Work Text:
The morning had not started in the best of ways. Pearl had gotten up late, decided she wanted to do nothing today if not have soup, and started to make it, when she realised she was out of half the ingredients. So she got dressed, changed out of her pajamas for the first time that week, hid herself under a red shawl, stared at the door for at least half an hour, until she managed to push herself out and braved the heat to the market to grab what she needed.
Once she got back home she got started on making the soup, and soon enough she had everything ready and simmering over the stove.
She went to sit down on her overly fancy Victor’s couch, intent on staring into space while the soup cooked, but her recent sleep deprivation caught up to her, and she passed out right there for a much needed nap.
She only woke up when the smell of burning hit her nose, and luckily the only thing that had actually burned was the soup, because even after she woke up, it took her several minutes to get up and check.
Once she did it was clear that there would not be any further soup making on that stove, and that too required several minutes of staring at it to process.
It was already late afternoon, and Pearl pondered just not eating for the day, but that had been her meal plan the day before, and the hunger was making itself heard, and she really wanted that soup. So taking almost an hour to prepare herself, Pearl got ready to leave the house twice in one day for the first time in months.
She made her way to the Hob as she had a thousand times before her games, hiding under her shawl she made a B-Line for Ol’ Sonja’s stand, where the elderly woman stood, selling soup like she had everyday for the past eighty years or so.
Although her face was an intricacy of wrinkles, she lit up with delight and surprise when she saw Pearl approaching her.
“Heya Little One, came back to see Ol’ Sonja again? I thought you had forgotten me kiddo! How’s life treating ya?”
Pearl was taken aback, she hadn’t had anyone ask her how she was doing genuinely in weeks. She felt tears welling up at the corner of her eyes, but she held them back.
“I ought to have visited sooner, I’m sorry, it’s just been really hard to do anything, really. I was wondering if you might have some of your soupy goodness for me? I’ll give you soo much money for it, I don’t need it, and I’d rather you have it, make good use, and good soup, of it.”
And with that she pulled out a bag full to the brim with cash, way more than either of them had seen until the year prior.
Ol’ Sonja gratefully took the bag, and got started on filling Pearl’s containers, when she noticed that halfway through the market, Grian had been staring at them.
“Is your brother doing alright?”
Pearl gave her a quizzical and uncomfortable look, so Ol’ Sonja explained:
“He’s back there, and has been staring for minutes, everything a’ight with him, dear?”
The color drained from Pearl's face as she apologized and quickly ran off with only half of her containers full.
Even if she didn’t know what had been happening, later that day Ol’ Sonja made the trek up to the Victor’s Village and left Pearl the rest of the soup, since the girl could clearly use a comfort meal.