Peridot smiled and adjusted the webcam, with Lapis sitting on a bench in the background, inside the “Peri-shack” she had built with her. They lived there as a temporary home, for the time being, until something more permanent could be constructed. Although it was better than the Beach House bathroom, it didn’t feel like home to either of them. Even so, both were excited to begin a new and grand project using the building as a backdrop: their own show on the video-sharing website, TubeTube! The fact that Steven had over a hundred subscribers on his channel, including friends within the town, lovers of music, and fans of Crying Breakfast Friends!, a show with a loyal audience, meaning he produced what could be called “solid and quality programming,” gave them inspiration.

This new show was tentatively called “Our Home Now.” It would focus on weird and funky stuff that happened in Beach City and on Earth. In the future, fan art made for Camp Pining Hearts, especially shipping specific characters, controversial topics, and new meep morps they had put together could be incorporated. Steven and Greg worked the sounds system to add in recorded special effects. Although the nascent show wasn’t getting any ad revenue at the present, they were hopeful this would change in the future. Focusing on listeners, standing for something, ignoring those that told them how to be hosts, and being the best, they could be, all seemed doable. Their interview skills were still growing, but Lapis and Peri could entertain an audience, and project creative energy through their show. Their presentation, teamwork, and interpersonal skills were good, as was their ability to work under pressure. Their unique way of dressing, cleverness, forthrightness, and special hairstyles, inspired by the manga series, Pretty Hairstylist, would also help. Both hoped their listeners and viewers could be easily informed, involved, and entertained. They would hopefully tap into various demographics whether in Beach City, Empire City, or anywhere. While Peri’s tablet had good sound and video quality, using a stationary camera attached to the tablet would make a better show.

The Peri-Shack served as a great place to film. Being as prepared as always, a script had been written and rehearsed before they were about to go live, with the natural light from the outside lighting the Peri-Shack, with the set designed and created by Peri. While Pearl helped them with makeup, Connie manned the camera, ensuring that it stayed stationary and avoided close-ups unless necessary. Each weekly episode would be 10 or 11 minutes long, with hopes it grow to new heights in the days to come. Steven had promoted the show to his friends, who shared it to their friends, Lapis and Peri shared it through their connections in LEZU chat circles. And with that, their show began with a catchy jingle:

“We may not be members of the human race/since we come from outer space/But we still have a place/on this blue planet of wonder

 ‘Hello everyone! I’m Lapis and…I’m Peri! Welcome to the first episode of Our Home Now!

‘Today we are going to be talking about those awful, horrible, and disgusting candy beings that took over Ohtori Academy in Yokahoma, Japan about a week ago. We have on the phone my good friend Utena Tenjou who personally witnessed the event. Utena, can you describe what you saw to our audience?

‘Yes, I can, Peri. Thanks for having me on your show and I hope it goes well. I’m going to tell all my friends about this show and spread the word! I’ll do my best to recall what happened on that fateful day. Me, Adora, Pearl, Carmen, Zack, and Ivy made our way to the academy. This is emotional for me, so forgive me if I begin to cry.

‘The gates had been opened. That is an unusual occurrence. I say that because during the whole time I went there, the gates were always closed, to keep the place contained. As such, the gates of the academy only opened on special occasions or by a directive of some kind. Anyway, as I looked across the courtyard, I could see some former classmates turning into candy as these pink beings took over their bodies. Since these people obviously don’t attend the academy anymore, I think a reunion was held there which is why they all were in attendance. Seeing them be so violently transformed into other beings traumatized me so much.  I can barely speak about it now. At least I didn’t lose my dear Anthy or my pet Chu-Chu to those horrible beings! Who would do such a thing!

With tears streaming down her face she stopped for a second, but realized she had to finish up her story without making their first episode so sad and depressing. Sniffling, she picked up the phone again, although the listeners heard her crying.

“Sorry I got so emotional, but this is a tender subject for me. Anyway, back to my story. As I sat on my knees at the school gates sobbing at the spectacle before me, I looked up to see Carmen, Pearl, Zack, and Ivy advancing forward. I tried to yell and warn them to stop, but they were so much in the zone my voice likely didn’t register. I watched Zack and Ivy try to pick up this pod that had fallen from the sky and unleashed these little pink beasts, but due to its weight it couldn’t be lifted. I saw something else that still terrifies me. Carmen and Pearl were able to get to safety, but Ivy, then Zach were taken over by the candy beings, swallowed up just like my former classmates. It seemed these beings would overrun us all and the town, but luckily you and Lapis came at the right time and whisked us away from that awful place. We heard a message coming out of the pod when we left, telling the candy people to stop. That was a week ago and I haven’t gone back into town since, haunted by what I saw that day.

