When Guanshan approaches his car, He Tian lifts his right hand and waves a bit, feeling lame instantly and quickly drops it again.
The other one opens the door and looks inside, He Tian turns his upper body towards him, one hand on the steering wheel, the other brushing some wayward strands out of his eyes.
"By all means, look your fill", he mutters and then shakes his head when Guanshan starts laughing.
The Edger, chapter 9 by @rainy19days and @elaine19day
The act of quiet nighttime talking illustrates for me more than any curious alchemy. ~ elizabeth gilbert
“Their kindness was not boasted through words but with action. A warm meal, delightful conversation and a concern for my well being that I have not experienced before..”
When you fall asleep that night, where-ever you are, you hear the song of distant bells.
Being wild cats, of course, you've never actually heard bells before. The chiming is a paradoxical mix of both calming and irritating, but your body is too fatigued to get up and investigate. The trials of clan life is a hard one, after all, and it leaves the body more exhausted than when it got up in the morning. Even if you had somehow managed to come upon the waking world, the noise would've disappeared anyway.
After a minute, although it feels like several, your body sinks. Instead of rousing yourself awake with a rapid pulse, though, you sink deeper into the earth and your consciousness. The chimes are muffled, and your body feels compressed. Suffocated. When your eyes open to the scentless, foggy, treeless clearing, you realize there's two others there beside you. You also notice something else. This isn't your territory. It's no-where you've ever seen before. What do you do?
Flamekit had never experienced anything like this; that wasn't saying much, given that she'd only left camp for the first time that day, but still. She got to her paws cautiously, looking around with rounded yellow eyes.
"Hello?" she called, not thinking to check on either of the others. She recognized the smell of clan cat on the one she didn't know, and she'd been with Phloxstorm just earlier, anyway. Her tail stuck high in the air, fur bristling with unease, she started to move forward.
Phloxstorm's fur bristled soon after he opened his eyes, the unfamiliarity of his surroundings and the muffled chiming coming from-- somewhere. Whatever it is, it's especially irritating to him. He scratches at his ears, hoping to somehow drive away the dull ringing.
"Hey, kid, what are you..." They grunted, eventually heaving themselves to their feet to walk beside her. They warily glanced around, folding an ear back somewhat as the surroundings become more and more notably unfamiliar.
He stares at Flamekit for a bit, puzzled as to why he'd suddenly be dreaming about the kid. Whatever this is, it's... Different, from the usual. He's not sure which he'd prefer, yet, but he's at least certain that he did not know the third cat that was there. Was definitely someone from Sunclan, though.
Flamekit flicked her tail in acknowledgement at the warrior's words, but only picked up the pace. There was so much fog, and she couldn't remember ever seeing so much of it before.
Ah, man, was this another dream where he thought he was talking but in actuality no one could hear him? Freaky, he hates that shit. Phloxstorm sighs, and makes sure to keep up with the kit. He doesn't trust this fog already.
The desolate plain is filled with hard earth, sparse weeds, and large round stones. The further you go, the more alien everything smells. Something about the alleged dream was different than dreams in that it lacked a certain lucidity, and that it wasn't nearly as ridiculous. Where-ever they went, the unpredictability was very much unlike that of a typical brain attempting to cope with stress.
All was silent.
Then, suddenly, without warning... a noise.
A noise, which grew into a whisper, that grew into shaking the barren ground at their feet.
Flamekit's steps slowed but didn't still, even as her heart hammered in her chest. This was scary, and she wondered if she'd just forgotten to wake up and was now, well, awake.
That kind of made sense in her head.
Voice low, she glanced at the others and spoke. "Did you wake up?"
He hissed, eyes widening in alarm as he moved even closer to Flamekit. Like, just in case cracks started to form or something, he could easily scoop her up.
As she mewed, his brows knitted together. It clicked, after a moment. This wasn't a dream, was it? Fucking spooky ass shit, he was too tired for this. "...Yeah. I think. Somewhat."
Another shockwave. It would've been enough to keep their cats on their feet for now, but the second one was stronger. Flames and embers suddenly lit up the sky before them, but when they struck the ground, instead of burning they smoldered into blackness. The entire foundation shook again, and again, until the world as they knew it became a constant tumult like troubled waves in the ocean against the shore.
If they had their eyes open then, a cat stood staring at them just feet away. Unmoving.
