#pooka-pearl

[pooka-pearl]

A Peculiar Pooka

@king-of-thieves

Pearl left Aubrey’s feeling much better, her basket now empty and mind free of worry. She smiled as she waved goodbye, the sun now high and bright as midday approached. After the events of last night, she had been distressed by the idea that she had somehow messed things up between him and Rose, but he had reassured her that everything was okay. 

The Shark walked slowly through the streets, her mind distracted with daydreams. How sweet it was, she thought, that Aubrey was so enamored with Rose and yet insisted on waiting for her to come to him. She would be thrilled if anyone thought of her that way, though the possibility seemed so unlikely. In all her novels, the love interest just magically appeared one day and it was love at first sight but here...wait a second, where am I? 

Pearl stopped walking, looking around at the now-unfamiliar streets surrounding her. She must have missed her turn and wound up somewhere completely new. Frowning, she turned in a slow circle. If she could just retrace her steps to Aubrey’s, she should be able to get home no problem...but Pearl recognized nothing, having been so lost in thought that she couldn’t even pick out which street she’d come from. 

[pooka-pearl]

House Calls II Aubrey & Pearl

@aubrey-crane

Pearl walked quickly through the increasingly-familiar streets of Belladonna, her shoes making quiet click clicks as they pattered across the stone ground below her. She shifted the bag on her arm nervously, wondering if Aubrey even liked the foods she’d brought along. It had been a while since the ball, and she was starting to worry that his only memories with her involved being punched in the face. 

Finally arriving at his door, she took a deep breath and steeled herself for the possibility that he wasn’t even home. She knocked, her free hand fidgeting with the bag full of food. Some things, like the fruits, she’d gotten from the market. The bread she’d baked herself, seasoned with fresh sea salt and herbs from the forest. If he wasn’t home, that was okay...she’d just leave it here with a note. Though, she would be disappointed if she didn’t have the chance to say hello. 

“I’m sorry to drop by unannounced,” she said quietly. “I just thought...maybe you were free for lunch?”

[pooka-pearl]

Caught in the Undertow II Alekto & Pearl: TFF Event

@alektobone

What a night. Pearl sighed heavily as she walked across the room, dodging moving bodies and keeping an eye out for her brother’s familiar bulk. She was furious about his attack on Aubrey, and after one drink she was just buzzed enough to give him a piece of her mind. It seemed as though everyone from all clans and courts were here tonight, and Pearl seemed to have run into every person she knew except her brother. 

Frustrated, the Shark flopped against a wall and adjusted her mask. A servant with a tray of full glasses swept by and Pearl gratefully reached for a drink. She’d never been one for alcohol, but recently she’d begun to enjoy the feelings of warmth and giddiness that increased with each additional drink. She’d also learned that the awful taste seemed to dissipate after the first few sips. Like Aubrey had told her, though, she was careful not to overdo it. 

Just as her fingers were about to wrap around the stem of the glass, it flew off the tray and into the crowd. The servant’s eyes only widened slightly, but Pearl let out a startled gasp and retracted her hand. She’d seen this before, at Oberon’s party before the tournament. She also felt the same pull of power as that night, though she was sure the drinks she’d been sipping on only heightened the dizziness. Curious if her hung was correct, she followed in the direction as the glass and came to stand behind the person now holding it. “Archmage?” she asked quietly, so as not to give away the masked woman’s identity if she was right. “I thought it might be you. I haven’t seen you since...well since the tournament.” 

[pooka-pearl]

A Mutual Friend II Poppy & Pearl: TFF Event

@poppy-shore

Pearl fluttered around the corners of the ballroom, nervously wringing her hands together. After the fight, Titus had stalked off somewhere and she hadn’t been able to find him since. Aubrey was now getting some much-needed rest, but the whole incident had left her flushed and flustered and the Shark suddenly found herself alone once again. Her eyes searched around the room for someone she could go say hello to, but this darned mask made it somewhat difficult to see. Frustrated, she went to find the nearest washroom to splash some cold water on her face.