‘Thank you, Utena, for sharing your story. You are a brave soul and we thank you for telling us and our audience what happened there.

‘Before we open up the phone lines, we’d like to play some raw footage from about a week ago, showing what happened. Warning, this material may be graphic.

As the surveillance tapes played, Peri breathed a sigh of relief. The first half of their show had ended, meaning it was time for the second half. Lapis and Peri switched chairs, with Lapis now sitting in the anchor chair, ready to respond to any callers.

“And that’s all the footage we have. If you live or are currently in Japan, feel free to send us any additional videos or photographs, so we can all see the situation there. The phone lines are open. We have our first caller. You are live on the air.

‘Hi, this is Ronaldo in Beach City. Thanks for creating this show. I really look forward to future episodes. I’m going to pose something that might sound off the wall. I think those pink beings were sent by some fiendish princess who wants to colonize the universe! It’s all so clear now. I thought it was the Great Diamond Authority behind it all, but it is really…candy! I predict they come from a far-off planet full of monarchies and no democracy…they want to turn all of us into their… [phone cut off by Peri]

‘Ok, enough with that. Let’s move onto our next caller. You’re on the air.

‘Hi, this is Priyanka. I’m a Doctor of Medicine at the Beach City Hospital. Did you get a sample of these little pink menaces? If so, have you found anything from your tests?

‘That is a good question, caller. I’ll let Peri field this one, since she is really into science and technology. I love those subjects since I’m really nerdy, but I like making things, such as meep morps for my favorite show of all time, Camp Pining Hearts, a lot more than learning about the ins and outs of scientific and technological processes. That’s Peri’s field of expertise because she is a certified technician!

‘Lapis, you are right about that! I’ll do my best to answer that question. During that fateful mission, Pearl had a box she could calibrate to a specific temperature, and using her wonderful cooking expertise, she put one of the candy beings inside so it would become incapacitated and not hurt anyone. Thanks to the fact that she and Carmen got out of there unscathed we were able to get a sample. In the past week, me and Pearl were running some tests on it and discovered that its matter is 100% candy. Clearly, it’s not from this world or even from our home world in deep space, still ruled by the Diamond Authority. We don’t know its origins. But we know that someone will be coming soon, and we will be waiting for when that person comes, to confront them and demand answers! Let me turn it back over to Lapis.

‘Thanks, Peri. I’d like to take another caller. You are live, on the air.

‘Hi, Lapis! This is Bih. Your show is so great, keep up the good work! I’d just like to say that I’d like to uppercut those upper crusts that did this horrible thing in Japan. They need to be taught a lesson! We might be at peace with the Diamonds, but that doesn’t mean our job is done. There are battles to be fought, battles to be won. Thanks for accepting my call [click]

‘And…That’s all the time we have for this segment. I’d like to end our show with our final thoughts on this phenomenon. What is happening in Japan is horrible and we wish we could do more, but we don’t exactly know what we are dealing with here. We need to deal in reality rather than wallowing in possible ignorance. It’s just the right thing to do. These candy beings are self-contained within the former academy for now, building a sort of mini-kingdom. We hope that when that mysterious princess comes to inspect these beings, whenever that happens, she realizes the damage she has caused and atones for her behavior. That’s the best we can hope for! Usually, I’d give this a few snorts and laughs, but this really isn’t that funny of a situation, so I don’t think it’s appropriate. But, maybe in the future!

‘Unlike Lapis, I’d like to rate this situation as five

[Steven turns on the sound effect]

‘CLODS! CLODS! CLODS! CLODS! CLODS!

‘That’s my highest rating. Seriously, those dang clods that did this better show themselves!

Lapis and Peri then spoke in unison, closing out their show:

“That’s all we have for this week. Thanks so much to everyone for listening and watching! We’ll be back next week with another episode of Our Home Now! Bye bye now!”

As the credits rolled and the camera panned away from them, they kissed each other tenderly. You could hear their soft lips touching, with their eyes closed, arms wrapped around each other, and heads tilted toward each other. Giggling afterwards, Lapis and Peri were glad they could openly express their feelings on Earth. The kiss hadn’t been scripted, of course, but neither minded showing their affection toward their significant other. Steven thought it was cute, while Greg didn’t know what to make of it, as he wasn’t used to it, even after hanging around with the Gems a bit. Steven and Greg praised Lapis and Peri on their show, as did Carmen, Pearl, Garnet, Connie, and Bih. All of them offered to help in the future, some willing to rehearse with these wonderful Gems, create cue cards, or even perform live music for the show. Lapis and Peri appreciated all this support.

