It's Becoming Crystal Clear (Jasper x Reader)

Chapter 5: Dress Up

"Are you going to be okay?" you finally asked, breaking the silence.

"It doesn't matter. None of it... none of this ever mattered." Jasper seemed to be talking to herself more than responding to you. "Everything I've done... everything I went through... all the trouble I caused for the Diamond Authority... everyone I've hurt... none of it meant anything. I became corrupted for the sake of a mission I'll never fulfill. At least," she murmured, looking skyward, "it will all be over soon. Any day now, the Clu- any day now, it ends." There was an unusual shine to Jasper's eyes - the beginnings of tears?

"Are you talking about the Cluster?" Jasper looked at you, shocked that you were aware of the Cluster's existence.

"I didn't think you knew about that. Too bad, really. It'd be better if you didn't see it coming. Thanks for, you know, setting me straight about everything. That was brave of you. You don't deserve this."

"I... I probably shouldn't be telling you this, but... you don't really have to worry about that."

"What are you talking about?"

"The Crystal Gems found out about the Cluster. It's inert now."

"Then I really have failed in everything I came here to do." She began to laugh, a few bitter tears running down her cheeks. She wiped them away and gave a half-hearted smirk. "I guess that's it then. There's nothing left for me to do here. Is there anywhere I can obtain an interstellar transport?"

"Humans haven't invented those yet," you told her, "although... the gems at the barn have one they built, or maybe something could be done with the pieces of Hematite's ship?"

"The power core exploded spontaneously. There's not enough to salvage. Are you proposing I commandeer the ship your friends built?"

"Normally I would never suggest that, but... they'd probably consider it worth it if it meant you leaving, and they just built it out of scrap parts and material they found. But if I let you leave, you're going to tell Homeworld everything, aren't you?"

"You don't understand. I have to. Nothing personal, I'm just doing my duty. Doing what I'm for."

"I thought fighting was what you were made for?" Jasper stared at you, scared and angry.

"How did you- you weren't there when I said that! How do you know these things?!"

"I know quite a bit. Well, from the past couple of years, anyway. There's a popular fictionalized, at least I think it's partly fictionalized, depiction of the stuff the Crystal Gems get up to shown on television."

"Huh," she said, satisfied and now slightly curious. "They uh, they don't show when I was singing, do they?"

"Haha, no, not unless that was really recently. No one must have been around for that."

"Good, I don't think anyone would want to hear that." Her half-smirk changed to a smile as she said this, and she chuckled under her breath.

"Now then, if you're serious about getting out of here, we'd better swing by the barn to scope things out. I'll get you a disguise."

"I could try to shapeshift."

"Yes, but you might turn back at the wrong moment, and besides, you'd still be orange."

You went through closets and dresser drawers, gathering all the items you needed to put together her disguise. You pulled out a pair of rubber boots, baggy grey sweatpants, an oversized brown trenchcoat of the sort usually only worn by flashers or by two children pretending to be an adult, sunglasses, a wide-brimmed hat, and a large blue scarf. You carried the items over to Jasper and set them down on her lap.

"There you go. Put those on, and I bet you'll be unrecognizable."

Jasper cautiously inspected the various articles, but seemed hesitant to put them on.

"Will it help if I look away?" you suggested. Though her uniform was part of her physical form and she would therefore not be nude at any point, you considered that she might be embarrassed to be seen struggling to figure out how to wear these things.

"Maybe," she replied in a stiff but relieved tone. You turned away and whistled the tune of "What's the Use of Feeling Blue?" while Jasper grunted and grumbled behind you. After several minutes without hearing any promising utterances from your guest, you decided to check how things were going.

"Do you need a hand?" you asked without turning around.

"I don't need a human's help! I just... can't figure out whether I've got this backwards."

You turned around and stifled laughter as you saw that she was wearing the pants over her arms and was trying to figure out why this garment had pockets in such an odd position.

"I don't think you need to be ashamed of not knowing how to wear human clothes. Which you very obviously don't, no offence. Now here, let me help you."

Jasper growled in response, but relented. You carefully helped her dress, explaining step-by-step what you were doing. As you did, you couldn't help letting yourself take a good look at the impressive curves and musculature of her physique, and you allowed your fingers to brush against her orange, red-striped skin just a few more times than could be attributed to accident. You had never noticed until now that gems, like humans, were warm to the touch. When it was done, you stepped back to admire your handiwork.

"How do I look?" she groaned, humiliated. If you were to be honest, you would say she looked like every obviously disguised character in movies and television ever, but she also didn't look like herself, which was the whole point.

"Lookin' good," you told her. "Like an incognito celebrity."

"What is a celebrity?"

"A famous person. They might be known for being talented, attractive, or for having done some noteworthy deed. You've got no problem in any of those departments, plus you're kind of a celebrity to some gems, so it's fitting in a way. Now if anyone asks, you're my cousin Jazz from, let's say, Toronto."

"I'm Jazz of Toronto. Understood."

"And remember, we aren't going there to start a fight. If you decide to attack either of them, I will not be siding with you. We're just going under the pretence of a visit to get the lay of the land and to try to get an idea of when we can make our move."

"I... understand."

"So, are you ready to go? We'd better head out soon, or it'll be getting dark." Jasper stood up with enthusiasm.

"Let's do this!"

Does anyone else feel like the quality of this is declining? I just ask because I usually do feel that way as I write things, even if I'm mistaken. Honestly, I'm starting to feel like this might be less of a story and more of a cry for help. I've been carrying an actual rough jasper with me 24/7 for a couple of months now. I keep it under my pillow at night, and I talk it to feel less lonely. Yeah. I have to talk to a rock to feel less pathetic. Maybe completing this story will get this out of my system. ...I probably don't need to do an "author's note" type-thing at the end of every chapter, especially if it's just me wallowing in self-pity, do I?