Work Text:
Pebbles hums as she goes through a couple of her pearls personal notes about various things, as she checks them she simply cannot get what's on the back of her mind away. This cycle she has plans to do a video call with her friend No Significant Harassment, as much as Pebbles dislikes video calling especially with Sig; it is for important matters. It’s meant to be later in the cycle but knowing Sig they will message earlier than the scheduled time.
So of course she prepares herself carefully, sorting her pearls, finishing up some notes, and opening up her and Sig’s chatlogs. Just as she expected Sig’s green overseer pops up in her chamber, her antennae tilt alongside her head just as the overseer projects the Video Call accept button. She brings herself to the floor of her chamber lowering her zero-gravity letting her pearls clatter to the floor.
With a quick lean over she presses accept the call, while it waits for her own overseer to appear in Sig’s chamber in return she fixes herself up. With quick movements she smooths down her cloak with her hands and puts her tail carefully around the right side of herself. Once settled she turns over and opens up one of the squares on her chambers walls, grabbing out the eyeshadow she needs before closing it back up.
She plays with her hands for a little bit, being interrupted by the overseer projecting Sig in his chamber finally. “Took your overseer long enough to get over here! Besides that it’s nice to see you, Pebbles!” Pebbles rolls her eyes with a scoff at Sig's words, “Nice to see you too. Now can we get this out of the way, I have things to do.” She says quickly, not wanting to waste any more time than she has to. She grabs her cyan paint and starts getting herself situated while Sig speaks.
“You're acting as if spending 30 minutes on call with me will set your work back by 5 cycles~ Am I really that much of an annoyance to you hmm?” they tease as always pushing Pebbles tolerance of them. Pebbles only scoffs and rolls his eyes, “Yes, you are. Now can you stop your un-needed teasing and focus.” She huffs finally getting the paint on the small brush. “I need your full attention so I don't mess any of this up.”
Sig hums in acknowledgement watching Pebbles fuss over this being perfect, reminds Sig why he loves her so much. “You know I can’t help but tease, it’s in my nature of course!” Pebbles moves the brush down in annoyance, “I will hang up on you if you don’t shut your mouth, I am perfectly capable of doing this myself.” She threatens without an actual indication she will go through with it in her tone.
Sig perks up before laughing, “W-wait no no I’m sorry-! I’ll stop, I'll stop! Don’t hang up-” They stutter out between giggles. Pebbles continues to glare into the projection the overseer is showing, she proceeds to roll her eyes in annoyance. “It is not funny, I want this over with so I can get back to my work. I do not wish to loiter any longer than we already have.” Pebbles states sternly, but she can’t help but smile slightly. “Sorry Mrs. I’m always busy, didn't know you’d die if you stopped working for a single cycle.” They tease winking at Pebbles.
The tuft on the end of Pebbles tail puffs up for a second while her antennae pin back before she shakes her head and rolls her eyes. She flicks her tail in annoyance before speaking antennae going back up, “Again, not funny just help me paint the eyeshadow on already” Pebbles huffs, bringing the brush back up to her face and closing her right eye. “Right, yes yes.. Still funny though. Anyways, move it to the right a bit..” Sig finally stops giggling and calms down ready to help Pebbles.
For a few minutes the two of them are pretty quiet, the silence only disrupted by Sig’s instructions on where the brush should be. It’s a comfortable silence for Pebbles; she has always preferred this type of interaction. Pebbles antennae tilt in concentration, not wanting to mess this up whatsoever. Eventually once she’s moving onto the second eye her antennae perk up and she looks at the projection as Sig speaks to her.
“Hey Pebbles just real quick can I say something?” They inquire waiting for pebbles response. “Depends on if it’s important and requires wasting more of my time.” Pebbles huffs, her left antennae flicking in annoyance waiting for Sig to speak up. “It’s important I swear! I’ll say it and then we can get right back to your eyeshadow, I promise.” It’s silent for a few minutes while Pebbles thinks on Sig’s words. She eventually rolls her eyes and relents, “Yeah yeah what is it Sig be quick before I change my mind.”
Sig lets out a sigh of relief at Pebbles relenting and letting them speak, hopefully Pebbles appreciates their words. “Right, well I just wanted to say you know you're important to me right? And that I care for you?” Sig’s words make Pebbles antennae perk up in interest, tail wagging at the end slightly. “I- What? Repeat that?” She stutters out, slightly flustered at Sig's words. “You're important to me and I care for you. I just want you to know that is all.” Pebbles blinks antennae flicking in interest at the kind words.
“I.. I know that, of course I do. Why wouldn't I know about that?” She huffs out, still quite flustered over the words. Her antennae pin back when Sig lets out a laugh, “Just making sure you know that is all, no hard feelings! Anyways anyways, let’s get back to your eyeshadow hm?” Pebbles grumbles for a little bit before putting more of the cyan paint onto the brush and moving it to her left eye. “Yeah yeah,, Lets get back to it, where do I move it to..” She inquiries, focusing her hand.
