hulllo!! :)

scott smajor ask/rp blog! unofficial. run by mod ray, pfp by @skebthesquid

[smajors-mailbox]

SCOTT SMAJOR, AT YOUR SERVICE.

scott smajor rp blog, written by mod ray. EST timezone, he/him pronouns ic + they/them ooc. affiliated w/hermitboxes.

hello, my name is scott smajor. it's a pleasure to meet you - ah. we've... already met? no, you must be mistaken - i've never... done any of the things that you've describing.

... another me?

... an interesting concept. let's revisit that later, but for now - just treat me as a mostly new friend! it'll be fun to catch up with all of you.

affiliations + ooc notes down below.

hello, hello, mod ray here! picking up scott smajor as a muse, as the previous scott mod is no longer available - so i am not stealing their spot as a double! this is obviously not affiliated with the real scott smajor. i am not him.

if you've seen me running a handful of other oc blogs, you know the rules! if you don't, here they are:

i do not do ANY NSFW of any kind. don't send in asks like that. i do not roleplay with doubles - if there is one of an existing character within the mailbox universe, i will not roleplay with another version of them - au or not! unfortunately, this just makes it confusing for me. i do welcome ocs & random anons, though! feel free to come say hi to me. <3

[pearls-mailbox]

Pearl and him had agreed to hang out - and had previously settled on the idea of a sleepover between the two of them. A start to a mending of their friendship after many months of agony, of many moths of what ifs, of mutual tension - they were finally on their way to starting anew. Scott is excited, to say the last - nervous, a little bit, too (what if he messes it up?) - but in the end, it is Pearl, and he has missed her dearly.

Scott almost can't remember the last time he had a sleepover with someone. Such pleasantries were beneath Royalty and he was usually sent off to focus on his studies and training more than allowed to speak to others his age. If he was, of course, it was usually all strict posture and cold smiles, never really a bonding between other children. Weapons of diplomacy.

However, there had been times where he had been able to sleep over at Pearl's palace in the duration of political visits, finding pockets of comfort and reprieve amongst all the pressure to grow up to be good leaders. In her room, together, they were no longer Prince and Princess - just children having a good time while they cozied up and talked about meaningless things together, finally allowing themselves to have a bit of fun. His lips turn upwards into a smile as he recalls old memories, standing in front of Pearl's door.

The last time he had done this, it was to speak to her. Now, it is merely to have fun. He raises his hand, ad knocks on her door - anticipatory adjusting his sleeves, this time - long ones, formal ones, with golden buttons at the ends. It's one of Scott's favourite shirts - the silk is smooth and beautiful against his skin, but it's paired with a pair of dark jeans so that it isn't too over-the-top in terms of fashion. "Pearl!" He calls. "I've arrived! The one and only!" Scott jokes, and it feels nice to be able to make silly comments like these. He has missed this. He has missed her.

Scottieee! [Pearl calls back, pushing through the dogs to open the door for him. It's been a while since it felt right to be silly and call him nicknames, but she's liking this.]

Come on in! Don't mind the doggies, they'll settle down in a moment. [It grins, adjusting its nightcap. It's already in its favorite pajamas, dark blue fleecy fabric speckled with stars and crescent moons in dandelion yellow. Its wings flutter with excitement.] I set the living room all up, it'll be nice and cozy to hang out in!

[Indeed, the couch is tidied up and laden with pillows and blankets; she's put a few bowls of snacks and a couple DVDs out on the coffee table. Several of the dogs retire to the assorted pet beds scattered around the room.]

I got out some movies, or I could show you around the base, or– well, there are lots of sleepover-type things available to do, it's your choice! [It raises its hands in a vaguely placating gesture. Despite all the effort it's gone to to make sure this goes well, and despite the excitement it holds for the prospect of reigniting their friendship, there is still learned wariness that does not let down easily. Its antennae flatten slightly.] This is all comfortable and okay, right?

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott reaches down to pet a few dogs as he enters into her home, the texture of the fluffy fur of the pets pleasing to him. He takes special care to put his shoes away in a place where they cannot be mauled half to death by the adorable fluffies. Although he is dressed in his somewhat formal wear, he has a secret pair of pajamas that he will change into when it's a little later on into the night. It's not that his clothes aren't comfortable right now, though - he made sure that he wore pieces of fabric that were good against his skin for a reason.

The living room is done spectacularly. Scott is very pleased with the setup that Pearl did for the two of them - it clearly took attention to the details (and snacks are awesome, he will never deny snacks). The dogs crowding around them makes it feel like almost there is a giant circle of fluffiness around the two of them, and in the presence of his good friend, Scott relaxes. However, as it raises its hands placatingly, Scott almost frowns - before realizing that could be misinterpreted.

"I think I'll be happy no matter what we do," he is quick to step in and reassure her - he plays the social game well, but that is based on his observational skills, and Scott is nothing if not observational. He doesn't want it to feel uncomfortable or anxious about this, even though admittedly, he had just adjusted the cuff of his sleeve. "We can do all of that. Maybe we start with a tour of your base, and then we get some movies? Ooh, maybe we should even eat ice cream right out of the tub," he giggles. He's heard of that being something you do during sleepovers, but he's never had the opportunity to try it himself... "This is great, Pearl. I'm very happy that we get to spend time together."

[pearls-mailbox]

[Pearl takes in a deep breath, and lets it out, wings flexing with the movement of her ribcage.] ...Yeah. Me too. [She smiles down at him, antennae perking back up.] A base tour would be fun, I just added a building to the base yesterday, I can show you! We just got happy ghasts around here and I had to adopt like, seven... especially 'cause 'Suma put a ton of them in the river. [She laughs.]

[It's rambling a little, it realizes, but it feels okay. Scott is looking at it, and for once it doesn’t read anything into those eyes but "listening." It's got its dogs. It's in its base. It's safe.]

Uh, but, anyways– follow me? [She holds out a hand for him, long and boney, palms calloused, wisps of hair becoming wispier as they fade out onto the back of her hand. Her grip is steady (enough). She is ready for the tingle of cold that comes with his.]

[smajors-mailbox]

Taking its hand feels nice. Its hand is much warmer than his, after all. Most people's hands are warmer, of course, than his, but Scott relishes in the physical contact that he can have with his friends, and hopes that Pearl still doesn't mind the fact that his skin is at a lower temperature.

"Of course, I would be more than happy to follow you," Scott assures her, and gives its hands a little squeeze just to make sure that it knows that he's not going anywhere. "I am more than happy to see what kinds of buildings you've added to your base. It's quite big, but all the Hermits do go all out with your builds. This place is impressive."

[pearls-mailbox]

Aww, thanks mate, I try! Put a lotta elbow grease into this.

[Pearl leads Scott through its base, starting with the closer buildings. It shows him the storage room first, with the endermen in boats everywhere, and the wheat farm. Then it proceeds to the other nearby farms; the sniffers, the purpur.]

Joel and I had a purpur prank war going on, [she laughs.] I won a game of "who can get enough netherite for full gear first", so he had to advertise my purpur shop for me, so he advertised it to me, and things just escalated from there... [She giggles, wings fluttering.] You shoulda seen it, Scott. [She returns her attention to the farm, demonstrating how the chorus trees can all be broken at once with the push of a button.]

[It continues on outside, showing him the cactus farm under the grated area and the chicken pens for the warm and cold chickens. It simply nods to the ballroom; he's already seen it.] Cub's base is out that way. I'm a little worried about what is happening with all that sculk, but he promises he's being very careful with the containment... on my side, at least.

[smajors-mailbox]

"Oh Aeor, not Joel," Scott says, sympathetically as she tells him about it, but it's lighthearted. He's always found Joel's (mostly) one-sided beef with him to be incredibly hilarious. The way Joel chased after him but seemed just shy of being able to take him down has always created the greatest sense of amusement. "At least you won against him originally, but it's just like him to take it to the next level and start some sort of war."

When he's brought to Cub's base, he peeks out, watching the Sculk. It makes shivers crawl up his spine - his mind reminding him of Xoronoth and his corruption, the red vines along the lands - but these are blue and dark, not the sickly red that had began to invade all the Kingdoms. "At least he's promised to be safe with it," he agrees, but something in him just can't help but- "But if he isn't, you can always call me and I'll be there in a heartbeat to help you with all of this Sculk madness." He says, lightheartedly. Even though his words seem amused in tone, Scott trusts that Pearl knows his offer is genuine.

[pearls-mailbox]

Aww, thanks, mate. [Subconsciously, she scratches at the base of her abdomen– she still needs to ask Cub about that little infestation from Impossible Minecraft. At least it hasn't gotten any worse.]

[It leads him around the path past the farmland, pausing to show him the farming drones and the armadillo farm before it takes him up towards the new terrain.]

I terraformed this area pretty recently, [she explains,] so I've only got the one building on this side so far, the ghast dock. It still kinda needs an indoors, but you can come in and meet Sunny if you like! [She smiles.] There's also a golf hole up there, though it's not really like normal golf.

[smajors-mailbox]

"Sunny? What a cute little name," Scott says, immediately enamoured with Sunny (because of the adorable name, of course). He smiles brightly at her, and fidgets with his sleeve in excitement. "I would absolutely love to see Sunny. Also, great job on the terraforming - super cute and lovely," he says. "And - golf, but not normal golf? Pearl, you've been making all sorts of games this season. It must be a blast to come up with these ideas."

Pearl is absolutely going all in this season. The amount of effort she's putting into her builds and the terraforming is absolutely admirable, and he tells her as much. "What's it with you and making games that are actually secretly much more exciting?" He teases, just lightly. "Not that I'm complaining, the last game we played was-" (as fate decreed) "awesome, and I had a lot of-" (it was not terror, just acceptance, the unraveling of a heart long bound by gauze wrapped too tight, festering under the surface) "fun."

[pearls-mailbox]

Oh, I didn't make the game of golf, [Pearl rushes to explain,] it just showed up. The only finished game I have running right now is Pearldle. If you mean the mace arena– [it supposes it is a game, in a sense, it has redstone and everything. And yet, it didn't feel like a game, not with Scott.] –it was Joel who started the secret fighting arenas thing, I just got invited in.

[She leads him up the path to the ghast dock. The building has no interior yet, but a large collection of happy ghasts lazily float around inside. One with a yellow harness floats up to Pearl with an excited coo, and she reaches up to pat its side.]

Hi Sunnyyy. Who's a good ghastie, hmm? You! Yeah, you! [It can't help but coo over anything it can possibly tame, and happy ghasts are no exception, it seems.]

[smajors-mailbox]

Oh, the ghast is adorable. It looks so happy and it's got a yellow harness. Scott doesn't really think twice about reaching out to pat it on its side as well, marvelling at the texture of the ghast itself. A wide smile spreads across his face as he's distracted from his original question by the cuteness of the creature. "Oh, it's cute," he gushes, patting it a few extra times before realizing she'd answered his question.

"Ah, I see! Sorry, I'd been under the impression that you made the secret fighting arena thing, but now that I'm thinking about it, it's way more of a Joel thing to do. The golf game just showed up though? That's interesting. I wonder if that's also the creation of another Hermit - I'd assume so, right?" As he speaks, he continues to pat the ghast. It's very cute, cut him some slack!

[pearls-mailbox]

Pearl and him had agreed to hang out - and had previously settled on the idea of a sleepover between the two of them. A start to a mending of their friendship after many months of agony, of many moths of what ifs, of mutual tension - they were finally on their way to starting anew. Scott is excited, to say the last - nervous, a little bit, too (what if he messes it up?) - but in the end, it is Pearl, and he has missed her dearly.

Scott almost can't remember the last time he had a sleepover with someone. Such pleasantries were beneath Royalty and he was usually sent off to focus on his studies and training more than allowed to speak to others his age. If he was, of course, it was usually all strict posture and cold smiles, never really a bonding between other children. Weapons of diplomacy.

However, there had been times where he had been able to sleep over at Pearl's palace in the duration of political visits, finding pockets of comfort and reprieve amongst all the pressure to grow up to be good leaders. In her room, together, they were no longer Prince and Princess - just children having a good time while they cozied up and talked about meaningless things together, finally allowing themselves to have a bit of fun. His lips turn upwards into a smile as he recalls old memories, standing in front of Pearl's door.

The last time he had done this, it was to speak to her. Now, it is merely to have fun. He raises his hand, ad knocks on her door - anticipatory adjusting his sleeves, this time - long ones, formal ones, with golden buttons at the ends. It's one of Scott's favourite shirts - the silk is smooth and beautiful against his skin, but it's paired with a pair of dark jeans so that it isn't too over-the-top in terms of fashion. "Pearl!" He calls. "I've arrived! The one and only!" Scott jokes, and it feels nice to be able to make silly comments like these. He has missed this. He has missed her.

Scottieee! [Pearl calls back, pushing through the dogs to open the door for him. It's been a while since it felt right to be silly and call him nicknames, but she's liking this.]

Come on in! Don't mind the doggies, they'll settle down in a moment. [It grins, adjusting its nightcap. It's already in its favorite pajamas, dark blue fleecy fabric speckled with stars and crescent moons in dandelion yellow. Its wings flutter with excitement.] I set the living room all up, it'll be nice and cozy to hang out in!

[Indeed, the couch is tidied up and laden with pillows and blankets; she's put a few bowls of snacks and a couple DVDs out on the coffee table. Several of the dogs retire to the assorted pet beds scattered around the room.]

I got out some movies, or I could show you around the base, or– well, there are lots of sleepover-type things available to do, it's your choice! [It raises its hands in a vaguely placating gesture. Despite all the effort it's gone to to make sure this goes well, and despite the excitement it holds for the prospect of reigniting their friendship, there is still learned wariness that does not let down easily. Its antennae flatten slightly.] This is all comfortable and okay, right?

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott reaches down to pet a few dogs as he enters into her home, the texture of the fluffy fur of the pets pleasing to him. He takes special care to put his shoes away in a place where they cannot be mauled half to death by the adorable fluffies. Although he is dressed in his somewhat formal wear, he has a secret pair of pajamas that he will change into when it's a little later on into the night. It's not that his clothes aren't comfortable right now, though - he made sure that he wore pieces of fabric that were good against his skin for a reason.

The living room is done spectacularly. Scott is very pleased with the setup that Pearl did for the two of them - it clearly took attention to the details (and snacks are awesome, he will never deny snacks). The dogs crowding around them makes it feel like almost there is a giant circle of fluffiness around the two of them, and in the presence of his good friend, Scott relaxes. However, as it raises its hands placatingly, Scott almost frowns - before realizing that could be misinterpreted.

"I think I'll be happy no matter what we do," he is quick to step in and reassure her - he plays the social game well, but that is based on his observational skills, and Scott is nothing if not observational. He doesn't want it to feel uncomfortable or anxious about this, even though admittedly, he had just adjusted the cuff of his sleeve. "We can do all of that. Maybe we start with a tour of your base, and then we get some movies? Ooh, maybe we should even eat ice cream right out of the tub," he giggles. He's heard of that being something you do during sleepovers, but he's never had the opportunity to try it himself... "This is great, Pearl. I'm very happy that we get to spend time together."

[pearls-mailbox]

[Pearl takes in a deep breath, and lets it out, wings flexing with the movement of her ribcage.] ...Yeah. Me too. [She smiles down at him, antennae perking back up.] A base tour would be fun, I just added a building to the base yesterday, I can show you! We just got happy ghasts around here and I had to adopt like, seven... especially 'cause 'Suma put a ton of them in the river. [She laughs.]

[It's rambling a little, it realizes, but it feels okay. Scott is looking at it, and for once it doesn’t read anything into those eyes but "listening." It's got its dogs. It's in its base. It's safe.]

Uh, but, anyways– follow me? [She holds out a hand for him, long and boney, palms calloused, wisps of hair becoming wispier as they fade out onto the back of her hand. Her grip is steady (enough). She is ready for the tingle of cold that comes with his.]

[smajors-mailbox]

Taking its hand feels nice. Its hand is much warmer than his, after all. Most people's hands are warmer, of course, than his, but Scott relishes in the physical contact that he can have with his friends, and hopes that Pearl still doesn't mind the fact that his skin is at a lower temperature.

"Of course, I would be more than happy to follow you," Scott assures her, and gives its hands a little squeeze just to make sure that it knows that he's not going anywhere. "I am more than happy to see what kinds of buildings you've added to your base. It's quite big, but all the Hermits do go all out with your builds. This place is impressive."

[pearls-mailbox]

Aww, thanks mate, I try! Put a lotta elbow grease into this.

[Pearl leads Scott through its base, starting with the closer buildings. It shows him the storage room first, with the endermen in boats everywhere, and the wheat farm. Then it proceeds to the other nearby farms; the sniffers, the purpur.]

Joel and I had a purpur prank war going on, [she laughs.] I won a game of "who can get enough netherite for full gear first", so he had to advertise my purpur shop for me, so he advertised it to me, and things just escalated from there... [She giggles, wings fluttering.] You shoulda seen it, Scott. [She returns her attention to the farm, demonstrating how the chorus trees can all be broken at once with the push of a button.]

[It continues on outside, showing him the cactus farm under the grated area and the chicken pens for the warm and cold chickens. It simply nods to the ballroom; he's already seen it.] Cub's base is out that way. I'm a little worried about what is happening with all that sculk, but he promises he's being very careful with the containment... on my side, at least.

[smajors-mailbox]

"Oh Aeor, not Joel," Scott says, sympathetically as she tells him about it, but it's lighthearted. He's always found Joel's (mostly) one-sided beef with him to be incredibly hilarious. The way Joel chased after him but seemed just shy of being able to take him down has always created the greatest sense of amusement. "At least you won against him originally, but it's just like him to take it to the next level and start some sort of war."

When he's brought to Cub's base, he peeks out, watching the Sculk. It makes shivers crawl up his spine - his mind reminding him of Xoronoth and his corruption, the red vines along the lands - but these are blue and dark, not the sickly red that had began to invade all the Kingdoms. "At least he's promised to be safe with it," he agrees, but something in him just can't help but- "But if he isn't, you can always call me and I'll be there in a heartbeat to help you with all of this Sculk madness." He says, lightheartedly. Even though his words seem amused in tone, Scott trusts that Pearl knows his offer is genuine.

[pearls-mailbox]

Aww, thanks, mate. [Subconsciously, she scratches at the base of her abdomen– she still needs to ask Cub about that little infestation from Impossible Minecraft. At least it hasn't gotten any worse.]

[It leads him around the path past the farmland, pausing to show him the farming drones and the armadillo farm before it takes him up towards the new terrain.]

I terraformed this area pretty recently, [she explains,] so I've only got the one building on this side so far, the ghast dock. It still kinda needs an indoors, but you can come in and meet Sunny if you like! [She smiles.] There's also a golf hole up there, though it's not really like normal golf.

[smajors-mailbox]

"Sunny? What a cute little name," Scott says, immediately enamoured with Sunny (because of the adorable name, of course). He smiles brightly at her, and fidgets with his sleeve in excitement. "I would absolutely love to see Sunny. Also, great job on the terraforming - super cute and lovely," he says. "And - golf, but not normal golf? Pearl, you've been making all sorts of games this season. It must be a blast to come up with these ideas."

Pearl is absolutely going all in this season. The amount of effort she's putting into her builds and the terraforming is absolutely admirable, and he tells her as much. "What's it with you and making games that are actually secretly much more exciting?" He teases, just lightly. "Not that I'm complaining, the last game we played was-" (as fate decreed) "awesome, and I had a lot of-" (it was not terror, just acceptance, the unraveling of a heart long bound by gauze wrapped too tight, festering under the surface) "fun."

[pearls-mailbox]

Pearl and him had agreed to hang out - and had previously settled on the idea of a sleepover between the two of them. A start to a mending of their friendship after many months of agony, of many moths of what ifs, of mutual tension - they were finally on their way to starting anew. Scott is excited, to say the last - nervous, a little bit, too (what if he messes it up?) - but in the end, it is Pearl, and he has missed her dearly.

Scott almost can't remember the last time he had a sleepover with someone. Such pleasantries were beneath Royalty and he was usually sent off to focus on his studies and training more than allowed to speak to others his age. If he was, of course, it was usually all strict posture and cold smiles, never really a bonding between other children. Weapons of diplomacy.

However, there had been times where he had been able to sleep over at Pearl's palace in the duration of political visits, finding pockets of comfort and reprieve amongst all the pressure to grow up to be good leaders. In her room, together, they were no longer Prince and Princess - just children having a good time while they cozied up and talked about meaningless things together, finally allowing themselves to have a bit of fun. His lips turn upwards into a smile as he recalls old memories, standing in front of Pearl's door.

The last time he had done this, it was to speak to her. Now, it is merely to have fun. He raises his hand, ad knocks on her door - anticipatory adjusting his sleeves, this time - long ones, formal ones, with golden buttons at the ends. It's one of Scott's favourite shirts - the silk is smooth and beautiful against his skin, but it's paired with a pair of dark jeans so that it isn't too over-the-top in terms of fashion. "Pearl!" He calls. "I've arrived! The one and only!" Scott jokes, and it feels nice to be able to make silly comments like these. He has missed this. He has missed her.

Scottieee! [Pearl calls back, pushing through the dogs to open the door for him. It's been a while since it felt right to be silly and call him nicknames, but she's liking this.]

Come on in! Don't mind the doggies, they'll settle down in a moment. [It grins, adjusting its nightcap. It's already in its favorite pajamas, dark blue fleecy fabric speckled with stars and crescent moons in dandelion yellow. Its wings flutter with excitement.] I set the living room all up, it'll be nice and cozy to hang out in!

[Indeed, the couch is tidied up and laden with pillows and blankets; she's put a few bowls of snacks and a couple DVDs out on the coffee table. Several of the dogs retire to the assorted pet beds scattered around the room.]

I got out some movies, or I could show you around the base, or– well, there are lots of sleepover-type things available to do, it's your choice! [It raises its hands in a vaguely placating gesture. Despite all the effort it's gone to to make sure this goes well, and despite the excitement it holds for the prospect of reigniting their friendship, there is still learned wariness that does not let down easily. Its antennae flatten slightly.] This is all comfortable and okay, right?

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott reaches down to pet a few dogs as he enters into her home, the texture of the fluffy fur of the pets pleasing to him. He takes special care to put his shoes away in a place where they cannot be mauled half to death by the adorable fluffies. Although he is dressed in his somewhat formal wear, he has a secret pair of pajamas that he will change into when it's a little later on into the night. It's not that his clothes aren't comfortable right now, though - he made sure that he wore pieces of fabric that were good against his skin for a reason.

The living room is done spectacularly. Scott is very pleased with the setup that Pearl did for the two of them - it clearly took attention to the details (and snacks are awesome, he will never deny snacks). The dogs crowding around them makes it feel like almost there is a giant circle of fluffiness around the two of them, and in the presence of his good friend, Scott relaxes. However, as it raises its hands placatingly, Scott almost frowns - before realizing that could be misinterpreted.

"I think I'll be happy no matter what we do," he is quick to step in and reassure her - he plays the social game well, but that is based on his observational skills, and Scott is nothing if not observational. He doesn't want it to feel uncomfortable or anxious about this, even though admittedly, he had just adjusted the cuff of his sleeve. "We can do all of that. Maybe we start with a tour of your base, and then we get some movies? Ooh, maybe we should even eat ice cream right out of the tub," he giggles. He's heard of that being something you do during sleepovers, but he's never had the opportunity to try it himself... "This is great, Pearl. I'm very happy that we get to spend time together."

[pearls-mailbox]

[Pearl takes in a deep breath, and lets it out, wings flexing with the movement of her ribcage.] ...Yeah. Me too. [She smiles down at him, antennae perking back up.] A base tour would be fun, I just added a building to the base yesterday, I can show you! We just got happy ghasts around here and I had to adopt like, seven... especially 'cause 'Suma put a ton of them in the river. [She laughs.]

[It's rambling a little, it realizes, but it feels okay. Scott is looking at it, and for once it doesn’t read anything into those eyes but "listening." It's got its dogs. It's in its base. It's safe.]

Uh, but, anyways– follow me? [She holds out a hand for him, long and boney, palms calloused, wisps of hair becoming wispier as they fade out onto the back of her hand. Her grip is steady (enough). She is ready for the tingle of cold that comes with his.]

[smajors-mailbox]

Taking its hand feels nice. Its hand is much warmer than his, after all. Most people's hands are warmer, of course, than his, but Scott relishes in the physical contact that he can have with his friends, and hopes that Pearl still doesn't mind the fact that his skin is at a lower temperature.

"Of course, I would be more than happy to follow you," Scott assures her, and gives its hands a little squeeze just to make sure that it knows that he's not going anywhere. "I am more than happy to see what kinds of buildings you've added to your base. It's quite big, but all the Hermits do go all out with your builds. This place is impressive."

[pearls-mailbox]

Aww, thanks mate, I try! Put a lotta elbow grease into this.

[Pearl leads Scott through its base, starting with the closer buildings. It shows him the storage room first, with the endermen in boats everywhere, and the wheat farm. Then it proceeds to the other nearby farms; the sniffers, the purpur.]

Joel and I had a purpur prank war going on, [she laughs.] I won a game of "who can get enough netherite for full gear first", so he had to advertise my purpur shop for me, so he advertised it to me, and things just escalated from there... [She giggles, wings fluttering.] You shoulda seen it, Scott. [She returns her attention to the farm, demonstrating how the chorus trees can all be broken at once with the push of a button.]

[It continues on outside, showing him the cactus farm under the grated area and the chicken pens for the warm and cold chickens. It simply nods to the ballroom; he's already seen it.] Cub's base is out that way. I'm a little worried about what is happening with all that sculk, but he promises he's being very careful with the containment... on my side, at least.

[smajors-mailbox]

"Oh Aeor, not Joel," Scott says, sympathetically as she tells him about it, but it's lighthearted. He's always found Joel's (mostly) one-sided beef with him to be incredibly hilarious. The way Joel chased after him but seemed just shy of being able to take him down has always created the greatest sense of amusement. "At least you won against him originally, but it's just like him to take it to the next level and start some sort of war."

When he's brought to Cub's base, he peeks out, watching the Sculk. It makes shivers crawl up his spine - his mind reminding him of Xoronoth and his corruption, the red vines along the lands - but these are blue and dark, not the sickly red that had began to invade all the Kingdoms. "At least he's promised to be safe with it," he agrees, but something in him just can't help but- "But if he isn't, you can always call me and I'll be there in a heartbeat to help you with all of this Sculk madness." He says, lightheartedly. Even though his words seem amused in tone, Scott trusts that Pearl knows his offer is genuine.

[pearls-mailbox]

Pearl and him had agreed to hang out - and had previously settled on the idea of a sleepover between the two of them. A start to a mending of their friendship after many months of agony, of many moths of what ifs, of mutual tension - they were finally on their way to starting anew. Scott is excited, to say the last - nervous, a little bit, too (what if he messes it up?) - but in the end, it is Pearl, and he has missed her dearly.

Scott almost can't remember the last time he had a sleepover with someone. Such pleasantries were beneath Royalty and he was usually sent off to focus on his studies and training more than allowed to speak to others his age. If he was, of course, it was usually all strict posture and cold smiles, never really a bonding between other children. Weapons of diplomacy.

However, there had been times where he had been able to sleep over at Pearl's palace in the duration of political visits, finding pockets of comfort and reprieve amongst all the pressure to grow up to be good leaders. In her room, together, they were no longer Prince and Princess - just children having a good time while they cozied up and talked about meaningless things together, finally allowing themselves to have a bit of fun. His lips turn upwards into a smile as he recalls old memories, standing in front of Pearl's door.

The last time he had done this, it was to speak to her. Now, it is merely to have fun. He raises his hand, ad knocks on her door - anticipatory adjusting his sleeves, this time - long ones, formal ones, with golden buttons at the ends. It's one of Scott's favourite shirts - the silk is smooth and beautiful against his skin, but it's paired with a pair of dark jeans so that it isn't too over-the-top in terms of fashion. "Pearl!" He calls. "I've arrived! The one and only!" Scott jokes, and it feels nice to be able to make silly comments like these. He has missed this. He has missed her.

Scottieee! [Pearl calls back, pushing through the dogs to open the door for him. It's been a while since it felt right to be silly and call him nicknames, but she's liking this.]

Come on in! Don't mind the doggies, they'll settle down in a moment. [It grins, adjusting its nightcap. It's already in its favorite pajamas, dark blue fleecy fabric speckled with stars and crescent moons in dandelion yellow. Its wings flutter with excitement.] I set the living room all up, it'll be nice and cozy to hang out in!

[Indeed, the couch is tidied up and laden with pillows and blankets; she's put a few bowls of snacks and a couple DVDs out on the coffee table. Several of the dogs retire to the assorted pet beds scattered around the room.]

I got out some movies, or I could show you around the base, or– well, there are lots of sleepover-type things available to do, it's your choice! [It raises its hands in a vaguely placating gesture. Despite all the effort it's gone to to make sure this goes well, and despite the excitement it holds for the prospect of reigniting their friendship, there is still learned wariness that does not let down easily. Its antennae flatten slightly.] This is all comfortable and okay, right?

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott reaches down to pet a few dogs as he enters into her home, the texture of the fluffy fur of the pets pleasing to him. He takes special care to put his shoes away in a place where they cannot be mauled half to death by the adorable fluffies. Although he is dressed in his somewhat formal wear, he has a secret pair of pajamas that he will change into when it's a little later on into the night. It's not that his clothes aren't comfortable right now, though - he made sure that he wore pieces of fabric that were good against his skin for a reason.

The living room is done spectacularly. Scott is very pleased with the setup that Pearl did for the two of them - it clearly took attention to the details (and snacks are awesome, he will never deny snacks). The dogs crowding around them makes it feel like almost there is a giant circle of fluffiness around the two of them, and in the presence of his good friend, Scott relaxes. However, as it raises its hands placatingly, Scott almost frowns - before realizing that could be misinterpreted.

"I think I'll be happy no matter what we do," he is quick to step in and reassure her - he plays the social game well, but that is based on his observational skills, and Scott is nothing if not observational. He doesn't want it to feel uncomfortable or anxious about this, even though admittedly, he had just adjusted the cuff of his sleeve. "We can do all of that. Maybe we start with a tour of your base, and then we get some movies? Ooh, maybe we should even eat ice cream right out of the tub," he giggles. He's heard of that being something you do during sleepovers, but he's never had the opportunity to try it himself... "This is great, Pearl. I'm very happy that we get to spend time together."

[pearls-mailbox]

[Pearl takes in a deep breath, and lets it out, wings flexing with the movement of her ribcage.] ...Yeah. Me too. [She smiles down at him, antennae perking back up.] A base tour would be fun, I just added a building to the base yesterday, I can show you! We just got happy ghasts around here and I had to adopt like, seven... especially 'cause 'Suma put a ton of them in the river. [She laughs.]

[It's rambling a little, it realizes, but it feels okay. Scott is looking at it, and for once it doesn’t read anything into those eyes but "listening." It's got its dogs. It's in its base. It's safe.]

Uh, but, anyways– follow me? [She holds out a hand for him, long and boney, palms calloused, wisps of hair becoming wispier as they fade out onto the back of her hand. Her grip is steady (enough). She is ready for the tingle of cold that comes with his.]

[smajors-mailbox]

Taking its hand feels nice. Its hand is much warmer than his, after all. Most people's hands are warmer, of course, than his, but Scott relishes in the physical contact that he can have with his friends, and hopes that Pearl still doesn't mind the fact that his skin is at a lower temperature.

"Of course, I would be more than happy to follow you," Scott assures her, and gives its hands a little squeeze just to make sure that it knows that he's not going anywhere. "I am more than happy to see what kinds of buildings you've added to your base. It's quite big, but all the Hermits do go all out with your builds. This place is impressive."

[pearls-mailbox]

Pearl and him had agreed to hang out - and had previously settled on the idea of a sleepover between the two of them. A start to a mending of their friendship after many months of agony, of many moths of what ifs, of mutual tension - they were finally on their way to starting anew. Scott is excited, to say the last - nervous, a little bit, too (what if he messes it up?) - but in the end, it is Pearl, and he has missed her dearly.

Scott almost can't remember the last time he had a sleepover with someone. Such pleasantries were beneath Royalty and he was usually sent off to focus on his studies and training more than allowed to speak to others his age. If he was, of course, it was usually all strict posture and cold smiles, never really a bonding between other children. Weapons of diplomacy.

However, there had been times where he had been able to sleep over at Pearl's palace in the duration of political visits, finding pockets of comfort and reprieve amongst all the pressure to grow up to be good leaders. In her room, together, they were no longer Prince and Princess - just children having a good time while they cozied up and talked about meaningless things together, finally allowing themselves to have a bit of fun. His lips turn upwards into a smile as he recalls old memories, standing in front of Pearl's door.

The last time he had done this, it was to speak to her. Now, it is merely to have fun. He raises his hand, ad knocks on her door - anticipatory adjusting his sleeves, this time - long ones, formal ones, with golden buttons at the ends. It's one of Scott's favourite shirts - the silk is smooth and beautiful against his skin, but it's paired with a pair of dark jeans so that it isn't too over-the-top in terms of fashion. "Pearl!" He calls. "I've arrived! The one and only!" Scott jokes, and it feels nice to be able to make silly comments like these. He has missed this. He has missed her.

Scottieee! [Pearl calls back, pushing through the dogs to open the door for him. It's been a while since it felt right to be silly and call him nicknames, but she's liking this.]

Come on in! Don't mind the doggies, they'll settle down in a moment. [It grins, adjusting its nightcap. It's already in its favorite pajamas, dark blue fleecy fabric speckled with stars and crescent moons in dandelion yellow. Its wings flutter with excitement.] I set the living room all up, it'll be nice and cozy to hang out in!

[Indeed, the couch is tidied up and laden with pillows and blankets; she's put a few bowls of snacks and a couple DVDs out on the coffee table. Several of the dogs retire to the assorted pet beds scattered around the room.]

I got out some movies, or I could show you around the base, or– well, there are lots of sleepover-type things available to do, it's your choice! [It raises its hands in a vaguely placating gesture. Despite all the effort it's gone to to make sure this goes well, and despite the excitement it holds for the prospect of reigniting their friendship, there is still learned wariness that does not let down easily. Its antennae flatten slightly.] This is all comfortable and okay, right?

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott reaches down to pet a few dogs as he enters into her home, the texture of the fluffy fur of the pets pleasing to him. He takes special care to put his shoes away in a place where they cannot be mauled half to death by the adorable fluffies. Although he is dressed in his somewhat formal wear, he has a secret pair of pajamas that he will change into when it's a little later on into the night. It's not that his clothes aren't comfortable right now, though - he made sure that he wore pieces of fabric that were good against his skin for a reason.

The living room is done spectacularly. Scott is very pleased with the setup that Pearl did for the two of them - it clearly took attention to the details (and snacks are awesome, he will never deny snacks). The dogs crowding around them makes it feel like almost there is a giant circle of fluffiness around the two of them, and in the presence of his good friend, Scott relaxes. However, as it raises its hands placatingly, Scott almost frowns - before realizing that could be misinterpreted.

"I think I'll be happy no matter what we do," he is quick to step in and reassure her - he plays the social game well, but that is based on his observational skills, and Scott is nothing if not observational. He doesn't want it to feel uncomfortable or anxious about this, even though admittedly, he had just adjusted the cuff of his sleeve. "We can do all of that. Maybe we start with a tour of your base, and then we get some movies? Ooh, maybe we should even eat ice cream right out of the tub," he giggles. He's heard of that being something you do during sleepovers, but he's never had the opportunity to try it himself... "This is great, Pearl. I'm very happy that we get to spend time together."

[pearls-mailbox]

[Pearl goes around her dining room with a feather duster for the third time in the day. Scott is coming over. They're finally going to talk, really talk, about what happened. Everything ought to be extra, extra clean. He'll chastize her if she doesn’t he's used to the pristine halls of his castle, she wants him to feel comfortable.]

[She should do the kitchen again too. And the living room. Just in case he wants to sit in there. Where's the best place to sit with company? Why are her dogs barking– oh that's the doorbell he's here. She rushes to meet him at the door, still wearing her cleaning outfit. Oh dear. Will she look embarrassing?]

[She opens the door.]

...Hi, Scott?

[It comes out as a question. Oh dear. Oh dear oh dear oh dear.]

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott hasn't been this nervous about going to meet someone since the last time he talked to Pearl about Double Life - and he has to remind himself that that Pearl wasn't this Pearl, and that he's going to have to have this conversation all over again. It's one that he's prepared himself for (and one he's gone through before) but that doesn't make it any less easier.

Instead of coming in traditional Rivendell clothes that he finds himself wearing all the time again, Scott had found the outfit he'd worn back in 3rd Life back in his closet, and he'd adorned the jeans, the jacket, the white shirt with the stripes on it. It feels almost a little wrong to be wearing something so casual, but he didn't want to intimidate her by wearing that kind of outfit.

Something better suited to make her feel more casual (and not the red jacket he'd worn in Double Life to mirror hers) would work well, right? He stands at the door and when she opens it, he smiles at her.

"Ah, Pearl," he greets with a wave. "Oh, look at all the dogs! Aren't they cute?" Scott peers at all of her dogs, and doesn't mind at all the fact that Pearl is still in her cleaning clothing. If that's what makes her more comfortable, then he won't mind at all. "I hope you're feeling alright?" She probably isn't, but his manners kick in nonetheless.

[pearls-mailbox]

Puppies, doggies, don't jump... [Pearl gently shoos her dogs away from Scott. Tilly, in particular, lingers for a moment, staring him down before backing away.] I'm alright, yeah... Sorry I didn't change...

[Her antennae droop sheepishly. It is obvious she is probably not alright, but it's the thing to say.] Come on in, I baked pie... [Does this Scott like pie? She hopes he does.]

[smajors-mailbox]

Ah, that must be Tilly, Scott registers as he stares at her before she backs down. "It's alright," he waves. "I understand, you stress-clean, right?" He remembers that the Pearl from his timeline, world, whatever, had also done the same thing.

Neither of them are okay. But they will be okay.

"You baked pie?" Scott smiles. "I would love to try some, thank you so much for the food." He steps inside, taking his shoes (how strange it is to wear sneakers, this outfit brings back so many memories) off and setting them down on a rack so they are not chewed mercilessly by the dogs.

[pearls-mailbox]

Yep, stress-cleaning... [Pearl admits with a nervous laugh. She leads him into the dining room, setting the pie on the table. She already has plates and silverware out.] Do you want anything to drink?

[Everything is fine. She has, if anything, overprepared for this. He's going to like it. She tells herself this. He's going to like it.]

[smajors-mailbox]

"Anything sweet, honestly, I think will do. I've got quite the secret sweet tooth," he chuckles. Scott makes conversation even if it doesn't come easy, because that is what is expected of him and that will help Pearl and what matters right now is making sure Pearl doesn't freak out. "I'm sorry about stressing you out like this, though. I think the conversation won't be as bad as you're thinking it will be." Because he's had this once, before, and they worked things out.

They will work out again.

They have to.

[pearls-mailbox]

[Pearl blushes with unease. She doesn’t like that it's that obvious that she's scared.] Don't apologize, [she mumbles,] it's not your fault...

[Is it the other Scott's fault she's so stressed out about one conversation? Anybody's? Hers?]

[Before that spiral goes anywhere else, she gets ingredients for sweet iced tea out, readying some for Scott.]

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott watches as Pearl makes the tea. It is... well, his fault, and not his fault at the same time. Having being an alternative version of an existing person has definitely... been an experience that he... has gone through, which feels unreal. But what matters is that Pearl is here and in front of him, and he can make things right (again).

"It sort of is my fault," he chuckles, and he has a feeling he feels less nervous about this because he's done this before, but the anxiety still takes root in his lungs. "But let's get to that later." He pauses. "I... I'm not mad at you," he tries to reassure her, and he smiles that perfect Emperor smile that he uses when he's nervous in a meeting with officials, "if that's any condolence."

From where he's clasped his hands together, he tightens his fingers, the already-pale skin going a little more white from the pressure.

[pearls-mailbox]

[Pearl has never actually tried to make iced tea before, but she took a guess on what sort of drink Scott would like when she was shopping, and now she's gotta stick with it. She sets the glass down on the table for Scott, and grabs the mug of coffee she was drinking while she cleaned.]

Okay, [Pearl mumbles as she sits down, but she can't really convince herself to believe him. All she can do is wait for his critical eye to fall on all the things she's doing wrong.] I'm... not either? [She doesn't deserve to be mad. Not after everything she did.]

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott picks up the drink and he picks it up, taking a sip. It's surprisingly well done - the amount of sugar that's in it is exactly to his liking. He can't help but smile (genuinely) when he sets down the cup, despite the conversation he's about to have, and then, he turns his gaze to Pearl again. Okay. He's gotta do this.

"First of all, I want to say that I'm sorry," Scott says, and it's important, because when he thinks of how Santa Pearla had cried and cried and how she had never gotten an apology, that comes first. "I want to say that I am genuinely very sorry for how I treated you during Double Life." He names it, because names have power and it's important that Scott acknowledges what he'd done. "It wasn't right of me, and I hurt your feelings a lot, and for that, I am sorry."

He keeps his eyes trained on Pearl's face, maybe not always meeting eye contact, but eye contact can sometimes freak him out a little bit, but he wants to seem sincere. Scott is sincere about this. He is sorry. Pearl made mistakes, but so did he, and she deserves this apology. This will be okay. They can work things out.

[pearls-mailbox]

[Okay. Yeah. Time to have a reasonable adult conversation and not freak out. Pearl can do this.]

...Thank you. [Deep breath.] I'm sorry, too. For... all the impulsive things I did. And... for not listening when you said to leave you alone.

[She takes a sip of the half-empty coffee. She's let it sit for much too long, and it's become bitter and cold. She wonders why she didn't throw this out.]

[smajors-mailbox]

To be honest, when Double Life had been happening, Scott's biggest issue with Pearl had been those exact things. His smile relaxes just the slightest bit upon receiving that apology in return. He's a little surprised there hasn't been any violence yet - when he and his Pearl had this conversation, she'd been understandably very angry with him.

He'd been angry with her in return, and they'd fought it out until they'd had a proper conversation about how they'd really felt. This feels more... reserved.

It feels like Pearl is holding back.

Scott feels still tense about this, but still a little better. "That's honestly the biggest thing that bothered me about Double Life," he admits. "But... I think it affected you much more than it affected me. Is there anything you want to talk about?" He gives her an opening to lead the conversation - this should be a little more about Pearl rather than himself.

[pearls-mailbox]

[Pearl takes another sip of her coffee. It's definitely gotten gross, but she forces it back anyway. Hopefully, the caffeine will help her think.]

I guess– to start– [She should start with something small, she thinks– oh gosh, everything is big. Uhhh. Fuck. She just picks something.]

Do you sti– did you really think I was crazy?

[She clears her throat, trying not to shudder. Just the word makes her feel a little gross inside.] Everyone else started... saying things, and then... I don't know, I could ignore them, but I couldn't ignore it when it came from you.

[smajors-mailbox]

Ah. It's time to talk about this. Scott eyes the cup of iced tea he hadn't touched since the conversation started, and as he mulls over his words, he takes the cup and raises it to his mouth. He takes a tentative sip, pausing, before placing it back down. How does he say this.

It's not like he didn't catch the first part of her sentence. Pearl still thinks that he thinks she was crazy. Maybe the original Scott had thought she was crazy. Maybe it's best that he give some background.

"I never thought you were crazy," Scott finally says aloud, breaking the silence that had been starting to build. "I called you crazy because I was upset and I wanted to hurt you, in a way. You see - back... home." His fingers curl around the glass. "Back home, you and I... we grew up together. We met at a diplomatic ball when we were both fifteen, and we mailed one another whenever we got the chance to. We met up whenever our situations would allow it. I grew up by your side, you my most trusted advisor. There was nothing I couldn't tell you."

