Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Chapter 1: A Start

———

It was hard to believe it’d been a whole week since Eight had escaped the Metro. The memory of it all seemed to blur together if she was honest with herself. 

But there was one thing, one person really, who was impossible to forget. Agent 3, the inkling that rescued her and that she rescued in turn. 

The inkling in question stood before them, their back to her. One of their tentacles forever stained with that otherworldly teal, which still seemed to glow in the night somehow. Thankfully though, this seemingly permanent scar wouldn’t cause them issues in their daily life. That, or the inkling refused to let it be an issue. 

It definitely wasn’t stopping them from putting the new Agent through the ringer. 

“Keep it up Four! You’re doing better than last time!” she barked at the new Agent. Four was the newest recruit of the New Squidbeak Splatoon, though they had already come a long way thanks to Marie’s guidance. But Three obviously believed they had greater potential and was determined to bring it out.

“Three… how can you do this every day! This is insane!” Four grunted as she finished the course. Sweating and absolutely breathless.

Four had been training on this course for the last 5 hours, and while the inkling had noticeably improved since the start it was obvious that she was running out of energy.

Thankfully for the tired Agent the sun had started to set. The sight still blew Eight away, having never seen a real sunset until just a few days ago. 

“Fine. We’ll call it for the day. Tomorrow's Friday so you don’t need to train or anything. Get some rest.” Three casually remarked, seemingly ignoring how tired Four was. 

Four did her best to give a salute, but simply flashed a wave of green through her tentacles instead, and began walking off, thankful that she could finally go home.

Taking this moment of silence as an opportunity, Eight made Three aware of her presence.

She nearly mumbled, “Three. I have something to ask you.” She still felt oddly anxious when talking to the inkling. Why, she hadn’t figured out yet.

Even if it was barely audible, the sudden noise made Three flinch a little, causing her tentacles to ripple yellow for a moment, “Y-yes?”

“Would you like to accompany me back to my residence?” she asked, an uncharacteristically nervous smile on her face. 

Three pondered the question for a minute. While she could maintain a neutral face her tentacles seemed to swirl with dark grays, the meaning lost on the Octoling in front of her. 

Once her tentacles returned to their natural light green she responded, “Sorry Eight. I don’t think I can do it tonight, my parents will be expecting me back soon.”

“Oh... that’s okay. I’ll be fine on my own.” The smile faded from her face, and an unfamiliar feeling came over her, what it was or why she wasn’t sure. 

Noticing the others' saddened expression, Three quickly apologized and on instinct flashed her tentacles orange to emphasize the statement. 

“It is fine. You are busy.” she paused, thinking her next words over, “Besides, I need to get used to being around other inklings.” she jested. It wasn’t a lie really, she did need to get used to being around her former enemies. But she’d have been lying if she said she wasn’t sad she couldn’t spend more time with Three.

An awkward silence seemed to fill the air as neither of them knew what else to say.

Thankfully, the silence didn’t last long as a very energetic idol had arrived.

“THREE!!” 

Callie yelled out before picking the poor agent up and swinging them around in a very energetic embrace.

Before Callie could splat Three in her arms though Marie interjected, “Callie put her down, you know she’s still recovering from last week.” she calmly, yet loudly, stated.

Callie nervously laughed and gently set Three down, having been reminded that the agent wasn’t fully recovered yet.

“Three, Eight, how are you two doing?” Marie asked, in stark contrast to how Callie had acted mere moments ago.

“I am doing fine, and this” Three pointed to her stained tentacle, “isn’t an issue anymore so no need to worry.” She stated rather bluntly, not enjoying the idea of getting special treatment for such a, in her opinion, minor injury.

Rolling her eyes a bit Marie said, “Whatever you say.”

Turning her attention to Eight, “And how are you? Adapting well to the surface?” 

“I’m also doing fine, I have been enjoying the surface quite a bit. But it is all a bit strange to me to be honest.” She said sheepishly. 

“Well that’s good. Just remember if you need any help just ask one of us. Or Pearl and Marina, I’m confident they won’t mind helping you if you have any problems.”

“Yeah! We have your back Eight! If you’re ever in need you can count on me!” Callie exclaimed boldly, still full of energy even so late into the day.

Eight simply nodded. She didn’t honestly know quite how to talk to Callie yet; her bold and energetic personality being a harsh contrast to the people she usually interacted with. 

The group quickly slipped into more casual conversation, mostly discussing how Fours training had come along, all while making their ways towards Cuttlefish Cabin. 

Once at the cabin Marie quickly began talking with Four, about what Eight had no idea, while Callie checked in on the Captain. Who had turned out to be a veteran of the Great Turf War, a fact that shocked Eight as only a hand full of Octolings reached such an age, and even less remained so lively at such an age.

Eight usually would join in and rest a bit at the cabin before leaving but the odd feeling in their gut made them reconsider.

They said their goodbyes and entered the grate that connected the cabin to Inkopolis Square. 

———

It had become obvious now, Eight couldn’t sleep.

Not for a lack of trying though, that was for certain. She had tried every trick she knew, even resorting to some of her military training for such occasions, but nothing helped.

Checking the clock, it was now 2:30am. 

It was highly unlikely anyone was awake at this hour. She may not have been here long but it hadn’t taken more than a couple days to realize that inklings were not morning people. 

But the thought did give her an idea. Sure, the inklings may not be awake right now. But maybe an octoling would be.

Reaching for her CQ-80, she quickly messaged Marina. If she was lucky the idol still woke up just as early as every other octoling. 

She waited for what felt like an eternity but after what had only been a few minutes in reality, she got a message back.

[DJ_Hyperfresh] “ Eight? What are you doing up at an hour like this?”

[10.8k] “Sorry Marina. I couldn’t sleep and you were my only option. I didn’t wake you up did I?”

[DJ_Hyperfresh] “No not at all! I’m always up at this point, but it sounds like you aren’t. Any issues?”

[10.8k] “I guess… I’ve had this weird feeling all day since I talked with Three.”

[DJ_Hyperfresh] “I see. Did you guys fight? Or have a disagreement?”

[10.8k] “No, we didn’t fight. Just… we couldn’t hangout like usual today, I don’t see how that could be bothering me this much though.”

[DJ_Hyperfresh] “Hmm… sounds like you’re just disappointed or sad. I know the feeling.”

[10.8k] “Really? But this isn’t something to be sad over, it’s reasonable that she’ll be busy sometimes.”

[DJ_Hyperfresh] “Yeah but you were looking forward to it right? I’ve felt the same way when Pearly had to cancel plans when something came up.”

[DJ_Hyperfresh] “Do you know if she’s free tomorrow?”

[10.8k] “As far as I am aware she doesn’t have plans for tomorrow. Why?”

[DJ_Hyperfresh] “You two should go hangout then! If you miss her now then have fun tomorrow to make up for it.”

Eight paused for a moment. She supposed it did sound like fun. Hanging out with Three had been some of her favorite moments since coming to the surface after all.

The question then, was where would they go?

[10.8k] “That is a good idea. But what would we do?”

[DJ_Hyperfresh] “That’s up to you Eight. Maybe you two can explore the city? I know I certainly enjoyed wandering around with Pearl all day when we did.”

[DJ_Hyperfresh] “Ah! Sry Eight. I completely forgot about the coffee machine! Hope it goes well bye!”

(DJ_Hyperfresh has disconnected)

“Well that sucks…” she mumbled to herself.

Eight wished she could have continued to talk with Marina just a bit more. But at least she knew why she felt the way she did and had a plan for tomorrow now.

She had to admit she did feel better now, having had that talk seemed to wash away her apparent disappointment.

Glancing at the clock it showed that only half an hour or so had passed. Meaning she still had a lot of time before she’d even imagine the inkling to be awake.

“Seems a bit late to try and sleep now though…” she thought aloud.

Making the most of her situation, Eight got out of bed and began to make herself breakfast. All while pondering how she’d go about asking Three out.

“TO HANG OUT! Just… just to hangout…” she yelled to no one. A slight blush creeping onto her face.

Quickly becoming aware of how loud her outburst was, Eight immediately covered her mouth with her hands.

This did nothing to make her yell any quieter though.

She stood in place for a minute looking down the short hallway in the apartment. Wincing when she saw a door open.

A tired yellow haired inkling stumbled out, obviously still half asleep from being abruptly woken up.

“Eight… what the hell are you yelling about?” Four loudly mumbled, still trying to fully open her very tired eyes.

“Sorry Four… just thinking out loud is all… hehe…” she awkwardly laughed, rather embarrassed that she had woken someone up with her outburst.

Having woken up a bit more now, Four simply gave Eight an odd look before continuing towards the table, most likely to make her own breakfast as well. 

———

The inkling didn’t seem all that bothered once she actually woke up and honestly looked rather happy once she finished her breakfast.

Instead she just looked at Eight, obviously waiting for an explanation as to why she was jolted awake by the octolings sudden outburst.

Eight, too embarrassed to tell her the real reason, passed it off as her hitting her foot on something. Which the inkling seemed to believe and didn’t question any further.

“I’ll uh… be gone most of the day probably by the way. I plan on exploring the city with Three later.”

“Ah good for you then! Finally getting outside the Square?” Four excitedly asked, her tentacles becoming a far brighter yellow for a moment.

“Most likely. I am curious where we’ll go.” she replied with a hint of nervousness in her voice.

The sun had risen a bit higher now. Indicating that most other inklings would probably be waking up soon. 

Hopefully this day would be as enjoyable as Marina had made it seem. 

Chapter Text

Chapter 2: It’s Not a Date!

———

-beep beep beep-

Three smacked the clock, turning the thing off. “Those things are way too loud…” she murmured to herself.

“What time is it even?” she nearly glared at the clock to see that it was currently 6:30am. Not bad, a bit later than usual but it won’t ruin her day or anything.

Like clockwork, Three got up and made breakfast. She wasn’t exactly a great cook but considering how bad her parents, specifically her Mother, could be she was pretty good at it. It wasn’t anything special, just eggs and cheese, but it was good and that’s all it needed to be.

