Work Text:
Soup Group!!
22 June 23
4:30 pm
Gem: still on for game night?
Impulse: Are you going to curse out who we go against again?
Gem: …no
Impulse: That’s a pretty hesitant no, Gem.
Gem: well.
Gem: i make no promises <3
Impulse: Right.
Pearlie: Gemmmmm
Gem: i never put any of it into the chat!!!! i just said into the mic!!!
Pearlie: she does have a point, pulse
Impulse: I guess. Want to get dinner before?
Pearlie: sure! I just have a few deliveries to make first :>
Gem: sounds good!! i was kind of thinking rotolo’s?
Impulse: It’s Italian, right?
Gem: pizza and pasta, yeah. they also have spinach dip to die for :D
Impulse: Works for me. I’m off today, so just let me know when you want dinner.
Pearlie: okay! maybe six? i don’t have too many left to do.
Gem: sounds perfect!! okay, i need to get back to work, love yall <3
Tay Florals
22 June 23
4:40 pm
The clock slowly ticks down to 5 pm, when she’ll close. It’s Game Night, so she’s closing a little earlier than usual. Not that she gets too many walk-ins anyway.
Gem snips the stem of a baby’s breath, carefully placing it in a vase with the rest of a brightly colored arrangement. It’ll go in the window display later, alongside the Pride wreath she made. She’s been making a new one for each week of June, and next week, she’ll put up a trans-colored one alongside a new rainbow one.
She does her last watering round, moving the small markers to watered for the plants that need it. Some only get watered at night, and it’s easier to remember what needs to be done with a checklist and little indicators.
Gem sweeps up the dirt, turns the sign to closed, and hangs her apron on its hook. Rotolo’s isn’t too far from her shop, easily reached by bike. She turns out the lights and locks the doors. She’ll need to change before she leaves, since small leaves are insistent on clinging to her work overalls.
Rotolo’s, down on Main Street
22 June 23
6:07 pm
Gem chains her bike to the rack outside, and slides her phone out of the holder she has on the handlebars. Pearl’s car is here, and it looks like Impulse is parked further down the street.
The bell jangles cheerfully when she pushes it open. Inside, it smells almost overwhelmingly of warm bread and pasta sauce.
“Hi! How can I help you?” The hostess asks, smiling at her.
Gem reflexively smiles back. “I'm just here to meet my friends. It looks like they're already seated.”
They're in a booth, and there's a coke set aside for her.
“Y'all know me so well,” she coos, sliding into the booth and kissing Pearl’s cheek.
“Hi, Gem.” Pearl leans into her for a moment. Gem breathes her in, the stress of her job melting away at the scent of her jasmine shampoo.
“Hey.”
“Hi, Impulse.” She nudges his foot under the table with her own. “Did you order anything else?”
“Just the spinach dip. We were going to wait until you got here to order dinner.” Pearl pushes a menu towards her, letting Gem glance over it.
“Perfect. I think I know what I want already.”
“Really?”
She flashes Impulse a smile. “I get the same thing every time.”
“Of course you do.”
“It’s good!! It’s not my fault you insist on trying something new every time.”
“It’s called having a sense of adventure, Gem. Pearl, can you flick her for me.”
Pearl flicks her lightly on the forehead. She squawks in outrage. “Pearl!”
“That’s my name!” Her face is lit up with laughter, eyes crinkled. Gem can’t pretend to be mad for long.
“Both of you are the worst.” She sighs dramatically, falling back into the cushioned back.
“Alright, and here’s your spinach dip!” their waitress sets the plates carefully on the table. “Ready to order?”
“I think so,” Impulse says. “Can I have the, er, Bayou Barbecue pizza?”
Pearl orders pesto pasta, leaving Gem to order her usual: a chicken alfredo calzone. Impulse snickers once the waitress leaves.
“I can’t believe you’ve never ordered anything else.”
“I know what I like! I’m not spending that much money on something I might not like.”
“It is a little pricey,” Pearl agrees. She covers her mouth when she yawns, grimacing.
“What time did you go to bed?” Gem raises her eyebrows.
“Mm, not that late.” At the combined power of Gem and Impulse’s doubting looks, she relents. “Only 2! I didn’t have to be anywhere until nine.”
Impulse and Gem both wince, a moment of solidarity for people who have to open far too often. “I think staying up until 2 would kill me,” Impulse comments dryly.
“Same.”
