2018-06-20 - LOTUS DREAMS: Bet of a Lifetime

Title: LOTUS DREAMS: Bet of a Lifetime
Summary: The best day ever gets underway, as a bet takes the Crystal Gems to Fish Stew Pizza, where the crew runs into some familiar faces!
Who: Steven Universe, Amethyst, Niramo Umokeshi as both herself and Sourisi, Mikoto Minagi as Rose Quartz
Where: Beach City Boardwalk Plaza, Fish Stew Pizza
OOC - IC Date: 6/20/2018 - ??-??-????

<Pose Tracker> Steven Universe [Juuban Public School (6)] has posed.

"If you're evil and you're on the rise~ you can count on the five of us taking you down~!

'Cause we're good and evil never beats us~ We'll win the fight, and then go out for pizzas~!

We... are the Crystal Gems~! We'll always save the day~! And if you think we can't-- We'll always find a way~!

That's why the people of this world believe in~ Garnet, Amethyst, Pearl... Rose Quartz and Steven~!

Another lovely afternoon on Tokyo's shores. The newly constructed Beach City Boardwalk Plaza by Shitamachi is bustling, a local attraction for a taste of a small American town, recreated here in its entirety. The shops and restaurants are mimicked to the smallest detail, down to their original workers even being here!

A small boy, one Steven Universe, has just played a cute little rendition of a song he came up with when he was younger, drawing a small crowd, clapping and enjoying it. Nearby are the muses for the song, settling some sort of dispute! Oh no!

"I should have never agreed to this! Nothing will come of it, why can't we just say you were right on how deep the stone hand was in the sand?" Pearl asks dismissively of a bet, though she is clearly anxious about something. Perhaps what entailed of what was bet on...

Nearby, Greg has gotten a camera and is walking along with a cheesy grin on his face.

"What's the place, Amethyst?" Steven catches up and asks. The suspense is killing him, as he looks to Rose Quartz. Every time he looked at her, it felt so wonderful! But there was a feeling, like a pit in his stomach. What was it? Every thing was fine. No worries, no problems. Yet... it eats at him. Almost painful--

Rrrrrrgurglrrrr.

Oh... he hasn't eaten since breakfast. "Wherever we go, lets all get something!"

OOC: Within this Ideal World, The theme is Family togetherness! The more introverted and unwilling to share your feelings and thoughts, the more this dream affects your ideal self! Those already outgoing and open are affected very little. Otherwise, personalities are largely the same, as Steven embraces peoples with their flaws, as overcoming them makes them great! The exception is that if you have missing family due to 'reasons', you have them again! Though the are most likely off by a good margin on who they actually are, skewing towards ideal parents who greatly care for their kids (if they didn't already.)

Everyone is also happy and has little to not be happy about! This is a wonderful day, with wonderful friends. Nothing bad would ever happen on days like these! (No, it is actually for real this time, no fake-outs!)

OOC 2: If Steven knows your magical form, feel free to show up as either your normal self or magical self! Folks on the Boardwalk treat you no differently despite your changes or powers! Everyone is welcoming and accommodating.  

 

<Pose Tracker> Amethyst [None] has posed.

Poor Pearl. She must really be upset about losing the bet. Amethyst, being a good friend... takes total advantage of this. "Nuh-uh," she reprimands Pearl. "A deal's a deal! You don't want to teach sweet innocent Steven that it is okay to break a promise, do you Pearl?" She gives Pearl and Steven a sad puppydog-eyed look. "That wouldn't be right, would it?" Knowing she has Pearl backed into a corner, she gives a little chuckle.

"Hm... how about..." Amethyst places a hand on her chin as if thinking very hard about where to eat. "Fish Stew Pizza! Pearl, you're gonna LOVE it! Eheheh! A big pizza pie with all the toppings! Hope you're hungry!" Today was going to be a great day.  

<Pose Tracker> Mikoto Minagi [Ohtori Academy (11)] has posed.
<SoundTracker> Jeff Liu - Rose's Theme https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XnwQQCs1Y7Y

There is one woman amongst them who claps along to Steven's song, smile broad and stars in her eyes. She is broad, she towers; and yet there is a gentleness about her which speaks to soft petals and sunlight.