While finishing her meal she noticed that her parents actually weren’t up yet it seemed. It was far too quiet for it to not be the case. 

Not that her parents fought a lot or anything, they were just very chatty people and were very verbal about their love for each other. 

“Least I won’t have to hear them wooing each other…” she trailed off as her phone pinged. It was a bit early for anyone to be texting her though.

[10.8k] “Hello Three! I am hoping you are awake now?”

[003] “Hey Eight. I’m up, need something?”

Odd. From what she could tell, Eight wasn’t one to ask for anything so she was very curious what she was about to ask…

[10.8k] “Wonderful! I was wondering if you would like to join me in exploring the city? You know it better than I do.”

[003] “Oh? Is that all? Sure I don’t mind. Where do you wanna meet up?”

It took a few minutes for Eight to respond to that. Why she couldn’t really say, it’s not like she was asking her out or anything… right?

“No… she just wants to see the city… that’s all.” 

[10.8k] “BOOYAH! Let’s meet at the station in about an hour?” 

[003] “Can do.”

(10.8k has disconnected)

“She seemed rather happy about that…”

Three let her mind wander for a moment, imagining the possibilities as to why Eight was so excited.

“No, she’s just happy to have a guide. I doubt it’s anything more…”

———

To say Eight way overjoyed would be an understatement. Four had never seen the octoling so excited before; she had quite literally began to jump up and down with absolute delight.

“Whats  got you so happy?” Four asked.

Having apparently forgotten Four was even in the room Eight jumped at hearing her.

“Oh! Four!” she yelped before calming herself down, “Three just agreed to go with me is all.”

Hearing this a smug smile spread across Fours face.

“So you’re going on a date then?” she teasingly asked.

This seemed to take Eight by surprise, her face becoming subtlety more red and flustered at the question, but she shook away the feeling quickly.

“N-no… it is not a ‘date.’ We’re just-“

“-hanging out all day; just the two of you by yourselves.” Four added, her smile growing larger. 

“Four! You know what I mean!” Eight yelled back, obviously embarrassed at the idea.

“Hey chill. I don’t mind you trying to date her. Not like she’s actually my sister or anything.” Four casually remarked.

“She is not?” Eight asked, seemingly genuinely confused.

Four looked at her for a second before her tentacles rippled with green and yellows. 

“Of course not. Sure I call her ‘sis’ but until she does it back it’s just a bit of a nickname I guess.” 

Eight seemed to take a minute to process the information. Octolings would never call someone else family unless they had forged a deep bond with them or planned on courting them. The latter seeming very unlikely here.

“I see… yet another difference between our cultures I suppose.” she remarked.

“I guess so. I hope I didn’t say something bad then hehe…” 

“No, not at all. I don’t expect you to know or follow my beliefs or anything.” she jested, but it was just another reminder of how different inklings were.

Eight glanced at the clock and realized she had less time than she thought. Meaning she’d have to hurry to the station if she didn’t want to be late!

“Oh squid! Sorry Four, I’m gonna be late if I don’t leave now! I’ll see you later!” she yelled quickly before rushing into her room.

“Ah, to be young and in love.” Four joked.

“I HEARD THAT!”  Eight yelled back.

———

Three had arrived a few minutes earlier than she needed to, but Eight was taking her time getting here apparently.

It was nearly time and she hadn’t seen her anywhere, or heard from her at all. While she was tempted to ask if she was going to be late she decided against it.

A few minutes wouldn’t ruin their day. 

Thankfully they didn’t need to wait much longer though as Eight near sprinted towards her now.

“Three! I’m here!” Eight yelled, growing tired from having to run most of the way to get there on time.

Eight nearly collided with Three trying to stop herself, her heels doing little to help.

She stopped right before crashing into her, leaving little room between the two. Resulting in both of them briefly blushing, with the inkling's tentacles taking in a pink hue temporarily, before Three lightly pushed her away to a more… comfortable distance.

Three took a moment to collect herself, something she rarely had to do, “Y-you seem eager to explore.” she remarked, less to start a conversation and more to get her mind onto other topics.

“Yes… yes I am I suppose hehe…” Eight awkwardly replied, having taken a little longer to collect herself.

“Ahem. Did you have any specific places you wanted to visit?” Three asked.

Eight thought for a few minutes, trying to sort out the myriad of possible destinations and thinking which ones she wanted to see the most right now.

“Ah! Yes there is! I want to see the place where they place the Heavenly Melody!” she stated, a smile plastered on her face.

“Heavenly Melody?” Three pondered aloud.

“Yes, the song the Squid Sisters sung?” Eight explained, seeing the confusion on the other girls face.

“Oh their studio then? Where they record the songs and all? That’s probably the best place if so.” 

Eight nodded vigorously, obviously she was very excited to see where the Inkantation was originally recorded. And Three couldn’t blame her honestly, when the idols brought her to the studio she was also rather excited.

Three flashed her tentacles green before remembering that Eight wouldn’t know what that meant and gave her a verbal response. 

She then guided her towards the train behind them heading towards Inkopolis Plaza. The doors closed and the two’s journey had begun. 

———

The two had been explaining the Plaza for a few hours now.

As expected Eight was overjoyed when looking around the old studio, her eyes seemingly sparkled at every item she saw as Three gave her a general overview on what everything was.

The two spent a couple hours simply looking around the studio, both the publicly available areas and the staff only back rooms. Being an Agent had its perks after all.

Eight was most interested in the soundboard of all things, calling them a marvel of music or what not. 

Three had never been much for music so she didn’t really understand half of what Eight was rambling about but she smiled and nodded along with it. Happy that the octoling was enjoying herself.

Eventually they made their way back up the publicly accessible areas though.

“And I suppose that’s everything here. So, how’d ya like it?” Three asked.

“It was amazing! I didn’t think so many instruments existed!” she replied, her smile practically lighting up the room.

Satisfied with her answer Three then guided the octoling towards a food truck, as it was nearing lunch time anyways.

“Well, let's stop and eat. This is Crusty Sean’s. Best food around the Plaza in my opinion.” 

Following along, Eight joined her in the short line at the food truck. What a truck had to do with serving food she wasn’t quite sure but she trusted Three's opinion.

It took a decent few minutes but eventually they were at the front of the line and could finally order.

“Sup little inkling. The usual I assume?” The shrimp asked in what had to be the most casual tone Eight had ever heard.

Three flashed green before grabbing Eight on the shoulder, “And this is Eight by the way, she’s new around here.” 

“Gotcha, I’m Sean by the way. Nice to meet ya; so anything catch your fancy… Eight?”

“I think I’ll just have whatever shes getting.” She said, gesturing to Three.

“On ya dude, be up in a sec. You know how it is Mia.” Sean said, heading into the back to make their meal.

Three took Eight to the side of the truck so that the line could move along, and so they could pick up their food when Sean was done with it.

Eight, meanwhile, was pondering who Mia was, and ultimately decided it was best to simply ask Three.

“Who is Mia?” Eight asked, confused.

“Oh yeah… that’s me. Sorry I never told you. Guess we always on the job when we talked.” she answered, her tentacles fading into a deep blue before returning to a deep green.

“Oh I suppose that makes sense…” 

“You can call me Mia outside of ‘work’ if you want, I don’t mind. Callie and Marie do it already so…” she trailed off.

Eight felt weirdly honored. Supposedly not many people were given permission if only Callie and Marie called her that. So she felt special in that regard for a short moment.

“Thank you, Mia.” 

Hearing her name from Eight made her blush a little. It was stupid but it did, why she didn’t know. Friends always call each other by name don’t they?

“No problem.” she said, hiding her face from Eight.

Eight however didn’t notice this as she heard her and Three's name called and went and collected their food.

“Three? Are you okay?” Eight asked, having noticed that Three was seemingly avoiding looking at her now.

“Fine, really.” she sheepishly replied, finally calming herself down. 

“Let’s just eat and get a move on. I have a place I want to show you actually.” Three stated before taking her box and sitting down.

Eight followed shortly after, asking herself if she’d done anything wrong when using her name so casually.

The two put their worries aside when eating though, the food working to relax them and bring their focus onto something else for a little bit.

The meal passed in general silence with the two only making passing remarks about the taste.

Once they finished they threw away their trash and Three grabbed Eights arm.

“If you’re ready, let's go. I can’t guarantee it won’t be crowded right now though.” 

“Ready when you are Three. I’m curious where we’re going though?” she asked. 

“Hmm… I want to surprise you.” Three quipped back.

———

Eight had been led along for about half an hour now, and she was starting to honestly question if Three knew where she was going. 

But she wouldn’t have to worry for long as they came to an abrupt stop.

“And we’re here!” Three exclaimed.

In front of them was a large building, probably three stories tall if Eight had to assume. And it was massive; it didn’t rival the domes by any means but it was still rather large.

“And this is..?”

“Oh yeah, I guess they don’t have these in the domes. This is a Mall. A giant shopping center basically.”

“Shopping Center? Is it like a market?” she asked.

Three thought about it for a minute, comparing the two in her head. Ultimately deciding they were similar enough to use semi-interchangeably.

“Uh sure. But instead of stalls it’s full of buildings and stores.”

“Ah I see. I think I understand now. But why are we here?” 

“Mostly so you can explore honestly, this place is sorta a community hotspot for people. And because I thought you could use some new clothes. Can’t wear Fours shirts forever now can you?” Three stated.

Eight had to agree on that last bit. Four had let her wear anything she could but she’d felt a little guilty taking so many of her clothes, even if it was only temporary.

“I understand. But I’m afraid I don’t have a lot of coins.”

Unfortunately she hadn’t been able to really earn any cash for herself since arriving on the surface. And any cash she did have was probably not worth much here.

“Don’t worry, I’ll cover ya. I don’t buy much anyways.” Three casually remarked.

“Oh Three! I can’t let you do that!” Eight exclaimed.

