"One, two, three... glow," Steven mutters to himself. His gem stubbornly refuses to listen, and he gives it a tap with his fingertip. "C'mon. Just a little glow?" There's a pause, a grunt of effort, and a disappointed sigh. Still nothing.
"Steven? What are you doing?"
The voice startles him, and he turns towards it even though he knows he won't be able to see anything. "I'm trying to make my gem light up," he explains to whoever it is. There's something faintly familiar about her voice, but he's certain it's not one of the other Crystal Gems. He squints, brow furrowed with effort, but it's too dark for him to even make out movement. It isn't until he feels warm breath on his face that he realizes the speaker's very close to him. "Uh." He lifts his hands, blinking as his fingers find warm fur. "Hi."
"Hello," she replies, sounding faintly amused.
She doesn't seem to mind being touched, and it only takes a few moments of experimental patting for Steven to realize there's something familiar about the shape of her face. "Are you a lion?" he asks, sitting up a bit straighter.
"Not really." She lowers her head so he can reach between her ears. "I think I could look like almost anything, the way Amethyst can, but I picked lion because," she pauses a beat, as if embarrassed, "I thought you'd like it."
Steven grins. "You know Amethyst?" This is awesome! Maybe this means the other Crystal Gems aren't far behind!
"I know everything you know." She presses her broad forehead against Steven's chest. "I think I am you, or... part of you. My name is Allirea."
"That's so cool!" It's also definitely weird, but Steven's seen plenty of weirdness over the course of his life, and he's good at rolling with it. He has a lion buddy again, and this one can talk! No complaints! He hugs her head, which seems like a perfectly natural thing to do, then leans back a little. "So, hang on, if you can turn into anything, could you turn into a flashlight?" Because they could both use some light about now.
Allirea considers that. "I can try. Hang on." She sits back, leaving Steven to clasp his hands together in his lap and wait. There are a few moments of intense silence, and then an echo of his own disappointed sigh. "Flashlight's not happening," she admits. "But maybe..." there's another pause, and then a chitinous rustle of wings and a warm, pink glow.
Steven blinks against the sudden brightness, then grins as an oversized firefly hovers in the air before him. He lifts a hand, allowing Allirea to alight on his fingertips. "Hey, that's perfect!" She might not be the brightest thing in the world, but she still seems bright compared to the darkness pressing in around them. Her glow is enough to illuminate the ground beneath Steven's feet, which means he can walk without tripping. He stands, absently tugging his shirt back down with his free hand. "Maybe we can find a way out of here." Wherever 'here' is.
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"Steven? What are you doing?"
The voice startles him, and he turns towards it even though he knows he won't be able to see anything. "I'm trying to make my gem light up," he explains to whoever it is. There's something faintly familiar about her voice, but he's certain it's not one of the other Crystal Gems. He squints, brow furrowed with effort, but it's too dark for him to even make out movement. It isn't until he feels warm breath on his face that he realizes the speaker's very close to him. "Uh." He lifts his hands, blinking as his fingers find warm fur. "Hi."
"Hello," she replies, sounding faintly amused.
She doesn't seem to mind being touched, and it only takes a few moments of experimental patting for Steven to realize there's something familiar about the shape of her face. "Are you a lion?" he asks, sitting up a bit straighter.
"Not really." She lowers her head so he can reach between her ears. "I think I could look like almost anything, the way Amethyst can, but I picked lion because," she pauses a beat, as if embarrassed, "I thought you'd like it."
Steven grins. "You know Amethyst?" This is awesome! Maybe this means the other Crystal Gems aren't far behind!
"I know everything you know." She presses her broad forehead against Steven's chest. "I think I am you, or... part of you. My name is Allirea."
"That's so cool!" It's also definitely weird, but Steven's seen plenty of weirdness over the course of his life, and he's good at rolling with it. He has a lion buddy again, and this one can talk! No complaints! He hugs her head, which seems like a perfectly natural thing to do, then leans back a little. "So, hang on, if you can turn into anything, could you turn into a flashlight?" Because they could both use some light about now.
Allirea considers that. "I can try. Hang on." She sits back, leaving Steven to clasp his hands together in his lap and wait. There are a few moments of intense silence, and then an echo of his own disappointed sigh. "Flashlight's not happening," she admits. "But maybe..." there's another pause, and then a chitinous rustle of wings and a warm, pink glow.
Steven blinks against the sudden brightness, then grins as an oversized firefly hovers in the air before him. He lifts a hand, allowing Allirea to alight on his fingertips. "Hey, that's perfect!" She might not be the brightest thing in the world, but she still seems bright compared to the darkness pressing in around them. Her glow is enough to illuminate the ground beneath Steven's feet, which means he can walk without tripping. He stands, absently tugging his shirt back down with his free hand. "Maybe we can find a way out of here." Wherever 'here' is.