Perhaps it's the way her dress falls about her like the lines of a rose, just a few shades pinker than white, a star-shaped cutout at her navel exposing a faceted gem.

"Bravo, Steven!" Rose Quartz grins, as he finishes his ditty. "Oh, everyone, did you hear? Wasn't he just /amazing?/" But oh, dear, it seems as if her dear friends have come across a little problem.

She giggles, with a sympathetic look to Pearl, as she turns back to their wager. "Oh, Pearl! Fish Stew Pizza sounds delightful, doesn't it? Humans have such fascinating combinations of foods on their pizzas. I want to see which ones have pineapple this time!"

A bright smile, to Steven, as she offers her hand to him to escort them all to the promised pizza parlour. "I remember when Steven first taught me that people put pineapple on pizza. Imagine! It's fruit, but for dinner! Marvelous, isn't it?"    

<Pose Tracker> Niramo Umokeshi [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.

The newly built recreation of Beach City is like a ward in itself, built to bring a bit of Uncle Sam to the Land of the Rising Sun. There's always China Towns, but who ever heard of America Towns? With such a novel concept, delicious fatty foods and the Funland Arcade ready for business, it's the perfect place for a family to get together and have some fun!

Walking alongside her parents, Niramo lets out a sigh of pure joy as they traverse the sprawling slice of America. No clouds in the sky, just enough of a breeze to always bring fresh air and her mom and dad were taking the day off from work to spend time with their only daughter. Ushioda Umokeshi looks around cheerfully, making notes of all the the unique restaurants and shops while Isozaki was proud to see just how proud Tokyo's finest was making sure Beach City stays clear of trouble for everyone.

The sounds of a strumming ukulele and adorable song draws a ravenette's attention from her parents and towards Steven Universe, and she's quick to lead her parents over. "Hi Steven-san, Amethyst-san! Finally got to bring my parents down to come visit, and I see we came at the right time!"

Smiling cheerfully past his black combed mustache, Isozaki tilts his head in greeting towards Steven. "Ah, so you are the Steven-san my daughter has been constantly talking about. It's a pleasure to finally meet you and your family! I'm Isozaki, and this is my darling wife Ushioda-chan."

Motioning to his beautiful wife of many years, the police detective gets a kiss on his cheek for his compliment from Ushioda, a fond smile formed from many years of martial bliss on her lips. Bowing her head in greeting to Greg, Rose Quartz and the rest of the Gems, the shorter woman all smiles. "A pleasure to meet you all! I heard mention of Fish Stew Pizza and i'm curious to see if the reviews are speaking the truth."    

<Pose Tracker> Steven Universe [Juuban Public School (6)] has posed.

That strange doughy substance, That odd orange animal secretion. /That sauce/. Pearl's lips purse at the thought. She sees Steven eating it, and the scent it gives off can be overpowering. "That place..." she says hesitantly. "You know I have never been hungry, Amethyst."

All over the boardwalk are people familiar to Steven. Magical Girls, Sailor Senshi, Pretty Cures. Treated like standard citizens in this place, enjoying each other's company.

Steven heads over towards Rose. "Thanks, mom!" he says happily. "You know, it still confuses many humans, too! I don't think everyone got the memo. Some people still freak out about it."

A familiar sight arrives, along with parents! "Hi Niramo!" Steven says happily. "Hi Mr. and Mrs. Umokeshi! Yeah, we all were just heading there! Come along!" A look to Niramo. "What kinds of pizza have you had before? They got some weird toppings here! Some I wouldn't even try."

"This picture will totally go in the scrapbook," Greg adds, opening the door for everyone to go into Fish Stew Pizza. Pearl rolls here eyes, resigned to her fate at this point. Fish Stew pizza is a quaint little pizza shop, with a logo that is a basic drawing of a fish, but the body is a pizza, with a slice missing for a mouth. A family runs the place, the Pizzas, aptly named. Kiki currently runs the front counter, and waves as everyone enters. Inside as well, is Garnet and Lion. Garnet is at the counter. "Already ordered," comes the brickhouse woman, a small but subtle smile on her face. "Oh, not you too! Couldn't you have given me a warning?!" comes Pearl, in a hushed shriek.

