Steven Universe: The Roleplay

Coral hesitated at the edge of the ocean, seawater washing around her ankles. Although, her hesitation lasted for only a mere moment before she dove gracefully headfirst into the surf.

Coral's head popped up a moment later. She shook water from her hair and searched the surface for Carnelian. Upon being unable to find them, she frowned and ducked under again. Her eyes searched the sandy waters until they spotted a dark, vaguely Carnelian-shaped figure floating a little ways away.

"Oh, good," Coral breathed with a ghost of a smile, moving towards Carnelian. "Come on, the reef is just a little ways out." She ducked under again, swimming fluidly through the force of the waves headed towards the beach.

After a bit, Coral stopped and broke the surface. The water around them was calm now and crystal-clear. Below them, a huge expanse of coral stretched over the seabed, shining brightly in vivid hues of purple, orange, pink, and green. Sea anemones and starfish studded the seascape and countless fish darted between clumps of seaweed and hunks of stony coral. Giant clams were nestled into the sandy bottom and huge groupers floated lazily alongside them, their huge mouths gaping to let tiny shrimp clean them.

"See?" Coral grinned. "Isn't it amazing? Everything so beautiful and beautifully effiecient. All of these organisms coexist and even help each other sometimes. It's just incredible. This whole reef, this whole ecosystem, is like one big machine. But it's alive." She stared down through the blue water, seemingly mesmerized, until she dove, akin to a koi or perhaps a small cetacean, into the depths.

Coral was down by a large drop-off, playing with a sea pen when she heard muffled turbulence in the water. She left the cnidarian alone and swam up to meet Carnelian at the surface. "Are you okay? What happened? Did you step on a stingray?"

"I, um... I'm sorry," she said softly, pushing back a mass of wet hair away from her face. She reached out and put a gentle hand on their arm. "Here, I know something that'll cheer you up." Coral offered a small smile. "Follow me."

Coral led them along the reef, above the squirrelfish, spanish dancers, and occasional blacktip sharks. Eventually, the coral started to thin out and the reef gave way to and expanse of mostly sand and seagrass. Southern stingrays drifted lazily along the bottom and tiny, silvery fish darted between the greenery. There were even a couple times when Coral could just make out the dark grey mass of a nurse shark in the distance. After some time, she stopped and floated to the surface to tread water, motioning for Carnelian to follow.

"We're here," Coral told them, grinning. "It'll be just a couple minutes now. I'm sure they're on their way as we speak." The splotched gem watched the seafloor expectantly, eyes narrowed in concentration. Suddenly, she cried out, "THERE THEY ARE!" and disappeared underwater.