The more he speaks, the more it feels bittersweet. "I saw you at your lowest point, and you saw me at my lowest point. It was easy to tell, to me, that you were trying to play into this role, to accept it, even if it hurt you. I'm not sure how... your Scott saw it. But I knew you, Pearl. I don't know if that makes me worse or better, in this situation," he admits, looking back up at her, hesitant to meet her eyes.

"But if you want to know what I, Scott of Rivendell, think," because he is Scott of Rivendell and he will forever be, even if she is not Queen Pearl of Gilded Helianthia, she is Pearl, "I've never thought you were insane, or you were crazy. I've known you were sane. I didn't mean for it to spiral as much as it did - people caught onto how I was upset about how things had happened and it suddenly wasn't just me, and it wasn't in my hands anymore. I know it started like that, but I didn't... I never meant for it to end up being something that defined you like that."

"For the longest time, I have seen how gentle you have been. You were the Queen of Farming, for Aeor's sake - how could someone like that be insane? Being capable of violence is not mutual with being a violent person." He aches with the urge to reach out and take her hand, to show her those fields of their unshared childhoods, to make Pearl see how he sees her, and yet, he finds he cannot reach her eyes, nor her fingers that have always been longer than his.

[pearls-mailbox]

[Growing up together... Pearl’s heart suddenly aches for the memories of another person. Another Pearl, of another timeline. The pang is jealousy, she realizes, and she shuts her mouth.]

It hurt. It did. We made each other hurt.

[The violence barely spanned a day, but the name still follows her. The expectations. Jokes are sometimes made that they had better keep dog armor out of the Series, that Pearl had better get her rest or who knows if she might snap, that she had better shape up and fight like everyone knows she can because look, Scott's winning again— Pearl hates it. She hates all of it. She doesn’t want to be the Witch.]

[The thought that Scott maybe, actually, knows that's not her– it's so terrifying, she finds herself recoiling from it.]

I– But– I hurt you. I hurt me, and I liked it. The snow–

[She hides her face, choking back a sob.]

I've never so much as touched it again, I swear, I've been good–

[She doesn’t know what might happen if she does. Nether, she's only now working up the courage to use ice in a build. The very thought of the blue tinging her fingers and crystals forming on her wings make her feel like she's going to choke.]

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott finds that he feels eerily calm, even as Pearl chokes back her sobs, even as the situation feels like it's turning sideways. His heart does not beat out of tune, his lungs don't work quickly - it's a cold kind of calm that settles over his shoulders like it has before. It's not quite dissociation, but it's not quite not - the way that his emotions seem to fade and turn into a vague chill underneath his skin feels familiar.

"We did hurt one another," Scott agrees, because it's true. They both hurt one another. They lashed out. "I participated in it a few times, too. It's not like you're blameless." He goes to immediately rationalize what had happened, to explain, but Pearl looks like she's on the verge of a panic attack, and he knows this is a sensitive subject. Scott has to approach this maturely. He has to approach it well. "And it must have felt good. To get back at me, I mean." Slowly, carefully, he reaches across the table, and places his hand down palm-up - an offering for her to take it.

"You don't have to prove that you're good to me, Pearl. I know you're a good person. I trust you when you say you haven't touched it again, and I'm glad you're not hurting yourself anymore. And I'm sorry," Scott is ashamed to say that his voice shakes as he apologizes again. The guilt is awful to live with, even to this day - it feels, sometimes, like he's choking on it, that it lives in his lungs like some sort of rot that he can never clean out. His hands shiver, sometimes, both because of the ice of his home and because of the memories of the past - of the games, of his childhood. Of being alone. (Waiting.) "That I made you go that far. That I made you feel like you had to do that in retaliation. I'm sorry. I don't think I ever won't be sorry for how awfully things turned out. I won't ever not be sorry for how I treated you."

[pearls-mailbox]

[Carefully, her hand inches across the table until it's brushing his. Her arms are longer, but she doesn’t quite reach out far enough for him to take it.]

I trusted you. We couldn't trust anyone, with the Curse, but I trusted you. And I worked so hard because I wanted to provide for us but you didn't want it. You didn't want me...

[She's not always good at finding the right way to tell people how much she cares about them, but in every service she can provide, every gift she can give, is more love than her words can contain. Where Scott will die to show his devotion, she will live for hers. And he didn't want it.]

I was scared. I got mad. At you, at everyone, at myself. [She swallows more tears.] ...I think I still am.

[Pearl tosses her head, pulling her hand back.] ...I don't deserve to be mad after what I put you through.

[smajors-mailbox]

"What you put me through?" The words that have all been coming out before have been calm, collected, but Scott snaps back into focus, the words come out with force. "Pearl, no, this - Pearl, no," and suddenly, he's struggling to find the sentence he wants to say. "No, this isn't about what - Pearl, you have suffered a hundred times more than I have because of Double Life. You don't have to-" He gestures around wildly, nearly getting out of his seat. "If you're angry, be angry. Pearl, I'm not going to tell you not to be angry. You put me through things? No, no, I put you through all of that. There's no reason for you to be feeling like you have to sacrifice your emotions for my sake."

Scott is the one who is supposed to sacrifice his feelings for the sake of this conversation. This isn't supposed to be about him. This is about Pearl. This is about how he had hurt her. She's deserved this apology and he's trying to give it to her. There's this moment of frantic scrabbling as he tries to get them back on track, control slipping through his fingers like sand as he attempts to figure out what to say, how to say it. How does he continue? This is wrong, this has suddenly gone all wrong.

"Why is this about deserving? If it's about deserving, you've deserved to be angry. It's not that I've never wanted you, Pearl, it's - it's more complicated than that," he settles on, because he's not sure how to say it, Scott feels like he isn't in control anymore and that's not good. If he's not in control of himself, then this is going to go wrong, and he needs things to go right or else that's failing Pearl again. He was supposed to make things right. Why are they going wrong? What has he done wrong to make her feel like she can't express herself? "Pearl, I trusted you too," and it's past tense, because she had also used past tense, and that hurts. Scott scrabbles for the mature tone he uses when he comes into these conversations and he is found he is left with an ugly kind of passion, the kind of almost-anger not at a person, but also entirely at them at the same time. It makes him want to freeze it and grind it into nothing with his bare hands.

Scott feels strongly about this, and he hates that he can't hide that from her.

[pearls-mailbox]

[And finally, the anger slips through. Pearl can't meet his eyes, staring at the floor, but tears drip down her cheeks as she bangs her fists on the table. Several of her dogs get to their feet, ears pricked.]

I– everybody loves you, Scott! They all love you, and I, I love you too, I don't think I ever stopped, and, and you're always perfect and I'm– I'm gonna be her forever! No matter what I do!

[The coffee cup, near-empty, rattles on the table.]

I hate you, but I love you, and– [She has to gasp for breath.] And I think I just hate myself.

[Pearl's hands find their way to her hair, tugging indiscriminately. It's only when her hands brush against her flattened antennae that she jerks them away, realizing how close she might have gotten to accidentally pulling one out. She stares blankly at her hands, tears still streaming.]

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott had fallen quiet when she had her outburst, but as soon as Pearl nearly tugs out her antennae, as soon as her hands are free, he's reaching out over the table - he hesitates, but then he grabs onto her hands. "I'm not perfect," he says, voice thick with emotion. "Pearl, I think you know that at the bottom of your heart that I'm not. I'm really, really not. I hurt you a lot during Double Life, and I lashed out, and if you want, I can explain why I did things the way that I did, but in the end, that doesn't change the fact that I hurt you." It's hard, sometimes, to admit that he's wrong in emotional moments - a part of him still screams, banging at the bars of some cage made of ice, that admittance is failure, that if he complies then he is admitting that he was not good enough. But I wasn't, is the answer Scott has this time, and it is true.

Scott had done a lot of terrible things during Double Life. He had scolded her during their down times when the hunger pangs had hit in, because he had been antsy and nervous and off his game. And he can explain that, but he regrets it. He regrets how harsh he was with her. So this time, he is very deliberately gentle. He swallows again, and it feels like he's choking for a moment on all the words he never got to say. (He's done this before. But it feels like he hasn't.)

"Pearl, I love you too," he says, first of all. "That has never changed. Even when I did all of those things, and even when we both lashed out, I didn't stop caring about you. And you're not her. You've never been her, not really. Not truly. Because the 'Scarlet Witch' has never been you. You tried to use that to protect yourself because you were scared and alone and I am so, so sorry. I wish I could take it all back. And I'm here not because I want to," he pauses, his heart hammering in his chest.

"Say that I'm blameless, or that you're awful. I'm here because I still want to be friends with you, and I'm here because I want to understand you, and I really, really hope that I can work everything out with you. I understand hating yourself," because there have been countless moments where he has hated what he has done, hated the person he was, hated everything, hated how he had let everything in Empires escalate to that point, "but I don't hate you. I know things must be very hard for you," and that's an obvious statement, "but that doesn't make me care about you any less."

[pearls-mailbox]

[Pearl trembles, but she lets Scott hold her hands. His are cold, but the surprise of it seems to shock her system enough that she stops staring at her hands and thinking about all the blood she's had on them, and she listens.]

I was so scared... [Pearl mumbles, breathless. She can't stop shaking.] I don't think I ever stopped being scared... I just got better at ignoring it.

It's like, some little part of me is still there, in the clearing, more of a dog than a person, and she's ready to put an arrow in your heart, and– and that horrible light is still reflecting in her eyes. She never got out.

I'm scared, Scott... [She finds herself letting out a low whine, tugging lightly on his hands from across the table.]

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott lets his hands be tugged, and he reaches up with a thumb to rub it over her thumb's knuckle in an act of comfort. "It's going to be okay, Pearl. You know, I don't think most people see you as the Witch anymore, but I know that... the season had a lot of impact on you internally, so you might still feel that way for a while. Maybe later I can go around with you and we can let people know not to make those kinds of jokes anymore?" He says, absorbing the information.

"But that's... that's later. Right now, I want you to know that I'm listening." I'm not going anywhere. "And maybe it might take a while, but I think you - she - will be able to leave." It will all be okay, he murmurs under his breath more to himself than to her. He can do this. No, not just them - they can do this, together. They can figure things out.

[pearls-mailbox]

Okay... [Pearl’s voice is still breathy, but slowly, it gets steadier. She gets to her feet, gently tugging on Scott's hands until she has him wrapped in a hug, tight and clinging.]

[It's several seconds before she finally lets him go and steps back. Her eyes fall on the dregs of her coffee, and she picks it up with a sad little laugh.] I don't know why I kept drinking this... I could have warmed it back up at any time.

[She sighs, returning her attention to Scott.]

I missed you. I really did, even when you were right there.

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott smiles back at Pearl, and he stays standing right where Pearl had left him. I'm staying. I'm not going anywhere.

"I missed you too, Pearl," he says, and for once, he isn't gripped with the urge to straighten out his shirt, or fix the cuffs of his shirt (which his current one doesn't have, so he can't do that anyways). "I'm sorry that it took us so long to have this talk. But if you ever want to talk about it, or ask me about clarification, or anything along those lines, I don't mind sitting down to have another talk. I'll explain it until you get it. That's what friends do." It's a promise.

[pearls-mailbox]

[They've talked, finally. They could talk and talk and talk and talk, and Pearl’s not sure she would ever find the words for all her messy feelings. But...]

Would you spar with me? [It's so tentative, it's almost a whisper. Pearl of the past never got her fight, Pearl reckons. Maybe it's time she gets what she stood there waiting for.] I have a place.

[smajors-mailbox]

To be honest, Scott would much rather explain everything, go through all the events methodically. Step by step work it out. But there's so much, too much - it feels a little overwhelming, even if that's how he would rather go about it. But - Pearl is asking this of him. Scott can do that.

"Yeah. Yeah, we can spar. If you have a place, I'll set my spawn and stuff, and we can absolutely spar." If it makes her feel better, Scott will draw his sword again and they can spar. Even if Scott prefers words over violence, he will make an exception. (Maybe he needs to step out of his comfort zone.) "I suppose I won't be taking any ice magic into here. To keep things fair." He chuckles. When he's in the life games, his ability to harness ice is banned to keep things fair as well.

(Liberating, yet confinement all the same. How fascinating.)

[pearls-mailbox]

No, it's not that kinda fighting. You'll see, [Pearl explains, grabbing Scott's hand.] You saw that big ballroom outside, right?

[She doesn’t wait for an answer, because she starts dragging him through her base to the ballroom.]

[At the entrance, she stops. The ballroom is spacious and silent, the only life the mossy decorations and the assorted sculptures spread across the floor. Pearl doesn’t enter, however; she turns to the bookshelf in the lobby, tugs on a book, and gestures for Scott to enter the door that opens out of nowhere.]

[Pearl rifles through some chests inside, tossing him a mace and a suit of netherite armor.] This place is mostly a secret– only Joel, Gem, Cub, and Etho know about it. But I think it's fine to have you here as a guest. No telling, okay?

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott brings up a hand to his mouth playfully, mimicking the motion of zipping his lips shut. "I won't tell a soul," he says, with an amused little grin. He takes up the Netherite armour, and begins to put it on, before realizing that he should probably tell Pearl about the fact that he has wings.

With a flick and a shake, the glamour comes undone, and soft, downy white wings fade into existence with the addition of a few sparkles as he gets rid of the spell. They're quite large, but he tucks them behind his back to make them seem smaller after he stretches them out, almost a little too quickly.

"I thought maybe I should show you these, since you're showing me one of your secrets," he's not sure why he's so nervous about it, trying to disguise it as a light joke. "But I wasn't sure if other Scott had these, so I thought it'd be better to let you know. He's got the shoes and the pants on, so he looks a little awkward, half-armoured.

[pearls-mailbox]

[Pearl blinks in surprise for a moment. Other Scott indeed did not have wings. But that conversation can be left for another time– for the moment, Pearl considers this, before declaring,] Since we both can fly, then, you can glide a little, but no flapping, [and pulls out another chestplate, a backless one like her own.] Try this on instead.

[She hasn’t fought Cub in the arena yet, so this will be the first time she has to adjust for wings being in play. No flapping seems like a good compromise, though; can't use them to get higher, but slowing the descent is fine.]

Set your spawn and grab some wind charges and gold carrots, and I'll explain the rules, [she chirps, leaning on her mace. The breeze rod that makes the handle flexes slightly with her weight.]

[smajors-mailbox]

"Alright," Scott agrees, putting on the chestplate and then the helmet. He gives her a grateful smile, pleased with the fact that she doesn't seem to be bothered by the wings. It's not necessarily something he goes around telling people about, he prefers keeping it on-the-low. Despite Aeor being a Stag God, being his incarnation means that he has wings. (Why? He has no clue. He just has to roll with it, honestly.)

After he completes the tasks given to him by Pearl, he does as told, and then pulls out the mace. It's not like any weapon he usually uses - it's much too big. He prefers a sword or an axe or a bow in battle. Axes do more damage, of course, but swords were customary for duels and he's got plenty of experience with that. Scott doesn't touch the sword in his inventory, though. This is not a duel. This is a spar. The mace's handle feels strange against his skin, but he runs his fingers over it gently to try and get a feel for how the weapon would swing.

"Well? How are we doing this? I'm not quite familiar with maces, you see, so you'll have to pardon me," he can't help but laugh a little to himself about it. The mace looks very natural from where Pearl has her position with it, but it will take Scott a few swings to get into the rhythm of it. "But I'm interested in how you've set up this arena. How do we spar?" There's a look of genuine interest in his eyes as he looks at her, awaiting her instruction.

[pearls-mailbox]

So! [Pearl leads Scott out to the ballroom, spinning in a circle as she indicates the whole room.] In a minute, I'll turn the arena on, and some platforms and bouncy slime pits will come out. There's also wind charge launchers under the vents in the floor; the whole point is to bounce up real high using your wind charges so you can SMACK the other person real hard!

[She gives one of the statues a demonstrative whack as she says this, a puff of wind blowing from her mace. The sound rings clearly throughout the whole ballroom; despite seemingly having the figure of a stick, she's honestly quite buff and has no trouble handling the heavy weapon.]

You can eat carrots if you're taking a lot of fall damage, but don't overdo it, [Pearl wraps up.] You wanna go stand on that end of the arena and get ready? [She points him to the far end.]

[smajors-mailbox]

"This is cute," Scott remarks as he looks around the room, absorbing the look of the build. "Excellent. Alright, I understand how the game works, and it definitely doesn't disappoint. I'll go over there now," his wings give a flutter in anticipation as he moves over to where Pearl has directed to, giving his mace a few experimental swings. Of course, it's not the same as swinging it in the middle of combat (or in the air), but at least he won't be swinging it for the first time. He looks over at his friend and gives her a thumbs up.

"Ready when you are."

[pearls-mailbox]

[Pearl retreats to the entrance of the room, and quietly taps the note block that turns on the arena. The soft opening notes of Creator fill the ballroom, pits of slime open in the floor, and pillars rise from it. Quietly, Pearl advances, circling the outskirts of the room like a predator, before throwing down a wind charge and leaping up to a pillar, and up once more to a chandelier.]

[Perched atop the moss and glass, Pearl regards Scott with a cool smile.]

Come on, Scott, [she purrs.] Let's dance.

[smajors-mailbox]

Something about this still unnerves Scott - it feels like Pearl wants to hunt him down for sport, and that feeling of being chased is one that is both loved and hated by him - but he had agreed to this. He's going to see it through. He's a man of his word, he doesn't go back on what he says, but there's something about the way Pearl looks at him that makes something crawl up the back of his spine.

Best to just jump into this, right?

Every move Scott takes has an air of elegance to it - all that training during his childhood never really leaves him, not even in the moments where he is fighting for his life, he keeps an air of coolness about him. He jumps up with the windcharge onto the pillar, looking up at Pearl, and he readies the mace. "Can't fight if you're all the way up there," he chuckles, keeping his eyes on her.

(Don't look away. If he slacks for even one moment, he'll be dead.)

[pearls-mailbox]

Not for long, [Pearl laughs, springing off the pillar, eyes trained on Scott as she swings– perhaps a little too trained on Scott, because she misses the pillar by a few inches, poor depth perception suddenly betraying her.]

[She lands on the ground, mutters] Voiddamnit, [and rapidly backs up, eating a golden carrot and staring up at him as she anticipates his leap.]

[smajors-mailbox]

As Pearl is eating her golden carrot, Scott leaps off of the platform, swinging his mace - he doesn't expect to actually hit her, but he does manage a good shot in against her armour, and he does so with a surprised noise. "Beginner's luck!" He says, backing away to prepare a windcharge. Scott never stops moving, never pauses for even a moment - memories of growing up, to stay still is to grow compliant, and compliancy in a battle is death. Never let them have the opportunity to catch you while still. Scott bounces off of the stands back up onto the tower again, and flexes his hands as he grasps the handle again, looking for another opening.

Despite his lighthearted words, he zooms in on the opportunity to strike, the weaknesses, the chinks in her armour. If she has to slow down, he will jump again. Scott will comply with the rules (honour, to stay honourable and play by them in a battle to the death is still something he will forever abide by) but that does not mean that he will go down without a fight. Pearl feels like she is hunting him, but his eyes focus on her and the surroundings, preparing for his next move, eyeing her like a hawk. He will go into this fight with a strategy, but for now, the goal is to simply try and get more familiar with her fighting style so he can learn how to counter it.

[pearls-mailbox]

[Pearl only seems to take the hit as further fuel for her own fighting spirit. She grits her teeth, tightens her grip on her mace, and throws a wind charge at her feet once more, briefly coasting on the updraft.]

[She follows Scott as he dodges, gaining further momentum by springing off a statue, and abruptly folds back her wings to increase her speed as she comes back down. The resulting impact of her mace launches her back into the air and sends Scott skidding.]

[With a triumphant whoop, she takes another pillar perch, shifting her weight before she lunges back into motion.]

[smajors-mailbox]

The blow leaves Scott stumbling, scrambling, a little dizzy. His breath comes out in a singular wheeze as he attempts to reorient himself. Where did she go? Ah, there. He launches himself up (even as the world spins) and misses brutally, missing the pillar and hitting the ground hard. Scott stumbles. How embarrassing. He should be doing better than this. This is not the demeanour befitting of an Emperor. But he's not the emperor, right now. He's just Scott. (A little bit of dizziness would have killed him in a real fight. It's a little pathetic, really.) He needs to get himself together, even as he feels his head spins and he turns around to try and get himself back up onto a pillar.

[pearls-mailbox]

[Pearl leaps down once more, only to misjudge the distance again and thud against polished floor. Quickly, she reorients herself, scrambling upright and bounding away from him once more. She jumps into an opened vent, letting it shoot her up into the air again.]

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott takes that moment to jump up again, reining in his focus as he manages to get a hit on her midair with the mace. It's a solid, clean hit, but he still feels he could have done better as he continues to bounce around, finally getting into the swing of the battle and the fighting style. His lips press into a line as he focuses on trying to get more height in their fight.

[pearls-mailbox]

[Pearl only gets more determined with every successful hit Scott makes on her, gritting her teeth and tightening her grip. Her fervor is nothing short of animalistic as she scrabbles to her feet, propelling herself up once more, and she doesn’t even feel ashamed of it, in this moment.]

[Let them say she barks like a dog. She'll bite like one too.]

[For once, it feels like she can bring this feeling back, and someone will understand. She can relive it and let a little of it go safely and nobody will be hurt in the way that lasts.]

[She howls triumphantly as she lands another hit, springing backwards up to a pillar, and leaps right back into the fray.]

[smajors-mailbox]

It feels a little like fighting a rabid dog - Scott watches as his hearts drop dangerously close to 0. He's sure that one more hit will kill him. He should play this smart. Something in the back of his mind tells him to give up, to let her hit him, unfairly as she did before - it's punishment, a payback for all the pain he put her through. An 'apology' through self-inflicted death. However, that's not what Pearl is here for. Pearl told him directly that she wanted this fair and square, that the fact that he gave her the victory wasn't what she wanted. He wants to brace. He tries to make another jump, but with his hearts so low, he's cautious. A little too cautious.

He could have braced. He could have cheated, he could have brought up the mace to block the hit with his previous training. Or maybe he couldn't have - maybe it's just futile last-second wishing as Pearl soars through the air towards him. Scott could maybe have done something, or in reality - maybe he couldn't have done anything at all. Maybe this was the way things were always going to turn out as. Maybe this is just fate.

Maybe-

Pearl's mace comes down on him, and Scott can't help but smile.

This feels like the right outcome.

[ smajor1995 was slain by pearlescentmoon using Mace Wind Bu. ]

[pearls-mailbox]

[The last hit is solid, to the chest. Pearl hears the crunch and snap of bone as the wind springs her backwards, and she flicks her wings, catching the wind to let her land safely. His face has already gone pale; under the armor, blood must be pooling at the injuries in dreadful bruises.]

[She steps forward, pressing her hand to his body as it unravels, skin first, then muscle, then cracked bone, dissolving into the air. Armor, charges, carrots, weapon remain in the empty space where Scott was, and she reaches out for the lifeless facsimile of his head, grabbing it roughly by the hair.]

[The prey is felled, and the predator may live a little longer for the effort. Already, the last vestiges of Scott's old body, flickers of memories of progress, seep into her, and she drinks them, greedily. There is a part of Pearl that has accepted the title of Beast, and it is proud of itself.]

[But the rest of Pearl has expectations to follow, and must not overwhelm Scott with its Beastly variety of love, and so she turns, gathers up the items, and turns the arena off before she enters the scoreroom.]

[smajors-mailbox]

It starts with a gasp of air, newly-created lungs gasping for air as his eyes snap open, back in the bed in the storeroom. After so many respawns, it's nothing but a routine to swing his legs over the side of the bed and get back to his feet. The pain of death fades into nothing but a memory as he gets out and stretches, wings fluttering behind him. They extend to their full wingspans as he make sure every muscle is ready to move - habits from long ago, and then he shakes himself out one last time. Scott fiddles with his sleeves, pulling them even though they are not formal wear and do not need to be straightened out.

Scott had lost. ("You deserve this win, Pearl." She did. This is just him giving it to her rightfully. It doesn't change the fact that she had deserved it. This doesn't change the fact that he had sacrificed himself for her win. This doesn't change that she had won. It's fate, after all.) He's not upset about it, no - not when this was what should have happened from the beginning. If it makes her feel better, though, then he doesn't mind going through it again. He watches her come back into the room, and turns to face her with a smile.

"Ah, there you are," he greets. "Good match. You won, fair and square." Not bitter. Not sad. Not angry. Just... content. Satisfied. This was how it was always going to go, after all. "Mean hit there, at the end," Scott says, lightheartedly. "It was a good one, I mean. You feeling alright?" He both means about the match ending, and how she feels in general.

[pearls-mailbox]

[Pearl nods to him in greeting, and extends a hand to shake. An acknowledgement of his efforts. In her other, she still holds his head, handling it with a little more gentleness now.]

[To be honest, she didn't come into it caring if she won or lost this match. The important part was doing it, anyway. Getting that closure she'd been missing for so long. But now, she feels...]

Yeah, I'm good. Felt... good, honestly. [The bruises that are blooming where he struck her are nothing compared to the rush of it all. She feels... proud of herself, in a way greater accomplishments have failed to inspire in her for too long now.]

You want this? [She asks, holding out his head.] I dunno, as a souvenir?

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott, honestly, does not know what to do with his head. It's not like he hasn't seen it before. He takes it from her hands and tucks it carefully into his inventory with a chuckle. Scott might take it and leave it in his room, tucked away in a chest - a quiet reminder of the new beginning they've forged together.

"You know what, sure. A souvenir of our time together," he agrees, but it's lighthearted - his smile feels real, genuine, solid. It's nice. "I'm glad that you feel alright, now." He's glad that everything turned out okay. That's what he wanted more than anything else. More than anything else, he just wants to be friends again. "Maybe we can get something together that isn't a souvenir, though, as a memento of our good times together. We can do something else together."

It's a tentative offer. He wants to go back to being real friends. Real friends that do things together and spend time together and have fun together. He wants to have fun together with Pearl again.

[pearls-mailbox]

[Pearl's wings flutter a little. She had assumed, the last few times Scott asked her to hang out, that the effort had been a politeness and nothing more. He'd made a show, in Wild Life, of making up. It had felt hollow. He always liked so much to die for everyone else. It didn't mean anything just because it was her.]

[But this was indisputably real. All the good times they've had feel real in the face of today. This is the way it should have always been, and it wasn't, but now is her chance to keep it this way forevermore. All she has to say is–]

Yes. Absolutely. Let's see each other again sometime soon. [She smiles, and runs a hand through her frazzled hair, playing with her bangs. It occurs to her to have a carrot so she's not nursing the bruises.]

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott can't help but smile even wider when she agrees. This is good. This is a first, really good step. There's no urge to straighten the cuffs of his sleeves, or smooth out invisible wrinkles - this is Pearl. Even if she is not the Pearl that grew up alongside him, working with him through growing up on Empires together - she is Pearl. She is someone who he loves.

"I'll definitely reach out as soon as I can," he promises. And it's a promise. One that he will follow up on, because he has full intentions to see this through. Their friendship has finally started to go on the mend, and Scott cannot wait to see her again after this.

Perhaps, this too, is fate.

(Or maybe, the product of good decisions.)

[pearls-mailbox]

[Pearl goes around her dining room with a feather duster for the third time in the day. Scott is coming over. They're finally going to talk, really talk, about what happened. Everything ought to be extra, extra clean. He'll chastize her if she doesn’t he's used to the pristine halls of his castle, she wants him to feel comfortable.]

[She should do the kitchen again too. And the living room. Just in case he wants to sit in there. Where's the best place to sit with company? Why are her dogs barking– oh that's the doorbell he's here. She rushes to meet him at the door, still wearing her cleaning outfit. Oh dear. Will she look embarrassing?]

[She opens the door.]

...Hi, Scott?

[It comes out as a question. Oh dear. Oh dear oh dear oh dear.]

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott hasn't been this nervous about going to meet someone since the last time he talked to Pearl about Double Life - and he has to remind himself that that Pearl wasn't this Pearl, and that he's going to have to have this conversation all over again. It's one that he's prepared himself for (and one he's gone through before) but that doesn't make it any less easier.

Instead of coming in traditional Rivendell clothes that he finds himself wearing all the time again, Scott had found the outfit he'd worn back in 3rd Life back in his closet, and he'd adorned the jeans, the jacket, the white shirt with the stripes on it. It feels almost a little wrong to be wearing something so casual, but he didn't want to intimidate her by wearing that kind of outfit.

Something better suited to make her feel more casual (and not the red jacket he'd worn in Double Life to mirror hers) would work well, right? He stands at the door and when she opens it, he smiles at her.

"Ah, Pearl," he greets with a wave. "Oh, look at all the dogs! Aren't they cute?" Scott peers at all of her dogs, and doesn't mind at all the fact that Pearl is still in her cleaning clothing. If that's what makes her more comfortable, then he won't mind at all. "I hope you're feeling alright?" She probably isn't, but his manners kick in nonetheless.

[pearls-mailbox]

Puppies, doggies, don't jump... [Pearl gently shoos her dogs away from Scott. Tilly, in particular, lingers for a moment, staring him down before backing away.] I'm alright, yeah... Sorry I didn't change...

[Her antennae droop sheepishly. It is obvious she is probably not alright, but it's the thing to say.] Come on in, I baked pie... [Does this Scott like pie? She hopes he does.]

[smajors-mailbox]

Ah, that must be Tilly, Scott registers as he stares at her before she backs down. "It's alright," he waves. "I understand, you stress-clean, right?" He remembers that the Pearl from his timeline, world, whatever, had also done the same thing.

Neither of them are okay. But they will be okay.

"You baked pie?" Scott smiles. "I would love to try some, thank you so much for the food." He steps inside, taking his shoes (how strange it is to wear sneakers, this outfit brings back so many memories) off and setting them down on a rack so they are not chewed mercilessly by the dogs.

[pearls-mailbox]

Yep, stress-cleaning... [Pearl admits with a nervous laugh. She leads him into the dining room, setting the pie on the table. She already has plates and silverware out.] Do you want anything to drink?

[Everything is fine. She has, if anything, overprepared for this. He's going to like it. She tells herself this. He's going to like it.]

[smajors-mailbox]

"Anything sweet, honestly, I think will do. I've got quite the secret sweet tooth," he chuckles. Scott makes conversation even if it doesn't come easy, because that is what is expected of him and that will help Pearl and what matters right now is making sure Pearl doesn't freak out. "I'm sorry about stressing you out like this, though. I think the conversation won't be as bad as you're thinking it will be." Because he's had this once, before, and they worked things out.

They will work out again.

They have to.

[pearls-mailbox]

[Pearl blushes with unease. She doesn’t like that it's that obvious that she's scared.] Don't apologize, [she mumbles,] it's not your fault...

[Is it the other Scott's fault she's so stressed out about one conversation? Anybody's? Hers?]

[Before that spiral goes anywhere else, she gets ingredients for sweet iced tea out, readying some for Scott.]

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott watches as Pearl makes the tea. It is... well, his fault, and not his fault at the same time. Having being an alternative version of an existing person has definitely... been an experience that he... has gone through, which feels unreal. But what matters is that Pearl is here and in front of him, and he can make things right (again).

"It sort of is my fault," he chuckles, and he has a feeling he feels less nervous about this because he's done this before, but the anxiety still takes root in his lungs. "But let's get to that later." He pauses. "I... I'm not mad at you," he tries to reassure her, and he smiles that perfect Emperor smile that he uses when he's nervous in a meeting with officials, "if that's any condolence."

From where he's clasped his hands together, he tightens his fingers, the already-pale skin going a little more white from the pressure.

[pearls-mailbox]

[Pearl has never actually tried to make iced tea before, but she took a guess on what sort of drink Scott would like when she was shopping, and now she's gotta stick with it. She sets the glass down on the table for Scott, and grabs the mug of coffee she was drinking while she cleaned.]

Okay, [Pearl mumbles as she sits down, but she can't really convince herself to believe him. All she can do is wait for his critical eye to fall on all the things she's doing wrong.] I'm... not either? [She doesn't deserve to be mad. Not after everything she did.]

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott picks up the drink and he picks it up, taking a sip. It's surprisingly well done - the amount of sugar that's in it is exactly to his liking. He can't help but smile (genuinely) when he sets down the cup, despite the conversation he's about to have, and then, he turns his gaze to Pearl again. Okay. He's gotta do this.

"First of all, I want to say that I'm sorry," Scott says, and it's important, because when he thinks of how Santa Pearla had cried and cried and how she had never gotten an apology, that comes first. "I want to say that I am genuinely very sorry for how I treated you during Double Life." He names it, because names have power and it's important that Scott acknowledges what he'd done. "It wasn't right of me, and I hurt your feelings a lot, and for that, I am sorry."

He keeps his eyes trained on Pearl's face, maybe not always meeting eye contact, but eye contact can sometimes freak him out a little bit, but he wants to seem sincere. Scott is sincere about this. He is sorry. Pearl made mistakes, but so did he, and she deserves this apology. This will be okay. They can work things out.

[pearls-mailbox]

[Okay. Yeah. Time to have a reasonable adult conversation and not freak out. Pearl can do this.]

...Thank you. [Deep breath.] I'm sorry, too. For... all the impulsive things I did. And... for not listening when you said to leave you alone.

[She takes a sip of the half-empty coffee. She's let it sit for much too long, and it's become bitter and cold. She wonders why she didn't throw this out.]

[smajors-mailbox]

To be honest, when Double Life had been happening, Scott's biggest issue with Pearl had been those exact things. His smile relaxes just the slightest bit upon receiving that apology in return. He's a little surprised there hasn't been any violence yet - when he and his Pearl had this conversation, she'd been understandably very angry with him.

He'd been angry with her in return, and they'd fought it out until they'd had a proper conversation about how they'd really felt. This feels more... reserved.

It feels like Pearl is holding back.

Scott feels still tense about this, but still a little better. "That's honestly the biggest thing that bothered me about Double Life," he admits. "But... I think it affected you much more than it affected me. Is there anything you want to talk about?" He gives her an opening to lead the conversation - this should be a little more about Pearl rather than himself.

[pearls-mailbox]

[Pearl takes another sip of her coffee. It's definitely gotten gross, but she forces it back anyway. Hopefully, the caffeine will help her think.]

I guess– to start– [She should start with something small, she thinks– oh gosh, everything is big. Uhhh. Fuck. She just picks something.]

Do you sti– did you really think I was crazy?

[She clears her throat, trying not to shudder. Just the word makes her feel a little gross inside.] Everyone else started... saying things, and then... I don't know, I could ignore them, but I couldn't ignore it when it came from you.

[smajors-mailbox]

Ah. It's time to talk about this. Scott eyes the cup of iced tea he hadn't touched since the conversation started, and as he mulls over his words, he takes the cup and raises it to his mouth. He takes a tentative sip, pausing, before placing it back down. How does he say this.

It's not like he didn't catch the first part of her sentence. Pearl still thinks that he thinks she was crazy. Maybe the original Scott had thought she was crazy. Maybe it's best that he give some background.

"I never thought you were crazy," Scott finally says aloud, breaking the silence that had been starting to build. "I called you crazy because I was upset and I wanted to hurt you, in a way. You see - back... home." His fingers curl around the glass. "Back home, you and I... we grew up together. We met at a diplomatic ball when we were both fifteen, and we mailed one another whenever we got the chance to. We met up whenever our situations would allow it. I grew up by your side, you my most trusted advisor. There was nothing I couldn't tell you."

The more he speaks, the more it feels bittersweet. "I saw you at your lowest point, and you saw me at my lowest point. It was easy to tell, to me, that you were trying to play into this role, to accept it, even if it hurt you. I'm not sure how... your Scott saw it. But I knew you, Pearl. I don't know if that makes me worse or better, in this situation," he admits, looking back up at her, hesitant to meet her eyes.

"But if you want to know what I, Scott of Rivendell, think," because he is Scott of Rivendell and he will forever be, even if she is not Queen Pearl of Gilded Helianthia, she is Pearl, "I've never thought you were insane, or you were crazy. I've known you were sane. I didn't mean for it to spiral as much as it did - people caught onto how I was upset about how things had happened and it suddenly wasn't just me, and it wasn't in my hands anymore. I know it started like that, but I didn't... I never meant for it to end up being something that defined you like that."

"For the longest time, I have seen how gentle you have been. You were the Queen of Farming, for Aeor's sake - how could someone like that be insane? Being capable of violence is not mutual with being a violent person." He aches with the urge to reach out and take her hand, to show her those fields of their unshared childhoods, to make Pearl see how he sees her, and yet, he finds he cannot reach her eyes, nor her fingers that have always been longer than his.

[pearls-mailbox]

[Growing up together... Pearl’s heart suddenly aches for the memories of another person. Another Pearl, of another timeline. The pang is jealousy, she realizes, and she shuts her mouth.]

It hurt. It did. We made each other hurt.

[The violence barely spanned a day, but the name still follows her. The expectations. Jokes are sometimes made that they had better keep dog armor out of the Series, that Pearl had better get her rest or who knows if she might snap, that she had better shape up and fight like everyone knows she can because look, Scott's winning again— Pearl hates it. She hates all of it. She doesn’t want to be the Witch.]

[The thought that Scott maybe, actually, knows that's not her– it's so terrifying, she finds herself recoiling from it.]

I– But– I hurt you. I hurt me, and I liked it. The snow–

[She hides her face, choking back a sob.]

I've never so much as touched it again, I swear, I've been good–

[She doesn’t know what might happen if she does. Nether, she's only now working up the courage to use ice in a build. The very thought of the blue tinging her fingers and crystals forming on her wings make her feel like she's going to choke.]

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott finds that he feels eerily calm, even as Pearl chokes back her sobs, even as the situation feels like it's turning sideways. His heart does not beat out of tune, his lungs don't work quickly - it's a cold kind of calm that settles over his shoulders like it has before. It's not quite dissociation, but it's not quite not - the way that his emotions seem to fade and turn into a vague chill underneath his skin feels familiar.

"We did hurt one another," Scott agrees, because it's true. They both hurt one another. They lashed out. "I participated in it a few times, too. It's not like you're blameless." He goes to immediately rationalize what had happened, to explain, but Pearl looks like she's on the verge of a panic attack, and he knows this is a sensitive subject. Scott has to approach this maturely. He has to approach it well. "And it must have felt good. To get back at me, I mean." Slowly, carefully, he reaches across the table, and places his hand down palm-up - an offering for her to take it.

"You don't have to prove that you're good to me, Pearl. I know you're a good person. I trust you when you say you haven't touched it again, and I'm glad you're not hurting yourself anymore. And I'm sorry," Scott is ashamed to say that his voice shakes as he apologizes again. The guilt is awful to live with, even to this day - it feels, sometimes, like he's choking on it, that it lives in his lungs like some sort of rot that he can never clean out. His hands shiver, sometimes, both because of the ice of his home and because of the memories of the past - of the games, of his childhood. Of being alone. (Waiting.) "That I made you go that far. That I made you feel like you had to do that in retaliation. I'm sorry. I don't think I ever won't be sorry for how awfully things turned out. I won't ever not be sorry for how I treated you."

[pearls-mailbox]

[Carefully, her hand inches across the table until it's brushing his. Her arms are longer, but she doesn’t quite reach out far enough for him to take it.]

I trusted you. We couldn't trust anyone, with the Curse, but I trusted you. And I worked so hard because I wanted to provide for us but you didn't want it. You didn't want me...

[She's not always good at finding the right way to tell people how much she cares about them, but in every service she can provide, every gift she can give, is more love than her words can contain. Where Scott will die to show his devotion, she will live for hers. And he didn't want it.]

I was scared. I got mad. At you, at everyone, at myself. [She swallows more tears.] ...I think I still am.

[Pearl tosses her head, pulling her hand back.] ...I don't deserve to be mad after what I put you through.

[smajors-mailbox]

"What you put me through?" The words that have all been coming out before have been calm, collected, but Scott snaps back into focus, the words come out with force. "Pearl, no, this - Pearl, no," and suddenly, he's struggling to find the sentence he wants to say. "No, this isn't about what - Pearl, you have suffered a hundred times more than I have because of Double Life. You don't have to-" He gestures around wildly, nearly getting out of his seat. "If you're angry, be angry. Pearl, I'm not going to tell you not to be angry. You put me through things? No, no, I put you through all of that. There's no reason for you to be feeling like you have to sacrifice your emotions for my sake."

Scott is the one who is supposed to sacrifice his feelings for the sake of this conversation. This isn't supposed to be about him. This is about Pearl. This is about how he had hurt her. She's deserved this apology and he's trying to give it to her. There's this moment of frantic scrabbling as he tries to get them back on track, control slipping through his fingers like sand as he attempts to figure out what to say, how to say it. How does he continue? This is wrong, this has suddenly gone all wrong.

"Why is this about deserving? If it's about deserving, you've deserved to be angry. It's not that I've never wanted you, Pearl, it's - it's more complicated than that," he settles on, because he's not sure how to say it, Scott feels like he isn't in control anymore and that's not good. If he's not in control of himself, then this is going to go wrong, and he needs things to go right or else that's failing Pearl again. He was supposed to make things right. Why are they going wrong? What has he done wrong to make her feel like she can't express herself? "Pearl, I trusted you too," and it's past tense, because she had also used past tense, and that hurts. Scott scrabbles for the mature tone he uses when he comes into these conversations and he is found he is left with an ugly kind of passion, the kind of almost-anger not at a person, but also entirely at them at the same time. It makes him want to freeze it and grind it into nothing with his bare hands.

Scott feels strongly about this, and he hates that he can't hide that from her.

[pearls-mailbox]

[And finally, the anger slips through. Pearl can't meet his eyes, staring at the floor, but tears drip down her cheeks as she bangs her fists on the table. Several of her dogs get to their feet, ears pricked.]

I– everybody loves you, Scott! They all love you, and I, I love you too, I don't think I ever stopped, and, and you're always perfect and I'm– I'm gonna be her forever! No matter what I do!

[The coffee cup, near-empty, rattles on the table.]

I hate you, but I love you, and– [She has to gasp for breath.] And I think I just hate myself.

[Pearl's hands find their way to her hair, tugging indiscriminately. It's only when her hands brush against her flattened antennae that she jerks them away, realizing how close she might have gotten to accidentally pulling one out. She stares blankly at her hands, tears still streaming.]

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott had fallen quiet when she had her outburst, but as soon as Pearl nearly tugs out her antennae, as soon as her hands are free, he's reaching out over the table - he hesitates, but then he grabs onto her hands. "I'm not perfect," he says, voice thick with emotion. "Pearl, I think you know that at the bottom of your heart that I'm not. I'm really, really not. I hurt you a lot during Double Life, and I lashed out, and if you want, I can explain why I did things the way that I did, but in the end, that doesn't change the fact that I hurt you." It's hard, sometimes, to admit that he's wrong in emotional moments - a part of him still screams, banging at the bars of some cage made of ice, that admittance is failure, that if he complies then he is admitting that he was not good enough. But I wasn't, is the answer Scott has this time, and it is true.

Scott had done a lot of terrible things during Double Life. He had scolded her during their down times when the hunger pangs had hit in, because he had been antsy and nervous and off his game. And he can explain that, but he regrets it. He regrets how harsh he was with her. So this time, he is very deliberately gentle. He swallows again, and it feels like he's choking for a moment on all the words he never got to say. (He's done this before. But it feels like he hasn't.)

"Pearl, I love you too," he says, first of all. "That has never changed. Even when I did all of those things, and even when we both lashed out, I didn't stop caring about you. And you're not her. You've never been her, not really. Not truly. Because the 'Scarlet Witch' has never been you. You tried to use that to protect yourself because you were scared and alone and I am so, so sorry. I wish I could take it all back. And I'm here not because I want to," he pauses, his heart hammering in his chest.