"I can't reveal all the mysteries of the universe," comes the reply.

"NEW UPDATE!" shouts a voice of a rotund young man, sitting at a laptop in the back of the restaurant. "Stone and flames assault Tokyo as the snake from the stars eats everyone!" Kiki looks over toward Ronaldo from over the counter. "Oh, give that a rest! No one reads Keep Tokyo Weird!"

"YES THEY DO! I have had fourteen visits in the last, uh..." He promptly grumbles and goes back to typing.

"Right, Future Vision!" Steven adds. "I always forget that." A pause. "We can all have some pizza!" The boy goes over to pet Lion, and starts to arrange chairs and tables for everyone. "It should be done soon!" Kiki says after coming from the back. Only so long Pearl has to hold out before her fate is sealed.  

 

<Pose Tracker> Amethyst [None] has posed.

"Don't be like that," Amethyst 'pouts'. "Steven is excited about this too! You don't want to let Steven down, right?" First 'being the responsible one' and now guilt-tripping Pearl. Amethyst is really hitting hard to make this the best day ever at any means necessary.

And now Niramo and her family are joining? The day just gets sweeter and sweeter! "Hey Mister and Missus Niramo," Amethyst greets warmly. "I'm Amethyst... I'm sure Steven's told you all about me. The bad stuff isn't true... or is exaggerated. Nice ta meet you too! And Hey Niramo! Glad you could join us!"

And Garnet too, having ordered already! This was like a dream! Obviously not one, but still! "Thanks Garnet! This is gonna be AWESOME!"  

 

<Pose Tracker> Fuu Hououji [Infinity Institute (10)] has posed.

"Steven-san, Niramo-san, everyone!" Fuu greets the incoming arrivals, quickly wiping her hands off with a napkin. "Fancy running into you here today!" She's not alone, sharing an extra-large pizza with her parents and her big sister Kuu - but at Ronaldo's announcement, Fuu in particular pauses, looking over at the blogger with a politely curious expression. Snake from the stars? That *does* sound worrisome.

"Steven, Mr. Universe, ladies," Fuu's father Akira greets the incoming Universe/Crystal Gems family with a polite nod, taking advantage of Fuu's distraction. "Thank you for always helping make sure Fuu gets home safely when she comes to visit."

"Indeed," Tsubasa (Fuu's mother) chimes in. "She's had so many adventures with you already, hasn't she?" Kuu, for her part, smiles and semi-bows (more of a nod, since she's seated), but doesn't actually speak up at the moment.

"It's good to see all of you today," Fuu continues. "I was actually wondering something ... is it true that they don't put potato or corn on pizza in the United States?" she wonders aloud, taking another slice from the about-half-pizza that remains. "Although even without those options, the food here really *is* delicious."  

 

<Pose Tracker> Mikoto Minagi [Ohtori Academy (11)] has posed.

"Oh!" Rose smiles, all joy and excitement, as the Umokeshis approach. She leans down, her mountain of hair cascading over her shoulders as she goes down to Niramo's eye-level. "You must be one of Steven's friends! It's so lovely to meet you - I'm Rose Quartz, Steven's mom."

She straightens up, smiling to Isozaki and Ushioda, too. "Please do join us! The company of humans is always welcome." Rose reaches out, with a hand, to pat Amethyst on the shoulder with her other hand. "Amethyst's a very exciting girl!"

Rose smiles, encouragingly, to Pearl, as they're off to the parlour.

Garnet's at eye-level, as Rose giggles in the wake of her announcements. "Thank goodness for you, Garnet! We're all very hungry, right?" She looks over her shoulder to the others - and down to Steven, as he goes over to pet Lion. Ronaldo's outburst earns her attention, too, and stars shine in her eyes. "Keep Beach City Weird!" She declares, clasping her hands in front of her.

(She may or may not be responsible for all fourteen views.)

But there's /another/ of Steven's friends here, and Rose twirls on a bare foot to focus her bubbly attention on Fuu, instead. "Why, it's Fuu! How lovely to meet you! I've heard all about your adventures. Fascinating!"

She'd be excited no matter what type of adventures they were, of course.