Walking down the empty hallway where she and Rosemary had tended to Aubrey’s bloodied face, Pearl noticed a few drops of blood on the ground and grimaced. She wondered if he would want anything to do with her again after getting his nose smashed a second time on her account. Trying to put the thought out of her mind and enjoy what remained of the festivities, Pearl went to push open the washroom door right as someone opened it from the inside. Tumbling forward and crashing into whoever was exiting, she let out a startled yelp and scrambled to right herself against the doorframe. “Oh goodness, I’m so sorry,” she said quickly, pushing the hair out of her face. “Are you alright? I was just—wait, Poppy? Is that you?” 

Pearl had met the lady-in-waiting several times since Freya had gone to court, as the two had become fast friends. Although they had only been briefly acquainted, the Shark was delighted and intrigued by Poppy’s unusual demeanor and wistful kindness. Although the other woman was wearing a beautiful mask, her bright red hair was an easy giveaway as to her identity. 

[pooka-pearl]

For Those Who’ve Fallen II Horror AU II OPEN

Pearl scanned every posting on the board, reading a re reading each and every name. Since the infection started, it had become almost impossible to know who still survived, who was lost, and who had been infected. Thankfully, the Sharks had made use of an old bulletin board on the outskirts of what now served as a quarantine area for newcomers. Before the infection, it had served as a map and advertisement board for those who were visiting the beautiful beaches of the Seraphine Shore. 

Now, just inside the border of the quarantine village, anyone could see or post missing persons ads, updates about who still survived and their whereabouts, and a tally of the dead. Those who were quarantined for a week before being allowed to enter the boat village brought news with them, and helped to update the lists. Pearl had been coming to it every day to see if there was news about her friends in Wisteria and Belladonna, but so far there had been little change.

Frowning, she let out an exasperated sigh as she ran her finger over the updated list of the fallen fae. She had been looking for news about Rye, Freya, Harland, and Aubrey for months and yet there was nothing. Glancing at the person who had walked up beside her, Pearl just shook her head. “Who are you looking for?” she asked quietly, hoping they hadn’t come to update the list of the dead. “Sometimes I don’t know which is worse, seeing their name on the roster of dead and infected, or not knowing what’s happened to them.”

[pooka-pearl]

What Once Was Home (Horror AU) II OPEN

Pearl sat on the shore, feeling the salty water rhythmically wash over her toes, pull away, and return. Legs pulled to her chest, she wrapped her arms around herself and rested her chin on her knees. The day was fading, the sun slinking low along the horizon. Long ago, this would have been the time when she led the Sharks in their evening song. Now, they did not dare make so much noise. No one wanted to attract the creatures that had turned their lives upside down. Pearl hummed the familiar tune under her breath, nostalgic for how her home once was. 

She knew she would soon have to return to the boat that she now lived on with her brother, but Pearl wanted to savor this rare moment of peace. Ever since the creatures appeared, it seemed as though every waking moment were filled with sorrow and paranoia. She tried to stay cheerful, for the sake of her brother and their people, but keeping everyone’s spirits high was taking its toll. She was exhausted and beaten down, her once innocent and bubbly demeanor had been further broken with each person who succumbed to this hideous infection. She didn’t even have any way of knowing who still survived in Oleander Row, though she’d heard it was the last stronghold in the city. She wondered what had become of Rye and Aubrey, whether they were still alive, their bodies burned, or shuffling along with the rest of the infected. The thought of their animated features turned rotting and mindless brought tears to her eyes, but she dare not let them fall. There was no use in crying now. 

Startled when something hard hit her foot, Pearl jumped slightly before scowling at the piece of trash that had washed up on shore. Picking up the metal can, she squinted as she tried to read the odd human print. “So–da” she sounded out quietly, pouring out the sand and saltwater that had accumulated inside. She stood with the can in hand, about to return to her boat and drop the trash in a recycling bin, when she saw a shadowy figure standing a bit down the beach. 

