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"Hm," Gem says, her voice still rough from her just waking up, one hand gripping the bathroom counter. She traces the Void crawling up and around her neck with her hand, stopping just below her eye. She stares into the mirror in front of her, left eye staring back, a swirling spectacle of stars and Void. A miniature galaxy that is slowly overtaking her entire body, eating her alive. Fun!
And now it's currently inhabiting her eye because she's god's favorite princess, which really just means she gets the short end of the stick. Always and forever.
The door to the room jostles, snapping her out of her staring contest. "Hello? Gem-gem? You in there?" A familiar voice asks, sing-song in tone. Another knock at the door.
Gem (fondly) sighs, takes a step — the ship's bathroom is quite cramped, something Gem brings up to the rest of the crew daily — and opens the door to an Australian, one who is far too energetic for how early in the morning it is. "Hey, Pearl," the sunlight falling into the dark bathroom causes her to squint her eyes, "You need something?"
"No, I..what happened?" Her eyes bounce over to the Void currently taking residence in Gem's eye socket. She takes gently cups Gem's face into her hands, turning her head this way and that, brows strewn together in worry. "Is this why you're up early? Does it hurt?" Gem can hear the way that Pearl's voice wavers, something she's started doing whenever Gem's Void situation is brought up. Gem's tried to do all she can in trying to reassure her, but Pearl always seems to carry this pit of guilt with her. Honestly, she wishes she could just reach in and pull it out herself, if only so Pearl would stop looking at her like she's something to worry over. It's fine, she can take care of it.
She shoves it all down, instead saying, "Nope, at least, not as much as it normally does," She taps her foot against the wooden floor, Pearl's face is still taut with worry. "It'll be fine. I can still see, it's okay." She shakes off Pearl's hands from her face, and tries to offer her best reassuring smile. Though, it doesn't seem like Pearl buys it entirely.
Truthfully, shes terrified. The Void on her trembles as she thinks about what happened last time she lost control. The ship deck looked like a mess. Barrels and crates thrown every which way, they had to repair a good chunk of the ship, and it cost quite a bit of their gold, but Gem hardly batted an eye at the price. Especially considering the state Pearl was in by the end of it. It was the first time she had to use her first aid skills on someone other than herself, and while she isn't one to get squeamish about blood, the fact that Pearl was the one bleeding made her want to vomit.
The fact that it was her fault made her feel even worse.
Whatever. Pearl worries a bit more over her, asking several more questions — "And you're sure you're okay? Really sure?" — before finally dropping the subject and walking off to some other part of the ship. It's fine.
Gem starts making her way up the stairs to the ship's deck, and is blindsided by just how bright it is outside. Immediately, she feels her Void starting to prick and prod, small tendrils poking out of her arm. Usually, that means the Void wants out, that it — mostly Gem, really — is angry. But this feels more internal, like it's giving her a warning, like the hairs on your arm standing up. Instantly, she shuts her eyes tight — covering them with her hands for good measure — and turns back around, one hand braced against the wall as she wobbles back down into the comforting darkness of the lower deck.
Slowly, she places herself down onto one of the steps, keeping her eyes closed throughout the whole ordeal. She suddenly feels very weak, and very tired, and she really doesn't think she could stand right now, and hey, does anyone else hear that humming, and wow, her head is pounding like crazy, and- oh. The Void is weak to light isn't it? Which really means she's weak to light. She grimaces, well that's just sweet.
Gem then hears the sound of footsteps, and the sound of someone humming a tune she now knows too well, slowly, yet steadily increasing in volume. Frankly, she really doesn't want anyone to see her like this. But it's just so damn bright, and everything is just a little too much. So whatever happens, happens, she supposes.
"Gem?" Pearl asks. Gem still hasn't opened her eyes. "What are you doing?" There's a light teasing tone in her voice. Gem can imagine her with her hands on her hips, and her head cocked to the side.
"Well, nothing really." She tries to match her tone, though it kind of falls flat, considering she still, has not, opened her eyes.
Pearl takes a moment before responding. "Alright, let me rephrase. Why are your eyes closed?" Her voice is ever so slightly louder, Gem assumes she's now crouched in front of her. "..is it something to do with your Void eye?" She asks, tentatively.
"Yeah. Maybe." Gem says. She opens her eyes, slowly, with Pearl now taking up the entirety of her vision. It's embarrassing, really, the way Pearl is looking at her right now. All concerned and worried, picking the skin off her lips. Gem wishes she could just get of here. She sighs, placing her chin in the palm of her hand, eyes turned anywhere Pearl isn't. "My eye seems more sensitive to light now that it's..Anyways, it kinda hurt to stand so, yeah. Now I'm here, I guess."
Gem looks back to Pearl, she's frowning. "I'm guessing that's why you were up earlier than usual. Sun woke you up." She rubs the back of her neck, eyes darting around. "Maybe if we covered it.." She mumbles, brain clearly going a mile a minute. The sound is pleasant on Gem's ears, a nice contrast to the constant buzzing she's getting from the Void. She's almost about to go to sleep, when Pearl suddenly yells out, "Oh! Wait- wait here!" Gem isn't even able to respond before Pearl is gone from her sight, disappearing deeper into the ship.
So, she does what she's told, and waits.
It doesn't take long before she spots Pearl walking towards her, hands hidden behind her back, and a grin on her face. "Okay, I know you just opened 'em, but I need you to close your eyes again."
Gem raises a brow but obeys, "This better not be some betrayal plot."
Pearl holds back a laugh, "'Course not, ya nugget!" She ties something around Gem's head, then gently guides her up and into what she assumes is the ship's bathroom. "Alrighty! You can open your eyes now if you'd like."
And that's just what Gem does, opening her eyes to see herself in the mirror, with the minor change of her now donning an eye patch over her Void eye. The effect is immediate. The constant low hum of the Void settles down, and she feels herself gaining back her lost strength. She opens and closes her hand for good measure, back in control.
"You like it? It's working for ya?" Pearl asks, hands fiddling.
Gem can't help the smile spreading across her face, "Yeah. It's good."
"Wonderful!" Pearl beams, eyes sparkling and grin wide. And it also doubles in makin' you look extra pirate-y! Don't ya think?" A pirate. If you told Gem a couple months ago she'd be a pirate..
Gem laughs, eyeing the girl next to her, a thousand times brighter than the sun above. "Yeah it does, doesn't it? Neat how things work out like that."