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Scar sighed shakily, stopping before the tall tower. Many had whispered of the dangerous witch who lived at the top of the tower - telling stories of warning of how dangerous she's been since her soulbound left her for someone else. Everyone who knew of her knew her to be ruthless.
Which is why Scar decided she was perfect.
He placed a hand on the ladder, testing it a little before beginning the ascend up. The ladder was a bit shaky, some steps broken. It didn't seem well taken cared of - not like the woman would care. No one ever visited.
Scar knew she would understand why he was visiting. She would hear him out, and perhaps provide him more comfort than he's ever experienced. If not, then she can just murder him and it'll feel just as fine.
About halfway up the climb, he heard a voice hiss from above "Who goes there?" Scar craned his neck up, locking eyes with a deadly pair - ones who seemed broken. "A friend, don't worry" Scar smiled friendly. "And how am I supposed to trust that?" The woman hissed again. Scar thought for a second before saying "I can throw all the stuff on me if you want"
"Do it." The woman commanded and Scar didn't hesitate to slide down the ladder, landing on the forest below, and putting a chest down to put his stuff in. He knew no one would be coming by anytime soon, but still it made him nervous.
He then looked up at her, showing his empty pockets before she nodded in approval. He began his climb up once again, his legs aching from all the climbing. Why did she have to make the tower so tall? Jeez...
Once he finally got to the top, he paid no attention to the way she held an axe close to her side - the way she eyed him like he was dangerous. "Why are you here?" She eyed him and Scar grinned "What? Can't a man spend some time with his.." He hesitated for a second, narrowing his eyes as his grin faltered, before landing them on the other once again "His soulbound's sister?"
Pearl noticed his hesitation and she felt wrong to assume what it could be - so she didn't speak up. "You have a point. Does... He know you're here?" She hummed in response and Scar looked away at the mention of Grian as he said "No... But he doesn't need to know I'm paying you a visit."
Pearl stared at him silently before she turned to take a seat on a chair "Come sit. What did you want to discuss?" She asked, offering him to sit on her bed. Scar took the cue and sat on her bed, forgetting with the hem of his shirt "Just..."
Pearl could tell he wanted to talk about her brother, but wouldn't push him into the topic. "How are you holding up?" Scar asked instead and Pearl hummed "I'm... Fine. Been doing a lot of watching of other people." "That's great." Scar immediately said "Anything interesting?"
"Just people chasing others. Nothing out of the ordinary" Pearl explained. Scar just nodded along and Pearl asked "How are you?"
Scar paused for a moment and Pearl could read him struggling to figure out what to say. She just sat, however, letting him take his time. That didn't stop her thoughts from wandering, trying to figure out if she was right with her assumption.
Void she hoped not.
"I've been great. I've spent a lot of time with my Jellie pandas and even resource gathering." Scar finally said, smiling fondly at the thought of his Jellies. "How are the pandas?" Pearl asked and Scar held a small smile on his lips "They're doing good. Very healthy. They've been really busy helping soulbounds grow even more attached."
Pearl smiled "I'm glad" She stood up to go make some food and she asked "You want anything to eat while you're in my company?" Scar hummed aloud before saying "Sure."
Pearl nodded and prepped up two steaks for them both "So how's Grian been?" She asked, a bit hesitant. She didn't want to push Scar into admitting what was wrong, but this was something to do with her brother and she knows how he can get sometimes.
"He's been... Fine." Scar murmured, a slight poison on his tongue "Spending a lot of time out getting resources."
"This is a safe space, Scar. If he's being a prick, you can tell me" Pearl coaxed and Scar huffed "It's fine. It's nothing." Pearl nodded silently and watched the two steaks cook. Hopefully what happened wasn't as bad as it was with her and Scott.
A slight frown twisted on her lips at the thought of Scott and she grabbed the steaks, carrying them over to Scar. She handed it to him and sat beside him on her bed "I won't push you to tell me what my brother did, but if he's done anything to hurt you, I'll have some words with him."
Scar nervously took a bite of his steak before saying "I don't want him to know I visited you" "How come?" Pearl asked as she tilted her head, eating some of her steak. "He'll have a lot of questions that I'd rather not answer. I.. Want to keep these meetings to just us two"
"Meetings?"