“It’s fine Eight.” her tentacles flashed green, “I need to spend some anyways, no good if it just doesn’t get used.” she retorted. A stubborn look on her face all the while.

Noticing this, Eight accepted her offer and the two finally entered the mall. 

Once they actually entered the massive mall, Eight was momentarily shocked upon seeing all the bright signs and inklings walking around. The sight was entirely foreign to her. She’d never seen so many people before, even on the metro.

“Wow. This is… a lot.” she said, mouth agape.

Three chuckled at the octolings surprised face. She hadn’t expected her to have such a reaction, sure she expected her to enjoy the sight but this was something else entirely. 

“Glad ya like it. There’s a lot to see. But I’ll let you take the lead now Eight.” 

It took a second for the octoling to register what Three had just said but when it finally did her smile somehow got larger and she started dragging Three along.

Three let herself be dragged along with no resistance, ever curious what was most interesting to the excited octoling in front of her.

While she had let Eight lead purely so she’d get a better understanding of where everything was she certainly didn’t expect her to want to see every. single. store.

Three mumbled to herself after the fourth store, “this is gonna be a long evening…”

———

Three had honestly lost track of time; having no idea how long they’d been in this mall for. Honestly she was tempted to put her foot down and drag Eight out.

But before she could say anything the octoling stopped and turned around to say something.

“Three. I just… I wanna thank you for coming with me today… I’ll be honest I just wanted to spend time with you like we had been. I hope that’s okay?”

Three dropped the near dozen bags she had been practically forced to carry. Not that she’d say anything, especially now about that though.

Before she said anything she noticed that Eights face was a little red. Whether from embarrassment or from being tired she wasn’t sure. 

“No problem Eight. I’m glad I could help you adjust to living here apparently.” she eventually replied, feeling a bit flustered that Eight wanted to spent time with her…

“You have been wonderful to me. I hope to continue to hang out with you.” 

“Uh ditto.” Three quipped.

Eight let out a breath as she straighten up and started taking Three towards the exit. 

Seeing this Three piped up, “Oh? You’re done?”

“Yes, I have acquired clothes, explored the city, and have told you why I asked you out today. I feel accomplished.”

Three thought to herself, Ask her out? No, she means in a friendly way. You haven’t known each other long enough for-

“Ask out as a friend! Of course as a friend haha…” Eight awkwardly laughed and seemed a bit embarrassed.

“Of course, yeah. Totally.” Three replied, feeling a bit deflated for some reason after Eight outright denied the idea of this being a date.

“It’s not a date after all.” Three told herself aloud.

The walk back towards the station felt a little awkward but they soon began discussing what all Eight had bought and Three told her about a few other places she could shop if she felt she needed more. 

Turf Wars was mentioned a few times. But Eight seemed hesitant to try it out. Which was fair given her background and the recent events. So Three didn’t poke further.

Eventually they reached the station. It had been a long day, as the sun had started setting. 

“I had a good time by the way.” Three stated.

“I’m glad. I also had a good time, thank you for showing me around.” 

Before Three could say anything else Eight interrupted her.

“Oh yes! I should tell you my name, shouldn't I?” 

“Oh, I mean sure. If you want. I honestly thought it was Eight.” she replied, rubbing the back of her head.

Eight giggled. “No silly, it’s just what the Captain called me when I had amnesia. But I remember it now.”

“Ah I see.” was all she said, guessing what her name could be.

“Yeah. You can call me Hachi.” she said, sweetly.

“Hachi. That’s a pretty name.” Three said, not realizing she said it aloud.

Eight blushed a bit and looked into her eyes for a moment. Three did the same when she realized what she said.

They stared at each other and they were about to say something when the station announcement came on. Ruining the otherwise rather romantic moment.

“Ah I guess I’ll see you later?” Three asked.

“That sounds good. Uh, goodnight Mia.”

“Goodnight… Hachi.”

The two waved goodbye and each headed back to their respective homes. Both a bit faster than they intended; maybe they were both feeling a bit embarrassed now?

Chapter Text

Chapter 3: Salmon Run

———

It had been a few days since Eight and Three “definitely not a date” as Eight put it.

Four didn’t pry much after Eight got home, after all it was pretty obvious she had a crush. And she’d already embarrassed her enough that evening.

But the trip did make something else apparent. Eight was broke… especially after that mall trip.

So Four had decided to take the poor octoling under her wing for the day and introduce her to the brutal, but well paying, world of Salmon Run.

———

“Are you sure this is… legal?” Eight asked, a bit hesitant to enter the very illegal looking building in front of her.

Four seemed to think it over for a second, her tentacles rippling a myriad of grays.

Eventually her tentacles returned to their sunny yellow color and she answered, “Probably… I mean GrizzCo has been around for about a year now. Sure, it looks rough around the edges but they pay me enough to not be too concerned.”

While that did make her feel a bit better about this whole thing she still had a bad feeling about it. Like there was something else going on behind the scenes.

But worrying would only make her less focused and more likely to mess up. So, for now, she’d trust Four and would try out this Salmon Run thing.

“Fine. I still don’t like this place. But I’m willing to try it.” 

“Awesome. I’m sure you’ll get the hang of it quickly. I tried bringing Three once but she didn’t like having to use other weapons.” 

With that out of the way, the two headed inside. Somehow it appeared even less legal on the inside, with red factory lights being the only thing to illuminate the room. 

That, while unusual for an inkling workplace, was actually somewhat comforting for Eight. It reminded her of the domes in a way. The energy issues forced most buildings to use lights that didn’t use as much power, and red lights seemed to work best.

While she was lost in thought she was quickly brought back to reality when Four called out to her and waved her over towards what appeared to be a closed reception area.

Four pointed towards a bear statue, “This is  MrGrizz, he runs the place. Bit of an odd guy, but he’s never bailed on a team before so I trust him to keep us safe.” 

“H-hello?” Eight asked, not really sure how a statue was supposed to keep anyone safe. 

[MrGrizz] “Greetings employees. Ready to work?”

“You bet Grizz.” Four looked at Eight before explaining, “The messages are just pre-recorded. He doesn’t actually keep watch of every team but he does have systems that do. Pretty cool in my opinion.” she stated with a smile.

“Ah. So he’s like a mascot?” Eight inquiried; she had heard of the concept prior to arriving on the surface, but she hadn’t really seen a real world example of it yet.

Four perked up as if she’d just had an epiphany.

“Oh yeah! I guess he is, isn't he? I’d never put much thought into it before, honestly hehe.” she chuckled.

Eight also chuckled a bit at Fours statement. She was very clever and observant most of the time, but she definitely had her moments. 

Fours laughter faded quickly and she began showing Eight more of the seemingly thrown together facility. Equipment was strewn all about and there were multiple open electrical panels that look haphazardly wired together. Even by octarian standards it was messy.

The duo eventually did reach the lockers and Four explained that she needed to wear special equipment to guard against the Salmonoids acidic slime.

Now having donned the bulky equipment and helmet, the two were ready to begin their first shift of the day.

Eight had to admit that she did actually feel pretty safe about this now. This Grizz fellow seemed to actually somewhat care about his employees… maybe this wouldn’t be so bad after all?

———

“FOUR! WHEN WERE DONE HERE IM GONNA SPLAT YOU!!” Eight yelled across the stage, currently being swarmed by smallfry. 

The shift had started well enough. Wave One was rather easy, minus the odd feeling of using Dualies, and she thought she had done a pretty good job for her first day.

Then Wave Two happened…

[MrGrizz] “Glowflies. If you start glowing… good luck.”

At first Eight was confused by what he meant. She was pretty sure Inklings didn’t glow after all, and even more certain that Salmonoids didn’t either.

Then a bunch of shining lights started surrounding her. She had tried swatting them away but they never got the hint. The Salmonoids on the other hand, definitely had.

Upon seeing the glowflies they all began swarming toward her, ignoring all of her teammates!

“JUST KEEP TO THE HIGH GROUND! YOU SHOULD BE SAFE THERE!” Four shouted back. She was currently using her roller to quickly make her way towards Eight, taking out a lot of distracted smallfry in the process.

Thankfully their teammates had already started taking care of the incoming Salmonoids, seeming to prioritize the smallfries to weaken their swarm.

“okay, we’ve already filled half the quota, just need to survive this round and recoup…” Four mumbled to herself. Her focus was getting to her friend before she got splatted.

Eight wasn’t doing too bad honestly, sure she had been surprised and panicked at first, but now that she had gotten used to it she was able to act more rationally.

Dualies may have been the weapon type she struggled with most, but her aim didn’t suffer much and she could, with mild difficulty, keep the swarm at bay by slowing them down in ink and having them topple over each other.

“Hey! New girl, Shortie! You two keep them busy! We’ll handle the quota!” One of her teammates shouted, heading towards a Steel Eel and Scrapper.

Fours tentacles did flash red for a moment before quickly returning to their natural yellow, though it was slightly duller now. 

She had reached Eight and was flinging her roller around wildly. Hard to miss when you’re surrounded on all sides.

The two waged a miniature war against the smallfry for a few minutes, their numbers seeming to never decrease. But they were thankfully saved as the timer went off.

How it did it nobody really knew, but the wave timer always seems to chase off the Salmonoids. They wouldn’t even respond to you inking them while it was still blaring.

Eight collapsed to the floor. And Four looked about the same. Their stamina having been drained from the constant assault and the inherent difficulty of using their respective weapons.

Before the two could say anything to each other, they were jumped back to the middle of the stage with the rest of their teammates.

[MrGrizz] “Good job, Glowflies are Shift Enders so be happy and prepare for Wave Three.”

Eight was tempted to take some of her frustration out at the announcer, but didn’t when she remembered it was likely a pre-recorded track. 

So instead she took it out on the poor chums that approached her. Unfortunately for them she was tired, frustrated, and was currently holding a roller. 

Put simply, Wave Three was over before it started…

———

The first shift was always the most difficult. 