"Say that I'm blameless, or that you're awful. I'm here because I still want to be friends with you, and I'm here because I want to understand you, and I really, really hope that I can work everything out with you. I understand hating yourself," because there have been countless moments where he has hated what he has done, hated the person he was, hated everything, hated how he had let everything in Empires escalate to that point, "but I don't hate you. I know things must be very hard for you," and that's an obvious statement, "but that doesn't make me care about you any less."

[pearls-mailbox]

[Pearl trembles, but she lets Scott hold her hands. His are cold, but the surprise of it seems to shock her system enough that she stops staring at her hands and thinking about all the blood she's had on them, and she listens.]

I was so scared... [Pearl mumbles, breathless. She can't stop shaking.] I don't think I ever stopped being scared... I just got better at ignoring it.

It's like, some little part of me is still there, in the clearing, more of a dog than a person, and she's ready to put an arrow in your heart, and– and that horrible light is still reflecting in her eyes. She never got out.

I'm scared, Scott... [She finds herself letting out a low whine, tugging lightly on his hands from across the table.]

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott lets his hands be tugged, and he reaches up with a thumb to rub it over her thumb's knuckle in an act of comfort. "It's going to be okay, Pearl. You know, I don't think most people see you as the Witch anymore, but I know that... the season had a lot of impact on you internally, so you might still feel that way for a while. Maybe later I can go around with you and we can let people know not to make those kinds of jokes anymore?" He says, absorbing the information.

"But that's... that's later. Right now, I want you to know that I'm listening." I'm not going anywhere. "And maybe it might take a while, but I think you - she - will be able to leave." It will all be okay, he murmurs under his breath more to himself than to her. He can do this. No, not just them - they can do this, together. They can figure things out.

[pearls-mailbox]

Okay... [Pearl’s voice is still breathy, but slowly, it gets steadier. She gets to her feet, gently tugging on Scott's hands until she has him wrapped in a hug, tight and clinging.]

[It's several seconds before she finally lets him go and steps back. Her eyes fall on the dregs of her coffee, and she picks it up with a sad little laugh.] I don't know why I kept drinking this... I could have warmed it back up at any time.

[She sighs, returning her attention to Scott.]

I missed you. I really did, even when you were right there.

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott smiles back at Pearl, and he stays standing right where Pearl had left him. I'm staying. I'm not going anywhere.

"I missed you too, Pearl," he says, and for once, he isn't gripped with the urge to straighten out his shirt, or fix the cuffs of his shirt (which his current one doesn't have, so he can't do that anyways). "I'm sorry that it took us so long to have this talk. But if you ever want to talk about it, or ask me about clarification, or anything along those lines, I don't mind sitting down to have another talk. I'll explain it until you get it. That's what friends do." It's a promise.

[pearls-mailbox]

[They've talked, finally. They could talk and talk and talk and talk, and Pearl’s not sure she would ever find the words for all her messy feelings. But...]

Would you spar with me? [It's so tentative, it's almost a whisper. Pearl of the past never got her fight, Pearl reckons. Maybe it's time she gets what she stood there waiting for.] I have a place.

[smajors-mailbox]

To be honest, Scott would much rather explain everything, go through all the events methodically. Step by step work it out. But there's so much, too much - it feels a little overwhelming, even if that's how he would rather go about it. But - Pearl is asking this of him. Scott can do that.

"Yeah. Yeah, we can spar. If you have a place, I'll set my spawn and stuff, and we can absolutely spar." If it makes her feel better, Scott will draw his sword again and they can spar. Even if Scott prefers words over violence, he will make an exception. (Maybe he needs to step out of his comfort zone.) "I suppose I won't be taking any ice magic into here. To keep things fair." He chuckles. When he's in the life games, his ability to harness ice is banned to keep things fair as well.

(Liberating, yet confinement all the same. How fascinating.)

[pearls-mailbox]

No, it's not that kinda fighting. You'll see, [Pearl explains, grabbing Scott's hand.] You saw that big ballroom outside, right?

[She doesn’t wait for an answer, because she starts dragging him through her base to the ballroom.]

[At the entrance, she stops. The ballroom is spacious and silent, the only life the mossy decorations and the assorted sculptures spread across the floor. Pearl doesn’t enter, however; she turns to the bookshelf in the lobby, tugs on a book, and gestures for Scott to enter the door that opens out of nowhere.]

[Pearl rifles through some chests inside, tossing him a mace and a suit of netherite armor.] This place is mostly a secret– only Joel, Gem, Cub, and Etho know about it. But I think it's fine to have you here as a guest. No telling, okay?

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott brings up a hand to his mouth playfully, mimicking the motion of zipping his lips shut. "I won't tell a soul," he says, with an amused little grin. He takes up the Netherite armour, and begins to put it on, before realizing that he should probably tell Pearl about the fact that he has wings.

With a flick and a shake, the glamour comes undone, and soft, downy white wings fade into existence with the addition of a few sparkles as he gets rid of the spell. They're quite large, but he tucks them behind his back to make them seem smaller after he stretches them out, almost a little too quickly.

"I thought maybe I should show you these, since you're showing me one of your secrets," he's not sure why he's so nervous about it, trying to disguise it as a light joke. "But I wasn't sure if other Scott had these, so I thought it'd be better to let you know. He's got the shoes and the pants on, so he looks a little awkward, half-armoured.

[pearls-mailbox]

[Pearl blinks in surprise for a moment. Other Scott indeed did not have wings. But that conversation can be left for another time– for the moment, Pearl considers this, before declaring,] Since we both can fly, then, you can glide a little, but no flapping, [and pulls out another chestplate, a backless one like her own.] Try this on instead.

[She hasn’t fought Cub in the arena yet, so this will be the first time she has to adjust for wings being in play. No flapping seems like a good compromise, though; can't use them to get higher, but slowing the descent is fine.]

Set your spawn and grab some wind charges and gold carrots, and I'll explain the rules, [she chirps, leaning on her mace. The breeze rod that makes the handle flexes slightly with her weight.]

[smajors-mailbox]

"Alright," Scott agrees, putting on the chestplate and then the helmet. He gives her a grateful smile, pleased with the fact that she doesn't seem to be bothered by the wings. It's not necessarily something he goes around telling people about, he prefers keeping it on-the-low. Despite Aeor being a Stag God, being his incarnation means that he has wings. (Why? He has no clue. He just has to roll with it, honestly.)

After he completes the tasks given to him by Pearl, he does as told, and then pulls out the mace. It's not like any weapon he usually uses - it's much too big. He prefers a sword or an axe or a bow in battle. Axes do more damage, of course, but swords were customary for duels and he's got plenty of experience with that. Scott doesn't touch the sword in his inventory, though. This is not a duel. This is a spar. The mace's handle feels strange against his skin, but he runs his fingers over it gently to try and get a feel for how the weapon would swing.

"Well? How are we doing this? I'm not quite familiar with maces, you see, so you'll have to pardon me," he can't help but laugh a little to himself about it. The mace looks very natural from where Pearl has her position with it, but it will take Scott a few swings to get into the rhythm of it. "But I'm interested in how you've set up this arena. How do we spar?" There's a look of genuine interest in his eyes as he looks at her, awaiting her instruction.

[pearls-mailbox]

So! [Pearl leads Scott out to the ballroom, spinning in a circle as she indicates the whole room.] In a minute, I'll turn the arena on, and some platforms and bouncy slime pits will come out. There's also wind charge launchers under the vents in the floor; the whole point is to bounce up real high using your wind charges so you can SMACK the other person real hard!

[She gives one of the statues a demonstrative whack as she says this, a puff of wind blowing from her mace. The sound rings clearly throughout the whole ballroom; despite seemingly having the figure of a stick, she's honestly quite buff and has no trouble handling the heavy weapon.]

You can eat carrots if you're taking a lot of fall damage, but don't overdo it, [Pearl wraps up.] You wanna go stand on that end of the arena and get ready? [She points him to the far end.]

[smajors-mailbox]

"This is cute," Scott remarks as he looks around the room, absorbing the look of the build. "Excellent. Alright, I understand how the game works, and it definitely doesn't disappoint. I'll go over there now," his wings give a flutter in anticipation as he moves over to where Pearl has directed to, giving his mace a few experimental swings. Of course, it's not the same as swinging it in the middle of combat (or in the air), but at least he won't be swinging it for the first time. He looks over at his friend and gives her a thumbs up.

"Ready when you are."

[pearls-mailbox]

[Pearl retreats to the entrance of the room, and quietly taps the note block that turns on the arena. The soft opening notes of Creator fill the ballroom, pits of slime open in the floor, and pillars rise from it. Quietly, Pearl advances, circling the outskirts of the room like a predator, before throwing down a wind charge and leaping up to a pillar, and up once more to a chandelier.]

[Perched atop the moss and glass, Pearl regards Scott with a cool smile.]

Come on, Scott, [she purrs.] Let's dance.

[smajors-mailbox]

Something about this still unnerves Scott - it feels like Pearl wants to hunt him down for sport, and that feeling of being chased is one that is both loved and hated by him - but he had agreed to this. He's going to see it through. He's a man of his word, he doesn't go back on what he says, but there's something about the way Pearl looks at him that makes something crawl up the back of his spine.

Best to just jump into this, right?

Every move Scott takes has an air of elegance to it - all that training during his childhood never really leaves him, not even in the moments where he is fighting for his life, he keeps an air of coolness about him. He jumps up with the windcharge onto the pillar, looking up at Pearl, and he readies the mace. "Can't fight if you're all the way up there," he chuckles, keeping his eyes on her.

(Don't look away. If he slacks for even one moment, he'll be dead.)

[pearls-mailbox]

Not for long, [Pearl laughs, springing off the pillar, eyes trained on Scott as she swings– perhaps a little too trained on Scott, because she misses the pillar by a few inches, poor depth perception suddenly betraying her.]

[She lands on the ground, mutters] Voiddamnit, [and rapidly backs up, eating a golden carrot and staring up at him as she anticipates his leap.]

[smajors-mailbox]

As Pearl is eating her golden carrot, Scott leaps off of the platform, swinging his mace - he doesn't expect to actually hit her, but he does manage a good shot in against her armour, and he does so with a surprised noise. "Beginner's luck!" He says, backing away to prepare a windcharge. Scott never stops moving, never pauses for even a moment - memories of growing up, to stay still is to grow compliant, and compliancy in a battle is death. Never let them have the opportunity to catch you while still. Scott bounces off of the stands back up onto the tower again, and flexes his hands as he grasps the handle again, looking for another opening.

Despite his lighthearted words, he zooms in on the opportunity to strike, the weaknesses, the chinks in her armour. If she has to slow down, he will jump again. Scott will comply with the rules (honour, to stay honourable and play by them in a battle to the death is still something he will forever abide by) but that does not mean that he will go down without a fight. Pearl feels like she is hunting him, but his eyes focus on her and the surroundings, preparing for his next move, eyeing her like a hawk. He will go into this fight with a strategy, but for now, the goal is to simply try and get more familiar with her fighting style so he can learn how to counter it.

[pearls-mailbox]

[Pearl only seems to take the hit as further fuel for her own fighting spirit. She grits her teeth, tightens her grip on her mace, and throws a wind charge at her feet once more, briefly coasting on the updraft.]

[She follows Scott as he dodges, gaining further momentum by springing off a statue, and abruptly folds back her wings to increase her speed as she comes back down. The resulting impact of her mace launches her back into the air and sends Scott skidding.]

[With a triumphant whoop, she takes another pillar perch, shifting her weight before she lunges back into motion.]

[smajors-mailbox]

The blow leaves Scott stumbling, scrambling, a little dizzy. His breath comes out in a singular wheeze as he attempts to reorient himself. Where did she go? Ah, there. He launches himself up (even as the world spins) and misses brutally, missing the pillar and hitting the ground hard. Scott stumbles. How embarrassing. He should be doing better than this. This is not the demeanour befitting of an Emperor. But he's not the emperor, right now. He's just Scott. (A little bit of dizziness would have killed him in a real fight. It's a little pathetic, really.) He needs to get himself together, even as he feels his head spins and he turns around to try and get himself back up onto a pillar.

[pearls-mailbox]

[Pearl leaps down once more, only to misjudge the distance again and thud against polished floor. Quickly, she reorients herself, scrambling upright and bounding away from him once more. She jumps into an opened vent, letting it shoot her up into the air again.]

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott takes that moment to jump up again, reining in his focus as he manages to get a hit on her midair with the mace. It's a solid, clean hit, but he still feels he could have done better as he continues to bounce around, finally getting into the swing of the battle and the fighting style. His lips press into a line as he focuses on trying to get more height in their fight.

[pearls-mailbox]

[Pearl only gets more determined with every successful hit Scott makes on her, gritting her teeth and tightening her grip. Her fervor is nothing short of animalistic as she scrabbles to her feet, propelling herself up once more, and she doesn’t even feel ashamed of it, in this moment.]

[Let them say she barks like a dog. She'll bite like one too.]

[For once, it feels like she can bring this feeling back, and someone will understand. She can relive it and let a little of it go safely and nobody will be hurt in the way that lasts.]

[She howls triumphantly as she lands another hit, springing backwards up to a pillar, and leaps right back into the fray.]

[smajors-mailbox]

It feels a little like fighting a rabid dog - Scott watches as his hearts drop dangerously close to 0. He's sure that one more hit will kill him. He should play this smart. Something in the back of his mind tells him to give up, to let her hit him, unfairly as she did before - it's punishment, a payback for all the pain he put her through. An 'apology' through self-inflicted death. However, that's not what Pearl is here for. Pearl told him directly that she wanted this fair and square, that the fact that he gave her the victory wasn't what she wanted. He wants to brace. He tries to make another jump, but with his hearts so low, he's cautious. A little too cautious.

He could have braced. He could have cheated, he could have brought up the mace to block the hit with his previous training. Or maybe he couldn't have - maybe it's just futile last-second wishing as Pearl soars through the air towards him. Scott could maybe have done something, or in reality - maybe he couldn't have done anything at all. Maybe this was the way things were always going to turn out as. Maybe this is just fate.

Maybe-

Pearl's mace comes down on him, and Scott can't help but smile.

This feels like the right outcome.

[ smajor1995 was slain by pearlescentmoon using Mace Wind Bu. ]

[pearls-mailbox]

[The last hit is solid, to the chest. Pearl hears the crunch and snap of bone as the wind springs her backwards, and she flicks her wings, catching the wind to let her land safely. His face has already gone pale; under the armor, blood must be pooling at the injuries in dreadful bruises.]

[She steps forward, pressing her hand to his body as it unravels, skin first, then muscle, then cracked bone, dissolving into the air. Armor, charges, carrots, weapon remain in the empty space where Scott was, and she reaches out for the lifeless facsimile of his head, grabbing it roughly by the hair.]

[The prey is felled, and the predator may live a little longer for the effort. Already, the last vestiges of Scott's old body, flickers of memories of progress, seep into her, and she drinks them, greedily. There is a part of Pearl that has accepted the title of Beast, and it is proud of itself.]

[But the rest of Pearl has expectations to follow, and must not overwhelm Scott with its Beastly variety of love, and so she turns, gathers up the items, and turns the arena off before she enters the scoreroom.]

[smajors-mailbox]

It starts with a gasp of air, newly-created lungs gasping for air as his eyes snap open, back in the bed in the storeroom. After so many respawns, it's nothing but a routine to swing his legs over the side of the bed and get back to his feet. The pain of death fades into nothing but a memory as he gets out and stretches, wings fluttering behind him. They extend to their full wingspans as he make sure every muscle is ready to move - habits from long ago, and then he shakes himself out one last time. Scott fiddles with his sleeves, pulling them even though they are not formal wear and do not need to be straightened out.

Scott had lost. ("You deserve this win, Pearl." She did. This is just him giving it to her rightfully. It doesn't change the fact that she had deserved it. This doesn't change the fact that he had sacrificed himself for her win. This doesn't change that she had won. It's fate, after all.) He's not upset about it, no - not when this was what should have happened from the beginning. If it makes her feel better, though, then he doesn't mind going through it again. He watches her come back into the room, and turns to face her with a smile.

"Ah, there you are," he greets. "Good match. You won, fair and square." Not bitter. Not sad. Not angry. Just... content. Satisfied. This was how it was always going to go, after all. "Mean hit there, at the end," Scott says, lightheartedly. "It was a good one, I mean. You feeling alright?" He both means about the match ending, and how she feels in general.

[pearls-mailbox]

[Pearl nods to him in greeting, and extends a hand to shake. An acknowledgement of his efforts. In her other, she still holds his head, handling it with a little more gentleness now.]

[To be honest, she didn't come into it caring if she won or lost this match. The important part was doing it, anyway. Getting that closure she'd been missing for so long. But now, she feels...]

Yeah, I'm good. Felt... good, honestly. [The bruises that are blooming where he struck her are nothing compared to the rush of it all. She feels... proud of herself, in a way greater accomplishments have failed to inspire in her for too long now.]

You want this? [She asks, holding out his head.] I dunno, as a souvenir?

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott, honestly, does not know what to do with his head. It's not like he hasn't seen it before. He takes it from her hands and tucks it carefully into his inventory with a chuckle. Scott might take it and leave it in his room, tucked away in a chest - a quiet reminder of the new beginning they've forged together.

"You know what, sure. A souvenir of our time together," he agrees, but it's lighthearted - his smile feels real, genuine, solid. It's nice. "I'm glad that you feel alright, now." He's glad that everything turned out okay. That's what he wanted more than anything else. More than anything else, he just wants to be friends again. "Maybe we can get something together that isn't a souvenir, though, as a memento of our good times together. We can do something else together."

It's a tentative offer. He wants to go back to being real friends. Real friends that do things together and spend time together and have fun together. He wants to have fun together with Pearl again.

[pearls-mailbox]

[Pearl goes around her dining room with a feather duster for the third time in the day. Scott is coming over. They're finally going to talk, really talk, about what happened. Everything ought to be extra, extra clean. He'll chastize her if she doesn’t he's used to the pristine halls of his castle, she wants him to feel comfortable.]

[She should do the kitchen again too. And the living room. Just in case he wants to sit in there. Where's the best place to sit with company? Why are her dogs barking– oh that's the doorbell he's here. She rushes to meet him at the door, still wearing her cleaning outfit. Oh dear. Will she look embarrassing?]

[She opens the door.]

...Hi, Scott?

[It comes out as a question. Oh dear. Oh dear oh dear oh dear.]

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott hasn't been this nervous about going to meet someone since the last time he talked to Pearl about Double Life - and he has to remind himself that that Pearl wasn't this Pearl, and that he's going to have to have this conversation all over again. It's one that he's prepared himself for (and one he's gone through before) but that doesn't make it any less easier.

Instead of coming in traditional Rivendell clothes that he finds himself wearing all the time again, Scott had found the outfit he'd worn back in 3rd Life back in his closet, and he'd adorned the jeans, the jacket, the white shirt with the stripes on it. It feels almost a little wrong to be wearing something so casual, but he didn't want to intimidate her by wearing that kind of outfit.

Something better suited to make her feel more casual (and not the red jacket he'd worn in Double Life to mirror hers) would work well, right? He stands at the door and when she opens it, he smiles at her.

"Ah, Pearl," he greets with a wave. "Oh, look at all the dogs! Aren't they cute?" Scott peers at all of her dogs, and doesn't mind at all the fact that Pearl is still in her cleaning clothing. If that's what makes her more comfortable, then he won't mind at all. "I hope you're feeling alright?" She probably isn't, but his manners kick in nonetheless.

[pearls-mailbox]

Puppies, doggies, don't jump... [Pearl gently shoos her dogs away from Scott. Tilly, in particular, lingers for a moment, staring him down before backing away.] I'm alright, yeah... Sorry I didn't change...

[Her antennae droop sheepishly. It is obvious she is probably not alright, but it's the thing to say.] Come on in, I baked pie... [Does this Scott like pie? She hopes he does.]

[smajors-mailbox]

Ah, that must be Tilly, Scott registers as he stares at her before she backs down. "It's alright," he waves. "I understand, you stress-clean, right?" He remembers that the Pearl from his timeline, world, whatever, had also done the same thing.

Neither of them are okay. But they will be okay.

"You baked pie?" Scott smiles. "I would love to try some, thank you so much for the food." He steps inside, taking his shoes (how strange it is to wear sneakers, this outfit brings back so many memories) off and setting them down on a rack so they are not chewed mercilessly by the dogs.

[pearls-mailbox]

Yep, stress-cleaning... [Pearl admits with a nervous laugh. She leads him into the dining room, setting the pie on the table. She already has plates and silverware out.] Do you want anything to drink?

[Everything is fine. She has, if anything, overprepared for this. He's going to like it. She tells herself this. He's going to like it.]

[smajors-mailbox]

"Anything sweet, honestly, I think will do. I've got quite the secret sweet tooth," he chuckles. Scott makes conversation even if it doesn't come easy, because that is what is expected of him and that will help Pearl and what matters right now is making sure Pearl doesn't freak out. "I'm sorry about stressing you out like this, though. I think the conversation won't be as bad as you're thinking it will be." Because he's had this once, before, and they worked things out.

They will work out again.

They have to.

[pearls-mailbox]

[Pearl blushes with unease. She doesn’t like that it's that obvious that she's scared.] Don't apologize, [she mumbles,] it's not your fault...

[Is it the other Scott's fault she's so stressed out about one conversation? Anybody's? Hers?]

[Before that spiral goes anywhere else, she gets ingredients for sweet iced tea out, readying some for Scott.]

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott watches as Pearl makes the tea. It is... well, his fault, and not his fault at the same time. Having being an alternative version of an existing person has definitely... been an experience that he... has gone through, which feels unreal. But what matters is that Pearl is here and in front of him, and he can make things right (again).

"It sort of is my fault," he chuckles, and he has a feeling he feels less nervous about this because he's done this before, but the anxiety still takes root in his lungs. "But let's get to that later." He pauses. "I... I'm not mad at you," he tries to reassure her, and he smiles that perfect Emperor smile that he uses when he's nervous in a meeting with officials, "if that's any condolence."

From where he's clasped his hands together, he tightens his fingers, the already-pale skin going a little more white from the pressure.

[pearls-mailbox]

[Pearl has never actually tried to make iced tea before, but she took a guess on what sort of drink Scott would like when she was shopping, and now she's gotta stick with it. She sets the glass down on the table for Scott, and grabs the mug of coffee she was drinking while she cleaned.]

Okay, [Pearl mumbles as she sits down, but she can't really convince herself to believe him. All she can do is wait for his critical eye to fall on all the things she's doing wrong.] I'm... not either? [She doesn't deserve to be mad. Not after everything she did.]

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott picks up the drink and he picks it up, taking a sip. It's surprisingly well done - the amount of sugar that's in it is exactly to his liking. He can't help but smile (genuinely) when he sets down the cup, despite the conversation he's about to have, and then, he turns his gaze to Pearl again. Okay. He's gotta do this.

"First of all, I want to say that I'm sorry," Scott says, and it's important, because when he thinks of how Santa Pearla had cried and cried and how she had never gotten an apology, that comes first. "I want to say that I am genuinely very sorry for how I treated you during Double Life." He names it, because names have power and it's important that Scott acknowledges what he'd done. "It wasn't right of me, and I hurt your feelings a lot, and for that, I am sorry."

He keeps his eyes trained on Pearl's face, maybe not always meeting eye contact, but eye contact can sometimes freak him out a little bit, but he wants to seem sincere. Scott is sincere about this. He is sorry. Pearl made mistakes, but so did he, and she deserves this apology. This will be okay. They can work things out.

[pearls-mailbox]

[Okay. Yeah. Time to have a reasonable adult conversation and not freak out. Pearl can do this.]

...Thank you. [Deep breath.] I'm sorry, too. For... all the impulsive things I did. And... for not listening when you said to leave you alone.

[She takes a sip of the half-empty coffee. She's let it sit for much too long, and it's become bitter and cold. She wonders why she didn't throw this out.]

[smajors-mailbox]

To be honest, when Double Life had been happening, Scott's biggest issue with Pearl had been those exact things. His smile relaxes just the slightest bit upon receiving that apology in return. He's a little surprised there hasn't been any violence yet - when he and his Pearl had this conversation, she'd been understandably very angry with him.

He'd been angry with her in return, and they'd fought it out until they'd had a proper conversation about how they'd really felt. This feels more... reserved.

It feels like Pearl is holding back.

Scott feels still tense about this, but still a little better. "That's honestly the biggest thing that bothered me about Double Life," he admits. "But... I think it affected you much more than it affected me. Is there anything you want to talk about?" He gives her an opening to lead the conversation - this should be a little more about Pearl rather than himself.

[pearls-mailbox]

[Pearl takes another sip of her coffee. It's definitely gotten gross, but she forces it back anyway. Hopefully, the caffeine will help her think.]

I guess– to start– [She should start with something small, she thinks– oh gosh, everything is big. Uhhh. Fuck. She just picks something.]

Do you sti– did you really think I was crazy?

[She clears her throat, trying not to shudder. Just the word makes her feel a little gross inside.] Everyone else started... saying things, and then... I don't know, I could ignore them, but I couldn't ignore it when it came from you.

[smajors-mailbox]

Ah. It's time to talk about this. Scott eyes the cup of iced tea he hadn't touched since the conversation started, and as he mulls over his words, he takes the cup and raises it to his mouth. He takes a tentative sip, pausing, before placing it back down. How does he say this.

It's not like he didn't catch the first part of her sentence. Pearl still thinks that he thinks she was crazy. Maybe the original Scott had thought she was crazy. Maybe it's best that he give some background.

"I never thought you were crazy," Scott finally says aloud, breaking the silence that had been starting to build. "I called you crazy because I was upset and I wanted to hurt you, in a way. You see - back... home." His fingers curl around the glass. "Back home, you and I... we grew up together. We met at a diplomatic ball when we were both fifteen, and we mailed one another whenever we got the chance to. We met up whenever our situations would allow it. I grew up by your side, you my most trusted advisor. There was nothing I couldn't tell you."

The more he speaks, the more it feels bittersweet. "I saw you at your lowest point, and you saw me at my lowest point. It was easy to tell, to me, that you were trying to play into this role, to accept it, even if it hurt you. I'm not sure how... your Scott saw it. But I knew you, Pearl. I don't know if that makes me worse or better, in this situation," he admits, looking back up at her, hesitant to meet her eyes.

"But if you want to know what I, Scott of Rivendell, think," because he is Scott of Rivendell and he will forever be, even if she is not Queen Pearl of Gilded Helianthia, she is Pearl, "I've never thought you were insane, or you were crazy. I've known you were sane. I didn't mean for it to spiral as much as it did - people caught onto how I was upset about how things had happened and it suddenly wasn't just me, and it wasn't in my hands anymore. I know it started like that, but I didn't... I never meant for it to end up being something that defined you like that."

"For the longest time, I have seen how gentle you have been. You were the Queen of Farming, for Aeor's sake - how could someone like that be insane? Being capable of violence is not mutual with being a violent person." He aches with the urge to reach out and take her hand, to show her those fields of their unshared childhoods, to make Pearl see how he sees her, and yet, he finds he cannot reach her eyes, nor her fingers that have always been longer than his.

[pearls-mailbox]

[Growing up together... Pearl’s heart suddenly aches for the memories of another person. Another Pearl, of another timeline. The pang is jealousy, she realizes, and she shuts her mouth.]

It hurt. It did. We made each other hurt.

[The violence barely spanned a day, but the name still follows her. The expectations. Jokes are sometimes made that they had better keep dog armor out of the Series, that Pearl had better get her rest or who knows if she might snap, that she had better shape up and fight like everyone knows she can because look, Scott's winning again— Pearl hates it. She hates all of it. She doesn’t want to be the Witch.]

[The thought that Scott maybe, actually, knows that's not her– it's so terrifying, she finds herself recoiling from it.]

I– But– I hurt you. I hurt me, and I liked it. The snow–

[She hides her face, choking back a sob.]

I've never so much as touched it again, I swear, I've been good–

[She doesn’t know what might happen if she does. Nether, she's only now working up the courage to use ice in a build. The very thought of the blue tinging her fingers and crystals forming on her wings make her feel like she's going to choke.]

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott finds that he feels eerily calm, even as Pearl chokes back her sobs, even as the situation feels like it's turning sideways. His heart does not beat out of tune, his lungs don't work quickly - it's a cold kind of calm that settles over his shoulders like it has before. It's not quite dissociation, but it's not quite not - the way that his emotions seem to fade and turn into a vague chill underneath his skin feels familiar.

"We did hurt one another," Scott agrees, because it's true. They both hurt one another. They lashed out. "I participated in it a few times, too. It's not like you're blameless." He goes to immediately rationalize what had happened, to explain, but Pearl looks like she's on the verge of a panic attack, and he knows this is a sensitive subject. Scott has to approach this maturely. He has to approach it well. "And it must have felt good. To get back at me, I mean." Slowly, carefully, he reaches across the table, and places his hand down palm-up - an offering for her to take it.

"You don't have to prove that you're good to me, Pearl. I know you're a good person. I trust you when you say you haven't touched it again, and I'm glad you're not hurting yourself anymore. And I'm sorry," Scott is ashamed to say that his voice shakes as he apologizes again. The guilt is awful to live with, even to this day - it feels, sometimes, like he's choking on it, that it lives in his lungs like some sort of rot that he can never clean out. His hands shiver, sometimes, both because of the ice of his home and because of the memories of the past - of the games, of his childhood. Of being alone. (Waiting.) "That I made you go that far. That I made you feel like you had to do that in retaliation. I'm sorry. I don't think I ever won't be sorry for how awfully things turned out. I won't ever not be sorry for how I treated you."

[pearls-mailbox]

[Carefully, her hand inches across the table until it's brushing his. Her arms are longer, but she doesn’t quite reach out far enough for him to take it.]

I trusted you. We couldn't trust anyone, with the Curse, but I trusted you. And I worked so hard because I wanted to provide for us but you didn't want it. You didn't want me...

[She's not always good at finding the right way to tell people how much she cares about them, but in every service she can provide, every gift she can give, is more love than her words can contain. Where Scott will die to show his devotion, she will live for hers. And he didn't want it.]

I was scared. I got mad. At you, at everyone, at myself. [She swallows more tears.] ...I think I still am.

[Pearl tosses her head, pulling her hand back.] ...I don't deserve to be mad after what I put you through.

[smajors-mailbox]

"What you put me through?" The words that have all been coming out before have been calm, collected, but Scott snaps back into focus, the words come out with force. "Pearl, no, this - Pearl, no," and suddenly, he's struggling to find the sentence he wants to say. "No, this isn't about what - Pearl, you have suffered a hundred times more than I have because of Double Life. You don't have to-" He gestures around wildly, nearly getting out of his seat. "If you're angry, be angry. Pearl, I'm not going to tell you not to be angry. You put me through things? No, no, I put you through all of that. There's no reason for you to be feeling like you have to sacrifice your emotions for my sake."

Scott is the one who is supposed to sacrifice his feelings for the sake of this conversation. This isn't supposed to be about him. This is about Pearl. This is about how he had hurt her. She's deserved this apology and he's trying to give it to her. There's this moment of frantic scrabbling as he tries to get them back on track, control slipping through his fingers like sand as he attempts to figure out what to say, how to say it. How does he continue? This is wrong, this has suddenly gone all wrong.

"Why is this about deserving? If it's about deserving, you've deserved to be angry. It's not that I've never wanted you, Pearl, it's - it's more complicated than that," he settles on, because he's not sure how to say it, Scott feels like he isn't in control anymore and that's not good. If he's not in control of himself, then this is going to go wrong, and he needs things to go right or else that's failing Pearl again. He was supposed to make things right. Why are they going wrong? What has he done wrong to make her feel like she can't express herself? "Pearl, I trusted you too," and it's past tense, because she had also used past tense, and that hurts. Scott scrabbles for the mature tone he uses when he comes into these conversations and he is found he is left with an ugly kind of passion, the kind of almost-anger not at a person, but also entirely at them at the same time. It makes him want to freeze it and grind it into nothing with his bare hands.

Scott feels strongly about this, and he hates that he can't hide that from her.

[pearls-mailbox]

[And finally, the anger slips through. Pearl can't meet his eyes, staring at the floor, but tears drip down her cheeks as she bangs her fists on the table. Several of her dogs get to their feet, ears pricked.]

I– everybody loves you, Scott! They all love you, and I, I love you too, I don't think I ever stopped, and, and you're always perfect and I'm– I'm gonna be her forever! No matter what I do!

[The coffee cup, near-empty, rattles on the table.]

I hate you, but I love you, and– [She has to gasp for breath.] And I think I just hate myself.

[Pearl's hands find their way to her hair, tugging indiscriminately. It's only when her hands brush against her flattened antennae that she jerks them away, realizing how close she might have gotten to accidentally pulling one out. She stares blankly at her hands, tears still streaming.]

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott had fallen quiet when she had her outburst, but as soon as Pearl nearly tugs out her antennae, as soon as her hands are free, he's reaching out over the table - he hesitates, but then he grabs onto her hands. "I'm not perfect," he says, voice thick with emotion. "Pearl, I think you know that at the bottom of your heart that I'm not. I'm really, really not. I hurt you a lot during Double Life, and I lashed out, and if you want, I can explain why I did things the way that I did, but in the end, that doesn't change the fact that I hurt you." It's hard, sometimes, to admit that he's wrong in emotional moments - a part of him still screams, banging at the bars of some cage made of ice, that admittance is failure, that if he complies then he is admitting that he was not good enough. But I wasn't, is the answer Scott has this time, and it is true.

Scott had done a lot of terrible things during Double Life. He had scolded her during their down times when the hunger pangs had hit in, because he had been antsy and nervous and off his game. And he can explain that, but he regrets it. He regrets how harsh he was with her. So this time, he is very deliberately gentle. He swallows again, and it feels like he's choking for a moment on all the words he never got to say. (He's done this before. But it feels like he hasn't.)

"Pearl, I love you too," he says, first of all. "That has never changed. Even when I did all of those things, and even when we both lashed out, I didn't stop caring about you. And you're not her. You've never been her, not really. Not truly. Because the 'Scarlet Witch' has never been you. You tried to use that to protect yourself because you were scared and alone and I am so, so sorry. I wish I could take it all back. And I'm here not because I want to," he pauses, his heart hammering in his chest.

"Say that I'm blameless, or that you're awful. I'm here because I still want to be friends with you, and I'm here because I want to understand you, and I really, really hope that I can work everything out with you. I understand hating yourself," because there have been countless moments where he has hated what he has done, hated the person he was, hated everything, hated how he had let everything in Empires escalate to that point, "but I don't hate you. I know things must be very hard for you," and that's an obvious statement, "but that doesn't make me care about you any less."

[pearls-mailbox]

[Pearl trembles, but she lets Scott hold her hands. His are cold, but the surprise of it seems to shock her system enough that she stops staring at her hands and thinking about all the blood she's had on them, and she listens.]

I was so scared... [Pearl mumbles, breathless. She can't stop shaking.] I don't think I ever stopped being scared... I just got better at ignoring it.

It's like, some little part of me is still there, in the clearing, more of a dog than a person, and she's ready to put an arrow in your heart, and– and that horrible light is still reflecting in her eyes. She never got out.

I'm scared, Scott... [She finds herself letting out a low whine, tugging lightly on his hands from across the table.]

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott lets his hands be tugged, and he reaches up with a thumb to rub it over her thumb's knuckle in an act of comfort. "It's going to be okay, Pearl. You know, I don't think most people see you as the Witch anymore, but I know that... the season had a lot of impact on you internally, so you might still feel that way for a while. Maybe later I can go around with you and we can let people know not to make those kinds of jokes anymore?" He says, absorbing the information.

"But that's... that's later. Right now, I want you to know that I'm listening." I'm not going anywhere. "And maybe it might take a while, but I think you - she - will be able to leave." It will all be okay, he murmurs under his breath more to himself than to her. He can do this. No, not just them - they can do this, together. They can figure things out.

[pearls-mailbox]

Okay... [Pearl’s voice is still breathy, but slowly, it gets steadier. She gets to her feet, gently tugging on Scott's hands until she has him wrapped in a hug, tight and clinging.]

[It's several seconds before she finally lets him go and steps back. Her eyes fall on the dregs of her coffee, and she picks it up with a sad little laugh.] I don't know why I kept drinking this... I could have warmed it back up at any time.

[She sighs, returning her attention to Scott.]

I missed you. I really did, even when you were right there.

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott smiles back at Pearl, and he stays standing right where Pearl had left him. I'm staying. I'm not going anywhere.

"I missed you too, Pearl," he says, and for once, he isn't gripped with the urge to straighten out his shirt, or fix the cuffs of his shirt (which his current one doesn't have, so he can't do that anyways). "I'm sorry that it took us so long to have this talk. But if you ever want to talk about it, or ask me about clarification, or anything along those lines, I don't mind sitting down to have another talk. I'll explain it until you get it. That's what friends do." It's a promise.

[pearls-mailbox]

[They've talked, finally. They could talk and talk and talk and talk, and Pearl’s not sure she would ever find the words for all her messy feelings. But...]

Would you spar with me? [It's so tentative, it's almost a whisper. Pearl of the past never got her fight, Pearl reckons. Maybe it's time she gets what she stood there waiting for.] I have a place.

[smajors-mailbox]

To be honest, Scott would much rather explain everything, go through all the events methodically. Step by step work it out. But there's so much, too much - it feels a little overwhelming, even if that's how he would rather go about it. But - Pearl is asking this of him. Scott can do that.

"Yeah. Yeah, we can spar. If you have a place, I'll set my spawn and stuff, and we can absolutely spar." If it makes her feel better, Scott will draw his sword again and they can spar. Even if Scott prefers words over violence, he will make an exception. (Maybe he needs to step out of his comfort zone.) "I suppose I won't be taking any ice magic into here. To keep things fair." He chuckles. When he's in the life games, his ability to harness ice is banned to keep things fair as well.

(Liberating, yet confinement all the same. How fascinating.)

[pearls-mailbox]

No, it's not that kinda fighting. You'll see, [Pearl explains, grabbing Scott's hand.] You saw that big ballroom outside, right?

[She doesn’t wait for an answer, because she starts dragging him through her base to the ballroom.]

[At the entrance, she stops. The ballroom is spacious and silent, the only life the mossy decorations and the assorted sculptures spread across the floor. Pearl doesn’t enter, however; she turns to the bookshelf in the lobby, tugs on a book, and gestures for Scott to enter the door that opens out of nowhere.]

[Pearl rifles through some chests inside, tossing him a mace and a suit of netherite armor.] This place is mostly a secret– only Joel, Gem, Cub, and Etho know about it. But I think it's fine to have you here as a guest. No telling, okay?

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott brings up a hand to his mouth playfully, mimicking the motion of zipping his lips shut. "I won't tell a soul," he says, with an amused little grin. He takes up the Netherite armour, and begins to put it on, before realizing that he should probably tell Pearl about the fact that he has wings.

With a flick and a shake, the glamour comes undone, and soft, downy white wings fade into existence with the addition of a few sparkles as he gets rid of the spell. They're quite large, but he tucks them behind his back to make them seem smaller after he stretches them out, almost a little too quickly.

"I thought maybe I should show you these, since you're showing me one of your secrets," he's not sure why he's so nervous about it, trying to disguise it as a light joke. "But I wasn't sure if other Scott had these, so I thought it'd be better to let you know. He's got the shoes and the pants on, so he looks a little awkward, half-armoured.

[pearls-mailbox]

[Pearl blinks in surprise for a moment. Other Scott indeed did not have wings. But that conversation can be left for another time– for the moment, Pearl considers this, before declaring,] Since we both can fly, then, you can glide a little, but no flapping, [and pulls out another chestplate, a backless one like her own.] Try this on instead.

[She hasn’t fought Cub in the arena yet, so this will be the first time she has to adjust for wings being in play. No flapping seems like a good compromise, though; can't use them to get higher, but slowing the descent is fine.]

Set your spawn and grab some wind charges and gold carrots, and I'll explain the rules, [she chirps, leaning on her mace. The breeze rod that makes the handle flexes slightly with her weight.]

[smajors-mailbox]

"Alright," Scott agrees, putting on the chestplate and then the helmet. He gives her a grateful smile, pleased with the fact that she doesn't seem to be bothered by the wings. It's not necessarily something he goes around telling people about, he prefers keeping it on-the-low. Despite Aeor being a Stag God, being his incarnation means that he has wings. (Why? He has no clue. He just has to roll with it, honestly.)

After he completes the tasks given to him by Pearl, he does as told, and then pulls out the mace. It's not like any weapon he usually uses - it's much too big. He prefers a sword or an axe or a bow in battle. Axes do more damage, of course, but swords were customary for duels and he's got plenty of experience with that. Scott doesn't touch the sword in his inventory, though. This is not a duel. This is a spar. The mace's handle feels strange against his skin, but he runs his fingers over it gently to try and get a feel for how the weapon would swing.

"Well? How are we doing this? I'm not quite familiar with maces, you see, so you'll have to pardon me," he can't help but laugh a little to himself about it. The mace looks very natural from where Pearl has her position with it, but it will take Scott a few swings to get into the rhythm of it. "But I'm interested in how you've set up this arena. How do we spar?" There's a look of genuine interest in his eyes as he looks at her, awaiting her instruction.

[pearls-mailbox]

So! [Pearl leads Scott out to the ballroom, spinning in a circle as she indicates the whole room.] In a minute, I'll turn the arena on, and some platforms and bouncy slime pits will come out. There's also wind charge launchers under the vents in the floor; the whole point is to bounce up real high using your wind charges so you can SMACK the other person real hard!

[She gives one of the statues a demonstrative whack as she says this, a puff of wind blowing from her mace. The sound rings clearly throughout the whole ballroom; despite seemingly having the figure of a stick, she's honestly quite buff and has no trouble handling the heavy weapon.]

You can eat carrots if you're taking a lot of fall damage, but don't overdo it, [Pearl wraps up.] You wanna go stand on that end of the arena and get ready? [She points him to the far end.]

[smajors-mailbox]

"This is cute," Scott remarks as he looks around the room, absorbing the look of the build. "Excellent. Alright, I understand how the game works, and it definitely doesn't disappoint. I'll go over there now," his wings give a flutter in anticipation as he moves over to where Pearl has directed to, giving his mace a few experimental swings. Of course, it's not the same as swinging it in the middle of combat (or in the air), but at least he won't be swinging it for the first time. He looks over at his friend and gives her a thumbs up.

"Ready when you are."

[pearls-mailbox]

[Pearl retreats to the entrance of the room, and quietly taps the note block that turns on the arena. The soft opening notes of Creator fill the ballroom, pits of slime open in the floor, and pillars rise from it. Quietly, Pearl advances, circling the outskirts of the room like a predator, before throwing down a wind charge and leaping up to a pillar, and up once more to a chandelier.]

[Perched atop the moss and glass, Pearl regards Scott with a cool smile.]

Come on, Scott, [she purrs.] Let's dance.

[smajors-mailbox]

Something about this still unnerves Scott - it feels like Pearl wants to hunt him down for sport, and that feeling of being chased is one that is both loved and hated by him - but he had agreed to this. He's going to see it through. He's a man of his word, he doesn't go back on what he says, but there's something about the way Pearl looks at him that makes something crawl up the back of his spine.

Best to just jump into this, right?

Every move Scott takes has an air of elegance to it - all that training during his childhood never really leaves him, not even in the moments where he is fighting for his life, he keeps an air of coolness about him. He jumps up with the windcharge onto the pillar, looking up at Pearl, and he readies the mace. "Can't fight if you're all the way up there," he chuckles, keeping his eyes on her.

(Don't look away. If he slacks for even one moment, he'll be dead.)

