Summary: Bet you never saw this a comin
Greg strummed another note . "Oh listen when I say … the cosmos may be far away … but a single touch will drive it's van, right into your mind!" He finished the grand finale and slid on the stage, putting out the best performance he could muster for his audience…an audience that wasn't there.
Greg groaned. When he started out on this one man rock gig, he figured that all he needed to do was love the music he wrote and the crowds would love it just as much. But six towns in on this music tour and he's barely filled the seats, if at all.
Not to mention that one guy who showed up wasn't even listening to the music, he just wanted background noise to whatever drug he was taking. Nobody was actually invested in his passion and music. Not to mention Marty wasted most of the money on women and booze, the jerk.
Maybe his parents were right. He didn't have a future in this and was just throwing his potential in the trash. He was good with math, so maybe Greg could get some boring desk job somewhere. He'd hate it to no end, but he'd be able to eat a full meal for once-
Clap. Clap. Clap.
Wait, was that clapping? Was there actually someone in the audience that he didn't notice? Was he just so used to the empty crowds that he immediately assumed it was.
He turned his eyes to the source, finding a lone woman with glasses, staring with a smile as she gave small claps. He could feel the smile leap off his lips. "Thank you, random stranger!" He shouted with a joking grin.
"No, thank you, mr. Universe singer guy!" His crowd of one cheered excitedly, running over to the stage in a rather hectic manner, practically bulldozing all the chairs to make her way through. "I-whoa. Almost lost my foot there." She kicked off one that got stuck on her leg. "I really enjoyed the show. I was able to get the best seat in the house after all."
"Hey, trust me when I say I'm more grateful to the fan." He assured. "At this rate we can actually pay for the commission … oh, do you want a t- shirt?" Greg asked. "A souvenir that you've heard the melody of the stars."
"Oooh, yes, yea, yes! I love collecting all kinds of space memorabilia!" The woman eagerly nodded. "I mean, it started off when I was bored at a library and picked up an old copy of Stellar Odyssey and.."
"No way, you like the series too?" He smiled. "I got into the tv shows and movies more, but I just love the concept of space exploration. It's like an endless highway you can drive down on and keep going without ever turning back."
"I know right?" She smiled. "The possible types of lifeforms, the hard limits of physics, the moments when all things collide into a beautiful mix of everything you've ever seen." She gushed with sparkly eyes. "Oh, where are my manners, I'm Camila."
"Greg Universe mam." He responded.
"... You use your stage name whenever you introduce yourself to someone?"
"No…I..hehehe, I legally changed my last name to Mr. Universe." Something that put a dent in his wallet. "I guess that sounds ridiculous.."
"Ridiculously cool!" Camila laughed. "You love space so much that you wanted to the whole world to know it, that's some hard core dedication."
"Well that was one reason. Another was this old song that I used to listen to." He smiled fondly. "The way it was sung, it felt like it was inviting me to join in on a brand new world I never knew existed before."
"Sounds like a lovely song." She smiled as she took his shirt. "Oh, let me give you something back." She pulled out a piece of paper, scribbling on it.
"Oh, you don't have to." He waved his hands.
"Nonsense." She smirked, handing it to him. "A rock star is never without a girl's number after all."
"Wait wha-" before he could properly finish, he was given a slip of paper that indeed had a phone number on it. "You're giving it to.."
"That way you can always talk with your number one fan, even when you make it big." She winked before waving off. "Hope to see you around the cosmos, mr universe."
He kept his eye on her, taking notice of her long and powerful legs as she walked away. "... I have a date." He whispered in awe.
"Do my eyes deceive me? Star child is smitten by a girl that isn't towering over him by three feet?" The smoke filled voice of his manager snickered right behind him. "I never thought I would see the day."
"Well, she is the first person to actually show up, so I'm making an exception." He grumbled, standing up. "I'm gonna go back to the van, alright?"
"Fine, fine, just remember we're heading out in the morning. We gotta book it if we want to make it to Empire City on time. Trust me, that's where the big money's kid." Marty began walking off. "You're guaranteed to get an audience no matter what you play." Was that a fact now? Why did he hire the man again?