“Both of you open before dawn, I don’t want to hear it.”
“I’m not opening tomorrow! Joe is, I think.”
“I’ll probably open a little later than normal. Friday mornings aren’t super busy. And I can just see if there’s anyone outside.” Gem scoops some spinach dip onto a piece of pita bread, eyes closing when she takes a bite.
“Do you like living over the flower shop? I think living over the Hermit would be exhausting.”
“It’s alright. I like to leave all my work stuff downstairs, so I don’t feel obligated to do it at home. Plus, it means I don’t need to save for a car.”
“Passenger princess,” Pearl says, voice filled with fond exasperation.
“Who else is going to leave scathing comments for you, darling?” She leans closer to Pearl just to see her face flush pink. She’s so easy to fluster.
“Impulse can!”
“Oh please, Impulse is too nice for that.” Gem winks at him.
“I could be mean.”
“You’re like a teddy bear, lovely. But I believe in you! You could do it.”
Gem settles back into her spot so she can continue her quest of eating all the spinach dip. And also because they are at dinner. She scoops more onto another chip.
“Is it good?” Impulse peers at it curiously.
“Do you want to try it?”
“Yeah, sure.” He takes it from her, fingers brushing against her. She grins with delight at the way his face lights up. “Oh! It’s really good.”
“Told you so,” she says smugly. “I have great taste.”
Soup Group!!
22 June 23
8:00 pm
Gem: ready?
Pearlie: just gotta grab a drink and i will be!
Impulse: I am. I’ll start our lobby.
Gem: thanks pulse <33
Pearlie: okay, i’m ready. do i need a code to join?
Impulse: Yeah, it’s 372598
Gem: (hacker voice) im in
Pearlie: okay i’m also in!!
8:05 pm
OUTGOING CALL
Soup Group (discord version)
Pulse has joined the call! Pearlie has joined the call! Gemmm has joined the call!
[Rustling. Impulse laughs softly. A ceramic mug being placed on Pearl’s desk. More rustling.]
Impulse: Ready?
Pearl: Yep!
Gem: Yeah, just let me move my water closer real quick.
Pearl: Aw, you're so responsible.
Gem: I’m just trying to stay hydrated! Not all of us live off of coffee, Pearl.
Impulse: I’m glad you’re hydrated, Gem. Even if Pearl isn’t.
Pearl: Hey! I was gently teasing and now I’m just getting attacked. [Pearl makes a hmph sound, audibly pouting.]
Gem: Love you, Pearlieeee. You’re my favorite girlfriend.
Pearl: Love you too.
[More rustling. Can someone please tell Impulse to stop playing on his bed and get a desk like the rest of them. Impulse clears his throat.]
Impulse: Ready to get started?
Gem: Mhm!!
Pearl: Yep!
1:02 am
CALL ENDED
Pulse left the call! Pearlie left the call! Gemmm left the call!
Call Duration: 4 hours, 57 minutes
Soup Group (discord version)
Pulse: I had a lot of fun <3
Pearlie: yeah!! phasmo is more fun than i expected
Gemmm: it really is!! minecraft next time :eyes:
Pearlie: YES! YES YES YES
Pulse: I don’t know, Pearl doesn’t seem that excited :(
Gemmm: pulsey stop texting like an old man. but yeah, pearl doesn’t seem like she’d have fun 3
Pearlie: fuck you guys
Gemmm: i thought that was next week?
Pearlie: bqebjqepbjpbbj[nj[o[bjger r
Pulse: I think you broke her sunshine
Gemmm: oh well. she’s cute when she’s flustered <3
Pulse: She is.
Pearlie: augh. okay im going to bed. mwah mwah love you
Gemmm: night pearlie!! sleep well <3
Pulse: Goodnight sweetheart
Soup Group!!
13 July 23
7:24 pm
Gem: i dont think i can make it
Gem: dont feel good
Impulse: Oh no :( Do you want me to bring you some soup?
Gem: thatd be nice
Gem: but i dont want you to get sick
Impulse: It’s okay. I don’t have work until next week.
Gem: being sick still sucks pulsey
Impulse: I know. I’m going to bring some chicken noodle soup, okay?
Gem: okay
Impulse: It’s from Mrs. Claudia so you know it’ll be good
Gem: okay
Gem: you have a key, just let yourself in
Pearlie: oh honey :( do you want me to come over too?