[pearls-mailbox]

Not for long, [Pearl laughs, springing off the pillar, eyes trained on Scott as she swings– perhaps a little too trained on Scott, because she misses the pillar by a few inches, poor depth perception suddenly betraying her.]

[She lands on the ground, mutters] Voiddamnit, [and rapidly backs up, eating a golden carrot and staring up at him as she anticipates his leap.]

[smajors-mailbox]

As Pearl is eating her golden carrot, Scott leaps off of the platform, swinging his mace - he doesn't expect to actually hit her, but he does manage a good shot in against her armour, and he does so with a surprised noise. "Beginner's luck!" He says, backing away to prepare a windcharge. Scott never stops moving, never pauses for even a moment - memories of growing up, to stay still is to grow compliant, and compliancy in a battle is death. Never let them have the opportunity to catch you while still. Scott bounces off of the stands back up onto the tower again, and flexes his hands as he grasps the handle again, looking for another opening.

Despite his lighthearted words, he zooms in on the opportunity to strike, the weaknesses, the chinks in her armour. If she has to slow down, he will jump again. Scott will comply with the rules (honour, to stay honourable and play by them in a battle to the death is still something he will forever abide by) but that does not mean that he will go down without a fight. Pearl feels like she is hunting him, but his eyes focus on her and the surroundings, preparing for his next move, eyeing her like a hawk. He will go into this fight with a strategy, but for now, the goal is to simply try and get more familiar with her fighting style so he can learn how to counter it.

[pearls-mailbox]

[Pearl only seems to take the hit as further fuel for her own fighting spirit. She grits her teeth, tightens her grip on her mace, and throws a wind charge at her feet once more, briefly coasting on the updraft.]

[She follows Scott as he dodges, gaining further momentum by springing off a statue, and abruptly folds back her wings to increase her speed as she comes back down. The resulting impact of her mace launches her back into the air and sends Scott skidding.]

[With a triumphant whoop, she takes another pillar perch, shifting her weight before she lunges back into motion.]

[smajors-mailbox]

The blow leaves Scott stumbling, scrambling, a little dizzy. His breath comes out in a singular wheeze as he attempts to reorient himself. Where did she go? Ah, there. He launches himself up (even as the world spins) and misses brutally, missing the pillar and hitting the ground hard. Scott stumbles. How embarrassing. He should be doing better than this. This is not the demeanour befitting of an Emperor. But he's not the emperor, right now. He's just Scott. (A little bit of dizziness would have killed him in a real fight. It's a little pathetic, really.) He needs to get himself together, even as he feels his head spins and he turns around to try and get himself back up onto a pillar.

[pearls-mailbox]

[Pearl leaps down once more, only to misjudge the distance again and thud against polished floor. Quickly, she reorients herself, scrambling upright and bounding away from him once more. She jumps into an opened vent, letting it shoot her up into the air again.]

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott takes that moment to jump up again, reining in his focus as he manages to get a hit on her midair with the mace. It's a solid, clean hit, but he still feels he could have done better as he continues to bounce around, finally getting into the swing of the battle and the fighting style. His lips press into a line as he focuses on trying to get more height in their fight.

[pearls-mailbox]

[Pearl only gets more determined with every successful hit Scott makes on her, gritting her teeth and tightening her grip. Her fervor is nothing short of animalistic as she scrabbles to her feet, propelling herself up once more, and she doesn’t even feel ashamed of it, in this moment.]

[Let them say she barks like a dog. She'll bite like one too.]

[For once, it feels like she can bring this feeling back, and someone will understand. She can relive it and let a little of it go safely and nobody will be hurt in the way that lasts.]

[She howls triumphantly as she lands another hit, springing backwards up to a pillar, and leaps right back into the fray.]

[smajors-mailbox]

It feels a little like fighting a rabid dog - Scott watches as his hearts drop dangerously close to 0. He's sure that one more hit will kill him. He should play this smart. Something in the back of his mind tells him to give up, to let her hit him, unfairly as she did before - it's punishment, a payback for all the pain he put her through. An 'apology' through self-inflicted death. However, that's not what Pearl is here for. Pearl told him directly that she wanted this fair and square, that the fact that he gave her the victory wasn't what she wanted. He wants to brace. He tries to make another jump, but with his hearts so low, he's cautious. A little too cautious.

He could have braced. He could have cheated, he could have brought up the mace to block the hit with his previous training. Or maybe he couldn't have - maybe it's just futile last-second wishing as Pearl soars through the air towards him. Scott could maybe have done something, or in reality - maybe he couldn't have done anything at all. Maybe this was the way things were always going to turn out as. Maybe this is just fate.

Maybe-

Pearl's mace comes down on him, and Scott can't help but smile.

This feels like the right outcome.

[ smajor1995 was slain by pearlescentmoon using Mace Wind Bu. ]

[pearls-mailbox]

[The last hit is solid, to the chest. Pearl hears the crunch and snap of bone as the wind springs her backwards, and she flicks her wings, catching the wind to let her land safely. His face has already gone pale; under the armor, blood must be pooling at the injuries in dreadful bruises.]

[She steps forward, pressing her hand to his body as it unravels, skin first, then muscle, then cracked bone, dissolving into the air. Armor, charges, carrots, weapon remain in the empty space where Scott was, and she reaches out for the lifeless facsimile of his head, grabbing it roughly by the hair.]

[The prey is felled, and the predator may live a little longer for the effort. Already, the last vestiges of Scott's old body, flickers of memories of progress, seep into her, and she drinks them, greedily. There is a part of Pearl that has accepted the title of Beast, and it is proud of itself.]

[But the rest of Pearl has expectations to follow, and must not overwhelm Scott with its Beastly variety of love, and so she turns, gathers up the items, and turns the arena off before she enters the scoreroom.]

[smajors-mailbox]

It starts with a gasp of air, newly-created lungs gasping for air as his eyes snap open, back in the bed in the storeroom. After so many respawns, it's nothing but a routine to swing his legs over the side of the bed and get back to his feet. The pain of death fades into nothing but a memory as he gets out and stretches, wings fluttering behind him. They extend to their full wingspans as he make sure every muscle is ready to move - habits from long ago, and then he shakes himself out one last time. Scott fiddles with his sleeves, pulling them even though they are not formal wear and do not need to be straightened out.

Scott had lost. ("You deserve this win, Pearl." She did. This is just him giving it to her rightfully. It doesn't change the fact that she had deserved it. This doesn't change the fact that he had sacrificed himself for her win. This doesn't change that she had won. It's fate, after all.) He's not upset about it, no - not when this was what should have happened from the beginning. If it makes her feel better, though, then he doesn't mind going through it again. He watches her come back into the room, and turns to face her with a smile.

"Ah, there you are," he greets. "Good match. You won, fair and square." Not bitter. Not sad. Not angry. Just... content. Satisfied. This was how it was always going to go, after all. "Mean hit there, at the end," Scott says, lightheartedly. "It was a good one, I mean. You feeling alright?" He both means about the match ending, and how she feels in general.

[pearls-mailbox]

[Pearl goes around her dining room with a feather duster for the third time in the day. Scott is coming over. They're finally going to talk, really talk, about what happened. Everything ought to be extra, extra clean. He'll chastize her if she doesn’t he's used to the pristine halls of his castle, she wants him to feel comfortable.]

[She should do the kitchen again too. And the living room. Just in case he wants to sit in there. Where's the best place to sit with company? Why are her dogs barking– oh that's the doorbell he's here. She rushes to meet him at the door, still wearing her cleaning outfit. Oh dear. Will she look embarrassing?]

[She opens the door.]

...Hi, Scott?

[It comes out as a question. Oh dear. Oh dear oh dear oh dear.]

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott hasn't been this nervous about going to meet someone since the last time he talked to Pearl about Double Life - and he has to remind himself that that Pearl wasn't this Pearl, and that he's going to have to have this conversation all over again. It's one that he's prepared himself for (and one he's gone through before) but that doesn't make it any less easier.

Instead of coming in traditional Rivendell clothes that he finds himself wearing all the time again, Scott had found the outfit he'd worn back in 3rd Life back in his closet, and he'd adorned the jeans, the jacket, the white shirt with the stripes on it. It feels almost a little wrong to be wearing something so casual, but he didn't want to intimidate her by wearing that kind of outfit.

Something better suited to make her feel more casual (and not the red jacket he'd worn in Double Life to mirror hers) would work well, right? He stands at the door and when she opens it, he smiles at her.

"Ah, Pearl," he greets with a wave. "Oh, look at all the dogs! Aren't they cute?" Scott peers at all of her dogs, and doesn't mind at all the fact that Pearl is still in her cleaning clothing. If that's what makes her more comfortable, then he won't mind at all. "I hope you're feeling alright?" She probably isn't, but his manners kick in nonetheless.

[pearls-mailbox]

Puppies, doggies, don't jump... [Pearl gently shoos her dogs away from Scott. Tilly, in particular, lingers for a moment, staring him down before backing away.] I'm alright, yeah... Sorry I didn't change...

[Her antennae droop sheepishly. It is obvious she is probably not alright, but it's the thing to say.] Come on in, I baked pie... [Does this Scott like pie? She hopes he does.]

[smajors-mailbox]

Ah, that must be Tilly, Scott registers as he stares at her before she backs down. "It's alright," he waves. "I understand, you stress-clean, right?" He remembers that the Pearl from his timeline, world, whatever, had also done the same thing.

Neither of them are okay. But they will be okay.

"You baked pie?" Scott smiles. "I would love to try some, thank you so much for the food." He steps inside, taking his shoes (how strange it is to wear sneakers, this outfit brings back so many memories) off and setting them down on a rack so they are not chewed mercilessly by the dogs.

[pearls-mailbox]

Yep, stress-cleaning... [Pearl admits with a nervous laugh. She leads him into the dining room, setting the pie on the table. She already has plates and silverware out.] Do you want anything to drink?

[Everything is fine. She has, if anything, overprepared for this. He's going to like it. She tells herself this. He's going to like it.]

[smajors-mailbox]

"Anything sweet, honestly, I think will do. I've got quite the secret sweet tooth," he chuckles. Scott makes conversation even if it doesn't come easy, because that is what is expected of him and that will help Pearl and what matters right now is making sure Pearl doesn't freak out. "I'm sorry about stressing you out like this, though. I think the conversation won't be as bad as you're thinking it will be." Because he's had this once, before, and they worked things out.

They will work out again.

They have to.

[pearls-mailbox]

[Pearl blushes with unease. She doesn’t like that it's that obvious that she's scared.] Don't apologize, [she mumbles,] it's not your fault...

[Is it the other Scott's fault she's so stressed out about one conversation? Anybody's? Hers?]

[Before that spiral goes anywhere else, she gets ingredients for sweet iced tea out, readying some for Scott.]

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott watches as Pearl makes the tea. It is... well, his fault, and not his fault at the same time. Having being an alternative version of an existing person has definitely... been an experience that he... has gone through, which feels unreal. But what matters is that Pearl is here and in front of him, and he can make things right (again).

"It sort of is my fault," he chuckles, and he has a feeling he feels less nervous about this because he's done this before, but the anxiety still takes root in his lungs. "But let's get to that later." He pauses. "I... I'm not mad at you," he tries to reassure her, and he smiles that perfect Emperor smile that he uses when he's nervous in a meeting with officials, "if that's any condolence."

From where he's clasped his hands together, he tightens his fingers, the already-pale skin going a little more white from the pressure.

[pearls-mailbox]

[Pearl has never actually tried to make iced tea before, but she took a guess on what sort of drink Scott would like when she was shopping, and now she's gotta stick with it. She sets the glass down on the table for Scott, and grabs the mug of coffee she was drinking while she cleaned.]

Okay, [Pearl mumbles as she sits down, but she can't really convince herself to believe him. All she can do is wait for his critical eye to fall on all the things she's doing wrong.] I'm... not either? [She doesn't deserve to be mad. Not after everything she did.]

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott picks up the drink and he picks it up, taking a sip. It's surprisingly well done - the amount of sugar that's in it is exactly to his liking. He can't help but smile (genuinely) when he sets down the cup, despite the conversation he's about to have, and then, he turns his gaze to Pearl again. Okay. He's gotta do this.

"First of all, I want to say that I'm sorry," Scott says, and it's important, because when he thinks of how Santa Pearla had cried and cried and how she had never gotten an apology, that comes first. "I want to say that I am genuinely very sorry for how I treated you during Double Life." He names it, because names have power and it's important that Scott acknowledges what he'd done. "It wasn't right of me, and I hurt your feelings a lot, and for that, I am sorry."

He keeps his eyes trained on Pearl's face, maybe not always meeting eye contact, but eye contact can sometimes freak him out a little bit, but he wants to seem sincere. Scott is sincere about this. He is sorry. Pearl made mistakes, but so did he, and she deserves this apology. This will be okay. They can work things out.

[pearls-mailbox]

[Okay. Yeah. Time to have a reasonable adult conversation and not freak out. Pearl can do this.]

...Thank you. [Deep breath.] I'm sorry, too. For... all the impulsive things I did. And... for not listening when you said to leave you alone.

[She takes a sip of the half-empty coffee. She's let it sit for much too long, and it's become bitter and cold. She wonders why she didn't throw this out.]

[smajors-mailbox]

To be honest, when Double Life had been happening, Scott's biggest issue with Pearl had been those exact things. His smile relaxes just the slightest bit upon receiving that apology in return. He's a little surprised there hasn't been any violence yet - when he and his Pearl had this conversation, she'd been understandably very angry with him.

He'd been angry with her in return, and they'd fought it out until they'd had a proper conversation about how they'd really felt. This feels more... reserved.

It feels like Pearl is holding back.

Scott feels still tense about this, but still a little better. "That's honestly the biggest thing that bothered me about Double Life," he admits. "But... I think it affected you much more than it affected me. Is there anything you want to talk about?" He gives her an opening to lead the conversation - this should be a little more about Pearl rather than himself.

[pearls-mailbox]

[Pearl takes another sip of her coffee. It's definitely gotten gross, but she forces it back anyway. Hopefully, the caffeine will help her think.]

I guess– to start– [She should start with something small, she thinks– oh gosh, everything is big. Uhhh. Fuck. She just picks something.]

Do you sti– did you really think I was crazy?

[She clears her throat, trying not to shudder. Just the word makes her feel a little gross inside.] Everyone else started... saying things, and then... I don't know, I could ignore them, but I couldn't ignore it when it came from you.

[smajors-mailbox]

Ah. It's time to talk about this. Scott eyes the cup of iced tea he hadn't touched since the conversation started, and as he mulls over his words, he takes the cup and raises it to his mouth. He takes a tentative sip, pausing, before placing it back down. How does he say this.

It's not like he didn't catch the first part of her sentence. Pearl still thinks that he thinks she was crazy. Maybe the original Scott had thought she was crazy. Maybe it's best that he give some background.

"I never thought you were crazy," Scott finally says aloud, breaking the silence that had been starting to build. "I called you crazy because I was upset and I wanted to hurt you, in a way. You see - back... home." His fingers curl around the glass. "Back home, you and I... we grew up together. We met at a diplomatic ball when we were both fifteen, and we mailed one another whenever we got the chance to. We met up whenever our situations would allow it. I grew up by your side, you my most trusted advisor. There was nothing I couldn't tell you."

The more he speaks, the more it feels bittersweet. "I saw you at your lowest point, and you saw me at my lowest point. It was easy to tell, to me, that you were trying to play into this role, to accept it, even if it hurt you. I'm not sure how... your Scott saw it. But I knew you, Pearl. I don't know if that makes me worse or better, in this situation," he admits, looking back up at her, hesitant to meet her eyes.

"But if you want to know what I, Scott of Rivendell, think," because he is Scott of Rivendell and he will forever be, even if she is not Queen Pearl of Gilded Helianthia, she is Pearl, "I've never thought you were insane, or you were crazy. I've known you were sane. I didn't mean for it to spiral as much as it did - people caught onto how I was upset about how things had happened and it suddenly wasn't just me, and it wasn't in my hands anymore. I know it started like that, but I didn't... I never meant for it to end up being something that defined you like that."

"For the longest time, I have seen how gentle you have been. You were the Queen of Farming, for Aeor's sake - how could someone like that be insane? Being capable of violence is not mutual with being a violent person." He aches with the urge to reach out and take her hand, to show her those fields of their unshared childhoods, to make Pearl see how he sees her, and yet, he finds he cannot reach her eyes, nor her fingers that have always been longer than his.

[pearls-mailbox]

[Growing up together... Pearl’s heart suddenly aches for the memories of another person. Another Pearl, of another timeline. The pang is jealousy, she realizes, and she shuts her mouth.]

It hurt. It did. We made each other hurt.

[The violence barely spanned a day, but the name still follows her. The expectations. Jokes are sometimes made that they had better keep dog armor out of the Series, that Pearl had better get her rest or who knows if she might snap, that she had better shape up and fight like everyone knows she can because look, Scott's winning again— Pearl hates it. She hates all of it. She doesn’t want to be the Witch.]

[The thought that Scott maybe, actually, knows that's not her– it's so terrifying, she finds herself recoiling from it.]

I– But– I hurt you. I hurt me, and I liked it. The snow–

[She hides her face, choking back a sob.]

I've never so much as touched it again, I swear, I've been good–

[She doesn’t know what might happen if she does. Nether, she's only now working up the courage to use ice in a build. The very thought of the blue tinging her fingers and crystals forming on her wings make her feel like she's going to choke.]

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott finds that he feels eerily calm, even as Pearl chokes back her sobs, even as the situation feels like it's turning sideways. His heart does not beat out of tune, his lungs don't work quickly - it's a cold kind of calm that settles over his shoulders like it has before. It's not quite dissociation, but it's not quite not - the way that his emotions seem to fade and turn into a vague chill underneath his skin feels familiar.

"We did hurt one another," Scott agrees, because it's true. They both hurt one another. They lashed out. "I participated in it a few times, too. It's not like you're blameless." He goes to immediately rationalize what had happened, to explain, but Pearl looks like she's on the verge of a panic attack, and he knows this is a sensitive subject. Scott has to approach this maturely. He has to approach it well. "And it must have felt good. To get back at me, I mean." Slowly, carefully, he reaches across the table, and places his hand down palm-up - an offering for her to take it.

"You don't have to prove that you're good to me, Pearl. I know you're a good person. I trust you when you say you haven't touched it again, and I'm glad you're not hurting yourself anymore. And I'm sorry," Scott is ashamed to say that his voice shakes as he apologizes again. The guilt is awful to live with, even to this day - it feels, sometimes, like he's choking on it, that it lives in his lungs like some sort of rot that he can never clean out. His hands shiver, sometimes, both because of the ice of his home and because of the memories of the past - of the games, of his childhood. Of being alone. (Waiting.) "That I made you go that far. That I made you feel like you had to do that in retaliation. I'm sorry. I don't think I ever won't be sorry for how awfully things turned out. I won't ever not be sorry for how I treated you."

[pearls-mailbox]

[Carefully, her hand inches across the table until it's brushing his. Her arms are longer, but she doesn’t quite reach out far enough for him to take it.]

I trusted you. We couldn't trust anyone, with the Curse, but I trusted you. And I worked so hard because I wanted to provide for us but you didn't want it. You didn't want me...

[She's not always good at finding the right way to tell people how much she cares about them, but in every service she can provide, every gift she can give, is more love than her words can contain. Where Scott will die to show his devotion, she will live for hers. And he didn't want it.]

I was scared. I got mad. At you, at everyone, at myself. [She swallows more tears.] ...I think I still am.

[Pearl tosses her head, pulling her hand back.] ...I don't deserve to be mad after what I put you through.

[smajors-mailbox]

"What you put me through?" The words that have all been coming out before have been calm, collected, but Scott snaps back into focus, the words come out with force. "Pearl, no, this - Pearl, no," and suddenly, he's struggling to find the sentence he wants to say. "No, this isn't about what - Pearl, you have suffered a hundred times more than I have because of Double Life. You don't have to-" He gestures around wildly, nearly getting out of his seat. "If you're angry, be angry. Pearl, I'm not going to tell you not to be angry. You put me through things? No, no, I put you through all of that. There's no reason for you to be feeling like you have to sacrifice your emotions for my sake."

Scott is the one who is supposed to sacrifice his feelings for the sake of this conversation. This isn't supposed to be about him. This is about Pearl. This is about how he had hurt her. She's deserved this apology and he's trying to give it to her. There's this moment of frantic scrabbling as he tries to get them back on track, control slipping through his fingers like sand as he attempts to figure out what to say, how to say it. How does he continue? This is wrong, this has suddenly gone all wrong.

"Why is this about deserving? If it's about deserving, you've deserved to be angry. It's not that I've never wanted you, Pearl, it's - it's more complicated than that," he settles on, because he's not sure how to say it, Scott feels like he isn't in control anymore and that's not good. If he's not in control of himself, then this is going to go wrong, and he needs things to go right or else that's failing Pearl again. He was supposed to make things right. Why are they going wrong? What has he done wrong to make her feel like she can't express herself? "Pearl, I trusted you too," and it's past tense, because she had also used past tense, and that hurts. Scott scrabbles for the mature tone he uses when he comes into these conversations and he is found he is left with an ugly kind of passion, the kind of almost-anger not at a person, but also entirely at them at the same time. It makes him want to freeze it and grind it into nothing with his bare hands.

Scott feels strongly about this, and he hates that he can't hide that from her.

[pearls-mailbox]

[And finally, the anger slips through. Pearl can't meet his eyes, staring at the floor, but tears drip down her cheeks as she bangs her fists on the table. Several of her dogs get to their feet, ears pricked.]

I– everybody loves you, Scott! They all love you, and I, I love you too, I don't think I ever stopped, and, and you're always perfect and I'm– I'm gonna be her forever! No matter what I do!

[The coffee cup, near-empty, rattles on the table.]

I hate you, but I love you, and– [She has to gasp for breath.] And I think I just hate myself.

[Pearl's hands find their way to her hair, tugging indiscriminately. It's only when her hands brush against her flattened antennae that she jerks them away, realizing how close she might have gotten to accidentally pulling one out. She stares blankly at her hands, tears still streaming.]

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott had fallen quiet when she had her outburst, but as soon as Pearl nearly tugs out her antennae, as soon as her hands are free, he's reaching out over the table - he hesitates, but then he grabs onto her hands. "I'm not perfect," he says, voice thick with emotion. "Pearl, I think you know that at the bottom of your heart that I'm not. I'm really, really not. I hurt you a lot during Double Life, and I lashed out, and if you want, I can explain why I did things the way that I did, but in the end, that doesn't change the fact that I hurt you." It's hard, sometimes, to admit that he's wrong in emotional moments - a part of him still screams, banging at the bars of some cage made of ice, that admittance is failure, that if he complies then he is admitting that he was not good enough. But I wasn't, is the answer Scott has this time, and it is true.

Scott had done a lot of terrible things during Double Life. He had scolded her during their down times when the hunger pangs had hit in, because he had been antsy and nervous and off his game. And he can explain that, but he regrets it. He regrets how harsh he was with her. So this time, he is very deliberately gentle. He swallows again, and it feels like he's choking for a moment on all the words he never got to say. (He's done this before. But it feels like he hasn't.)

"Pearl, I love you too," he says, first of all. "That has never changed. Even when I did all of those things, and even when we both lashed out, I didn't stop caring about you. And you're not her. You've never been her, not really. Not truly. Because the 'Scarlet Witch' has never been you. You tried to use that to protect yourself because you were scared and alone and I am so, so sorry. I wish I could take it all back. And I'm here not because I want to," he pauses, his heart hammering in his chest.

"Say that I'm blameless, or that you're awful. I'm here because I still want to be friends with you, and I'm here because I want to understand you, and I really, really hope that I can work everything out with you. I understand hating yourself," because there have been countless moments where he has hated what he has done, hated the person he was, hated everything, hated how he had let everything in Empires escalate to that point, "but I don't hate you. I know things must be very hard for you," and that's an obvious statement, "but that doesn't make me care about you any less."

[pearls-mailbox]

[Pearl trembles, but she lets Scott hold her hands. His are cold, but the surprise of it seems to shock her system enough that she stops staring at her hands and thinking about all the blood she's had on them, and she listens.]

I was so scared... [Pearl mumbles, breathless. She can't stop shaking.] I don't think I ever stopped being scared... I just got better at ignoring it.

It's like, some little part of me is still there, in the clearing, more of a dog than a person, and she's ready to put an arrow in your heart, and– and that horrible light is still reflecting in her eyes. She never got out.

I'm scared, Scott... [She finds herself letting out a low whine, tugging lightly on his hands from across the table.]

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott lets his hands be tugged, and he reaches up with a thumb to rub it over her thumb's knuckle in an act of comfort. "It's going to be okay, Pearl. You know, I don't think most people see you as the Witch anymore, but I know that... the season had a lot of impact on you internally, so you might still feel that way for a while. Maybe later I can go around with you and we can let people know not to make those kinds of jokes anymore?" He says, absorbing the information.

"But that's... that's later. Right now, I want you to know that I'm listening." I'm not going anywhere. "And maybe it might take a while, but I think you - she - will be able to leave." It will all be okay, he murmurs under his breath more to himself than to her. He can do this. No, not just them - they can do this, together. They can figure things out.

[pearls-mailbox]

Okay... [Pearl’s voice is still breathy, but slowly, it gets steadier. She gets to her feet, gently tugging on Scott's hands until she has him wrapped in a hug, tight and clinging.]

[It's several seconds before she finally lets him go and steps back. Her eyes fall on the dregs of her coffee, and she picks it up with a sad little laugh.] I don't know why I kept drinking this... I could have warmed it back up at any time.

[She sighs, returning her attention to Scott.]

I missed you. I really did, even when you were right there.

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott smiles back at Pearl, and he stays standing right where Pearl had left him. I'm staying. I'm not going anywhere.

"I missed you too, Pearl," he says, and for once, he isn't gripped with the urge to straighten out his shirt, or fix the cuffs of his shirt (which his current one doesn't have, so he can't do that anyways). "I'm sorry that it took us so long to have this talk. But if you ever want to talk about it, or ask me about clarification, or anything along those lines, I don't mind sitting down to have another talk. I'll explain it until you get it. That's what friends do." It's a promise.

[pearls-mailbox]

[They've talked, finally. They could talk and talk and talk and talk, and Pearl’s not sure she would ever find the words for all her messy feelings. But...]

Would you spar with me? [It's so tentative, it's almost a whisper. Pearl of the past never got her fight, Pearl reckons. Maybe it's time she gets what she stood there waiting for.] I have a place.

[smajors-mailbox]

To be honest, Scott would much rather explain everything, go through all the events methodically. Step by step work it out. But there's so much, too much - it feels a little overwhelming, even if that's how he would rather go about it. But - Pearl is asking this of him. Scott can do that.

"Yeah. Yeah, we can spar. If you have a place, I'll set my spawn and stuff, and we can absolutely spar." If it makes her feel better, Scott will draw his sword again and they can spar. Even if Scott prefers words over violence, he will make an exception. (Maybe he needs to step out of his comfort zone.) "I suppose I won't be taking any ice magic into here. To keep things fair." He chuckles. When he's in the life games, his ability to harness ice is banned to keep things fair as well.

(Liberating, yet confinement all the same. How fascinating.)

[pearls-mailbox]

No, it's not that kinda fighting. You'll see, [Pearl explains, grabbing Scott's hand.] You saw that big ballroom outside, right?

[She doesn’t wait for an answer, because she starts dragging him through her base to the ballroom.]

[At the entrance, she stops. The ballroom is spacious and silent, the only life the mossy decorations and the assorted sculptures spread across the floor. Pearl doesn’t enter, however; she turns to the bookshelf in the lobby, tugs on a book, and gestures for Scott to enter the door that opens out of nowhere.]

[Pearl rifles through some chests inside, tossing him a mace and a suit of netherite armor.] This place is mostly a secret– only Joel, Gem, Cub, and Etho know about it. But I think it's fine to have you here as a guest. No telling, okay?

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott brings up a hand to his mouth playfully, mimicking the motion of zipping his lips shut. "I won't tell a soul," he says, with an amused little grin. He takes up the Netherite armour, and begins to put it on, before realizing that he should probably tell Pearl about the fact that he has wings.

With a flick and a shake, the glamour comes undone, and soft, downy white wings fade into existence with the addition of a few sparkles as he gets rid of the spell. They're quite large, but he tucks them behind his back to make them seem smaller after he stretches them out, almost a little too quickly.

"I thought maybe I should show you these, since you're showing me one of your secrets," he's not sure why he's so nervous about it, trying to disguise it as a light joke. "But I wasn't sure if other Scott had these, so I thought it'd be better to let you know. He's got the shoes and the pants on, so he looks a little awkward, half-armoured.

[pearls-mailbox]

[Pearl blinks in surprise for a moment. Other Scott indeed did not have wings. But that conversation can be left for another time– for the moment, Pearl considers this, before declaring,] Since we both can fly, then, you can glide a little, but no flapping, [and pulls out another chestplate, a backless one like her own.] Try this on instead.

[She hasn’t fought Cub in the arena yet, so this will be the first time she has to adjust for wings being in play. No flapping seems like a good compromise, though; can't use them to get higher, but slowing the descent is fine.]

Set your spawn and grab some wind charges and gold carrots, and I'll explain the rules, [she chirps, leaning on her mace. The breeze rod that makes the handle flexes slightly with her weight.]

[smajors-mailbox]

"Alright," Scott agrees, putting on the chestplate and then the helmet. He gives her a grateful smile, pleased with the fact that she doesn't seem to be bothered by the wings. It's not necessarily something he goes around telling people about, he prefers keeping it on-the-low. Despite Aeor being a Stag God, being his incarnation means that he has wings. (Why? He has no clue. He just has to roll with it, honestly.)

After he completes the tasks given to him by Pearl, he does as told, and then pulls out the mace. It's not like any weapon he usually uses - it's much too big. He prefers a sword or an axe or a bow in battle. Axes do more damage, of course, but swords were customary for duels and he's got plenty of experience with that. Scott doesn't touch the sword in his inventory, though. This is not a duel. This is a spar. The mace's handle feels strange against his skin, but he runs his fingers over it gently to try and get a feel for how the weapon would swing.

"Well? How are we doing this? I'm not quite familiar with maces, you see, so you'll have to pardon me," he can't help but laugh a little to himself about it. The mace looks very natural from where Pearl has her position with it, but it will take Scott a few swings to get into the rhythm of it. "But I'm interested in how you've set up this arena. How do we spar?" There's a look of genuine interest in his eyes as he looks at her, awaiting her instruction.

[pearls-mailbox]

So! [Pearl leads Scott out to the ballroom, spinning in a circle as she indicates the whole room.] In a minute, I'll turn the arena on, and some platforms and bouncy slime pits will come out. There's also wind charge launchers under the vents in the floor; the whole point is to bounce up real high using your wind charges so you can SMACK the other person real hard!

[She gives one of the statues a demonstrative whack as she says this, a puff of wind blowing from her mace. The sound rings clearly throughout the whole ballroom; despite seemingly having the figure of a stick, she's honestly quite buff and has no trouble handling the heavy weapon.]

You can eat carrots if you're taking a lot of fall damage, but don't overdo it, [Pearl wraps up.] You wanna go stand on that end of the arena and get ready? [She points him to the far end.]

[smajors-mailbox]

"This is cute," Scott remarks as he looks around the room, absorbing the look of the build. "Excellent. Alright, I understand how the game works, and it definitely doesn't disappoint. I'll go over there now," his wings give a flutter in anticipation as he moves over to where Pearl has directed to, giving his mace a few experimental swings. Of course, it's not the same as swinging it in the middle of combat (or in the air), but at least he won't be swinging it for the first time. He looks over at his friend and gives her a thumbs up.

"Ready when you are."

[pearls-mailbox]

[Pearl retreats to the entrance of the room, and quietly taps the note block that turns on the arena. The soft opening notes of Creator fill the ballroom, pits of slime open in the floor, and pillars rise from it. Quietly, Pearl advances, circling the outskirts of the room like a predator, before throwing down a wind charge and leaping up to a pillar, and up once more to a chandelier.]

[Perched atop the moss and glass, Pearl regards Scott with a cool smile.]

Come on, Scott, [she purrs.] Let's dance.

[smajors-mailbox]

Something about this still unnerves Scott - it feels like Pearl wants to hunt him down for sport, and that feeling of being chased is one that is both loved and hated by him - but he had agreed to this. He's going to see it through. He's a man of his word, he doesn't go back on what he says, but there's something about the way Pearl looks at him that makes something crawl up the back of his spine.

Best to just jump into this, right?

Every move Scott takes has an air of elegance to it - all that training during his childhood never really leaves him, not even in the moments where he is fighting for his life, he keeps an air of coolness about him. He jumps up with the windcharge onto the pillar, looking up at Pearl, and he readies the mace. "Can't fight if you're all the way up there," he chuckles, keeping his eyes on her.

(Don't look away. If he slacks for even one moment, he'll be dead.)

[pearls-mailbox]

Not for long, [Pearl laughs, springing off the pillar, eyes trained on Scott as she swings– perhaps a little too trained on Scott, because she misses the pillar by a few inches, poor depth perception suddenly betraying her.]

[She lands on the ground, mutters] Voiddamnit, [and rapidly backs up, eating a golden carrot and staring up at him as she anticipates his leap.]

[smajors-mailbox]

As Pearl is eating her golden carrot, Scott leaps off of the platform, swinging his mace - he doesn't expect to actually hit her, but he does manage a good shot in against her armour, and he does so with a surprised noise. "Beginner's luck!" He says, backing away to prepare a windcharge. Scott never stops moving, never pauses for even a moment - memories of growing up, to stay still is to grow compliant, and compliancy in a battle is death. Never let them have the opportunity to catch you while still. Scott bounces off of the stands back up onto the tower again, and flexes his hands as he grasps the handle again, looking for another opening.

Despite his lighthearted words, he zooms in on the opportunity to strike, the weaknesses, the chinks in her armour. If she has to slow down, he will jump again. Scott will comply with the rules (honour, to stay honourable and play by them in a battle to the death is still something he will forever abide by) but that does not mean that he will go down without a fight. Pearl feels like she is hunting him, but his eyes focus on her and the surroundings, preparing for his next move, eyeing her like a hawk. He will go into this fight with a strategy, but for now, the goal is to simply try and get more familiar with her fighting style so he can learn how to counter it.

[pearls-mailbox]

[Pearl only seems to take the hit as further fuel for her own fighting spirit. She grits her teeth, tightens her grip on her mace, and throws a wind charge at her feet once more, briefly coasting on the updraft.]

[She follows Scott as he dodges, gaining further momentum by springing off a statue, and abruptly folds back her wings to increase her speed as she comes back down. The resulting impact of her mace launches her back into the air and sends Scott skidding.]

[With a triumphant whoop, she takes another pillar perch, shifting her weight before she lunges back into motion.]

[smajors-mailbox]

The blow leaves Scott stumbling, scrambling, a little dizzy. His breath comes out in a singular wheeze as he attempts to reorient himself. Where did she go? Ah, there. He launches himself up (even as the world spins) and misses brutally, missing the pillar and hitting the ground hard. Scott stumbles. How embarrassing. He should be doing better than this. This is not the demeanour befitting of an Emperor. But he's not the emperor, right now. He's just Scott. (A little bit of dizziness would have killed him in a real fight. It's a little pathetic, really.) He needs to get himself together, even as he feels his head spins and he turns around to try and get himself back up onto a pillar.

[pearls-mailbox]

[Pearl leaps down once more, only to misjudge the distance again and thud against polished floor. Quickly, she reorients herself, scrambling upright and bounding away from him once more. She jumps into an opened vent, letting it shoot her up into the air again.]

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott takes that moment to jump up again, reining in his focus as he manages to get a hit on her midair with the mace. It's a solid, clean hit, but he still feels he could have done better as he continues to bounce around, finally getting into the swing of the battle and the fighting style. His lips press into a line as he focuses on trying to get more height in their fight.

[pearls-mailbox]

[Pearl only gets more determined with every successful hit Scott makes on her, gritting her teeth and tightening her grip. Her fervor is nothing short of animalistic as she scrabbles to her feet, propelling herself up once more, and she doesn’t even feel ashamed of it, in this moment.]

[Let them say she barks like a dog. She'll bite like one too.]

[For once, it feels like she can bring this feeling back, and someone will understand. She can relive it and let a little of it go safely and nobody will be hurt in the way that lasts.]

[She howls triumphantly as she lands another hit, springing backwards up to a pillar, and leaps right back into the fray.]

[smajors-mailbox]

It feels a little like fighting a rabid dog - Scott watches as his hearts drop dangerously close to 0. He's sure that one more hit will kill him. He should play this smart. Something in the back of his mind tells him to give up, to let her hit him, unfairly as she did before - it's punishment, a payback for all the pain he put her through. An 'apology' through self-inflicted death. However, that's not what Pearl is here for. Pearl told him directly that she wanted this fair and square, that the fact that he gave her the victory wasn't what she wanted. He wants to brace. He tries to make another jump, but with his hearts so low, he's cautious. A little too cautious.

He could have braced. He could have cheated, he could have brought up the mace to block the hit with his previous training. Or maybe he couldn't have - maybe it's just futile last-second wishing as Pearl soars through the air towards him. Scott could maybe have done something, or in reality - maybe he couldn't have done anything at all. Maybe this was the way things were always going to turn out as. Maybe this is just fate.

Maybe-

Pearl's mace comes down on him, and Scott can't help but smile.

This feels like the right outcome.

[ smajor1995 was slain by pearlescentmoon using Mace Wind Bu. ]

[pearls-mailbox]

[Pearl goes around her dining room with a feather duster for the third time in the day. Scott is coming over. They're finally going to talk, really talk, about what happened. Everything ought to be extra, extra clean. He'll chastize her if she doesn’t he's used to the pristine halls of his castle, she wants him to feel comfortable.]

[She should do the kitchen again too. And the living room. Just in case he wants to sit in there. Where's the best place to sit with company? Why are her dogs barking– oh that's the doorbell he's here. She rushes to meet him at the door, still wearing her cleaning outfit. Oh dear. Will she look embarrassing?]

[She opens the door.]

...Hi, Scott?

[It comes out as a question. Oh dear. Oh dear oh dear oh dear.]

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott hasn't been this nervous about going to meet someone since the last time he talked to Pearl about Double Life - and he has to remind himself that that Pearl wasn't this Pearl, and that he's going to have to have this conversation all over again. It's one that he's prepared himself for (and one he's gone through before) but that doesn't make it any less easier.

Instead of coming in traditional Rivendell clothes that he finds himself wearing all the time again, Scott had found the outfit he'd worn back in 3rd Life back in his closet, and he'd adorned the jeans, the jacket, the white shirt with the stripes on it. It feels almost a little wrong to be wearing something so casual, but he didn't want to intimidate her by wearing that kind of outfit.

Something better suited to make her feel more casual (and not the red jacket he'd worn in Double Life to mirror hers) would work well, right? He stands at the door and when she opens it, he smiles at her.

"Ah, Pearl," he greets with a wave. "Oh, look at all the dogs! Aren't they cute?" Scott peers at all of her dogs, and doesn't mind at all the fact that Pearl is still in her cleaning clothing. If that's what makes her more comfortable, then he won't mind at all. "I hope you're feeling alright?" She probably isn't, but his manners kick in nonetheless.

[pearls-mailbox]

Puppies, doggies, don't jump... [Pearl gently shoos her dogs away from Scott. Tilly, in particular, lingers for a moment, staring him down before backing away.] I'm alright, yeah... Sorry I didn't change...

[Her antennae droop sheepishly. It is obvious she is probably not alright, but it's the thing to say.] Come on in, I baked pie... [Does this Scott like pie? She hopes he does.]

[smajors-mailbox]

Ah, that must be Tilly, Scott registers as he stares at her before she backs down. "It's alright," he waves. "I understand, you stress-clean, right?" He remembers that the Pearl from his timeline, world, whatever, had also done the same thing.

Neither of them are okay. But they will be okay.

"You baked pie?" Scott smiles. "I would love to try some, thank you so much for the food." He steps inside, taking his shoes (how strange it is to wear sneakers, this outfit brings back so many memories) off and setting them down on a rack so they are not chewed mercilessly by the dogs.

[pearls-mailbox]

Yep, stress-cleaning... [Pearl admits with a nervous laugh. She leads him into the dining room, setting the pie on the table. She already has plates and silverware out.] Do you want anything to drink?

[Everything is fine. She has, if anything, overprepared for this. He's going to like it. She tells herself this. He's going to like it.]

[smajors-mailbox]

"Anything sweet, honestly, I think will do. I've got quite the secret sweet tooth," he chuckles. Scott makes conversation even if it doesn't come easy, because that is what is expected of him and that will help Pearl and what matters right now is making sure Pearl doesn't freak out. "I'm sorry about stressing you out like this, though. I think the conversation won't be as bad as you're thinking it will be." Because he's had this once, before, and they worked things out.

They will work out again.

They have to.

[pearls-mailbox]

[Pearl blushes with unease. She doesn’t like that it's that obvious that she's scared.] Don't apologize, [she mumbles,] it's not your fault...

[Is it the other Scott's fault she's so stressed out about one conversation? Anybody's? Hers?]

[Before that spiral goes anywhere else, she gets ingredients for sweet iced tea out, readying some for Scott.]

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott watches as Pearl makes the tea. It is... well, his fault, and not his fault at the same time. Having being an alternative version of an existing person has definitely... been an experience that he... has gone through, which feels unreal. But what matters is that Pearl is here and in front of him, and he can make things right (again).

"It sort of is my fault," he chuckles, and he has a feeling he feels less nervous about this because he's done this before, but the anxiety still takes root in his lungs. "But let's get to that later." He pauses. "I... I'm not mad at you," he tries to reassure her, and he smiles that perfect Emperor smile that he uses when he's nervous in a meeting with officials, "if that's any condolence."

From where he's clasped his hands together, he tightens his fingers, the already-pale skin going a little more white from the pressure.

[pearls-mailbox]

[Pearl has never actually tried to make iced tea before, but she took a guess on what sort of drink Scott would like when she was shopping, and now she's gotta stick with it. She sets the glass down on the table for Scott, and grabs the mug of coffee she was drinking while she cleaned.]

Okay, [Pearl mumbles as she sits down, but she can't really convince herself to believe him. All she can do is wait for his critical eye to fall on all the things she's doing wrong.] I'm... not either? [She doesn't deserve to be mad. Not after everything she did.]

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott picks up the drink and he picks it up, taking a sip. It's surprisingly well done - the amount of sugar that's in it is exactly to his liking. He can't help but smile (genuinely) when he sets down the cup, despite the conversation he's about to have, and then, he turns his gaze to Pearl again. Okay. He's gotta do this.

"First of all, I want to say that I'm sorry," Scott says, and it's important, because when he thinks of how Santa Pearla had cried and cried and how she had never gotten an apology, that comes first. "I want to say that I am genuinely very sorry for how I treated you during Double Life." He names it, because names have power and it's important that Scott acknowledges what he'd done. "It wasn't right of me, and I hurt your feelings a lot, and for that, I am sorry."

He keeps his eyes trained on Pearl's face, maybe not always meeting eye contact, but eye contact can sometimes freak him out a little bit, but he wants to seem sincere. Scott is sincere about this. He is sorry. Pearl made mistakes, but so did he, and she deserves this apology. This will be okay. They can work things out.

[pearls-mailbox]

[Okay. Yeah. Time to have a reasonable adult conversation and not freak out. Pearl can do this.]

...Thank you. [Deep breath.] I'm sorry, too. For... all the impulsive things I did. And... for not listening when you said to leave you alone.

[She takes a sip of the half-empty coffee. She's let it sit for much too long, and it's become bitter and cold. She wonders why she didn't throw this out.]

[smajors-mailbox]

To be honest, when Double Life had been happening, Scott's biggest issue with Pearl had been those exact things. His smile relaxes just the slightest bit upon receiving that apology in return. He's a little surprised there hasn't been any violence yet - when he and his Pearl had this conversation, she'd been understandably very angry with him.