A golden cat, but not a gold that the cats regarding it had ever seen. When the ground moved, its coat rippled, each tuft of fur floating in slow motion as if it controlled the very thing that was happening with such little effort.
Flamekit sucked in a sharp breath, freezing in her fear and crouching to stay on her feet, tail tucked beneath her. Her eyes were wide and unblinking, taking in everything as it happened around them. Eventually, she straightened up, still unsteady.
The kit shifted on her paws, unwilling to get near the flames (was that what they were? And was this what she had been named for?) but aching to learn more. She didn't even look back at either of the others before she took off at a run, getting closer to the golden cat despite everything in her telling her to stay away.
Gritting her teeth, Phloxstorm narrowed her eyes and lowered her head in an attempt to shield them from any debris. She plowed on a heat, locking her sights on the unknown figure. Fuck this shit, she wasn't going to bother continuing to question why Flamekit and another stranger was here.
Growling low in their throat, they approached the golden cat. What the fuck was this guy's deal? What the fuck is going on? Just. "What the fuck?" He noticed Flamekit running alongside him, but couldn't bring himself to comment on it.
The closer they tried to approach, the further the golden cat seemed to get. As they ran, the world began to fall away - like ash, becoming blackened the fluttering away with the breeze that they could neither see nor feel. The golden cat remained, though, its white eyes unblinking as they tried to approach. Running in place, as it were.
It would wait until they were tired, which might've felt like an eternity, since the atmosphere of the room would get heavier the longer their legs tried to move forward. When they stopped, the cat seemed to move forward and not move at all. Its movements were deliberate, but faster than what the eye could plainly detect.
Flamekit ran until her legs gave out, eventually collapsing. She wondered, as she watched the golden cat, if this was what Starclan was.
"Can, can I ask you something?" she called to the cat, trying to ignore how her heart was pounding.
Phloxstorm's thoughts was an litany of profanities, just a constant cycle as he eventually just gave up trying to approach the mysterious figure.
Tail lashing in the air, as he soon stood over Flamekit protectively, he tried to level his stare with the golden cat. Was this what Starclan was like? Didn't match any stories at all, seemed a bit fucked up more than anything.
She kept her chin held high, not wanting to appear weak when there's a kit right here, that she might need to run away with. Oh, he was beginning to desperately want to retreat back into the safety of his own nest.
The golden cat paused. "YES, CHILD?"
Its lips didn't move, the voice coming from everywhere and nowhere all at once within the blindingly white, endless expanse.
Flamekit's first thought was, fittingly, fuck. She opened and then closed her mouth, struggling to her paws and then taking a single step forward, out from under Phloxstorm.
"Do you know who my dad is?" she asked, eyes wide as she searched its face. Later, she would realize that her priorities were skewed.
Please don't hurt the kid, please don't hurt the kid, please don't-- Phloxstorm bite his tongue, in his effort to not say anything. He made a muffled sort of scream, mostly because he didn't even opened his mouth, and quickly stepped forward as well.
That, wasn't really something she should have asked. He managed to piece it together, she could have just asked him-- then again, he has the face of a grizzled idiot. So. His ears twitched, and he warily awaited the etheral cat's reply with his breath stuck in his throat.
It made a low, monotonous, mechanical chuckle. As it came before Flamekit, the golden cat changed shape. It became diminutive, smaller than a kit, but still looked older than her somehow. Its body was well-proportioned, if a bit stocky, with a round face, small ears, spots on its coat and stripes upon its face. Never losing its golden color, of course, with the markings only being but a shade darker.
"OF COURSE, CHILD."
A circle of flame spread around them. With a broken attention, the cat that appeared a split second later was... different.
"I."
It was massive. Larger than ten cats, probably. Muscles bulged underneath its coat, its paws big enough to crush a cat within a pawstep. Its tail, if you could even call it that, wasn't even big enough to curl around the front of it.
"KNOW."
They'd have to crane their necks up to see the drooling countenance before them, snarling with a ferocity barely known by even the most bloodthirsty of cats. On each side of its mouth where teeth would be was a curved, knife-like saber, that stretched beyond its lower jaw and ended in a point.
"EVERYTHING."
With one calculated swipe, it contacted all three cats and sent them flying.The golden cat disappeared. Each of their bodies shattered through the illusion. This was no dream.Darkness.
Stars sparkle above your heads.
