[OUTDATED] ☆The Caged Bird☆ Steven Universe x Siren reader

part 19: reading is enlightening!

~Timeskip a few months later~

"Hello? Steven?" Connie knocks lightly at the door, carrying a few books under her one arm. Steven had called earlier and requested that she'd bring by some books to help you with your ever growing interest in learning more about human culture.

She stood for a few moments, occasionally doing double checks on the books she had brought, which ranged from educational books to comic books. A special request made by Steven. It's been a while since Connie had last seen you. She's only heard about your development over the phone when she spoke with Steven, which were fleeting themselves, given their schedules... with her studying and Steven caring for you. But she was glad for you both.

Steven was a pretty good caretaker! From what she heard, you were developing well and improved significantly with a lot of the human culture! Who would've thought a siren would be such a quick learner to human culture? Let alone listen so well?

Her attention was brought back by the sound of the doorknob jiggling. She straightened up and put on a smile, watching as the door slowly opened, revealing.... no one? "Steven?"

"Miss Connie?"

Slightly startled, she quickly looks down, finding a pair of curious (color) eyes staring up at her in curiosity. It took a second or two, but once she realized who she was looking at, her face lit up in delight. "Oh! (Name)!"

"It's been too long, milady!" You greeted cheerily, your tail wagging slightly in excitement. And it has. It's been quite a while since you've seen her in the flesh since your first meet. If anything you've only heard her voice over the phone when Steven would call her, and let her speak with you. It was good to see she was well. "How have you been doing since our last greet?"

Connie giggles lightly. She always found your "medieval" speech pattern to be a unique quirk to you. "I've been alright. College studies are starting to get a bit harder though." She shrugs, before looking down at you with a mildly guilty frown. "Sorry, I haven't been around to visit that much." You smiled politely at her. "No hard feelings, milady. Studying is a difficult task as it is... I can't imagine the stuff college gives!" She knelts down and finds you are about the same height Steven was when he was a child. "How have you been? You've really gotten big!"

You smiled proudly, unfurling your wings in pride. "I've been doing wonderful lately, milady!" You chirped. "I've learned a how to successfully draw hands as well as learn a bit of what's called Spanish!" Connie beamed from the news, and ruffled your hair playfully, eliciting a purr from you. "Wow, (Name)! That's amazing!" You giggled softly, your face flushing at the praise. "And today after studying on more human culture, milord Steven was going to take me out for a fun day!"

Connie blinked, her smile faltering slightly. "Milord?"

"(Name), I told you not to call me that." Both you and Connie look up towards the source of voice, and smiled when you saw steven descend the stairs, straightening out his jacket with a tired smile. "Hey, Steven!" Connie beamed, as steven approached, his smile brightening as he met the girl into a brief, but warm hug. "Can you believe how big lil' universe got?" Connie chuckled, looking over at you who watched innocently as you sipped at your juice box. "Yeah! Almost as big as you were when you were a kid!"

Steven smiles, ruffling your hair, eliciting a faint purr from you. "And just as cheerful... but a lot more better at listening to rules." The two share a small laugh over the little joke before Steven looks at the books. "Oh good, you got the books!" Connie smiled and held them up into view. "Yup! I got history, biology, math and even some old picture books I found!" Steven beamed excitedly. "Perfect! Let's head to the dome!"

~~~~~~{in da dome}~~~~~~

"Interesting."

Steven and Connie, who were sitting in beanbags a few feet away from you, looked up from their books to regard you with curiosity. "What's up?"

"Well... there are these toys that need help getting to the other side of the mountain, but all of these bigger locomotives keep refusing because... well they're toys." You pointed at the picture. "And yet, a little locomotive was willing to make the climb." Connie smiles, interested in your question. "Well... Sometimes the best of things come from those you least expect it from."

You tilted your head, smiling slowly as you mulled her words. "Kinda like you with me. Humans saving a siren!"

"Exactly!" Connie beamed. "And like Steven liberating the gem empire!"

"The gem what?"

"(Name), why don't you give this book a read?" Steven suddenly spoke up, startling you and Connie. He smiled unevenly, as he more or less thrusted the book into your arms, which made you yelp from the abruptness of the action. "Here, I think you'll like this one."

You stared up at him quizzically for a moment, clicking in your throat uneasily before silently opening your new book without further protests. Connie blinked before regarding steven with a look of concern. "Are you okay?"

Steven chuckled uneasily. "Y-yeah... it's just uh.." he hesitates slightly, before lowering his voice to a whisper. "I... haven't really told them about... the gem side of things."

Connie lifted her eyebrows in surprise, but lowered her voice as well so it matched steven's. "You haven't told them about how you dismantled the gem empire yet?"

Steven shrugs. "W-well... I just... don't think their ready for gem stuff... just yet."

Connie tilted her head. "Why not? Didn't you take them to little homeworld?" Steven bit his lip at the memory. "Well... yeah. But... there they just learned about how the gems are learning about earth culture." His cheeriness faltered as a troubled look over came his face. "I'm... not really ready to explain the... diamond... stuff to them. You know... about... why all the gems here to begin with?"

Connie tilted her head in confusion. "But why-" once she realized what he was referring to, she frowned. "Oh..." she winced, understanding the boy's discomfort. "Well... I'm sure they'd--"

"I'm... just not ready to... go into those details... besides, they're a siren! They can get by without knowing about gem culture." With that, he brings his book back up to his face, hiding it from the girl's concerned face. Connie stared, mouth slightly opened. She looked as if she wanted to say something, but opted to just resume her reading. "Uhm... okay."

Your ear twitched as the dome fell silent again, your tail twitching in mild interest.

So there's a reason behind these gem creatures...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Fyi The Diamond and pink steven books are out for reads~