He'd been angry with her in return, and they'd fought it out until they'd had a proper conversation about how they'd really felt. This feels more... reserved.

It feels like Pearl is holding back.

Scott feels still tense about this, but still a little better. "That's honestly the biggest thing that bothered me about Double Life," he admits. "But... I think it affected you much more than it affected me. Is there anything you want to talk about?" He gives her an opening to lead the conversation - this should be a little more about Pearl rather than himself.

[pearls-mailbox]

[Pearl takes another sip of her coffee. It's definitely gotten gross, but she forces it back anyway. Hopefully, the caffeine will help her think.]

I guess– to start– [She should start with something small, she thinks– oh gosh, everything is big. Uhhh. Fuck. She just picks something.]

Do you sti– did you really think I was crazy?

[She clears her throat, trying not to shudder. Just the word makes her feel a little gross inside.] Everyone else started... saying things, and then... I don't know, I could ignore them, but I couldn't ignore it when it came from you.

[smajors-mailbox]

Ah. It's time to talk about this. Scott eyes the cup of iced tea he hadn't touched since the conversation started, and as he mulls over his words, he takes the cup and raises it to his mouth. He takes a tentative sip, pausing, before placing it back down. How does he say this.

It's not like he didn't catch the first part of her sentence. Pearl still thinks that he thinks she was crazy. Maybe the original Scott had thought she was crazy. Maybe it's best that he give some background.

"I never thought you were crazy," Scott finally says aloud, breaking the silence that had been starting to build. "I called you crazy because I was upset and I wanted to hurt you, in a way. You see - back... home." His fingers curl around the glass. "Back home, you and I... we grew up together. We met at a diplomatic ball when we were both fifteen, and we mailed one another whenever we got the chance to. We met up whenever our situations would allow it. I grew up by your side, you my most trusted advisor. There was nothing I couldn't tell you."

The more he speaks, the more it feels bittersweet. "I saw you at your lowest point, and you saw me at my lowest point. It was easy to tell, to me, that you were trying to play into this role, to accept it, even if it hurt you. I'm not sure how... your Scott saw it. But I knew you, Pearl. I don't know if that makes me worse or better, in this situation," he admits, looking back up at her, hesitant to meet her eyes.

"But if you want to know what I, Scott of Rivendell, think," because he is Scott of Rivendell and he will forever be, even if she is not Queen Pearl of Gilded Helianthia, she is Pearl, "I've never thought you were insane, or you were crazy. I've known you were sane. I didn't mean for it to spiral as much as it did - people caught onto how I was upset about how things had happened and it suddenly wasn't just me, and it wasn't in my hands anymore. I know it started like that, but I didn't... I never meant for it to end up being something that defined you like that."

"For the longest time, I have seen how gentle you have been. You were the Queen of Farming, for Aeor's sake - how could someone like that be insane? Being capable of violence is not mutual with being a violent person." He aches with the urge to reach out and take her hand, to show her those fields of their unshared childhoods, to make Pearl see how he sees her, and yet, he finds he cannot reach her eyes, nor her fingers that have always been longer than his.

[pearls-mailbox]

[Growing up together... Pearl’s heart suddenly aches for the memories of another person. Another Pearl, of another timeline. The pang is jealousy, she realizes, and she shuts her mouth.]

It hurt. It did. We made each other hurt.

[The violence barely spanned a day, but the name still follows her. The expectations. Jokes are sometimes made that they had better keep dog armor out of the Series, that Pearl had better get her rest or who knows if she might snap, that she had better shape up and fight like everyone knows she can because look, Scott's winning again— Pearl hates it. She hates all of it. She doesn’t want to be the Witch.]

[The thought that Scott maybe, actually, knows that's not her– it's so terrifying, she finds herself recoiling from it.]

I– But– I hurt you. I hurt me, and I liked it. The snow–

[She hides her face, choking back a sob.]

I've never so much as touched it again, I swear, I've been good–

[She doesn’t know what might happen if she does. Nether, she's only now working up the courage to use ice in a build. The very thought of the blue tinging her fingers and crystals forming on her wings make her feel like she's going to choke.]

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott finds that he feels eerily calm, even as Pearl chokes back her sobs, even as the situation feels like it's turning sideways. His heart does not beat out of tune, his lungs don't work quickly - it's a cold kind of calm that settles over his shoulders like it has before. It's not quite dissociation, but it's not quite not - the way that his emotions seem to fade and turn into a vague chill underneath his skin feels familiar.

"We did hurt one another," Scott agrees, because it's true. They both hurt one another. They lashed out. "I participated in it a few times, too. It's not like you're blameless." He goes to immediately rationalize what had happened, to explain, but Pearl looks like she's on the verge of a panic attack, and he knows this is a sensitive subject. Scott has to approach this maturely. He has to approach it well. "And it must have felt good. To get back at me, I mean." Slowly, carefully, he reaches across the table, and places his hand down palm-up - an offering for her to take it.

"You don't have to prove that you're good to me, Pearl. I know you're a good person. I trust you when you say you haven't touched it again, and I'm glad you're not hurting yourself anymore. And I'm sorry," Scott is ashamed to say that his voice shakes as he apologizes again. The guilt is awful to live with, even to this day - it feels, sometimes, like he's choking on it, that it lives in his lungs like some sort of rot that he can never clean out. His hands shiver, sometimes, both because of the ice of his home and because of the memories of the past - of the games, of his childhood. Of being alone. (Waiting.) "That I made you go that far. That I made you feel like you had to do that in retaliation. I'm sorry. I don't think I ever won't be sorry for how awfully things turned out. I won't ever not be sorry for how I treated you."

[pearls-mailbox]

[Carefully, her hand inches across the table until it's brushing his. Her arms are longer, but she doesn’t quite reach out far enough for him to take it.]

I trusted you. We couldn't trust anyone, with the Curse, but I trusted you. And I worked so hard because I wanted to provide for us but you didn't want it. You didn't want me...

[She's not always good at finding the right way to tell people how much she cares about them, but in every service she can provide, every gift she can give, is more love than her words can contain. Where Scott will die to show his devotion, she will live for hers. And he didn't want it.]

I was scared. I got mad. At you, at everyone, at myself. [She swallows more tears.] ...I think I still am.

[Pearl tosses her head, pulling her hand back.] ...I don't deserve to be mad after what I put you through.

[smajors-mailbox]

"What you put me through?" The words that have all been coming out before have been calm, collected, but Scott snaps back into focus, the words come out with force. "Pearl, no, this - Pearl, no," and suddenly, he's struggling to find the sentence he wants to say. "No, this isn't about what - Pearl, you have suffered a hundred times more than I have because of Double Life. You don't have to-" He gestures around wildly, nearly getting out of his seat. "If you're angry, be angry. Pearl, I'm not going to tell you not to be angry. You put me through things? No, no, I put you through all of that. There's no reason for you to be feeling like you have to sacrifice your emotions for my sake."

Scott is the one who is supposed to sacrifice his feelings for the sake of this conversation. This isn't supposed to be about him. This is about Pearl. This is about how he had hurt her. She's deserved this apology and he's trying to give it to her. There's this moment of frantic scrabbling as he tries to get them back on track, control slipping through his fingers like sand as he attempts to figure out what to say, how to say it. How does he continue? This is wrong, this has suddenly gone all wrong.

"Why is this about deserving? If it's about deserving, you've deserved to be angry. It's not that I've never wanted you, Pearl, it's - it's more complicated than that," he settles on, because he's not sure how to say it, Scott feels like he isn't in control anymore and that's not good. If he's not in control of himself, then this is going to go wrong, and he needs things to go right or else that's failing Pearl again. He was supposed to make things right. Why are they going wrong? What has he done wrong to make her feel like she can't express herself? "Pearl, I trusted you too," and it's past tense, because she had also used past tense, and that hurts. Scott scrabbles for the mature tone he uses when he comes into these conversations and he is found he is left with an ugly kind of passion, the kind of almost-anger not at a person, but also entirely at them at the same time. It makes him want to freeze it and grind it into nothing with his bare hands.

Scott feels strongly about this, and he hates that he can't hide that from her.

[pearls-mailbox]

[And finally, the anger slips through. Pearl can't meet his eyes, staring at the floor, but tears drip down her cheeks as she bangs her fists on the table. Several of her dogs get to their feet, ears pricked.]

I– everybody loves you, Scott! They all love you, and I, I love you too, I don't think I ever stopped, and, and you're always perfect and I'm– I'm gonna be her forever! No matter what I do!

[The coffee cup, near-empty, rattles on the table.]

I hate you, but I love you, and– [She has to gasp for breath.] And I think I just hate myself.

[Pearl's hands find their way to her hair, tugging indiscriminately. It's only when her hands brush against her flattened antennae that she jerks them away, realizing how close she might have gotten to accidentally pulling one out. She stares blankly at her hands, tears still streaming.]

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott had fallen quiet when she had her outburst, but as soon as Pearl nearly tugs out her antennae, as soon as her hands are free, he's reaching out over the table - he hesitates, but then he grabs onto her hands. "I'm not perfect," he says, voice thick with emotion. "Pearl, I think you know that at the bottom of your heart that I'm not. I'm really, really not. I hurt you a lot during Double Life, and I lashed out, and if you want, I can explain why I did things the way that I did, but in the end, that doesn't change the fact that I hurt you." It's hard, sometimes, to admit that he's wrong in emotional moments - a part of him still screams, banging at the bars of some cage made of ice, that admittance is failure, that if he complies then he is admitting that he was not good enough. But I wasn't, is the answer Scott has this time, and it is true.

Scott had done a lot of terrible things during Double Life. He had scolded her during their down times when the hunger pangs had hit in, because he had been antsy and nervous and off his game. And he can explain that, but he regrets it. He regrets how harsh he was with her. So this time, he is very deliberately gentle. He swallows again, and it feels like he's choking for a moment on all the words he never got to say. (He's done this before. But it feels like he hasn't.)

"Pearl, I love you too," he says, first of all. "That has never changed. Even when I did all of those things, and even when we both lashed out, I didn't stop caring about you. And you're not her. You've never been her, not really. Not truly. Because the 'Scarlet Witch' has never been you. You tried to use that to protect yourself because you were scared and alone and I am so, so sorry. I wish I could take it all back. And I'm here not because I want to," he pauses, his heart hammering in his chest.

"Say that I'm blameless, or that you're awful. I'm here because I still want to be friends with you, and I'm here because I want to understand you, and I really, really hope that I can work everything out with you. I understand hating yourself," because there have been countless moments where he has hated what he has done, hated the person he was, hated everything, hated how he had let everything in Empires escalate to that point, "but I don't hate you. I know things must be very hard for you," and that's an obvious statement, "but that doesn't make me care about you any less."

[pearls-mailbox]

[Pearl trembles, but she lets Scott hold her hands. His are cold, but the surprise of it seems to shock her system enough that she stops staring at her hands and thinking about all the blood she's had on them, and she listens.]

I was so scared... [Pearl mumbles, breathless. She can't stop shaking.] I don't think I ever stopped being scared... I just got better at ignoring it.

It's like, some little part of me is still there, in the clearing, more of a dog than a person, and she's ready to put an arrow in your heart, and– and that horrible light is still reflecting in her eyes. She never got out.

I'm scared, Scott... [She finds herself letting out a low whine, tugging lightly on his hands from across the table.]

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott lets his hands be tugged, and he reaches up with a thumb to rub it over her thumb's knuckle in an act of comfort. "It's going to be okay, Pearl. You know, I don't think most people see you as the Witch anymore, but I know that... the season had a lot of impact on you internally, so you might still feel that way for a while. Maybe later I can go around with you and we can let people know not to make those kinds of jokes anymore?" He says, absorbing the information.

"But that's... that's later. Right now, I want you to know that I'm listening." I'm not going anywhere. "And maybe it might take a while, but I think you - she - will be able to leave." It will all be okay, he murmurs under his breath more to himself than to her. He can do this. No, not just them - they can do this, together. They can figure things out.

[pearls-mailbox]

Okay... [Pearl’s voice is still breathy, but slowly, it gets steadier. She gets to her feet, gently tugging on Scott's hands until she has him wrapped in a hug, tight and clinging.]

[It's several seconds before she finally lets him go and steps back. Her eyes fall on the dregs of her coffee, and she picks it up with a sad little laugh.] I don't know why I kept drinking this... I could have warmed it back up at any time.

[She sighs, returning her attention to Scott.]

I missed you. I really did, even when you were right there.

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott smiles back at Pearl, and he stays standing right where Pearl had left him. I'm staying. I'm not going anywhere.

"I missed you too, Pearl," he says, and for once, he isn't gripped with the urge to straighten out his shirt, or fix the cuffs of his shirt (which his current one doesn't have, so he can't do that anyways). "I'm sorry that it took us so long to have this talk. But if you ever want to talk about it, or ask me about clarification, or anything along those lines, I don't mind sitting down to have another talk. I'll explain it until you get it. That's what friends do." It's a promise.

[pearls-mailbox]

[They've talked, finally. They could talk and talk and talk and talk, and Pearl’s not sure she would ever find the words for all her messy feelings. But...]

Would you spar with me? [It's so tentative, it's almost a whisper. Pearl of the past never got her fight, Pearl reckons. Maybe it's time she gets what she stood there waiting for.] I have a place.

[smajors-mailbox]

To be honest, Scott would much rather explain everything, go through all the events methodically. Step by step work it out. But there's so much, too much - it feels a little overwhelming, even if that's how he would rather go about it. But - Pearl is asking this of him. Scott can do that.

"Yeah. Yeah, we can spar. If you have a place, I'll set my spawn and stuff, and we can absolutely spar." If it makes her feel better, Scott will draw his sword again and they can spar. Even if Scott prefers words over violence, he will make an exception. (Maybe he needs to step out of his comfort zone.) "I suppose I won't be taking any ice magic into here. To keep things fair." He chuckles. When he's in the life games, his ability to harness ice is banned to keep things fair as well.

(Liberating, yet confinement all the same. How fascinating.)

[pearls-mailbox]

No, it's not that kinda fighting. You'll see, [Pearl explains, grabbing Scott's hand.] You saw that big ballroom outside, right?

[She doesn’t wait for an answer, because she starts dragging him through her base to the ballroom.]

[At the entrance, she stops. The ballroom is spacious and silent, the only life the mossy decorations and the assorted sculptures spread across the floor. Pearl doesn’t enter, however; she turns to the bookshelf in the lobby, tugs on a book, and gestures for Scott to enter the door that opens out of nowhere.]

[Pearl rifles through some chests inside, tossing him a mace and a suit of netherite armor.] This place is mostly a secret– only Joel, Gem, Cub, and Etho know about it. But I think it's fine to have you here as a guest. No telling, okay?

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott brings up a hand to his mouth playfully, mimicking the motion of zipping his lips shut. "I won't tell a soul," he says, with an amused little grin. He takes up the Netherite armour, and begins to put it on, before realizing that he should probably tell Pearl about the fact that he has wings.

With a flick and a shake, the glamour comes undone, and soft, downy white wings fade into existence with the addition of a few sparkles as he gets rid of the spell. They're quite large, but he tucks them behind his back to make them seem smaller after he stretches them out, almost a little too quickly.

"I thought maybe I should show you these, since you're showing me one of your secrets," he's not sure why he's so nervous about it, trying to disguise it as a light joke. "But I wasn't sure if other Scott had these, so I thought it'd be better to let you know. He's got the shoes and the pants on, so he looks a little awkward, half-armoured.

[pearls-mailbox]

[Pearl blinks in surprise for a moment. Other Scott indeed did not have wings. But that conversation can be left for another time– for the moment, Pearl considers this, before declaring,] Since we both can fly, then, you can glide a little, but no flapping, [and pulls out another chestplate, a backless one like her own.] Try this on instead.

[She hasn’t fought Cub in the arena yet, so this will be the first time she has to adjust for wings being in play. No flapping seems like a good compromise, though; can't use them to get higher, but slowing the descent is fine.]

Set your spawn and grab some wind charges and gold carrots, and I'll explain the rules, [she chirps, leaning on her mace. The breeze rod that makes the handle flexes slightly with her weight.]

[smajors-mailbox]

"Alright," Scott agrees, putting on the chestplate and then the helmet. He gives her a grateful smile, pleased with the fact that she doesn't seem to be bothered by the wings. It's not necessarily something he goes around telling people about, he prefers keeping it on-the-low. Despite Aeor being a Stag God, being his incarnation means that he has wings. (Why? He has no clue. He just has to roll with it, honestly.)

After he completes the tasks given to him by Pearl, he does as told, and then pulls out the mace. It's not like any weapon he usually uses - it's much too big. He prefers a sword or an axe or a bow in battle. Axes do more damage, of course, but swords were customary for duels and he's got plenty of experience with that. Scott doesn't touch the sword in his inventory, though. This is not a duel. This is a spar. The mace's handle feels strange against his skin, but he runs his fingers over it gently to try and get a feel for how the weapon would swing.

"Well? How are we doing this? I'm not quite familiar with maces, you see, so you'll have to pardon me," he can't help but laugh a little to himself about it. The mace looks very natural from where Pearl has her position with it, but it will take Scott a few swings to get into the rhythm of it. "But I'm interested in how you've set up this arena. How do we spar?" There's a look of genuine interest in his eyes as he looks at her, awaiting her instruction.

[pearls-mailbox]

So! [Pearl leads Scott out to the ballroom, spinning in a circle as she indicates the whole room.] In a minute, I'll turn the arena on, and some platforms and bouncy slime pits will come out. There's also wind charge launchers under the vents in the floor; the whole point is to bounce up real high using your wind charges so you can SMACK the other person real hard!

[She gives one of the statues a demonstrative whack as she says this, a puff of wind blowing from her mace. The sound rings clearly throughout the whole ballroom; despite seemingly having the figure of a stick, she's honestly quite buff and has no trouble handling the heavy weapon.]

You can eat carrots if you're taking a lot of fall damage, but don't overdo it, [Pearl wraps up.] You wanna go stand on that end of the arena and get ready? [She points him to the far end.]

[smajors-mailbox]

"This is cute," Scott remarks as he looks around the room, absorbing the look of the build. "Excellent. Alright, I understand how the game works, and it definitely doesn't disappoint. I'll go over there now," his wings give a flutter in anticipation as he moves over to where Pearl has directed to, giving his mace a few experimental swings. Of course, it's not the same as swinging it in the middle of combat (or in the air), but at least he won't be swinging it for the first time. He looks over at his friend and gives her a thumbs up.

"Ready when you are."

[pearls-mailbox]

[Pearl retreats to the entrance of the room, and quietly taps the note block that turns on the arena. The soft opening notes of Creator fill the ballroom, pits of slime open in the floor, and pillars rise from it. Quietly, Pearl advances, circling the outskirts of the room like a predator, before throwing down a wind charge and leaping up to a pillar, and up once more to a chandelier.]

[Perched atop the moss and glass, Pearl regards Scott with a cool smile.]

Come on, Scott, [she purrs.] Let's dance.

[smajors-mailbox]

Something about this still unnerves Scott - it feels like Pearl wants to hunt him down for sport, and that feeling of being chased is one that is both loved and hated by him - but he had agreed to this. He's going to see it through. He's a man of his word, he doesn't go back on what he says, but there's something about the way Pearl looks at him that makes something crawl up the back of his spine.

Best to just jump into this, right?

Every move Scott takes has an air of elegance to it - all that training during his childhood never really leaves him, not even in the moments where he is fighting for his life, he keeps an air of coolness about him. He jumps up with the windcharge onto the pillar, looking up at Pearl, and he readies the mace. "Can't fight if you're all the way up there," he chuckles, keeping his eyes on her.

(Don't look away. If he slacks for even one moment, he'll be dead.)

[pearls-mailbox]

Not for long, [Pearl laughs, springing off the pillar, eyes trained on Scott as she swings– perhaps a little too trained on Scott, because she misses the pillar by a few inches, poor depth perception suddenly betraying her.]

[She lands on the ground, mutters] Voiddamnit, [and rapidly backs up, eating a golden carrot and staring up at him as she anticipates his leap.]

[smajors-mailbox]

As Pearl is eating her golden carrot, Scott leaps off of the platform, swinging his mace - he doesn't expect to actually hit her, but he does manage a good shot in against her armour, and he does so with a surprised noise. "Beginner's luck!" He says, backing away to prepare a windcharge. Scott never stops moving, never pauses for even a moment - memories of growing up, to stay still is to grow compliant, and compliancy in a battle is death. Never let them have the opportunity to catch you while still. Scott bounces off of the stands back up onto the tower again, and flexes his hands as he grasps the handle again, looking for another opening.

Despite his lighthearted words, he zooms in on the opportunity to strike, the weaknesses, the chinks in her armour. If she has to slow down, he will jump again. Scott will comply with the rules (honour, to stay honourable and play by them in a battle to the death is still something he will forever abide by) but that does not mean that he will go down without a fight. Pearl feels like she is hunting him, but his eyes focus on her and the surroundings, preparing for his next move, eyeing her like a hawk. He will go into this fight with a strategy, but for now, the goal is to simply try and get more familiar with her fighting style so he can learn how to counter it.

[pearls-mailbox]

[Pearl only seems to take the hit as further fuel for her own fighting spirit. She grits her teeth, tightens her grip on her mace, and throws a wind charge at her feet once more, briefly coasting on the updraft.]

[She follows Scott as he dodges, gaining further momentum by springing off a statue, and abruptly folds back her wings to increase her speed as she comes back down. The resulting impact of her mace launches her back into the air and sends Scott skidding.]

[With a triumphant whoop, she takes another pillar perch, shifting her weight before she lunges back into motion.]

[smajors-mailbox]

The blow leaves Scott stumbling, scrambling, a little dizzy. His breath comes out in a singular wheeze as he attempts to reorient himself. Where did she go? Ah, there. He launches himself up (even as the world spins) and misses brutally, missing the pillar and hitting the ground hard. Scott stumbles. How embarrassing. He should be doing better than this. This is not the demeanour befitting of an Emperor. But he's not the emperor, right now. He's just Scott. (A little bit of dizziness would have killed him in a real fight. It's a little pathetic, really.) He needs to get himself together, even as he feels his head spins and he turns around to try and get himself back up onto a pillar.

[pearls-mailbox]

[Pearl leaps down once more, only to misjudge the distance again and thud against polished floor. Quickly, she reorients herself, scrambling upright and bounding away from him once more. She jumps into an opened vent, letting it shoot her up into the air again.]

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott takes that moment to jump up again, reining in his focus as he manages to get a hit on her midair with the mace. It's a solid, clean hit, but he still feels he could have done better as he continues to bounce around, finally getting into the swing of the battle and the fighting style. His lips press into a line as he focuses on trying to get more height in their fight.

[pearls-mailbox]

[Pearl goes around her dining room with a feather duster for the third time in the day. Scott is coming over. They're finally going to talk, really talk, about what happened. Everything ought to be extra, extra clean. He'll chastize her if she doesn’t he's used to the pristine halls of his castle, she wants him to feel comfortable.]

[She should do the kitchen again too. And the living room. Just in case he wants to sit in there. Where's the best place to sit with company? Why are her dogs barking– oh that's the doorbell he's here. She rushes to meet him at the door, still wearing her cleaning outfit. Oh dear. Will she look embarrassing?]

[She opens the door.]

...Hi, Scott?

[It comes out as a question. Oh dear. Oh dear oh dear oh dear.]

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott hasn't been this nervous about going to meet someone since the last time he talked to Pearl about Double Life - and he has to remind himself that that Pearl wasn't this Pearl, and that he's going to have to have this conversation all over again. It's one that he's prepared himself for (and one he's gone through before) but that doesn't make it any less easier.

Instead of coming in traditional Rivendell clothes that he finds himself wearing all the time again, Scott had found the outfit he'd worn back in 3rd Life back in his closet, and he'd adorned the jeans, the jacket, the white shirt with the stripes on it. It feels almost a little wrong to be wearing something so casual, but he didn't want to intimidate her by wearing that kind of outfit.

Something better suited to make her feel more casual (and not the red jacket he'd worn in Double Life to mirror hers) would work well, right? He stands at the door and when she opens it, he smiles at her.

"Ah, Pearl," he greets with a wave. "Oh, look at all the dogs! Aren't they cute?" Scott peers at all of her dogs, and doesn't mind at all the fact that Pearl is still in her cleaning clothing. If that's what makes her more comfortable, then he won't mind at all. "I hope you're feeling alright?" She probably isn't, but his manners kick in nonetheless.

[pearls-mailbox]

Puppies, doggies, don't jump... [Pearl gently shoos her dogs away from Scott. Tilly, in particular, lingers for a moment, staring him down before backing away.] I'm alright, yeah... Sorry I didn't change...

[Her antennae droop sheepishly. It is obvious she is probably not alright, but it's the thing to say.] Come on in, I baked pie... [Does this Scott like pie? She hopes he does.]

[smajors-mailbox]

Ah, that must be Tilly, Scott registers as he stares at her before she backs down. "It's alright," he waves. "I understand, you stress-clean, right?" He remembers that the Pearl from his timeline, world, whatever, had also done the same thing.

Neither of them are okay. But they will be okay.

"You baked pie?" Scott smiles. "I would love to try some, thank you so much for the food." He steps inside, taking his shoes (how strange it is to wear sneakers, this outfit brings back so many memories) off and setting them down on a rack so they are not chewed mercilessly by the dogs.

[pearls-mailbox]

Yep, stress-cleaning... [Pearl admits with a nervous laugh. She leads him into the dining room, setting the pie on the table. She already has plates and silverware out.] Do you want anything to drink?

[Everything is fine. She has, if anything, overprepared for this. He's going to like it. She tells herself this. He's going to like it.]

[smajors-mailbox]

"Anything sweet, honestly, I think will do. I've got quite the secret sweet tooth," he chuckles. Scott makes conversation even if it doesn't come easy, because that is what is expected of him and that will help Pearl and what matters right now is making sure Pearl doesn't freak out. "I'm sorry about stressing you out like this, though. I think the conversation won't be as bad as you're thinking it will be." Because he's had this once, before, and they worked things out.

They will work out again.

They have to.

[pearls-mailbox]

[Pearl blushes with unease. She doesn’t like that it's that obvious that she's scared.] Don't apologize, [she mumbles,] it's not your fault...

[Is it the other Scott's fault she's so stressed out about one conversation? Anybody's? Hers?]

[Before that spiral goes anywhere else, she gets ingredients for sweet iced tea out, readying some for Scott.]

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott watches as Pearl makes the tea. It is... well, his fault, and not his fault at the same time. Having being an alternative version of an existing person has definitely... been an experience that he... has gone through, which feels unreal. But what matters is that Pearl is here and in front of him, and he can make things right (again).

"It sort of is my fault," he chuckles, and he has a feeling he feels less nervous about this because he's done this before, but the anxiety still takes root in his lungs. "But let's get to that later." He pauses. "I... I'm not mad at you," he tries to reassure her, and he smiles that perfect Emperor smile that he uses when he's nervous in a meeting with officials, "if that's any condolence."

From where he's clasped his hands together, he tightens his fingers, the already-pale skin going a little more white from the pressure.

[pearls-mailbox]

[Pearl has never actually tried to make iced tea before, but she took a guess on what sort of drink Scott would like when she was shopping, and now she's gotta stick with it. She sets the glass down on the table for Scott, and grabs the mug of coffee she was drinking while she cleaned.]

Okay, [Pearl mumbles as she sits down, but she can't really convince herself to believe him. All she can do is wait for his critical eye to fall on all the things she's doing wrong.] I'm... not either? [She doesn't deserve to be mad. Not after everything she did.]

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott picks up the drink and he picks it up, taking a sip. It's surprisingly well done - the amount of sugar that's in it is exactly to his liking. He can't help but smile (genuinely) when he sets down the cup, despite the conversation he's about to have, and then, he turns his gaze to Pearl again. Okay. He's gotta do this.

"First of all, I want to say that I'm sorry," Scott says, and it's important, because when he thinks of how Santa Pearla had cried and cried and how she had never gotten an apology, that comes first. "I want to say that I am genuinely very sorry for how I treated you during Double Life." He names it, because names have power and it's important that Scott acknowledges what he'd done. "It wasn't right of me, and I hurt your feelings a lot, and for that, I am sorry."

He keeps his eyes trained on Pearl's face, maybe not always meeting eye contact, but eye contact can sometimes freak him out a little bit, but he wants to seem sincere. Scott is sincere about this. He is sorry. Pearl made mistakes, but so did he, and she deserves this apology. This will be okay. They can work things out.

[pearls-mailbox]

[Okay. Yeah. Time to have a reasonable adult conversation and not freak out. Pearl can do this.]

...Thank you. [Deep breath.] I'm sorry, too. For... all the impulsive things I did. And... for not listening when you said to leave you alone.

[She takes a sip of the half-empty coffee. She's let it sit for much too long, and it's become bitter and cold. She wonders why she didn't throw this out.]

[smajors-mailbox]

To be honest, when Double Life had been happening, Scott's biggest issue with Pearl had been those exact things. His smile relaxes just the slightest bit upon receiving that apology in return. He's a little surprised there hasn't been any violence yet - when he and his Pearl had this conversation, she'd been understandably very angry with him.

He'd been angry with her in return, and they'd fought it out until they'd had a proper conversation about how they'd really felt. This feels more... reserved.

It feels like Pearl is holding back.

Scott feels still tense about this, but still a little better. "That's honestly the biggest thing that bothered me about Double Life," he admits. "But... I think it affected you much more than it affected me. Is there anything you want to talk about?" He gives her an opening to lead the conversation - this should be a little more about Pearl rather than himself.

[pearls-mailbox]

[Pearl takes another sip of her coffee. It's definitely gotten gross, but she forces it back anyway. Hopefully, the caffeine will help her think.]

I guess– to start– [She should start with something small, she thinks– oh gosh, everything is big. Uhhh. Fuck. She just picks something.]

Do you sti– did you really think I was crazy?

[She clears her throat, trying not to shudder. Just the word makes her feel a little gross inside.] Everyone else started... saying things, and then... I don't know, I could ignore them, but I couldn't ignore it when it came from you.

[smajors-mailbox]

Ah. It's time to talk about this. Scott eyes the cup of iced tea he hadn't touched since the conversation started, and as he mulls over his words, he takes the cup and raises it to his mouth. He takes a tentative sip, pausing, before placing it back down. How does he say this.

It's not like he didn't catch the first part of her sentence. Pearl still thinks that he thinks she was crazy. Maybe the original Scott had thought she was crazy. Maybe it's best that he give some background.

"I never thought you were crazy," Scott finally says aloud, breaking the silence that had been starting to build. "I called you crazy because I was upset and I wanted to hurt you, in a way. You see - back... home." His fingers curl around the glass. "Back home, you and I... we grew up together. We met at a diplomatic ball when we were both fifteen, and we mailed one another whenever we got the chance to. We met up whenever our situations would allow it. I grew up by your side, you my most trusted advisor. There was nothing I couldn't tell you."

The more he speaks, the more it feels bittersweet. "I saw you at your lowest point, and you saw me at my lowest point. It was easy to tell, to me, that you were trying to play into this role, to accept it, even if it hurt you. I'm not sure how... your Scott saw it. But I knew you, Pearl. I don't know if that makes me worse or better, in this situation," he admits, looking back up at her, hesitant to meet her eyes.

"But if you want to know what I, Scott of Rivendell, think," because he is Scott of Rivendell and he will forever be, even if she is not Queen Pearl of Gilded Helianthia, she is Pearl, "I've never thought you were insane, or you were crazy. I've known you were sane. I didn't mean for it to spiral as much as it did - people caught onto how I was upset about how things had happened and it suddenly wasn't just me, and it wasn't in my hands anymore. I know it started like that, but I didn't... I never meant for it to end up being something that defined you like that."

"For the longest time, I have seen how gentle you have been. You were the Queen of Farming, for Aeor's sake - how could someone like that be insane? Being capable of violence is not mutual with being a violent person." He aches with the urge to reach out and take her hand, to show her those fields of their unshared childhoods, to make Pearl see how he sees her, and yet, he finds he cannot reach her eyes, nor her fingers that have always been longer than his.

[pearls-mailbox]

[Growing up together... Pearl’s heart suddenly aches for the memories of another person. Another Pearl, of another timeline. The pang is jealousy, she realizes, and she shuts her mouth.]

It hurt. It did. We made each other hurt.

[The violence barely spanned a day, but the name still follows her. The expectations. Jokes are sometimes made that they had better keep dog armor out of the Series, that Pearl had better get her rest or who knows if she might snap, that she had better shape up and fight like everyone knows she can because look, Scott's winning again— Pearl hates it. She hates all of it. She doesn’t want to be the Witch.]

[The thought that Scott maybe, actually, knows that's not her– it's so terrifying, she finds herself recoiling from it.]

I– But– I hurt you. I hurt me, and I liked it. The snow–

[She hides her face, choking back a sob.]

I've never so much as touched it again, I swear, I've been good–

[She doesn’t know what might happen if she does. Nether, she's only now working up the courage to use ice in a build. The very thought of the blue tinging her fingers and crystals forming on her wings make her feel like she's going to choke.]

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott finds that he feels eerily calm, even as Pearl chokes back her sobs, even as the situation feels like it's turning sideways. His heart does not beat out of tune, his lungs don't work quickly - it's a cold kind of calm that settles over his shoulders like it has before. It's not quite dissociation, but it's not quite not - the way that his emotions seem to fade and turn into a vague chill underneath his skin feels familiar.

"We did hurt one another," Scott agrees, because it's true. They both hurt one another. They lashed out. "I participated in it a few times, too. It's not like you're blameless." He goes to immediately rationalize what had happened, to explain, but Pearl looks like she's on the verge of a panic attack, and he knows this is a sensitive subject. Scott has to approach this maturely. He has to approach it well. "And it must have felt good. To get back at me, I mean." Slowly, carefully, he reaches across the table, and places his hand down palm-up - an offering for her to take it.

"You don't have to prove that you're good to me, Pearl. I know you're a good person. I trust you when you say you haven't touched it again, and I'm glad you're not hurting yourself anymore. And I'm sorry," Scott is ashamed to say that his voice shakes as he apologizes again. The guilt is awful to live with, even to this day - it feels, sometimes, like he's choking on it, that it lives in his lungs like some sort of rot that he can never clean out. His hands shiver, sometimes, both because of the ice of his home and because of the memories of the past - of the games, of his childhood. Of being alone. (Waiting.) "That I made you go that far. That I made you feel like you had to do that in retaliation. I'm sorry. I don't think I ever won't be sorry for how awfully things turned out. I won't ever not be sorry for how I treated you."

[pearls-mailbox]

[Carefully, her hand inches across the table until it's brushing his. Her arms are longer, but she doesn’t quite reach out far enough for him to take it.]

I trusted you. We couldn't trust anyone, with the Curse, but I trusted you. And I worked so hard because I wanted to provide for us but you didn't want it. You didn't want me...

[She's not always good at finding the right way to tell people how much she cares about them, but in every service she can provide, every gift she can give, is more love than her words can contain. Where Scott will die to show his devotion, she will live for hers. And he didn't want it.]

I was scared. I got mad. At you, at everyone, at myself. [She swallows more tears.] ...I think I still am.

[Pearl tosses her head, pulling her hand back.] ...I don't deserve to be mad after what I put you through.

[smajors-mailbox]

"What you put me through?" The words that have all been coming out before have been calm, collected, but Scott snaps back into focus, the words come out with force. "Pearl, no, this - Pearl, no," and suddenly, he's struggling to find the sentence he wants to say. "No, this isn't about what - Pearl, you have suffered a hundred times more than I have because of Double Life. You don't have to-" He gestures around wildly, nearly getting out of his seat. "If you're angry, be angry. Pearl, I'm not going to tell you not to be angry. You put me through things? No, no, I put you through all of that. There's no reason for you to be feeling like you have to sacrifice your emotions for my sake."

Scott is the one who is supposed to sacrifice his feelings for the sake of this conversation. This isn't supposed to be about him. This is about Pearl. This is about how he had hurt her. She's deserved this apology and he's trying to give it to her. There's this moment of frantic scrabbling as he tries to get them back on track, control slipping through his fingers like sand as he attempts to figure out what to say, how to say it. How does he continue? This is wrong, this has suddenly gone all wrong.

"Why is this about deserving? If it's about deserving, you've deserved to be angry. It's not that I've never wanted you, Pearl, it's - it's more complicated than that," he settles on, because he's not sure how to say it, Scott feels like he isn't in control anymore and that's not good. If he's not in control of himself, then this is going to go wrong, and he needs things to go right or else that's failing Pearl again. He was supposed to make things right. Why are they going wrong? What has he done wrong to make her feel like she can't express herself? "Pearl, I trusted you too," and it's past tense, because she had also used past tense, and that hurts. Scott scrabbles for the mature tone he uses when he comes into these conversations and he is found he is left with an ugly kind of passion, the kind of almost-anger not at a person, but also entirely at them at the same time. It makes him want to freeze it and grind it into nothing with his bare hands.

Scott feels strongly about this, and he hates that he can't hide that from her.

[pearls-mailbox]

[And finally, the anger slips through. Pearl can't meet his eyes, staring at the floor, but tears drip down her cheeks as she bangs her fists on the table. Several of her dogs get to their feet, ears pricked.]

I– everybody loves you, Scott! They all love you, and I, I love you too, I don't think I ever stopped, and, and you're always perfect and I'm– I'm gonna be her forever! No matter what I do!

[The coffee cup, near-empty, rattles on the table.]

I hate you, but I love you, and– [She has to gasp for breath.] And I think I just hate myself.

[Pearl's hands find their way to her hair, tugging indiscriminately. It's only when her hands brush against her flattened antennae that she jerks them away, realizing how close she might have gotten to accidentally pulling one out. She stares blankly at her hands, tears still streaming.]

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott had fallen quiet when she had her outburst, but as soon as Pearl nearly tugs out her antennae, as soon as her hands are free, he's reaching out over the table - he hesitates, but then he grabs onto her hands. "I'm not perfect," he says, voice thick with emotion. "Pearl, I think you know that at the bottom of your heart that I'm not. I'm really, really not. I hurt you a lot during Double Life, and I lashed out, and if you want, I can explain why I did things the way that I did, but in the end, that doesn't change the fact that I hurt you." It's hard, sometimes, to admit that he's wrong in emotional moments - a part of him still screams, banging at the bars of some cage made of ice, that admittance is failure, that if he complies then he is admitting that he was not good enough. But I wasn't, is the answer Scott has this time, and it is true.

Scott had done a lot of terrible things during Double Life. He had scolded her during their down times when the hunger pangs had hit in, because he had been antsy and nervous and off his game. And he can explain that, but he regrets it. He regrets how harsh he was with her. So this time, he is very deliberately gentle. He swallows again, and it feels like he's choking for a moment on all the words he never got to say. (He's done this before. But it feels like he hasn't.)

"Pearl, I love you too," he says, first of all. "That has never changed. Even when I did all of those things, and even when we both lashed out, I didn't stop caring about you. And you're not her. You've never been her, not really. Not truly. Because the 'Scarlet Witch' has never been you. You tried to use that to protect yourself because you were scared and alone and I am so, so sorry. I wish I could take it all back. And I'm here not because I want to," he pauses, his heart hammering in his chest.

"Say that I'm blameless, or that you're awful. I'm here because I still want to be friends with you, and I'm here because I want to understand you, and I really, really hope that I can work everything out with you. I understand hating yourself," because there have been countless moments where he has hated what he has done, hated the person he was, hated everything, hated how he had let everything in Empires escalate to that point, "but I don't hate you. I know things must be very hard for you," and that's an obvious statement, "but that doesn't make me care about you any less."

[pearls-mailbox]

[Pearl trembles, but she lets Scott hold her hands. His are cold, but the surprise of it seems to shock her system enough that she stops staring at her hands and thinking about all the blood she's had on them, and she listens.]

I was so scared... [Pearl mumbles, breathless. She can't stop shaking.] I don't think I ever stopped being scared... I just got better at ignoring it.

It's like, some little part of me is still there, in the clearing, more of a dog than a person, and she's ready to put an arrow in your heart, and– and that horrible light is still reflecting in her eyes. She never got out.

I'm scared, Scott... [She finds herself letting out a low whine, tugging lightly on his hands from across the table.]

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott lets his hands be tugged, and he reaches up with a thumb to rub it over her thumb's knuckle in an act of comfort. "It's going to be okay, Pearl. You know, I don't think most people see you as the Witch anymore, but I know that... the season had a lot of impact on you internally, so you might still feel that way for a while. Maybe later I can go around with you and we can let people know not to make those kinds of jokes anymore?" He says, absorbing the information.

"But that's... that's later. Right now, I want you to know that I'm listening." I'm not going anywhere. "And maybe it might take a while, but I think you - she - will be able to leave." It will all be okay, he murmurs under his breath more to himself than to her. He can do this. No, not just them - they can do this, together. They can figure things out.

[pearls-mailbox]

Okay... [Pearl’s voice is still breathy, but slowly, it gets steadier. She gets to her feet, gently tugging on Scott's hands until she has him wrapped in a hug, tight and clinging.]

[It's several seconds before she finally lets him go and steps back. Her eyes fall on the dregs of her coffee, and she picks it up with a sad little laugh.] I don't know why I kept drinking this... I could have warmed it back up at any time.

[She sighs, returning her attention to Scott.]

I missed you. I really did, even when you were right there.

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott smiles back at Pearl, and he stays standing right where Pearl had left him. I'm staying. I'm not going anywhere.

"I missed you too, Pearl," he says, and for once, he isn't gripped with the urge to straighten out his shirt, or fix the cuffs of his shirt (which his current one doesn't have, so he can't do that anyways). "I'm sorry that it took us so long to have this talk. But if you ever want to talk about it, or ask me about clarification, or anything along those lines, I don't mind sitting down to have another talk. I'll explain it until you get it. That's what friends do." It's a promise.

[pearls-mailbox]

[They've talked, finally. They could talk and talk and talk and talk, and Pearl’s not sure she would ever find the words for all her messy feelings. But...]

Would you spar with me? [It's so tentative, it's almost a whisper. Pearl of the past never got her fight, Pearl reckons. Maybe it's time she gets what she stood there waiting for.] I have a place.

[smajors-mailbox]

To be honest, Scott would much rather explain everything, go through all the events methodically. Step by step work it out. But there's so much, too much - it feels a little overwhelming, even if that's how he would rather go about it. But - Pearl is asking this of him. Scott can do that.

"Yeah. Yeah, we can spar. If you have a place, I'll set my spawn and stuff, and we can absolutely spar." If it makes her feel better, Scott will draw his sword again and they can spar. Even if Scott prefers words over violence, he will make an exception. (Maybe he needs to step out of his comfort zone.) "I suppose I won't be taking any ice magic into here. To keep things fair." He chuckles. When he's in the life games, his ability to harness ice is banned to keep things fair as well.

(Liberating, yet confinement all the same. How fascinating.)

[pearls-mailbox]

No, it's not that kinda fighting. You'll see, [Pearl explains, grabbing Scott's hand.] You saw that big ballroom outside, right?

[She doesn’t wait for an answer, because she starts dragging him through her base to the ballroom.]

[At the entrance, she stops. The ballroom is spacious and silent, the only life the mossy decorations and the assorted sculptures spread across the floor. Pearl doesn’t enter, however; she turns to the bookshelf in the lobby, tugs on a book, and gestures for Scott to enter the door that opens out of nowhere.]

[Pearl rifles through some chests inside, tossing him a mace and a suit of netherite armor.] This place is mostly a secret– only Joel, Gem, Cub, and Etho know about it. But I think it's fine to have you here as a guest. No telling, okay?