Marty clearly didn't care about his music or his passion, or his interest, just like his parents, he just viewed it from the opposite side of the support spectrum. And here Greg was, having finally met the first person…no..the only person to ever truly enjoy what he created. Maybe it was time for a career change.
========================================================================
"There there, tiny Blue, everything will be fine." Holly Blue assured the little hybrid … thing that was making an awful noise. "Now stop crying, would you?" It was like this all the time, making annoying noises without any sense of logic. It was annoying.
"That's not her name, Holly Blue." Lapis said as she shaped water into ridiculous looking creatures over their Diamond' s head, who began to reach out for them in a curious gaze. "Blue and Manny were very clear on that."
"Right, now they're 'Luz'." The gem rolled her eyes. "If it was up to me, I would have ridden them when I had the chance."
"It was fate." She turned to Sapphire, who walked over to the two of them. "She was destined to sacrifice her form in order to create organic life … even if it made no sense."
"So you say." Holly grumbled. She never trusted this sapphire, not since the 'Ruby incident' six thousand years ago.
"If it's what she chose, so be it." Pearl took hold of the gem mutant, cradling them. "We will do everything we can to assure their continued existence in this world as a last memento." And she was … obsessive about sticking around the child. Everyone was certain if something happened she'd go on a genocidal rampage.
Holly was having trouble being content with the situation. She never questioned her Diamond's sanity or function, but she would admit, quietly in her head, that her radiance didn't exactly make the most…logical decisions under her grief-ridden status
Coming to earth alone; the very sight where Pink Diamond had been shattered was one thing. Interacting with the wildlife known as humanity was another. But engaging and talking to one lone male human for nearly ten years was a bit much to put up with.
The man just showed up one day, looking like he nearly got eviscerated by a wild animal. His story was that he 'tripped down the mountain', somehow surviving the injuries. From there it was a simple chat whenever Blue visited, then evolving into walks, and physical gestures. The fact he got to be touched by a diamond was a massive act of kindness that was far too underserving of any human.
Then Blue watched other human families, and decided she wanted to follow in their footsteps, to 'atone' for what happened with Pink. They tried their best to stop her when she explained she would vanish from their lives … but their Diamond's words were absolute.
So for the past two years, they had to deal with this…thing. 'Luz' as their diamond instructed it was to be designated. The implications of a human-diamond hybrid were practically unfathomable. The only thing Holly Blue could do now was do her best to raise her… new… Diamond… into the most respectable gem in all of homeworld.
A mission that had its fair share of problems. "That's right Luz, watch the little water horsey fly around, you'll catch it someday." Lapis pandared their diamond with her little annoying tricks.
"Gah, when can we skip the annoying infant stage and go into teaching her the standards a diamond should follow?" She asked.
"Approximately seven to eight years." Sapphire spoke up. "Until then, we'll do our best to entertain and take care of her." She froze a ball of water, letting it explode into a rain of sparkling snow.
"Awwwahwah…" The little hybrid's eyes sparkled as it stuck out its tongue to catch the frozen droplets of moisturized air.
"Care, careful, don't make her too cold." Pearl swaddled the little diamond in layers of blankets. "It's important to keep their body temperature balanced at this stage."
"But wasn't Blue a fan of the cold?" She questioned. "Surely those powers should transfer over.'
"She's half human, there's no telling how much of Blue's abilities will pop up, if at all." Pearl countered.
"I've tried to go farther into the future, the details are foggy, but she will develop some capabilities. What those will be is less certain." Sapphire brought up.
"At least we have one consolation." Holly sighed. "So, who's feeding them tonight?" It was better to get the roles for the day scheduled early. "Pearl will be busy dealing with 'housing negotiations'." Apparently the need for internal heating without paying for it was 'illegal'. As if gems should be held to organic standards.
"I believe that it was my turn, isn't that right, little Bluzy?" Lapis cooed, patting the girl's face.
"Wawafhah." Hopefully it didn't take too long for her to learn how to speak. Holly would lose it if she couldn't get an order from her diamond sometime soon.
"Better prep it soon. The formulae is about to expe-" Sapphire paused herself mid sentence, looking just as frozen as her ice. "What….no, no this can't be happening now…this shouldn't be possible."
"What?" Pearl questioned with concern.
