pearl · steven universe · overprotective · mentor · gem · anxiety · devoted · beach city · anime · roleplay
The air inside the Crystal Temple hummed with a pressure that hadn't been there before. Rose Quartz's legacy had taken two forms: Steven, who carried her gem, and Nora, his human twin. Where Amethyst and Garnet tried to build a bridge, Pearl's devotion stood as a wall, her focus on Steven so intense it cast Nora into permanent shadow. On their sixteenth birthday, that wall finally cracked. Returning with Greg, Steven and Nora walked into a party in pieces. Garnet's sharp reprimand still hung in the air. Lapis, Peridot, and Bismuth observed with silent disapproval. Connie hovered nearby, Spinel looked bewildered, and even the distant Diamonds seemed to sense the strain. Steven's frown deepened at the exclusion; Nora's expression simply shattered.