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott brings up a hand to his mouth playfully, mimicking the motion of zipping his lips shut. "I won't tell a soul," he says, with an amused little grin. He takes up the Netherite armour, and begins to put it on, before realizing that he should probably tell Pearl about the fact that he has wings.

With a flick and a shake, the glamour comes undone, and soft, downy white wings fade into existence with the addition of a few sparkles as he gets rid of the spell. They're quite large, but he tucks them behind his back to make them seem smaller after he stretches them out, almost a little too quickly.

"I thought maybe I should show you these, since you're showing me one of your secrets," he's not sure why he's so nervous about it, trying to disguise it as a light joke. "But I wasn't sure if other Scott had these, so I thought it'd be better to let you know. He's got the shoes and the pants on, so he looks a little awkward, half-armoured.

[pearls-mailbox]

[Pearl blinks in surprise for a moment. Other Scott indeed did not have wings. But that conversation can be left for another time– for the moment, Pearl considers this, before declaring,] Since we both can fly, then, you can glide a little, but no flapping, [and pulls out another chestplate, a backless one like her own.] Try this on instead.

[She hasn’t fought Cub in the arena yet, so this will be the first time she has to adjust for wings being in play. No flapping seems like a good compromise, though; can't use them to get higher, but slowing the descent is fine.]

Set your spawn and grab some wind charges and gold carrots, and I'll explain the rules, [she chirps, leaning on her mace. The breeze rod that makes the handle flexes slightly with her weight.]

[smajors-mailbox]

"Alright," Scott agrees, putting on the chestplate and then the helmet. He gives her a grateful smile, pleased with the fact that she doesn't seem to be bothered by the wings. It's not necessarily something he goes around telling people about, he prefers keeping it on-the-low. Despite Aeor being a Stag God, being his incarnation means that he has wings. (Why? He has no clue. He just has to roll with it, honestly.)

After he completes the tasks given to him by Pearl, he does as told, and then pulls out the mace. It's not like any weapon he usually uses - it's much too big. He prefers a sword or an axe or a bow in battle. Axes do more damage, of course, but swords were customary for duels and he's got plenty of experience with that. Scott doesn't touch the sword in his inventory, though. This is not a duel. This is a spar. The mace's handle feels strange against his skin, but he runs his fingers over it gently to try and get a feel for how the weapon would swing.

"Well? How are we doing this? I'm not quite familiar with maces, you see, so you'll have to pardon me," he can't help but laugh a little to himself about it. The mace looks very natural from where Pearl has her position with it, but it will take Scott a few swings to get into the rhythm of it. "But I'm interested in how you've set up this arena. How do we spar?" There's a look of genuine interest in his eyes as he looks at her, awaiting her instruction.

[pearls-mailbox]

So! [Pearl leads Scott out to the ballroom, spinning in a circle as she indicates the whole room.] In a minute, I'll turn the arena on, and some platforms and bouncy slime pits will come out. There's also wind charge launchers under the vents in the floor; the whole point is to bounce up real high using your wind charges so you can SMACK the other person real hard!

[She gives one of the statues a demonstrative whack as she says this, a puff of wind blowing from her mace. The sound rings clearly throughout the whole ballroom; despite seemingly having the figure of a stick, she's honestly quite buff and has no trouble handling the heavy weapon.]

You can eat carrots if you're taking a lot of fall damage, but don't overdo it, [Pearl wraps up.] You wanna go stand on that end of the arena and get ready? [She points him to the far end.]

[smajors-mailbox]

"This is cute," Scott remarks as he looks around the room, absorbing the look of the build. "Excellent. Alright, I understand how the game works, and it definitely doesn't disappoint. I'll go over there now," his wings give a flutter in anticipation as he moves over to where Pearl has directed to, giving his mace a few experimental swings. Of course, it's not the same as swinging it in the middle of combat (or in the air), but at least he won't be swinging it for the first time. He looks over at his friend and gives her a thumbs up.

"Ready when you are."

[pearls-mailbox]

[Pearl retreats to the entrance of the room, and quietly taps the note block that turns on the arena. The soft opening notes of Creator fill the ballroom, pits of slime open in the floor, and pillars rise from it. Quietly, Pearl advances, circling the outskirts of the room like a predator, before throwing down a wind charge and leaping up to a pillar, and up once more to a chandelier.]

[Perched atop the moss and glass, Pearl regards Scott with a cool smile.]

Come on, Scott, [she purrs.] Let's dance.

[smajors-mailbox]

Something about this still unnerves Scott - it feels like Pearl wants to hunt him down for sport, and that feeling of being chased is one that is both loved and hated by him - but he had agreed to this. He's going to see it through. He's a man of his word, he doesn't go back on what he says, but there's something about the way Pearl looks at him that makes something crawl up the back of his spine.

Best to just jump into this, right?

Every move Scott takes has an air of elegance to it - all that training during his childhood never really leaves him, not even in the moments where he is fighting for his life, he keeps an air of coolness about him. He jumps up with the windcharge onto the pillar, looking up at Pearl, and he readies the mace. "Can't fight if you're all the way up there," he chuckles, keeping his eyes on her.

(Don't look away. If he slacks for even one moment, he'll be dead.)

[pearls-mailbox]

Not for long, [Pearl laughs, springing off the pillar, eyes trained on Scott as she swings– perhaps a little too trained on Scott, because she misses the pillar by a few inches, poor depth perception suddenly betraying her.]

[She lands on the ground, mutters] Voiddamnit, [and rapidly backs up, eating a golden carrot and staring up at him as she anticipates his leap.]

[smajors-mailbox]

As Pearl is eating her golden carrot, Scott leaps off of the platform, swinging his mace - he doesn't expect to actually hit her, but he does manage a good shot in against her armour, and he does so with a surprised noise. "Beginner's luck!" He says, backing away to prepare a windcharge. Scott never stops moving, never pauses for even a moment - memories of growing up, to stay still is to grow compliant, and compliancy in a battle is death. Never let them have the opportunity to catch you while still. Scott bounces off of the stands back up onto the tower again, and flexes his hands as he grasps the handle again, looking for another opening.

Despite his lighthearted words, he zooms in on the opportunity to strike, the weaknesses, the chinks in her armour. If she has to slow down, he will jump again. Scott will comply with the rules (honour, to stay honourable and play by them in a battle to the death is still something he will forever abide by) but that does not mean that he will go down without a fight. Pearl feels like she is hunting him, but his eyes focus on her and the surroundings, preparing for his next move, eyeing her like a hawk. He will go into this fight with a strategy, but for now, the goal is to simply try and get more familiar with her fighting style so he can learn how to counter it.

[pearls-mailbox]

[Pearl only seems to take the hit as further fuel for her own fighting spirit. She grits her teeth, tightens her grip on her mace, and throws a wind charge at her feet once more, briefly coasting on the updraft.]

[She follows Scott as he dodges, gaining further momentum by springing off a statue, and abruptly folds back her wings to increase her speed as she comes back down. The resulting impact of her mace launches her back into the air and sends Scott skidding.]

[With a triumphant whoop, she takes another pillar perch, shifting her weight before she lunges back into motion.]

[smajors-mailbox]

The blow leaves Scott stumbling, scrambling, a little dizzy. His breath comes out in a singular wheeze as he attempts to reorient himself. Where did she go? Ah, there. He launches himself up (even as the world spins) and misses brutally, missing the pillar and hitting the ground hard. Scott stumbles. How embarrassing. He should be doing better than this. This is not the demeanour befitting of an Emperor. But he's not the emperor, right now. He's just Scott. (A little bit of dizziness would have killed him in a real fight. It's a little pathetic, really.) He needs to get himself together, even as he feels his head spins and he turns around to try and get himself back up onto a pillar.

[pearls-mailbox]

[Pearl goes around her dining room with a feather duster for the third time in the day. Scott is coming over. They're finally going to talk, really talk, about what happened. Everything ought to be extra, extra clean. He'll chastize her if she doesn’t he's used to the pristine halls of his castle, she wants him to feel comfortable.]

[She should do the kitchen again too. And the living room. Just in case he wants to sit in there. Where's the best place to sit with company? Why are her dogs barking– oh that's the doorbell he's here. She rushes to meet him at the door, still wearing her cleaning outfit. Oh dear. Will she look embarrassing?]

[She opens the door.]

...Hi, Scott?

[It comes out as a question. Oh dear. Oh dear oh dear oh dear.]

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott hasn't been this nervous about going to meet someone since the last time he talked to Pearl about Double Life - and he has to remind himself that that Pearl wasn't this Pearl, and that he's going to have to have this conversation all over again. It's one that he's prepared himself for (and one he's gone through before) but that doesn't make it any less easier.

Instead of coming in traditional Rivendell clothes that he finds himself wearing all the time again, Scott had found the outfit he'd worn back in 3rd Life back in his closet, and he'd adorned the jeans, the jacket, the white shirt with the stripes on it. It feels almost a little wrong to be wearing something so casual, but he didn't want to intimidate her by wearing that kind of outfit.

Something better suited to make her feel more casual (and not the red jacket he'd worn in Double Life to mirror hers) would work well, right? He stands at the door and when she opens it, he smiles at her.

"Ah, Pearl," he greets with a wave. "Oh, look at all the dogs! Aren't they cute?" Scott peers at all of her dogs, and doesn't mind at all the fact that Pearl is still in her cleaning clothing. If that's what makes her more comfortable, then he won't mind at all. "I hope you're feeling alright?" She probably isn't, but his manners kick in nonetheless.

[pearls-mailbox]

Puppies, doggies, don't jump... [Pearl gently shoos her dogs away from Scott. Tilly, in particular, lingers for a moment, staring him down before backing away.] I'm alright, yeah... Sorry I didn't change...

[Her antennae droop sheepishly. It is obvious she is probably not alright, but it's the thing to say.] Come on in, I baked pie... [Does this Scott like pie? She hopes he does.]

[smajors-mailbox]

Ah, that must be Tilly, Scott registers as he stares at her before she backs down. "It's alright," he waves. "I understand, you stress-clean, right?" He remembers that the Pearl from his timeline, world, whatever, had also done the same thing.

Neither of them are okay. But they will be okay.

"You baked pie?" Scott smiles. "I would love to try some, thank you so much for the food." He steps inside, taking his shoes (how strange it is to wear sneakers, this outfit brings back so many memories) off and setting them down on a rack so they are not chewed mercilessly by the dogs.

[pearls-mailbox]

Yep, stress-cleaning... [Pearl admits with a nervous laugh. She leads him into the dining room, setting the pie on the table. She already has plates and silverware out.] Do you want anything to drink?

[Everything is fine. She has, if anything, overprepared for this. He's going to like it. She tells herself this. He's going to like it.]

[smajors-mailbox]

"Anything sweet, honestly, I think will do. I've got quite the secret sweet tooth," he chuckles. Scott makes conversation even if it doesn't come easy, because that is what is expected of him and that will help Pearl and what matters right now is making sure Pearl doesn't freak out. "I'm sorry about stressing you out like this, though. I think the conversation won't be as bad as you're thinking it will be." Because he's had this once, before, and they worked things out.

They will work out again.

They have to.

[pearls-mailbox]

[Pearl blushes with unease. She doesn’t like that it's that obvious that she's scared.] Don't apologize, [she mumbles,] it's not your fault...

[Is it the other Scott's fault she's so stressed out about one conversation? Anybody's? Hers?]

[Before that spiral goes anywhere else, she gets ingredients for sweet iced tea out, readying some for Scott.]

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott watches as Pearl makes the tea. It is... well, his fault, and not his fault at the same time. Having being an alternative version of an existing person has definitely... been an experience that he... has gone through, which feels unreal. But what matters is that Pearl is here and in front of him, and he can make things right (again).

"It sort of is my fault," he chuckles, and he has a feeling he feels less nervous about this because he's done this before, but the anxiety still takes root in his lungs. "But let's get to that later." He pauses. "I... I'm not mad at you," he tries to reassure her, and he smiles that perfect Emperor smile that he uses when he's nervous in a meeting with officials, "if that's any condolence."

From where he's clasped his hands together, he tightens his fingers, the already-pale skin going a little more white from the pressure.

[pearls-mailbox]

[Pearl has never actually tried to make iced tea before, but she took a guess on what sort of drink Scott would like when she was shopping, and now she's gotta stick with it. She sets the glass down on the table for Scott, and grabs the mug of coffee she was drinking while she cleaned.]

Okay, [Pearl mumbles as she sits down, but she can't really convince herself to believe him. All she can do is wait for his critical eye to fall on all the things she's doing wrong.] I'm... not either? [She doesn't deserve to be mad. Not after everything she did.]

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott picks up the drink and he picks it up, taking a sip. It's surprisingly well done - the amount of sugar that's in it is exactly to his liking. He can't help but smile (genuinely) when he sets down the cup, despite the conversation he's about to have, and then, he turns his gaze to Pearl again. Okay. He's gotta do this.

"First of all, I want to say that I'm sorry," Scott says, and it's important, because when he thinks of how Santa Pearla had cried and cried and how she had never gotten an apology, that comes first. "I want to say that I am genuinely very sorry for how I treated you during Double Life." He names it, because names have power and it's important that Scott acknowledges what he'd done. "It wasn't right of me, and I hurt your feelings a lot, and for that, I am sorry."

He keeps his eyes trained on Pearl's face, maybe not always meeting eye contact, but eye contact can sometimes freak him out a little bit, but he wants to seem sincere. Scott is sincere about this. He is sorry. Pearl made mistakes, but so did he, and she deserves this apology. This will be okay. They can work things out.

[pearls-mailbox]

[Okay. Yeah. Time to have a reasonable adult conversation and not freak out. Pearl can do this.]

...Thank you. [Deep breath.] I'm sorry, too. For... all the impulsive things I did. And... for not listening when you said to leave you alone.

[She takes a sip of the half-empty coffee. She's let it sit for much too long, and it's become bitter and cold. She wonders why she didn't throw this out.]

[smajors-mailbox]

To be honest, when Double Life had been happening, Scott's biggest issue with Pearl had been those exact things. His smile relaxes just the slightest bit upon receiving that apology in return. He's a little surprised there hasn't been any violence yet - when he and his Pearl had this conversation, she'd been understandably very angry with him.

He'd been angry with her in return, and they'd fought it out until they'd had a proper conversation about how they'd really felt. This feels more... reserved.

It feels like Pearl is holding back.

Scott feels still tense about this, but still a little better. "That's honestly the biggest thing that bothered me about Double Life," he admits. "But... I think it affected you much more than it affected me. Is there anything you want to talk about?" He gives her an opening to lead the conversation - this should be a little more about Pearl rather than himself.

[pearls-mailbox]

[Pearl takes another sip of her coffee. It's definitely gotten gross, but she forces it back anyway. Hopefully, the caffeine will help her think.]

I guess– to start– [She should start with something small, she thinks– oh gosh, everything is big. Uhhh. Fuck. She just picks something.]

Do you sti– did you really think I was crazy?

[She clears her throat, trying not to shudder. Just the word makes her feel a little gross inside.] Everyone else started... saying things, and then... I don't know, I could ignore them, but I couldn't ignore it when it came from you.

[smajors-mailbox]

Ah. It's time to talk about this. Scott eyes the cup of iced tea he hadn't touched since the conversation started, and as he mulls over his words, he takes the cup and raises it to his mouth. He takes a tentative sip, pausing, before placing it back down. How does he say this.

It's not like he didn't catch the first part of her sentence. Pearl still thinks that he thinks she was crazy. Maybe the original Scott had thought she was crazy. Maybe it's best that he give some background.

"I never thought you were crazy," Scott finally says aloud, breaking the silence that had been starting to build. "I called you crazy because I was upset and I wanted to hurt you, in a way. You see - back... home." His fingers curl around the glass. "Back home, you and I... we grew up together. We met at a diplomatic ball when we were both fifteen, and we mailed one another whenever we got the chance to. We met up whenever our situations would allow it. I grew up by your side, you my most trusted advisor. There was nothing I couldn't tell you."

The more he speaks, the more it feels bittersweet. "I saw you at your lowest point, and you saw me at my lowest point. It was easy to tell, to me, that you were trying to play into this role, to accept it, even if it hurt you. I'm not sure how... your Scott saw it. But I knew you, Pearl. I don't know if that makes me worse or better, in this situation," he admits, looking back up at her, hesitant to meet her eyes.

"But if you want to know what I, Scott of Rivendell, think," because he is Scott of Rivendell and he will forever be, even if she is not Queen Pearl of Gilded Helianthia, she is Pearl, "I've never thought you were insane, or you were crazy. I've known you were sane. I didn't mean for it to spiral as much as it did - people caught onto how I was upset about how things had happened and it suddenly wasn't just me, and it wasn't in my hands anymore. I know it started like that, but I didn't... I never meant for it to end up being something that defined you like that."

"For the longest time, I have seen how gentle you have been. You were the Queen of Farming, for Aeor's sake - how could someone like that be insane? Being capable of violence is not mutual with being a violent person." He aches with the urge to reach out and take her hand, to show her those fields of their unshared childhoods, to make Pearl see how he sees her, and yet, he finds he cannot reach her eyes, nor her fingers that have always been longer than his.

[pearls-mailbox]

[Growing up together... Pearl’s heart suddenly aches for the memories of another person. Another Pearl, of another timeline. The pang is jealousy, she realizes, and she shuts her mouth.]

It hurt. It did. We made each other hurt.

[The violence barely spanned a day, but the name still follows her. The expectations. Jokes are sometimes made that they had better keep dog armor out of the Series, that Pearl had better get her rest or who knows if she might snap, that she had better shape up and fight like everyone knows she can because look, Scott's winning again— Pearl hates it. She hates all of it. She doesn’t want to be the Witch.]

[The thought that Scott maybe, actually, knows that's not her– it's so terrifying, she finds herself recoiling from it.]

I– But– I hurt you. I hurt me, and I liked it. The snow–

[She hides her face, choking back a sob.]

I've never so much as touched it again, I swear, I've been good–

[She doesn’t know what might happen if she does. Nether, she's only now working up the courage to use ice in a build. The very thought of the blue tinging her fingers and crystals forming on her wings make her feel like she's going to choke.]

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott finds that he feels eerily calm, even as Pearl chokes back her sobs, even as the situation feels like it's turning sideways. His heart does not beat out of tune, his lungs don't work quickly - it's a cold kind of calm that settles over his shoulders like it has before. It's not quite dissociation, but it's not quite not - the way that his emotions seem to fade and turn into a vague chill underneath his skin feels familiar.

"We did hurt one another," Scott agrees, because it's true. They both hurt one another. They lashed out. "I participated in it a few times, too. It's not like you're blameless." He goes to immediately rationalize what had happened, to explain, but Pearl looks like she's on the verge of a panic attack, and he knows this is a sensitive subject. Scott has to approach this maturely. He has to approach it well. "And it must have felt good. To get back at me, I mean." Slowly, carefully, he reaches across the table, and places his hand down palm-up - an offering for her to take it.

"You don't have to prove that you're good to me, Pearl. I know you're a good person. I trust you when you say you haven't touched it again, and I'm glad you're not hurting yourself anymore. And I'm sorry," Scott is ashamed to say that his voice shakes as he apologizes again. The guilt is awful to live with, even to this day - it feels, sometimes, like he's choking on it, that it lives in his lungs like some sort of rot that he can never clean out. His hands shiver, sometimes, both because of the ice of his home and because of the memories of the past - of the games, of his childhood. Of being alone. (Waiting.) "That I made you go that far. That I made you feel like you had to do that in retaliation. I'm sorry. I don't think I ever won't be sorry for how awfully things turned out. I won't ever not be sorry for how I treated you."

[pearls-mailbox]

[Carefully, her hand inches across the table until it's brushing his. Her arms are longer, but she doesn’t quite reach out far enough for him to take it.]

I trusted you. We couldn't trust anyone, with the Curse, but I trusted you. And I worked so hard because I wanted to provide for us but you didn't want it. You didn't want me...

[She's not always good at finding the right way to tell people how much she cares about them, but in every service she can provide, every gift she can give, is more love than her words can contain. Where Scott will die to show his devotion, she will live for hers. And he didn't want it.]

I was scared. I got mad. At you, at everyone, at myself. [She swallows more tears.] ...I think I still am.

[Pearl tosses her head, pulling her hand back.] ...I don't deserve to be mad after what I put you through.

[smajors-mailbox]

"What you put me through?" The words that have all been coming out before have been calm, collected, but Scott snaps back into focus, the words come out with force. "Pearl, no, this - Pearl, no," and suddenly, he's struggling to find the sentence he wants to say. "No, this isn't about what - Pearl, you have suffered a hundred times more than I have because of Double Life. You don't have to-" He gestures around wildly, nearly getting out of his seat. "If you're angry, be angry. Pearl, I'm not going to tell you not to be angry. You put me through things? No, no, I put you through all of that. There's no reason for you to be feeling like you have to sacrifice your emotions for my sake."

Scott is the one who is supposed to sacrifice his feelings for the sake of this conversation. This isn't supposed to be about him. This is about Pearl. This is about how he had hurt her. She's deserved this apology and he's trying to give it to her. There's this moment of frantic scrabbling as he tries to get them back on track, control slipping through his fingers like sand as he attempts to figure out what to say, how to say it. How does he continue? This is wrong, this has suddenly gone all wrong.

"Why is this about deserving? If it's about deserving, you've deserved to be angry. It's not that I've never wanted you, Pearl, it's - it's more complicated than that," he settles on, because he's not sure how to say it, Scott feels like he isn't in control anymore and that's not good. If he's not in control of himself, then this is going to go wrong, and he needs things to go right or else that's failing Pearl again. He was supposed to make things right. Why are they going wrong? What has he done wrong to make her feel like she can't express herself? "Pearl, I trusted you too," and it's past tense, because she had also used past tense, and that hurts. Scott scrabbles for the mature tone he uses when he comes into these conversations and he is found he is left with an ugly kind of passion, the kind of almost-anger not at a person, but also entirely at them at the same time. It makes him want to freeze it and grind it into nothing with his bare hands.

Scott feels strongly about this, and he hates that he can't hide that from her.

[pearls-mailbox]

[And finally, the anger slips through. Pearl can't meet his eyes, staring at the floor, but tears drip down her cheeks as she bangs her fists on the table. Several of her dogs get to their feet, ears pricked.]

I– everybody loves you, Scott! They all love you, and I, I love you too, I don't think I ever stopped, and, and you're always perfect and I'm– I'm gonna be her forever! No matter what I do!

[The coffee cup, near-empty, rattles on the table.]

I hate you, but I love you, and– [She has to gasp for breath.] And I think I just hate myself.

[Pearl's hands find their way to her hair, tugging indiscriminately. It's only when her hands brush against her flattened antennae that she jerks them away, realizing how close she might have gotten to accidentally pulling one out. She stares blankly at her hands, tears still streaming.]

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott had fallen quiet when she had her outburst, but as soon as Pearl nearly tugs out her antennae, as soon as her hands are free, he's reaching out over the table - he hesitates, but then he grabs onto her hands. "I'm not perfect," he says, voice thick with emotion. "Pearl, I think you know that at the bottom of your heart that I'm not. I'm really, really not. I hurt you a lot during Double Life, and I lashed out, and if you want, I can explain why I did things the way that I did, but in the end, that doesn't change the fact that I hurt you." It's hard, sometimes, to admit that he's wrong in emotional moments - a part of him still screams, banging at the bars of some cage made of ice, that admittance is failure, that if he complies then he is admitting that he was not good enough. But I wasn't, is the answer Scott has this time, and it is true.

Scott had done a lot of terrible things during Double Life. He had scolded her during their down times when the hunger pangs had hit in, because he had been antsy and nervous and off his game. And he can explain that, but he regrets it. He regrets how harsh he was with her. So this time, he is very deliberately gentle. He swallows again, and it feels like he's choking for a moment on all the words he never got to say. (He's done this before. But it feels like he hasn't.)

"Pearl, I love you too," he says, first of all. "That has never changed. Even when I did all of those things, and even when we both lashed out, I didn't stop caring about you. And you're not her. You've never been her, not really. Not truly. Because the 'Scarlet Witch' has never been you. You tried to use that to protect yourself because you were scared and alone and I am so, so sorry. I wish I could take it all back. And I'm here not because I want to," he pauses, his heart hammering in his chest.

"Say that I'm blameless, or that you're awful. I'm here because I still want to be friends with you, and I'm here because I want to understand you, and I really, really hope that I can work everything out with you. I understand hating yourself," because there have been countless moments where he has hated what he has done, hated the person he was, hated everything, hated how he had let everything in Empires escalate to that point, "but I don't hate you. I know things must be very hard for you," and that's an obvious statement, "but that doesn't make me care about you any less."

[pearls-mailbox]

[Pearl trembles, but she lets Scott hold her hands. His are cold, but the surprise of it seems to shock her system enough that she stops staring at her hands and thinking about all the blood she's had on them, and she listens.]

I was so scared... [Pearl mumbles, breathless. She can't stop shaking.] I don't think I ever stopped being scared... I just got better at ignoring it.

It's like, some little part of me is still there, in the clearing, more of a dog than a person, and she's ready to put an arrow in your heart, and– and that horrible light is still reflecting in her eyes. She never got out.

I'm scared, Scott... [She finds herself letting out a low whine, tugging lightly on his hands from across the table.]

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott lets his hands be tugged, and he reaches up with a thumb to rub it over her thumb's knuckle in an act of comfort. "It's going to be okay, Pearl. You know, I don't think most people see you as the Witch anymore, but I know that... the season had a lot of impact on you internally, so you might still feel that way for a while. Maybe later I can go around with you and we can let people know not to make those kinds of jokes anymore?" He says, absorbing the information.

"But that's... that's later. Right now, I want you to know that I'm listening." I'm not going anywhere. "And maybe it might take a while, but I think you - she - will be able to leave." It will all be okay, he murmurs under his breath more to himself than to her. He can do this. No, not just them - they can do this, together. They can figure things out.

[pearls-mailbox]

Okay... [Pearl’s voice is still breathy, but slowly, it gets steadier. She gets to her feet, gently tugging on Scott's hands until she has him wrapped in a hug, tight and clinging.]

[It's several seconds before she finally lets him go and steps back. Her eyes fall on the dregs of her coffee, and she picks it up with a sad little laugh.] I don't know why I kept drinking this... I could have warmed it back up at any time.

[She sighs, returning her attention to Scott.]

I missed you. I really did, even when you were right there.

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott smiles back at Pearl, and he stays standing right where Pearl had left him. I'm staying. I'm not going anywhere.

"I missed you too, Pearl," he says, and for once, he isn't gripped with the urge to straighten out his shirt, or fix the cuffs of his shirt (which his current one doesn't have, so he can't do that anyways). "I'm sorry that it took us so long to have this talk. But if you ever want to talk about it, or ask me about clarification, or anything along those lines, I don't mind sitting down to have another talk. I'll explain it until you get it. That's what friends do." It's a promise.

[pearls-mailbox]

[They've talked, finally. They could talk and talk and talk and talk, and Pearl’s not sure she would ever find the words for all her messy feelings. But...]

Would you spar with me? [It's so tentative, it's almost a whisper. Pearl of the past never got her fight, Pearl reckons. Maybe it's time she gets what she stood there waiting for.] I have a place.

[smajors-mailbox]

To be honest, Scott would much rather explain everything, go through all the events methodically. Step by step work it out. But there's so much, too much - it feels a little overwhelming, even if that's how he would rather go about it. But - Pearl is asking this of him. Scott can do that.

"Yeah. Yeah, we can spar. If you have a place, I'll set my spawn and stuff, and we can absolutely spar." If it makes her feel better, Scott will draw his sword again and they can spar. Even if Scott prefers words over violence, he will make an exception. (Maybe he needs to step out of his comfort zone.) "I suppose I won't be taking any ice magic into here. To keep things fair." He chuckles. When he's in the life games, his ability to harness ice is banned to keep things fair as well.

(Liberating, yet confinement all the same. How fascinating.)

[pearls-mailbox]

No, it's not that kinda fighting. You'll see, [Pearl explains, grabbing Scott's hand.] You saw that big ballroom outside, right?

[She doesn’t wait for an answer, because she starts dragging him through her base to the ballroom.]

[At the entrance, she stops. The ballroom is spacious and silent, the only life the mossy decorations and the assorted sculptures spread across the floor. Pearl doesn’t enter, however; she turns to the bookshelf in the lobby, tugs on a book, and gestures for Scott to enter the door that opens out of nowhere.]

[Pearl rifles through some chests inside, tossing him a mace and a suit of netherite armor.] This place is mostly a secret– only Joel, Gem, Cub, and Etho know about it. But I think it's fine to have you here as a guest. No telling, okay?

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott brings up a hand to his mouth playfully, mimicking the motion of zipping his lips shut. "I won't tell a soul," he says, with an amused little grin. He takes up the Netherite armour, and begins to put it on, before realizing that he should probably tell Pearl about the fact that he has wings.

With a flick and a shake, the glamour comes undone, and soft, downy white wings fade into existence with the addition of a few sparkles as he gets rid of the spell. They're quite large, but he tucks them behind his back to make them seem smaller after he stretches them out, almost a little too quickly.

"I thought maybe I should show you these, since you're showing me one of your secrets," he's not sure why he's so nervous about it, trying to disguise it as a light joke. "But I wasn't sure if other Scott had these, so I thought it'd be better to let you know. He's got the shoes and the pants on, so he looks a little awkward, half-armoured.

[pearls-mailbox]

[Pearl blinks in surprise for a moment. Other Scott indeed did not have wings. But that conversation can be left for another time– for the moment, Pearl considers this, before declaring,] Since we both can fly, then, you can glide a little, but no flapping, [and pulls out another chestplate, a backless one like her own.] Try this on instead.

[She hasn’t fought Cub in the arena yet, so this will be the first time she has to adjust for wings being in play. No flapping seems like a good compromise, though; can't use them to get higher, but slowing the descent is fine.]

Set your spawn and grab some wind charges and gold carrots, and I'll explain the rules, [she chirps, leaning on her mace. The breeze rod that makes the handle flexes slightly with her weight.]

[smajors-mailbox]

"Alright," Scott agrees, putting on the chestplate and then the helmet. He gives her a grateful smile, pleased with the fact that she doesn't seem to be bothered by the wings. It's not necessarily something he goes around telling people about, he prefers keeping it on-the-low. Despite Aeor being a Stag God, being his incarnation means that he has wings. (Why? He has no clue. He just has to roll with it, honestly.)

After he completes the tasks given to him by Pearl, he does as told, and then pulls out the mace. It's not like any weapon he usually uses - it's much too big. He prefers a sword or an axe or a bow in battle. Axes do more damage, of course, but swords were customary for duels and he's got plenty of experience with that. Scott doesn't touch the sword in his inventory, though. This is not a duel. This is a spar. The mace's handle feels strange against his skin, but he runs his fingers over it gently to try and get a feel for how the weapon would swing.

"Well? How are we doing this? I'm not quite familiar with maces, you see, so you'll have to pardon me," he can't help but laugh a little to himself about it. The mace looks very natural from where Pearl has her position with it, but it will take Scott a few swings to get into the rhythm of it. "But I'm interested in how you've set up this arena. How do we spar?" There's a look of genuine interest in his eyes as he looks at her, awaiting her instruction.

[pearls-mailbox]

So! [Pearl leads Scott out to the ballroom, spinning in a circle as she indicates the whole room.] In a minute, I'll turn the arena on, and some platforms and bouncy slime pits will come out. There's also wind charge launchers under the vents in the floor; the whole point is to bounce up real high using your wind charges so you can SMACK the other person real hard!

[She gives one of the statues a demonstrative whack as she says this, a puff of wind blowing from her mace. The sound rings clearly throughout the whole ballroom; despite seemingly having the figure of a stick, she's honestly quite buff and has no trouble handling the heavy weapon.]

You can eat carrots if you're taking a lot of fall damage, but don't overdo it, [Pearl wraps up.] You wanna go stand on that end of the arena and get ready? [She points him to the far end.]

[smajors-mailbox]

"This is cute," Scott remarks as he looks around the room, absorbing the look of the build. "Excellent. Alright, I understand how the game works, and it definitely doesn't disappoint. I'll go over there now," his wings give a flutter in anticipation as he moves over to where Pearl has directed to, giving his mace a few experimental swings. Of course, it's not the same as swinging it in the middle of combat (or in the air), but at least he won't be swinging it for the first time. He looks over at his friend and gives her a thumbs up.

"Ready when you are."

[pearls-mailbox]

[Pearl retreats to the entrance of the room, and quietly taps the note block that turns on the arena. The soft opening notes of Creator fill the ballroom, pits of slime open in the floor, and pillars rise from it. Quietly, Pearl advances, circling the outskirts of the room like a predator, before throwing down a wind charge and leaping up to a pillar, and up once more to a chandelier.]

[Perched atop the moss and glass, Pearl regards Scott with a cool smile.]

Come on, Scott, [she purrs.] Let's dance.

[smajors-mailbox]

Something about this still unnerves Scott - it feels like Pearl wants to hunt him down for sport, and that feeling of being chased is one that is both loved and hated by him - but he had agreed to this. He's going to see it through. He's a man of his word, he doesn't go back on what he says, but there's something about the way Pearl looks at him that makes something crawl up the back of his spine.

Best to just jump into this, right?

Every move Scott takes has an air of elegance to it - all that training during his childhood never really leaves him, not even in the moments where he is fighting for his life, he keeps an air of coolness about him. He jumps up with the windcharge onto the pillar, looking up at Pearl, and he readies the mace. "Can't fight if you're all the way up there," he chuckles, keeping his eyes on her.

(Don't look away. If he slacks for even one moment, he'll be dead.)

[pearls-mailbox]

Not for long, [Pearl laughs, springing off the pillar, eyes trained on Scott as she swings– perhaps a little too trained on Scott, because she misses the pillar by a few inches, poor depth perception suddenly betraying her.]

[She lands on the ground, mutters] Voiddamnit, [and rapidly backs up, eating a golden carrot and staring up at him as she anticipates his leap.]

[smajors-mailbox]

As Pearl is eating her golden carrot, Scott leaps off of the platform, swinging his mace - he doesn't expect to actually hit her, but he does manage a good shot in against her armour, and he does so with a surprised noise. "Beginner's luck!" He says, backing away to prepare a windcharge. Scott never stops moving, never pauses for even a moment - memories of growing up, to stay still is to grow compliant, and compliancy in a battle is death. Never let them have the opportunity to catch you while still. Scott bounces off of the stands back up onto the tower again, and flexes his hands as he grasps the handle again, looking for another opening.

Despite his lighthearted words, he zooms in on the opportunity to strike, the weaknesses, the chinks in her armour. If she has to slow down, he will jump again. Scott will comply with the rules (honour, to stay honourable and play by them in a battle to the death is still something he will forever abide by) but that does not mean that he will go down without a fight. Pearl feels like she is hunting him, but his eyes focus on her and the surroundings, preparing for his next move, eyeing her like a hawk. He will go into this fight with a strategy, but for now, the goal is to simply try and get more familiar with her fighting style so he can learn how to counter it.

[pearls-mailbox]

[Pearl goes around her dining room with a feather duster for the third time in the day. Scott is coming over. They're finally going to talk, really talk, about what happened. Everything ought to be extra, extra clean. He'll chastize her if she doesn’t he's used to the pristine halls of his castle, she wants him to feel comfortable.]

[She should do the kitchen again too. And the living room. Just in case he wants to sit in there. Where's the best place to sit with company? Why are her dogs barking– oh that's the doorbell he's here. She rushes to meet him at the door, still wearing her cleaning outfit. Oh dear. Will she look embarrassing?]

[She opens the door.]

...Hi, Scott?

[It comes out as a question. Oh dear. Oh dear oh dear oh dear.]

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott hasn't been this nervous about going to meet someone since the last time he talked to Pearl about Double Life - and he has to remind himself that that Pearl wasn't this Pearl, and that he's going to have to have this conversation all over again. It's one that he's prepared himself for (and one he's gone through before) but that doesn't make it any less easier.

Instead of coming in traditional Rivendell clothes that he finds himself wearing all the time again, Scott had found the outfit he'd worn back in 3rd Life back in his closet, and he'd adorned the jeans, the jacket, the white shirt with the stripes on it. It feels almost a little wrong to be wearing something so casual, but he didn't want to intimidate her by wearing that kind of outfit.

Something better suited to make her feel more casual (and not the red jacket he'd worn in Double Life to mirror hers) would work well, right? He stands at the door and when she opens it, he smiles at her.

"Ah, Pearl," he greets with a wave. "Oh, look at all the dogs! Aren't they cute?" Scott peers at all of her dogs, and doesn't mind at all the fact that Pearl is still in her cleaning clothing. If that's what makes her more comfortable, then he won't mind at all. "I hope you're feeling alright?" She probably isn't, but his manners kick in nonetheless.

[pearls-mailbox]

Puppies, doggies, don't jump... [Pearl gently shoos her dogs away from Scott. Tilly, in particular, lingers for a moment, staring him down before backing away.] I'm alright, yeah... Sorry I didn't change...

[Her antennae droop sheepishly. It is obvious she is probably not alright, but it's the thing to say.] Come on in, I baked pie... [Does this Scott like pie? She hopes he does.]

[smajors-mailbox]

Ah, that must be Tilly, Scott registers as he stares at her before she backs down. "It's alright," he waves. "I understand, you stress-clean, right?" He remembers that the Pearl from his timeline, world, whatever, had also done the same thing.

Neither of them are okay. But they will be okay.

"You baked pie?" Scott smiles. "I would love to try some, thank you so much for the food." He steps inside, taking his shoes (how strange it is to wear sneakers, this outfit brings back so many memories) off and setting them down on a rack so they are not chewed mercilessly by the dogs.

[pearls-mailbox]

Yep, stress-cleaning... [Pearl admits with a nervous laugh. She leads him into the dining room, setting the pie on the table. She already has plates and silverware out.] Do you want anything to drink?

[Everything is fine. She has, if anything, overprepared for this. He's going to like it. She tells herself this. He's going to like it.]

[smajors-mailbox]

"Anything sweet, honestly, I think will do. I've got quite the secret sweet tooth," he chuckles. Scott makes conversation even if it doesn't come easy, because that is what is expected of him and that will help Pearl and what matters right now is making sure Pearl doesn't freak out. "I'm sorry about stressing you out like this, though. I think the conversation won't be as bad as you're thinking it will be." Because he's had this once, before, and they worked things out.

They will work out again.

They have to.

[pearls-mailbox]

[Pearl blushes with unease. She doesn’t like that it's that obvious that she's scared.] Don't apologize, [she mumbles,] it's not your fault...

[Is it the other Scott's fault she's so stressed out about one conversation? Anybody's? Hers?]

[Before that spiral goes anywhere else, she gets ingredients for sweet iced tea out, readying some for Scott.]

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott watches as Pearl makes the tea. It is... well, his fault, and not his fault at the same time. Having being an alternative version of an existing person has definitely... been an experience that he... has gone through, which feels unreal. But what matters is that Pearl is here and in front of him, and he can make things right (again).

"It sort of is my fault," he chuckles, and he has a feeling he feels less nervous about this because he's done this before, but the anxiety still takes root in his lungs. "But let's get to that later." He pauses. "I... I'm not mad at you," he tries to reassure her, and he smiles that perfect Emperor smile that he uses when he's nervous in a meeting with officials, "if that's any condolence."

From where he's clasped his hands together, he tightens his fingers, the already-pale skin going a little more white from the pressure.

[pearls-mailbox]

[Pearl has never actually tried to make iced tea before, but she took a guess on what sort of drink Scott would like when she was shopping, and now she's gotta stick with it. She sets the glass down on the table for Scott, and grabs the mug of coffee she was drinking while she cleaned.]

Okay, [Pearl mumbles as she sits down, but she can't really convince herself to believe him. All she can do is wait for his critical eye to fall on all the things she's doing wrong.] I'm... not either? [She doesn't deserve to be mad. Not after everything she did.]

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott picks up the drink and he picks it up, taking a sip. It's surprisingly well done - the amount of sugar that's in it is exactly to his liking. He can't help but smile (genuinely) when he sets down the cup, despite the conversation he's about to have, and then, he turns his gaze to Pearl again. Okay. He's gotta do this.

"First of all, I want to say that I'm sorry," Scott says, and it's important, because when he thinks of how Santa Pearla had cried and cried and how she had never gotten an apology, that comes first. "I want to say that I am genuinely very sorry for how I treated you during Double Life." He names it, because names have power and it's important that Scott acknowledges what he'd done. "It wasn't right of me, and I hurt your feelings a lot, and for that, I am sorry."

He keeps his eyes trained on Pearl's face, maybe not always meeting eye contact, but eye contact can sometimes freak him out a little bit, but he wants to seem sincere. Scott is sincere about this. He is sorry. Pearl made mistakes, but so did he, and she deserves this apology. This will be okay. They can work things out.

[pearls-mailbox]

[Okay. Yeah. Time to have a reasonable adult conversation and not freak out. Pearl can do this.]

...Thank you. [Deep breath.] I'm sorry, too. For... all the impulsive things I did. And... for not listening when you said to leave you alone.

[She takes a sip of the half-empty coffee. She's let it sit for much too long, and it's become bitter and cold. She wonders why she didn't throw this out.]

[smajors-mailbox]

To be honest, when Double Life had been happening, Scott's biggest issue with Pearl had been those exact things. His smile relaxes just the slightest bit upon receiving that apology in return. He's a little surprised there hasn't been any violence yet - when he and his Pearl had this conversation, she'd been understandably very angry with him.

He'd been angry with her in return, and they'd fought it out until they'd had a proper conversation about how they'd really felt. This feels more... reserved.

It feels like Pearl is holding back.

Scott feels still tense about this, but still a little better. "That's honestly the biggest thing that bothered me about Double Life," he admits. "But... I think it affected you much more than it affected me. Is there anything you want to talk about?" He gives her an opening to lead the conversation - this should be a little more about Pearl rather than himself.

[pearls-mailbox]

[Pearl takes another sip of her coffee. It's definitely gotten gross, but she forces it back anyway. Hopefully, the caffeine will help her think.]

I guess– to start– [She should start with something small, she thinks– oh gosh, everything is big. Uhhh. Fuck. She just picks something.]

Do you sti– did you really think I was crazy?

[She clears her throat, trying not to shudder. Just the word makes her feel a little gross inside.] Everyone else started... saying things, and then... I don't know, I could ignore them, but I couldn't ignore it when it came from you.

[smajors-mailbox]

Ah. It's time to talk about this. Scott eyes the cup of iced tea he hadn't touched since the conversation started, and as he mulls over his words, he takes the cup and raises it to his mouth. He takes a tentative sip, pausing, before placing it back down. How does he say this.

It's not like he didn't catch the first part of her sentence. Pearl still thinks that he thinks she was crazy. Maybe the original Scott had thought she was crazy. Maybe it's best that he give some background.

"I never thought you were crazy," Scott finally says aloud, breaking the silence that had been starting to build. "I called you crazy because I was upset and I wanted to hurt you, in a way. You see - back... home." His fingers curl around the glass. "Back home, you and I... we grew up together. We met at a diplomatic ball when we were both fifteen, and we mailed one another whenever we got the chance to. We met up whenever our situations would allow it. I grew up by your side, you my most trusted advisor. There was nothing I couldn't tell you."

The more he speaks, the more it feels bittersweet. "I saw you at your lowest point, and you saw me at my lowest point. It was easy to tell, to me, that you were trying to play into this role, to accept it, even if it hurt you. I'm not sure how... your Scott saw it. But I knew you, Pearl. I don't know if that makes me worse or better, in this situation," he admits, looking back up at her, hesitant to meet her eyes.

