Note: This story was written with assistance by an AI. I provided prompts and edited the results to make sense, creating something resembling a full story.

 

The barn was alive again the next night—lanterns strung from the rafters, machines humming, the scent of hay and oil sharp in the air. Peridot had assembled her Gem harem in a neat semicircle, each collared, each subdued in their own way: Pearl kneeling stiff-backed but trembling, Lapis slouched with folded arms and flushed cheeks, Garnet silent and unreadable, Amethyst sprawled grinning wide.

At the center, like the centerpiece of an experiment, knelt Sadie and Barb. Bare feet pressed flat to the boards, thighs parted just enough to betray their submission, collars pulsing steady green at their throats.

Peridot stood proudly before them on her crate, glasses gleaming, stylus tucked behind her ear. “Attention, subjects!” she announced in her shrill, triumphant tone. “I present to you the fruits of my latest human trials—Sadie Miller, and Barb Miller!”

Sadie flushed crimson, biting her lip. Barb shifted uneasily, her hair falling across her face. But when Peridot pointed a tiny finger toward the floor, both women bent forward obediently, lips pressing to her green feet.

“See?” Peridot cooed, preening. “Utter compliance. Human physiology is more fragile than Gem constructs, but with my collars… they’re just as pliable. They worship their scientist like proper specimens.”

Amethyst barked a laugh, slapping her thigh. “Damn, Peri, you really did it. You bagged Vee and Sadie? This is wild!”

Pearl’s face burned, her gaze darting between the humans and Peridot’s smirk. “She’s… using them just like us,” she whispered, breath trembling.

Lapis glared at the floor, wings twitching, though the color in her cheeks betrayed her.

Peridot’s grin widened. She tapped her stylus against her tablet. “Now for the fun part. Cross-subject bonding trials. Let’s see how my Gems respond to human obedience.”

She crouched, patting Sadie’s damp hair. “Sadie—offer yourself. To whoever interests you most.”

Sadie’s lips trembled, but she obeyed, lifting her head to glance at the semicircle of Gems. Her eyes lingered on Amethyst, her blush deepening. “I… I want her,” she admitted softly.

Amethyst’s grin widened, sharp and toothy. “Heh. Didn’t think you had it in you, donut girl. C’mere.”

Sadie crawled toward her on hands and knees, the collar pulsing, and Amethyst ruffled her hair fondly before tugging her into her lap.

Peridot’s stylus scratched. “Excellent. Amethyst-human rapport established. Prior connection increases willingness. I knew this would be good data.”

She turned, tilting her head at Barb. “And you? Who draws your eye?”

Barb’s face burned, her throat working. She glanced nervously at Garnet—broad, powerful, commanding. Her lips parted. “…Her,” she whispered.

The room fell silent. Garnet’s visor glinted, unreadable, but she didn’t move.

Peridot’s grin sharpened. “Oh, fascinating. The older human craves strength. Power. Garnet—how does it feel to be desired by my newest specimen?”

Garnet’s jaw flexed, her hands curling into fists. “She’s not yours to parade.” But her voice cracked slightly, betraying the flicker of conflict.

Peridot cackled. “She is, though! And she wants you.” She shoved Barb lightly toward Garnet with her little hands. “Take her. Test her.”

Barb crawled forward, trembling, until she knelt before Garnet, head bowed. The collar pulsed, urging her lips to the floor at Garnet’s toes.

The barn buzzed with tension—Pearl trembling, Amethyst grinning with Sadie in her lap, Lapis hiding her face in her arms, and Garnet frozen as Barb kissed her feet.

Peridot hopped back onto her crate, stylus flashing as she scribbled furiously. “Perfect! Cross-specimen attraction recorded! Tonight we will explore Gem-human pairings in detail!”

Her laughter rang off the rafters, sharp and victorious, while Sadie and Barb clung to their new roles, the Gems shifting uneasily under Peridot’s manic gaze.

Amethyst leaned back against a support beam, her grin splitting wide as Sadie settled into her lap. The human’s cheeks were hot, her collar pulsing faint green at her throat, but she didn’t resist when Amethyst’s rough hands slid over her waist, squeezing the softness with an approving growl.

“Damn, Vee was right,” Amethyst muttered, her voice husky. “You’re even cuter up close.” She pressed her mouth to Sadie’s neck, biting just hard enough to leave a mark. Sadie gasped, hands clutching at Amethyst’s shoulders.