Getting used to fighting with weapons you aren’t used to and against enemies that acted very differently than Turf War players, it wasn’t easy to do on the first try.

But Fours fears that Eight may struggle with the work had been completely overshadowed by a looming sense of dread. 

In every consecutive shift, Eight had given Four a sort of death glare before splitting off and working more by herself.

Four had always given her an apologetic smile when she got them, hoping to smooth things over before they ended the day. But if it did anything, Eight certainly wasn’t making it obvious.

Eventually though they finished their final shift for the day and made their way out of GrizzCos.

“Four.” Eight stated, in a somewhat cold tone.

“Y-yes Eight?” Four replied, anxiously turning to look at her friend. 

Eight didn’t say anything. She just stepped closer to Four and ‘lightly’ hit her in the back of her head. 

“Ow! Hey, that hurt!”

“And those smallfry were terrifying. You should have warned me Four.” Eight said, her voice having become a bit warmer.

Four winced a bit, “Yeah… that was kinda dumb on my part. I’m sorta used to all this stuff by now. Sorry Eight.”

Eight smirked a bit, her mood having returned to normal now. “It’s fine Four, just don’t leave me in the dark next time, okay?”

Noticing her change in attitude, Four lightened up a bit, her blue tinged tentacles turning to a mix of yellows and dull pinks.

“Will do! I promise.” she said, giving a joking salute.

Eight chuckled a bit. “At ease, soldier.” she jested.

Suddenly Eight remembered something Four had told her before they’d actually started their shifts. 

“Say, what did you mean when you said Three didn’t like using other weapons?” The idea that Three of all people was bad at using any weapon was somewhat a suprising idea to her.

“Oh that. Yeah she refuses to use anything but that Splattershot or anything unlike it.

“Actually now that I think of it… I don’t think I’ve ever seen her use anything else, even in Turf Wars.” Four said, seeming to be a bit surprised by her own words.

Eight was a bit taken aback by the information. The idea was a direct contradiction to how she viewed the silent and brutally effective agent. 

“Is there a reason why?” She had a few ideas, but none of them really made sense to her. 

“Yeah, it doesn’t really make sense to me though.” She said, trying to recall exactly what the reason was, “Oh yeah! She said she was just old fashioned, which makes zero sense. It’s not like the Splattershot is old or anything.”

The comment made Eight laugh. She had to agree that it was an absurd reason, and imagining the usually stoic inkling saying it was funny to her.

Her laughter was rather contagious as Four soon joined in and the two laughed together heading back home.

———

-achoo-

Three suddenly sneezed.

“Oh? Someone talking about you Mia?” Marie asked, her tone was monotonous but had a hint of sarcasm to it.

Mia flashed a bright red. 

“I was just joking around, no need to get so upset.” Marie jested, making no attempt to hide how much fun she had teasing the girl.

“Marie stop! You may make her girlfriend jealous.” Callie jumped in, teasing the girl even more.

Mia’s tentacles rippled orange in embarrassment, “She’s not my girlfriend…” she mumbled.

The two idols gave each other a knowing glance and backed off, finding it more fun to watch than argue.

“Speaking of which. Is Eight settling in nicely?” Callie asked, sensing the girls growing annoyance at the constant teasing.

Mia flashed green. “Yes, she seems to be adapting well to the surface. But she seems a bit uh… clueless on some things.” 

“Clueless? About what?” Callie asked, now a little curious.

“Mostly just how the surface works I think.” She pondered for a moment before continuing, “I think our love for bright colors was a bit overwhelming for her.” she half joked.

“That’s to be expected. The domes aren’t exactly a cheerful place. Or well, they weren’t until Callie got there.” Marie said, giving Callie a smug smile.

“Ugh I did them a favor! The Octarians have no sense for decor!” Callie near shouted. 

Mia and Marie chuckled as Callie continued to ramble on about how fashion backward the Octarians apparently were, in her opinion at least.

Callie had to stop her rambling though as the trio had reached their destination. The train station.

While the three were very close, almost like family according to Callie, they still lived quite far away from each other. Meaning that their little day of relaxation was at its end.

“Well Mia, if you ever need dating tips, just come to me.” Marie teased.

Mia stopped in her tracks and gave Marie a glare, her tentacles reflecting her annoyance at the teasing. 

Callie smiled at the two. Marie had always been the teasing type but she had really amped it up the last few days, and Callie couldn’t blame her. 

After all, it wasn’t everyday their unofficial little sister fell in love. And with someone she’d fought before at that.

It was sort of ironic. The greatest threat to the Octarian Empire had supposedly fallen for an Octoling herself.

Not that she’d ever admit it, or maybe she hadn’t actually realized it yet… hmm. That was a possibility she supposed, after all Mia wasn’t exactly a social butterfly.

“Callie? You still there?” Marie asked, waving her hand in front of her face. 

“What? Oh yeah… sorry was a little distracting.” 

“Don’t worry. Mia left already by the way. Something about not wanting to be late.”

“Aww! I missed her! She gives really good hugs!” Callie protested.

It was true. Mia always used her long tentacles to hug people and while it was strange at first, over time it’s become a rather endearing thing. 

And she only really gave them out when she wouldn’t be seeing them for a while. So missing one was a bit of a downer, more so for Callie admittedly.

“Well how about we head back as well? We’ve got a busy week after all. That Off the Hook Collab won’t plan itself.” Marie stated, already dreading the idea of making the schedules and planning the budgets.

And the two made their way onto the train, entering the private cars made for celebrities and officials.

There was a lot of work ahead of them, mostly Marie, but it’d be worth it if it all went as planned.

Chapter Text

Chapter 4: Need Help?

———

Marie had been slowly working through a massive pile of papers and documents. 

Apparently organizing a collaboration between two of the largest idol groups in Inkadia was a difficult task.

Lining up schedules, facilitating a budget, and finding a suitable venue. It was a lot for one person, especially when that person was also an idol!

“Ugh… for the love of the precursors!” Marie cursed, having spent squid knows how many hours trying to finish a handful of documents.

She looked over to the clock on the wall and noticed that it was already 1:30am. She’d been up far too long.

Being woken up by Marie’s uncharacteristic shouting, Callie approached the dining table that Marie had practically attached herself to for the last few days. 

Marie was so focused on finishing some unknown calculations that she failed to notice Callie approaching her at all.

“Marie?”

“Marie!”

“MARIE!”

The idol in question finally noticed her name being called and finally peered up from her papers. Finally taking notice of Callie, still in her pajamas, right next to her. When did she get here? Had she woken her up?

“Oh Callie! Sorry I didn’t notice you there…” she trailed off, feeling a bit guilty that she’d apparently ignored her.

“I noticed,” Callie smirked, “you seemed really determined to finish… whatever that is.” Truth be told, Callie had no idea what half of the papers were about, and had even less of an idea how to actually fill them out.

“These are the documents for our next collab. It’s a lot to do honestly.” Marie waved over a small pile of papers.

“Sounds like you could use some help then.” Callie chimed in. It’d been a long while since she’d seen her cousin so tired. Apparently she looked much the same when she had disappeared for a few months, but she wasn’t about to bring that up.

Marie hummed to herself, putting the pen in her hand down and getting up from the table, and began to think. Her tentacles rippled gray with splotches of near blacks. 

Was there anyone she could actually ask for help? Mia was out of the question, she loved her like family sure but when it came to math she was about as good as Callie, which wasn’t exactly a compliment.

Seemingly reading her mind, Callie piped up, “Hey, I know I’m not great at this stuff but I’m not dumb! Maybe you should just hire someone.” 

It certainly seemed like the obvious solution. After all, there were plenty of agencies that would kill to work with the legendary Squid Sisters. But that fame was a sort of double edged sword. Finding someone would be easy, but having them keep quiet would be rather difficult.

Marie had learnt first hand that it was honestly better to just do it all yourself. You never got scammed, never had leaks happen, and most importantly you never got swarmed by paparazzi for weeks on end about it.

“You know how I feel about agencies Callie. I’d rather not deal with the headache.” She said, her voice riddled with annoyance just thinking about it all.

Callie had begun preparing some coffee in the meantime, if she was up she might as well get something out of it.

“Well, why not ask one of the agents?” She asked, pouring up two cups of coffee. Setting the cups down on the still paper filled table.

Taking one of the cups, Marie answered, “I would, but I’m not sure Mia is knowledgeable enough on this stuff, and I doubt Eight would fare much better.” 

“What about Four? You told me she was pretty smart for her age.”

“She is. She picked up on a lot of things very quickly. But that was mostly engineering stuff, like how some of the Octo-Weapons worked and the like.” 

“Still worth a shot if you’re gonna be so adamant on doing it without profreshional help.” 

To Callie, it almost looked like Marie was avoiding asking Four for help. Which seemed a little out of character for her; she’d never been the type to care about others expectations or anything…

Then an idea came to her.

“Are you perhaps afraid to ask her for help?” she asked, a bit more teasingly than she intended.

Marie seemed to flinch a bit at the question. So she was right… but that didn’t explain why she was afraid of asking.

Before she could inquire further, Marie shot up from the table and headed back to their room. Saying something about it being late and needing sleep. Even though she’d just downed a whole cup of coffee minutes prior.

Callie let out a sigh. Apparently she’d have to be the one to ask. Not that she minded. Marie needed help and Callie was gonna get her help! Even if she had to maybe… do it behind her back hehe…

———

Four had always considered herself a morning person. She woke up early in comparison to most other inklings.

In comparison to octolings though… she couldn’t compete. 

It was only 5:30am and Eight was already up and about. Making breakfast. But this was actually pretty normal for her. Four had to assume that octolings just had very different schedules and routines.

Making her way into their small kitchen, Four gave Eight a small wave and sat herself down at the table. 

“Rough Shifts?” Eight inquiried, noticing a few bruises dotting the inklings body. 

“Yeah… had glowflies back to back yesterday and I can’t say I got off easy.” Her voice was still groggy and she hadn’t quite woken up yet. 