Flamekit had never been struck before, not by anyone who wasn't just playing. She screamed as she was swiped, the air knocked from her lungs.
Her only thought, as she stared up at the stars, was that that... monster was clearly a liar. Why else would it not just tell her the answer? It didn't know anything -- it couldn't, and that was how she would comfort herself.
Flamekit lay still, scared to get up.
Oh. What the fuck? Well, maybe he shouldn't have eaten that seaweed earlier. He growls, but before he could say or do anything his paws were no longer on the ground. Wheezing as the air was knocked out of him, Phloxstorm reached for Flamekit, tucking her close as he braced himself to--
Land? He blinks, taking in the drastic shift of scenery. This was definitely a different place, now. Less foreboding,he guessed. Who the fuck was that? He took a few moments to regain his breath, eyes wide as he dumbly stared up at the sky."Uh, Flamekit, you alright?" It was a dumb question. Whatever that thing was, it was a fucking nightmare dialed up to eleven.
"No!" Flamekit exclaimed. "I mean -- yes. I don't feel broken."
She sat up, stretching her legs experimentally and flexing her toes. Satisfied, she got to her feet, casting a wary look around.
"Are we dead? Was that the Dark Forest?"
Phloxstorm frowned, moving to sit up before looking around. "...I don't think so. No forest, yeah? Uh," he winced, the last visage still fresh on his mind. Probably sealed into the back of his eyelids, now.
"I, uh, don't think we're dead, kid. It would be kinda funny if we all died at once-- including sunshine over there." They flicked an ear, slowly standing up and shaking out their paws. He sniffed at Flamekit, to see if she really was okay.
Flamekit scrunched up her nose and leaned away from him. “There was fire. Maybe it burned it down.”
The stars glimmered.
Who are they?
Oh, poor dears...
They aren't supposed to be here!?
Well, do something about it.
Stop bickering.
Yeah, don't fight.
Come on.
The whispers sighed, simultaneously. All cats would feel a pressure like a comforting nuzzle of an unseen cat on their pelts, then a pull forward into the darkness, away from the stars.A magnetic instinct, if you will.The vision ends.
Claire died on a bright sunny morning. She’d elected not to go to hospital again after her last visit. Marigold spent every moment with her.
Claire couldn’t sleep that night.
She said she knew it was time. Marigold held back her tears. Several times, Claire leaned in as if to kiss her. Every time, she stopped mid-motion. Avoided Marigold’s eyes.
And as the sun rose, Claire drifted off. Marigold held her.
She could feel the moment Claire’s heart stopped beating.
--
There was only one goal Marigold had set herself for Claire’s funeral.
She was determined not to cry.
It was sunny and warm, a lovely spring day. The eulogy was held by a member of Claire’s family. Marigold felt slightly guilty. Out of everyone in the entire world, she had been closest to Claire. She'd organised the funeral, the inheritance, everything. She should have been the one to hold the eulogy.
She'd found herself incapable.
Her feelings were in turmoil, her face stony. Azure and Roxy were by her side, both in tears.
She stayed in Claire's house after the funeral. Already only a guest in the house she'd called home for years. More than ever, the house felt empty. Her bed felt empty.
She couldn't sleep. No tears were shed.
Instead, in the morning, Marigold found several bottles of good, expensive wine - not Claire's own wine; that was sacred, not to be touched, but there was other wine in the house.
Hours later, she was wandering around the vineyard. Not lost, just trying to numb her feelings. Familiar trails among the wine, the sun shining down - it had barely rained since Claire had died.
Everything was spinning, but Marigold was still not crying. She counted it as a personal victory.
She missed Claire.
Claire was buried on her own land, a good walk away from the house. Marigold's feet found the way on their own. She didn't even realise where she was going until she found herself at the grave.
To her surprise, she was not alone there. The blue hijab was clearly visible against the greens and browns of the surrounding land.
"Azure."
Azure did not turn, or show any reaction that she'd heard Marigold.
Marigold stepped forward, stood next to her.
Azure was crying, thick tears flowing ceaselessly down her face.
Marigold felt her heart harden.
She bent down, lit the two candles by Claire's grave. It was broad daylight, but it was about the gesture more than anything.
She was drunk, and one of the flames licked her skin. She hissed and drew back.
"Did you hurt yourself?" Azure's voice said softly.