“Yeah just move it up a little bit.. Yeah now to the right- a bit more- ah-hah right there!” Sig guides smiling with their eyes. Pebbles just grumbles and listens to where Sig is telling her to do the painting. “Yeah yeah thanks.”
“Ugh where the fuck did I put it last?!” She hisses to herself alone in her chamber, scrambling through the squares on her chamber walls that she stores stuff in. She had been looking through them for a cycle now, it’s been a good few cycles since she last fixed her eyeshadow and she needs to do it now. It’s also been about 50 cycles since Moon has collapsed, and who knows how many cycles since she stopped talking to everyone. Alongside being about 20 cycles since her Citizen Artificer came and eradicated the scavenger population from her city.
It’s not like she needs her local group anyways she can fix her own issues without anyones help. Even if she really wants Sig’s help she is sure she can do this without them. “Where the hell is- Ah finally there it is!” She huffs tail wagging back and forth in annoyance. She goes to place down her paint and brush for her eyeshadow only to grumble, “Ugh, stupid pearls in the way-” She hisses pushing her pearls out of the way in multiple places not caring about the mess she is making of her chamber.
Her antennae pin back as she sloppily opens the paint and gets a good amount on the brush. In her haste she does not realize she has put way too much on it, just wanting to get this eyeshadow over and done with and prove to herself she doesn’t need Sig. She nervously eyes the paintbrush for a little bit before shaking her head and grumbling, “I can do this.. I know I can.” with a huff. Pebbles moves the brush up close to her face trying to assume where it should go, she uses her left hand to check before moving the brush on her right.
Just as she goes to paint it a drop of the cyan paint drips onto her arm causing her to yelp and misjudge where the brush was painting. It takes her a few minutes but it’s not long before she realizes all she’s done is do a long streak from her right eye down to her cheek. Pebbles sits there for a bit as the paint drips down her cheek and arm onto her clothing, Pebbles doesn’t realize she starts shaking slightly due to the situation. It’s not long before she catches herself crying she drops her brush ignoring the fact it flicks even more paint everywhere, she then lifts a pawed hand up to her eyes before moving it away.
She stares at the tear residue left on her hand, she finally lets out a sniffle before moving her hands up to her face and sobbing. She finally leans against her chamber wall pulling her legs up to her chest to sob into them, she misses Sig so much. Why is she so stupid, why did she take Sun’s stupid pearl, why did she let herself get so caught up in what she wanted. Now she’s isolated from her Local Group and even the Anonymous Group Chats she was a part of, but most importantly she has left her Sister to die.
She hates acknowledging it but it’s true, her actions that she knows she can fix, has driven everyone away from her. What’s even worse she is too scared to try to fix it, or mend anything with anyone especially after what Unparalleled Innocence had done leaking her business. She can’t go back to mending everything when all that will happen is everyone coddling her over her issues. As she sobs to herself she doesn’t notice her Citizen entering her chamber, it’s not until she hears a concerned gruff meow that she was brought to the ruffians existence.
“W-what are you d-doing here? Get out!” Pebbles sobs shifting away from Artificer who only moves closer to her. “S-Shoo go back out-!” She stutters trying to move even further from Artificer and it is not working. Her citizen continues to make concerned meows before managing to get her massive form onto Pebbles lap. Pebbles tries pushing Artificer off but she is surprisingly heavy, not to mention very dirty and dusty.. “C-Citizen I demand you get off me this- H-hey!” Pebbles stutters cut off by Artificer licking and sniffing her face smoke billowing into Pebbles eyes.
Pebbles kind of freezes up for a bit before her tears renew in her eyes and she hugs Artificer close to her. This earns an annoyed crusty meow from Artificer but eventually the scarred slugcat stops complaining. Pebbles can’t help but start to sob again, this time into Artificer's fur she feels slightly better as Artificer begins to purr loudly in an attempt to comfort the iterator. Pebbles carefully moves herself into a position where she is laying down on the floor of her chamber, pushing pearls away from her alongside her paint and brushes ignoring any mess she may be making.
Artificers purrs grow louder as Pebbles nuzzles more into the fluffy slugcat in her arms, her sobbing has slightly calmed down but she’s still crying. She hates when she cries, it makes her tired and it’s making her even more tired to be nuzzled into Artificer's fur while crying. “T-thanks Citizen..” She mumbles despite feeling weak and like a child letting this happen. She earns a happy purr and meow from Artificer who settles in even more and falls asleep herself.
Pebbles sighs and curls up just a little bit more than she already was holding Artificer close. Her tail moves around herself slightly as Artificer shifts in her sleep, Pebbles sighs softly. “Night Citizen,,” She mumbles softly to herself and the sleeping slugcat before promptly putting herself into a sleep cycle. The cycle will be longer and the rain will be calmer until the sleep cycle is over.