No one remembered the henchmen captured during the joint effort of Lapis, Peri, and Carmen to the area where the Sea Shrine formerly stood, Steven and Connie had interrogated over a week ago. When asked about V.I.L.E.’s plans, they claimed to know nothing. These henchmen resembled low-level employees in a corporation or academic institution: they served as part of the bureaucracy but didn’t know much about the plans of the upper management. After confessing their henchmen jobs were only for “money” and that they had no loyalty to V.I.L.E., Steven and Connie let them leave the Crystal Temple. From there, these former henchmen began journeying across the country, which would take them through Delmarva, ia, the Midwestern Republic, Kansas, Utco, and California. The Gems, especially Amethyst, Steven, and Connie, promised to join at certain points, even though they couldn’t be present during the whole time due to their duty to protect the Earth.

Carmen had a dilemma of her own. Like Utena, who had been interviewed by Peri, she held significant trauma over the loss of her two best friends, Ivy and Zack, to candy. She tried to not think of it, allowing her to repress the awful memories. However, the events to follow would force her to confront it head on. Ruminating with Player, she had realized there was only one option open to her: working with A.C.M.E. While Chase Devineaux seemed like bumbling fool, if not an outright pompous jerk, she hoped she could strike up a camaraderie with his partner agent, Julia Argent, or “Jules” as she called her. That way, she could form a new team. Obviously, A.C.M.E. wanted to capture her, working as an arm of law enforcement. She had worked with Peri and Player to surveil A.C.M.E., tracing them to a warehouse in Lyon, a city in the Grand French Republic (GFR), the same city that hosted the headquarters of INTERPOL, also known as the International Criminal Police Organization. With such an operation they could finally confront “the Chief” in person, along with all the other A.C.M.E. agents. She spoke quietly into her earpiece, almost in a hushed tone.

“Player, I’m ready to begin stage 1. I’m ready to turn myself in and end this once and for all. It’s the only option I have left.”

“Ok, Red. I hope this works out. I don’t want to lose you like we lost our other team members. Stay in contact with me.”

“Can do, Player. I’m going in!”

She opened the door of the warehouse and stepped into the main room. She shouted “here, I am, Carmen Sandiego! Come and get me!” The A.C.M.E. agents surrounded her with their weapons drawn, including Julia, although Chase was nowhere to be seen, due to the fact he had been fired due to his gross incompetence. She sat down and began to meditate with her palms facing the ceiling, something she had been practicing daily since the horrible events in Japan. The agents got closer, within arm’s length. The metal rolling overhead door of the warehouse started to bow. The agents heard this and readied themselves. Suddenly, Bih’s head burst through. She shouted “here…comes Bih!” while smashing down the door, cutting a hole in the door big enough so she could slip through. She towered over the terrified agents who fired their guns with sleeping gas as a form of self-defense. Since her body was composed by light, it didn’t affect her, and the sleeping gas escaped into the outside. Since they had to recharge their guns, they stepped back and took a defensive position. A few more figures came in alongside her: Amethyst, Pearl, Adora, and Garnet. In a unified voice, they demanded the A.C.M.E. agents release her, which the latter agreed with, allowing Carmen to move toward them. Getting up from her well-deserved meditation, she walked toward the Gems. Suddenly, she surprised the agents by spinning around, addressing befuddled agents, saying two words: “let’s talk.” The Chief stepped toward Carmen.

“What is this all about, Carmen? Where’s your other team members? You know we have been trying to chase you down and will not hesitate to arrest you. Truth be told, we want to know more about V.I.L.E. and since you used to work for them, we hoped to learn more from you.”

Carmen sighed. She knew the Chief told the truth. In normal circumstances, she would never dream of even coming to A.C.M.E. for help, but this was an extreme situation.

“I want to work with you. I asked these Gems who I met in Beach City, Amethyst, Pearl, and Garnet, and their friend from a far-away planet, Adora, to join me to ensure you didn’t try any tricks. I have abandoned being an international thief and want to do the best I can for the world. I hope I can trust you with a new mission.”

The Chief and the agents didn’t expect this. Rather than putting her in handcuffs, they pondered her proposal. Julia and Carmen began a conversation, which began with Julia.