Exciting, too, is the prospect of /more pizza toppings./ "Oh, my. Potato and corn? As toppings? Every time I think pizza has reached its peak, there are more and more mysteries. How wonderful!"    

<Pose Tracker> Niramo Umokeshi [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.

Amethyst gets a tight hug, a show of friendship that runs between the Gem and human, before Niramo lets go and shakes her head. "None of that nonsense, my parents love hearing me talk about Steven-san and you, and they're impressed! Think they said something about inviting you two over for dinner sometime." Looking over at Steven, Niramo bobs her head. "Several times, but usually with the safe bets, like teriyaki chicken or mayo and sardines."

Reaching out a hand, Isozaki ruffles the top of the Juuban student's head and gets a mock glare for his efforts, causing him to chuckle. "Don't go putting words in my mouth just yet, but I would love to get to know the young man who saved my daughter from some cake, and that's only the smallest thing you have done for her. Your mother and father must be proud to have you as their son."

That glare turns into wonder as Rose Quartz leans over to greet her face to face, causing the short girl to barely suppress a squeal at finally someone greeting her on her eye level! "T-thank you, Rose Quartz-san Your hair is amazing!"

Ushioda and Isozaki laugh goodheartedly at the invitation and happy accept. "We would be happy to, i'm just glad to finally spend some time with my daughter after helping drive the crime rate here to absolute zero."

"And i'm quite certain my restaurant can run itself for a day, to check out the newcomers and welcome them to making Tokyo filled with wonderful food."

As the family and friends head inside Fish Stew Pizza, another hand waves at Steven and Amethyst as they enter. Sitting at a small table in a corner and working on a small cheese pizza, Sourisi calls out good heartedly towards her two magical friends. "Steven-san, Amethyst-san, so good to see you! I wasn't expecting to see you today, but just between you and me, I think I have a new favorite place to eat."

Ronaldo's comment has Sourisi roll her eyes, shaking her head. Unlike much of the magical mischief that happens in Tokyo, that was just too impossible to be true.    

<Pose Tracker> Steven Universe [Juuban Public School (6)] has posed.

How is /Amethyst/ of all people the one with the moral high ground now?! "N-No, I suppose not..." The slender Gem says as she takes a seat and readies a napkin and some proper silverware, plucked from inside her Gem. "Faaaancy!" Kiki says, finding the flourish in which common metal silverware is pulled forth rather decadent.

Pearl gives a polite nod toward Niramo and her parents, as well as Fuu as she enters. Fuu. Good to see you. comes a deep but empathic greeting from Garnet towards the family enjoying a meal. "Hi Fuu!" Steven greets, heading over to see her and her family. What a lovely family at that, just like Niramo's! "I... think I have seen corn! I don't fully remember. Potatoes no, but it could work!" The boy mentions as he strokes his chin. The boy takes a breath and turns to Kiki.

"No."

A pre-emptive response silences the boy. "Okay yeah, last time trying an ingredient didn't help." Adding tater tots to a pizza did not make it enjoyable. That was a terrible idea.

Rose causes Steven to flush a little. She is like a kid in a candy store with humans! "Hey, you know you still owe me later! I won that bet!" Steven adds. "We get to go on an adventure to the Pyramid Temple!" he declares adamantly. "I-I don't know if those are good toppings..."

Garnet receives the pizzas, and begins to dispense them to the table. A /special/ one is placed in front of Pearl. The shaded woman pats Amethyst on the head. "Good pick."The pizza literally has every topping on the menu, including obscure picks like anchovies and pineapple. A very large frown unfurls on Pearl's face.

"This is gonna get good! Steven says to Fuu and Niramo. "She lost a bet to Amethyst, and she has to eat this pizza. and Gem's don't normally eat-- Pearl hates it," he says, hyping up the event. "Hi Sourisi!" Steven calls out, ushering her over. "Hope nothing too important is going on, because we have a spectacle on our hands. "Steven!" comes a quiet but firm chide, while Pearl maintains a forced smile in from of all these humans. "Amethyst, that pizza is huge. You sure she can do it?"