"But if you want to know what I, Scott of Rivendell, think," because he is Scott of Rivendell and he will forever be, even if she is not Queen Pearl of Gilded Helianthia, she is Pearl, "I've never thought you were insane, or you were crazy. I've known you were sane. I didn't mean for it to spiral as much as it did - people caught onto how I was upset about how things had happened and it suddenly wasn't just me, and it wasn't in my hands anymore. I know it started like that, but I didn't... I never meant for it to end up being something that defined you like that."

"For the longest time, I have seen how gentle you have been. You were the Queen of Farming, for Aeor's sake - how could someone like that be insane? Being capable of violence is not mutual with being a violent person." He aches with the urge to reach out and take her hand, to show her those fields of their unshared childhoods, to make Pearl see how he sees her, and yet, he finds he cannot reach her eyes, nor her fingers that have always been longer than his.

[pearls-mailbox]

[Growing up together... Pearl’s heart suddenly aches for the memories of another person. Another Pearl, of another timeline. The pang is jealousy, she realizes, and she shuts her mouth.]

It hurt. It did. We made each other hurt.

[The violence barely spanned a day, but the name still follows her. The expectations. Jokes are sometimes made that they had better keep dog armor out of the Series, that Pearl had better get her rest or who knows if she might snap, that she had better shape up and fight like everyone knows she can because look, Scott's winning again— Pearl hates it. She hates all of it. She doesn’t want to be the Witch.]

[The thought that Scott maybe, actually, knows that's not her– it's so terrifying, she finds herself recoiling from it.]

I– But– I hurt you. I hurt me, and I liked it. The snow–

[She hides her face, choking back a sob.]

I've never so much as touched it again, I swear, I've been good–

[She doesn’t know what might happen if she does. Nether, she's only now working up the courage to use ice in a build. The very thought of the blue tinging her fingers and crystals forming on her wings make her feel like she's going to choke.]

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott finds that he feels eerily calm, even as Pearl chokes back her sobs, even as the situation feels like it's turning sideways. His heart does not beat out of tune, his lungs don't work quickly - it's a cold kind of calm that settles over his shoulders like it has before. It's not quite dissociation, but it's not quite not - the way that his emotions seem to fade and turn into a vague chill underneath his skin feels familiar.

"We did hurt one another," Scott agrees, because it's true. They both hurt one another. They lashed out. "I participated in it a few times, too. It's not like you're blameless." He goes to immediately rationalize what had happened, to explain, but Pearl looks like she's on the verge of a panic attack, and he knows this is a sensitive subject. Scott has to approach this maturely. He has to approach it well. "And it must have felt good. To get back at me, I mean." Slowly, carefully, he reaches across the table, and places his hand down palm-up - an offering for her to take it.

"You don't have to prove that you're good to me, Pearl. I know you're a good person. I trust you when you say you haven't touched it again, and I'm glad you're not hurting yourself anymore. And I'm sorry," Scott is ashamed to say that his voice shakes as he apologizes again. The guilt is awful to live with, even to this day - it feels, sometimes, like he's choking on it, that it lives in his lungs like some sort of rot that he can never clean out. His hands shiver, sometimes, both because of the ice of his home and because of the memories of the past - of the games, of his childhood. Of being alone. (Waiting.) "That I made you go that far. That I made you feel like you had to do that in retaliation. I'm sorry. I don't think I ever won't be sorry for how awfully things turned out. I won't ever not be sorry for how I treated you."

[pearls-mailbox]

[Carefully, her hand inches across the table until it's brushing his. Her arms are longer, but she doesn’t quite reach out far enough for him to take it.]

I trusted you. We couldn't trust anyone, with the Curse, but I trusted you. And I worked so hard because I wanted to provide for us but you didn't want it. You didn't want me...

[She's not always good at finding the right way to tell people how much she cares about them, but in every service she can provide, every gift she can give, is more love than her words can contain. Where Scott will die to show his devotion, she will live for hers. And he didn't want it.]

I was scared. I got mad. At you, at everyone, at myself. [She swallows more tears.] ...I think I still am.

[Pearl tosses her head, pulling her hand back.] ...I don't deserve to be mad after what I put you through.

[smajors-mailbox]

"What you put me through?" The words that have all been coming out before have been calm, collected, but Scott snaps back into focus, the words come out with force. "Pearl, no, this - Pearl, no," and suddenly, he's struggling to find the sentence he wants to say. "No, this isn't about what - Pearl, you have suffered a hundred times more than I have because of Double Life. You don't have to-" He gestures around wildly, nearly getting out of his seat. "If you're angry, be angry. Pearl, I'm not going to tell you not to be angry. You put me through things? No, no, I put you through all of that. There's no reason for you to be feeling like you have to sacrifice your emotions for my sake."

Scott is the one who is supposed to sacrifice his feelings for the sake of this conversation. This isn't supposed to be about him. This is about Pearl. This is about how he had hurt her. She's deserved this apology and he's trying to give it to her. There's this moment of frantic scrabbling as he tries to get them back on track, control slipping through his fingers like sand as he attempts to figure out what to say, how to say it. How does he continue? This is wrong, this has suddenly gone all wrong.

"Why is this about deserving? If it's about deserving, you've deserved to be angry. It's not that I've never wanted you, Pearl, it's - it's more complicated than that," he settles on, because he's not sure how to say it, Scott feels like he isn't in control anymore and that's not good. If he's not in control of himself, then this is going to go wrong, and he needs things to go right or else that's failing Pearl again. He was supposed to make things right. Why are they going wrong? What has he done wrong to make her feel like she can't express herself? "Pearl, I trusted you too," and it's past tense, because she had also used past tense, and that hurts. Scott scrabbles for the mature tone he uses when he comes into these conversations and he is found he is left with an ugly kind of passion, the kind of almost-anger not at a person, but also entirely at them at the same time. It makes him want to freeze it and grind it into nothing with his bare hands.

Scott feels strongly about this, and he hates that he can't hide that from her.

[pearls-mailbox]

[And finally, the anger slips through. Pearl can't meet his eyes, staring at the floor, but tears drip down her cheeks as she bangs her fists on the table. Several of her dogs get to their feet, ears pricked.]

I– everybody loves you, Scott! They all love you, and I, I love you too, I don't think I ever stopped, and, and you're always perfect and I'm– I'm gonna be her forever! No matter what I do!

[The coffee cup, near-empty, rattles on the table.]

I hate you, but I love you, and– [She has to gasp for breath.] And I think I just hate myself.

[Pearl's hands find their way to her hair, tugging indiscriminately. It's only when her hands brush against her flattened antennae that she jerks them away, realizing how close she might have gotten to accidentally pulling one out. She stares blankly at her hands, tears still streaming.]

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott had fallen quiet when she had her outburst, but as soon as Pearl nearly tugs out her antennae, as soon as her hands are free, he's reaching out over the table - he hesitates, but then he grabs onto her hands. "I'm not perfect," he says, voice thick with emotion. "Pearl, I think you know that at the bottom of your heart that I'm not. I'm really, really not. I hurt you a lot during Double Life, and I lashed out, and if you want, I can explain why I did things the way that I did, but in the end, that doesn't change the fact that I hurt you." It's hard, sometimes, to admit that he's wrong in emotional moments - a part of him still screams, banging at the bars of some cage made of ice, that admittance is failure, that if he complies then he is admitting that he was not good enough. But I wasn't, is the answer Scott has this time, and it is true.

Scott had done a lot of terrible things during Double Life. He had scolded her during their down times when the hunger pangs had hit in, because he had been antsy and nervous and off his game. And he can explain that, but he regrets it. He regrets how harsh he was with her. So this time, he is very deliberately gentle. He swallows again, and it feels like he's choking for a moment on all the words he never got to say. (He's done this before. But it feels like he hasn't.)

"Pearl, I love you too," he says, first of all. "That has never changed. Even when I did all of those things, and even when we both lashed out, I didn't stop caring about you. And you're not her. You've never been her, not really. Not truly. Because the 'Scarlet Witch' has never been you. You tried to use that to protect yourself because you were scared and alone and I am so, so sorry. I wish I could take it all back. And I'm here not because I want to," he pauses, his heart hammering in his chest.

"Say that I'm blameless, or that you're awful. I'm here because I still want to be friends with you, and I'm here because I want to understand you, and I really, really hope that I can work everything out with you. I understand hating yourself," because there have been countless moments where he has hated what he has done, hated the person he was, hated everything, hated how he had let everything in Empires escalate to that point, "but I don't hate you. I know things must be very hard for you," and that's an obvious statement, "but that doesn't make me care about you any less."

[pearls-mailbox]

[Pearl trembles, but she lets Scott hold her hands. His are cold, but the surprise of it seems to shock her system enough that she stops staring at her hands and thinking about all the blood she's had on them, and she listens.]

I was so scared... [Pearl mumbles, breathless. She can't stop shaking.] I don't think I ever stopped being scared... I just got better at ignoring it.

It's like, some little part of me is still there, in the clearing, more of a dog than a person, and she's ready to put an arrow in your heart, and– and that horrible light is still reflecting in her eyes. She never got out.

I'm scared, Scott... [She finds herself letting out a low whine, tugging lightly on his hands from across the table.]

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott lets his hands be tugged, and he reaches up with a thumb to rub it over her thumb's knuckle in an act of comfort. "It's going to be okay, Pearl. You know, I don't think most people see you as the Witch anymore, but I know that... the season had a lot of impact on you internally, so you might still feel that way for a while. Maybe later I can go around with you and we can let people know not to make those kinds of jokes anymore?" He says, absorbing the information.

"But that's... that's later. Right now, I want you to know that I'm listening." I'm not going anywhere. "And maybe it might take a while, but I think you - she - will be able to leave." It will all be okay, he murmurs under his breath more to himself than to her. He can do this. No, not just them - they can do this, together. They can figure things out.

[pearls-mailbox]

Okay... [Pearl’s voice is still breathy, but slowly, it gets steadier. She gets to her feet, gently tugging on Scott's hands until she has him wrapped in a hug, tight and clinging.]

[It's several seconds before she finally lets him go and steps back. Her eyes fall on the dregs of her coffee, and she picks it up with a sad little laugh.] I don't know why I kept drinking this... I could have warmed it back up at any time.

[She sighs, returning her attention to Scott.]

I missed you. I really did, even when you were right there.

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott smiles back at Pearl, and he stays standing right where Pearl had left him. I'm staying. I'm not going anywhere.

"I missed you too, Pearl," he says, and for once, he isn't gripped with the urge to straighten out his shirt, or fix the cuffs of his shirt (which his current one doesn't have, so he can't do that anyways). "I'm sorry that it took us so long to have this talk. But if you ever want to talk about it, or ask me about clarification, or anything along those lines, I don't mind sitting down to have another talk. I'll explain it until you get it. That's what friends do." It's a promise.

[pearls-mailbox]

[They've talked, finally. They could talk and talk and talk and talk, and Pearl’s not sure she would ever find the words for all her messy feelings. But...]

Would you spar with me? [It's so tentative, it's almost a whisper. Pearl of the past never got her fight, Pearl reckons. Maybe it's time she gets what she stood there waiting for.] I have a place.

[smajors-mailbox]

To be honest, Scott would much rather explain everything, go through all the events methodically. Step by step work it out. But there's so much, too much - it feels a little overwhelming, even if that's how he would rather go about it. But - Pearl is asking this of him. Scott can do that.

"Yeah. Yeah, we can spar. If you have a place, I'll set my spawn and stuff, and we can absolutely spar." If it makes her feel better, Scott will draw his sword again and they can spar. Even if Scott prefers words over violence, he will make an exception. (Maybe he needs to step out of his comfort zone.) "I suppose I won't be taking any ice magic into here. To keep things fair." He chuckles. When he's in the life games, his ability to harness ice is banned to keep things fair as well.

(Liberating, yet confinement all the same. How fascinating.)

[pearls-mailbox]

No, it's not that kinda fighting. You'll see, [Pearl explains, grabbing Scott's hand.] You saw that big ballroom outside, right?

[She doesn’t wait for an answer, because she starts dragging him through her base to the ballroom.]

[At the entrance, she stops. The ballroom is spacious and silent, the only life the mossy decorations and the assorted sculptures spread across the floor. Pearl doesn’t enter, however; she turns to the bookshelf in the lobby, tugs on a book, and gestures for Scott to enter the door that opens out of nowhere.]

[Pearl rifles through some chests inside, tossing him a mace and a suit of netherite armor.] This place is mostly a secret– only Joel, Gem, Cub, and Etho know about it. But I think it's fine to have you here as a guest. No telling, okay?

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott brings up a hand to his mouth playfully, mimicking the motion of zipping his lips shut. "I won't tell a soul," he says, with an amused little grin. He takes up the Netherite armour, and begins to put it on, before realizing that he should probably tell Pearl about the fact that he has wings.

With a flick and a shake, the glamour comes undone, and soft, downy white wings fade into existence with the addition of a few sparkles as he gets rid of the spell. They're quite large, but he tucks them behind his back to make them seem smaller after he stretches them out, almost a little too quickly.

"I thought maybe I should show you these, since you're showing me one of your secrets," he's not sure why he's so nervous about it, trying to disguise it as a light joke. "But I wasn't sure if other Scott had these, so I thought it'd be better to let you know. He's got the shoes and the pants on, so he looks a little awkward, half-armoured.

[pearls-mailbox]

[Pearl blinks in surprise for a moment. Other Scott indeed did not have wings. But that conversation can be left for another time– for the moment, Pearl considers this, before declaring,] Since we both can fly, then, you can glide a little, but no flapping, [and pulls out another chestplate, a backless one like her own.] Try this on instead.

[She hasn’t fought Cub in the arena yet, so this will be the first time she has to adjust for wings being in play. No flapping seems like a good compromise, though; can't use them to get higher, but slowing the descent is fine.]

Set your spawn and grab some wind charges and gold carrots, and I'll explain the rules, [she chirps, leaning on her mace. The breeze rod that makes the handle flexes slightly with her weight.]

[smajors-mailbox]

"Alright," Scott agrees, putting on the chestplate and then the helmet. He gives her a grateful smile, pleased with the fact that she doesn't seem to be bothered by the wings. It's not necessarily something he goes around telling people about, he prefers keeping it on-the-low. Despite Aeor being a Stag God, being his incarnation means that he has wings. (Why? He has no clue. He just has to roll with it, honestly.)

After he completes the tasks given to him by Pearl, he does as told, and then pulls out the mace. It's not like any weapon he usually uses - it's much too big. He prefers a sword or an axe or a bow in battle. Axes do more damage, of course, but swords were customary for duels and he's got plenty of experience with that. Scott doesn't touch the sword in his inventory, though. This is not a duel. This is a spar. The mace's handle feels strange against his skin, but he runs his fingers over it gently to try and get a feel for how the weapon would swing.

"Well? How are we doing this? I'm not quite familiar with maces, you see, so you'll have to pardon me," he can't help but laugh a little to himself about it. The mace looks very natural from where Pearl has her position with it, but it will take Scott a few swings to get into the rhythm of it. "But I'm interested in how you've set up this arena. How do we spar?" There's a look of genuine interest in his eyes as he looks at her, awaiting her instruction.

[pearls-mailbox]

So! [Pearl leads Scott out to the ballroom, spinning in a circle as she indicates the whole room.] In a minute, I'll turn the arena on, and some platforms and bouncy slime pits will come out. There's also wind charge launchers under the vents in the floor; the whole point is to bounce up real high using your wind charges so you can SMACK the other person real hard!

[She gives one of the statues a demonstrative whack as she says this, a puff of wind blowing from her mace. The sound rings clearly throughout the whole ballroom; despite seemingly having the figure of a stick, she's honestly quite buff and has no trouble handling the heavy weapon.]

You can eat carrots if you're taking a lot of fall damage, but don't overdo it, [Pearl wraps up.] You wanna go stand on that end of the arena and get ready? [She points him to the far end.]

[smajors-mailbox]

"This is cute," Scott remarks as he looks around the room, absorbing the look of the build. "Excellent. Alright, I understand how the game works, and it definitely doesn't disappoint. I'll go over there now," his wings give a flutter in anticipation as he moves over to where Pearl has directed to, giving his mace a few experimental swings. Of course, it's not the same as swinging it in the middle of combat (or in the air), but at least he won't be swinging it for the first time. He looks over at his friend and gives her a thumbs up.

"Ready when you are."

[pearls-mailbox]

[Pearl retreats to the entrance of the room, and quietly taps the note block that turns on the arena. The soft opening notes of Creator fill the ballroom, pits of slime open in the floor, and pillars rise from it. Quietly, Pearl advances, circling the outskirts of the room like a predator, before throwing down a wind charge and leaping up to a pillar, and up once more to a chandelier.]

[Perched atop the moss and glass, Pearl regards Scott with a cool smile.]

Come on, Scott, [she purrs.] Let's dance.

[smajors-mailbox]

Something about this still unnerves Scott - it feels like Pearl wants to hunt him down for sport, and that feeling of being chased is one that is both loved and hated by him - but he had agreed to this. He's going to see it through. He's a man of his word, he doesn't go back on what he says, but there's something about the way Pearl looks at him that makes something crawl up the back of his spine.

Best to just jump into this, right?

Every move Scott takes has an air of elegance to it - all that training during his childhood never really leaves him, not even in the moments where he is fighting for his life, he keeps an air of coolness about him. He jumps up with the windcharge onto the pillar, looking up at Pearl, and he readies the mace. "Can't fight if you're all the way up there," he chuckles, keeping his eyes on her.

(Don't look away. If he slacks for even one moment, he'll be dead.)

[pearls-mailbox]

[Pearl goes around her dining room with a feather duster for the third time in the day. Scott is coming over. They're finally going to talk, really talk, about what happened. Everything ought to be extra, extra clean. He'll chastize her if she doesn’t he's used to the pristine halls of his castle, she wants him to feel comfortable.]

[She should do the kitchen again too. And the living room. Just in case he wants to sit in there. Where's the best place to sit with company? Why are her dogs barking– oh that's the doorbell he's here. She rushes to meet him at the door, still wearing her cleaning outfit. Oh dear. Will she look embarrassing?]

[She opens the door.]

...Hi, Scott?

[It comes out as a question. Oh dear. Oh dear oh dear oh dear.]

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott hasn't been this nervous about going to meet someone since the last time he talked to Pearl about Double Life - and he has to remind himself that that Pearl wasn't this Pearl, and that he's going to have to have this conversation all over again. It's one that he's prepared himself for (and one he's gone through before) but that doesn't make it any less easier.

Instead of coming in traditional Rivendell clothes that he finds himself wearing all the time again, Scott had found the outfit he'd worn back in 3rd Life back in his closet, and he'd adorned the jeans, the jacket, the white shirt with the stripes on it. It feels almost a little wrong to be wearing something so casual, but he didn't want to intimidate her by wearing that kind of outfit.

Something better suited to make her feel more casual (and not the red jacket he'd worn in Double Life to mirror hers) would work well, right? He stands at the door and when she opens it, he smiles at her.

"Ah, Pearl," he greets with a wave. "Oh, look at all the dogs! Aren't they cute?" Scott peers at all of her dogs, and doesn't mind at all the fact that Pearl is still in her cleaning clothing. If that's what makes her more comfortable, then he won't mind at all. "I hope you're feeling alright?" She probably isn't, but his manners kick in nonetheless.

[pearls-mailbox]

Puppies, doggies, don't jump... [Pearl gently shoos her dogs away from Scott. Tilly, in particular, lingers for a moment, staring him down before backing away.] I'm alright, yeah... Sorry I didn't change...

[Her antennae droop sheepishly. It is obvious she is probably not alright, but it's the thing to say.] Come on in, I baked pie... [Does this Scott like pie? She hopes he does.]

[smajors-mailbox]

Ah, that must be Tilly, Scott registers as he stares at her before she backs down. "It's alright," he waves. "I understand, you stress-clean, right?" He remembers that the Pearl from his timeline, world, whatever, had also done the same thing.

Neither of them are okay. But they will be okay.

"You baked pie?" Scott smiles. "I would love to try some, thank you so much for the food." He steps inside, taking his shoes (how strange it is to wear sneakers, this outfit brings back so many memories) off and setting them down on a rack so they are not chewed mercilessly by the dogs.

[pearls-mailbox]

Yep, stress-cleaning... [Pearl admits with a nervous laugh. She leads him into the dining room, setting the pie on the table. She already has plates and silverware out.] Do you want anything to drink?

[Everything is fine. She has, if anything, overprepared for this. He's going to like it. She tells herself this. He's going to like it.]

[smajors-mailbox]

"Anything sweet, honestly, I think will do. I've got quite the secret sweet tooth," he chuckles. Scott makes conversation even if it doesn't come easy, because that is what is expected of him and that will help Pearl and what matters right now is making sure Pearl doesn't freak out. "I'm sorry about stressing you out like this, though. I think the conversation won't be as bad as you're thinking it will be." Because he's had this once, before, and they worked things out.

They will work out again.

They have to.

[pearls-mailbox]

[Pearl blushes with unease. She doesn’t like that it's that obvious that she's scared.] Don't apologize, [she mumbles,] it's not your fault...

[Is it the other Scott's fault she's so stressed out about one conversation? Anybody's? Hers?]

[Before that spiral goes anywhere else, she gets ingredients for sweet iced tea out, readying some for Scott.]

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott watches as Pearl makes the tea. It is... well, his fault, and not his fault at the same time. Having being an alternative version of an existing person has definitely... been an experience that he... has gone through, which feels unreal. But what matters is that Pearl is here and in front of him, and he can make things right (again).

"It sort of is my fault," he chuckles, and he has a feeling he feels less nervous about this because he's done this before, but the anxiety still takes root in his lungs. "But let's get to that later." He pauses. "I... I'm not mad at you," he tries to reassure her, and he smiles that perfect Emperor smile that he uses when he's nervous in a meeting with officials, "if that's any condolence."

From where he's clasped his hands together, he tightens his fingers, the already-pale skin going a little more white from the pressure.

[pearls-mailbox]

[Pearl has never actually tried to make iced tea before, but she took a guess on what sort of drink Scott would like when she was shopping, and now she's gotta stick with it. She sets the glass down on the table for Scott, and grabs the mug of coffee she was drinking while she cleaned.]

Okay, [Pearl mumbles as she sits down, but she can't really convince herself to believe him. All she can do is wait for his critical eye to fall on all the things she's doing wrong.] I'm... not either? [She doesn't deserve to be mad. Not after everything she did.]

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott picks up the drink and he picks it up, taking a sip. It's surprisingly well done - the amount of sugar that's in it is exactly to his liking. He can't help but smile (genuinely) when he sets down the cup, despite the conversation he's about to have, and then, he turns his gaze to Pearl again. Okay. He's gotta do this.

"First of all, I want to say that I'm sorry," Scott says, and it's important, because when he thinks of how Santa Pearla had cried and cried and how she had never gotten an apology, that comes first. "I want to say that I am genuinely very sorry for how I treated you during Double Life." He names it, because names have power and it's important that Scott acknowledges what he'd done. "It wasn't right of me, and I hurt your feelings a lot, and for that, I am sorry."

He keeps his eyes trained on Pearl's face, maybe not always meeting eye contact, but eye contact can sometimes freak him out a little bit, but he wants to seem sincere. Scott is sincere about this. He is sorry. Pearl made mistakes, but so did he, and she deserves this apology. This will be okay. They can work things out.

[pearls-mailbox]

[Okay. Yeah. Time to have a reasonable adult conversation and not freak out. Pearl can do this.]

...Thank you. [Deep breath.] I'm sorry, too. For... all the impulsive things I did. And... for not listening when you said to leave you alone.

[She takes a sip of the half-empty coffee. She's let it sit for much too long, and it's become bitter and cold. She wonders why she didn't throw this out.]

[smajors-mailbox]

To be honest, when Double Life had been happening, Scott's biggest issue with Pearl had been those exact things. His smile relaxes just the slightest bit upon receiving that apology in return. He's a little surprised there hasn't been any violence yet - when he and his Pearl had this conversation, she'd been understandably very angry with him.

He'd been angry with her in return, and they'd fought it out until they'd had a proper conversation about how they'd really felt. This feels more... reserved.

It feels like Pearl is holding back.

Scott feels still tense about this, but still a little better. "That's honestly the biggest thing that bothered me about Double Life," he admits. "But... I think it affected you much more than it affected me. Is there anything you want to talk about?" He gives her an opening to lead the conversation - this should be a little more about Pearl rather than himself.

[pearls-mailbox]

[Pearl takes another sip of her coffee. It's definitely gotten gross, but she forces it back anyway. Hopefully, the caffeine will help her think.]

I guess– to start– [She should start with something small, she thinks– oh gosh, everything is big. Uhhh. Fuck. She just picks something.]

Do you sti– did you really think I was crazy?

[She clears her throat, trying not to shudder. Just the word makes her feel a little gross inside.] Everyone else started... saying things, and then... I don't know, I could ignore them, but I couldn't ignore it when it came from you.

[smajors-mailbox]

Ah. It's time to talk about this. Scott eyes the cup of iced tea he hadn't touched since the conversation started, and as he mulls over his words, he takes the cup and raises it to his mouth. He takes a tentative sip, pausing, before placing it back down. How does he say this.

It's not like he didn't catch the first part of her sentence. Pearl still thinks that he thinks she was crazy. Maybe the original Scott had thought she was crazy. Maybe it's best that he give some background.

"I never thought you were crazy," Scott finally says aloud, breaking the silence that had been starting to build. "I called you crazy because I was upset and I wanted to hurt you, in a way. You see - back... home." His fingers curl around the glass. "Back home, you and I... we grew up together. We met at a diplomatic ball when we were both fifteen, and we mailed one another whenever we got the chance to. We met up whenever our situations would allow it. I grew up by your side, you my most trusted advisor. There was nothing I couldn't tell you."

The more he speaks, the more it feels bittersweet. "I saw you at your lowest point, and you saw me at my lowest point. It was easy to tell, to me, that you were trying to play into this role, to accept it, even if it hurt you. I'm not sure how... your Scott saw it. But I knew you, Pearl. I don't know if that makes me worse or better, in this situation," he admits, looking back up at her, hesitant to meet her eyes.

"But if you want to know what I, Scott of Rivendell, think," because he is Scott of Rivendell and he will forever be, even if she is not Queen Pearl of Gilded Helianthia, she is Pearl, "I've never thought you were insane, or you were crazy. I've known you were sane. I didn't mean for it to spiral as much as it did - people caught onto how I was upset about how things had happened and it suddenly wasn't just me, and it wasn't in my hands anymore. I know it started like that, but I didn't... I never meant for it to end up being something that defined you like that."

"For the longest time, I have seen how gentle you have been. You were the Queen of Farming, for Aeor's sake - how could someone like that be insane? Being capable of violence is not mutual with being a violent person." He aches with the urge to reach out and take her hand, to show her those fields of their unshared childhoods, to make Pearl see how he sees her, and yet, he finds he cannot reach her eyes, nor her fingers that have always been longer than his.

[pearls-mailbox]

[Growing up together... Pearl’s heart suddenly aches for the memories of another person. Another Pearl, of another timeline. The pang is jealousy, she realizes, and she shuts her mouth.]

It hurt. It did. We made each other hurt.

[The violence barely spanned a day, but the name still follows her. The expectations. Jokes are sometimes made that they had better keep dog armor out of the Series, that Pearl had better get her rest or who knows if she might snap, that she had better shape up and fight like everyone knows she can because look, Scott's winning again— Pearl hates it. She hates all of it. She doesn’t want to be the Witch.]

[The thought that Scott maybe, actually, knows that's not her– it's so terrifying, she finds herself recoiling from it.]

I– But– I hurt you. I hurt me, and I liked it. The snow–

[She hides her face, choking back a sob.]

I've never so much as touched it again, I swear, I've been good–

[She doesn’t know what might happen if she does. Nether, she's only now working up the courage to use ice in a build. The very thought of the blue tinging her fingers and crystals forming on her wings make her feel like she's going to choke.]

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott finds that he feels eerily calm, even as Pearl chokes back her sobs, even as the situation feels like it's turning sideways. His heart does not beat out of tune, his lungs don't work quickly - it's a cold kind of calm that settles over his shoulders like it has before. It's not quite dissociation, but it's not quite not - the way that his emotions seem to fade and turn into a vague chill underneath his skin feels familiar.

"We did hurt one another," Scott agrees, because it's true. They both hurt one another. They lashed out. "I participated in it a few times, too. It's not like you're blameless." He goes to immediately rationalize what had happened, to explain, but Pearl looks like she's on the verge of a panic attack, and he knows this is a sensitive subject. Scott has to approach this maturely. He has to approach it well. "And it must have felt good. To get back at me, I mean." Slowly, carefully, he reaches across the table, and places his hand down palm-up - an offering for her to take it.

"You don't have to prove that you're good to me, Pearl. I know you're a good person. I trust you when you say you haven't touched it again, and I'm glad you're not hurting yourself anymore. And I'm sorry," Scott is ashamed to say that his voice shakes as he apologizes again. The guilt is awful to live with, even to this day - it feels, sometimes, like he's choking on it, that it lives in his lungs like some sort of rot that he can never clean out. His hands shiver, sometimes, both because of the ice of his home and because of the memories of the past - of the games, of his childhood. Of being alone. (Waiting.) "That I made you go that far. That I made you feel like you had to do that in retaliation. I'm sorry. I don't think I ever won't be sorry for how awfully things turned out. I won't ever not be sorry for how I treated you."

[pearls-mailbox]

[Carefully, her hand inches across the table until it's brushing his. Her arms are longer, but she doesn’t quite reach out far enough for him to take it.]

I trusted you. We couldn't trust anyone, with the Curse, but I trusted you. And I worked so hard because I wanted to provide for us but you didn't want it. You didn't want me...

[She's not always good at finding the right way to tell people how much she cares about them, but in every service she can provide, every gift she can give, is more love than her words can contain. Where Scott will die to show his devotion, she will live for hers. And he didn't want it.]

I was scared. I got mad. At you, at everyone, at myself. [She swallows more tears.] ...I think I still am.

[Pearl tosses her head, pulling her hand back.] ...I don't deserve to be mad after what I put you through.

[smajors-mailbox]

"What you put me through?" The words that have all been coming out before have been calm, collected, but Scott snaps back into focus, the words come out with force. "Pearl, no, this - Pearl, no," and suddenly, he's struggling to find the sentence he wants to say. "No, this isn't about what - Pearl, you have suffered a hundred times more than I have because of Double Life. You don't have to-" He gestures around wildly, nearly getting out of his seat. "If you're angry, be angry. Pearl, I'm not going to tell you not to be angry. You put me through things? No, no, I put you through all of that. There's no reason for you to be feeling like you have to sacrifice your emotions for my sake."

Scott is the one who is supposed to sacrifice his feelings for the sake of this conversation. This isn't supposed to be about him. This is about Pearl. This is about how he had hurt her. She's deserved this apology and he's trying to give it to her. There's this moment of frantic scrabbling as he tries to get them back on track, control slipping through his fingers like sand as he attempts to figure out what to say, how to say it. How does he continue? This is wrong, this has suddenly gone all wrong.

"Why is this about deserving? If it's about deserving, you've deserved to be angry. It's not that I've never wanted you, Pearl, it's - it's more complicated than that," he settles on, because he's not sure how to say it, Scott feels like he isn't in control anymore and that's not good. If he's not in control of himself, then this is going to go wrong, and he needs things to go right or else that's failing Pearl again. He was supposed to make things right. Why are they going wrong? What has he done wrong to make her feel like she can't express herself? "Pearl, I trusted you too," and it's past tense, because she had also used past tense, and that hurts. Scott scrabbles for the mature tone he uses when he comes into these conversations and he is found he is left with an ugly kind of passion, the kind of almost-anger not at a person, but also entirely at them at the same time. It makes him want to freeze it and grind it into nothing with his bare hands.

Scott feels strongly about this, and he hates that he can't hide that from her.

[pearls-mailbox]

[And finally, the anger slips through. Pearl can't meet his eyes, staring at the floor, but tears drip down her cheeks as she bangs her fists on the table. Several of her dogs get to their feet, ears pricked.]

I– everybody loves you, Scott! They all love you, and I, I love you too, I don't think I ever stopped, and, and you're always perfect and I'm– I'm gonna be her forever! No matter what I do!

[The coffee cup, near-empty, rattles on the table.]

I hate you, but I love you, and– [She has to gasp for breath.] And I think I just hate myself.

[Pearl's hands find their way to her hair, tugging indiscriminately. It's only when her hands brush against her flattened antennae that she jerks them away, realizing how close she might have gotten to accidentally pulling one out. She stares blankly at her hands, tears still streaming.]

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott had fallen quiet when she had her outburst, but as soon as Pearl nearly tugs out her antennae, as soon as her hands are free, he's reaching out over the table - he hesitates, but then he grabs onto her hands. "I'm not perfect," he says, voice thick with emotion. "Pearl, I think you know that at the bottom of your heart that I'm not. I'm really, really not. I hurt you a lot during Double Life, and I lashed out, and if you want, I can explain why I did things the way that I did, but in the end, that doesn't change the fact that I hurt you." It's hard, sometimes, to admit that he's wrong in emotional moments - a part of him still screams, banging at the bars of some cage made of ice, that admittance is failure, that if he complies then he is admitting that he was not good enough. But I wasn't, is the answer Scott has this time, and it is true.

Scott had done a lot of terrible things during Double Life. He had scolded her during their down times when the hunger pangs had hit in, because he had been antsy and nervous and off his game. And he can explain that, but he regrets it. He regrets how harsh he was with her. So this time, he is very deliberately gentle. He swallows again, and it feels like he's choking for a moment on all the words he never got to say. (He's done this before. But it feels like he hasn't.)

"Pearl, I love you too," he says, first of all. "That has never changed. Even when I did all of those things, and even when we both lashed out, I didn't stop caring about you. And you're not her. You've never been her, not really. Not truly. Because the 'Scarlet Witch' has never been you. You tried to use that to protect yourself because you were scared and alone and I am so, so sorry. I wish I could take it all back. And I'm here not because I want to," he pauses, his heart hammering in his chest.

"Say that I'm blameless, or that you're awful. I'm here because I still want to be friends with you, and I'm here because I want to understand you, and I really, really hope that I can work everything out with you. I understand hating yourself," because there have been countless moments where he has hated what he has done, hated the person he was, hated everything, hated how he had let everything in Empires escalate to that point, "but I don't hate you. I know things must be very hard for you," and that's an obvious statement, "but that doesn't make me care about you any less."

[pearls-mailbox]

[Pearl trembles, but she lets Scott hold her hands. His are cold, but the surprise of it seems to shock her system enough that she stops staring at her hands and thinking about all the blood she's had on them, and she listens.]

I was so scared... [Pearl mumbles, breathless. She can't stop shaking.] I don't think I ever stopped being scared... I just got better at ignoring it.

It's like, some little part of me is still there, in the clearing, more of a dog than a person, and she's ready to put an arrow in your heart, and– and that horrible light is still reflecting in her eyes. She never got out.

I'm scared, Scott... [She finds herself letting out a low whine, tugging lightly on his hands from across the table.]

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott lets his hands be tugged, and he reaches up with a thumb to rub it over her thumb's knuckle in an act of comfort. "It's going to be okay, Pearl. You know, I don't think most people see you as the Witch anymore, but I know that... the season had a lot of impact on you internally, so you might still feel that way for a while. Maybe later I can go around with you and we can let people know not to make those kinds of jokes anymore?" He says, absorbing the information.

"But that's... that's later. Right now, I want you to know that I'm listening." I'm not going anywhere. "And maybe it might take a while, but I think you - she - will be able to leave." It will all be okay, he murmurs under his breath more to himself than to her. He can do this. No, not just them - they can do this, together. They can figure things out.

[pearls-mailbox]

Okay... [Pearl’s voice is still breathy, but slowly, it gets steadier. She gets to her feet, gently tugging on Scott's hands until she has him wrapped in a hug, tight and clinging.]

[It's several seconds before she finally lets him go and steps back. Her eyes fall on the dregs of her coffee, and she picks it up with a sad little laugh.] I don't know why I kept drinking this... I could have warmed it back up at any time.

[She sighs, returning her attention to Scott.]

I missed you. I really did, even when you were right there.

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott smiles back at Pearl, and he stays standing right where Pearl had left him. I'm staying. I'm not going anywhere.

"I missed you too, Pearl," he says, and for once, he isn't gripped with the urge to straighten out his shirt, or fix the cuffs of his shirt (which his current one doesn't have, so he can't do that anyways). "I'm sorry that it took us so long to have this talk. But if you ever want to talk about it, or ask me about clarification, or anything along those lines, I don't mind sitting down to have another talk. I'll explain it until you get it. That's what friends do." It's a promise.

[pearls-mailbox]

[They've talked, finally. They could talk and talk and talk and talk, and Pearl’s not sure she would ever find the words for all her messy feelings. But...]

Would you spar with me? [It's so tentative, it's almost a whisper. Pearl of the past never got her fight, Pearl reckons. Maybe it's time she gets what she stood there waiting for.] I have a place.

[smajors-mailbox]

To be honest, Scott would much rather explain everything, go through all the events methodically. Step by step work it out. But there's so much, too much - it feels a little overwhelming, even if that's how he would rather go about it. But - Pearl is asking this of him. Scott can do that.

"Yeah. Yeah, we can spar. If you have a place, I'll set my spawn and stuff, and we can absolutely spar." If it makes her feel better, Scott will draw his sword again and they can spar. Even if Scott prefers words over violence, he will make an exception. (Maybe he needs to step out of his comfort zone.) "I suppose I won't be taking any ice magic into here. To keep things fair." He chuckles. When he's in the life games, his ability to harness ice is banned to keep things fair as well.

(Liberating, yet confinement all the same. How fascinating.)

[pearls-mailbox]

No, it's not that kinda fighting. You'll see, [Pearl explains, grabbing Scott's hand.] You saw that big ballroom outside, right?

[She doesn’t wait for an answer, because she starts dragging him through her base to the ballroom.]

[At the entrance, she stops. The ballroom is spacious and silent, the only life the mossy decorations and the assorted sculptures spread across the floor. Pearl doesn’t enter, however; she turns to the bookshelf in the lobby, tugs on a book, and gestures for Scott to enter the door that opens out of nowhere.]

[Pearl rifles through some chests inside, tossing him a mace and a suit of netherite armor.] This place is mostly a secret– only Joel, Gem, Cub, and Etho know about it. But I think it's fine to have you here as a guest. No telling, okay?

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott brings up a hand to his mouth playfully, mimicking the motion of zipping his lips shut. "I won't tell a soul," he says, with an amused little grin. He takes up the Netherite armour, and begins to put it on, before realizing that he should probably tell Pearl about the fact that he has wings.

With a flick and a shake, the glamour comes undone, and soft, downy white wings fade into existence with the addition of a few sparkles as he gets rid of the spell. They're quite large, but he tucks them behind his back to make them seem smaller after he stretches them out, almost a little too quickly.

"I thought maybe I should show you these, since you're showing me one of your secrets," he's not sure why he's so nervous about it, trying to disguise it as a light joke. "But I wasn't sure if other Scott had these, so I thought it'd be better to let you know. He's got the shoes and the pants on, so he looks a little awkward, half-armoured.

[pearls-mailbox]

[Pearl blinks in surprise for a moment. Other Scott indeed did not have wings. But that conversation can be left for another time– for the moment, Pearl considers this, before declaring,] Since we both can fly, then, you can glide a little, but no flapping, [and pulls out another chestplate, a backless one like her own.] Try this on instead.

[She hasn’t fought Cub in the arena yet, so this will be the first time she has to adjust for wings being in play. No flapping seems like a good compromise, though; can't use them to get higher, but slowing the descent is fine.]

Set your spawn and grab some wind charges and gold carrots, and I'll explain the rules, [she chirps, leaning on her mace. The breeze rod that makes the handle flexes slightly with her weight.]

[smajors-mailbox]

"Alright," Scott agrees, putting on the chestplate and then the helmet. He gives her a grateful smile, pleased with the fact that she doesn't seem to be bothered by the wings. It's not necessarily something he goes around telling people about, he prefers keeping it on-the-low. Despite Aeor being a Stag God, being his incarnation means that he has wings. (Why? He has no clue. He just has to roll with it, honestly.)

After he completes the tasks given to him by Pearl, he does as told, and then pulls out the mace. It's not like any weapon he usually uses - it's much too big. He prefers a sword or an axe or a bow in battle. Axes do more damage, of course, but swords were customary for duels and he's got plenty of experience with that. Scott doesn't touch the sword in his inventory, though. This is not a duel. This is a spar. The mace's handle feels strange against his skin, but he runs his fingers over it gently to try and get a feel for how the weapon would swing.

"Well? How are we doing this? I'm not quite familiar with maces, you see, so you'll have to pardon me," he can't help but laugh a little to himself about it. The mace looks very natural from where Pearl has her position with it, but it will take Scott a few swings to get into the rhythm of it. "But I'm interested in how you've set up this arena. How do we spar?" There's a look of genuine interest in his eyes as he looks at her, awaiting her instruction.

[pearls-mailbox]

So! [Pearl leads Scott out to the ballroom, spinning in a circle as she indicates the whole room.] In a minute, I'll turn the arena on, and some platforms and bouncy slime pits will come out. There's also wind charge launchers under the vents in the floor; the whole point is to bounce up real high using your wind charges so you can SMACK the other person real hard!

[She gives one of the statues a demonstrative whack as she says this, a puff of wind blowing from her mace. The sound rings clearly throughout the whole ballroom; despite seemingly having the figure of a stick, she's honestly quite buff and has no trouble handling the heavy weapon.]

You can eat carrots if you're taking a lot of fall damage, but don't overdo it, [Pearl wraps up.] You wanna go stand on that end of the arena and get ready? [She points him to the far end.]

[smajors-mailbox]

"This is cute," Scott remarks as he looks around the room, absorbing the look of the build. "Excellent. Alright, I understand how the game works, and it definitely doesn't disappoint. I'll go over there now," his wings give a flutter in anticipation as he moves over to where Pearl has directed to, giving his mace a few experimental swings. Of course, it's not the same as swinging it in the middle of combat (or in the air), but at least he won't be swinging it for the first time. He looks over at his friend and gives her a thumbs up.

"Ready when you are."

[pearls-mailbox]

[Pearl goes around her dining room with a feather duster for the third time in the day. Scott is coming over. They're finally going to talk, really talk, about what happened. Everything ought to be extra, extra clean. He'll chastize her if she doesn’t he's used to the pristine halls of his castle, she wants him to feel comfortable.]

[She should do the kitchen again too. And the living room. Just in case he wants to sit in there. Where's the best place to sit with company? Why are her dogs barking– oh that's the doorbell he's here. She rushes to meet him at the door, still wearing her cleaning outfit. Oh dear. Will she look embarrassing?]

[She opens the door.]

...Hi, Scott?

[It comes out as a question. Oh dear. Oh dear oh dear oh dear.]

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott hasn't been this nervous about going to meet someone since the last time he talked to Pearl about Double Life - and he has to remind himself that that Pearl wasn't this Pearl, and that he's going to have to have this conversation all over again. It's one that he's prepared himself for (and one he's gone through before) but that doesn't make it any less easier.

Instead of coming in traditional Rivendell clothes that he finds himself wearing all the time again, Scott had found the outfit he'd worn back in 3rd Life back in his closet, and he'd adorned the jeans, the jacket, the white shirt with the stripes on it. It feels almost a little wrong to be wearing something so casual, but he didn't want to intimidate her by wearing that kind of outfit.

Something better suited to make her feel more casual (and not the red jacket he'd worn in Double Life to mirror hers) would work well, right? He stands at the door and when she opens it, he smiles at her.

"Ah, Pearl," he greets with a wave. "Oh, look at all the dogs! Aren't they cute?" Scott peers at all of her dogs, and doesn't mind at all the fact that Pearl is still in her cleaning clothing. If that's what makes her more comfortable, then he won't mind at all. "I hope you're feeling alright?" She probably isn't, but his manners kick in nonetheless.