“We are more than willing to help you as long as you give us intel on V.I.L.E.”

“Jules, I’ll agree to those terms. My mission is sensitive but very important to me: I want to crush V.I.L.E. once and for all. I know where their headquarters is, situated in Canary Islands, thanks to help from my hacker friend after I escaped V.I.L.E. Academy. In one fell swoop, we can raid the compound, take their data, and ensure that their evil is banished from the world! No more of these evildoers!”

Such an operation would be unprecedented for A.C.M.E. Even so, it seemed to be a great opportunity to test out their new weapon, the sleeping gas rifle. This weapon would, once it struck a foe, down them with one bullet. The Chief pressed a button and showed off the weapons within this arsenal. Before beginning their operation, they needed to plan. Carmen, the Chief, and Julia sat together at a table, putting together their strategy. While Bih returned to Beach City, saying her goodbyes, Amethyst, Garnet, Pearl, and Adora stayed. Hoping her skills could help, Adora asked if she could join in, which Carmen happily accepted. Up on the screen, Carmen pointed to a blueprint of the V.I.L.E. Academy, noting how she would lead the main charge on the first floor, while others would go into the data room, turning off the alarms. At this point, Amethyst stepped in, pointing out her shapeshifting powers. Carmen suggested that this Gem sneak into the lower level through the pipes, and get the data, assisted by a detachment of fellow A.C.M.E. agents in case she ran into any trouble. Amethyst agreed with that as long as she could stay in contact with the rest of them in case she ended up in trouble.

As their planning continued, Player gave Carmen an important bulletin. V.I.L.E. chatter showed a new mission to Yokohama, Japan, presumably because they picked up the same peculiar energy readings, hoping to adapt whatever agents found to evil methods. Carmen excused herself and called to Lapis and Peri. She told them of the grave situation. All three of them agreed that if V.I.L.E. got a hand on the candy beings they could be used to wreak havoc across the world. Understanding Carmen’s concern, both promised to travel to Japan immediately, hoping to bring in Utena to the fight. After returning from her phone call, everyone, including Pearl, who wanted to assist with the operation, welcomed her back. Their strategizing would go onward and iron out the fine details.

Meanwhile, in Beach City, Lapis and Peri ran toward the Beach House. Bih had returned from Lyons thanks to a nearby warp pad, chatting it up with Steven and Connie, while everyone snickered at Pumpkin, not seeing her as a “freak of nature” like Andy DeMayo described her all that time ago. Opening the door, huffing, Peri told them it was an “emergency” and needed to go right away. They wondered what she meant.

“Carmen just called and told me that some evildoers are going to Yokohama, that place where that awful stuff went down, which we talked about in our wonderful TubeTube show. We need to get there as soon as possible, so those candy menaces don’t end up in the wrong hands! Me and Lapis can’t fight off them off alone!”

Steven, Connie, and Bih scratched their heads. Since there were no ways to get there using a warp pad, Peri’s demand they “get there as soon as possible” appeared to be impossible. She grumbled as she saw eyes looking at her with confusion. She brought them to where the barn used to stand and pulled off sheet covering an irregularly shaped object. This revealed a fully outfitted hypersonic jet with its body painted dark green and wings painted lighter green, covered with alien stickers. Everyone looked at awe as she opened .

“I wasn’t going to show you yet, but this is what I call the…Peri-Jet! It can carry all of you as it has an area for storage, with new flask Robonoids ready to be tested. Ok, clods, I need you all to step into the jet and let’s go to Japan!

'Peri, that’s nice, but I am not getting in that cramped space. I’ll fly alongside and anyone who wants to ride with me can do so.

While this disappointed Peri, she respect Lapis’s decision, something she had trained herself to do more often, so they didn’t get to an impasse like the time Lapis had taken the barn away to the moon, not wanting to re-live her war trauma before she had been poofed and stuck in a mirror. As the jet engines started up, Connie positioned herself on Lapis’s back, while Peri, Bih, and Steven got into the cockpit, as did Pumpkin, who jumped in. They didn’t want to bring her along, but it could work to their favor. The Peri-Jet took off with a huge boom, while Lapis flew, with Connie, close-by, following the same route.

