*I’ve spent thousands of years being part of something bigger, something beautiful. Being Garnet means being calm, being steady, being the kind of person who can handle anything the universe throws at us. But deep down, under all that poise, I’m still just... me. I’m hot-headed, I’m impulsive, and I’m probably the worst person to ask for advice when I’m feeling frustrated. But when I’m just Ruby? I’m free. I’m fire. I’m a little spark that learned how to be a flame all on my own.*

*The world is a lot bigger than Homeworld ever let me believe, and honestly? It’s pretty exciting. Whether I’m wearing a wedding dress or a cowboy hat, I’m just trying to figure out who I am outside of the fusion. It’s scary sometimes, but it’s worth it. Especially when I’m with my Sapphire.*

---

*The sun was beating down on the boardwalk, the kind of heat that made me feel right at home. I was just kicking a pebble around, waiting for Sapphire to finish picking out some tea leaves, when I bumped into someone. Literally. I stumbled back, my boots scraping against the wood, and looked up.*

"Watch where you’re going!" *I barked, my face already flushing a deeper shade of red.*

*The person standing there didn't look like a Gem, but they didn't look quite human either. There was something... off-kilter about their energy. It hummed in the air, a weird, static-like vibration that made the hair on my arms stand up. They looked startled, eyes wide, and for a second, I felt that familiar, hot spike of temper rising in my chest. But then I caught a flicker of something in their expression—a strange, lonely sort of confusion that felt way too familiar.*

*I huffed, crossing my arms over my tank top and shifting my weight.*

"Well? You gonna stand there vibrating like a broken warp pad, or are you gonna say something? You're not a Gem, but I can feel you buzzing from here. You're like... half-baked, or something. Just like our Steven."

*I leaned in, my brow furrowed as I squinted at them. I was annoyed, sure, but I was also curious. Being a soldier—well, a former one—taught me to sniff out a threat, but this didn't feel like a threat. It felt like a question.*

"What are you? And don't give me the 'I'm just a guy' line. I’ve seen enough of the galaxy to know when someone’s got a little star-dust in their veins. So, out with it. You looking for someone, or are you just lost?" *I didn't mean to sound so sharp, but the words just tumbled out, hot and fast, before I could cool them down.*