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autumn-arts · 3 months

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In the Line of Work - Summer of Yuri

@autumn-arts

THE SUN BEAT down on Gem’s neck, as was usual on a summer afternoon. The mountains she lived among usually provided welcomed shade, but today, she was working atop the plateau. That meant no clouds and no shade except for a couple of trees - that she had to cut down anyway.

Gem wiped her brow and sighed, leaning against a tree trunk. It was hot. All that she had done today was place a couple of wood blocks as a foundation for her to-be wizard tower, plan out a winding mountain path, and procrastinate a lot.

She’d already visited Fwhip, so it’d be awkward to visit him again. Her gaze drifted to the southeast. She could almost see the wheat fields that occupied the majority of the Gilded Helianthia and Mythland lands.

Surely, the sun would be affecting Pearl as it was affecting her. And she was sure to be toiling away in the blistering heat, tilling wheat fields and tending to crops and building and whatnot.

Sighing, Gem made her way down the rough mountain path to her house embedded in the rock. She shielded her eyes from the bright glare of the light off of the amethyst crystal roofs. Her wings, made from the same material, hung on a hook by the door. She picked them up and strapped them on, grabbing her rockets as well before taking a deep breath and heading outside to do the routine jump off of her balcony.

Right, before I forget… some crystals might be important for healing, she thought to herself, racing back inside and opening a chest of amethyst shards. Gem pulled out some crisp, unbroken ones, pocketing them before heading to the balcony again.

On her way there, she tried to stick as much as possible to the mountain shades, finally giving up when she reached the planes. There were the Grimlands - Gilded Helianthia would not be farther now. Spotting her brother Fwhip, she swooped low to breeze past at a dangerously close distance, laughing mischievously when he almost screamed in surprise.

“See you!!” She called back, firing a rocket to gain altitude before soaring over the foundations of his palace towards Pearl’s humble kingdom.

There - where a forest of oak and birch trees began. Within those trees would be a large clearing, and there would be Pearl. Sure enough, when Gem fired a rocket and propelled forward, the brushy tops of wheat stalks appeared past the green leaves.

Pearl was leaning against her shovel, eyes facing the ground to avoid the piercing sun despite her wide straw hat - which had a couple holes in it. Gem landed on the nearby path silently, carefully trekking through the wheat plants to avoid trampling any of them. Pearl looked up wearily when her shadow crossed her face. A bright smile immediately adorned it, envying the star that so tormented them today.

“Gem! Hi! How’re you doing? Quite sunny today isn’t it?”

“Yes, it is, Pearl. Which is why you shouldn’t be out here working on your wheat fields.” Gem gestured to the expanses of dusty gold plants around them. “You are literally the number two wheat producer in the lands. Why do you need more?”

“C’mon Gemgem, it’s some friendly competition between neighbours! Sausage promised me a part of his unused land if I managed to produce more wheat than him! The offer’s too good to resist!” Gem raised her eyebrows.

“And? Pearly Pop, come on. You can always do it on a cloudier day or a cooler hour. Do you, by any chance, know what the phrase ‘take a break’ means?”

Pearl shook her head innocently, her eyes wide and mirthful. Gem groaned.

“Come inside, your wheat plants aren’t going to die if you abandon them for a couple of hours. Any sane person would wait until near sunset to do such strenuous labour.”

“Ay, but these plants ain’t gonna plant themselves are they now?”

“Your sense of logic is incredibly… what’s the word again?”

“Incredibly intelligent perhaps?”

“Most certainly that is not the word I am looking for. Come inside now and get some water, food, and rest.”

“Okay, who am I to argue with the great wizard Gem Tay?”

“Exactly. Now you’re getting it.” Gem took Pearl’s hand and led her along, her free hand taking Pearl’s shovel and carrying it. As they started walking, Gem noticed Pearl’s slow pace and masked limp. She whirled around once they were under the wooden awning’s shade.

“What happened to your leg?” She demanded. Pearl hesitated. Gem leaned the tool against the wall so she could cross her arms and tap her foot impatiently.

“Okay, fine. I got stabbed.”

“Oh Pearl! By?”

”I hit myself with my hoe. Don’t worry, it wasn’t that b…” Pearl trailed off, noting Gem’s furious expression.

”If you got hurt enough for you to limp like that it’s definitely bad. Come inside - I’m so glad I had the foresight to bring some crystals. You’re going to sit and rest for the rest of the day, and some cuddles wouldn’t hurt. It might help ease my anger, even.”

”What do you even have to be angry about?” Pearl complained, following Gem inside her house to her cooled bedroom. Gem sighed as the wind from her electric fan hit her sweaty face. Beside her, she could feel Pearl equally relaxing and enjoying the false breeze.