“I believe you call that ‘karma’ right?” Eight jested.

Four chuckled a bit at the light jab, “I suppose so.”

Eight had finished preparing breakfast and handed Four a plate, taking a seat on the other side of the table.

The two didn’t talk much while they ate. But Eight did notice that the inklings tentacles had gotten quite a bit brighter as she ate. 

She still didn’t understand what all the colors meant, but she had figured out that the saturation of their colors indicated how awake they were. 

She’d figured that out a few days ago when Four took her on her first Salmon Run Shift. When they’d gotten home, Four immediately seemed to pass out on the couch and her tentacles had quickly lost a lot of their color.

When she asked about it the next day Four explained how the colors of their tentacles could be used to express their feelings or indicate their physical state.

“Any plans today?” Four asked, breaking the comfortable silence the two had been in.

Eight looked up from her meal, “Not particularly. I was thinking of heading to the cabin and doing some training. I don’t want to get rusty.” She said, but seemed like she still hadn’t made up her mind yet.

“And what about you?” Eight asked back.

“Nah. Captain sent Three on a scouting expedition.” She looked back at Eight, who looked curious as to how she knew that, “Three told me herself, well she texted me before she went off. So I’m actually free for the day.”

Four seemed to light up a bit at her own statement. While she did look up to Three, she wasn’t a huge fan of her training regime. 

The two continued to casually chat. Mostly about how brutal the last few shifts had been. The Salmonoids had been unusually aggressive yesterday.

But neither of them thought much of it. 

And before long, Eight had headed out, leaving Four by herself for the say. Something she usually reveled in.

But after having a roommate for the last few weeks, the sudden lack of noise made her feel a little uncomfortable.

And Four couldn’t stand it! This type of quiet brought back some memories she’d rather not relive. So she began tinkering with some small mechanical bits while turning the radio up as far as it could go.

Hours flew by. It had been a while since Four had the time and motivation to tinker with something. She had enjoyed it, and it served as a wonderful distraction from other things…

She had taken a break to make herself some lunch when she got a text from someone she’d never expected.

[BombBlush1] “Hey Four!! You busy today?”

Callie? Honestly she’d completely forgotten that the idol had given her her number. Mostly because she rarely texted her. 

[4thGear] “Hey Callie, uh no I’m not busy at all. Why?”

[BombBlush1] “Great! Marie could use some help with a few things today. So I thought I’d ask you if you could come over and give her a hand?”

[4thGear] “Marie needs help? Can’t say I expected that, but sure I can give it a try.”

[BombBlush1] “Booyah! You can come over now actually. Thanks for the help!!!”

[BombBlush1] Current Location… [link]

(BombBlush1 has disconnected)

Four looked at her screen for a moment. 

“Well, if Marie really needs help I can’t just bail on her can I.” she said to herself, her curiosity drowning out all other thoughts.

She quickly got dressed and headed out.

———

“So this is it?” Four asked aloud, looking at the surprisingly small house in front of her.

She was expecting the world's most popular idols to live in a larger house. Then again, the two had always seemed more down to earth than other celebrities.

Small may have been the wrong word on second thought. As Four still had to walk through a decent sized garden before reaching the front door. Somewhat nervously, she rang the doorbell and waited.

-ring-

“Oh! She’s here!” Callie said, quickly running towards the door. Four had gotten here faster than she expected, meaning she must have been pretty eager to help Marie.

Callie opened the door and greeted Four, inviting the agent in and guiding her towards the kitchen.

“I’m so glad you agreed to come! Marie had seemed really stressed about this. She’s always been a workaholic but this has become more work than she can handle.” She rambled, seeming overjoyed but also like she had done something sneaky… 

A bit taken aback by the idol's rather loud personality, Four took a second to respond, “Oh uh yeah. If Marie needs help then I figured it must be a lot.”

Callie’s smile seemed to drop for a moment and she mumbled something about her being a stubborn squid, not that Four noticed, as she was more focused on the house itself.

Eventually the two did reach the kitchen, which was nearly half the size of Fours apartment it seemed.

Marie however noticed neither of them, as she had already thrown herself head first into her work and was off in her own world.

Callie had learnt from the previous night though, and instead of calling her name, she simply shook her vigorously, which worked a lot better.

Having been abruptly brought back to reality, Marie was about to complain to Callie, when she noticed Four standing next to her. 

“F-Four? What are you doing here?” She asked, confused and a little nervous for some reason.

“Oh, Callie said you needed help. So here I am!” Four replied, a bit more excited now that she’d seen that she may actually be of help here.

Marie gave Callie a rather cold glare, obviously annoyed that she had gone behind her back, even if it was probably for her own good.

Looking back at Four, she said, “Oh well that’s rather kind of you. I suppose I could use a little help…” she nervously trailed off.

Callie quickly, and quietly, left the room. She hoped Four would be able to help Marie at least a little. The two seemed to work well together from what she’d been told after the agent had defeated Octavio.

———

“So what are you doing exactly?” Four asked, not really knowing what she was meant to be doing yet.

“I’m trying to fill out these documents for our next collaboration. It’s been a… not too difficult…”

Four may not be the best at reading the room, but even she could tell that Marie was downplaying the task. 

She hadn’t done a great job at hiding it. Why she was even trying, she had no idea.

“Well, just give me some of the uh… least difficult ones then.” She said, a smile still on her face.

Fours constant smile was an honest relief to Marie. Callie was also someone who never stopped smiling, but with Four it felt more like she trusted her than it just being how she was. 

A little less nervous now, she responded, “Sure. I’ve actually organized them as such. So that pile on the end should be good.” She gestured to a smaller pile near the end of the table. 

Four went and grabbed the pile, sat down, and began doing what she did best. Calculations.

Truth be told, the documents actually weren’t that difficult, the worst part being the sheer amount of information she had to digest and process.

But it wasn’t anything she couldn’t do. After all, she had unfortunately had to fill out a lot of rather similar documents in the past-

Nope. Just focus on the task at hand Four. 

And so she did. And much like Marie she quickly got lost in her own world of calculations and multiplication.

———

Marie occasionally had peeked up from her increasingly frustrating calculations to see how Four was fairing.

And to her surprise, she was doing a great job. Having already gone through half of the papers she had. Making Marie feel just a little insecure…

She was older, not to mention she was technically her superior. The idea that she was the one who needed help made her feel a bit guilty. Not that Four seemed to notice, and if she did, it didn’t seem to change how she saw the idol. 

Eventually Marie had stopped trying and ended up just watching Four work away. Feeling a mix of guilt and pride. On one hand she felt she shouldn’t have needed the help in the first place; on the other she felt weirdly proud that Four had no such difficulties. It was an odd mix of emotions, especially for Marie who always prided herself on being calm and in control.

Of course with a constant set of eyes on her, Four did stop and look at Marie. 

“Uhm… do you need anything?” Four asked, feeling a bit anxious that Marie had been staring at her for who knows how long.

“N-no. Just, uh. Thank you Four. You’ve done a great job.” Was all she could say. Marie found it funny almost, suddenly she felt less insecure and more like a proud mom or something. The sudden contrast in feelings caused her to break out a small, but very genuine, smile.

Four’s tentacles seemed to unconsciously fade to a light pink towards their ends. 

“Oh uh thanks… I’m glad to be of help.” 

Marie felt a bit better now, her mind not focused on the papers in front of her now. So she felt she could express her actual feelings a bit better now.

“Four. I really mean it. Honestly, these papers have been the bane of my existence for the last few days. So you showing up and blazing through them has been a huge help.

She was going to continue but a wave of anxiety seemed to wash over her. She was about to feign ignorance as to why. Try to ignore it. But she couldn’t, not now, not when Four was there.

So she pushed through it and continued…

“Uh… truth be told Four. I really didn’t want you to help. I didn’t want you to be disappointed in my inability to do something so… simple.” She tried to smile, but it came off as rather disingenuous.

Four didn’t miss a beat though, and immediately refuted the idea.

“Disappointed? Ha! As if I could ever be disappointed in you Marie. You’re an idol, not a mathematician. Besides, you practically trained me yourself, and I couldn’t have beat that Octavio guy if it weren’t for you.

“So don’t worry! I’ll still help ya out, just ask.” She stated, her tentacles having gotten a bit brighter.

Marie let out a small laugh, her worries seeming to fade away with it. 

“Well I’m glad you view me so highly.” She said, a far more genuine smile spreading across her face.

The two seemed to both be in better spirits now. And as such had jumped back into their work with renewed enthusiasm and determination.

At some point, the two had moved closer and Marie had begun to compliment Fours skill more often. Four responding in kind when Marie pointed out something she had overlooked when she had gotten some parts wrong.

So, the work that had been slowly driving Marie insane the last few days was quickly finished in just one evening. 

And Callie, who had been silently checking in on them throughout the evening, beamed as she watched her cousin's mood improve with each visit.

Maybe she wouldn’t get scolded for bringing Four here behind her back now…

She was about to leave when she heard someone call her name.

“Callie. Don’t think I’ve forgotten about you. We’ll talk later.” Marie said, her voice becoming far more authoritarian in nature.

All Callie could do was let out a small laugh as she closed the door and headed back to her room.

Chapter Text

Chapter 5: Surprise Reunion 

———

Eight had finally finished her training. Sure it was mostly basic exercises like target practice and obstacle courses, both of which looked rather thrown together. Even the domes had better training equipment, but that was most likely due to the military’s large budget.

Eight shook her head, trying to forget about the domes. She wasn’t a soldier anymore, if anything she was a civilian… a civilian who happened to also be a secret agent.

But now that she had finished she wasn’t really sure what to do next. She had expected the courses to take longer, or for them to be more difficult honestly. Either way she hadn’t planned on having the time to do anything else.

She had tried texting Three a couple times, but she hadn’t responded yet. Most likely, she was still out scouting and wouldn’t be back for a while. So with no real plan in mind, Eight went back to the Square and began to wander aimlessly.

