February 3, 201x. Weather: Clear, Overcast

Started my day figuring out how to get in contact with Dr. Maheswaran. Turns out she's a high-demand pediatrist, so I can't actually contact her normally. When I asked about her appointment schedule, the clerk said that it's about three months for non-emergencies and business inquiries, maybe even longer. Wow. So I'm dead in the water until May, at least. Isn't that some shit? Spent the rest of the day trying to shorten the wait time. Not happening, and I can't be sure that the information she has will even be useful. I can still hear Fryman's screaming in my head. Gotta say, he may have been full of bullshit, but he's definitely… assertive. Too assertive.

February 4, 201x. Weather: Clear, Overcast

So I don't have access to a researcher. Fine. All great pioneers of a field of study didn't have fellow researchers. They only had themselves… funding, and… equipment. I don't have either of those. I have a jury-rigged RV and a fax machine. Perfect for anatomical study, right?

So for my first order of business, I gotta figure out a way to save money. With the three-month delay, I could potentially be here until the end of the year. That means I'd have to reduce my rent and overall spending. If possible, I should negotiate a new rent arrangement with Mr. Universe, since it's probably going to look more like a lease than some stay at an inn.

Second order of business: I need a paying job. Multiple, if possible. Preferably something freelance that I can work on part-time from the RV. If I can get a decent source of income, I might be able to afford a minimum of equipment so as to better continue my research.

Finally, I should prepare as much as possible before May. While Dr. Maheswaran seems promising (her reputation in the medical field seems to speak for itself), I should also look for Gems that know more about their history and anatomy. If possible, I should learn their written language and see about records. The Gems seem extremely meticulous about their work and history, even if they don't really show it to humans. Even stealing a glance at a Gem medical record would be worth more than gold.

February 11, 201x. Weather: Frozen Rain

I managed to get my hands on multiple gigs. I can manage a passive income out of this tech company in Jersey. All I need to do is dedicate some computing resources to a networked simulation. They're apparently trying to figure out quantum computing and need a ridiculous amount of computers across as many regions as possible to run a test sim. Simple. Next, Mr. Universe is actually offering to pay ME, if I manage and run the carwash. Due to my stay, the income will be mostly dedicated to rent, though I do get to keep tips. Not too much money, but it'll cut my rent to basically nothing. Lastly, I'm receiving a job interview for a little donut shop by the boardwalk next week. That will probably be my largest source of income, since the place literally has one guy running everything.

Spent the last week searching for any info I could get my grubby little paws on. During our rental arrangement at the goddess statue, I saw three Gems moving in and out of the place. Apparently, they all reside there, at least in some capacity. The first was the pearl from Little Homeworld. The second was the garnet who gave me that fusion rundown. The last was someone new: an amethyst. Had purple-tinged skin and incredibly long hair. About the height of a human adolescent. Unlike the other two, she is noticeably more laid-back and somewhat careless. Also odd is the fact that she seems to possess an immense appetite, especially compared to most of the Gems I've seen so far. Then again, I'd hardly call her inclination an appetite. When she went to greet me, she was eating eggs. Raw. Shells and all. Even took a bite out of the carton and said they were "expired." Then another carton. Then another. Overall, fascinating. And disgusting. At least it confirmed that Gems don't have traditional digestive systems, having hardlight bodies and whatnot.

Otherwise, not much tangible progress on the "physiology" front. Maybe I'll find some more information about the Gems from other residents. That donut shop job'll definitely help with that.

February 18, 201x. Weather: Clear

I start my job at the donut shop today. Management said I have to get there at 6 and run my shift until 12. Afterwards, it's a two-hour lunch break before beginning my shift at the carwash until 8 PM. Simple routine, running from Monday to Friday. My weekends off could be relegated to research, what little I could do.

Arrived at 5:00 to meet my boss, guy named Bill Dewey. Showed me the ropes of the place. Suggested that I do the stocking paperwork, what with my propensity for bureaucratic processes and the like. Shit. I can't gather info from townies in the storeroom. I gotta be on the front lines. Can't tell him that, though. He's senior to me. Maybe an opportunity'll pop up in a week or so.

Overall, uneventful. Kind of what happens when you run a storeroom. I DID catch a glimpse of the amethyst, though. She shapeshifted into me and tried to steal every donut in the display case. I feel like a fixture in the town already :'D.

Also, eventfulness aside, Mr. Dewey has a weird naming convention for the donuts. He even marked those names on the stock form, which is why supplies from the company have been dwindling. Even the fryer hasn't worked in years, and we've been running our operation out of a pair of toaster ovens. It's clear that this guy's just doing his own thing. Should really tighten the ship while I'm here.

Job at the carwash was… uneventful, Especially considering this was in the middle of the winter. Guess that's why they call the place "It's a Wash". Clever. Mr. Universe came by to show me the ropes and check up on the facilities, otherwise I'm on my own for the rest of the season.

From what Mr. Universe told me, most of my work will be in the bodega along with maintenance on the drive-through sections of the carwash, consisting primarily of refilling tanks, tightening leaks, and melting any ice on the pipes. Since it snows pretty regularly in Del Marva, I won't have to worry too much about customers, though some will regularly come by the bodega for snacks and the like.

February 25, 201x. Weather: Clear

Think I can finally start putting useful shit in this journal. Spring should be coming soon, so things will finally start kicking into high gear again. Jobs have been… painful, frankly. I was stuck in negotiations just restocking on food for the Big Donut for a solid week, and it turns out carwash maintenance is quite physically taxing. Can't exactly use salt or plumber's tape to fix a frozen leak, so things have to go slowly and, well, painfully.

Let's start with my findings: This week, as the storeroom and equipment was replenished and repaired, I was assigned to the register at the Big Donut. There, I met a variety of Gems as well as Gem-associated humans. Most, aside from those staying near or working at Little Homeworld, seem to have taken local jobs, many being new hires for businesses on the Boardwalk. One has even taken a gig as a model for a local artist. However, aside from restaurants, I figured most of these Gems would be out of work, considering that their associated businesses are closed in the Winter. However, most still come here and say that they're off to their jobs, like clockwork.

To see what exactly is happening, I decided to explore the boardwalk on my weekend off. The local amusement park is closed, as expected, but I noticed, at exactly 8 AM last Saturday, Gems entering the park premises. Upon entering myself, I was called out by a Snowflake Obsidian standing at a closed carnival game stand. She smiled and said the park's closed, but otherwise didn't react to my presence. The rest of the time, she just stood there, blankly smiling into the middle distance, like a statue. This is the same with the many other employees I saw, at least those that didn't take up jobs elsewhere. By the end of their presumed workday, they casually went to the nearest warp pad, presumably going to Little Homeworld.

Based on that amount of information, it seems that many of the Gems around these parts have an unhealthy attachment to their work or some kind of structure. When a location is closed, they stick to a routine seemingly set in stone, as if they were a programmed machine. Payment or any kind of compensation does not seem to be a priority, seeing as they do not need to eat or pay any sort of rent. It can only so far be inferred that they need to do something, and it doesn't matter what that "something" is.

So, on top of basic anatomy and function, the next question on the docket now seems to be that of a Gem's cognition: how do they think, and what process drives their thinking? For now, these findings should be enough for the month. Spring's coming soon, and that means things will finally kick into gear, especially regarding these working Gems.

Author's Note

Guess who has two thumbs and no energy because advanced college courses are a thing? This guy. Otherwise, I'm back. This'll be a side project, updating (hopefully) every week or two, though I can't guarantee it. To those following me, Hey! Remember this fanfic that you subbed to for some fucking reason? Well, it's back for more, and it's hoping for some more view-based validation!