Peridot’s cackle rang from her perch on the crate. “EXCELLENT! Prior emotional familiarity accelerates arousal. This match is highly efficient. Proceed!”

Amethyst chuckled into Sadie’s skin, one hand cupping her breast, the other sliding lower, fingers teasing between her thighs. “Don’t mind the peanut gallery,” she said, smirking against her ear. “She’s always like this.”

Sadie shivered, her breath ragged, leaning into the touch despite her blush. “God, you’re—so forward—”

“That’s me, baby,” Amethyst purred, nipping her ear. “Always was.”

Meanwhile, Peridot glanced at Pearl and Lapis, both stiff and silent in their spots. Her grin sharpened. “Don’t sulk! Observation is valuable, but participation is more so.”

She hopped down, scuttling between them, and without warning pushed Pearl toward Lapis. The tall, blue Gem stumbled, crashing awkwardly against Pearl, who let out a startled gasp.

“New sub-experiment!” Peridot announced, grabbing her tablet. “Pearl and Lapis: paired stimulation. Observe while Amethyst and Sadie bond.”

Pearl flushed crimson, her eyes wide as Lapis’s arms instinctively steadied her. “I—I didn’t—”

Lapis’s expression was unreadable, but her cheeks were pink, her wings twitching as she held Pearl close. “You’re lighter than you look,” she muttered awkwardly.

Peridot clapped her hands once, sharp and commanding. “Perfect! Kiss! NOW!”

Pearl trembled, torn between resistance and obedience, but the collar thrummed. Her lips parted, and she leaned forward hesitantly. Their mouths met in a shaky, startled kiss—Pearl clinging nervously, Lapis stiff at first, then slowly melting into it.

Peridot scribbled furiously. “Ha! Both reactive! Bond potential high! Excellent contrast to the raw hunger of Amethyst and Sadie!”

Across the barn, Amethyst growled low, sliding her fingers into Sadie at last. Sadie moaned loudly, her body jerking, her nails scratching down Amethyst’s back.

“Fuck yeah,” Amethyst hissed. “That’s it. That’s what I wanted to hear.”

Pearl whimpered into Lapis’s mouth, her body trembling. Lapis deepened the kiss, her hands sliding to Pearl’s hips almost in spite of herself.

Peridot spun in a manic little circle, stylus scratching the air. “Two pairs, two dynamics, one data set! This night is GLORIOUS!”

The barn had become a chorus of staggered moans and broken whispers, every corner alive with a different rhythm. Amethyst had Sadie writhing in her lap, fingers buried deep, her growl thick with lust. Pearl and Lapis clung to one another in their awkward but growing passion, their collars guiding their mouths together again and again.

And at the far side, where the light was weakest, Barb knelt before Garnet.

Her palms pressed flat to the dirt, her lips trailing across Garnet’s feet in reverent kisses. She moved slow and steady, savoring each one, like a thirsty pilgrim at a shrine. “Please,” she whispered hoarsely, her voice cracked from earlier trials. “Please, you’re so strong. So perfect. Be what I need. Be my domme… my dommy mommy. Please.”

Peridot spun, stylus scratching wildly, her laughter sharp. “HA! Confession! Subject Barb Miller expresses specific desire for parental dominance! Extraordinary!”

Garnet’s fists clenched at her sides. She stood rigid, visor flickering faintly, her jaw tight. “You don’t know what you’re asking,” she said, voice low and hard. But her feet stayed planted, didn’t move away, as Barb kissed higher along the arch.

Barb moaned into her foot, pressing her cheek against it. “I know exactly what I’m asking. Please, break me. Use me. I’ll be good. I’ll be everything you need.” The collar pulsed, pushing her deeper into humiliation. “Just let me call you that—just let me serve you.”

Garnet’s breath caught—so small a crack, but it was there. Her stance faltered, the slightest tremor in her usually perfect composure.

Peridot shrieked with glee, almost tripping over her own feet as she scribbled. “YES! Garnet’s resolve fracturing! Dom-sub dynamic forming! Human’s need for domination exploiting Gem’s protective instinct!”

Barb licked along the top of Garnet’s foot now, her hands clutching at her ankles. “You’re everything I’ve wanted. Strong. Unshakable. Take me. Please, mommy. Please.”

Garnet shuddered visibly, her visor dimming. “Stop calling me—”

“—Mommy,” Barb moaned again, more desperate this time, pressing kisses into her skin. “Please, I’ll do anything. I’ll be your good girl forever. Just… just claim me.”