This had become rather boring rather quickly though. “This was a lot more fun with Three…” she muttered dejectedly.

“Hachi?”

“Hachi?!”

Hachi, who had fallen into a world of her own, was jostled back to reality by someone shaking her shoulder.

She turned around to see who it was and was surprised to see the only other octoling on the surface. Marina.

“Oh! It really is you!” Marina shouted, rather happy to have found a friend amongst the hustle and bustle of Inkopolis Square.

“Y-yeah. It’s me, uh what are you doing here Marina?” Hachi asked, taken aback by the idol’s sudden appearance.

Marina didn’t get a chance to answer however, as the white inkling next to her spoke, “I’m here to dude! But basically, we wanted some fresh air. The studio was suffocating today.” 

Hachi seemed less spooked by Pearl, her more vocal voice being more familiar to her.

“Oh? But why the Square? You two are kinda famous now…” 

“Ah whatever! I’ll go wherever I please!” Pearl shouted, causing a few heads to turn, but they looked away just as quickly when they realized who was speaking.

Pearl, noticing this, looked at Hachi and gave her a signature smug smile. If Hachi had to assume, she figured most people were intimidated by their fame and didn’t want to embarrass themselves.

“But enough about me and Pearlie,” Marina chimed in, “what about you Hachi?” She asked, her voice full of warmth.

“Oh I’ve been good. Me and Three maybe had a date, or maybe a hangout?” Hachi said, obviously not quite sure herself if what they did counted as.

She went on to explain what all she’d done since they last met up, ranging from how rooming with Four was to the events of this morning.

———

“Ah sounds nice. Salmon Runs can be pretty brutal. Can’t blame ya for not wanting to go full time” Pearl commented. She herself had never actually participated in a Salmon Run Shift, but she’d seen all she needed to, having covered it on the news occasionally.

Hachi nodded, grimacing a bit at the memory. 

Marina found some comedy in her expression though and chuckled a bit.

“Well it sounds like you don’t have any plans for this evening right?” Marina asked.

“Ah no, not really. Three’s still on duty and Four isn’t answering her phone…” Hachi trailed off, her smile looking a little forced.

Pearl and Marina shared a look. Seemingly communicating their thoughts without a word. And for some reason Hachi felt a tinge of jealousy at their relationship. 

“Well, if you want, you can join us this evening. Me and Rina were just gonna hang at the house and make dinner.” Pearl stated more than asked. 

Hachi pondered for a moment. It had been a while since she had hung out with the idols. And she had a few… questions for them that she doubted anyone else could answer.

“Sure. If you don’t mind the intrusion.”

“Never! You’re our friend Hachi, you’ll never be an intrusion.” Marina said.

And so, Hachi had suddenly found herself walking alongside two of the largest idols around, listening to them discuss rather dull topics. Though, she wasn’t sure what she really expected.

After a few minutes of constant back and forth teasing, Hachi had honestly tuned them out, simply walking alongside them in her own world.

She was quickly reminded how different the two were from normal people though when they reached a long black limo. Pearl and Marina got in like it was the most normal thing ever. Hachi however, was still somewhat in awe of the long vehicles and took a few moments to get in. 

She had barely noticed the vehicle had started moving until she looked out the window.

“Is this how all idols get around?” She asked, genuinely curious since she also saw the Squid Sisters use similar vehicles before.

“Probably not. But I’ve always ridden in limos, so I can’t say for sure who does and doesn’t.” Pearl remarked rather casually. She never seemed to give much thought to how different her life had been.

Thankfully for Hachi, Marina gave her a better answer.

“Most idols can’t afford them outside of huge events where the venue pays for them. I’d say Callie and Marie are the only ones who could also afford it.” She said, hand on her chin, having calculated the cost herself.

“Speaking of Callie and Marie,” Hachi started, looking at Marina, “you were there when Three fought Octavio right?” 

Marina was admittedly a bit taken aback by the question, but answered with ease, “I was. It was a wonderful performance, even if it was rather impromptu.” She said, her voice melancholic and full of nostalgia.

Marina glanced back at Hachi for a moment, the nostalgic glint in her eye replaced with curiosity.

“Where were you during that? Surely you also listened to that Heavenly Melody?” 

“Yeah. How could I forget! I was part of the Second Elite Squadron. I was pretty new though and never ended up getting the mask.” Hachi chuckled. While most of her memories of the domes weren’t great, she did enjoy her time with the Elites.

While the two reminisced, Pearl had stayed quiet and simply listened. She didn’t exactly have much to add to the conversation. Both octolings had a past far worse than hers after all.

So for her it was an awkward drive back home. But it wasn’t all bad. Rina didn’t particularly enjoy talking about her past, even after the Metro. So she enjoyed hearing more about it, even if she barely understood what half of it meant.

———

After nearly 20 minutes of driving, the trio had finally reached their destination.

“Welcome to our condo! Yeah it’s pretty cool.” Pearl quipped.

Hachi stepped out of the limo, and looked at the condo. It was large, and it was just one of many around the area. Giving it a neighborhood vibe that she wasn’t really expecting. But it certainly was better than some isolated mansion. 

“It looks lovely.” She eventually replied.

Marina and Pearl headed inside, with Marina holding the door open for Hachi. Pearl went to her room and closed the door, while Marina headed towards the kitchen.

“Is Pearl not joining us?” 

“Oh she is. She just hates wearing the idol outfit outside of the studio. She strongly encourages a separation between work and life.” Marina stated, her back still to Hachi as she got ingredients out of the fridge.

Hachi decided to stay out of her way as she honestly didn’t know her way around the kitchen very well. At least in her opinion, Four would definitely say otherwise though.

A few minutes later, Pearl finally joined them in the kitchen. Now wearing an oversized shirt that came down to her knees. Without saying anything she began helping Marina make dinner. 

And again, Hachi felt a little jealous at how close they were, “You two sure are close.” She remarked, doing a somewhat good job at hiding her slight annoyance.

“Yeah. I guess we are. Guess it happens when you work and live together for years.” Pearl said, ignoring Hachis less than cheerful tone.

“Yep! And I wouldn’t have it any other way!” Marina yelped, seemingly oblivious to the other octolings' sudden change in mood.

Feeling that there was something else to Hachis uncharacteristic mood, Pearl asked, “How about you and uh… Three was it?” 

“Uhm, we’re fine I guess…” Hachi said, “but I don’t think we’re that close still.” 

So that’s what it was, Pearl thought to herself.

“You seem to get along rather well though? Maybe you’re closer than you think.” She replied, hoping to change the octolings mood. Partially, because she hated dealing with grumpy people, but more so because she didn’t like seeing Hachi in such a weird mood.

Hachi perked up a bit, seemingly happy at the thought. And seeing that, the gears in Pearl's brain turned a bit faster. 

She was quickly coming to the conclusion that Hachi had a crush on Three and was unaware of it herself. Which honestly would explain why she constantly brought her up and why she seemed annoyed at her and Rinas relationship.

Marina interrupted her thoughts though when she declared that dinner was ready and began to set the table.

Pearl quickly followed after Marina as she set the table, Hachi helping where she could.

Dinner was simple. Just alfredo pasta and rolls. But for wealthy pop idols the simple meals tended to be the best, since they also tended to be by themselves.

The trio finished their meal and cleaned up the kitchen. Hachi made sure she did her part; she’d have felt guilty if she didn’t do anything to help.

Hachi had been waiting for a chance to ask the duo some questions, and it finally seemed like a good opportunity.

“Hey. Uh, Pearl, Marina…”

“Yeah Hachi?” they answered simultaneously.

“You don’t mind if I ask you a couple questions right? I think I need some advice.” She asked awkwardly, it was obvious that she had a lot on her mind.

“Of course. What kind of advice though?” Marina asked, a myriad of ideas swirling in her head as to why Hachi would need their advice.

“Need some dating advice?” Pearl asked a bit more bluntly than Marina. She was confident in her theory and just wanted to get to the good stuff.

“D-dating?! No… nothing like that?!” Hachi stammered out, her flustered face betraying her words.

A smug smile spread across Pearl's face. 

“Oh really? You sure you don’t want some advice on how to advance your relationship with Three?”

“Advance? Like more than friends?” Hachi asked, admittedly curious.

“What Pealrie means,” Marina interjects, giving Pearl a glare, “is that the two of you seem to be closer than you think. Maybe not dating yet, but more than just colleagues.”

“Oh, I see.” Hachi replied, a bit disappointed.

“But! It’s not like you two can’t eventually date!” Marina yelped, realizing she may have just crushed the octolings dreams.

“I, I don’t think of her like that. I just wanted to get to know her better. But I… well I don’t exactly know what I should do.” 

“Simple. Go on a date and ask her about herself.” Pearl bluntly stated.

This went on for far too long really. Pearl would bluntly tell Hachi to go for it, while Marina kept insisting that she take a slower route. Hachi herself was split between the two options.

“Ugh! She should just ask her out Rina! It’s what I did and it worked out, didn't it?” Pearl practically yelled at Marina, having grown tired of the looping conversation.

“And I’m saying that they haven’t known each other as long! You knew me for years before you asked me out! They’ve only known each other for a few weeks.” Marina yelled back.

Both arguments made valid points. It was true that she hadn’t known Three for long, but she also felt they shared a… special… bond of sorts. She couldn’t really describe her feelings honestly. 

Maybe Pearl was right. Maybe she did have a crush on Three. It was worth a shot right? But what if she didn’t feel the same way? What if Pearl was wrong?…

“Hey! Hachi!”

Hachi snapped out of her quickly spiraling thoughts.

“While you were off in your own world again, me and Rina actually came to a consensus.” Pearl announced.

“Yeah. We think you should take it slow, but still ask her out. Maybe not on a date or anything! But just to hangout or something yknow?” Marina added, explaining their compromised idea.

Hachi took a moment to process the idea. It seemed good enough, and she could always pass it off as just being with a friend.

