Good Vibrations - June 2024 Exclusive

Summertime had finally hit Beach City, a remote area in the state of Delmarva with a history of magical events constantly coming in to shake things up, like that time when the entire ocean was pulled up into a giant tower. Compared to all that, this year has been remarkably normal. Well, “normal” for everyone who wasn’t Jules. A Gem and Human living together was certainly a hurdle all on its own, thankfully Platinum’s knowledge on humans made it a lot easier to navigate. But today would present its own challenge, one of the biggest yet: enjoying the beach with your situationship.

Jules huffed as he rounded a corner, peddling his bike down the road with a package tucked under his arm. A task that was proving a lot harder than he first expected, next time he was bringing a backpack. He’d ditched his usual get-up and dressed to beat the heat in a t-shirt of some niche metal band and a pair of shorts.
Gems are just light with mass - or something like that - so Platinum should be totally fine if we were to head to the beach today. Jules thought to himself while slowing down as he reached his home.

It was a modest one floor house on the outskirts of the suburbs. Far from the action of the nightlife but still close enough for when things were more exciting years ago… A perfect combination to him. His tires rolled to a stop as he entered the garage, slowly climbing off before making his way into the air conditioned interior of his home. Jules let out a content sigh as he briskly moved into the wall of cooled air, shutting the door as quick as he could only to hear a bit of shuffling coming from the living room.

“Welcome back, Jules!” Platinum called, her voice causing a single beat of Jules’ heart to skip.

Just say hi, present the contents of the package and have her go change. We already talked about going to the beach, we just need… to get over the hurdle of asking the roommate who I pamper nearly daily to undress. Jules took a deep breath in, a moment of silence punctuating the tension he felt, “H-hey! Uh so… ready for the beach?” He asked, his feet shuffling him nervously towards the living room.

There sat Platinum, barefoot as per his own request, almost expecting him to just drop what he was doing and press his tongue into her soles. “Mhm? Are you feeling alright, Jules?” The gem asked, rocking her gravity connectors back and forth.

Jules’ eyes tracked them, the hypnotic moves distracting him from the goal ahead. “Y-Yeah! Just… really hot- it’s really hot outside! Like… ninety-eight degrees out there. Sure you won’t be too warm?”

“You don’t have to worry about me, Jules. I’m more curious if you can handle yourself. I believe humans within that temperature begin to produce- Oh, what was the word for it again? The salt-water…”

“Um, sweat?”

“Yes! That! Are you sweating, Jules?”

“H-Heh, a little bit, yeah- look. If we’re going to the beach, then I think you might want to wear a bathing suit so you don’t look… out of place.”

“Out of place how? I believe I already quite look the part with my appearance and my lack of… pupils, was it?”

“I-I mean, attire wise. There’s a human expectation to dress a certain way when you’re going to the beach. I rather not get your sweater all wet.” Jules noted, They can get wet, right?

Platinum took a moment to ponder the idea before nodding her head. She did want to understand humans more, so it was only fair that she followed along with their customs. “Very well- ah, um… how exactly will we do that?”

“Do you remember when I… uh… asked for your measurements?” Jules asked,  face flushing a bit as he remembered.

Platinum nodded her head, “Indeed, I found it odd but perhaps it was for your own research.”

“Eh, not quite. I was… actually trying to order you a swimsuit for the beach. I wanted something in your style but I figure it would be… hard to show you what the outfit would look like.”

“Ah! Very clever Jules!” Platinum clapped her hands together, rising onto her soft feet and moving over to Jules’ voice.

She’s getting a lot better at navigating the place without me… Jules thought, smiling as she reached him and extended her arms for the outfit. “Do you… know how to put it on? L-Let me first open it before-”

“I think I have an idea. You humans wear accessories to hide your nude forms, yes?”

“If that’s what you wanna call it, then yeah.”

“So I will simply go to my room, change my form and return with it on.” Platinum smiled.

Jules was rather taken aback by this. It seemed like she was a step ahead of him, allowing him to dance around the idea altogether and yet there was another worry he had. She could easily, in a way to tease him, wear the outfit backwards. But she wouldn’t do that... would she? 

“A-Ah, okay-”

“That is unless- you wish to help me put it on.” Platinum smiled, her tone carrying the smugness of her tease, elevating her words.

Like a spark to a fuse, Jules felt his cheeks begin to burn as the gem carefully pressed her body against his. “Oh my. Your heart is beating so quickly, Jules.” Platinum commented, “Are you feeling alright?”

Jules had to swallow his pride for the moment, knowing now she was far more clever than he had given credit for. She’d picked him apart with such ease, her understanding of humanity was something that she wielded like a weapon and now he was backed into a corner with no way he could work around it. 

“Y-Y-Yeah, I’m fine. Um, I think you got it. I mean- Err- You’ll figure it out.” Jules smiled weakly as Platinum let out a soft giggle.

“Very well. I’ll only be a minute or two, so sit tight.” Platinum tapped him softly on the nose, turning on her heels and walking towards her room down the hall.

Jules let out a sigh of relief as his body quickly slumped down on the couch in the living room. First the heavy heat and now the growing tease that was his blind roommate, whatever was a man to do? He was trying everything he could to put off getting too intimate with her, even after they made an agreement to let Jules indulge himself a bit with her feet. Was it really worth throwing it all out to further Platinum’s “studies”? Surely not.