Peridot’s cackle rose over the barn’s chorus. “Observation: repetition of humiliation term accelerates Garnet’s conflict. Delicious!” She turned, waving her stylus at the others. “Look! Look how she bends! Data, data everywhere!”

Amethyst barely glanced up, too busy making Sadie scream into her neck. Pearl flinched at the words but kissed Lapis harder, as if drowning herself in distraction. Lapis let her.

Garnet’s hands twitched at her sides, her stoicism crumbling. The visor flickered again, a pulse of blue then red, like Ruby and Sapphire were pulling in different directions.

Barb clung tighter to her feet, tears streaking her cheeks as she moaned, “Please, mommy. Please. Don’t make me beg anyone else. I only want you.”

Garnet’s chest heaved. She finally looked down at her, visor glowing faint. Her fists trembled, the first real break in her iron control.

Peridot clapped her hands like a delighted child, shrill laughter echoing. “YES! The strongest Gem unraveling under the pleas of one weak little human! It’s too perfect! Oh, this night will yield SO much data!”

Garnet’s fists unclenched. The room seemed to tilt around her as Barb pressed her face to the top of her foot again, whispering and trembling. The strength that usually radiated from Garnet like heat had been quivering for some time, caged. Now, with this one human kneeling before her, calling her something she’d never been called, it finally cracked.

Her visor flickered like a storm. Blue and red light bled through the seams, pulsing. Her breath came out in a low, guttural sound — not quite a growl, not quite a moan.

Barb froze at the sound, then slowly tilted her head up. “Please,” she whispered, voice shaking. “Let go. Show me. Don’t hold back anymore.”

Garnet’s hand moved before she thought about it — a huge, gloved palm sliding around the back of Barb’s neck, not hurting but firm. She pulled her off the floor just enough for their eyes to meet. The visor dimmed, showing two irises, one blue, one red, swirling.

“You… don’t know what you’re asking for,” she said, voice thick, almost shaking.

Barb’s lips parted, tears on her cheeks but a faint smile in her eyes. “Yes, I do.”

That broke the last chain. Garnet’s other hand rose and cupped Barb’s jaw. Her thumb brushed the corner of her mouth, wiping sweat and tears. Then, in one smooth motion, Garnet pulled Barb upright off the floor and against her. The difference in size made Barb gasp, feet barely touching the ground. Garnet bent, mouth at her ear, voice a low thunder. “You’ve been kneeling and begging. Now you’re going to find out what it’s like when I stop being still.”

Barb shuddered, pressing herself against her without hesitation. “Yes. Please. I need it.”

Garnet turned and lowered her onto the nearest worktable, palms braced on either side, trapping Barb beneath her. Her body rolled like a wave over Barb’s smaller frame, restrained power pouring through every movement. She didn’t need to use crude words; her presence alone was enough to tell Barb she’d been claimed.

Across the barn, Peridot nearly vibrated with glee, scribbling jagged notes. “Subject Garnet: suppression breach! Pent-up energy release! Human subject Barb: total compliance, active encouragement. This is magnificent.”

Barb arched into her, gasping as those powerful fingers plunged into her cunt. “Yes—just like that—don’t stop—” Her words became a litany, muffled against Garnet’s chest.

Garnet’s movements weren’t gentle now, but they weren’t cruel either; they were measured, relentless, built to take all that frustration she’d hidden and pour it into motion. Every time Barb whimpered, Garnet’s hands adjusted, holding her firmly, guiding her. Every time Barb whispered “yes” or “mommy” or “please,” Garnet’s breathing grew heavier, her visor glowing brighter until finally she pressed her forehead to Barb’s and exhaled like a storm breaking.

Barb clutched at her shoulders, trembling, murmuring broken words of gratitude and surrender. Garnet’s lips brushed her ear, a quiet rumble: “You’re mine right now.”

The worktable creaked under them; Peridot’s stylus scratched furiously. “Data point after data point! The strongest Gem bending, the human rising to meet her—this will rewrite everything I thought about control!” she hissed, eyes gleaming.

Barb gave a soft cry and went limp, collapsing against Garnet’s chest. Garnet held her upright, one huge palm stroking her damp hair with unexpected tenderness, still breathing hard.

Peridot hopped down from her crate, eyes darting between her tablet and the tableau. “Phase one complete,” she muttered, manic smile softening just a fraction. “Garnet released. Human surrendered. Bond established.”

