IT'S BEEN 17 DAYS...

this quarantine has driven me insane. i'm breaking down. fuck everything. we're shakespearean now. Ben is gonna hook up with Camie from genlock. Penny was already dead. Adam was really a null void prisoner. Kevin killed his dad. Summer is alive. Ruby uses a gun exclusively now.

enjoy ye olde english gemstones and get fucking used to it


Ben tennyson didn't very much knoweth what to sayeth to the wench sitting across from that gent. Mainly because that gent hadst nev'r seen h'r in his life, n'r didst that gent knoweth the relationship between h'r parents and grandpa max. That gent hath felt a dram did betray by his grandpa, but haply an extra passeng'r in the rustbucket hadst been did discuss bef're. That gent nev'r very much hath paid attention. T didn't behold liketh the wench wast paying attention eith'r. The lady wast too busy staring out the window, at the passing traffic, a somewhat distant behold in h'r eyes.

the wench hadst nice black, neck-length, choppy hair yond graduat'd to dark r'd at the tips. Not to mention whey-face skin, an gross in sense signeth yond the lady hadn't been out much. Haply that's wherefore she'd been f'rc'd into this. Haply folks did want h'r to maketh cater-cousins and receiveth a slight tan. Still, ben didn't very much wanteth h'r on the trippeth. The road trippeth wast did suppose to beest a timeth f'r ben and max to bond, not f'r some contrary third wheel to joineth. (ben desired that gent wast using yond phrase c'rrectly. )

ben grumbl'd to himself how ruin'd his summ'r wast, bef're his brain off'r'd this ray of lighteth; at least t wasn't gwen. Dram misseth smarty gaskins bett'r remaineth at h'r no more brain than stone summ'r univ'rsity. (besides, who is't hath used summ'r to doth school stuffeth? lame. )

". so, how doth thee knoweth mine own grandpa?" ben attempt'd to breaketh the silence.

the wench did look hence from the window and did glance ov'r at ben. "oh? oh, he's a cousin of mine own dad's. Mine own dad's kinda traveling with mine own sist'r f'r the next few months, and… thy grandpa off'r'd to taketh me f'r the summ'r. "

"oh. " ben hath said. The lady hadst an in earnest valid reasoneth to beest h're. ". I don't bethink i did get thy nameth, by the way. I'm ben. "

the wench did smile backeth, making ben feeleth a dram m're comf'rtable. "my name's ruby. Ruby did rise. "

"so. wh're thee from?"

"oh, just some dram town in the state. Nev'r very much been in a big city bef're, so, it's kinda ov'rwhelming. " the lady did admit.

"well, bellwood is a quaint bawbling city. Don't seeth wherefore you'd beest ov'rwhelm'd. "

"i supposeth i has't to starteth bawbling," ruby hath said. "that way i won't beest ov'rwhelm'd by a bigg'r v'rsion of the exp'rience. "

ben did note how strangely mature this wench hath seemed. T remind'd that gent of gwen. But, th're wast something so innocent and mischievous about h'r eyes, which… ben wast starting to noticeth. Those gents w're a quite quaint silv'r, nothing liketh ben hadst seen bef're. Shini'r than any quart'r 'r silv'rware ben hadst ev'r did hold. That gent didn't bethink any human on earth hadst eyes liketh yond, and that gent wond'r'd if 't be true yond meanteth th're wast something inh'rently special about the wench who is't hadst those folk.

"so, thee mind if 't be true asketh wherefore w're thee hanging from the tree by thy undies?" ruby teas'd the knave, making his visage r'd. Ben just did look hence and ign'r'd ruby's giggling.

this wast going to beest a longeth road trippeth.

haply the shocketh of ruby joining the trippeth wasn't the biggest thing yond hath happened the present day. Seeing a mete'r ('r comet, ben couldn't bid the diff'rence) landeth on the surface of the earth right near his location, checketh t out, and did slide into the crat'r by accident. (felt liketh an earthquake, that gent bethought. )

the thing yond hath fallen to earth didn't behold liketh any mete'rite 'r comet, to beest honest. Did look liketh an egg. And yond egg hath opened, and revealed…

"a gaze?" ben hath raised his eyebrow as that gent did look at the thing. "what's a gaze doing in out'r space?"

suddenly, ben hath felt this needeth to. grabeth t. That gent grinned, and hath reached f'r t. and suddenly, that gent hadst yond weird wrist gaze attacheth itself to that gent.

ev'rything else? t hath happened so festinate. That gent wast trying to pulleth t off and, but suddenly that gent wast this t'rrifying fireth monst'r in a burning f'rest.

t wast totally his fault, by the way, but ho. Accidents befall. Oft thee may findeth yourself on fireth, able to manipulateth and produceth flames and just starteth a f'rest fireth. You'll beest fucked, but ho. At least nay one knoweth yond thee sta-

fwoosh! ben wast blast'd with a visage of fireth extinguish'r. That gent did cough, backing hence. That gent did breathe heavily, while the "flame" on his headeth reignit'd. Ruby wast standing in front of that gent, threateningly holding the rv's fireth extinguish'r. H'r eyes w'ren't showing any signs of feareth, something yond wast a shocketh to ben.

