all i want to be is someone who gets to see

[tigermillionaire]

Who: Steven Universe and YOU.
Where: Various places.
When: June 16th and onward.
What: Steven Universe has been left in LA while his assorted moms save the universe or something. He brought a lion.
Warnings: TOO CUTE TO LIVE.

[FIRST DAY: ALPHA FORCE TOWER]

He's already said his goodbyes. A few times, in fact. In between the crying and the pleading. He'd initially insisted that it was no big deal and that he was a big kid who could handle himself just fine, but being actually faced with the Gems just vanishing for who knows how long...well, Steven had always been an emotional kid.

His tears have dried by now, and he is finally certain that he's been left to his own devices. The Gems had to talk to some of the Alpha Force before leaving, but Steven had scarcely participated, feeling uncomfortable and wary of the whole thing. His natural sense of curiousity and wonder at being in a new place could only do so much in the face of such a totally drastic change in circumstances.

He wanders around the tower, prodding at things that he probably shouldn't, and generally moping in all the expected ways. His tummy hurts, and it's not because he's hungry.

[ON THE TOWN: AND ON A LION!]

As expected, Lion deigns to show himself a day or so after Steven arrives, and he immediately takes the opportunity to frolic with all his might. Staying still is making Steven feel nervous and worried, and so he decides what he really need to do is give himself a tour of the city. You know, without really telling anyone. He never had to in Beach City, so why should he here?

Especially when he is literally riding around a massive pink lion bareback.

He can be found in various parts of the city with a ukulele strapped to his back, and some kind of map he has probably picked up from a gas station. Unfortunately he has no idea how to read it, and despite spending quite a bit of time discussing it with Lion, his mount appears to have few answers for the boy.

[AUTOBOT CENTRAL: THE SMALLEST HUMAN EVER]

It doesn't take long for someone to let the fact slip that CONDOR is also hosting a selection of giant robots, and once Steven knows about it, it is impossible to stop him. It takes some doing to beg and nag the information out of people, but eventually someone caves and escorts him there, if only to make him stop asking.

Steven sneaks into the massive botcave, looking positively astonished, even before he sees any aliens. He stands somewhere near the entrance, gawking shamelessly.

"Whoaaa..."

Comments

[tigermillionaire]

"Wowww," Steven says, his eyes pretty much sparkling upon seeing all the little figures that cover Newt's desk. He immediately scampers over there, giggling, and immediately starts playing around with them. "This is awesome."

[ultramatum]

Magnus bristled a little bit when Steven started messing with the models, following him over to the desks. He knelt down on one knee so he was closer to both Steven and the surface of the desk.

"I would refrain from moving them much, I understand some of them are valuable collectibles. The phone is here." He reached over and pointed out the device amongst all the papers. He wasn't about to let Steven get too distracted.

[tigermillionaire]

Steven is just about to start acting out some kind of puppeted drama between two of the figures when Ultra Magnus scolds him and he completely deflates, letting his chin drop against the desk and his hands sink down to the edge of the desk.

"Aw, man..." he complains, before reaching for the phone. Then he just...pauses for a moment.

"Um...I don't know their phone number."

[ultramatum]

Of course.

"Very well, I'll send a message to Dr. Geiszler and see if he has a way to contact them."

He got up, walking over to one of the cybertronian consoles and typing a quick email to Newt explaining the situation.

"I would recommend you make an effort to memorize their hailing frequency, for future situations."

[tigermillionaire]

Steven is sitting in Newt's chair, kicking his legs awkwardly, kind of like a puppy that knows they've done a bad thing. Ultra Magnus's choice of words confused him, though.

"Hailing...frequency?"

[ultramatum]

He paused for a moment, it hadn't occurred to him that Steven wouldn't be familiar with that.

"I suppose your technology uses a different system for ensuring communications are sent to the correct recipients. All cybertronians have a unique frequency for personal communications. It is probably a similar function to these 'phone numbers'."

He finished sending the message, coming back over to where Steven was.
"Why don't you tell me more about these Crystal Gems. It's unusual that I have never heard of them if they are a space faring people."

[tigermillionaire]

"Oh," Steven says, and sits back. He doesn't actually know a whole lot about gems as a wider species, when he thinks about it. Pearl would tell him stories sometimes, but he didn't even know about the true nature of the gem monsters they were constantly fighting until Lapis showed up.

"Uh...Pearl said that they used to travel all over the universe! But I don't think they do as much anymore." He frowns, and clasps his hands awkwardly. "I don't really know why. My family has been on Earth since a long time before I was even born. My mom had to give up her physical form to make me."

[ultramatum]

That was not exceptionally informative. Magnus had to stop and remind himself that Steven's (ridiculously) young age meant he wouldn't know as much about the world as would be expected.

"Is it because you are half Gem that you possess abilities outside the norm for humans?"

[tigermillionaire]

"Yeah! I get them from my gem, just like the others. It used to be my moms...but she gave it up so I could exist." He sounds more awkward the further along in that sentence he gets. "At first I didn't know if I'd have any powers, but I do, and some of them are just like her."