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Chapter Text

Pearl is Kalim’s favorite little lady. a delicate, wiggly princess who he treats with the utmost care and affection. Jamil, of course, finds her deeply unsettling, but that doesn’t stop Kalim from proudly showing her off at every opportunity.

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Pearl’s Backstory:

One day, while on a family trip to a distant market, Kalim stumbled upon a small, glistening millipede curled up in the shade. She was shiny, with smooth segments that reminded him of tiny pearls. It was love at first sight.

Ignoring every reasonable instinct, Kalim scooped her up and immediately declared, "She’s perfect! I’m keeping her!"

Jamil tried to intervene. "Kalim, you can’t just pick up bugs off the ground-"

"She’s not a bug! She’s Pearl, and she’s coming home with us!"

Pearl has been a Scarabia resident ever since.

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Pearl’s Daily Life:

Morning Routine:

While Jamil prepares breakfast, Kalim lets Pearl crawl around on his arm. He cheerfully greets her, saying, "Good morning, Princess Pearl! Did you sleep well?"

Jamil pretends he’s not looking. He is looking. He is terrified.

Afternoon Adventures:

Kalim sometimes brings Pearl to class inside a little glass terrarium. He claims she’s his good luck charm.

One time, she escaped during a lecture. The entire classroom went into chaos. Jamil still hasn’t forgiven Kalim for that.

Bath Time:

Kalim carefully wipes her shell with a damp cloth and makes sure she has the perfect moisture levels in her habitat.

If anyone says "Kalim, it’s just a millipede," he gasps. "How could you say that about her? She’s a lady!"

Nighttime Routine:

Kalim tucks her in by placing a tiny leaf blanket over her in her terrarium.

He whispers, "Goodnight, Pearl. Sweet dreams."

Jamil is this close to losing his mind.

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Jamil does everything in his power to avoid touching Pearl.

Kalim, naturally, thinks this is hilarious and constantly tries to hand her to Jamil.

"Jamil, just hold her for a second-"

"Kalim, if you bring that thing near me, I swear-"

One time, Kalim left Pearl on Jamil’s pillow as a joke. The scream could be heard across NRC.

However… on one particularly stressful evening, Jamil caught Kalim quietly sitting in his room, watching Pearl curl up in her enclosure. He looked calm, happy, peaceful.

Jamil sighed and muttered, "I still don’t get it… but if she makes you this happy, I guess she’s not so bad."

Kalim grinned. "See? I knew you'd like her!"

Jamil left before Kalim could try to hand Pearl over again.

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The Moral of the Story:

Pearl is spoiled, beloved, and completely terrifying to Jamil. But at the end of the day, if it makes Kalim happy, maybe he can live with it. (As long as Pearl stays very, very far away from his bed.)

Chapter Text

Jamil had fought for his life countless times. Assassination attempts, impossible exams, Kalim’s reckless ideas, he had survived them all. But nothing had prepared him for Pearl.

Pearl was not a dangerous monster. She was not a vengeful spirit, a cursed artifact, or a poison-tipped blade.

She was a millipede.

And she was ruining his life.

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Act 1. The Beginning of His Suffering

"Kalim, what is that?" Jamil asked, already exhausted by whatever was about to happen.

Kalim beamed, holding out his hands. Something wriggled. Jamil recoiled.

"Her name’s Pearl! Isn’t she cute?" Kalim’s eyes sparkled with joy, as if he had just presented the crown jewel of the Scandaling Sands instead of an oversized insect.

Jamil took a careful step back. "Kalim. Put it down."

"Her, Jamil! She’s a lady!" Kalim scolded.

Jamil hated everything about this.

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Act 2. The First Attack

Jamil had hoped that Kalim would get bored of Pearl in a few days.

Jamil was a fool.

He was minding his own business, chopping vegetables in the Scarabia kitchen, when something cold and wiggly TOUCHED HIS HAND.

Jamil screamed. The knife went flying.

Pearl plopped onto the cutting board, completely unbothered.

Kalim gasped. "Oh no! Pearl, are you okay?! Jamil, you have to be careful! What if you scared her?"

Jamil was having a heart attack, actually. "What if I scared her?! She attacked me!"

Kalim giggled. "Don’t be silly! She just wanted to say hi!"

Jamil wanted to die.

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Act 3. The Escape Artist

Jamil woke up in the middle of the night with a horrible feeling. Something was wrong.

He sat up, blinking in the darkness. His instincts were sharp. Years of training, years of survival, he could sense it.

Something was watching him.

He turned his head slowly.

Pearl was on his pillow.

Jamil’s soul left his body.

The entire dorm woke up to his blood-curdling scream.

Kalim rushed in, still half-asleep. "Jamil? What’s wro- OH! Pearl, there you are!"