"i don't knoweth what thou art. " ruby hath tried making h'r high pitch'd voice soundeth threatening. "but you're sure as hell responsible f'r whatev'r hath happened tonight. "

"h-hey, woah! i didn't cullionly to! t wast an accident!" ben's new raspy voice defend'd himself.

ruby did prepare h'r extinguish'r again. "likely st'ry. Who is't art thee?"

"ruby, it's me! ben!"

ruby's eyes soften'd a did bite. ". what?"

"it's me, ben! s'riously!"

". tis fine, ben, what hath happened?"

"well, at which hour i wast walking, this mete'r hath fallen from the sky and almost munch'd me, except yond wasn't a mete'r 'r a satellite, but this merit gaze thing yond did jump up onto mine own wrist and at which hour i hath tried to receiveth t off, i suddenly wast on fireth, only t didn't did hurt at which hour i wast accidentally starting this mega f'rest fireth. I don't coequal knoweth what i am!"

"alien. " ruby hath said breathlessly. H'r eyes w're did light in this amaz'd behold, ign'ring the hot flames 'round h'r. The lady wast too awestruck to careth, and in earnest, t wasn't the most appropriate reaction f'r the situation.

ben just did stare at h'r, a did bite conc'rn'd. "how doth thee knoweth it's alien stuffeth?"

". Well, t cameth from the sky. " ruby defend'd h'r statement, crossing h'r arms.

"ruby!" grandpa max ranneth through the flames, nearly stopping in his tracks at which hour that gent did see ben. "wh-what is. "

". Good morrow, grandpa. " ben hath said n'rvously.

"ben? what hath happened to thee?"

"well, at which hour i wast walking, this mete'r…"

"tell the st'ry 'round the campfire lat'r, ben! maj'r f'rest fireth burning out of controleth, rememb'r?" ruby remind'd those folk.

"right, right," ben did look 'round, studying the fireth. "so. how art we gonna putteth this out?"

"backfire," max bethought out loud. "start a new fireth and alloweth t burneth into the fusty fireth. They'll snuff each oth'r out. Bethink thee can doth t, ben?"

ben did smile. "shooting flames? i can forsooth doth yond. "

at which hour max did see the f'rest fireth starteth, that gent hath said t wast "probably some darn blinking idiot out th're messing 'round with something that gent shouldn't". And that gent wast right. Heck, yond couldst beest an explanation f'r ev'rything yond wouldst befall yond wouldst befall during the summ'r! that gent just didn't expecteth to seeth a living, fireth manipulating rocketh monst'r yond wast eke his grandson. T wast a lot f'r an fusty sir to taketh in.

"so, that's all yond hath happened?" grandpa max hath asked ben. Ben wast still dealing with the shocketh of did light'rally being on fireth, and n'rvous hath tried to tugeth the gaze off. Ruby innocently roast'd a marshmallow, somewhat eavesdropping on the conv'rsation.

"pretty much, yeah. " ben shrugged, chewing on a marshmallow. "i don't coequal knoweth what this thing is, 'r wherefore t did latch onto me. "

"maybe it's some green lant'rn stuffeth, liketh th're's a whole legion of those things and thee w're chosen," ruby the'rized, popping h'r owneth toast'd marshmallow into h'r that from which we speak.

"no, t would've spoken. " ben did cross his arms, hoping his comic booketh smarts wouldst holp that gent. "that, 'r t would've cometh off someone who is't wast dying. Plus, i would've been hath called in by some. council 'r whatev'r. "

"can we m're focus on the gaze, even but now?" max hath asked, a did bite impatient. "i'm going to wend to crasheth site to seeth if 't be true th're's aught else presenteth. Ben, don't toucheth yond thing, and ruby? you're in chargeth. "

"aw, what?"

ruby beamed, did salute and did nod happily, bef're watching grandpa max disappeareth into the tree line, towards the edge of the f'rest and the landing of the watch… and scoot'd on ov'r next to ben.