Gem: dont want you to get sick either
Pearlie: I know. I just don’t want you to feel lonely
Gem: yeah
Gem: you can come over if you want to
Pearlie: okay love
Pearlie: I’m on my way <3
Gem’s Apartment (over the flower shop)
13 July 23
7:45 pm
Gem is half asleep on her couch under a thick blanket when there’s the soft rap of knuckles against her front door. She slits one eye open, wincing at the bright light of the hallway and shuts it almost immediately.
It shuts mercifully quickly and footsteps cross to her, cold fingers caressing her cheek. Pearl, then.
“Hey, love,” Pearl murmurs. “How’re you feelin’?”
“Bad,” she croaks.
“I can imagine. Pulse is heating some soup for you right now.” On cue, the microwave beeps.
“Okay.” Mercifully, Pearl doesn’t expect her to talk. Slight rustling as Pearl sits on the floor by her, arm moving with her.
The microwave beeps again a few minutes later. “Gem? Can you sit up, sunshine?”
She opens her eyes to squint at him. “Maybe.” She gets her arm under her and slowly tries to sit up so the blood rush doesn’t make her dizzy. There’s just a couple lamps on, the room glowing a soft amber.
“Good job,” he says quietly. “Here you go.”
He passes the bowl to her, set in the rose petal pink bowl cover she crocheted, so the heat won’t hurt. He’s so caring it makes her feel like crying and she might be sick enough to cry over it.
It’s mostly just broth and noodles, which is nice. She isn’t sure if she could stomach anything else.
“Do you want the TV on?” Impulse asks.
“Not really. Too bright.”
“Okay. We can just talk while you eat.” He kisses her forehead and sits on the floor on her other side.
“You can sit on the couch. I won’t bite.” Pearl slides her arm around Gem’s waist and leans her head against Gem’s thigh.
“I’m good down here. I’m painting my living room right now so there’s no space to really sit.”
“Yeah? What color?”
“Light blue.”
“How does your landlord feel about it?” Impulse traces circles on her leg with his thumb.
“Oh, he doesn’t care. I asked if I could since the dark gray was really depressing. Apparently he’d been meaning to repaint, and as long as I go over it in a light neutral if I move out, he doesn’t care.”
“That’s good. And yeah, the dark gray was very sad.”
Gem sets her spoon back in the empty bowl, eyes drooping. She always gets exhausted when she’s ill, and once they leave, she’ll get lonely. As per usual.
Her eyes drift shut.
Some unidentifiable amount of time later, she wakes up with a start, body jolting.
“Whoa, what’s wrong?” Impulse stabilizes her, stopping her from falling forward.
“Just woke up. Something scared me, I guess.” Her words drag out of her.
“Yeah. Come on, why don’t you go to bed? You need to rest.”
“No!” She grabs his wrist from where he was reaching out to her. “I can’t!”
He blinks slowly. “What’s wrong?”
She curls in on herself. “I don’t want to be alone in the morning.”
If possible, his eyes fill with even more concern. “I can stay.”
“But you’ll get sick.”
“Sunshine, taking care of you is more important to me. I have a strong immune system, I’ll survive.”
Gem’s defenses against her partners are always shit at best, and now they crumple like wet paper. “Okay. Just…don’t be dumb.”
“I’m never dumb!”
“You’re so smart, lovely.” Pearl agrees, smiling slightly. She looks worried too, unable to hide her expressions when someone she cares about is hurting. “I can’t stay tonight, I promised Grian we’d call early in the morning for us and I don’t want to wake you up.” She stands, leaning forward to gently kiss Impulse goodbye.
Pearl kisses her forehead, pressing her gentle smile into Gem’s skin. Sometimes she thinks that if she looked, she could see the imprints of all the kisses her lovers have given her, like tattoos or brands on her skin.
Impulse follows close behind her when they go to bed, hands anxiously hovering around her.
“I’m not going to fall. I’m aware enough for that, babes.”
“I know.” His hands still stay close by.
She brushes her teeth, mourning the fact that she’ll need to throw away the electric head so soon after she put it on.
Impulse changes into one of his shirts that he leaves in her dresser, and she tugs on a shirt from Pearl. Their clothes are spread between each other’s homes, something that never fails to make her smile.
“Fan?”
“Yeah, turn it on. Medium?”
“Works for me.” He switches it on, wrinkling his nose at the rattling sound it makes. “Have you still not gotten it fixed?”
“I only use it when y’all are over!”
