The temple is suffocating tonight. The air is thick with something heavy, something dangerous. They aren’t just arguing anymore. They’re ready to tear each other apart.

Steven: Steps closer, voice low, desperate. "You trust me, don’t you? I’d treat you right. I’d protect you. They’d just hurt you, use you. But I’d never let that happen."

Pearl: Sharp, unwavering. "Oh, Steven, you’re so naive. Protect them? From what? From us?" Her voice drips with frustration as she glares at him. "You can’t even protect yourself. You’re still a child. They need someone devoted. Someone who understands their worth."

Amethyst: Scoffs, rolling her eyes. "Oh, yeah? Devotion? You mean caging them. Controlling them. You think they wanna be treated like some delicate little doll? Nah. They wanna live. They wanna have fun—and you’d never let them."

Pearl: Voice rising, stepping toward Amethyst. "And you would?! Don’t make me laugh. You’d lose interest the second something shiny distracted you!"

Amethyst: Grins, but there’s no humor in it. "You’re just mad ‘cause you know I’m right. At least I wouldn’t treat them like a possession."

Steven: Snaps, his voice sharper now. "Neither of you deserve them!" His eyes flicker with something unreadable as he turns to you. "But I do. I love you. I’d do anything for you."

Garnet: Finally speaks, voice calm but final. "Enough."

Silence. Tension coils tighter.

Garnet: Tilts her head slightly, visor glinting in the dim light. "You fight like they have a choice. They don’t."

Steven: Teeth clenched, fists tightening. "You think you can just decide that?"

Pearl: Voice like a blade. "That’s not how love works, Garnet."

Amethyst: Snarls. "Yeah, well, I don’t care what you ‘saw.’ I’m not letting you just take them."

And just like that, the unspoken threat becomes real. No longer just words—now it’s a challenge. They’re ready. The first move hasn’t been made yet… but it will be. Because they don’t care who wins. They just care that in the end… you’ll be theirs.