Marigold held her hand. "No," she said, almost too aggressively. She got up; she stood way taller than Azure, and yet Azure's piercing dark eyes seemed to look down on her.
It had always been this way.
"Why did you come here?" Marigold asked eventually.
"The same reason you did," Azure said. "I'm grieving."
Marigold huffed. "You're letting your emotions get the better of you, Azure."
Azure looked away like she'd been stung. Blinked. Fresh tears glittered on her cheeks.
"Being here will just make you feel worse."
Azure looked up.
"Why did you come here, Marigold?" she asked.
Marigold hesitated, then shrugged.
"I'm drunk," she said.
"Ah."
For a long moment, they stood in silence. Marigold stared at Claire's tombstone. Her heart aching unfamiliarly. She blinked.
She wasn't going to cry. Not give her emotions the free pass, like Azure did.
"What's the use," she said, almost more to herself, "of feeling like this?"
Azure cast her a look. Hesitated. Reached out for Marigold's hand.
Marigold, suddenly remembering Claire's words - about Azure, Roxy, all the women at the club - pulled her hand away. Didn't meet Azure's eyes.
"I'm not... like that, Azure."
She turned.
"Good day."
She didn't look back as she walked away, her steps heavy and her eyes stinging.
The next day, Rose Quartz prepared to teach her final year students.
Dark rings under her eyes spoke of long evenings, because on top of her usual workload, she had to organise the fair. It barely gave her time to think about anything else. She'd barely had time to spend with Greg. She barely had time to worry about Pearl and Principal Diamond.
She set up her classroom. Determined to do great. Diamond would be inspecting her, she assumed, at random intervals. She had to be prepared for anything.
Amethyst felt a knot of unease as the lesson progressed, realising she drew closer to having to speak to Rose. Pearl seemed to be usually lost in her lesson, giving little time to chat. Amy could barely focus, and by the time the bell rang, she almost debated lying to Aurora and saying she'd spoken. But she then looked at Pearl and swallowed. No. Not if her friend was in danger.
"Yo, P, I need to ask Quartz a couple of questions about the mocks. I fucked them up. I'll catch you in English, alright?"
She was met with a confused nod from Pearl, who only seemed to shrug and promise to save her a seat.
Once everyone had left the room, Amy paced to the front of the class and cleared her throat. "Miss Quartz."
Of all the people that Rose expected to stay after class, Amethyst wasn't one of them.
She looked up, surprised. "Amy!" she said. "What can I do for you?"
Amy swallowed and took a look around. "Could we... maybe talk about something?" She rubbed her arm. "About Pearl."
About Pearl. Worry shot through Rose. "Y-yeah," she said, "Sure. What about her?"
"Her and the principal. She sent... a really worrying text to her sister by mistake last night. And like... I know you two are close." An understatement, to say the least. Amy shifted, feeling a pang of envy plaster a flush over her face.
"Oh?" That was, indeed, worrying. Rose clearly remembered Pearl saying that Diamond was hot. She thought of Jasper's allegations. What if...?
"Do you know what exactly happened?"
"I..." Amy swallowed. She might as well tell Rose everything. "I live with her now. Her sister has a little studio pad. And last night I came home from school and... Aurora was kinda freaking out over a text. Apparently Pearl and the Principal had some kind of afterschool sesh, she didn't tell me jack shit about it but.... apparently they did something, yanno... sexual. Maybe. Whatever. Pearl wasn't clear about it and she's not gonna tell either me or Rori anything."
Amy's words sent a surge of alarm through Rose. She straightened up, gripping the pen she was holding with needless force.
"That is indeed worrying," she said. An understatement. She loved Pearl. There was no way she would stand by and let her precious Pearl get destroyed by a force equal to Roxy Dayman.
"Thank you for telling me, Amy," Rose said, her voice carefully controlled. "I'll see what I can do."
Amy felt that despicable envy surge even more through her. She hated the terror in those eyes. She wanted to be bigger. More powerful. A part of her wished nothing more than to be the one protecting Pearl. "You, uh, keep her safe, okay? Or I'm... I'm calling the cops. And that's going to be ugly for everyone." An empty threat, she realised; she was too scared. But Rose didn't know that. "And Diamond has a chance of not getting caught. You don't."
"There's no need to threaten me, Amethyst," Rose said, her voice gentle. Amethyst was just as worried about Pearl as she was. They were on the same side. "I'm not doing anything illegal. And I'll keep you updated, if you wish."