He rolls his eyes and then glances teasingly at her, humor sparkling in his eyes. “Are you calling us hot?” he teases, overexaggerating a wink. She laughs despite herself.
“That was awful.”
“I think you mean great.”
“No, I meant awful. Go to bed.” She tucks herself under the covers next to him and nudges him until he’s in the right way for her to cuddle against him.
Impulse lets her rest her head on his chest, able to hear the slow beat of his heart. His hand comes up to gently untangle her curls. She hums sleepily, a wave of exhaustion brought on by the near-total darkness of her room. The sun will rise and shine through the window later, drip across the floor until it wakes her up.
Unless the blackout curtains are closed. Hopefully she didn’t leave them open again.
Soup Group (discord version)
27 July 23
6:48 pm
Gemmm: gonna get on that mincecraft grind
Pearlie: mincecraft
Pulse: mincecraft
Gemmm: im breaking up with you
Gemmm: can a girl not make typos in peace
Pearlie: Nope!
Pulse: Doesn’t look like it.
Gemmm: when will you stop texting like an old man on discord??
Gemmm: messages is whatever. you use it for work, i guess
Gemmm: but discord????? least professional messaging app to ever exist?????
Pulse: fine. is this better?
Gemmm: no go back i changed my mind
Gemmm: i don like it
Pearlie: don
Pulse: don
Gemmm: i quit
Gemmm has left Soup Group (discord version)
Pearlie has added Gemmm to Soup Group (discord version)!
Gemmm: dammit
Gemmm: anyway! what do we wanna play tonight?
Pearlie: wow? I’ve been feeling the itch to play again :>
Pearlie: also sythiel dmed me earlier saying they were playing tonight
Pulse: Alright.
Gemmm: perfect!! ive got a few quests i wanted to finish
Gemmm: also level grinding. i want to reach max by the end of the year ^^
Pulse: Are you going to restart again?
Gemmm: maybe on a solo save, but dw babe i’ll keep veri stormshot just for you <3
Pearlie: not for me? :(
Gemmm: you’re also babe <3 hope that helps!
Pearlie: aww <3
Pearlie: log on at 8?
Gemmm: yes!!
Pulse: Yeah :)
Gemmm: someday you’ll use non threatening smiles <3
Pulse: I could use this one 🙂
Gemmm: NO. PUT IY AWAY
Gemmm: IT. PUT IT AWAY.
Pearlie: thats what she said
Gemmm: PEARL
8:01 pm
OUTGOING CALL
Soup Group (discord version)
Pulse has joined the call! Pearlie has joined the call! Gemmm has joined the call!
[Impulse sighs. His chair squeaks as it turns.]
Impulse: Testing out the desk tonight.
Gem: Oh my god?? Finally??
Impulse: Hush, you.
[Pearl laughs, leaning away from her mic.]
Pearl: Okay, I’m logging on now.
Gem: Same.
Impulse: Someday the two of you will log on before it’s time to play.
Gem: But that takes all the fun out of it!
Impulse: Right. Sure.
Pearl: Don’t knock it till ya’ve tried it!
Impulse: I think I’m okay.
Pearl: You’re missing out.
Impulse: Sure. Also Sythiel is online so y’all better hurry up.
Gem: Okay, I’m on.
[Keyboard clicking. A drink being sipped quietly.]
Pearl: So am I! Let’s go!!
1:47 am
CALL ENDED
Pulse left the call! Pearlie left the call! Gemmm left the call!
Call Duration: 5 hours, 46 minutes
Soup Group (discord version)
Pulse: Gem, your gamer rage scares me
Pearlie: i think its cute <3
Pulse: Pearl
Pulse: You’re dating someone who has the equivalent of road rage when she plays video games
Pearlie: i said what i said
Pearlie: i support womens rights AND womens wrongs :>
Gemmm: aww, thanks baby <3 love you <3
Gemmm: love you too pulse
Gemmm: even if you dont appreciate my gaymer rage™
Pulse: I do. I guess
Gemmm: i’ll take it!
Gemmm: also sleepover at mine tomorrow? or ig tonight
Gemmm: i’ll make waffles ^^
Pulse: Sounds great <3
Pearlie: I’ll be there!!
Pulse: OK, I’m off to bed
Pulse: See you tonight <3 love you
Pearlie: love ya too
Gemmm: love you!!
Gemmm: it’s also my bedtime, i fear
Gemmm: night pearlie <3
Pearlie: night love <3