“That. Sounds pretty good actually. But…”

“But?”

“How did you figure I had a crush on Three. I only just realized it may have been more than platonic…”

“Kid. I’m surprised she hasn’t figured it out yet honestly. Cause you blush, like a lot when you talk about her. You also constantly bring her up. Hell, you only agreed to come with us because you couldn’t be with her!” Pearl explained, coming off as rather smug the whole time. As if it was impressive that she had figured it out so easily.

Hachi just chuckled and gave her a weak smile. She wasn’t aware that she was so obviously in love. And it made her a little embarrassed.

“Anywho. Let’s just help you decide on what to do next?” Marina asked, hoping to change the topic and lessen Hachis embarrassment.

“Yeah. That sounds good hehe…” Hachi replied, eager to move on and change topics.

Pearl shrugged but ultimately agreed. But it didn’t stop her from teasing the girl, after all when did you get a chance like this? 

Chapter Text

Special Chapter: Splatoween Night!

(A Non-Canon Special Event)

———

“Happy Splatoween dear viewers!” Callie shouted.

“This year is a bit special however since we’ve had a recent influx of Octolings joining us.”

“And because of that… we’re holding a Splatfest of our own tonight!”

“Which is better? Turfing or Splatting?”

“I’m Team Turf! It’s the name of the game after all!” Callie said, confident in her decision.

“Personally, I believe Splatting is more important so I’ll be Team Splat.” Marie calmly explained.

“Since we can’t agree and because of the upcoming holiday. We’ve decided to leave it up to you all to see which is truly the best!” Callie further explained. She had her signature smile on, showing just how excited she really was for the event.

“Until next time…”

“STAY FRESH!”

———

“Mia? What is a “Splatoween?” Hachi asked, curious but completely confused by the holiday.

“Hmm…” Mia’s tentacles shifted between a few colors before settling on an almost comedic orange given the context.

“Splatoween is a holiday where inklings dress up in costumes and go around neighborhoods asking for candy. Apparently it’s based off some old human relics.”

“That sounds interesting. Where does one acquire a costume?” Hachi asked.

“Usually you’d get one from a store or make one. Considering how close it is though… you may be out of luck.” Mia said, a sorry smile on her face.

The conversation was dying down. Until Four suddenly opened the door. Followed in by the idols of the hour.

“What’s up squid’s and kids! You guys excited for Splatoween!?” Four shouted, extremely excited and energetic. Even more so than usual.

“Four? How did you know we were at the cabin?” Hachi asked, a bit shocked by the sudden entrance.

“I just figured you’d both be hanging out here. I mean you guys have refused to just invite each other over so…” 

“Gramps also told us you were both here for training.” Marie quipped. A knowing smile on her face.

“But how did you two even get here so fast? The news just ended?” Hachi asked, visibly confused.

“Ah… time to break the news to Eight I guess.” Callie said, glancing at Marie.

“Heh. I guess so. See Eight, we prerecord all the news a day early. Outside of the halfway point and ends of Splatfests we record them early.”

Eight seemed a bit astonished by this news. But after a few minutes she seemed to understand the reasoning, it’d be impossible to record all this clips everyday after all.

“So, do you three have any plans?” Callie asked.

“Unfortunately I don’t think Mi- Three or I will be able to obtain a costume. So from my understanding we can’t participate.” Eight stated.

“Well that’s an easy fix. You may have forgotten but we are internationally famous idols. Costumes aren’t an issue.” 

“The real issue is what type of costume do you want?”

The three agents thought in silence. Four already had a costume and was well prepared. But they couldn’t help but try and imagine couple costumes for the remaining agents. 

“Well how about we actually get you to try some on instead of laying around wasting time?” Callie asked.

Three flashed green. “That would be faster.”

Eight and Four didn’t argue either. And such the four agents, Marie included, had unanimously decided to follow Callie’s lead and see what she had in mind.

———

“Here we are! My favorite costume shop!” Callie excitedly shouted, gesturing towards a large and empty looking building.

“The owner despises marketing. Apparently word of mouth keeps them afloat. But I guarantee you’ll find something you’ll love!”

“Callie. I trust you with my life… but I doubt a store like this will have everything we want.” 

The idol seemed to ignore the words of her cousin and guided the group inside. All the while she was practically bouncing with excitement.

Once they entered the atmosphere majorly shifted to something far more luxurious. While it was a relatively average sized store it seemed to go one forever with its mirror walls and dressing areas.

“Welcome to Ki Klothes, what can I do for you all?” A new voice asked.

Upon further inspection of the voice it became obvious that it was the owner of the store. 

“Ah Ki! I brought some friends of mine for last minute costumes. I hope it’s not too much trouble hehe.”

Ki seemed to just smile. A rather smug smile at that.

“Trouble? You still seem to underestimate my abilities Callie. I can design and make all their costumes before you’d even see the sun set.” Ki remarked, obviously confident in his abilities.

Of course Marie and Four had already acquired costumes of their own so they decided to simply sit back and watch. Or well Marie did anyways. Four decided to walk around and examine the costumes and materials on display. 

And as someone who had always had to make her own costumes prior to coming to the city. It was clear this Ki guy knew what he was doing. As he had near every type of cloth and accessory imaginable it seemed.

Ki was busy taking everyone else’s measurements though and as such Four didn’t have a chance to ask where he acquired all the items.

“I’ve had a few octolings show up these last few months. All but one came in not knowing what this place was. But I’ve noticed a trend amongst all of them.” Ki commented as he took Threes measurements.

“Oh? And what would that be?” Marie asked, finally looking up from her phone.

“First off, they tend to have bigger heads. Not by much, actually to most it’d be hard to tell there’s any difference. Secondly, they all seem to examine my materials with keen eyes. I assume they’re a crafty type?”

“Heh. That’s one way to put it.” Marie quipped, thinking back on how creative the octolings could get with their weapons and gear.

“I certainly believe we are an innovative group.” Eight added on. 

“I like that. No offense but most inklings seem lazy and unmotivated outside of Turf Wars nowadays. Leaves people like me in a bind since no one wants to learn the craft.” Ki said, a hint of sadness in his voice.

He finished taking his measurements and immediately went into a back room. Presumably to design and make the costumes.

“Uhm… we didn’t tell him what we wanted.” Three said, confused at the man’s sudden disappearance.

“Oh that's just how Ki is. I asked him about it and he said he knows better than his customers what they need. And after seeing his work firsthand I can’t disagree.” She explained, laughing a bit towards the end.

“So we just wait now?” Four asked, having returned to the group a few minutes ago. 

Marie flashed green and patted the chair next to her.

“So it’s best to sit down and not exhaust yourself with constant wandering.” 

Four have her a embarrassed smile and took her place next to the idol. 

No one but Callie knew what had happened, but it was obvious that Four and Marie had gotten closer at some point. Four was the only person that Marie acted so uncharacteristically casual with. It reminded Three of how her Mom acted towards her at times…

Casting aside the thought, Three turned her attention towards Eight. Who was fiddling with her phone.

“You nervous?” Three asked?

“Oh! Uh a little. I’m used to not having an opinion on what clothes I wear but this feels different… more uh, special I guess.” She nervously said.

“No use in worrying! Trust me when I say that Ki never disappoints!” Callie remarked with full confidence.

The idol’s reassurance calmed Eight down some.

Eventually the group fell into casual chatting. Mostly about what one did on Splatoween and what team they were on. 

Callie, Four, and Eight were full Team Turf; while Marie and Three were hard set on Team Splat.

The once peaceful discussion had started to heat up but was thankfully stopped by the sudden opening of the back room door.

“I have returned with your costumes.” Ki stated.

He came up to Three and Eight and handed each of them a bag and a few accessories. Then he directed them to fitting rooms and instructed them to try them on.

The two did as told.

Three emerged first. Now sporting a white croptop with seemingly unintelligible words written on the front. Along with a pair of ripped pants made out of a red leather, paired with a set of colorful sneakers. Tying it all together was a pair of fingerless gloves and a bright red cap.

All together it was obviously meant to be a rapper costume, but had taken some obvious pop inspirations.

Shortly following Three, Eight exited the fitting room in a very different costume. She wore a black dress that seemed to sparkle like the night sky and a rather large brimmed witches hat with similar sparkling qualities. Finished with black heels not dissimilar to what she wore in the Metro.

Four couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed that they weren’t matching. The teasing and shipping potential would have been massive! But alas, she had to admit that Ki definitely knew what he was doing. Maybe he did know better than his customers.

“They look amazing Ki! I can’t thank you enough!” Callie exclaimed. 

“Sure you can Callie. I’ll take a bit more than usual do to how you came on such short notice.” He grinned, fully aware he was making quite a bit of money from this.

I guess all businessmen are the same… Marie thought as she watched Callie write him out a check. 

Turning her attention back towards the not couple couple she hated to admit but she had to agree that Ki had done a spectacular job given the time. Even more surprisingly he really did know exactly what would suit the two best.

She had known Mia long enough to tell that this was right up her alley, and Eight definitely looked adorable in a witches costume. She chuckled a bit to herself at the thought of them trick or treating together.

Three was obviously happy with her costume. So much she actually didn’t say anything and simply gave the group a rainbow like display before heading back in to change.

Eight on the other hand seemed more apprehensive. She’d never worn a dress before and as such was a bit uncomfortable and nervous in it. Yet, she couldn’t wipe the smile off her face. 

Eventually though, both girls finished changing and exited the fitting rooms, bags in hand. 

Very satisfied, the group left the store and headed back towards the cabin to have some fun before the festivities began in full. 

———

“HA HA HA… There’s no way that actually happened!” Four yelled, laughing rather hard.

“Believe me I also wish it hadn’t happened.” Marie said in a monotone voice. She wasn’t as entertained by the story as Four had been.

For context, Callie believed it’d be a great idea to play Truth or Dare before the idols went back to the studio to perform for Splatoween. 

