[OPEN] is there anything that's worth more?

[slapfight]

Who: Peridot AND YOU!!
Where: Around the mansion
When: During the event
Rating: PG
Summary: Peridot's got some issues. Cue the singing, crying, and whining about singing and crying
The Story:


[TOP LEVELS BELOW]

Comments

OVERTURE- DAY ONE

[slapfight]

[Peridot has learned roughly the timing of events from their announcement, so she's been prepared for this. The world doesn't shift, she still has her memories, and everything seems to be... okay.

Maybe it's one she can ignore.

With that hope in mind, she goes about her day, still wary. She documents things into her communicator, taking note of even the slightest change in Wonderland so she doesn't have "event things" sneak up on her. You can find her around during the first day, scrutinizing her surroundings and making logs about her findings.]

Mmm. This tree has more flowers than usual. [She glares up at it.] Perhaps the properties of Wonderland's flora have changed.

[Or it could be spring, Peridot.]

Re: OVERTURE- DAY ONE

[drummeintheface]

[Greg walks by with a pile of sticks in his arms and immediately drops all of them when he hears what Peridot says. As if ~something's~ taken hold of him. He hurries over to her and gives a great big wave as he greets her.]

Hi Peridot! This tree has more flowers for a very simple reason!

[DEEP. BREATH.]

Wonderland was having trouble, what a sad, sad story
About to have a war that'd probably be gory!
How, Oh how could this be? What a huge catastrophe!
We got ready to fight, and then we found
It was April already!
And now it's...

[Greg throws his hands up in the air!]

Springtime for Greg's friend Peridot!
Wonderland is happy today

[Greg lifts his knees as he marches grandly all around Peridot, his voice carrying on.]

We're marching out to fight this war
Which most of us haven't done before!

[He hurries over to his pile of sticks and grabs one, holding it out like a baton as he continues marching to the beat.]

Springtime for our friends in Wonderland
Winter for Mirrors and Queens
Springtime for our friends in Wonderland!
Come on, Real folks, get ready to dance!

[Greg giggles and runs over to hand Peridot a stick-- as if she's going to join in on the soft shoe he starts to do in the intervening measures. But it's not too long before he's singing again.]

Springtime for our friends in Wonderland
We'll have to fight just to stay
Mirrors will be on our side again
Wonderland will take us on a ride again

[Time to bring it home! Greg thrusts his stick out like a sword and swipes it back and forth like he's fighting some sort of appropriately sized opponent who would be weak to sticks.]

Springtime for our friends in Wonderland
Fighters will fight on our shore
Springtime for our friends in Wonderland
Means that soon we'll be going
We've got to be going
You know we'll be going to WAR!

[Aaaaand that's that. Greg is actually breathing pretty hard, and he lowers his arm as soon as he realizes he's able to do that. He looks at Peridot, eyes wide.]

That song wasn't what I thought it was going to be about at the end!

[slapfight]

[Peridot watches all of this in wide-eyed surprise- not necessarily because of the singing, because that seems about on par with what she expects from Lesser Greg at this point, but the content of it just reminds her of her myriad of other problems.

She stares at the stick in her hand, stares at Greg, and sighs.]

Okay. But did you have to sing it? It was a simple observation, Lesser Greg.

[I mean, it happens, but like... Was it necessary?]

SHOWSTOPPER- DAY TWO

[slapfight]

[By day two, she Understands what's going on.

She blames Pearl, though that's stupid, because she didn't wake up with that weird fuzzy feeling and a word missing, like she did during the Kindergarten event. She can blame Pearl if she wants to, in lieu of someone else to blame.

The good news is she's remained relatively unaffected. Maybe this one will pass her by.

No such luck. As the day wears on, her internalized feelings begin to nag at her. No one has to say anything to trigger what comes next- if anything it's triggered by a lack of notice. Why don't people realize how good she is? How noble and self-sacrificing she is? She's amazing.

It culminates into her stopping in the halls of the mansion and shouting through gritted teeth.] HEY. I have something to say.

