Work Text:
"Rina!"
"Rina!"
"Where is she?" Pearl said as she walked around her expansive house. She had searched all the usual places where she and Marina would hang out, but even then, she wasn't there. Finally, after double checking every space, she finally got the idea to check the brand new room she had installed just for her. Sure enough, once she opened the door, she found Marina lying near her desk, tangled in the wires of a new invention she was working on.
"Jeez, at least she's okay." Pearl chuckled, walking over to the pile of wires in which her girlfriend was entwined. As she approached, she smiled, seeing Marina content in her own element, even though she'd never quite understood. She crouched down, unwrapping a loose cord from Marina's fingers. "Hey Rina? You okay?" Pearl asked, shaking the sleeping girl's shoulders gently but with urgency. When she received no reaction but a light snore or snort, she couldn't tell which one; she only rolled her eyes at this. This was going to be harder than she thought.
"Well, desperate times call for some desperate measures." Pearl sighed, realizing she would have to resort to drastic measures to wake Marina up from her deep sleep. She reached for the nearest water bottle and poured a small amount onto Marina's face, hoping the shock would do the trick. Marina stirred slightly but still didn't wake up. "Seriously, Rina?" Pearl muttered under her breath, exasperated, marching out of the room like a squid on a mission.
Walking downstairs to the kitchen, she shifted through the drawers and cabinets, cackling when she found exactly what she was looking for. Pearl grabbed a wooden spoon and a metal pot, determined to create a loud enough noise to wake Marina up. With a mischievous grin, she headed back upstairs, ready to put her plan into action.
Creaking the door open slowly, she tiptoed into the room like it was a stealth mission. Inching closer and closer until she was directly behind her girlfriend. The grin grew with more malice as she raised the pot and spoon above her head. The spoon came into contact with the pot, causing a loud ring to signal throughout the room. She looked down at Marina, who only flinched at the noise, still snoring peacefully. Disappointed that her plan didn't work as expected, she realized that if Marina could survive her natural voice, of course she'd be able to withstand pots. Undettered, however, she decided to try a different approach.
"Marina, the machine is on fire!" Pearl shouted at the top of her lungs, as high as she could anyway. As the words fell out of her mouth, Marina's head shot up, looking around the room with fervor and panic on her face. Pearl couldn't help but smirk at the success of her new tactic. Marina's eyes widened in alarm as she scrambled away from the desk, fully awake now and ready to face the supposed fire around her inventions.
Looking around the desk in her dazed state, Marina tried desperately to find the sources of the flame. After coming to and finding none whatsoever, she turned to Pearl with a pout. "Pearlie!" Pearl simply chuckled, shaking her head at Marina's overreaction. "There's no fire, Rina. Just a little prank to get you awake," she admitted with a mischievous grin. Marina rolled her eyes before playfully swatting Pearl on the arm, relieved that there was no actual danger. "You scared me!" She exhaled, crossing her arms. Getting up from the cozy area she made for herself, Marina tucked a tentacle behind her ear, looking at the mess on the desk.
"Well, I guess you were right, though.." She said, slowly getting embarrassed about the mess and knowing Pearl saw her so disheveled. Pearl saw this and took Marina's hand in her own, rubbing circles in a calming manner to show it was fine with her. "Hey, at least we get to actually hang out now!" She exclaimed, dragging Marina towards the door and out of the room, before being stopped by the taller one. "Wait! The mess!" Marina worried, always conscious of her workspace, if it wasn't clean, she wasn't okay.
Pearl sighed, turning around to look at Marina's face. Searching her body language and face for any signs. Slumping her shoulders, she chuckled to herself. "You worry too much, Marina. Let's just enjoy the moment and deal with the mess later," Pearl reassured her, grabbing Marina's hand once again and leading her out of the room with a smile. As they walked down the hallway, Marina couldn't help but relax a little. She trusted Pearl's judgment and knew that everything would be taken care of eventually. The weight of worries lifted slightly as they continued on their way, enjoying each other's company in the moment.