It's Becoming Crystal Clear (Jasper x Reader)

Chapter 4: Straight Talk

“Tell me all you know.” Her tone was far more interested and less demanding than you would have expected.

“Come downstairs with me and make yourself comfortable. Then we'll talk.”

“I don't have to take orders from you.”

“That wasn't an order, merely a suggestion. If you would rather not, then by all means-”

“Okay then,” she interrupted, apparently satisfied by your clarification. You went downstairs to the living room, with Jasper following cautiously behind. You sat in the easy chair, and motioned Jasper towards the pale green couch opposite you.

“Go ahead, get comfy,” you told her. She sat, but the couch was obviously not designed for someone of her height, making her position slightly awkward. “Here, stand up for a second. Let me try something,” you said giggling. When she stood, you removed the two couch cushions from the left and right side and stacked them atop the one in the centre. She sat back down, now at a more ideal height and appearing considerably more comfortable. “Better?” you asked. She muttered something in reply. You thought it rude to ask her to repeat herself, and fidgeted awkwardly. “Do you uh, want anything?”

“What do you mean by that?”

“I'm asking you if you want- oh, right, I'm sorry. I forget sometimes that gems don't have to eat or drink.”

“Humans have to consume sustenance to exchange information?” she asked, plainly confused. “Pathetic.”

“No no,” you laughed, “it's just common to do that in a situation like this. It's sort of a custom; a thing people do just because they do.”

“No self-respecting gem would eat in front of others. We wouldn't even discuss it.”

“I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be rude. I'll try not to eat anything while you're here.”

“Do what you want. This is your territory apparently.”

“No, I insist. In most human cultures, there is an obligation to be hospitable to guests.”

“Is that what I am? Your ‘guest?’” Though she was trying to keep a straight face, the left corner of Jasper's mouth was pulled up in a slight smirk. Her intimidating character and immense strength made her obviously the dominant one, even if you played the role of the leader within the confines of this structure. But she would play her role and play your little game, because there was no risk for her, because your control was only an illusion and you both knew it, because this was mildly interesting, even entertaining in a quaint sort of way.

“What else would you be? Now back to what we were talking about. First of all, I'm going to have to disappoint you. I will not be telling you where Rose Quartz is... please sit down, will you? I'm not finished… because she isn't anywhere.” Jasper, who had leapt to her feet in fury at what she mistook for insolence, sat back down. She no longer looked so confident, instead appearing rather anxious.

“What… what are you talking about? I've seen her! I've fought her! She's in a weaker form, but it's her.”

“No,” you responded, your tone slightly sympathetic, “it isn't. Steven - that's his name - has her gem and her power, but he isn't her. Rose was his mother, and his father is a human. He's their son. He’s kind of like a combination of the two, but he's also a distinct person. That's how human reproduction works, in a nutshell.”

“Humans reproduce in nutshells?” Jasper interrupted.

“Sorry, guess I should try not to use so many idioms. ‘In a nutshell’ means kind of like ‘in brief.’ Now, I don’t think a gem and a human have had a child in any other instance, and it worked a little differently than normal. Since Steven inherited Rose’s gem, she was unable to continue to exist. I know this is hard for you to hear, harder for you to accept, but you can’t avenge Pink Diamond. You can’t defeat Rose Quartz. She’s gone, and she has been for fourteen years. I’m sorry, but it’s over.”

“But… but then he’s half-her, isn’t he? Taking revenge on him would be basically the same thing!” Jasper protested. Her voice was shaking. She couldn’t admit to herself that what you said was true, but inside, she already knew.

“Jasper, would you be okay if I talked about your time as Malachite a bit, just to clarify what I’m saying?”

“Of course I’d be fine.”

“Well, look at children as being kind of like fusions of their parents. I consider Lapis Lazuli one of my best friends, but she’s done some messed-up things, like trying to drown two children, risking ecological catastrophe by stealing the ocean, and taking a bit of sadistic pleasure in trapping you under the ocean. But when two gems fuse, they become something new, more than the sum of their parts. Would it be fair to blame Malachite for the things Lapis did?”

“Well… no… Malachite didn’t do those things.”

“And Steven didn’t shatter Pink Diamond. Actually, he didn’t even know about that until you mentioned it. You know… when you first got…” you trailed off uncomfortably.

“Corrupted,” she finished, barely more than whispering. You gazed at your feet, as did she. You both sat in silence for what seemed an eternity.

Sorry that this chapter was mostly inorganic dialogue. I'm not a conversationalist, and am uncertain quite how it would be appropriate to speak to an aggressive extraterrestrial with little understanding of humans. Also, as is likely becoming apparent, this is generally not going to be a light, cheerful story. As always, feedback is appreciated, both so I know people are actually reading my story, and so that I can improve.