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Gem had been working on her lighthouse, building her base upwards to touch the sky, when a bright light had begun to streak down from the sky. She had shielded her gaze from the white light with a hand, though she watched as what looked to be an asteroid hit the ground directly outside her base.
When the light had disappeared into the air, dust drifting in it’s wake, Gem began to walk over, carefully avoiding any damage. The area around where whatever had fallen from the sky had been completely and utterly destroyed, the green grass shrivelled up into grey dust and ashen dirt.
But, miraculously unharmed, their lay a beautiful pink snail in the centre. It was extraordinarily large, and uncannily similar to her brothers snail. It’s snail was almost as if carved from wood, textured and alive. It’s two pink antenna were like candles atop it’s head, gorgeous symmetry framing it’s pretty face.
“Eeee!” Gem squealed, running towards the ruin. She picked up the large snail with both her arms, twirling it around in her hands. It wasn’t slimy by any means, but it was a weird shape to hold. She didn’t want to hurt her new treasure after all.
“Let’s go tell Grian.” She told them, making her way out of the indented ground. It wasn’t steep, but Gem had to be careful not to lose her footing. The snail – she really needed a name for… her? – stayed snugly in her arms, slithering even closer to her. Gem barely even noticed she was grinning ear to ear.
“Grian!” She called, practically skipping across their underwater tunnel. Where was her brother when she needed him?
“Grian?!” She called again when she got no response. This time her voice was louder and echoed back against the tunnel. Her snail slithered further into her, looking startled. Gem cooed at them and tried to pet them as best as possible, apologising profusely to the snail that could definitely not hear them.
“Yes?” Her brothers voice called from above her and Gem made the ascent towards it, being met with the very annoyed face of her brother. She hoped she hadn’t interrupted anything important – but then again, this was more important.
“I have a snail now!” She declared, showing her off like a new prize. Grian smiled fondly at her, with a twinkle in his eye that let Gem know he was somehow involved in these shenanigans. However, she didn’t really care, because she had a snail now!
“Awww, she’s cute.” Her brother reached out to pet her, and Gem begrudgingly let him. Her snail did seem to lean in, letting Grian trace the curve of their back.
“Should I go grab Barry the snail?” Grian asked, Mischief, shining in his eyes. Gem nodded, wanting to see her teal friend again. Her brother new pet had been the reason she’d wanted one in the first place.
“Yes! Then they can become friends.” Gem declared, refusing any other outcome. Besides, they were already so friendly, it should be impossible for any other outcome.
“Alright give me a second.” Grian sighed, before placing down a shulker box that he’d been holding in his other had. Gem hadn’t even noticed, being enamoured with her new companion. Oh, she was so perfect!
Grian left and returned quickly with barry, the teal snail lifting his head to observe Gem’s new friend. Her own snail shifted, though luckily didn’t seem frightened. She decided to put her friend on the ground so they could sniff? Each other properly. How did snails introduce themselves to each other anyway?
Snail biology was beyond her, especially as they were non-vertebrates. But they were cute!
Grian snail rubbed her snails antenna gently, moving around her. They gently brushed each other, almost circling. Both of them seemed a bit hesitant to begin with but they were slowly coming together.
Eventually, Barry looped back around and brushed up against her snails side, almost mimicking the human gesture of leaning on one another. Stars, they were adorable.
Grian was smiling next to her, and she wrapped on of her hands around her brother shoulders in a side hug. He looked down at her, though she wasn’t much shorter, and giggled at how excited she looked. He was so mature.
“Hey! They are cute!” She complained to his amused expression, to which he simply shrugged, but didn’t break her hug.
“Didn’t say anything.” He smiled and she rolled her eyes and huffed dramatically.
Her sights back on the snails, Gem watched as they seemed to mimic their hug, and then she finally decided on a name.
Sally the Snail – Perfect for two snails who were practically siblings.