Peridot clapped her hands sharply, her grin manic. “Tonight isn’t just about pairs,” she barked, glasses sliding crooked. “It’s about spectacle! Synchronization! Line them up!”

At her order, collars pulsed, guiding bodies into place. Sadie, Barb, and Lapis crawled forward on their hands and knees, shoulders brushing as they formed a trembling row in front of the crate. The glow at each throat painted their flushed skin green in the lantern light.

Peridot dragged three humming rigs from her arsenal, each glowing faintly as she thrust them into the hands of her chosen wielders. “Amethyst! Garnet! Pearl! Each of you take one. Tonight, you’ll prove the breadth of my invention!”

Amethyst’s grin split wide, sliding the straps on like she was born for it. “Aw, hell yeah. Been wanting another go with that thing.”

Garnet strapped hers with slow, deliberate precision, visor glinting. Pearl fumbled nervously, but the collar’s pulse steadied her hands until it was locked in place.

“Now,” Peridot crowed, hopping up on her crate, stylus ready. “Mount your partners!”

Amethyst didn’t hesitate — she gripped Sadie’s hips, yanked her back, and drove the glowing shaft home. Sadie screamed, her fingers clawing at the boards, body jerking with each rough thrust.

Amethyst leaned down, nipping Sadie’s throat. “You like that, donut girl? You like me filling you up with Peri’s toy?” Sadie moaned an answer too ragged to be words.

Beside them, Garnet stepped forward, towering over Barb. She placed one huge hand on the small of her back, pressing her down, and slid into her in a slow, devastating stroke. Barb cried out, the word “yes” spilling from her lips again and again as Garnet’s hips began their relentless rhythm.

And at the far side, Pearl knelt behind Lapis, trembling. “I… I can’t—” she whispered.

“Yes you can!” Peridot shrieked, pointing a claw. “Do it!”

Lapis looked back over her shoulder with a cold indifference. “If you’re going to, then just… do it.”

The collar thrummed, and Pearl obeyed — pressing forward, gasping aloud as she entered Lapis. The blue Gem shuddered, moaning low, wings fluttering helplessly as Pearl’s hands clung tight to her waist.

The barn was alive with sound now — Sadie’s ragged cries under Amethyst’s growl, Barb’s broken pleas beneath Garnet’s deep grunts, Lapis’s throaty moans rising with Pearl’s frantic whimpers.

Peridot scribbled furiously, shrill with glee. “YES! YES! Triple penetration trial successful! Humans and Gems aligned side by side, each broken by my genius! Compare the rhythms—Amethyst’s raw chaos, Garnet’s steady power, Pearl’s trembling hunger—it’s BEAUTIFUL!”

She hopped up and down, pointing with her stylus as if conducting the whole sordid chorus. “Look at them! Bent, taken, degraded! And all of it in my name!”

The sight was almost overwhelming: three partners lined up like specimens, three Gems driving into them in perfect parallel, the whole barn rocking with the rhythm of flesh, cries, and Peridot’s shrill laughter.

“Sing for me!” she shouted, arms thrown wide. “Sing my victory!”

And they did — in moans, in sobs, in cries that echoed to the rafters — while Peridot scribbled and cackled, the architect of their ruin.

The barn throbbed with motion, the floorboards groaning beneath the weight of three pairs moving in uneven harmony. Sadie, Barb, and Lapis lined up shoulder to shoulder on hands and knees, sweat shining on their backs, collars glowing green at their throats. Behind each of them, their Gem counterpart moved with a very different rhythm: Amethyst’s wild thrusts, Garnet’s precise power, Pearl’s hesitant but building hunger.

Peridot darted along the line like a conductor, her tablet flickering as she scribbled jagged notes.

Amethyst slapped Sadie’s ass with a grin. “That’s it, donut girl. Take me. You like being my little bitch, huh?”

Sadie cried out, cheeks burning red. “Y-yeah—oh god—don’t stop!”

Peridot cackled, leaning down to peer between them, her face far too close for comfort. “Observation! Sadie Miller vocalizes more when prompted with degrading nicknames! Amethyst’s aggression catalyzes subject’s arousal!”

Sadie whimpered, burying her face against the floorboards. “D-don’t write that down—”

“Too late!” Peridot crowed, already scribbling.

At the center, Barb sobbed under Garnet’s relentless rhythm, her palms splayed against the floor. “Stronger—please—harder—I need it, mommy!”

Garnet’s jaw clenched, visor glinting, but her hips didn’t falter. Her low, resonant voice rumbled: “You’ll get exactly what I give you.”