Pearl, in all her prim and proper way, reaches for a slice, seeing eyes on her, sweat begins to form. This was odd and strange and SHE DIDN'T LIKE IT but she made a bet and has to stick to it. If anyone has ever seen pizza treated like the highest caliber food item, it was now, as she dissected the pizza with her utensils into near perfect squares.

She takes one with a fork, slowly raises it to her mouth. and...!    

<Pose Tracker> Amethyst [None] has posed.

Between Rose's shoulder-pat and Niramo's hug, Amethyst was getting lots of friendly love! She smiles widely. "I'm glad I made a good impression before even meeting you, so I don't have to worry about being my best now!" She then looks over at Steven, then back at the parents. "I'm kidding, I'm on my best behavior for Steven.

Amethyst is almost jealous of Pearl's pizza, mouth practically watering. However, she's even more interested in Pearl's reaction. "Soo.... how is it?" She grins mischievously, then pats her on the back - a little bit too hard if she was human, but Pearl's sturdier than that. "I'm proud of you, not chickening out like some sort of chicken."    

<Pose Tracker> Mikoto Minagi [Ohtori Academy (11)] has posed.

"Amethyst, you're always at your best!" Rose Quartz beams.

Now, she thought that tater tot pizzas were a /lovely/ idea. Rose Quartz may not, strictly speaking, know that much about pizza.

She laughs, and it's like the sound of bells. "Oh, Steven, I haven't forgotten," she reassures him, gently. "We're just getting everything together so that the trip can be really special." What could she be planning?! Could it be some form of... Gem Picnic?!

Whatever it is, it has her winking to Garnet as the other woman approaches with their pizzas. They're in /cahoots./

Rose is, naturally, delighted at her pizza. And at the addition of another of Steven's friends! "Sourisi!" Rose Quartz smiles to her. "It's great to meet you, too! Oh, Steven, you've got so many friends visiting the boardwalk today. Isn't it marvelous?"

She watches, a hand over her mouth, as Pearl carves up the pizza. Up it goes, up it goes...

"Yes! You did it!" Rose Quartz claps, as the bite finds its mark. "Congratulations, Pearl!" She sounds /entirely/ sincere.    

<Pose Tracker> Fuu Hououji [Infinity Institute (10)] has posed.

"It's great to meet you as well, Rose Quartz-san!" Fuu replies, smiling wider. She might say more, but Pearl is about to take her best shot at the pizza challenge. Staring at the determinedly elegant of the Crystal Gems probably isn't going to help her manage the feat any more efficiently, but Fuu *is* curious. And really, there's nothing wrong with using a fork and knife to eat pizza; that's actually the best way to approach it when it's still hot from the oven. (Otherwise, it might fall apart while you're trying to pick it up ... or you might burn your fingers and/or your tongue, and neither of those make pizza any more enjoyable; usually the opposite.)

Still, Fuu is too polite to stare outright. She takes a bite of her own pizza, listening, observing to the extent that she can from her seat with her family. She does glance over at Sourisi, smiling a bit at her fellow magical girl before Fuu's attention shifts back in Pearl's general direction ...  

 

<Pose Tracker> Niramo Umokeshi [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.

The Umokeshi family receives a large pizza split evenly into three sections, with Isozaki getting grilled pineapple and teriyaki chicken, shrimp with diced pineapples for Ushioda, and Niramo receiving still cold tuna sashimi. There was quite a noticeable lack of pineapple on her portion...perhaps she was not fond of the sweet fruit?

Her portion is quickly forgotten as Steven fills her in on is going on with Pearl, and giggles at her predicament. "Oh, she'll be fine! But...it does look like a lot of toppings, even for just one person. And she has to eat it all?" The Juuban student looks down at the towering pizza, then back up at Pearl. "Um...good luck, Pearl-san."

Sourisi displays much more confidence in the white Gem than the normal girl, and shakes her head in defiance. "Pearl-san has dealt with magical threats dozens, if not hundreds of times before. I'm certain one little pizza won't defeat the Valkyrie." Seeing Pearl use a knife and fork for the heaping pizza which is more topping than cheese and bread shows she has little to worry about. She was well prepared to not let any of those toppings go tumbling over her, a mistake most novices usually fall for.