[And then the music starts. She is swept up into it without even considering what's happening. Steven always told her that singing is about what you're feeling, and well... She's feeling a lot right now.]

I'm a good person, yes, it's true
I'm a good person, better than you
I'm a good person, I’ll explain!
See as Peridots go, I’m far above the grain

I'm a good person and if you ask why
I’m ferromagnesian, just to clarify
My mastery of metal makes me an asset
And if you don't think so
You can sit
Right down
Because you’re wrong


[She doesn't stay in one place either. She wanders the halls, assaulting everyone she meets, whether she knows them or not with the music, and she DOES NOT STOP. You'll literally have to wait until she's said her piece before she'll speak to you. Most will likely run away and get away from this crazy person, but, hey, maybe it's worth following her as she dances around the mansion violently proclaiming how amazing she is to random passers-by.

It's a little entertaining...]

Didn't you know that I'm a good person?
I'm adamantine through and through
Doesn't it show that I'm a good person?
I have way more luster than you
And you and you and you and you

I'm a good person, that's my thing
Brains and skill aren’t all that I can bring
I'm a good person- get it straight
And when I say good, I really mean great
The best
Hashtag humble and blessed


[She pauses to giggle indulgently at her reference. Cartoon Twitter has Changed Her.] I learned that from the internet.

[And then she's back. How does she have this much energy??]

News flash, dirtbombs, I'm a good person
Do what I can for you all the time
That's how I am, 'cause I'm a good person
I always find time to be kind

[And then she pauses, turns her attention to people who are STILL SOMEHOW IGNORING HER to continue their own conversations- or just talking through her performance- and something metal clatters to the ground in front of them, cutting them off.]

HEY SHUT UP I’M SINGING

[And that's about when she finishes her number.]

I'm a good, such a good, real good person
I'm a good person through and through
I'm a good, such a good, real good person
Let me hear you say it too

[The gathered persons (or person who is STILL HERE or wandered in at some point) suddenly gets zeroed in on.]

Say it!
Say it, you clod!

[Whether they respond or not, she's on a roll now. This is her moment. This is the last part of the number, and were she not so engrossed in this emotional outburst, she'd be relieved.]

I'm a good, such a good, real good person
I'm a good person, yes, it's true
I'm a good, such a good, real good person
I'm a good person
Get it? Wow thanks.

[And there it is.

Reality sinks back in. Peridot doesn't even seem to care or realize it. This happens sometimes. It's fairly normal for... Well, not her, but other people. And it clearly needed to be said.

So, anyway, that happened.]

[krmvgivv]

[Dipper just stares for a minute when she's done singing.]

Um. You know about hashtags?

[This is definitely not the part to focus on but man. That sure. Was a thing Peridot.]

[slapfight]

[Despite not needing to breathe, she is breathing hard.]

You use them on Cheeper. I'm not sure what they're for, but the 140 characters seem to respond to them.

[Maybe he didn't notice the singing.]

[krmvgivv]

Cheeper? Oh, is that what your world calls chirper?

[He definitely noticed the singing.]

[slapfight]

Whatever! That's not the point. [She looks around frantically, checking to make sure it's just her and Dipper before lowering her voice.]

Something is wrong, and I don't know what to do. [She grabs him by the shoulders and shakes him.] Help me!

[krmvgivv]

You mean the singing? [He raises an eyebrow, unperturbed by the shaking.] That's not just you.

ENTR'ACTE- DAY TWO

[slapfight]

[Okay, so in retrospect, maybe that singing thing was a little weird. She's not going to apologize for it. She didn't say anything that wasn't true.

The problem is that... There are more feelings. Other, more frustrating, feelings. Feelings that, weirdly enough, seem to be directed in Lapis's general direction or, at least, in reference to Lapis. A lot of her main issues right now, if she took the time to examine them, seem to relate back to not being able to help her friend.

But she can't admit that to Lapis! Or anyone who might tell her! So clearly the only thing to do is never speak again for the duration of the event. This will work splendidly.