"Move, quickly!" The small gem shouted. "Get Luz out of here before-
Snmmacddhs
The whole facility began to shake and crumble around them, violent vibrations being felt around every corner. "What's happening!?" Holly shouted.
"Some sort of tear within space and reality just opened up beneath us!" The Sapphire shouted as the floor began to sink beneath them.
"Lapis, fly away with the hybrid, now!" Holly shouted to the water gem.
"Wah! Waaahaaaaaah!" Their little diamond cried as a bright blue glow shined from their gem.
"Calm down Bluzy! Calm down, don't cry! If you cry you'll…!"
" Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaggggggggffhhhhh!" A wave of sadness, confusion, discomfort, and agony overwhelmed her sensations,the tears forming out of her eye making it nearly impossible to see.
"Keep her held, don't let go!" Pearl shouted from somewhere. Everything was getting blurry, chaos reigned everywhere and she was helpless to the whims of this random and completely unforeseen circumstance.
"H-ha-hang on, Bluzy! It's going to be a bumpy ride!"
" Waaaaaaaggh!" Their diamond continued to cry as the darkness overwhelmed her, the voices of her companions becoming quieter and quiet….until only silence remained.
Eventually the tears vanished, as Holly was finally able to get a look at the situation around her. She was somewhere…far…far….far away from the nearest life form..nothing but endless miles of boiling water…and she was stuck in the middle of it. "Wha-" The boiling water entered her mouth, great. She needed to find some land, fast.
========================================================================
Lilith groaned as she rubbed a hand down her face. "Vishnu, what have I told you about needless pestering of our enemies."
"The idea of even talking to them slows us down by five minutes." The little girl sighed. Had it been Lilith's choice at the time, she wouldn't have become a mother. Not only was she not interested in having a partner, she was an outcast from society with her curse. Anybody she chose to connect with would instantly get dragged down and have their whole lives ruined
Unfortunately when one sees a baby abandoned in the middle of the woods surrounded by a swarm of fire bees, certain instincts awaken that overwrote all that doubt and self shame. So she took the little girl in, hoping to find a better home for her eventually…but life just sort of drifted the two lost souls together before she realized it.
Lilith leaned down, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder. "Vis, you have to understand that the lives we live aren't fun ones. We have to be efficient and quick or else we'll be caught." It was hard to lay reality on someone so young, but it had to be done. She wouldn't be irresponsible like Edalyn and sugarcoat everything.
"I know, I know, but everything in our lives is so serious. What's wrong with pickpocketing with a smile on your face."
"We only steal when It's absolutely necessary, Vis. Unessessary risks will only get us caught." She reminded her daughter. "And if your caught aiding and abetting my crimes, you'll never be accepted into Hexide." If she could have a proper education, then her daughter could have the future she was denied.
"But I can't hang out with other people." The girl pouted. "Whenever I try to do something like make clouds, stretch my arms, or make my scythe, they all run away screaming and call me a freak."
"You're not a freak, you're a talented young girl surrounded by jealous kids." That's what he would tell her daughter at least, afterwards she would beat the ever living snot out of those brats for insulting her child. There were many things she was willing to let pass, but jabs at Vis and Emp were absolutely ways to draw the ire of the Raven Lady. "When you get to school, I'm sure you'll meet plenty of lovely kids who wish to be friends."
"Are you sure?" Vis questioned. "Did you have a lot of friends back in school?"
"Did I have friends?" She responded with a smirk, before it slowly shrank. "Did I have friends?" Most of her time was spent studying and improving herself for King Salem's coven…there was a select few people she hung out with. "Uh…there was my sister Edalyn…..Oldalia Blight every now and again…" ..was that really it?
"Wow." The girl's eyes sparkled. "A genuine friend! That's one more than none!" … Maybe she should work on standards this week.
"Halt! Lilith Clawthorne." Oh no. Not him again. "This time you will not get away….." Anyone but him. "From me.." Why did it have to be Steve? "Asking you out on a date!"
Vishnu stared at the man for a moment, before turning to her. "Am I getting a daddy?"
"No, no, no! You don't need a father and I don't need a date!" Lilith didn't know how many times she's had to make that clear. Bad enough that her mother didn't believe her when she said Vishnu was adopted.
"You know what they say about two parental figures in a child's life, right?" Steve asked with a dreamy tone. "Come on, I'm employed and a fearful role model. What more can anyone ask for?"