[pearls-mailbox]

Puppies, doggies, don't jump... [Pearl gently shoos her dogs away from Scott. Tilly, in particular, lingers for a moment, staring him down before backing away.] I'm alright, yeah... Sorry I didn't change...

[Her antennae droop sheepishly. It is obvious she is probably not alright, but it's the thing to say.] Come on in, I baked pie... [Does this Scott like pie? She hopes he does.]

[smajors-mailbox]

Ah, that must be Tilly, Scott registers as he stares at her before she backs down. "It's alright," he waves. "I understand, you stress-clean, right?" He remembers that the Pearl from his timeline, world, whatever, had also done the same thing.

Neither of them are okay. But they will be okay.

"You baked pie?" Scott smiles. "I would love to try some, thank you so much for the food." He steps inside, taking his shoes (how strange it is to wear sneakers, this outfit brings back so many memories) off and setting them down on a rack so they are not chewed mercilessly by the dogs.

[pearls-mailbox]

Yep, stress-cleaning... [Pearl admits with a nervous laugh. She leads him into the dining room, setting the pie on the table. She already has plates and silverware out.] Do you want anything to drink?

[Everything is fine. She has, if anything, overprepared for this. He's going to like it. She tells herself this. He's going to like it.]

[smajors-mailbox]

"Anything sweet, honestly, I think will do. I've got quite the secret sweet tooth," he chuckles. Scott makes conversation even if it doesn't come easy, because that is what is expected of him and that will help Pearl and what matters right now is making sure Pearl doesn't freak out. "I'm sorry about stressing you out like this, though. I think the conversation won't be as bad as you're thinking it will be." Because he's had this once, before, and they worked things out.

They will work out again.

They have to.

[pearls-mailbox]

[Pearl blushes with unease. She doesn’t like that it's that obvious that she's scared.] Don't apologize, [she mumbles,] it's not your fault...

[Is it the other Scott's fault she's so stressed out about one conversation? Anybody's? Hers?]

[Before that spiral goes anywhere else, she gets ingredients for sweet iced tea out, readying some for Scott.]

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott watches as Pearl makes the tea. It is... well, his fault, and not his fault at the same time. Having being an alternative version of an existing person has definitely... been an experience that he... has gone through, which feels unreal. But what matters is that Pearl is here and in front of him, and he can make things right (again).

"It sort of is my fault," he chuckles, and he has a feeling he feels less nervous about this because he's done this before, but the anxiety still takes root in his lungs. "But let's get to that later." He pauses. "I... I'm not mad at you," he tries to reassure her, and he smiles that perfect Emperor smile that he uses when he's nervous in a meeting with officials, "if that's any condolence."

From where he's clasped his hands together, he tightens his fingers, the already-pale skin going a little more white from the pressure.

[pearls-mailbox]

[Pearl has never actually tried to make iced tea before, but she took a guess on what sort of drink Scott would like when she was shopping, and now she's gotta stick with it. She sets the glass down on the table for Scott, and grabs the mug of coffee she was drinking while she cleaned.]

Okay, [Pearl mumbles as she sits down, but she can't really convince herself to believe him. All she can do is wait for his critical eye to fall on all the things she's doing wrong.] I'm... not either? [She doesn't deserve to be mad. Not after everything she did.]

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott picks up the drink and he picks it up, taking a sip. It's surprisingly well done - the amount of sugar that's in it is exactly to his liking. He can't help but smile (genuinely) when he sets down the cup, despite the conversation he's about to have, and then, he turns his gaze to Pearl again. Okay. He's gotta do this.

"First of all, I want to say that I'm sorry," Scott says, and it's important, because when he thinks of how Santa Pearla had cried and cried and how she had never gotten an apology, that comes first. "I want to say that I am genuinely very sorry for how I treated you during Double Life." He names it, because names have power and it's important that Scott acknowledges what he'd done. "It wasn't right of me, and I hurt your feelings a lot, and for that, I am sorry."

He keeps his eyes trained on Pearl's face, maybe not always meeting eye contact, but eye contact can sometimes freak him out a little bit, but he wants to seem sincere. Scott is sincere about this. He is sorry. Pearl made mistakes, but so did he, and she deserves this apology. This will be okay. They can work things out.

[pearls-mailbox]

[Okay. Yeah. Time to have a reasonable adult conversation and not freak out. Pearl can do this.]

...Thank you. [Deep breath.] I'm sorry, too. For... all the impulsive things I did. And... for not listening when you said to leave you alone.

[She takes a sip of the half-empty coffee. She's let it sit for much too long, and it's become bitter and cold. She wonders why she didn't throw this out.]

[smajors-mailbox]

To be honest, when Double Life had been happening, Scott's biggest issue with Pearl had been those exact things. His smile relaxes just the slightest bit upon receiving that apology in return. He's a little surprised there hasn't been any violence yet - when he and his Pearl had this conversation, she'd been understandably very angry with him.

He'd been angry with her in return, and they'd fought it out until they'd had a proper conversation about how they'd really felt. This feels more... reserved.

It feels like Pearl is holding back.

Scott feels still tense about this, but still a little better. "That's honestly the biggest thing that bothered me about Double Life," he admits. "But... I think it affected you much more than it affected me. Is there anything you want to talk about?" He gives her an opening to lead the conversation - this should be a little more about Pearl rather than himself.

[pearls-mailbox]

[Pearl takes another sip of her coffee. It's definitely gotten gross, but she forces it back anyway. Hopefully, the caffeine will help her think.]

I guess– to start– [She should start with something small, she thinks– oh gosh, everything is big. Uhhh. Fuck. She just picks something.]

Do you sti– did you really think I was crazy?

[She clears her throat, trying not to shudder. Just the word makes her feel a little gross inside.] Everyone else started... saying things, and then... I don't know, I could ignore them, but I couldn't ignore it when it came from you.

[smajors-mailbox]

Ah. It's time to talk about this. Scott eyes the cup of iced tea he hadn't touched since the conversation started, and as he mulls over his words, he takes the cup and raises it to his mouth. He takes a tentative sip, pausing, before placing it back down. How does he say this.

It's not like he didn't catch the first part of her sentence. Pearl still thinks that he thinks she was crazy. Maybe the original Scott had thought she was crazy. Maybe it's best that he give some background.

"I never thought you were crazy," Scott finally says aloud, breaking the silence that had been starting to build. "I called you crazy because I was upset and I wanted to hurt you, in a way. You see - back... home." His fingers curl around the glass. "Back home, you and I... we grew up together. We met at a diplomatic ball when we were both fifteen, and we mailed one another whenever we got the chance to. We met up whenever our situations would allow it. I grew up by your side, you my most trusted advisor. There was nothing I couldn't tell you."

The more he speaks, the more it feels bittersweet. "I saw you at your lowest point, and you saw me at my lowest point. It was easy to tell, to me, that you were trying to play into this role, to accept it, even if it hurt you. I'm not sure how... your Scott saw it. But I knew you, Pearl. I don't know if that makes me worse or better, in this situation," he admits, looking back up at her, hesitant to meet her eyes.

"But if you want to know what I, Scott of Rivendell, think," because he is Scott of Rivendell and he will forever be, even if she is not Queen Pearl of Gilded Helianthia, she is Pearl, "I've never thought you were insane, or you were crazy. I've known you were sane. I didn't mean for it to spiral as much as it did - people caught onto how I was upset about how things had happened and it suddenly wasn't just me, and it wasn't in my hands anymore. I know it started like that, but I didn't... I never meant for it to end up being something that defined you like that."

"For the longest time, I have seen how gentle you have been. You were the Queen of Farming, for Aeor's sake - how could someone like that be insane? Being capable of violence is not mutual with being a violent person." He aches with the urge to reach out and take her hand, to show her those fields of their unshared childhoods, to make Pearl see how he sees her, and yet, he finds he cannot reach her eyes, nor her fingers that have always been longer than his.

[pearls-mailbox]

[Growing up together... Pearl’s heart suddenly aches for the memories of another person. Another Pearl, of another timeline. The pang is jealousy, she realizes, and she shuts her mouth.]

It hurt. It did. We made each other hurt.

[The violence barely spanned a day, but the name still follows her. The expectations. Jokes are sometimes made that they had better keep dog armor out of the Series, that Pearl had better get her rest or who knows if she might snap, that she had better shape up and fight like everyone knows she can because look, Scott's winning again— Pearl hates it. She hates all of it. She doesn’t want to be the Witch.]

[The thought that Scott maybe, actually, knows that's not her– it's so terrifying, she finds herself recoiling from it.]

I– But– I hurt you. I hurt me, and I liked it. The snow–

[She hides her face, choking back a sob.]

I've never so much as touched it again, I swear, I've been good–

[She doesn’t know what might happen if she does. Nether, she's only now working up the courage to use ice in a build. The very thought of the blue tinging her fingers and crystals forming on her wings make her feel like she's going to choke.]

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott finds that he feels eerily calm, even as Pearl chokes back her sobs, even as the situation feels like it's turning sideways. His heart does not beat out of tune, his lungs don't work quickly - it's a cold kind of calm that settles over his shoulders like it has before. It's not quite dissociation, but it's not quite not - the way that his emotions seem to fade and turn into a vague chill underneath his skin feels familiar.

"We did hurt one another," Scott agrees, because it's true. They both hurt one another. They lashed out. "I participated in it a few times, too. It's not like you're blameless." He goes to immediately rationalize what had happened, to explain, but Pearl looks like she's on the verge of a panic attack, and he knows this is a sensitive subject. Scott has to approach this maturely. He has to approach it well. "And it must have felt good. To get back at me, I mean." Slowly, carefully, he reaches across the table, and places his hand down palm-up - an offering for her to take it.

"You don't have to prove that you're good to me, Pearl. I know you're a good person. I trust you when you say you haven't touched it again, and I'm glad you're not hurting yourself anymore. And I'm sorry," Scott is ashamed to say that his voice shakes as he apologizes again. The guilt is awful to live with, even to this day - it feels, sometimes, like he's choking on it, that it lives in his lungs like some sort of rot that he can never clean out. His hands shiver, sometimes, both because of the ice of his home and because of the memories of the past - of the games, of his childhood. Of being alone. (Waiting.) "That I made you go that far. That I made you feel like you had to do that in retaliation. I'm sorry. I don't think I ever won't be sorry for how awfully things turned out. I won't ever not be sorry for how I treated you."

[pearls-mailbox]

[Carefully, her hand inches across the table until it's brushing his. Her arms are longer, but she doesn’t quite reach out far enough for him to take it.]

I trusted you. We couldn't trust anyone, with the Curse, but I trusted you. And I worked so hard because I wanted to provide for us but you didn't want it. You didn't want me...

[She's not always good at finding the right way to tell people how much she cares about them, but in every service she can provide, every gift she can give, is more love than her words can contain. Where Scott will die to show his devotion, she will live for hers. And he didn't want it.]

I was scared. I got mad. At you, at everyone, at myself. [She swallows more tears.] ...I think I still am.

[Pearl tosses her head, pulling her hand back.] ...I don't deserve to be mad after what I put you through.

[smajors-mailbox]

"What you put me through?" The words that have all been coming out before have been calm, collected, but Scott snaps back into focus, the words come out with force. "Pearl, no, this - Pearl, no," and suddenly, he's struggling to find the sentence he wants to say. "No, this isn't about what - Pearl, you have suffered a hundred times more than I have because of Double Life. You don't have to-" He gestures around wildly, nearly getting out of his seat. "If you're angry, be angry. Pearl, I'm not going to tell you not to be angry. You put me through things? No, no, I put you through all of that. There's no reason for you to be feeling like you have to sacrifice your emotions for my sake."

Scott is the one who is supposed to sacrifice his feelings for the sake of this conversation. This isn't supposed to be about him. This is about Pearl. This is about how he had hurt her. She's deserved this apology and he's trying to give it to her. There's this moment of frantic scrabbling as he tries to get them back on track, control slipping through his fingers like sand as he attempts to figure out what to say, how to say it. How does he continue? This is wrong, this has suddenly gone all wrong.

"Why is this about deserving? If it's about deserving, you've deserved to be angry. It's not that I've never wanted you, Pearl, it's - it's more complicated than that," he settles on, because he's not sure how to say it, Scott feels like he isn't in control anymore and that's not good. If he's not in control of himself, then this is going to go wrong, and he needs things to go right or else that's failing Pearl again. He was supposed to make things right. Why are they going wrong? What has he done wrong to make her feel like she can't express herself? "Pearl, I trusted you too," and it's past tense, because she had also used past tense, and that hurts. Scott scrabbles for the mature tone he uses when he comes into these conversations and he is found he is left with an ugly kind of passion, the kind of almost-anger not at a person, but also entirely at them at the same time. It makes him want to freeze it and grind it into nothing with his bare hands.

Scott feels strongly about this, and he hates that he can't hide that from her.

[pearls-mailbox]

[And finally, the anger slips through. Pearl can't meet his eyes, staring at the floor, but tears drip down her cheeks as she bangs her fists on the table. Several of her dogs get to their feet, ears pricked.]

I– everybody loves you, Scott! They all love you, and I, I love you too, I don't think I ever stopped, and, and you're always perfect and I'm– I'm gonna be her forever! No matter what I do!

[The coffee cup, near-empty, rattles on the table.]

I hate you, but I love you, and– [She has to gasp for breath.] And I think I just hate myself.

[Pearl's hands find their way to her hair, tugging indiscriminately. It's only when her hands brush against her flattened antennae that she jerks them away, realizing how close she might have gotten to accidentally pulling one out. She stares blankly at her hands, tears still streaming.]

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott had fallen quiet when she had her outburst, but as soon as Pearl nearly tugs out her antennae, as soon as her hands are free, he's reaching out over the table - he hesitates, but then he grabs onto her hands. "I'm not perfect," he says, voice thick with emotion. "Pearl, I think you know that at the bottom of your heart that I'm not. I'm really, really not. I hurt you a lot during Double Life, and I lashed out, and if you want, I can explain why I did things the way that I did, but in the end, that doesn't change the fact that I hurt you." It's hard, sometimes, to admit that he's wrong in emotional moments - a part of him still screams, banging at the bars of some cage made of ice, that admittance is failure, that if he complies then he is admitting that he was not good enough. But I wasn't, is the answer Scott has this time, and it is true.

Scott had done a lot of terrible things during Double Life. He had scolded her during their down times when the hunger pangs had hit in, because he had been antsy and nervous and off his game. And he can explain that, but he regrets it. He regrets how harsh he was with her. So this time, he is very deliberately gentle. He swallows again, and it feels like he's choking for a moment on all the words he never got to say. (He's done this before. But it feels like he hasn't.)

"Pearl, I love you too," he says, first of all. "That has never changed. Even when I did all of those things, and even when we both lashed out, I didn't stop caring about you. And you're not her. You've never been her, not really. Not truly. Because the 'Scarlet Witch' has never been you. You tried to use that to protect yourself because you were scared and alone and I am so, so sorry. I wish I could take it all back. And I'm here not because I want to," he pauses, his heart hammering in his chest.

"Say that I'm blameless, or that you're awful. I'm here because I still want to be friends with you, and I'm here because I want to understand you, and I really, really hope that I can work everything out with you. I understand hating yourself," because there have been countless moments where he has hated what he has done, hated the person he was, hated everything, hated how he had let everything in Empires escalate to that point, "but I don't hate you. I know things must be very hard for you," and that's an obvious statement, "but that doesn't make me care about you any less."

[pearls-mailbox]

[Pearl trembles, but she lets Scott hold her hands. His are cold, but the surprise of it seems to shock her system enough that she stops staring at her hands and thinking about all the blood she's had on them, and she listens.]

I was so scared... [Pearl mumbles, breathless. She can't stop shaking.] I don't think I ever stopped being scared... I just got better at ignoring it.

It's like, some little part of me is still there, in the clearing, more of a dog than a person, and she's ready to put an arrow in your heart, and– and that horrible light is still reflecting in her eyes. She never got out.

I'm scared, Scott... [She finds herself letting out a low whine, tugging lightly on his hands from across the table.]

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott lets his hands be tugged, and he reaches up with a thumb to rub it over her thumb's knuckle in an act of comfort. "It's going to be okay, Pearl. You know, I don't think most people see you as the Witch anymore, but I know that... the season had a lot of impact on you internally, so you might still feel that way for a while. Maybe later I can go around with you and we can let people know not to make those kinds of jokes anymore?" He says, absorbing the information.

"But that's... that's later. Right now, I want you to know that I'm listening." I'm not going anywhere. "And maybe it might take a while, but I think you - she - will be able to leave." It will all be okay, he murmurs under his breath more to himself than to her. He can do this. No, not just them - they can do this, together. They can figure things out.

[pearls-mailbox]

Okay... [Pearl’s voice is still breathy, but slowly, it gets steadier. She gets to her feet, gently tugging on Scott's hands until she has him wrapped in a hug, tight and clinging.]

[It's several seconds before she finally lets him go and steps back. Her eyes fall on the dregs of her coffee, and she picks it up with a sad little laugh.] I don't know why I kept drinking this... I could have warmed it back up at any time.

[She sighs, returning her attention to Scott.]

I missed you. I really did, even when you were right there.

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott smiles back at Pearl, and he stays standing right where Pearl had left him. I'm staying. I'm not going anywhere.

"I missed you too, Pearl," he says, and for once, he isn't gripped with the urge to straighten out his shirt, or fix the cuffs of his shirt (which his current one doesn't have, so he can't do that anyways). "I'm sorry that it took us so long to have this talk. But if you ever want to talk about it, or ask me about clarification, or anything along those lines, I don't mind sitting down to have another talk. I'll explain it until you get it. That's what friends do." It's a promise.

[pearls-mailbox]

[They've talked, finally. They could talk and talk and talk and talk, and Pearl’s not sure she would ever find the words for all her messy feelings. But...]

Would you spar with me? [It's so tentative, it's almost a whisper. Pearl of the past never got her fight, Pearl reckons. Maybe it's time she gets what she stood there waiting for.] I have a place.

[smajors-mailbox]

To be honest, Scott would much rather explain everything, go through all the events methodically. Step by step work it out. But there's so much, too much - it feels a little overwhelming, even if that's how he would rather go about it. But - Pearl is asking this of him. Scott can do that.

"Yeah. Yeah, we can spar. If you have a place, I'll set my spawn and stuff, and we can absolutely spar." If it makes her feel better, Scott will draw his sword again and they can spar. Even if Scott prefers words over violence, he will make an exception. (Maybe he needs to step out of his comfort zone.) "I suppose I won't be taking any ice magic into here. To keep things fair." He chuckles. When he's in the life games, his ability to harness ice is banned to keep things fair as well.

(Liberating, yet confinement all the same. How fascinating.)

[pearls-mailbox]

No, it's not that kinda fighting. You'll see, [Pearl explains, grabbing Scott's hand.] You saw that big ballroom outside, right?

[She doesn’t wait for an answer, because she starts dragging him through her base to the ballroom.]

[At the entrance, she stops. The ballroom is spacious and silent, the only life the mossy decorations and the assorted sculptures spread across the floor. Pearl doesn’t enter, however; she turns to the bookshelf in the lobby, tugs on a book, and gestures for Scott to enter the door that opens out of nowhere.]

[Pearl rifles through some chests inside, tossing him a mace and a suit of netherite armor.] This place is mostly a secret– only Joel, Gem, Cub, and Etho know about it. But I think it's fine to have you here as a guest. No telling, okay?

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott brings up a hand to his mouth playfully, mimicking the motion of zipping his lips shut. "I won't tell a soul," he says, with an amused little grin. He takes up the Netherite armour, and begins to put it on, before realizing that he should probably tell Pearl about the fact that he has wings.

With a flick and a shake, the glamour comes undone, and soft, downy white wings fade into existence with the addition of a few sparkles as he gets rid of the spell. They're quite large, but he tucks them behind his back to make them seem smaller after he stretches them out, almost a little too quickly.

"I thought maybe I should show you these, since you're showing me one of your secrets," he's not sure why he's so nervous about it, trying to disguise it as a light joke. "But I wasn't sure if other Scott had these, so I thought it'd be better to let you know. He's got the shoes and the pants on, so he looks a little awkward, half-armoured.

[pearls-mailbox]

[Pearl blinks in surprise for a moment. Other Scott indeed did not have wings. But that conversation can be left for another time– for the moment, Pearl considers this, before declaring,] Since we both can fly, then, you can glide a little, but no flapping, [and pulls out another chestplate, a backless one like her own.] Try this on instead.

[She hasn’t fought Cub in the arena yet, so this will be the first time she has to adjust for wings being in play. No flapping seems like a good compromise, though; can't use them to get higher, but slowing the descent is fine.]

Set your spawn and grab some wind charges and gold carrots, and I'll explain the rules, [she chirps, leaning on her mace. The breeze rod that makes the handle flexes slightly with her weight.]

[smajors-mailbox]

"Alright," Scott agrees, putting on the chestplate and then the helmet. He gives her a grateful smile, pleased with the fact that she doesn't seem to be bothered by the wings. It's not necessarily something he goes around telling people about, he prefers keeping it on-the-low. Despite Aeor being a Stag God, being his incarnation means that he has wings. (Why? He has no clue. He just has to roll with it, honestly.)

After he completes the tasks given to him by Pearl, he does as told, and then pulls out the mace. It's not like any weapon he usually uses - it's much too big. He prefers a sword or an axe or a bow in battle. Axes do more damage, of course, but swords were customary for duels and he's got plenty of experience with that. Scott doesn't touch the sword in his inventory, though. This is not a duel. This is a spar. The mace's handle feels strange against his skin, but he runs his fingers over it gently to try and get a feel for how the weapon would swing.

"Well? How are we doing this? I'm not quite familiar with maces, you see, so you'll have to pardon me," he can't help but laugh a little to himself about it. The mace looks very natural from where Pearl has her position with it, but it will take Scott a few swings to get into the rhythm of it. "But I'm interested in how you've set up this arena. How do we spar?" There's a look of genuine interest in his eyes as he looks at her, awaiting her instruction.

[pearls-mailbox]

[Pearl goes around her dining room with a feather duster for the third time in the day. Scott is coming over. They're finally going to talk, really talk, about what happened. Everything ought to be extra, extra clean. He'll chastize her if she doesn’t he's used to the pristine halls of his castle, she wants him to feel comfortable.]

[She should do the kitchen again too. And the living room. Just in case he wants to sit in there. Where's the best place to sit with company? Why are her dogs barking– oh that's the doorbell he's here. She rushes to meet him at the door, still wearing her cleaning outfit. Oh dear. Will she look embarrassing?]

[She opens the door.]

...Hi, Scott?

[It comes out as a question. Oh dear. Oh dear oh dear oh dear.]

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott hasn't been this nervous about going to meet someone since the last time he talked to Pearl about Double Life - and he has to remind himself that that Pearl wasn't this Pearl, and that he's going to have to have this conversation all over again. It's one that he's prepared himself for (and one he's gone through before) but that doesn't make it any less easier.

Instead of coming in traditional Rivendell clothes that he finds himself wearing all the time again, Scott had found the outfit he'd worn back in 3rd Life back in his closet, and he'd adorned the jeans, the jacket, the white shirt with the stripes on it. It feels almost a little wrong to be wearing something so casual, but he didn't want to intimidate her by wearing that kind of outfit.

Something better suited to make her feel more casual (and not the red jacket he'd worn in Double Life to mirror hers) would work well, right? He stands at the door and when she opens it, he smiles at her.

"Ah, Pearl," he greets with a wave. "Oh, look at all the dogs! Aren't they cute?" Scott peers at all of her dogs, and doesn't mind at all the fact that Pearl is still in her cleaning clothing. If that's what makes her more comfortable, then he won't mind at all. "I hope you're feeling alright?" She probably isn't, but his manners kick in nonetheless.

[pearls-mailbox]

Puppies, doggies, don't jump... [Pearl gently shoos her dogs away from Scott. Tilly, in particular, lingers for a moment, staring him down before backing away.] I'm alright, yeah... Sorry I didn't change...

[Her antennae droop sheepishly. It is obvious she is probably not alright, but it's the thing to say.] Come on in, I baked pie... [Does this Scott like pie? She hopes he does.]

[smajors-mailbox]

Ah, that must be Tilly, Scott registers as he stares at her before she backs down. "It's alright," he waves. "I understand, you stress-clean, right?" He remembers that the Pearl from his timeline, world, whatever, had also done the same thing.

Neither of them are okay. But they will be okay.

"You baked pie?" Scott smiles. "I would love to try some, thank you so much for the food." He steps inside, taking his shoes (how strange it is to wear sneakers, this outfit brings back so many memories) off and setting them down on a rack so they are not chewed mercilessly by the dogs.

[pearls-mailbox]

Yep, stress-cleaning... [Pearl admits with a nervous laugh. She leads him into the dining room, setting the pie on the table. She already has plates and silverware out.] Do you want anything to drink?

[Everything is fine. She has, if anything, overprepared for this. He's going to like it. She tells herself this. He's going to like it.]

[smajors-mailbox]

"Anything sweet, honestly, I think will do. I've got quite the secret sweet tooth," he chuckles. Scott makes conversation even if it doesn't come easy, because that is what is expected of him and that will help Pearl and what matters right now is making sure Pearl doesn't freak out. "I'm sorry about stressing you out like this, though. I think the conversation won't be as bad as you're thinking it will be." Because he's had this once, before, and they worked things out.

They will work out again.

They have to.

[pearls-mailbox]

[Pearl blushes with unease. She doesn’t like that it's that obvious that she's scared.] Don't apologize, [she mumbles,] it's not your fault...

[Is it the other Scott's fault she's so stressed out about one conversation? Anybody's? Hers?]

[Before that spiral goes anywhere else, she gets ingredients for sweet iced tea out, readying some for Scott.]

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott watches as Pearl makes the tea. It is... well, his fault, and not his fault at the same time. Having being an alternative version of an existing person has definitely... been an experience that he... has gone through, which feels unreal. But what matters is that Pearl is here and in front of him, and he can make things right (again).

"It sort of is my fault," he chuckles, and he has a feeling he feels less nervous about this because he's done this before, but the anxiety still takes root in his lungs. "But let's get to that later." He pauses. "I... I'm not mad at you," he tries to reassure her, and he smiles that perfect Emperor smile that he uses when he's nervous in a meeting with officials, "if that's any condolence."

From where he's clasped his hands together, he tightens his fingers, the already-pale skin going a little more white from the pressure.

[pearls-mailbox]

[Pearl has never actually tried to make iced tea before, but she took a guess on what sort of drink Scott would like when she was shopping, and now she's gotta stick with it. She sets the glass down on the table for Scott, and grabs the mug of coffee she was drinking while she cleaned.]

Okay, [Pearl mumbles as she sits down, but she can't really convince herself to believe him. All she can do is wait for his critical eye to fall on all the things she's doing wrong.] I'm... not either? [She doesn't deserve to be mad. Not after everything she did.]

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott picks up the drink and he picks it up, taking a sip. It's surprisingly well done - the amount of sugar that's in it is exactly to his liking. He can't help but smile (genuinely) when he sets down the cup, despite the conversation he's about to have, and then, he turns his gaze to Pearl again. Okay. He's gotta do this.

"First of all, I want to say that I'm sorry," Scott says, and it's important, because when he thinks of how Santa Pearla had cried and cried and how she had never gotten an apology, that comes first. "I want to say that I am genuinely very sorry for how I treated you during Double Life." He names it, because names have power and it's important that Scott acknowledges what he'd done. "It wasn't right of me, and I hurt your feelings a lot, and for that, I am sorry."

He keeps his eyes trained on Pearl's face, maybe not always meeting eye contact, but eye contact can sometimes freak him out a little bit, but he wants to seem sincere. Scott is sincere about this. He is sorry. Pearl made mistakes, but so did he, and she deserves this apology. This will be okay. They can work things out.

[pearls-mailbox]

[Okay. Yeah. Time to have a reasonable adult conversation and not freak out. Pearl can do this.]

...Thank you. [Deep breath.] I'm sorry, too. For... all the impulsive things I did. And... for not listening when you said to leave you alone.

[She takes a sip of the half-empty coffee. She's let it sit for much too long, and it's become bitter and cold. She wonders why she didn't throw this out.]

[smajors-mailbox]

To be honest, when Double Life had been happening, Scott's biggest issue with Pearl had been those exact things. His smile relaxes just the slightest bit upon receiving that apology in return. He's a little surprised there hasn't been any violence yet - when he and his Pearl had this conversation, she'd been understandably very angry with him.

He'd been angry with her in return, and they'd fought it out until they'd had a proper conversation about how they'd really felt. This feels more... reserved.

It feels like Pearl is holding back.

Scott feels still tense about this, but still a little better. "That's honestly the biggest thing that bothered me about Double Life," he admits. "But... I think it affected you much more than it affected me. Is there anything you want to talk about?" He gives her an opening to lead the conversation - this should be a little more about Pearl rather than himself.

[pearls-mailbox]

[Pearl takes another sip of her coffee. It's definitely gotten gross, but she forces it back anyway. Hopefully, the caffeine will help her think.]

I guess– to start– [She should start with something small, she thinks– oh gosh, everything is big. Uhhh. Fuck. She just picks something.]

Do you sti– did you really think I was crazy?

[She clears her throat, trying not to shudder. Just the word makes her feel a little gross inside.] Everyone else started... saying things, and then... I don't know, I could ignore them, but I couldn't ignore it when it came from you.

[smajors-mailbox]

Ah. It's time to talk about this. Scott eyes the cup of iced tea he hadn't touched since the conversation started, and as he mulls over his words, he takes the cup and raises it to his mouth. He takes a tentative sip, pausing, before placing it back down. How does he say this.

It's not like he didn't catch the first part of her sentence. Pearl still thinks that he thinks she was crazy. Maybe the original Scott had thought she was crazy. Maybe it's best that he give some background.

"I never thought you were crazy," Scott finally says aloud, breaking the silence that had been starting to build. "I called you crazy because I was upset and I wanted to hurt you, in a way. You see - back... home." His fingers curl around the glass. "Back home, you and I... we grew up together. We met at a diplomatic ball when we were both fifteen, and we mailed one another whenever we got the chance to. We met up whenever our situations would allow it. I grew up by your side, you my most trusted advisor. There was nothing I couldn't tell you."

The more he speaks, the more it feels bittersweet. "I saw you at your lowest point, and you saw me at my lowest point. It was easy to tell, to me, that you were trying to play into this role, to accept it, even if it hurt you. I'm not sure how... your Scott saw it. But I knew you, Pearl. I don't know if that makes me worse or better, in this situation," he admits, looking back up at her, hesitant to meet her eyes.

"But if you want to know what I, Scott of Rivendell, think," because he is Scott of Rivendell and he will forever be, even if she is not Queen Pearl of Gilded Helianthia, she is Pearl, "I've never thought you were insane, or you were crazy. I've known you were sane. I didn't mean for it to spiral as much as it did - people caught onto how I was upset about how things had happened and it suddenly wasn't just me, and it wasn't in my hands anymore. I know it started like that, but I didn't... I never meant for it to end up being something that defined you like that."

"For the longest time, I have seen how gentle you have been. You were the Queen of Farming, for Aeor's sake - how could someone like that be insane? Being capable of violence is not mutual with being a violent person." He aches with the urge to reach out and take her hand, to show her those fields of their unshared childhoods, to make Pearl see how he sees her, and yet, he finds he cannot reach her eyes, nor her fingers that have always been longer than his.

[pearls-mailbox]

[Growing up together... Pearl’s heart suddenly aches for the memories of another person. Another Pearl, of another timeline. The pang is jealousy, she realizes, and she shuts her mouth.]

It hurt. It did. We made each other hurt.

[The violence barely spanned a day, but the name still follows her. The expectations. Jokes are sometimes made that they had better keep dog armor out of the Series, that Pearl had better get her rest or who knows if she might snap, that she had better shape up and fight like everyone knows she can because look, Scott's winning again— Pearl hates it. She hates all of it. She doesn’t want to be the Witch.]

[The thought that Scott maybe, actually, knows that's not her– it's so terrifying, she finds herself recoiling from it.]

I– But– I hurt you. I hurt me, and I liked it. The snow–

[She hides her face, choking back a sob.]

I've never so much as touched it again, I swear, I've been good–

[She doesn’t know what might happen if she does. Nether, she's only now working up the courage to use ice in a build. The very thought of the blue tinging her fingers and crystals forming on her wings make her feel like she's going to choke.]

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott finds that he feels eerily calm, even as Pearl chokes back her sobs, even as the situation feels like it's turning sideways. His heart does not beat out of tune, his lungs don't work quickly - it's a cold kind of calm that settles over his shoulders like it has before. It's not quite dissociation, but it's not quite not - the way that his emotions seem to fade and turn into a vague chill underneath his skin feels familiar.

"We did hurt one another," Scott agrees, because it's true. They both hurt one another. They lashed out. "I participated in it a few times, too. It's not like you're blameless." He goes to immediately rationalize what had happened, to explain, but Pearl looks like she's on the verge of a panic attack, and he knows this is a sensitive subject. Scott has to approach this maturely. He has to approach it well. "And it must have felt good. To get back at me, I mean." Slowly, carefully, he reaches across the table, and places his hand down palm-up - an offering for her to take it.

"You don't have to prove that you're good to me, Pearl. I know you're a good person. I trust you when you say you haven't touched it again, and I'm glad you're not hurting yourself anymore. And I'm sorry," Scott is ashamed to say that his voice shakes as he apologizes again. The guilt is awful to live with, even to this day - it feels, sometimes, like he's choking on it, that it lives in his lungs like some sort of rot that he can never clean out. His hands shiver, sometimes, both because of the ice of his home and because of the memories of the past - of the games, of his childhood. Of being alone. (Waiting.) "That I made you go that far. That I made you feel like you had to do that in retaliation. I'm sorry. I don't think I ever won't be sorry for how awfully things turned out. I won't ever not be sorry for how I treated you."

[pearls-mailbox]

[Carefully, her hand inches across the table until it's brushing his. Her arms are longer, but she doesn’t quite reach out far enough for him to take it.]

I trusted you. We couldn't trust anyone, with the Curse, but I trusted you. And I worked so hard because I wanted to provide for us but you didn't want it. You didn't want me...

[She's not always good at finding the right way to tell people how much she cares about them, but in every service she can provide, every gift she can give, is more love than her words can contain. Where Scott will die to show his devotion, she will live for hers. And he didn't want it.]

I was scared. I got mad. At you, at everyone, at myself. [She swallows more tears.] ...I think I still am.

[Pearl tosses her head, pulling her hand back.] ...I don't deserve to be mad after what I put you through.

[smajors-mailbox]

"What you put me through?" The words that have all been coming out before have been calm, collected, but Scott snaps back into focus, the words come out with force. "Pearl, no, this - Pearl, no," and suddenly, he's struggling to find the sentence he wants to say. "No, this isn't about what - Pearl, you have suffered a hundred times more than I have because of Double Life. You don't have to-" He gestures around wildly, nearly getting out of his seat. "If you're angry, be angry. Pearl, I'm not going to tell you not to be angry. You put me through things? No, no, I put you through all of that. There's no reason for you to be feeling like you have to sacrifice your emotions for my sake."

Scott is the one who is supposed to sacrifice his feelings for the sake of this conversation. This isn't supposed to be about him. This is about Pearl. This is about how he had hurt her. She's deserved this apology and he's trying to give it to her. There's this moment of frantic scrabbling as he tries to get them back on track, control slipping through his fingers like sand as he attempts to figure out what to say, how to say it. How does he continue? This is wrong, this has suddenly gone all wrong.

"Why is this about deserving? If it's about deserving, you've deserved to be angry. It's not that I've never wanted you, Pearl, it's - it's more complicated than that," he settles on, because he's not sure how to say it, Scott feels like he isn't in control anymore and that's not good. If he's not in control of himself, then this is going to go wrong, and he needs things to go right or else that's failing Pearl again. He was supposed to make things right. Why are they going wrong? What has he done wrong to make her feel like she can't express herself? "Pearl, I trusted you too," and it's past tense, because she had also used past tense, and that hurts. Scott scrabbles for the mature tone he uses when he comes into these conversations and he is found he is left with an ugly kind of passion, the kind of almost-anger not at a person, but also entirely at them at the same time. It makes him want to freeze it and grind it into nothing with his bare hands.

Scott feels strongly about this, and he hates that he can't hide that from her.

[pearls-mailbox]

[And finally, the anger slips through. Pearl can't meet his eyes, staring at the floor, but tears drip down her cheeks as she bangs her fists on the table. Several of her dogs get to their feet, ears pricked.]

I– everybody loves you, Scott! They all love you, and I, I love you too, I don't think I ever stopped, and, and you're always perfect and I'm– I'm gonna be her forever! No matter what I do!

[The coffee cup, near-empty, rattles on the table.]

I hate you, but I love you, and– [She has to gasp for breath.] And I think I just hate myself.

[Pearl's hands find their way to her hair, tugging indiscriminately. It's only when her hands brush against her flattened antennae that she jerks them away, realizing how close she might have gotten to accidentally pulling one out. She stares blankly at her hands, tears still streaming.]

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott had fallen quiet when she had her outburst, but as soon as Pearl nearly tugs out her antennae, as soon as her hands are free, he's reaching out over the table - he hesitates, but then he grabs onto her hands. "I'm not perfect," he says, voice thick with emotion. "Pearl, I think you know that at the bottom of your heart that I'm not. I'm really, really not. I hurt you a lot during Double Life, and I lashed out, and if you want, I can explain why I did things the way that I did, but in the end, that doesn't change the fact that I hurt you." It's hard, sometimes, to admit that he's wrong in emotional moments - a part of him still screams, banging at the bars of some cage made of ice, that admittance is failure, that if he complies then he is admitting that he was not good enough. But I wasn't, is the answer Scott has this time, and it is true.

Scott had done a lot of terrible things during Double Life. He had scolded her during their down times when the hunger pangs had hit in, because he had been antsy and nervous and off his game. And he can explain that, but he regrets it. He regrets how harsh he was with her. So this time, he is very deliberately gentle. He swallows again, and it feels like he's choking for a moment on all the words he never got to say. (He's done this before. But it feels like he hasn't.)

"Pearl, I love you too," he says, first of all. "That has never changed. Even when I did all of those things, and even when we both lashed out, I didn't stop caring about you. And you're not her. You've never been her, not really. Not truly. Because the 'Scarlet Witch' has never been you. You tried to use that to protect yourself because you were scared and alone and I am so, so sorry. I wish I could take it all back. And I'm here not because I want to," he pauses, his heart hammering in his chest.

"Say that I'm blameless, or that you're awful. I'm here because I still want to be friends with you, and I'm here because I want to understand you, and I really, really hope that I can work everything out with you. I understand hating yourself," because there have been countless moments where he has hated what he has done, hated the person he was, hated everything, hated how he had let everything in Empires escalate to that point, "but I don't hate you. I know things must be very hard for you," and that's an obvious statement, "but that doesn't make me care about you any less."

[pearls-mailbox]

[Pearl trembles, but she lets Scott hold her hands. His are cold, but the surprise of it seems to shock her system enough that she stops staring at her hands and thinking about all the blood she's had on them, and she listens.]

I was so scared... [Pearl mumbles, breathless. She can't stop shaking.] I don't think I ever stopped being scared... I just got better at ignoring it.

It's like, some little part of me is still there, in the clearing, more of a dog than a person, and she's ready to put an arrow in your heart, and– and that horrible light is still reflecting in her eyes. She never got out.

I'm scared, Scott... [She finds herself letting out a low whine, tugging lightly on his hands from across the table.]

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott lets his hands be tugged, and he reaches up with a thumb to rub it over her thumb's knuckle in an act of comfort. "It's going to be okay, Pearl. You know, I don't think most people see you as the Witch anymore, but I know that... the season had a lot of impact on you internally, so you might still feel that way for a while. Maybe later I can go around with you and we can let people know not to make those kinds of jokes anymore?" He says, absorbing the information.

"But that's... that's later. Right now, I want you to know that I'm listening." I'm not going anywhere. "And maybe it might take a while, but I think you - she - will be able to leave." It will all be okay, he murmurs under his breath more to himself than to her. He can do this. No, not just them - they can do this, together. They can figure things out.

[pearls-mailbox]

Okay... [Pearl’s voice is still breathy, but slowly, it gets steadier. She gets to her feet, gently tugging on Scott's hands until she has him wrapped in a hug, tight and clinging.]

[It's several seconds before she finally lets him go and steps back. Her eyes fall on the dregs of her coffee, and she picks it up with a sad little laugh.] I don't know why I kept drinking this... I could have warmed it back up at any time.

[She sighs, returning her attention to Scott.]

I missed you. I really did, even when you were right there.

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott smiles back at Pearl, and he stays standing right where Pearl had left him. I'm staying. I'm not going anywhere.

"I missed you too, Pearl," he says, and for once, he isn't gripped with the urge to straighten out his shirt, or fix the cuffs of his shirt (which his current one doesn't have, so he can't do that anyways). "I'm sorry that it took us so long to have this talk. But if you ever want to talk about it, or ask me about clarification, or anything along those lines, I don't mind sitting down to have another talk. I'll explain it until you get it. That's what friends do." It's a promise.

[pearls-mailbox]

[They've talked, finally. They could talk and talk and talk and talk, and Pearl’s not sure she would ever find the words for all her messy feelings. But...]

Would you spar with me? [It's so tentative, it's almost a whisper. Pearl of the past never got her fight, Pearl reckons. Maybe it's time she gets what she stood there waiting for.] I have a place.

[smajors-mailbox]

To be honest, Scott would much rather explain everything, go through all the events methodically. Step by step work it out. But there's so much, too much - it feels a little overwhelming, even if that's how he would rather go about it. But - Pearl is asking this of him. Scott can do that.

"Yeah. Yeah, we can spar. If you have a place, I'll set my spawn and stuff, and we can absolutely spar." If it makes her feel better, Scott will draw his sword again and they can spar. Even if Scott prefers words over violence, he will make an exception. (Maybe he needs to step out of his comfort zone.) "I suppose I won't be taking any ice magic into here. To keep things fair." He chuckles. When he's in the life games, his ability to harness ice is banned to keep things fair as well.

(Liberating, yet confinement all the same. How fascinating.)

[pearls-mailbox]

No, it's not that kinda fighting. You'll see, [Pearl explains, grabbing Scott's hand.] You saw that big ballroom outside, right?

[She doesn’t wait for an answer, because she starts dragging him through her base to the ballroom.]

[At the entrance, she stops. The ballroom is spacious and silent, the only life the mossy decorations and the assorted sculptures spread across the floor. Pearl doesn’t enter, however; she turns to the bookshelf in the lobby, tugs on a book, and gestures for Scott to enter the door that opens out of nowhere.]

[Pearl rifles through some chests inside, tossing him a mace and a suit of netherite armor.] This place is mostly a secret– only Joel, Gem, Cub, and Etho know about it. But I think it's fine to have you here as a guest. No telling, okay?

[smajors-mailbox]

Scott brings up a hand to his mouth playfully, mimicking the motion of zipping his lips shut. "I won't tell a soul," he says, with an amused little grin. He takes up the Netherite armour, and begins to put it on, before realizing that he should probably tell Pearl about the fact that he has wings.

With a flick and a shake, the glamour comes undone, and soft, downy white wings fade into existence with the addition of a few sparkles as he gets rid of the spell. They're quite large, but he tucks them behind his back to make them seem smaller after he stretches them out, almost a little too quickly.

"I thought maybe I should show you these, since you're showing me one of your secrets," he's not sure why he's so nervous about it, trying to disguise it as a light joke. "But I wasn't sure if other Scott had these, so I thought it'd be better to let you know. He's got the shoes and the pants on, so he looks a little awkward, half-armoured.