Hermitcraft Nonsense - S8 Oneshots

Escapism / Gem & Pearl

WC: 1.2k
Written: 11 July 2021
Characters: Gem, Pearl
Tags: Soft fluff, songfic, hurt/comfort but emphasis on the comfort, nighttime, multiplayer sleep is disabled, takes place after the second and third episodes
Warnings: None

Stargazing fics my beloved <3

I've been listening to some of the Steven Universe soundtrack lately (though I've never watched the show personally ^^;) and Escapism inspired this fic :D

The song doesn't tie directly into the writing, it's more like background ambience this time (I used Beetlebug's cover because I think it suits the mood a lot)! Part of this was also inspired by Madeline and Theo's campfire talk after the Mirror Temple because I finished Celeste's true ending a while back

Does the ending seem rushed? Maybe, but I had fun writing the dialogue and imagery anyway

Enjoy!

-

The view from the mountain's halfway point was beautiful.

It was easily the highest mountain on the main continent. Not only that, but it was also on the outskirts of the landmass—a place where no one had settled down, far away from the nearest bases. From up here, Pearl could pretend that Hermitcraft was still a brand-new world, devoid of builds for now. She could even pretend she was alone up here, which felt comforting in a way.

The air up here was fresh, albeit a little thinner than what she was used to. Still, it was better than down below, where the air was slightly polluted from the steam and smoke emitting from redstone machinery and firework rockets.

From where she was sitting, Pearl could get a perfect view of the unobstructed night sky. She laid back on her small pack she'd brought with her and admired the scenery, letting out a little exhale.

She hadn't been there for long when the sounds of labored breathing reached her. She sat up and saw the tips of Gem's antlers poking out from the ledge below. She'd hung glowberries from them, making her easier to spot in the darkness.

"Pearl! Geez, you took off like a rocket," she said between breaths, standing on her toes so she was peeking just barely over the ledge. "Some of us aren't so skilled at climbing this mountain, you know."

"I thought you were just behind me!" Pearl protested, walking over to her fellow Hermit and holding out a hand to help her up.

Gem pulled herself up to where Pearl was with a grunt. "Man, this place is really steep. Why didn't you just use your wings to fly up? It would have been easier."

Pearl shrugged, feeling her feathered white wings curl around her instinctively. "I dunno. There's something about traveling the terrain by foot, you know?"

"I should have taken my elytra," Gem laughed, taking in the night sky. "The view is worth it, though! This is beautiful."

Pearl pulled out three pieces of lumber from her pack and laid them on the ground in a tented position. "Check it out--I brought some materials to make a campfire!"

"You climbed the mountain faster than me with a heavy pack on your shoulders?" Gem shook her head in mock disbelief. "Now you're just showing off."

Pearl snorted, then reached inside her bag again and pulled out a piece of flint and steel. After lighting the campfire, she brandished a small bag of graham crackers, chocolate, and marshmallows. "Look, we can make s'mores!"

"My god, you really did come prepared," Gem remarked, pulling out a few ingredients from the bag and assembling a s'more. "I don't suppose you have any...?"