"Do not make me use the ancient Clawthorne technique of removing lecherous, no good bastards from existence." She growled. "Visy, never repeat that, alright?"
"Aw, but adult language is always fun to say." Her daughter pouted. "It makes everyone stare at me funny." Great, they were developing Edalyn's tongue.
"I can take anything you throw at, me beauty." The man leaned against a wall. Lilith responded with a construction fist to his testicals. "… eeeh… you know… the kid is just going… to repeat this later…"
"If it gets leeches like you off of her, then I can live with that."
"Doesn't that only work on guys though?" Vis questioned.
"We have a different method for females." An insurgical strike right to the ovary.
"Heheh, it's fun to beat up mom's ex's." Visy laughed.
"Never dated, so he's not an ex." Lilith corrected. "Come on Vishnu, let us depart before we're arrested for assaulting a scout."
"Yes mama." The girl nodded. "Please don't tell on us, pwetty pwease?" She asked with adorable eyes.
"I would never kid, cross my heart." The moron saluted. "And put in a good word for me with your mom if you can."
"Cross my heart for truth." She answered with fingers crossed behind her back. At least she was dishonest only to the people that deserved it.
========================================================================
"Come on Steven, you can collect bugs later. We promised your papa we'd meet him for lunch." Camila Universe held her son by the hand as she led him out of the woods.
"Bye bye Lizamax, we'll meet up next week!" The boy shouted to the trees as they made their way to the car. "Man, the forest is so much better than school." Her son had such an active imagination.
"I'm glad you think so, but there's a certain balance you need. Imagination is great to have, but it's even better when you can share it with other people." Camila was told on occasion that Steven acted just a little too silly, but she usually brushed it aside. Imagination was meant to be guided, not discouraged.
Steven looked at her with confusion. "Then … how am I supposed to bring it up without other people running away?" He asked innocently. "No one understands just how important cookie cats are to the world, and I just got laughed at when I said pink was my favorite color."
"Hey, you shouldn't feel ashamed because you like pink. It's a wonderful color." Why did Gravesfield have such jerks running around? "Some kids take longer to find their creative outlets. We just need to find yours."
"You mean like the time we painted those stell orissy characters on the walls?"
"Precisely…still don't tell your papa about that…. Or the books in the basement." When they got married, the two of them agreed to put 'childish dreams' behind, but there was one or two aspects she could allow herself to enjoy in moderation.
"Why is papa such a downer?" She winced at the blunt question.
"Papa … had a rough life." A childhood where creative and independent freedom was discouraged, only to find out they were somewhat right when he couldn't get his music career off the ground. When he finally lost that jerkish manager of his, he tried to go indie, but that failed even harder. "He just has… experienced with letting one's imagination get too carried away."
"Wait, so is immagonation good or bad?" Steven curiously asked.
"Don't ever doubt it, Steven. Imagination is great, especially when you are young and your head is absorbing every single idea it can gather from the world around you." She rubbed his head. "We just need to find something that allows you to channel all that immigration into something constructive."
"Hmmm." Steven put his chin in a cute thinking pose. He raised his hand up, tapping on the console of the car, then using two fingers in rhythm, then three as he started to grin. "Like music?"
Camila once again winced. The irony was just too great for it not to be painful. Especially if Greg ever heard about it. "Are you certain that's what you want?"
"Yeah!" Steven cheered. "Music is so pretty and cool! You play what you feel and you can get everyone else to feel the same as you! It's like, magic or something." He looked at her with sparkly eyes. "Can I get a guitar and bring it to school? Please."
She couldn't say no to that face. "I can get you one, and I can see if there's anyone in the area giving out lessons." Camila brought her finger down on his lips. "It'll be our little secret until the time is right."
"Ooh, like a secret team?!" He exclaimed. "Are we going to have codenames and complicated handshakes!?"
"Maybe just codenames. I don't think I can keep up with your handshakes these days." She chuckled. "Now come on, we're almost there. And this time you have to pick something nutritious if you want that cookie cat combo."
"Wait, fries aren't healthy? But they're made out of potatoes. I give them to Lizamax all the time."
