Work Text:
Steven University AU - #01
There was usually somebody awake at any given time in 'the Diamond', one of the on-campus student housing facilities within close proximity to Quartz University. From as normal a time as one-thirty in the afternoon to as ridiculous as 4:11AM, you could always count on at least one window being lit up.
It was currently three in the afternoon on a nice, sunny Wednesday. Two of the residents in East house were already awake.
The first, and most active of them all, was a brute of a woman called Jasper. She was tall, covered in muscles and, like today, could usually be found near the exercise machine she had installed, pumping iron or building even more muscle on top of what she already had. Her long, shaggy blonde hair stuck to her patchy tan skin as she grunted with each pull of the handles.
The second, by contrast, was small and unassuming. Her name was Lahela, but everyone called her Lapis due to her commonly-sported bright blue hair dye. She was quiet and kept to herself a lot, which suited everyone else just fine. Her attentions were focused between a canvas in front of her, and a fish tank just behind it.
Jasper relaxed with a rumbling sigh, arms falling limp across her stomach as she took a moment to breathe before standing up and stretching loudly. "Nothin' like a good workout."
Lapis grunted a reply, though after a few moments, and a cautionary sniff, she gagged. "You really need a shower."
"Don't worry, that's where I'm going," Jasper muttered, walking off to the bathroom. Lapis took a moment's pause from her creative work to open a window and let some fresh air in.
One of the hallway doors opened, and stumbling out, dressed in a simple green hoodie and black jeans, was the third of this dorm's residents. She was smaller than Jasper for sure, but only a little bigger than Lapis was, and bore her usual constant fatigued expression. Peridot was what she most often responded to, when she wasn't otherwise occupied.
Peridot wandered over to the kitchen, opening one of the cupboards and one of the fridges and pulling out a simple, hearty breakfast of leftover corn chips and energy drink, moving to the couch and falling upon it.
Lapis looked over to her. "Good morning."
"Mrn'n," was the reply she got as Peridot munched down on her meal with one hand and reached for the remote to the television with another, which if one looked closely enough at her fingers they could tell it was artificial.
"Don't you have class today?"
Peridot sighed, letting her outstretched hand flop down uselessly. "Not for a couple of hours."
"It's Wednesday, you usually have class around this time," Lapis remarked.
"I would," Peridot droned, "except I've already missed it by an hour."
"Let me guess. Video games again?" Lapis said with a small chuckle.
"On the plus side, I'm one level away from beating the Enchantress."
"I'll pretend I understand that."
"Look at my favourite nerds being all friendly," came a haughty voice from the hallway, followed by a laugh.
Peridot peaked over the couch, then sighed and dropped down. "Please put some clothes on, Jasper."
Jasper looked down at the slightly less than modest towel she had wrapped around her, then chuckled, exiting the hall, returning a few moments later in a simple tank top and shorts. "Late for class again, Peri?"
"Unfortunately," Peridot replied, taking a sip from her drink.
"Trying to beat that old game again?"
"It's only styled to be old, and yes. I've almost got it."
Lapis turned from her painting with a soft smile. "I could give it a try. I'm... pretty good at platformers, I think."
Peridot frowned. "Not on my save file you don't."
"Why not?"
"Because," Peridot said, sitting up, "I would like to beat it for myself."
"Oh, I... that makes sense." Lapis turned back around. Jasper stage-whispered 'nerds!', only to get elbowed in the arm by Peridot. It didn't do much to faze her, even if it was Peri's metal one.
"Gonna continue that game, then?" Jasper asked.
"Not now. I can do that after my next class. I think I'll just sit here and let my brain rot from televison."
"Please keep the volume low," Lapis requested. Peridot and Jasper knew by now that the blue-haired girl did not like being interrupted while painting.
"Sure. Jasper, you wanna join?"
Jasper shrugged. "Sure. Done my workout routine for today, I think I can kick back a bit." She then eschewed walking around like a normal person, instead vaulting over the couch and sitting next to Peridot as she turned the television on and edged the volume down to a comfortable level.
"How's the robot arm?" Jasper asked, looking at Peridot's artificial limb.
"Fine." Peridot held up her arm, flexing the fingers a little. "Hardly a real hand, but I hear there's developments on fully mobile prosthetics. I'm just glad I can play games well with this thing."
"Uh huh."
Peridot looked up at Jasper, who seemed engrossed in whatever was on the television. Hardly to blame, really, since it was wrestling. Peridot just smiled in response, leaning back and finishing off her drink, placing the can on the nearest flat surface. She'd clean it later.
There was probably some homework she could be doing, but really, who didn't deserve a little procrastination every now and again?