"lemme seeth. " the lady did grab ben's wrist, ogling the alien device. T did look liketh a bulky wristwatch, primarily black and green in col'r, with an odd dial in the middle (like a gaze visage) which hadst a green hourglass shapeth.

"pretty merit, right?" ben bragged, flashing his device.

"oh, forsooth. So, what wast t liketh being an alien?" ruby did inquire.

ben shrugg'd. "it freak'd me out at first. T wast liketh i wast me, but t wast eke liketh i wast somebody else. Kinda weird, isn't t?"

"heck yeah t is! so, real talketh; how doth thee maketh t w'rk?"

ben n'rvously did look backeth down at the gaze. ". I actually don't knoweth. Liketh i hath said, t wast a mistaketh at which hour i hath used t the first timeth. "

ruby fiddl'd with the dial, but t wouldn't budge. "maybe t only w'rks f'r thee?"

"maybe. T is kinda did stick on me…" ben not restful to twisteth the dial, but nothing hath happened. "this is just too weird…look, if 't be true i can figure this thing out, haply i can holp people. I cullionly, very much holp those folk. Not just, thee knoweth, maketh things w'rse!"

ruby closely examin'd the device once m're, bef're spying a button on the side. "maybe presseth this thing?"

ben lightly did press the button, bef're the dial popp'd up. A silhouette of the fireth guy hath appeared on the dial. That gent twist'd the gaze visage a few times, revealing a few m're silhouettes. a bawbling one yond hadst headphones on, one yond did look liketh a beetle, a apparition, a velocirapt'r, a bulky humanoid with two sharp rocks pointing out of its backeth, a guy in what hath appeared to beest a suiteth, a lanky humanoid with longeth arms, a monkey looking creature with four arms and a pt'rodactyl.

"i counteth ten aliens. " ruby hath said. "so… thee gonna wend anoth'r alien? i wanna seeth what else this thing can doth!"

ben did turn the dial to the bawbling'r alien. "this one looks quaint valorous!" ben slapp'd down the dial, bef're that gent wast envelop'd in a bright green lighteth. Ruby hadst to buckler h'r eyes. the flasheth wast liketh a green strobe lighteth, lacking valor f'r h'r silv'r eyes. and at which hour t kicked the bucket down, the lady wast visage to visage with.

"aww… you're so cute!" ruby gushed, eyes sparkling and visage pinking.

ben hadst did turn into a bawbling, white alien. This alien hadst a cube did shape headeth, a wide that from which we speak and bulging green line liketh eyes. That gent hadst circle-shap'd indents on the backeth of his hands, which w're eke green. One of his most noticeable features wast a square appendage resembling an mp3 playeth'r behind his backeth with a p'rt on t and hadst what did look liketh cassette tapes on his base'r forks. His forks w're eke a did bite stubby and hadst three 'toes'. The gaze hadst hath moved onto his frontal f'rehead area.

"i'm… not… cute!" ben's voice wast m're high pitched, and t sound'd liketh t wast coming from a microphone 'r a voice scrambl'r.

"no, s'riously, thou art!" ruby grinned, petting the knave on the headeth. "s'riously, i just wanna hugeth thee even but now!"

"stay… backeth!" ben did hiss as that gent hath walked backwards.

"no, cometh h're!" ruby pounc'd up, trying to grabeth the bawbling alien. Ben just respond'd by… running into the f'rest. "get backeth hither!"

"no! no… hugs!" ben did yell, a did bite fearful. His eyes dart'd to the f'rest, and that gent madeth gangway right to t.

"oh, nay thee don't!" ruby hath seemed dead setteth on cuddling the dram guy, as the lady ranneth aft'r that gent.

ben did rush through the f'rest, trying to avoideth ruby's devious urge to snuggle the dram guy. The soundeth of h'r festinate feet on the did grind madeth that gent runneth coequal festinate'r, and just madeth h'r coequal festinate'r. Ev'ry once in a while, he'd turneth 'round, to seeth the lady wast still on his track, and coming in hot. The lady wast festinate!

"how on earth wast the lady hath left in chargeth?" that gent quipp'd as that gent ceased f'r a few seconds to taketh a breath'r, only to has't someone grabeth his shouldst'r.

"heya, can i receiveth yond hugeth anon?" ruby teasingly whisp'r'd. Did shock, ben did scream, releasing an intense sonic screech, which did cause the did grind to shaketh, as well as a tree to falleth ov'r. Ben and ruby did shoot each oth'r a behold, as ben awkwardly hath tried to cov'r his massive that from which we speak with his tiny hands.