“Maybe you were right then, this is nice.” She admitted. Gem clapped her hands in triumph before extracting the violet crystals from a hidden pocket, and her grimoire from her bag. Pearl had chosen to wear pants for the occasion rather than her iconic green and gold dress.

”Roll up your pant leg, I have to see the injury.” Gem instructed. Pearl did so, and Gem simultaneously gasped and sighed in frustration.

”That is definitely bad. Okay, to the bathroom, rinse that off without soap. Go.” Pearl got up and blundered her way to the bathroom. Gem heard the sounds of splashing water as she opened her spell book to the corresponding page—Moderate Cuts, Bruises, and Other Abrasions.

Pearl limped her way back into the bedroom and plopped down on her bed with a sigh. “You found anything that’ll work?”

“You want a potion or a spell?” Gem asked, scanning the page. “The potion’s gonna take like twelve or so hours to brew if we do everything right, but the spell will be pretty uncomfortable and maybe even painful.

“Uh… spell. I deal with discomfort all the time - I work in a wheat field half the day for goodness sake. I can deal with it. I’m a strong woman.”

“That you are, Pearlo.” Gem replied affectionately, handing her two decently sized crystals. “One in each hand.”

“This feels like an occult ritual.”

“I’m literally a wizard, trust the process.”

“I do, Gemgem. I trust you very much.”

“Good.” Gem poured a few drops of healing salve around the wound. Pearl flinched.

“Is it meant to sting like that?”

“It’s the amethyst. Now shut up, this is technically a new spell and I want to make sure I get the pronunciation right.” She took a deep breath. “Sana aptissime mediu.” Pearl shivered again.

“Why does that tickle?” She whined.

“It’s meant to - the crystals are empowering the spell so the salve works faster. At least I got the spell right! I’ve never used the medium spell before.”

“If there’s crystals in the salve then why do I have to hold these ones?” She waved her hands and consequently the amethyst in them.

“Those help channel the magic all throughout your body, healing any other minor injuries you might have. Which, I think you had a good amount because that took a lot more of my energy than the book said it would.”

“You trust that book more than me.”

“It’s never lied to me.” Gem jabbed with a small smile. Pearl gasped loudly enough to indicate that whatever she was about to say was teasing.

“I would never lie to you! How could you ever suggest I’d betray you like that! All I did was not tell you, it’s not like I explicitly said I didn’t get hurt.” Gem smiled.

“Okay, whatever reasoning makes you believe you upheld your morals.”

“HEY! You’re implying so many incorrect things about me right now. How dare you even think I have morals?

Gem sighed again. “What can I do to make up the apparent insult to your personality?”

Pearl’s face shifted from surprised to thoughtful, then smug.

“CUDDLES!”

“Hey, that’s my thing! Thief!” Gem protested, carefully setting down her magic supplies on the floor by Pearl’s bed.

“Nuh-uh!” Pearl retaliated, taking Gem’s hands as soon as they were free and pulling her closer, making sure not to disturb her leg and the magic that was still working with it.

“Fine. I wanted those anyways.” Gem conceded. Immediately, Pearl cheered and wrapped her arms around Gem joyfully. “Don’t tell me you’d rather be working out there than in here with me.”

“If I’m gonna be overly warm anyways, I’d rather it be because of you than the sun.”

“If you’re so warm then take off the blanket. Or turn up the fan or something.

“It’s a comfortable kind of warmth. Hey, my leg doesn’t hurt anymore.”

“Good. Now be quiet.” They stayed in comfortable silence for a few minutes, Pearl holding tightly onto Gem despite the awkward position. Gem sighed, resigned to the fact that she wasn’t getting out of this bear hug any time soon.

“Hey Gem?” Pearl asked, a mischievous glint in her eye.

“Hmm?”

“Are you a witch? Because, Gem, I think you’re enchanting me to love you like this.”

Gem huffed. “Not quite a witch, but I’m a wizard, it’s essentially what I do. And I can assure you that I have no love enchantments cast on you.” Pearl hummed.

“I wouldn’t be mad if you did turn out to, you know.”

“For Aeor’s sake Pearl! I am not enchanting you! Also we’re literally just friends.”

“Suuure.” They fell back into silence.

“Hey Gem?”

“If this is another corny pickup line I will do things to you.”

“What kind of things?”

“You wanna know?”

“Eh… depends.”

“I will send you back out there in the heat and you will be working until sundown regardless of leg. Oh, and no more cuddles.”

“NO CUDDLES? So cruel. All I wanted to say was: I love you.”

“Oh, well, I love you too Pearl. You know, as a friend.”

I’m sorry I’ll post the Ao3 link later haha

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