She has a whiteboard from the closet. It's hanging around her neck along with a marker. If you need her for anything, she will not be speaking and will only communicate in her horrible handwriting.

This will definitely work and will not backfire.]

[jamminshield]

[When Steven spots Peridot, he excitedly runs up to her.]

Peridot! Peridot, hey Peridot!! Let's sing something! [Steven seems to be taking the opposite approach for this event...]

[slapfight]

[She inhales in a silent gasp, realizes she can't scream her protest, because what if she sings, and just shakes her head no, holding up her hands defensively.

NOT TODAY, STEVEN.]

[jamminshield]

[He deflates slightly and gives a confused frown.]

What's wrong, Peridot? Oh no, don't tell me you lost your voice!

[slapfight]

[She looks askance slightly. And somehow even not speaking she gives the impression of someone who could not lie her way out of a paper bag.

She adjusts the dry erase board around her neck and scribbles:]

SINGING IS DANGEROUS RIGHT NOW, STEVEN.

[jamminshield]

[Steven looks on curiously as she writes on the board and then leans forward as he reads aloud.]

Reading is dangerous right now... Steven. [He then smiles and points to himself.] Hey, that's me!

[But then he proceeds to shake his head at the idea.]

Singing, dangerous? Now that's just silly. Singing's always great!

BALLAD- DAY THREE

[slapfight]

[Spoiler: It doesn't work.

And the problem gets worse.

Peridot can be found stomping all over her useless whiteboard in the garden, yowling like a frustrated cat. This is stupid! She has better control over her emotions than this!

She slumps to the ground, drags her hands over her face, and without checking to see if she has an audience, finally gives in to the song in her stupid metaphorical heart. A song that speaks of her problems with Lapis, her problems with Earth, and everything that comes with it. It's not so much about Wonderland, because Wonderland is a construct- a part of the larger whole. Lapis's issues go far deeper than just this cage. If they got out, she knows they'd still be there.

And talk of identity? Of who she is without Homeworld- her newfound place as a Crystal Gem? That is here as well as there. It's all things she's been hiding from because she's had to deal with Wonderland instead of confronting them. It's all a piece of a puzzle that she's kicked aside to focus on anything else.

The music swells.]


I sent Yellow Diamond a message one day
She’s been wanting Earth gone since Pink Diamond went away.
She has control over Homeworld- she keeps all the colonies in line
Well she can keep all of Homeworld- the earth, it is mine

Earth doesn’t discriminate between the perfect and the flawed
It’s all, it’s all, and it’s all life to it anyway
The bad and the good,
The should not and the should
And if there’s a reason I’m finally free
To be whatever I want to be
I’m willing to wait for it.

[She runs a hand under her visor, unable to stop a single tear that squeezes its way out at this sudden vulnerability and emotion. The moment is so intimate, and she can't acknowledge that anyone else is here or else it might destroy this. It feels... Better somewhat. In an odd way.

Of course Steven is right about this. He's right about everything, usually.]

Garnet is a fiery but cool-headed leader
And there’s many things a fusion can teach you
Pearl is more than her station
Amethyst deserves respect
And there’s Steven and what he believes in
Is what I’ve promised to protect

[Maybe she has an invisible chorus. Maybe it's part of the magic of the event. Maybe even an passionate observer is caught in the moment and echoes her, but as she climbs to her feet, stepping over the broken whiteboard, it seems like more than just her own voice.]

Wait for it (Wait for it)
Wait for it (Wait for it)
I am the one thing in life I can control
Wait for it (Wait for it)
Wait for it (Wait for it)
I am inimitable, I am an original
Wait for it (Wait for it)
Wait for it (Wait for it)
I’m not falling behind or running late.
Wait for it (Wait for it)
Wait for it (Wait for it)
I’m not standing still I am lying in wait

[She's getting into it right now- her face pointed at the sky, desperate and pleading. Is this what Wonderland wants? Well fine. She'll give it then.]

We are all facing an endless uphill climb
We all have something to prove
We all have everything to lose
And my pace is relentless- I waste no time!
But there’s still problems I can’t defuse…

[The music quiets. How long did she really think she could go without mentioning Lapis? She can't stop the words from coming out. It's too late now.]