"Steven, while I appreciate your appreciation for wildlife as a Vet, you should've careful about approaching wild reptiles, especially when giving them people food." She warned.
"But Lizamax is sweet and kind and-oh, she's right outside!" He pointed to the window.
She turned, seeing a flash of red as they drove by a couple of trees. Maybe she should call animal control, just in case something genuinely dangerous was within the woods. "Ah…just how big is your forest friend?"
"Really big, almost as tall as you. Her favorite foods are fries and ice cubes, probably because she's always on fire."
"…On fire as in she's amazing at tricks…"
"No, she's actually always on fire. She cools off whenever I hug her."
While she loved her son's imagination, maybe his father had a point about this being 'too much'. Hugging a flaming animal was never a good idea in ANY scenario.
========================================================================
Willow laughed as she came into the locker room. "Great game gals, you actually made me sweat for a bit." A challenge was hard to get out of this bitch ass competition.
"Oh like we were ever going to come close to beating the Flyer Derby Captain." Amity, her best friend since childhood, laughed as she limped towards the nearest towel. "It doesn't matter what magic we throw at you, you just burst your way through sheer strength alone."
"I don't know, I like to think Puddles gave her a good run for her money." Viney rubbed her purple arm as the griffon wrapped some gauze around it.
"Scraww." The creature moved behind the girl, hiding from Willow. Clearly, it knew it's place in the world.
This was three out of four of the Emerald Entrails. There was also Mattolomew, if only because they needed a fourth and nobody else was crazy enough to join, and he had this crazy notion he was on equal footing with the rest of them. Really, he was more bait for the other team to chase around while everyone else snuck from behind to steal their flags.
Life was good, Willow had anything she could ever want. She had friend's that were too scared and or smart enough to ever leave her, she was top of her class, and no one dared to mess with her…..well, all except one notable thorn in her side.
And speak of the devil, here she came now. "If it isn't watered down Boscha and rainy day Vis." She scoffed as the two of them began making their way through. "What, trying to rain down on the Entrails winning streak, or did you feel like you haven't embarrassed yourselves enough this week?"
"Hey, we have the same gym class. All we're trying to do is pass and wash off the sweat." The annoying bitch rolled her three eyes.
"Yeah, pass, pass, pass. You just, pass on by, just like you 'pass' gym, you 'pass' potions, and how you 'passed' on being anything worthwhile." Willow snickered as her posse joined in on the mockery. "For someone with three eyes, you don't know how to use them well."
"What's that supposed…" Boscha walked over, and tripped on a vine she grew when she wasn't paying attention.
"Like I said, you can't even see your own two feet." She snorted. "Now why don't you do us all a favor and leave before things end up even worse for someone as pathetic as you?"
"Hey, what's really pathetic is some stuck up battleax thinking she's hot shit just because she can grow a couple of weeds." The rainy day bitch growled, pointing accusedly.
There was a tense silence that followed. "What. Did you. Just call me?"
"A stuck up battleax thinking she's hot shit." The girl responded. "Because you're too insecure to not bully people that have a chance in being better at something than you?"
"Visy, you should really shut up now!" The three eyed bitch tried to pry the blue freak away.
"No, I want, not until this four-eyed warhammer learns to back the FUCK off from us, because she clearly has nothing good in her life if she wastes all this power being some second rate high school cliche!"
"Oh, you wanna go there don't ya, Vis!?" Willow created a strange thorny vine. "Then how about I show you why you don't have the right to stand up to me!?" She shot forward the vines right at them.
"Magical scythe, here we go!" The girl waved her hands in the air, making something bright and blue glow out of her chest before bringing out a long bladed and curvy weapon.
"Just because you have some weird looking weed wacker for a staff doesn't make you a decent witch!" She began to cover the room
"No, but it does mean I can do this!" With a single swing the girl cut through her vines … along with half the locker room. "Huh…the room's still standing. I was hoping to eradicate the entire place this time with a single swing."
There was a cracking sound, followed by a lot of collapsing and screaming. Amity checked her scroll. "Yeah … that would be every classroom between here and the front entrance collapsing."
"Nice. That, and the A+ I got in oracle today, and I say this makes everything perfect, don't you think, Boscha?" The blue bitch grinned.
"We're getting detention, you know that right?" The three eyed bitch groaned.
