Pearl's shoulders jump at the stroke of hand between them, and her breath catches -- it unsnags from her throat as soon as the lack of force to it registers, but her muscles remain just as tense. Whether Garnet's touch is meant to soothe or taunt, she has no way of telling, but all the same Pearl can't stop the shivers that run down her spine.

She is coming to realize, suddenly, that there is a very thin line between anticipation and dread.

The words make her flinch before the slap does, and when it finally comes, it's like a surge of electricity up her body -- Pearl lets out a sharp, clipped moan, digging her forehead into the sofa cushion. Then, again-- oh-- even through her jeans, she feels her skin prickle.

Garnet's touch is unhesitant and firm, like everything about her. Her voice is all authority, its usual husky edge seeming to thicken around the words in a way that makes Pearl's toes curl.

But Garnet is strong-- she's stronger than that. She can make this much more than a dull sting, she knows. But Pearl won't ask for it. This is her punishment; she shouldn't get to. If Garnet could see the full severity of her mistakes, then maybe--...

"I-it's unacceptable," Pearl echoes into the sofa, feeling her own breath buzz across the leather and her skin. "I'm a disgrace." Her hips shift, the curve of her spine twisting. "Shameful."