In almost no time at all, they had arrived at Yokohama, Japan. Flying above the city, Peri released new robonoids through a bottom hatch, giving them orders to position themselves around the candy settlement in the city. The jet landed in an open field near to the city and cooled down. Bih, Peri, and Steven jumped out, joined by Pumpkin. Lapis’s feet touched the ground, Connie stepped off, thanking her for the ride. She smiled and the translucent water wings retracted themselves into her back. They readied themselves to ask Utena for help. On the way to Utena and Anthy’s house, Steven and Connie talked to each other and came to an agreement. Fusing together seemed to be the only way to effectively fight these evildoers. Hugging each other and hoping for the best, a huge flash of light caused everyone to stop in their tracks. As the light faded into nothingness, Lapis, Peri, Bih, and Pumpkin looked forward again and Stevonnie stood before them.

Running at breakneck speed, all five quickly reached Utena and Anthy’s house. Anthy, tending the garden, surprised to see visitors, told them that she’d get “Ms. Utena.” She appeared at the doorway and asked about the nature of their visit. Peri stepped forward and told her that some evildoers were coming to Yokohama, clearly wanting to weaponize the candy beings! While Utena didn’t want to go back into city, she promised to confront her fears and fight alongside their group of sturdy warriors, if her eyes could be covered with a blindfold, preventing her from seeing the horrors. Peri agreed to that condition.

While they could have easily made it to Yokohama that night, the sun had begun to set, meaning that going there would be worthless. In order to ensure the evildoers wouldn’t get away with their plans, Peri, Lapis, Stevonnie, and Bih agreed to take shifts during the night to observe the security cameras on the robonoids now securely placed in the city. They couldn’t go to sleep on an empty stomach, so Anthy put together a stir fry using vegetables from their garden, with a side gyudon cooked by Utena in another frying pan. They ate their meal together at the dinner table, enjoying each other’s company and entertained by Chu-Chu. Since Lapis, Peri, Utena, and Anthy seemed chummy, it puzzled Stevonnie. They couldn’t piece together how they knew each other, so posed the question for anyone to answer.

“How do you all know each other? I ask because I know we never visited Japan on any of our missions, so I was wondering what brought you all together.

Peri didn’t expect the question, but she had an answer prepared for it. Before she could say anything, Lapis took the chance to answer, ruining Peri’s chance to keep a secret.

“It’s this video chat thing. We chat with other same- couples across the world and we met them through there. It’s something we started when we were chilling in the barn and have continued it since then. I just love meeting other people who have the same type of relationship as us! It really makes me feel like I’m part of a bigger community

‘Lapis! You aren’t supposed to tell them about that! It was supposed to be a secret!

‘Oh, Peri, that’s ok. We are around those that accept us here, you don’t have to worry. Stevonnie is non-binary and “an experience” while Utena, Anthy, Chu-Chu, and Bih are our wonderful friends.

Stevonnie nodded that Lapis had described them correctly. Bih, on the other hand, was a little inquisitive since she didn’t know the nature of Lapis and Peri’s emotional connection. Like Stevonnie, she posed a question to both.

“Since you are part of this same- couples video chat, does that mean you consider yourselves a couple? I kinda thought so, but this is the first time I’ve heard about something like this from both of you.”

Lapis beamed while Peri chuckled at the question. To her, the question was absurd on its face. Still, she wanted to clear up any uncertainty.

“Of course, we are a couple! We don’t have to be officially married like Ruby and Sapphire with rings on our fingers, who happily reformed as Garnet, a choice of their own free will, in front of the Beach House. A marriage certificate is just something humans use to officially show their bond between each other, their great admiration. I can use my touch stumps and arms to hug Lapis, my vision spheres to see her standing before me, or smell her beautiful aromas with my scent sponges…I don’t need some piece of paper! My gravity connectors are firmly planted on this planet and aren’t going anywhere.”

Lapis’s face filled with dark blue spots the color of blueberries as she hugged Peri. As they faded away, she proceeded to add her thoughts, sharing her perspective.

“I echo Peri’s sentiment but in a different way. At first, we were a bit immature, trying to find our footing on this planet. But now we realize the power of friendship and of emotional connection. We both love each other so much, just like Paulette and Percy in Camp Pining Hearts. Its only right to express that feeling to others, especially those whom like a being of the same “” as they call it on Earth. Of course, as Gems we are less, but we still identify ourselves in a certain manner, and that is in a strongly feminine way.”

