Yeah, so I forgot to update this on here last Friday. Sorry about that.
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Shaking her head as she sits up, Pearl frowns. Something feels a little off. Standing up she walks over to a mirror then shugs. Getting ready she hums to herself. Then heads out to work on the bridges. It's a relatively hot day and the sun feels unusually bright.
"Hey Pearl." Ren calls over from on top of a bridge, "How's it going."
"Hi Ren," Pearl waves back as she riptides over, "It's good. I'm getting the bridges that Grian set up all detailed so we can walk around here with it looking nice."
Nodding sagely Ren grins, "That's a good thing to get in place, We need good bridges. Especially with the full moon coming. I don't think anyone would want me to smell like a wet dog."
Choking down a laugh Pearl shakes her head, "That is less than ideal."
"It's also good for Beef," Ren muses, "It can't be fun climbing out of the river beds the entire time."
Pearl nods along, "Yeah, and I made sure the steps are a good height for every one. I saw Tango fall on the steps a few days ago, he said he was fine but needed to adjust to being that short."
"Yeah, that's gotta be rough," His ears pin down to the sides of his head, "Especially since he doesn't like getting help."
Pearl nods, "Zed was with him and he tripped himself so he also fell."
Snorting Ren rolls his eyes, "I'll see you around." He waves and accidentally knocks his glasses off from where they were perched on his head.
Waving back Pearl sets back to work detailing the Bridges. As she walks back across the one she was working on she spots Ren's sunglasses on the ground. Scoping them up she plops them on her face for safekeeping and freezes.
"Oh..." She hadn't realized just how much the light was bugging her. Well nothing to do about that now. She's got bridges to detail.
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Yawing, she stretches and looks back at her work. She did well today. Using her trident to riptide over to Ren's shop she leaves the sunglasses on a chest.
Squinting in the bright sunlight Pearl walks back to her base.
It's getting a little late in the afternoon but she's absolutely exhausted. Yawing again she starts heading back to her base. Duly she wonders if she's getting sick.
Heading to bed early she falls asleep, only to wake up before dawn the next morning. Groaning, she gets up and starts working.
The cycle continues for a few days. It's too bright, falling asleep in the afternoon and getting up before the sun rises.
Then it gets worse.
The light is far too bright. It's getting harder and harder to stay awake during the day and she's becoming more active during the night. The nocturnal and Semi nocturnal hermits don't seem to mind. Or even question her presence.
Hypno asks about it at one point, Max curled around his shoulders. Pearl doesn't have a good answer for why this is happening.
As she walks away Max spreads his wings and mutters something softly to Hypno.
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Finding herself drawn to the roof if Impulse's base Pearl looks up at the night sky.
Stargazing isn't something she does often. But it's nice.
It's calming, and it makes one realize just how small they are.
How there are millions of other worlds out there.
Beyond the realms of the watchers.
Who knows what might lie out of the pocket dimensions.
Humming softly to herself Pearl solidifies her theme for the season.
Aliens.
The truth is out there.
Statistically there has to be life on other planets.
As she looks into the endless expanse of stars. Somehow it's comforting.
Knowing that she's simply a speck in the universe.
The stars really are beautiful.
Untouchable.
If any of the stars she's looking at were to burn out at that very moment. The light reaching them wouldn't fade for years.
A shooting star streaks across the sky.
Letting the tension of the last few days roll off her shoulders, Pearl stretches and stands up. She should at least try to get her sleep schedule back on track.
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The following day brings angry red welts forming on her sides under her arms. As well as a throbbing headache that doesn't subside no matter what she tries.
She stayed in bed that day. And remains there for a few more.
Of course the other hermits help out. Coming over when she needs something. There's whispers of this being the meteor.
But it can't be that. She's just sick.
Just sick. Her head is feeling all cloudy and thick.
Until one night, She wakes up with perfect clarity.
The ache in her head is gone. The pressure building behind her eyes subsiding into nothing. It's nice.
Sure it's late in the night but, what's so wrong with that? Her sleep schedule is messed up. Nothing more.
It's fine. Nothing to worry about.
That's normal.
__________
She hasn't had much energy lately so working with Keralis on building a shop is a more than welcome distraction.
He's a good work partner.
They work together in silence. Keralis's wings buzzing being one of the only sounds.
"You know if i didn't know that it was your wings making that sound i would be terrified." Pearl comments.
"Oh for sures," Keralis grins, "I've definitely scared some people with this before."
A grin splits across Pearl's face, Looking across the bay she paints to where Grian is fliting around the E̵̛̹̠n̴̪̳̍t̴̟̞̓i̶̝͐̽t̸͙͐͒y̸̱̰͗, "You know... Grian is scared of bees..."
"Oh hoho," Keralis rubs his hands together, "Let us go scare the pretty birdy."
With that invisibility potions are brewed and the pair set off to scare Grian.
They crouch in Pearl's base as they drink the potions, wait a few seconds for them to kick in, Kerails comments on the 'farts' bubbles.
Then they silently creep out the door. Only bumping into the other invisible hermit once or twice.
Waiting by his stock chests they hold their breath as the parrot flutters by.
The moment he touches down Keralis BUZZES his wings together.
Grian yelps and jumps into the air. His feathers puffing out in his shock. His sweater puffs out as well as the scattered feathers on his chest and back attempt to make him look larger.
"Hey!"
"Sorry not sorry," Pearl sing songs back to him as she pets his head feathers down.
"Dude why are your hands so cold?"
"What?"
Grian preens at his wings then huffs, "They feel like ice."
Looking down at her hands, Pearl gaps, small snowflakes are trailing from her fingers, drifting softly towards the ground.
"Looks like you're this season's ice queen." Grian laughs.
Pearl grins, shouting as she runs out of the shop to where Kerails is basking his wings in the sunlight, "Keralis, You're not going to believe this!"
Notes:
The final transformation
We're getting to the end game now.
:)
I'm very excited to hear what you think will happen to her next chapter.