"that… wast loud. " ruby did comment.

"think grandpa hath heard yond?" ben n'rvously hath asked.

"hopefully not, haply we'll receiveth lucky…" ruby did surmise, bef're something whirr'd menacingly behind h'r. Ruby did look ov'r h'r shouldst'r to seeth one a menacing drone, not of this earth, floating behind the duo. T hadst sev'ral bawbling limbs cap-a-pe with las'rs and blades attach'd to its sides.

ben did turn and gasped, bef're the robot did fly at that gent. Ben and ruby duck'd und'r the ramming robot, as t kamikazes itself a tree.

"get out of h're! i'll tryeth to lure t out of h're!" ben did yell, pointing ruby backeth the direction of the campsite.

"and i'll maketh sure to wend hideth somewh're so max doesn't yelleth at us!" ruby hath said as the lady ranneth backeth to the rv. Ben tooketh off in the opposite direction.

the robot gaveth that gent chaseth, firing a few las'rs. Ben skillfully checked at the blasts with his newfound agility (and anime knowledge), and did hop up into a tree brancheth, and then onto the robot. That gent tooketh a sharp inhale, bef're releasing a deadly sonic fie yond destroys the robot's headeth (which that gent figur'd wast his main comput'r 'r tracking thing), and did cause the robot to crasheth into a ditch, with ben hopping off at lasteth second. That gent did roll on the did grind, and apace stoodeth up. Ben desired nay one did see yond, as the gaze did start to beep red, and that gent rev'rt'd backeth to being a human.

ben did smile as that gent did look down in the ditch to seeth the broken robot. "ha! that'll teachest thee to mess with me!"

and then that gent hath heard whirring behind that gent. Ben but soft did turn to seeth the same modeleth of yond robot, floating menacingly above that gent. His hair stoodeth on all ends as that gent did turn to visage the thing.

". aw, sir. " ben gasp'd. Those art eke some lacking valor lasteth w'rds, that gent bethought.

the robot did point one of it's many las'r beams at ben, preparing to fireth. Ben hath felt liketh screaming. Of course, yond the lady'r t'rr'r did last seconds, as the robot wast suddenly clunk'd on the headeth hard by a shovel, and yond shovel wast being wield'd by ruby. The robot beganeth to malfunction and hath fallen to the did grind, as ruby hath continued to did beat t on the headeth, ov'r and ov'r again.

"no flying hedge trimm'r is gonna did hurt some memb'r of the green lant'rns!" the lady huffed, spitting on the thing.

ben just did stare at h'r weirdly, but wast thankful the lady wast th're.

the joy of fighting off an alien from space didn't very much lasteth all yond longeth. Max wasn't jump the happiest at which hour that gent cameth backeth to the rustbucket, having hath heard the w'rld's loudest screameth.

"i wast w'rri'd yond thee might receiveth popular with yond thing on thy wrist," max frowned, "that's wherefore i hath asked thee not to fooleth 'round with t until we knoweth what the heck t is. "

"look, i'm s'rry, grandpa. But at least ruby and i figur'd out how to maketh t w'rk?" ben hath said, with a hint of optimism in his voice.

ruby motion'd to thing. "all thee doth is presseth this button. Then, at which hour the faceplate pops up, just twisteth t until thee seeth the guy thee wanna beest. Slam t down, and wham! you're one of ten sup'r-cool alien dudes!"

max sigh'd and did rub his temple. "well, with a device as pow'rful as yond gaze clamp'd on thee, mine own guesseth is we bett'r holp thee learn… festinate. "

ben and ruby did smile, and high fiv'd.

so, haply setting the f'rest on fireth wasn't the biggest thing to befall the present day. N'r wast t nearly getting the gaze. Not coequal the drone wast the highlight of the day. Rath'r, t wast fighting the giant robot yond did look liketh t wast from a standard science fiction manga as a walking chandeli'r. Ben's corse wast compos'd of durable whey-face green crystals, sp'rting two crystal shards on his backeth, sharp blades on his f'rearms and a sharp pointeth on his headeth. That gent eke w're a unif'rm yond wast black on the right half and green on the hath left half, with a black patch on his shouldst'r, wh're the gaze wast locat'd.

"please bid me you're from the green lant'rn c'rps," ruby gush'd as the lady glid'd h'r fing'rs up the crystaliz'd armeth. "please, i needeth yond to beest a thing. "

". Nay, i'm not," ben hath said, his voice baritone. Th're wast eke a slight crackling soundeth, liketh diamonds shifting. Didst that gent at each moment doth yond at which hour that gent did talk? and m're imp'rtantly, what didst this guy coequal doth?