"Yeah, but I almost chopped Willow in half, doesn't that make everything feel just a little better?"
The three eyed girl sent Willow a look, a looked of fucking petty of all things, before grabbing rainy day's arm. "Let's just get out of here. There's nothing worth our time sticking around for."
"Nothing worth …" Willow felt her rage spike, trees cracking against the ground. "Oh, just you wait …" She'd get payback, she'd make them pay for humiliating her.
========================================================================
"Alright Kiddo, break time!" Eda shouted, pulling out some lunch.
"But we've only gone at it for an hour." Amier, the latest trainee for the Silver Scout position, spoke up with confusion. "If I'm going to take on the mantle the Silver Scout one day, I need to be the best I can-"
"And this is why you're a moron." She hit his head with her staff. "If all you do is stress yourself out, you'll be stuck in the same spot you're always out." That's what always happened to every other Silver Scout, and they all LITERALLY worked themselves to death. "There's a fine line between discipline and abuse, and the body can't grow if you're just going to abuse it 24/7."
"But … but I'm still not good enough to take on strong witches." He complained.
"If a baby could punch an adult, the world would be doomed. Nothing happens instantly." Not that it wouldn't be hilarious to see. "So right now just sit back, eat some snacks, and talk to your mentor." It wasn't exactly the type of gig Eda signed up for. Truth be told, joining the King's Coven was still more of Lily's dream then it was her's. Perks were great, and she got to hold power over everyone, so that meant free drinks at the bar every weekend. She was content with living comfortably where she was. But…But things just sort of changed as time went on.
"So… so you knew the Silver Scout before me? Personally?" Amier asked, taking a bite out of a sandwich.
"Not by choice at first. For some odd reason about twenty years ago, King Salem just picked me randomly out of everyone in my squad and partnered me up with the guy." Eda recalled, sipping the apple blood flask she always made sure to have hidden on her person.
"So you were friends?" He asked, staring intently.
"... Friends was a strong word." She decided to say. "He said the best way to prep me for anything was the element of surprise. So he robbed me and beat me up whenever I wasn't expecting it."
"....How often did that hap-"
"I lost count after two hundred." Eda stopped him. "Don't worry about it too much, I got him back every time and then some. Sleeping nezzles in his coffee, a bed of flesh eating scarabs, ghost's in his soup, the works." She laughed. "The best one was when we both got tied up in a net and had to wait a whole hour before we were cut free. We just … talked, about life." All the problems they both faced, either together or apart. "And like it or not … we were partners."
"So you alway had each other's back?" He asked.
"Yeah. I didn't think that there was so much about life I could aspire to instead of just waiting constantly." He even gave her the courage to pop the question to Raine. "Things were just…perfect. And then …" She frowned. "And then the Fairy Devil made their move." So small, so annoying, nobody took them seriously … but so many small things added up, and not only led to a civil war, causing massacre of witches … it led to him taking a fatal blow meant for her .
"The fairy devil?"
"They've been around for hundreds of years, but they've done so little their name fell into obscurity. They didn't even have a staff, just some stupid little wand….but she dropped an entire mountain on top of Bonesburrow. So many died….men…women…children…" The most horrid act in all of Witch kind.
The little guy looked just as sick as she was. "What kind of monster is capable of doing something so…horrid?"
"Someone that you notify me of immediately instead of taking her on yourself, understood?" She asked him. "You're a talented little hatchling, I'll give you that, but don't think for a second you should start doing everything on your own. Being the absolute best doesn't mean zilch without other people around."
He looked down at the ground. "I … I understand mam."
"Good … now, how about a much lighter topic?" She suggested.
"Like what?"
"Like … Do any young witchlings have your eye?" Eda needed her teasing material filled this week, and the Coven Heads could only provide so much.
"What? No! No! I don't have my sights on any girl's in blue! No one at all!" The kid nearly fell over.
"... I never said anything about girls in blue." The Coven Head grinned.
"Good, because I've never said anything about any girls, especially one's in blue and are completely merciless with a scythe! Why, that just be completely ridiculous for me to have feelings at all, right? Because feelings are dumb!"
"No argument here, Kiddo, but as a happily married woman, I also like to just say, there's nothing wrong with acting just a little dumb everyone once in a while." She snickered.