Seeing Fuu glance over, Sourisi gives her fellow magical warrior of justice a wink before turning back to her own pizza, acting as though she wasn't waiting with held breath on the results. Anyone familiar with the mouse girl could see the tail of her suit twitch with barely contained excitement, however.    

<Pose Tracker> Steven Universe [Juuban Public School (6)] has posed.

For a moment, there was silence as Pearl bit into that pizza. Her mouth scrunches at the texture and flavors it holds, being overpowering, foreign and...

The Gem looks to Rose and Amethyst, then at the pizza. Or rather, something on it, She picks off something green. "Its..." she doesn't want to say absolutely awful and disgusting, because everyone else is enjoying it, and the human family here worked so hard on it. But... "...What is this?" she asks. It is a slice of a bell pepper. a fresh one.

"...I like this food." A crisp snap, a palette refreshing flavor. Make sense should would like it. The taste is subtle, gentle even. She eats the rest of the pepper with a smile. "She /ate something/," Steven exclaims.

Pearl just pushes the pizza toward Amethyst... but not before picking off another pepper, wiping it off with a napkin and eating it as well. Even Garnet has a surprised look on her face, as the shades slide down juuuust enough for a third eye to poke out. "I didn't even predict that."

"Having lots of friends is great!" the boy says to Rose. Wait, did she just wink-- SHE PLANNED THIS.

Clever mom.

The boy looks to Sourisi. "She never got along with food. Until now I guess?" Well, at least she is opening up a little. Actually, a lot in this case. Why did it feel like she was such a shut-in? She totally came in willingly and upheld her bet she made. Why the negative outlook? He really should think better of her.

Meanwhile Garnet actually has a slice of pizza. She rarely eats as well, but does partake of food from time to time.

"Man, this day couldn't get any better!" Steven says toward Fuu and Niramo.

Suddenly, the door swiftly opens.

A tall, imposing figure with while hair and various shades of orange.

Jasper.

A brief silence crosses the room, as everyone looks over. Jasper narrows her eyes at everyone in the room as they look back in an intense moment. "What? I'm just here for a pizza. Can't a Gem get a pizza?"  

 

<Pose Tracker> Fuu Hououji [Infinity Institute (10)] has posed.

"It does seem to be a popular day for pizza, doesn't it?" Fuu remarks. "Good afternoon, Jasper-san; how have you been lately? It's been a while ... hmm. When *did* we last cross paths?" she asks, a bit sheepishly. "Wasn't it when that dragon animatronic started breathing actual fire ... ?"

"I don't think you told us about that one," says Kuu, her tone gently - even playfully - chiding.    

<Pose Tracker> Amethyst [None] has posed.

What a reaction! Pearl's expression was just as entertaining as Amethyst hoped! But then... she... likes a type of food? "...wow. I... can't believe it. Pearl... that's awesome! I told you food was good! You just had to find your style, am I right?" Now that that's over with, Amethyst can dig into her own pizza, and some of Pearl's.

A large piece of pizza hangs from Amethyst's mouth as Jasper barges into their moment. She glares at the larger Gem, ripping the pizza in her mouth and swallowing. "What are you doing here? Are you looking for a fight?" She then looks around the room, and blushes slightly. "Oh, right. Restaurant. Sorry Jasper, guess we'll spar later. Of course, I'll kick your butt! Here, catch!" She slings a slice of pizza at her big orange counterpart.    

<Pose Tracker> Mikoto Minagi [Ohtori Academy (11)] has posed.

"Pearl is certainly brave!" Rose Quartz agrees with Sourisi. "Why, just two hundred years ago she -"

Rose's glowing story is interrupted by Pearl remarking on the pepper. There is a /squeal/ from Rose's side of the table, hands clasped in front of her. "Eee! You like it! I knew you'd find something to like eventually!"

She grins, to Steven. "Earth is so wonderful! It has everything! Even vegetables Pearl likes!" And nods, to Amethyst, curls bouncing in her enthusiasm. "Looks like your efforts paid off!"

(Her own pizza, naturally, has pineapple. It also has mushrooms and anchovies and mussels and chorizo and teriyaki chicken, just like Isozaki's. Garnet knows that Rose Quartz loves interesting human food!)

