"Hello, Steven," Mayor Nanefua said as the boy entered her office. "What can I do for you?"
"Two of my friends are getting married, and they want me to be the… host?... of the wedding."
"Sure, I can probably grant you the power to officiate. Who's getting married?"
"Garnet."
"Ah, she's the tall one with the afro, correct? Who's she marrying?"
"Herself. Well, it's actually Ruby and Sapphire who are getting married, but they make up Garnet… it's hard to explain. Are you familiar with fusion?"
"I'm guessing you don't mean funky jazz."
Steven gave a quick explanation of the situation. "And so now they've decided to get married, so they can be together even if they're apart!"
Nanefua frowned. "Hmm. That might be a problem."
"Why? What's wrong?"
"Well, the state has to issue a marriage license, but both parties have present a birth certificate or other proof of identity first. But if they've been living as Garnet all this time…"
"Yeah, well, Gems aren't even born as such. Though I guess the day they emerged from their hole in the ground is similar. But that was long before Beach City was even founded, let alone started keeping records."
"Are they even technically citizens?"
"Well, Pearl wasn't. That's why she doesn't have a driver's license, even though she drives sometimes."
"Please don't mention stuff like that to the mayor."
"Okay. But why do they even need a license? Can't I just point to them and say, 'Bam! You're married'?"
"I suppose you could, but the government needs to recognize the union for them to obtain the legal benefits of marriage. For example, the ability to file tax returns jointly."
"Yeah… I don't think any of them have ever paid taxes."
"There's also hospital visitation rights, and insurance."
"Gems don't get sick or injured. If their physical form is damaged, they retreat into their gem, and if that cracks or is shattered… well, human hospitals won't help."
"Hmm. And you say they've been cohabiting for thousands of years already?"
"Sharing the same house, body, and mind."
"So why are they even getting married?"
"Because they love each other."
Nanefua shrugged. "I suppose that makes sense. I'll see what I can do."