"Don't the Coven Heads shout at you whenever you do something dumb?"
"Yes, and it's hilarious to watch them go ballistic." Having an apprentice was a blast.
========================================================================
Steven grimanced as he looked at the pamphlet. "Learn to draw inside the lines and box your creativity?" He looked up at his parents. "This looks like a brochure for a medieval prison." The picture of kids literally being trapped inside boxes was the biggest indication.
"No, not at all. I made sure that this place would not cause any harm whatsoever." Mom explained. "And if you need to call and say they do, I will take you out while burning that place to the ground." At least she was being reasonable.
"Son, we've both tried to look for alternatives." Dad said sympathetically. "But when you accidentally set a room on fire because you think it would draw in your pet lizard is where a line has to be drawn."
"I didn't set it on fire though, Lizardmax followed me to school and got too excited." He thought he could keep her calm with enough ice cubes, but then someone opened up the janitors closet, and it all sort of escalated from there.
"Stewball, imaginary friends don't set rooms on fire. Your principal was telling us to sent you to a psyche ward." Dad complained. There was no way he could've been a rockstar before, that was a job for cool people.
"She's not imaginary, why does no one believe me?" Everytime he tried to make a point or prove himself, Steven was constantly shot down. It was like the whole world wanted to be against him.
"Because there was no camera footage of a giant liza-" Dad's rant was cut off as Mom place a hand on his shoulder.
"Steven, please listen." She leaned down. "We really didn't want to do this, but our options are almost nonexistent at this point. You don't have the best grades, you don't have friends…as in human friends, and this is the forth time you've been in detention in the past two months. We love your creativity, but you can't let it run your life."
"But I'm not! I've been working extra hard with music and getting better, I've gotten extra credit for being in the school band, and I've been writing my own songs and-" He tired to explain himself.
"Steven." Dad stopped him again. "I get where you're coming from, I really do, but you shouldn't put all your eggs in one basket. What happens when you're old enough to be on your own and no one listens to your music? How are you going to take care of yourself then, huh?" His dad probably didn't mean to sound mean, but it was nonetheless still hurtful to hear he still didn't believe in Steven.
"I …"
"You need some life skills other than music … please, try to learn something there, alright?" He begged the boy.
".....Fine…" He groaned, grabbing everything from his cheeseburger backpack and tossing the bag into the trash.
"No, Steven, you don't have to throw your favorite backpack away.." Mom tried to tell him.
"No, I do, I'll just get laughed at like usual. This place isn't meant for creativity after all." He turned his head. "I'll see you guys in two months."
"Yeah … see you then." Dad gave him one last hug, one Steven was too depressed to return back, before making his way inside the house.
"Steven…" Mom sighed. "I promise you, when you get back, everything will be better." She kissed him on the forehead before walking back to the house too. "I love you son."
"Yeah…love you too." He weakly replied, groaning as he sat on the bench. This, was, gonna, suuuuck. He had like, five minutes left before the bus came and dragged him away to some sort of nightmare realm where dreams go to die. What was he going to do with five minutes of freedom? Sightsee? There wasn't much to look at around here. The trees, the road, that white bird picking at the trash and carrying his backpack….wait what?
"Wait, how are you doing…?" Steven asked as he saw the bird pick up his backpack from the trash and fly off with it in its tiny bird feet. "Hey wait, come back!" He had so many questions for that tiny bird thing. "Why do you want my backpack? It's not healthy for young birds to eat!"
" Squaaaaw!" It said back at him, fleeing deeper into the nearby forest.
"At least give me a minute to say goodbye to it at least! I have so many memories with it, I can't just leave without doing that much!" So many times it came in handy in his lifetime.
"Squaaaww!" The bird shouted as it flew into an old house Steven was sure wasn't there yesterday.
"I wouldn't go in there, there could be black mold forming and…" The bird flew in…right towards the glowing door. "Whoa….magic space door." He guessed at least. It looked like one of the transport doors from mom's steller odyssey books. "Cheeseburger backpack…camp…cheeseburger backpack…camp….eh, I'll only be gone for a minute!" He leapt forward. He'd go back to his boring life in five at most. Not like there was anything wrong with going towards a magical door. Isekai protagonists always ended up alright anyway, right?