Amethyst swallowed. "Please." The anxiety welling in her stomach made things so much more tense. "For Rori's sake, too. This is... really bad on her."
"I can imagine." Rose lowered her voice. "This stays between us, but I'm trying to get a few people together. So I have allies against Diamond. Let's just say the way she's treating me hasn't gone unnoticed by the rest of the staff. I can't do anything by myself, but if we work together we might have a chance of actually changing things."
Oh. Of course. Amethyst could only give a tiny nod. "It can't be good. She's... not good to anyone, right now. Stay safe, I gotta, uh, head to English."
"Okay. You stay safe too. Keep Pearl safe. I can't do it all the time." Rose gave Amethyst a smile. "I'll let you know if there's any progress."
Amethyst didn't return the smile. "See ya."
She turned and left, her insides completely messy. She hated this. She hated feeling like she wasn't enough.
Rose sighed and watched Amy leave.
She then pulled out her phone and sent a text to Pearl.
Can you come see me later? RQ xx
Pearl's phone buzzed. She gave a quick glance and tilted her head. Oh. Rose. She smiled. That would be nice, she'd barely had any time to talk to her in the lesson. She gave Amy a wave as her friend walked into class, late. The rest of the lesson seemed to go all too fast, and they'd thankfully made it into their lunch period.
"Rose wants to see me." Pearl sighed as Amethyst suggested going out to town for lunch. "I haven't had time to really talk to her since our date, she's been so busy. Apparently Diamond's got her doing some stuff for the career's fair. I'll see you later, okay?"
And with that, they echanged goodbyes and Pearl paced towards Rose's room.
Rose waited, anxiety tying her belly into a knot. She'd tried to talk to Pearl about this before. Hadn't gotten through to her. She had to try again, regardless.
She stayed in her classroom over lunch, expecting Pearl to find her there; and so she did.
Rose greeted her with a warm smile. "Hello, Pearl!" she said. "I hope you've had a good day?"
Pearl gave a little nod. "I'm very well! Missed you, barely had the chance to talk since the weekend. You okay?"
"Yes, just very busy." Rose smiled at Pearl, then went over and closed the door before pulling Pearl into a hug.
"I've missed you too," she muttered.
Pearl closed her eyes and let herself feel the warmth of Rose's arms. "Can we go out for lunch? Like we used to."
Rose's heart ached.
"I'd honestly love to," she said. "But it probably wouldn't be a good idea." Did Pearl know that Diamond had seen them have lunch together that last time?
Pearl frowned. "Yeah. I guess you're right." The Principal's very early comment about how she'd gained weight racked in her mind. "I don't need to eat right now, anyway."
Rose swallowed. That wasn't what she meant.
"Do you not have lunch with you?" she asked.
Pearl had been in hospital. She was supposed to be better. And yet, Rose could still see those patterns so very clearly.
"I do. It's just... something someone said. They'd noticed I'd gained weight. I'm sure she didn't mean anything by it."
"She might have meant it in a positive way," Rose said. "I, for one, happen to think you're gorgeous."
She kissed Pearl's cheek. Wanted to kiss her lips, but remembered why she'd asked Pearl to come here.
"I heard you had some kind of... tutoring session with the Principal," she said carefully.
Pearl blushed. "I've been falling behind in history, that's all."
"Is it?" Rose asked. From what Amethyst had said, it was most certainly not all. "Is she a good teacher, then?"
"Yes. She got me to answer questions, anyway."
"Hmm." Rose wasn't getting very far like this. "What did she teach you about?"
"Oh. Just history."
Rose smiled. "Are you being evasive on purpose?" she asked. "I'm just interested in your life."
Pearl looked a little taken aback. "U-um. No."
Rose frowned.
"I... heard things," she then said. "About the Principal. And you. I was just... wondering."
"Oh." Pearl swallowed. "It was Aurora, wasn't it?"
Rose ignored Pearl's query regarding the identity of her source. "I'm worried something might have happened that I should know about," she said. "Not in my capacity as your teacher, but rather... your partner." It felt... strange, saying it, but oddly right.
"Alright." Pearl swallowed. "I've been getting close to the Principal. I don't understand it, something about her has just drawn me in."