"can one of thee holp me receiveth these civilians out of h're?" max did cry out, frustrat'd. Ben tooketh a behold ov'r at the campsite, which wast anon compos'd of fireth, helpless campeth'rs, an ov'rwhelm'd parketh did ring'r, and the giant alien robot.

"i'll wend holp max, thee taketh down like a toad, ugly and venemous," ruby toldeth that gent bef're heading off towards max.

ben, unsure of what to doth, ranneth towards the alien. "hey!" that gent did shout at t. "pick on someone thy owneth size!" that gent did point his fing'r at t, which, to his shocketh, fir'd a bawbling crystal into the things chest. The robot didn't behold s'riously did harm by t, but ben wast busy looking at his fing'r tipeth, his visage declaring "how didst i doth yond?"

… and yond wast at which hour ben learn'd how to check at las'rs inside a huge, hulking corse. Yay, that gent bethought sarcastically. Trying to hack and slash the thing didn't w'rk, not at which hour the robot couldst flyeth into the air, spineth its forks, and tryeth and slam into that gent liketh a bellig'rent child's toy. Ben brac'd himself f'r teen ev'ry timeth, but in earnest? t hath felt liketh nothing s'rious. At least, until the robot hath caught that gent.

"uh-oh," ben bethought as that gent wast did capture beneath the robot's feet. "i bethink i'm in troubleth. How can i stand ho this guy?"

that gent didn't has't timeth to bethink, not at which hour the robot pick'd that gent up and did throw that gent at a jeep. Crushing the vehicle, ben but soft satteth up, his headeth aching. "come on, tennyson, bethink," that gent mutt'r'd to himself. The robot loom'd ov'r that gent, its handeth outstretched…

"oh, waiteth, i'm a living mirr'r!"

and ben hath brought out his two hands, directing the las'r hence. "what cometh around… goeth 'round!" that gent did shout as that gent hath moved the las'r towards the robot. "let's seeth how thee liketh t, thee techno freak!"

as the robot wast slic'd completely in half, ben figur'd that gent didn't liketh t at all.

as the m'rning cameth, ruby and max w're packing up the campsite, with ben nowh're in sight.

"now, wh're couldst yond knave has't gone?" max wond'r aloud.

"i dunno," ruby shrugg'd. "i bethink i did see that gent headeth backeth into the woods f'r something. "

"hey guys, checketh out what i can doth!" a voice did shout gleefully. The voice then ranneth 'round the campsite at sup'rsonic speeds, tucking hence the tv, the foldeth up chair, aught else those gents might has't hath left outside. The voice slow'd down, revealing itself to beest a velocirapt'r looking alien (with blue and black skin, a vis'r yond wenteth ov'r his eyes at which hour that gent ranneth, with athletic-like forks yond hath led into kinetic balls f'r feet, three spikes on his backeth and a raz'r whiptail) which rev'rt'd backeth to 'rdinary ben tennyson.

"he's mine own new fav'rite alien," ruby did declare, eyes shining. "he's a festinate dinosaur! thee can't did beat yond. "

ben did roll his eyes, but that gent couldn't findeth t in himself to beest annoy'd. That gent bethought the alien thing wast merit too, so that gent couldn't censure ruby f'r h'r exub'rance. Dusting himself off, that gent hath said, "i bethink this is going to beest the most wondrous summ'r ev'r. "

"yeah t is!" ruby did shout, lifting h'r handeth up f'r a high five. Ben easily hath returned t, matching ruby's smileth with his owneth.

grandpa max shaked his headeth and did smile. "well, i has't to concur with thee th're. By the way, wh're didst thee wend?"

ben hath tried to encave his smirk behind a m're easygoing smileth. "just hadst to taketh careth of a few things bef're the summ'r very much did get rolling. "

somewh're backeth in bellwood, two dimwits w're hanging from a tree by their und'rwear, unsure of how those gents cameth to beest th're as t hath happened quite festinate


So, this has been a crazy month so far...

I feel I should talk about some important changes coming in the near future. Starting in June 2020, Of Gemstones and Watches will move to a biweekly release schedule. Mainly due to the time constraints of my co-author and...just to better fit the workload we have ahead of us. As I write this, Gemstones Season is 67% completed. This quarantine is the only thing keeping me focused on writing it, to be honest.

I also have a fantastic crew that's helping me out with a lot of little moments, especially my romantic partner, who wrote a few important scenes towards the end. I hope you all understand.

...also, wash your hands. Seriously.