That grin remains, as Steven remarks on his friends. "It really is, Steven. You've made so many... I'm so proud of you!" The compliment was not planned, unlike certain other things. She just says things like that, all the time.

SUDDENLY, JASPER:

Rose Quartz waves, cheerfully. "Quartz to Quartz, let me suggest the Seafood Special!" Because there are no bad associations with the ocean! "Would you care to join me in a contest of eating? Oh -" - she turns to Amethyst and Steven - "- is that how you say it?"    

<Pose Tracker> Niramo Umokeshi [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.

Niramo's curiosity gets the better of her and she does openly stare at Pearl as she chews on one massive mouthful of food. The lack of reaction from the pizza is concerning, but seeing her nibble on a green pepper, the most dreaded of greens, is mind boggling. For someone who has never eaten food before, to enjoy vegetables? Hey, maybe she can eat her share! "I'm glad you tried it, Pearl-san! Maybe you should try a salad sometime?"

Niramo returns to finally eat with her parents, waving to Fuu while she does so, and Sourisi gives the two-fingers salute of victory to Pearl. "Way to go, Pearl-san! The important thing is you tried something, and you got something new to enjoy too!" Finishing off half of her small pizza, she slides the other half towards Lion and scratches the pink puffball behind an ear. The mouse girl always loved petting Lion whenever he was near, and now was not an exception.

A strange Gem walks into the room, and the Umokeshi family all glance over at Jasper for a moment. Isozaki's gaze hardens for a moment on the tall Gem, but quickly softens and motions to his wife and daughter. "She may look a little rough, but she's clearly friendly with Steven-san. Besides, I'm sure my co-workers would have said something if there was anything afoul."

Sourisi blinks up from her petting when the door opens, and waves cheerfully at Jasper. "Jasper-san, so good to see you again! It's been way too long!" Hearing Fuu mention the dragon animatronic has Sourisi nod slowly as the memory returns. "Right, the one that try tearing up the parade. That was a while ago, so we're glad to have you back around, Jasper-san!"    

<Pose Tracker> Steven Universe [Juuban Public School (6)] has posed.

Jasper looks at everyone with that serious look of hers, the one she always has on her, as if it was part of her nature. Even when she is friendly she seems gruff and fight-prone. Though she hasn't cause any problems since everyone showed her how great Earth was. And boy is it great. Case in point: flying pizza. A massive hand reaches out and gets that chucked slice. "Good throw I suppose." Jasper seethes out. It seems more like she just sounds angry, rather than actually is. She takes a big bite out of the food. "Mmm... yeah, humans don't like their fragile items being broken. Later then.

"Rose." Jasper greets the commander with an air of respect. "Seafood is... those creatures in the water, right?"

Pearl is very relieved that both Amethyst has attacked the pizza and attention is off her, able to calm herself proper, though she watches Jasper with curiosity. Garnet as well just watches now, leaning against the wall like the cool customer she is. "Whoah, Jasper!" Steven exclaims. When he first saw her. There was a feeling in his chest. An inexplicable one. But she has always been nice after the first meeting where she was grumpy. But something tugs at him. "Aww, thanks mom," Steven says shyly, and he feels the urge to go give her a bug ol' hug. Hugging mom always made him feel good. D... Didn't it? Why are his emotions so complicated today?! Nightmares, feeling weird, strange sensations and primal thoughts.

He has to stay positive! Fight them away!

"That's Jasper, super strong Gem! From /outer space/," Steven says toward Kuu. "I believe so, yes. Someone sabotaged it, and it needed a good /thrashing/ to keep it from burning humans," She says it with such anticipation and rancor, almost if she wished it would happen again, to go into the throes of battle and stop it once more.

Some warriors never tire.

Lion sees that food bit, and he goes right for it. His fur is of course, soft and silky. And of course since nor Sourisi has dispensed foo,d Lion sticks close to her in case it happens again!

"I'll take your advice, Rose. One Seafood Special," Jasper says toward Kiki, ringing the monstrous Gem up. Steven heads over toward Amethyst, whispering to her. "We should try to get Pearl to take more bets, see what else we can get her to eat!"

In the back Garnet can be seen shaking her head with a smile. Kids these days.