Jamil was paralyzed with horror. Kalim just scooped her up with a relieved smile.

"You scared me! I thought you were lost!"

Jamil was lost. Lost in a waking nightmare.

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Act 4. Floyd Makes It Worse

Somehow, Floyd Leech found out about Jamil’s suffering.

Jamil didn’t know how, maybe Kalim told him, maybe Floyd had some kind of freakish eel-sense for other people’s misery.

All that mattered was that Floyd knew.

And Floyd thought it was hilarious.

One day, Jamil was finally getting a moment of peace when-

"Oi, Sea Snake"

Jamil turned just in time to see Floyd launch Pearl at him.

Jamil dodged like his life depended on it.

Kalim gasped. "Floyd, be careful! She’s a lady!"

Floyd just cackled. "She’s tough, ain’t she? Bet she could survive gettin’ thrown across the room-"

"DON’T TEST IT!" Kalim shrieked.

Jamil, still shaking, swore that if he ever got the chance, he would end Floyd Leech.

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Act 5. The Classroom Incident

Jamil thought school was a safe space.

Jamil was wrong.

It started normally. A boring lecture. Kalim was half-asleep at his desk. Jamil was taking notes. Nothing seemed off.

Then, a high-pitched scream rang out.

Jamil looked up just in time to see their professor jump onto a desk.

"WHAT IN THE GREAT SEVEN??"

Pearl was on the floor, crawling across the classroom.

The room erupted into chaos.

Students were climbing onto tables. Papers flew into the air. Someone (probably Epel) threw a textbook at the ground, screaming.

Jamil turned to Kalim, who looked completely innocent.

Jamil narrowed his eyes. "Kalim."

Kalim gasped. "Wait- how did she get out???"

Jamil’s rage was limitless.

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Act 6. Leona Almost Commits a Crime

Pearl made the mistake of touching Leona’s tail.

Leona almost incinerated her on sight.

Kalim was devastated.

"Leona! How could you?! She’s a guest!"

Leona curled his lip. "If she touches me again, she’s gonna be a stain on the carpet."

Kalim clutched Pearl protectively. "Jamil! Say something!"

Jamil, who had been praying for this moment for months, immediately said, "Leona’s right. Pearl’s banned from the dorm."

Kalim looked at him like he had committed high treason.

Jamil did not care.

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Act 7: The Reluctant Truce

One night, Jamil found Kalim sitting quietly in his room, watching Pearl in her terrarium.

He wasn’t talking. He wasn’t bouncing off the walls. He just sat there, gently tapping on the glass, a soft smile on his face.

Jamil hesitated.

"...What are you doing?"

Kalim didn’t look away. "Just watching her."

Jamil sighed. "...You really like her, huh?"

Kalim nodded. "She listens."

Jamil stared at him for a long moment, then, without thinking, sighed and sat down beside him.

They sat in silence, watching Pearl wiggle around.

Jamil still hated her.

But he guessed he could live with it.

(As long as she stayed very, very far away from his pillow.)

Chapter Text

Jamil Viper had long accepted that Pearl the Millipede was his eternal tormentor.

But what he hadn’t considered, what he never could have predicted, was that she would extend her reign of terror beyond him.

Pearl had set her sights on their families.

And not even the great Al-Asim clan or the Viper bloodline could withstand her wrath.

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Act 1: Jamil’s Mother vs. Pearl

Jamil had one rule when returning home for break:

“Do NOT bring Pearl.”

Kalim, as always, ignored him.

"It’s fine, Jamil!" Kalim had cheerfully declared as they stepped into Jamil’s family home. "Pearl’s part of the family too!"

Jamil’s mother had greeted Kalim warmly. "Welcome back, young master. And Jamil-"

Then she saw Pearl.

She froze.

Her eyebrow twitched.

Jamil braced for impact.

"Jamil," she said slowly. "What is that?"

Jamil exhaled through his nose. "Kalim’s millipede."

"A what?"

Before Jamil could warn her, Kalim happily held Pearl up.

And that was the first time Jamil ever saw his mother scream.

His usually composed, elegant, terrifying mother let out a sound so unholy that Jamil actually felt a little bad for her.

The next thing he knew, she had vanished, retreating somewhere deep into the house to escape.

Jamil sighed. "Congratulations, Kalim. My mother has officially been defeated."

Kalim, completely missing the tone, beamed. "Aww, she likes Pearl!"

Jamil covered his face in despair.

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Act 2. Kalim’s Siblings vs. Pearl

The Al-Asim estate was one of the grandest in the world. An empire built upon wealth, prestige, and a terrifying number of Kalim’s siblings.

None of them had been ready for Pearl.

The chaos started the moment Kalim let her roam free.

Within seconds, a high-pitched shriek echoed through the halls.