"I was hoping I could visit again, if you don't mind"
"I don't mind at all" Pearl smiled friendly and ate another bite. Scar smiled back before asking out of nowhere "Can I braid your hair?"
Pearl raised an eyebrow "Why?" Scar shrugged "It'll be nice to have all your hair back.. And I want to just talk" Pearl looked over his face silently before smiling "Sure - but after we're done eating"
A smile filled Scar's face and he ate more of his steak. The pair let a comfortable silence fill the room as they ate their food. Scar finished his food quickly, excited to braid her hair. He's learned from somewhere, he couldn't remember. It was some far off memory that he just couldn't put his finger on.
Pearl finished a bit after, turning towards Scar "Do you want me to sit on the ground or on the bed?" Scar hummed before saying "Stay on the bed" Pearl nodded and sat criss cross, her back turned towards Scar. She handed him a ribbon from over her back and he took it.
She felt him carefully brush his fingers through her hair, careful to not snag too roughly on any tangled bits. "I'm not the best person to be soulbound to" Scar admitted as he worked.
He took the braiding session to be good for venting out all these bottled up feelings since the moment he even found out about Grian's infidelity. "Why do you say that?'" Pearl asked, feeling Scar carefully work out a knot.
"I take a lot of damage - nearly die as quickly as Jimmy half the time," Scar sighed "Grian knows that. It's not his fault that he got paired up with one of the worst people. It's whatever creature had brought us here's fault."
He was still working out some knots as he said "I don't blame him for what he did. Grian - he has another partner. He's been seeing someone else, calls him his 'secret soulmate'. He knows I know about it, but tried insisting they weren't even together! If he's going to lie to me about cheating, then he should've made their relationship less in everyone's faces!"
He ripped through a knot and heard her yelp a little in pain. "Sorry.." He murmured and Pearl reached back to pat him. "Don't be sorry. It sounds like shit and I'm sorry that Grian's done that to you." Scar scoffed, now starting to split her hair into three parts "It's fine. There's nothing I can do about it.."
Pearl hummed "It doesn't sound fine if you're ranting to me about it. I say you should get some payback - torture yourself to give him a real scare and make him feel how he made you feel. That's what I do. Or, you can cheat on him right back." Scar thought for a moment before saying as he braided "I couldn't ever cheat on him. Torturing myself, however..."
Scar paused the braiding to consider it before continuing "I'll consider it. What methods do you use?" Scar asked and Pearl smiled "I'm glad you asked. I usually throw myself off a small cliff, or set myself on fire a little before extinguishing myself. There's been a method I've been tempted to try, but haven't yet, and that's freezing myself."
"Could... I try it some time when I hang out again?" Scar asked once again and Pearl chuckled "Absolutely." Scar grinned and went on with braiding.
"So.. Who's the unlucky guy that my brother picked?"
"BigB."
"I see."
"I don't even get what Grian sees in him. Is it because he has a cookie and I don't?" Scar scoffed and Pearl laughed "I don't know. I think Grian just can't see what a great guy you are" Scar huffed "I guess you're right."
Scar finished braiding and hummed, tying her hair off with the ribbon "And... There! I would ask if you want flowers in your hair, but all my things are down at the bottom of the tower." Pearl lightly chuckled and said "It's all good. I don't want flowers anyways"
"Next time I'll add flowers" Scar grinned and Pearl rolled her eyes as she giggled, carefully patting the braid "What inspired you to braid my hair?" She asked and Scar hummed "I need something to do with my hands when I need to rant out my feelings. I... Can't remember where the habit stemmed from... But it's all good."
"I see." Pearl murmured "Thank you for braiding it." She smiled and Scar nodded, him standing as he brushed off his clorhes "Well.. I should start heading back soon. Grian might ask where I was at - if he's even home early tonight" He murmured the last part under his breath.
Pearl smiled "Wish you safe travel then. Shoot me message if you ever want to hang out again so I have more time to prepare" "Will do!" Scar smiled and hugged her before starting his climb down the ladder.
He jumped a bit away from the ladder while going down, soaring in free fall for a little before grabbing onto the ladder once again. It was much faster than climbing all the way down. Once he was on the ground, he took and his belongings and went on his way.
He couldn't wait to visit again.