I know that Steven is just a really good-hearted kid in general, but I can't help but think that Steven is really happy at the opportunity to get to know another Gem. Even though he recognizes the dangers that other Gems pose, he still sees Peridot as just another person, not that much different than Pearl, Amethyst, or Garnet. Just as goofy as them too.

edit: It seems like aren't meant to be independent beings on Homeplanet, whether that's because of strange alien rock biology, or a restrictive caste system is in place. Rose and Garnet seemed like they recognized that Gems could reach a new potential than what has ever been seen before by living free on Earth, but Pearl's still stuck in the old ways, and what her existence means on her own. She's been trying to find a purpose to go on better than "it's what Rose would've wanted," while at the same time trying to hide her codependency. She understands that Rose was trying to let her live free, but Pearl would love it if Rose just tell her how to do exactly that. A bit of a dilemma that she has made the first step in solving by admitting.

Pearl herself has been shown to be obsessed with symmetry, fact keeping, holoprojection, mathematical harmony. If Pearls had a role on Nomeworld, they were probably living computers/PDAs who would offer advice and outcomes, regardless of whether a higher up would follow it or not.