One of Kalim’s youngest sisters came barreling down the corridor, sobbing hysterically.

"IT'S CHASING ME!!" she screamed.

Jamil turned the corner just in time to see Pearl slowly crawling in her direction.

Jamil had never felt more tired.

"It’s not chasing you," he muttered. "It’s just moving."

"I DON’T CARE!!"

Kalim scooped Pearl up protectively. "Aw, she just wanted to say hi!"

"IT’S EVIL!!"

The siblings began to riot.

Some ran away in terror. Others swarmed Kalim, demanding Pearl’s exile.

One of Kalim’s brothers, being the opportunist that he was, declared:

"FATHER! KALIM HAS BROUGHT A CURSE UPON OUR HOME!"

Jamil pressed his temples.

Pearl simply wiggled, unbothered.

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Act 3. Kalim’s Father vs. Pearl

Kalim’s father was a man of power, wisdom, and authority. A businessman whose influence spanned across nations.

But even he was no match for Pearl.

At dinner, he sat at the head of the table, discussing trade routes and investments. Jamil sat beside Kalim, finally enjoying a meal in peace.

And then, Pearl fell from the ceiling.

Jamil barely had time to process the horror before Pearl landed directly onto Kalim’s father’s hand.

There was a moment of silence.

Then-

"WHAT IN THE GREAT SEVEN?"

The entire room erupted into chaos.

One of Kalim’s aunts fainted. The table was knocked over. Several priceless artifacts were destroyed in the stampede as everyone fled.

Kalim’s father, a man who had withstood wars, betrayals, and economic collapses, stood frozen in silent horror as Pearl wiggled on his hand.

Jamil made zero effort to help. He was too busy watching his boss’s soul leave his body.

Meanwhile, Kalim was bright-eyed and cheerful as ever.

"Whoa! Pearl wanted to say hi to Baba!"

His father slowly turned to Kalim, face ashen.

"…Son."

"Yes, Baba?"

"Get. That. Thing. OUT OF MY HOUSE."

Kalim pouted. "But Baba- "

"OUT."

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Act 4. The Final Exile

And that was how Pearl the Millipede was permanently banned from the Al-Asim estate.

Kalim had pouted for days.

Jamil had never felt more victorious.

Pearl? Pearl remained as smug as a millipede could be.

Because she knew.

She had terrorized the most powerful family in the land.

And she had won.

Chapter Text

At this point, Scarabia wasn’t just a dorm. it was a full-blown wildlife reserve. Kalim’s family, standing in the middle of the chaos, had absolutely no idea how to react.

Sunkist, the massive tiger, was lazily stretched out in the sun. Syrup, the even bigger bear, was lounging with Kalim sprawled over his stomach. Juju, the dog, was playfully nipping at the ferrets Zuzu and Bibi while Chai, the rat, sat smugly on top of Sunkist’s head. Mimi and Toffee, the cats, were curled up near Kalim’s feet.

And, because life could always get more concerning, Kalim had now introduced:

Pearl, the giant millipede, currently curled around his wrist like a living bracelet.

Velvet, the tarantula, delicately sitting on his other hand.

Falafel, the praying mantis, chilling on his shoulder like he owned the place.

"Alright, everyone!" Kalim beamed, holding up his arm so his family could see Pearl in all her many-legged glory. "This is Pearl, my beautiful millipede! And here’s Velvet—don’t worry, she’s super sweet! And Falafel—he’s a little grumpy, but I think that’s just his charm!"

His siblings screamed.

"WHY DOES HE HAVE SO MANY BUGS?!" one of his brothers yelled, practically climbing onto another sibling to escape.

One of his younger sisters looked on in horror. "He’s holding them with his BARE HANDS!"

Even Kalim’s father took a cautious step back. "Kalim…son…are you absolutely certain this is safe?"

Kalim gasped, clutching his pets like they were his own children. "Of course it’s safe! They’re my little babies! Look!! Pearl even does this cute wiggle dance when she’s happy!"

He lifted his wrist, and sure enough, the millipede did a tiny wiggle.

His grandmother took another sip of her tea and hummed. "Fascinating."

Jamil, standing off to the side, looked absolutely done. "I cannot stress enough how none of this was my doing."

Kalim’s mother, ever patient, just smiled. "As long as he’s happy…"

"Happy?!" one of Kalim’s brothers shrieked. "HE’S A WALKING ZOO!"

Kalim just giggled, letting Velvet crawl onto his arm. "Aww, don’t be scared! She loves people!"

Velvet lifted her front legs slightly.

His siblings screamed again.

Jamil sighed, rubbing his temples. "I’m going to lie down before I have an aneurysm."

Kalim just grinned, hugging Syrup. "I love my family~"

His Scarabia family or his animal family? At this point, no one really knew.