Lapis always hesitates
She’ll never aggregate
She breaks, and she breaks, and she breaks
And she keeps flying anyway
She just turns away
She runs, says it’s all a mistake
But if there’s a reason
For her to thrive and do so much more than survive
Then oh my stars I hope she’ll wait for it
Wait for it.

[And then it begins to culminate into a finish. It speaks of Earth, it speaks of Wonderland, it speaks of her and Lapis. ]


Life doesn’t discriminate
Between the wrong and right
We fight, we fight, we fight
And we keep living anyway
we rise and we fall and we break
and we make our mistakes
and if there's a reason
We can succeed
And keep on being free
Then I’m willing to


[And then it's over. The music fades and she whispers, plaintively...] ...Wait for it…

[Only then does she notice she's not alone, and the emotional moment is broken by her startled yelp.]

[jivitadana]

[So far this event has been... a bit more eventful, so to speak. Or so to sing. Not that Minato hadn't sung before, what with all of those nights at karaoke to improve his courage and all, but this was completely different. He didn't get to choose the songs, the songs chose him. Thankfully he hadn't ended up singing all that often since he'd prefer to keep his voice as much to himself as he could along with anything that he had been actually singing about. Thanks, event.

The whiteboard was a pretty ingenious idea though, even if it was broken now. Minato hadn't intended really to end up here, but the seemingly anguished or frustrated singing got his attention and he recognized the voice. He waited too, listening to the entire song, and before he could say anything, ended up being noticed first. Whoops. He hadn't intended on that since sneaking up or creeping up on people isn't all that nice or polite.]

I'm sorry.

[For a lot of things, not just the eavesdropping. There was so much more he thought he should be doing or could be doing for her or for them. If there was a song in him, it might be preparing itself to escape at some point.]

[slapfight]

[Peridot frantically looks around for something to hide her shame behind, her cheeks turning blue from humiliation. She finally settles on half the whiteboard, covering her face with it.

Well... Half her face.]

It was- it was nothing! It's just the event. You can't take anything that happens in an event seriously.

[This would be great if she weren't such a terrible liar.]

[jivitadana]

[Minato stayed where he was since right now she was more than open and vulnerable and had every right to want to hide. He would have too, probably.]

Then just casually is okay? You seem worried.

[Or more than just that, but he chose "worried" over other words like distressed or panicked or maybe even embarrassed and he hoped not ashamed.]

[slapfight]

I just... didn't want anyone else to hear that?

[By "anyone else" she mostly means Lapis, but it's not a bunch of feelings she really wants associated to her, by any means, in general. She has a reputation! ..sort of.]

[jivitadana]

Sorry.

[He had to apologize again for listening too in the first place.]

You're waiting to be free?

[To be whatever she wanted to be?]

Showtime.

[ssmisery]

[Lapis hasn't missed the musical mood overtaking Wonderland, although it seems to have missed her. Oh, she's ended up humming a bit here and there in distracted moments, maybe singing snatches once or twice, but it doesn't stick. And that's good, right? She'd definitely hate being made to perform for this place's whims. She really should be relieved, but she just can't bring herself to care about a dumb little thing like that right now if it's not affecting her.

Being skipped by the compulsion would probably look a lot less enviable if the characters knew that kind of stubborn, miserable apathy was itself the reason. Oh well.

Frankly, she expected to hear more from this event out of her roommate; Peridot tends to chitter like a bird in the background even without reality warping to force her. Frankly -- if Lapis were taking the time to examine her thoughts -- she expected it to be annoying. But if that's not really how things shake out, that too ought to be all the better. Lapis's course of not giving a shit has already been set, and the first two days for her have passed... well, not normally, but the same as they would without the singing thing.