Peridot gasped dramatically, almost tripping over herself in excitement. “YES! Dommy mommy reinforcement confirmed! Subject Barb craves parental dominance, and Garnet supplies it with terrifying efficiency!”

Barb moaned louder, tears streaking her cheeks. “Yes! Please—don’t ever stop—”

On the far side, Pearl trembled behind Lapis, every thrust accompanied by a breathy whimper. “I—I don’t know if I’m doing this right—”

Lapis groaned, head dropping between her arms, wings twitching. “You are. Just… don’t stop moving.”

Peridot shoved her glasses up her nose, crouching low to stare at the place they were joined. “Fascinating! Lapis’s encouragement overrides Pearl’s crippling self-doubt! Each moan from Lapis correlates with a measurable increase in Pearl’s confidence!”

Pearl’s face flushed azure. “D-don’t say it out loud!” she cried, thrusts growing sharper as her embarrassment spiked.

Lapis let out a choked laugh despite herself. “She’s not wrong.”

Peridot scribbled furiously, then scuttled back toward the middle, peering at all three pairs at once. Her voice rose shrill, manic with delight:

“Amethyst, chaotic and fast, wringing screams from Sadie! Garnet, steady and punishing, reducing Barb to a sobbing wreck! Pearl, awkward but eager, pushed forward by Lapis’s moans! Each combination distinct, each humiliation exquisite!”

She tapped her stylus against her teeth, eyes gleaming. “Note the sounds! Sadie’s ragged cries, Barb’s pleading wails, Lapis’s throaty groans—all harmonizing under the thrust of my genius!”

Amethyst barked a laugh between thrusts. “She’s seriously keeping score while we fuck. Classic Peri.”

“Show some respect!” Peridot hissed, though her grin stayed wide. “This is SCIENCE.”

Sadie sobbed into her arms. “This is humiliating—”

“Yes!” Peridot crowed, pointing at her. “Sadie’s shame amplifies her arousal! Look at the way her hips keep pushing back! She loves it!”

Sadie screamed wordlessly, only proving her point.

Barb moaned louder, clutching Garnet’s wrists. “Please, claim me harder—show me I’m yours—”

Garnet leaned down, her mouth at Barb’s ear, voice a low thunder. “You already are.”

Peridot shrieked, nearly dropping her tablet. “EXTRAORDINARY! Garnet admits possession! Subject Barb confirmed as loyal submissive!”

Pearl let out a sharp cry, burying her face in Lapis’s shoulder. “I—oh stars—I can’t—”

Lapis groaned, grabbing her hips and pulling her in deeper. “Don’t think. Just do it.”

Peridot scribbled so furiously the stylus squealed against the screen. “Contrast noted: Pearl needs reassurance, Lapis supplies it with blunt force. Result—mutual arousal spike!”

The barn became a cacophony: Sadie’s sobbing moans, Barb’s desperate pleas, Lapis’s groans, Amethyst’s growls, Garnet’s low grunts, Pearl’s high cries—all woven together, driven by the relentless rhythm of Peridot’s inventions.

Peridot threw her arms wide, laughing manic into the rafters. “Six subjects, three rigs, one scientist’s brilliance! This is the greatest experiment in the history of existence!”

She hopped onto her crate, glasses askew, stylus raised like a scepter. “Now—don’t stop until I say so!”

And her subjects obeyed, bodies slamming in tandem, their cries building to something deafening and raw, while Peridot cackled above them all.

The barn was thick with heat, the air damp with sweat and the smell of hay and oil. The cries of six bodies colliding filled every rafter. Peridot skittered along the row, stylus flashing, eyes wide behind yellow glasses as she barked orders and scribbled manic notes.

Amethyst’s hand cracked against Sadie’s hip, a sharp slap echoing across the boards. Sadie yelped, jerking forward on her hands and knees.

“Ohhh yeah,” Amethyst growled, landing another swat. “That’s what I like to hear. C’mon, donut girl, tell me how much you love it.”

Sadie sobbed, her face hot against the floorboards. “I—I love it—I love it—!”

Peridot howled with laughter, scribbling jagged lines. “Observation! Sadie’s volume doubles under corporal reinforcement! The spank-cry cycle is a PERFECT humiliation amplifier!”

At the center, Garnet pulled Barb’s head up by her hair, forcing her to arch her throat. “Say it again,” she commanded, voice low thunder. “Who do you belong to?”