"Hmm." Rose's frown didn't ease up. "Has she indicated... reciprocation?" Because from what Amethyst had said, it had certainly sounded like it.
Pearl paused for a minute. "Yes."
"I thought she was homophobic."
"Didn't we all?" Pearl rubbed her arm, awkwardly. "It's been absolutely nothing explicit. Just.... touches. And then... yesterday, I think I may have accidentally seduced her."
"Seduced," Rose echoed.
Thoughts were racing through her head faster than she could keep up.
"Things just kept getting really intimate, you know. Her tone was different. Her touches. She sat real close next to me." She then closed her eyes. "I think we nearly kissed. I... I liked it."
Of course you did.
Rose sighed heavily. "Is that all?" she asked gently.
"Oh yeah. Definetly. I don't think she'd take it any further. Maybe she just needs some excitement in her life."
Rose relaxed a little.
"Okay," she said. "Thank you for telling me." She cupped Pearl's face and leaned in to kiss her sweetly.
She was still worried. This little anecdote showed the Principal in an entirely different light.
"Do you want it to stop?" Pearl closed her eyes and smiled into the kiss, her voice betraying her sadness.
Rose drew back.
Part of her wanted to tell Pearl yes, but she knew she couldn't.
"We're polyamorous, Pearl," she said. "I have no say in who you do what with, I'd just like to know. I... can't say that your interactions with the Principal don't worry me, though. Just be careful, okay? And let me know if anything else happens."
"Why would they worry you? She's been so kind to me."
"I've known her longer than you," Rose said with a sigh. "And very few of my interactions with her have been as positive as yours. In fact, that's the experience most people have with her." She's borderline abusing your sister. She's outright punishing me for mentoring a student. She got Ruby expelled for being gay. She drove Lars to-
"Just keep in mind that she may not be all she seems," she said.
Pearl took a gentle step back. "Oh. Oh, I see. I think I'll... I should tell her to back off the next time we have a session."
"Be careful," Rose said, yet again. "She's good at manipulating and putting words into your mouth and -" She sighed. "I don't want to bring you up against her, that's not what this is about. But I know what she's like. And I don't want you to get hurt."
She reached out and touched Pearl's cheek.
"I won't. I'm only weak when I'm with you, Rose." She gave a little smile. "Everything's going to be okay. But I'm glad you warned me about her. I guess I'm just going to have to trust you. And I do."
Rose returned the smile, a little less anxious.
She leaned in and kissed Pearl again, letting the kiss linger for several long moments.
Pearl kissed back, brushing a hand across Rose's cheek. This no longer felt like a complete novelty. Or scandalous. Just right. "Do you ever worry what would happen if they caught us like this?"
"All the time," Rose said quietly. "I try my best to make sure we're not caught."
"No one can just walk in then, can they?"
"The door is locked," Rose assured her. "We're all by ourselves."
Pearl couldn't hold in her giggle. "When you say it like that, it makes me think we could really get up to anything." She then waved her hand. "Don't get me wrong, though. Unlike our Principal, I'd rather not orchestrate anything suspect in these rooms. They are filthier than Amy's room."
Rose smiled.
"Never mind the fact that if we went beyond kissing, I would definitely be in the realm of the illegal, no matter where we do it," she said. "But we can definitely kiss."
Pearl could only chuckle. "Kissing is good. Kissing is very good."
Rose had hoped for that answer. "I'm glad," she said. A quick glance at the clock. "We have about twenty minutes left of lunch. You should eat something - but we can have a little bit more time together." And with that, she pulled Pearl close and kissed her again.
Pearl giggled into the kiss, her entire set of emotions alight. She could only kiss back. And then she realised something. "Oh! Coach Jasper said she wanted to meet with me this lunchtime. Something about physio?"
"Oh!" Rose smiled. So her chat with Jasper and Lapis had actually fruited, and not just been talk. "She did mention she wanted to see you more again. Well, there's not that much time left, so why don't you go now?"
"I know that the old school assumption that all teachers are a hive mind has been proven wrong but... you wouldn't know where she is about now, would you?"
Rose chuckled. "She's probably in the gym," she said. "If she said to meet you, that's where she'll be expecting you to go."
"That's true." Pearl nodded. "Alright. We'll hang out some other time, okay?"
"Yeah! Feel free to come see me whenever," Rose said with a smile. She tipped Pearl's chin up gently and kissed her again.