His train of thought quickly went off course as he lifted his head to the sound of a door opening. Carefully, out stepped Platinum with the beach attire he had got for her. A blank one piece that had a diamond shaped opening from her chest to just above the navel. Her legs wobbled slightly as she walked, still trying to get used to the feeling of the blue wedges beneath her feet. “H-How do I look?” Platinum asked, quickly leaning against the wall of the hallway to catch herself.

There was almost a second skip in Jules’ heartbeat, his eyes locked on the beautiful being before him. Her obsidian skin that he’d come to know as the softest thing he’s ever touched, those silver palms and soles he just couldn’t get enough of and of course that faint dorky energy. It was finally drawn out once she was brought out of her comfort zone. 

“You… You look- great! Yeah, so great!” Jules stammered, thankful that the gem couldn’t see just how much damage this sight did to him.

“W-Well, um… I suppose if you think this is my style, then I shall wear it to the beach.” Platinum answered, her nervous smile growing with the compliment as Jules got up to aid her in her movements.

Jules’ mind was already racing, now it might as well distort light with the speed it was running at. We should just cancel the plans. Then I can just tend to her feet like this the rest of the day- NO! I promised her! You can wait! Surely- …we can fool around a bit later…

Jules paused, his thumb rubbing against the top of her palm. “Platinum, a-are you alright? You feel… really cold?” Not that Jules would mind, with the heat of the summer air it was very welcoming to imagine cuddling up to Platinum solely to cool down.

“Hm? Oh, of course. Since gems have full control of their body, because we are composed of light, we can change our forms to varying degrees. Given how hot your body felt when I pressed myself against you and the fact you are sweating, I figured it would be best to change my internal temperature to something cooler. Is it helping in any way?” Platinum asked.

“Yeah, it’s… really nice. Why don’t you just take a seat and I’ll get changed too, okay?”

“Do you need to leave to change? I am blind, you know.”

“I do because I have neighbors and there are some large windows in the living room- Nium, we talked about this. If the mood is right-”

Platinum just giggled and stumbled her way over to the couch. “I know, I know. I was simply being playful. I’ll wait here until we can walk to the beach together.”

Jules sighed and smiled back, making sure she was able to support herself on the journey before he went to his room to emerge in his own swimsuit. This is gonna be one hell of a day…

The walk to their spot on the beach took a bit longer than expected, although that was thanks to Jules needing to stop and get a Lion Licker for the road. However, the two eventually found a nice, private spot off to the southwest side of the beach. There, Jules had Platinum hold onto his frosty treat as he set up a canopy for them to lay under. Once the towels were unrolled onto the sand, Platinum returned his treat and the pair sat together to enjoy the sound of crashing waves and the ebbing tides. 

“So do humans commonly relax on the beach during the summer?” Platinum asked, ears tuned to the distant sound of beachgoers enjoying their own claimed spots.

“Eh, some do and some don’t. I prefer being outside so this is what I tend to do.” Jules answered before taking a bite from his popsicle.

“And this… Lion? Is that a common treat for humans to have on hot days?” Platinum asked as she shifted herself a bit closer to Jules, her cool body now against his roasting form.

“I mean, some people like to eat it whenever and some people like to have cold drinks instead. To me, nothing beats an ice cold treat.” Jules answered, eyes drifting down to the blind gem who was now in prime cuddling position.

Her body was just so soothing, the lack of a breeze only making it more desirable to hold her close. His arm moved before he could fully think, carefully wrapping itself around the gem’s shoulder. Platinum didn’t seem to mind, in fact, she leaned into it. 

Jules’ eyes slowly fell down further, now looking at Platinum’s soles that were trapped within those wedges. They were alone… And at a distance to where Platinum could hear somebody coming… So what if they were to…

“Hey uh… P-Platinum?” Jules stammered nervously.

“Yes, Jules?”

“Can we… maybe try a session out here?”

“I-In public?” The Gem was caught off-guard by the request.

“Y-Yeah, um… n-not a long one. I-If you think you can keep an ear out for-”

Jules could hear the sound of movement in the sand, eyes moving back to see Platinum carefully begin discarding her wedges. H-How is she so willing to do this?! Why-!?

“I believe so. I assume your frozen treat is not enough for you?” Platinum asked with a small smirk.

“N-No um… actually. I want to do an experiment of my own-”

There was now a weight in his lap, a pair of silver soles awaiting his gentle grip. “Go on~?”

Jules hesitantly handed Platinum the Lion Licker, making sure she had a grip on the stick before letting his fingers move in and start to knead her sensitive sole. 

“C-Could you… maybe change your feet to taste like that Lion Licker?”

“Hm~? I suppose I could give it a try. Interesting choice, Jules.” Platinum comment, her tongue rolling out to lose a lick across the cool creamy surface of the popsicle.

It took a few seconds for her to uncover the flavor profile but once she did her body glowed bright before her attention returned to Jules. He, on instinct, sheepishly lifted up her feet onto his chest and took her big toe into his mouth. 

“Mmh…” Jules paused, allowing his tongue to attack the skin before he pulled back and smiled.

“Is it… right?” Platinum asked.

“Yeah, it’s perfect! I might need to ask for this more often~!” Jules chuckled, diving in to begin worshiping her lovely feet.

The gem just smiled, taking her own time to try the human custom of “frozen treats during the summer”. It was certainly an interesting sensation but the two were enjoying every moment of it. The heat was just no match for them now.