Barb moaned, tears streaking her cheeks. “You! I’m yours! Mommy, I’m yours forever!”

Garnet’s massive hand cracked across her bare ass, the sound like a whip. Barb screamed, her pussy clenching around the glowing shaft, and Garnet’s visor glowed brighter. “Good girl,” she rumbled.

Peridot shrieked, bouncing in place. “YES! Barb’s degradation response tied to parental fixation! This is priceless data!”

Pearl was trembling, her thrusts shaky but growing bolder. Each slap of hips made her gasp louder, until she raised a hand almost timidly—then smacked Lapis’s rear with a shaky cry.

Lapis groaned low, arching into it. “Harder,” she muttered, glancing back with a flush.

Pearl’s eyes went wide, but she obeyed, landing a firmer spank that made Lapis moan and push back.

Peridot dropped to her knees beside them, giggling shrill. “ASTONISHING! Pearl’s timid nature overridden by Lapis’s direct instruction! Look at her—every order she gives increases Pearl’s confidence!”

Pearl whimpered, striking again, her rhythm stumbling as she grew more frantic. Lapis groaned, wings twitching wildly, voice thick. “Yes, just like that. Keep going.”

The whole barn was a storm of sound now — Sadie sobbing “I love it” as Amethyst spanked her more and more, Barb screaming “mommy” with each crack of Garnet’s palm, Lapis groaning “harder” while Pearl whimpered and obeyed.

Peridot stood atop her crate, arms thrown wide, her shrill laughter cutting through the noise. “It’s beautiful—art, science, humiliation, all at once!”

She jabbed her stylus like a conductor’s baton. “Faster! Louder! I want the rafters to shake with your obedience!”

The Gems obeyed, hips slamming harder, hands cracking down in rhythm. The humans and Lapis screamed and sobbed and moaned in unison, their voices blending into one raw, messy song.

Peridot’s grin stretched feral as she shrieked, “YES! My specimens, my data, my playthings! Sing for me until you break!”

The barn was trembling now — beams groaning, lanterns swaying — as six bodies moved in rhythm under the manic eye of one tiny green conductor. Peridot’s laughter filled the rafters as her stylus carved jagged lines across the tablet, her glasses crooked on her nose.

“YES!” she shrieked, voice cracking with glee. “All of you! Together! One symphony! One collapse!”

Her order rang out, and the collars obeyed. Sadie’s sobs pitched higher as Amethyst drove her rougher, palm striking her ass until it was glowing red. Barb’s pleas blurred into keening wails under Garnet’s relentless thrusts, each spank shaking her whole body. Lapis’s groans grew ragged, wings thrashing as Pearl struck her again, breathless and trembling, but faster now, harder, braver.

The cries overlapped, tangled, rose into a harmony of broken moans.

Peridot hopped down, running between them, her hands fluttering in manic approval. “Listen! The sound of obedience! Six voices blended into one glorious peak! Don’t stop! Don’t you dare stop until I say—”

Her tiny fists clenched, her voice shrill with triumph. “NOW!”

The collars pulsed in unison. The devices hummed bright green. And all six of them broke at once.

Sadie screamed against the floorboards, Amethyst snarling into her hair. Barb shrieked Garnet’s name, collapsing against the floor as Garnet’s deep moan shook the air. Lapis cried out with her head thrown back, wings spread wide, while Pearl clung to her, sobbing with release.

Their voices blended into one raw, ragged chorus, echoing through the barn like a hymn to Peridot’s madness.

The phallus rigs dimmed, hips slowed, and bodies slumped together — sweaty, trembling, utterly spent.

Peridot stood in the center of it all, her chest heaving, tablet clutched to her heart. Her glasses slid low as she whispered, almost tender: “Perfect. My perfect symphony.”

She tossed the stylus aside and crawled into the heap of exhausted bodies, worming her small frame between them. Amethyst’s arm slung over her without thinking. Sadie’s head dropped against her shoulder. Pearl’s hand found hers, trembling. Lapis curled against her back, wings folding. Barb’s cheek pressed to her thigh. Garnet encircled the whole pile with her massive arms, pulling them all into one trembling knot of heat and sweat.

Peridot sighed, utterly smug, utterly content, a tiny tyrant nestled among her spoils. “Data collection complete,” she murmured, eyes fluttering shut. “Aftercare engaged.”

The barn was suddenly eerily quiet, save for the sound of slow, exhausted breathing, six conquered bodies tangled together under Peridot’s gleeful little smile.