Library, Monday

[intotheout]

Thanks to her conversation with Peridot in class, Tip spent the first chunk of her shift today looking up geology, specifically the way scientists had come up with to identify different minerals.

Well shit. Geologists did lick rocks after all. She was never going to hear the end of this.

[open!]

Comments

[intotheout]

"I am a girl of my word," Tip said with a nod. "I think you're going to enjoy what I found."

And then be smug about it forever.

[era_two_triangle]

"I will?" Peridot perked up a little bit more at that. "Let me see, let me see!"

This, of course, came with an excited little skip from foot to foot.

[intotheout]

Tip sighed, and slid one of the books over. It was still open to the page that talked about how saliva was good for quick rock cleaning, and that taste could help you identify rocks. "There's a whole bunch more, too," she said quickly. "With stuff about, like, carbon dating and things."

But Tip figured she should get the licking part over with first.

[era_two_triangle]

Peridot leaned over the book and read. And then tilted her head and read it again.

And then looked up at Tip.

And she snickered.

[intotheout]

Tip rested her head on the desk. "Shut up."

[era_two_triangle]

Peridot's little snicker turned into a little cackle.

"You're the second person in two weeks to ask me about licking rocks," she said, somewhere in there, "but it isn't just me!"

AHAHAHA! YES!

[intotheout]

Well. At least she wasn't alone.

"It isn't just you," Tip agreed, unable to help a small smile at Peridot's glee. "You want to borrow the book so you can show it to the other person too?"

[era_two_triangle]

"Yessssss," Peridot agreed, giving a little wiggle. "He was worried about germs."

What did a Gem have to worry about germs?

[intotheout]

". . . I mean, that's fair, for a human."

[era_two_triangle]

"But he knows I'm not human," Peridot pointed out. "I'm not even organic."

[intotheout]

"Yeah, but we can have trouble looking outside our own species for reference sometimes."

[era_two_triangle]

"Well, he should know better," Peridot muttered, wrinkling her nose. "Especially now that I know that your species does it, too."

[intotheout]

"I didn't even know our species does it too," Tip pointed out. "And we're actually pretty good at resisting germs anyway, but some people worry about that sort of thing. You just kind of have to . . . deal."

[era_two_triangle]

"Deal," Peridot echoed, looking back down at the book. "I can... deal."

Possibly by shoving this book in Jason's face and cackling at him, too.

[intotheout]

That would be totally fair, if you asked Tip.

"You're doing pretty well at it already."

[era_two_triangle]

"Well, I suppose I have been here a while now," Peridot said, a bluish tint of a blush coloring her cheeks. "I'm practically a local!"

Not quite, no.

[intotheout]

"You're definitely more of one than any other gem I've met," Tip pointed out.

[era_two_triangle]

"Well..." Peridot scuffed her toe and smiled a little, almost bashfully. "Amethyst was made on Earth, and Garnet and Pearl have been here for thousands of years. But I'm a fast learner."

[intotheout]

"I bet you're still a lot better at Fandom than they would be."

[era_two_triangle]

"Well, I don't eat garbage, at least."

Like Amethyst did.

"... I'm going to miss it here when it's my turn to go. I didn't realize how short a year really was until coming here."

[intotheout]

"I thought gems didn't eat anything at all," Tip said, then frowned. "We're going to miss you, too. You're not going to stick around after school ends?"

[era_two_triangle]

"The ones who can shapeshift can," Peridot muttered, a little sore about that one. "Can I stick around? Beyond the summer, I mean?"

Summer had left right away. That had hurt, a little.

[intotheout]

"I don't see why not," Tip said. "There's plenty of people who just live in town and don't go to school."

[era_two_triangle]

Peridot fidgeted a little.

"I suppose the Diamonds wouldn't find me here," she said, at length.

Calling Yellow a clod hadn't been one of her more intelligent life choices.

[intotheout]

"They probably wouldn't. Though . . . do you miss your own universe?"