lot worse than that level of irrationality. Anyway, that's why the 'I'm sorry' wasn't entirely about M'Lapis, and it's why this isn't either.]
I miss you.
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