To say Gems tired of explaining her polycule to people is an understatement. It’s always “but Scotts gay, you can’t date him!” and “but you and Impulse aren’t *actually* dating.” and “but isn’t Pearl your *real* partner?”

How many times does she have to explain that her bond with Impulse is more than platonic and romantic, he’s not her boyfriend but he’s something special to her, and queer platonic fits it best. And her and Scott have been best friends, and then later queer platonic partners since he figured out she was covering for Cleo back in Limited Life. They might not be romantic, but their relationships are important!

She’s also tired of explaining that Pearl is just as much her girlfriend as Scott is her boyfriend and Impulse is her partner. There’s no partner more real than the other for crying out loud! That’s like saying Bdubs is Pearls real partner over Joel and Mumbo, it’s just not true!

At least her partners are there to comfort her, and her friends. Despite what strangers may say, and how people may judge her, she loves her partners and the family she’s built with them and her friends.

In the end, as Impulse keeps reminding her, the most important people to understand their relationship is themselves. And they definitely do! Gem can't get rid of 'em.

It doesn’t look like fluffy is winning the weekly poll but that’s okay rules don’t control me

There was a lot of perks to dating Pearl, Mumbo had realised quickly. Some were obvious, in a game like this. She was fierce, loyal, determined, protective and a good fighter, always promising to keep Mumbo, and the rest of the Mounders, safe.

There was also some unexpected perks, like how kind she was, how gentle, the way she’d litter his bruises in light kisses, the way she’d tuck him into bed after a nightmare, the softness in her voice when she greeted her Mounders at the start of each day.

Then there were the ones that were unexpected, but should’ve been obvious, like the way she related to his trauma from Last Life, the way she knew Grian just as well as he did from years of being his childhood best friend, the way she was so good at washing his hair and looking after his fangs.

The one that caught him the most off-guard though, is also the one that should’ve shocked him the least, which is just how FLUFFY she was. Her fur seemed to grow in length whenever she was happy, almost swallowing him whole into pure fluff.

Martyn had spoken about how soft Ren had been, telling Mumbo during late nights spent in one another’s bed, cuddling and telling stories, but Ren wasn’t exactly the fluffiest of dog breeds, and a wolf is far fluffier than a dog, so Mumbo was woefully unprepared.

He was pretty sure he’d be finding wolf fur in his clothes until the end of time, no matter how many more seasons of these games there’d be he was convinced he’d always have a part of Pearl with him.

That’s until he spawns into Wild Life though, finding his suit was spotless, any speck of fur from his girlfriend gone. Even the moss he kept in his pocket to remember Bdubs was gone, and the leather patch from Joel’s tunic the group had badly sewn into his sleeve. Any reminders of the love he’d felt last season, was gone, and the softness of Pearl was gone with it.

It happens every time. Relationships are made, and relationships fall apart. Sometimes Mumbo is able to pick up the pieces and sometimes... They never do.

He refuses to let go so easily this time. Mumbo might be a wet cat, but he can be a stubborn one too! He's going to make sure Pearl knows how much he loves her, even if the games force them apart.

As if being soulbound wasn’t enough, Grian just announced for the start of session two that there was a “special surprise” and told everyone to meet at spawn.

And what are the lifers greeted with? A lineup of children, the youngest looking to be about 5, and the oldest maybe 8. The issue is, they all look similar, eerily so. And the worst part is Cleo’s just spotted one that looks a lot like her, and a whole lot like Martyn.

A young girl, looking to be around 6, with fiery orange hair to match Cleo, and Martyn’s baby blue eyes. Stitches covered her little body, but the rotted flesh was only in patches, human skin covering the rest of her. And those tiny little phantom wings poking out of her back, looking the exact same as who was clearly her father.

Cleo looks away from the children, and sees Martyn looking at her with a questioning gaze. They shake her head in response. This changes NOTHING, they still aren’t soulmates no matter how hard he might try.

It’s funny though, two sessions later Cleo finds herself combing the young girls hair with her sat on their lap, Martyn across from them telling her a story he heard when he was a kid. Petal giggled, clapping her hands. “Again, again!” She cheers, and Cleo wonders how she could’ve been so against this idea before.

They do like to joke they don't know where her personality came from, though. Because it certainly wasn't either of them! They'd probably explode if they tried being this positive and kind.

As if being soulbound wasn’t enough, Grian just announced for the start of session two that there was a “special surprise” and told everyone to meet at spawn.

And what are the lifers greeted with? A lineup of children, the youngest looking to be about 5, and the oldest maybe 8. The issue is, they all look similar, eerily so. And the worst part is Cleo’s just spotted one that looks a lot like her, and a whole lot like Martyn.

A young girl, looking to be around 6, with fiery orange hair to match Cleo, and Martyn’s baby blue eyes. Stitches covered her little body, but the rotted flesh was only in patches, human skin covering the rest of her. And those tiny little phantom wings poking out of her back, looking the exact same as who was clearly her father.

Cleo looks away from the children, and sees Martyn looking at her with a questioning gaze. They shake her head in response. This changes NOTHING, they still aren’t soulmates no matter how hard he might try.

It’s funny though, two sessions later Cleo finds herself combing the young girls hair with her sat on their lap, Martyn across from them telling her a story he heard when he was a kid. Petal giggled, clapping her hands. “Again, again!” She cheers, and Cleo wonders how she could’ve been so against this idea before.

They do like to joke they don't know where her personality came from, though. Because it certainly wasn't either of them! They'd probably explode if they tried being this positive and kind.