Freezing, Pearl squinted in the dying light and tried to make out who it might be. Could it be an infected? No, there was no way. The perimeter was too heavily guarded for a lone infected to make their way in, and there would be far more chaos if the guards had been overrun. Cautiously, she took a step forward, her shoulders visibly slumping with relief when she saw that this was, in fact, a living, breathing fae. “You frightened me,” she said with a quiet laugh. “We should be returning to the docks, it’s getting dark.” 

[pooka-pearl]

Opening Eyes II Self Para

Guilt was an unfamiliar feeling for Pearl. Sure, she had felt a shallow sense of guilt sometimes before when she snuck away and worried Titus or missed the Shark songs during the morning or evening, but those were minor problems that were easily fixed with an apology. Nothing compared to the turmoil of emotions that kept her up tonight.

It was no secret that Pearl was often kept in the dark when it came to current events, especially tragedies. She heard the occasional rumor and could sometimes squeeze more information out of Freya or Rye, but her own guards were often under strict orders to “protect” her from upsetting knowledge. The only reason she had known about the riots in Belladonna was because she had been there when they erupted, and even then she was quickly shepherded into her quarters. She hadn’t even found out that there had been an attempt on King Oberon’s life until she snuck out to check in on Rye. 

Even before the riots, it had taken her ages to piece together why people were upset with him and Queen Mab in the first place - she had heard about the tithe, but knew nothing of the deceit and compliance that went into creating that whole mess. Pearl had always known that her life was a sheltered one, thanks to her overprotective brother, but it hadn’t hit her until just recently how truly separated she was from the tumultuous lives of everyone else. She’d gotten a glimpse of this realization during the war, when Celine was killed and she hadn’t found out until Rye snuck into Shark territory to tell her, but at the time she had attributed her ignorance to the fact that Titus’ control was heightened during wartime and that the Shark and Wolf clans were on opposing sides. Now, there was no excuse for keeping her so much in the dark. 

Staring at the moonlit ceiling, Pearl pulled her covers up around her shoulders. Her chest felt so constricted, and she couldn’t seem to quiet her mind. She had seen in Belladonna and Wisteria just how affected others’ lives had been by the recent events, and now she felt guilty over her ignorance of their plight. Her isolation had kept her from knowing the whole story, and her naivety had kept her from seeking it out as ardently as she maybe should have. So whose fault was it? Was it Titus’, for building such a strong and far-reaching bubble around her? Or was it her own, for not breaking out of that bubble more completely? She didn’t know, and she couldn’t figure out how to fix it. 

[pooka-pearl]

Skipping Stones II Pearl & Aubrey

@aubrey-crane

Pearl sighed, pouting as she plunked down on a large piece of driftwood on the shore of Great Pine Lake. It was a place she visited often when she was upset, since it allowed her to be away from Shark Territory yet still comforted by a vast expanse of water before her. And, thanks to the size of the lake, it was easy to find a secluded stretch of beach so that she could sit and be gloomy in peace. 

She and Titus had been fighting all morning, until Pearl finally had enough and ran off. The topic hadn’t been anything unusual - the typical argument they had where Pearl complained about her confinement and Titus got irritated that she kept trying to be independent. He must have been in a pretty bad mood this time though because he had lost his temper and called Pearl stupid and weak, claiming that she was too dumb and immature to be allowed to roam free. Then he had called the guards to take her to her room before storming off somewhere. Hurt and angry, Pearl had escaped and gone to the only place she knew no one would look for her. 

The fae was calmed somewhat by listening to the gentle sounds of water lapping onto the shore and the distant chatter of voices on the more crowded areas surrounding the lake. She picked up a few flat, smooth rocks and turned them over in her palm. Titus had tried to teach her to skip rocks when they were younger, but she had never quite gotten the hang of it. Being as weak as she was, it was always difficult to get enough spin and velocity on the stone for it to skim the surface of the water. Frowning, she chucked a rock at the lake and watched miserably as it didn’t even reach the water, instead clattering onto the rocky ground several feet from where she was sitting. Frustrated she stood and walked closer to the shore, trying and failing again to skip a rock. This time, it just plopped into the water and sank down, down, down.