Day three is different. Lapis may be a tough nut for a musical to crack, but when it comes to endlessly dwelling on negativity she's easy pickings. As the effect settles in she steadily grows more moody and irritable, which is a particular problem when she already was those things. Hopelessness looms insurmountable; the soft spots that should get through to her veer out of reach. The only reason she had the drive to leave the barn-room at all, honestly, is that birdlike chittering or no she couldn't stand company anymore. She needed to be alone, the way she always has to be in the end because she already is and nobody else is ever going to get it, it's up to her to protect herself and she's not even going to be able to do that and...

So that's the backdrop when the scene opens, and Peridot has managed to attract the worst possible audience in several ways. Stopped in her tracks by dull surprise, Lapis appears to have come from the direction of the lake, disheveled and wet, now a kind of a mess on more levels than one. Whatever she's been up to hasn't improved her mood. And it's not clear exactly how much of the song she caught, but it definitely wasn't none. She's both more and less unreadable than usual, a complicated mix of surprise, confusion, incredulity, frustration, maybe even disgust, all diluted under a numb veil. Again, the worst possible audience. If there ever might have been a positive reaction in her, it's been drained out now.]

Were you... singing about me?

[slapfight]

[Peridot's yelp turns into a persistent, wordless whine as he gaze flicks elsewhere, hoping to find someone else to blame this on. Her cheeks are flushed indigo all the way across her face, mixing embarrassment with the obvious look of discomfort and fear.

This was so not what she wanted or expected from this little outburst. Bad enough that it happened at all. Now what is she supposed to do?]

It's... It was involuntary! It wasn't like I intentionally did it. It's ju-just one more Wonderland inconvenience.

[ssmisery]

[That's a poor excuse. Lapis herself, after all, has no trouble not singing about anyone's personal affairs. She knows by this point that it's an event, and heck, she too does come from a setting where people do spontaneous musical numbers anyway. Both of those contexts, though, also tell her that songs are honest and earnest, and that they... they stem from something important. She's good at reading the underlying meaning to things, even if she brushes off the details.

Lapis can't believe Peridot is doing this. Just -- dragging these things about her out into the open, making a whole silly show of it, like it's not something to be careful of or even take seriously. Here, now, when Lapis herself is caught up in the actual harsh reality they're dealing with, this, of all things, is what Peridot is up to. It could almost hurt, except...

Lapis can believe it all too easily, actually. She knows perfectly well that Peridot is nosy and silly and shallow. She knows Peridot treats her as a project, the way a small child playing pretend might. And sure she's fun to have around when nothing actually important is going on, but when it comes down to it she never really does any good, no more than anyone else can. The truth is that if Peridot ever did manage to make her feel like she wasn't alone, it was a pleasant illusion at best. And really, she always knew that, didn't she?

Lapis can't believe she would ever care about it. Who even told Peridot she gets to have an opinion? No, when it comes down to it it's none of her business. Lapis is nobody's business but Lapis. She doesn't need any of this nonsense.

It doesn't matter. None of it matters. Nothing either of them can do is going to matter, but at least Lapis has the decency to realize it. She's so tired. She's so tired of acting like anything has ever been okay. It's like lead in the limbs and nonexistent veins of her projection, it's like her vision dimming, it's like static pounding in her ears.

She glares at Peridot and through her, or past her, like she's trying to see her and can't. Her voice comes out vehement but uneven, sharp-edged, with the tone of a soundbyte being played in a slightly unfitting situation, and that really isn't something that should be conveyable through tone.]

Whatever you're doing, just stop. This isn't going to work.

[slapfight]

I'm not doing anything.

[Which is true. The whole point of avoiding Lapis this whole event was some bizarre way to give her space (but was it really or was it just to keep herself away from Lapis, because deep down she knew this would happen- Peridot is so good at self-delusion that it's hard to tell sometimes).

Realizing that denial has done her no favors thus far- while also worried she'll start singing again if she keeps evading the issue, she sighs, still flustered. She isn't exactly sure what Lapis means precisely about "it's not going to work," but she knows what it means in her own terms.

And she's right. It isn't working.] You're right. It isn't going to work. It hasn't worked yet. I just want you to see yourself the way I see you. Is that really such a bad thing?