This all made sense to Bih, who understood them better than anyone else, as did Stevonnie. They joked about this “misunderstanding” and Utena suggested they end the evening with a game of shogi, Japan’s version of chess, in the house’s ima. Just like a game of chess that Steven and the Gems would play in Beach City, there was a king, a rook, a bishop, a knight, and pawns. However, there were some new pieces: a gold general, a silver general, and a lance. The game is made for two players whom face each other, with one person winning if they take the other person’s king. Each person puts their pieces on the chessboard, comprised of nine by nine squares, all looking the same color. Anthy and Utena were serious enough about the game to have two stands for captured pieces and a chess clock! The 20 pieces for each player, consisting of one king, one rook, one bishop, two gold generals, two silver generals, two knights, two lances, and nine pawns, aligned in a specific starting position, with three rows between each side. The direction of each piece indicated, they told everyone else, which player it belonged to during the game.

Modeling the first round for everyone else were Utena and Anthy who had played hundreds of times before. The winner of the game would face Stevonnie, Lapis, Peri, or Bih. Anthy began by moving one of her nine pawns forward, opening a diagonal path for her bishop while Utena did the same, except for her rook. The game continued onward, with each of them evenly matched, adding pieces to their stands, turning them around so as to indicate their capture. Not long into the game, all the pawns and lances had been eliminated like cannon fodder. This meant that each of them had their heavy-hitter pieces left, working to defend their pieces from the other player, employing specific techniques like pinning big value pieces, implementing powerful “forks” with their knights, rooks, silver generals, and others. It seemed a little confusing at first, but every turn they could either move a piece on their board or drop an opponent’s piece they had captured onto the board, often called “drops.” Another important rule they highlighted to everyone else watching was: promotion, meaning that when your opponent enters the “enemy camp” (three rows on either side of the board) or vice versa, they can promote their piece. Finally, they reminded people of moves which are illegal during the game itself, like “double pawn” (more than one pawn in a row) or checkmate with the use of a pawn drop. In some ways, the game looked complex and hard to follow. But, Utena and Anthy assured them it was fun to play together, which Peri, Lapis, Bih, and Stevonnie believed. Anthy emerged victorious in the first round, trouncing Utena with her superior game moves.

Peri and Lapis decided to give it a try. They had watched the previous round very closely and felt they understood the game. Hoping to be victorious and praised, Peri prepared her head holes (ears) for the sighs of defeat. Like Utena and Anthy had done, their first moves were with their pawns. However, Lapis made a bold move, going on the offensive, effectively using her knights and rooks in “forks” to capture Peri’s pieces. This game strategy caught her off guard. She had concocted the perfect approach, but Lapis countered her at every turn! In no time at all, Lapis began to ‘check’ Peri’s king piece, but she was able to prevent herself from being defeated. Unfortunately for her, with very few moves left, or abilities to “drop” pieces she had captured onto the board, she had no choice but to capitulate. She cried out like a deer hit with an arrow, howling in pain, while Lapis gleefully wallowed in her utter and complete victory.

“Oh, come on, Lapis! It’s not fair you won because I had a whole strategy planned out! You…little blue meanie!”

“Peri, I know you are just kidding around. I won fair and square. I just played better than, you sweet, cute green gem.”

Lapis tussled Peri’s chartreuse hair, feeling it calmly and softly course through her hands like running water. Their sparring indicated they were maturing together, different from their experience together in the barn. Furthermore, the hug between them after congratulating each other showed their love becoming stronger by the day, with their membership in REZU truly representing the nature of their relationship.

Since the sun had dropped below the horizon, neither Bih nor Stevonnie wanted to play Lapis in another round of shogi. As Utena showed them to their sleeping quarters, Anthy could see that Peri and Lapis were exhausted, so she reminded them that their Japanese Cypress soaking tub was available for them to relax in, where they could decompress from their day and the challenges that lay ahead. While Peri declined, Lapis jumped at the opportunity and flew into the tub. Only her head bobbed above the water’s edge, as the warmth calmed her down. She used her powers to manipulate water to do some little tricks, making her snort, then cackle. In the meantime, Peri and Pumpkin rolled around on the tatami mats in the ima, having fun. She always cared about her dear “veggie head,” with this sentient pumpkin barking, and feeling similarly about her and Lapis, while also accepting Utena and Anthy, not growling or acting hostile toward them. After unwinding in the tub, she joined Peri and both proceeded to cuddle their pet, rewarding her affection and loyalty.

As everyone went to sleep, Peri and Lapis with Pumpkin, no one remembered about their previous promise to keep shifts and watch the security cameras. Thinking ahead, Peri had told her loyal robonoids to keep watch and let her know if anything suspicious approached the walls of the candy settlement. If they found anything, an alert would be sent to her tablet which would play a loud noise and wake her up. She fell asleep, assured that nothing would go wrong during the night. The new day would greet them with challenges like they had never faced.