After a few rounds, Callie had picked Truth and Four asked her what the most embarrassing thing she’d ever done was.

Apparently at some point in her highschool days she and Marie had been part of a drama club. Callie was in charge of props and decorations while Marie handled the script and stage directions.

While setting up props, Callie had accidentally let go of a container full of sparkling ink… which promptly fell all over Marie. Not only did this stain her tentacles for a few weeks, it also completely destroyed the script.

“It was an accident I swear!” Callie shouted at Four, her cheeks red with embarrassment.

Marie sported a far more unenthusiastic face, the memory still leaving her feeling a bit bitter. Not because of the ink or Callie. But because it forced them to use a previously discarded script that Marie didn’t care for.

This continued for a few more hours, only stopping when Eight pointed out that the sun had started to set.

Hearing this the idols quickly left and said their goodbyes. Wishing the trio a Happy Splatoween.

With the sun now setting and the idols gone. The three remaining agents decided to also head home. Agreeing to meet up again at the Plaza in a few hours.

———

“Ah come on Eight, you can’t back out now! Besides, you looked great. Four remarked.

“Sure, but-

“But nothing. Trust me, no one will make fun of you or bother you. Especially with Three by your side. Even without trying she tends to give off an intense vibe.” 

Failing to come up with a retort, Eight sighed and agreed to go. Following Four most of the way, nervously fiddling with the brim of her hat.

The two arrived at a crowded Plaza, full of people in costumes. A few unfortunate workers were just trying to get home though, which really showed how big a deal the event was. Usually even for tournaments the Plaza wasn’t as crowded as it was now.

Eight looked around for Three and found her pretty easily as she seemed to cause people to keep to themselves and not crowd around her as much.

“You look great.” She automatically let out when she saw her. Quickly blushing and putting her hands over her mouth.

Three stopped for a moment in surprise before continuing as if nothing happened. 

“As do you…” She replied, a bit bashfully.

Four took this moment to silently slip away, not wanting to interrupt the obvious lovers. 

Once the two lovebirds returned to their senses they noticed that Four had left. Eight believed she had simply gotten lost in the crowd, while Three knew exactly what she was doing. But she was thankful for it for once. As she did honestly just want to spend the evening alone with Eight.

Following this line of reasoning, Three took Eights hand and began guiding her through the crowd. She would make sure Eight enjoyed this Splatoween. 

———

“And there they go…” Marie piped up, noticing how Three and Eight had left the Plaza.

“Mia seems unusually happy dontcha think?” Callie pondered. The answer was obvious.

“Speaking of happy… you seemed to really enjoy teasing the crowd after that first song.” She joked.

“Oh Callie, what makes you think that?” Marie chirped, her smile confirming how right Callie was.

The two laughed at each other’s remarks.

“Well, I guess it’s our job to give the girls a good backing track to their little date huh?” 

“Of course!”

———

Three and Eight had escaped most of the crowd and arrived at a nearby neighborhood. 

After explaining how to actually Trick it Treat, the two went around tethering candy. Receiving a number of compliments on their costumes the whole time.

After a few hours, the two had cleared out a few neighborhoods and their bags had been filled. 

Three, still holding Eights hand, guided her towards a nearby park. 

“We should rest for a while.” She stated, already putting her bag down and taking a seat on the bench.

Eight followed suit.

“I… I really enjoyed tonight.” She said, a slight blush in her face.

Mia also seemed to blush, “I’m glad. I tried to make it a memorable evening.”

The two exchanged equally awkward expressions. Neither quite sure how to continue.

The sound of the Squid Sisters filled the silence though, turning the awkward silence into a pleasant moment of rest for the tired duo.

A familiar song came on. One both girls knew very well.

“The Calamari Inkantation.” They said simultaneously.

They then shared a gaze at the others words. Both seeing an impossible glimmer in the other's eyes.

They seemed to be a bit lost in each other’s eye, the all too familiar song slowly fading into the background as they became lost in their own world momentarily.

They drifted closer to each other…

Their faces getting rather close...

“HAPPY SPLATOWEEN!” Four yelled.

The sudden and loud remark shattered the moment the two had been lost in, and upon realizing just how close they were to one another… especially how close their lips were… the two quite literally jolted up and away from each other.

Four wore a rather smug smile on her face.

“Did I scare you?” She asked genuinely, somehow unaware of how she just ruined what was going to be the twos first-

“No! I wasn’t scared! Just uh… surprised. Yeah surprised, that’s all I was!” Three quickly retorted, seemingly unwilling to admit the young agent had actually spooked her quite badly.

Eight on the other hand readily admitted to being rather scared by Fours sudden appearance.

At that, Four chuckled to herself, satisfied that she had definitely scared both of them. She was tempted to let them be the whole time, but she simply couldn’t pass up the opportunity to actually scare the ever stoic Agent 3.

This had turned out to be a great Spatoween.

The three then returned to the still crowded Plaza to listen to Callie and Marie.

The idols didn’t look even a bit tired, even after hours of performing. 

But after a couple songs they seemed to stop.

“Hello Inkopolis!” Callie cheered.

“This was a wonderful turnout! We’re very happy to see so many people still celebrating the holidays.”

“To end our performance tonight we’ve decided to announce the winners of this short lived Splatfest!” Marie stated, maintaining a neutral tone the whole time as to not give away the winner yet.

“After careful review it’s been decided that the winner of this year’s Splatoween Splatfest is…”

“Team Turf!” The two announced.

“It was a close match though, Team Turf only won by 3%, so pat yourselves on the back for managing to pull the win on such short notice. Marie quipped.

The crowd cheered at the news, both sides were happy at the results.

“That’s all for tonight folks!” Callie announced.

“So remember…”

“STAY FRESH AND HAVE A HAPPY SPLATOWEEN!”

Chapter Text

To say Three was having conflicted feelings was an understatement. She wasn’t entirely sure how to feel about Eight. Or well, wasn’t sure how she was supposed to feel.

So… she had gone to the one person she thought could help her. Four.

She basically trusted her with her life, but didn’t feel as pressured to be serious and professional like with Callie and Marie, even if she had opened up to them more.

“So, trouble in paradise hmm?” Four asked, not hiding her joy, and frank smugness, at Three basically asking for dating advice.

“Wha- NO! We’re not dating! I just… don’t know a lot about her is all. So, I figured you’d be able to help is all.” Three yelled, her tentacles pulsing orange in embarrassment.

Four chuckled, taking joy in having flustered Three.

“Ok Ok. Well, I’m sure there is a lot I could tell you. But is there a reason you haven’t just, I don’t know, asked her personally?” Four inquired, joking aside she was curious how exactly her pseudo-sister viewed Eight.

“Not really I guess, just felt… weird.” Was all Three had to say on the topic.

That answer, obviously, didn’t at all satisfy Four, her tentacles making that clear as they shifted into a light blue.

“Fine than! Answer me this, just how do you view Eight? Family, Coworker, Friend, or maybe more?” She somewhat yelled.

Taking a step back, both due to Fours sudden outburst and to actually ponder, Three thought. And while few words were muttered, her tentacles practically spoke for her, shifting from gray to pink to yellow and back to their natural green.

“I suppose I see her as a… friend, yeah, a friend.”

“And that’s all? As good as your poker face can be sis, your tentacles don’t lie. There’s something else there right? Love maybe~” Four half-teased.

Three didn’t reply, instead just flashing red. A signature of hers Four had realized; Three had a habit of just going basically mute at times, which while annoying at first she now saw as frankly cute.

So, Four in turn flashed her an apologetic orange.

“But seriously, just ask her out. Take advantage of her still being pretty new to the surface. It’d definitely be the fastest way to figure your feelings out. Right?”

—

“Yes! Blindside her with a date. From what I know of her, she’ll never see it coming and won’t be able to poker face her way out of it!” Pearl exclaimed, tentacles shining yellow at their tips.

“I think you have a very odd idea of Three… but I can’t say I disagree Pearlie. Getting her on a date would be a good idea.” Marina chimed in.

“A date? What does the day have to do with my feelings for Three?” Eight asked, her lack of knowledge outside the domes becoming very obvious to all in the room now.

Realization dawned on both Pearl and Marina, as they realized they Eight was completely uneducated on romance at all… making them wonder how she even knew what the word love meant.

Though Pearl was more shocked than Marina, as it seemed unfathomable to her that someone wouldn’t know what a date of all thing was! Especially given how much could go into courting a lady nowadays.

“Rina! Explain!”

Marina chuckled a little, Pearls outburst was rather cute in her opinion.

“Well… I suppose I’d forgotten just how little education we got in the domes, that wasn’t military related at least. Dating isn’t really something we did, or we’re taught about.”

“What… that's crazy! I’m almost scared to ask how families work down there…”

“Oh! We do have families, just not traditional ones.” Eight chimed in.

“I see… how about we save any more uh- crazy culture clashes for later? We should focus on you and Three.” Pearl stated, not ready to have her mind blown by any other crazy revelations right now.

Both Octolings nodded and as such, the three continued their attempts at explaining dates and convincing Eight to ask Three on one.

—

“Sis. Just do it! Why are you being so stubborn!” Four yelled, having nearly reached her limit with Three’s ridiculous refusal to even consider a date so far.

Three flashed a mix of orange and deep green. She was simultaneously embarrassed and annoyed that someone younger than her seemed to have a better grip on relationships.

“It’s just hard. I can’t explain it.” was all she said.

Four sighed, realizing she’d just have to deal with this another way. As she had obviously arrived at a dead end.

“Then how about you treat it as a mission? Scouting for information.”

“A mission? I… suppose that could help.”

“Wait really? I was like… joking. I mean, whatever helps sis, but seriously; you need to develop some social skills. You can’t be Agent 3 all the time.” Four chastised her.

Three flashed red, but still… she couldn’t exactly deny it either. She knew she wasn’t much of a people person, heck she only talked to Four and the rest so much because they were fellow Agents, colleagues, people she knew she could trust explicitly.

“I’ll… work on it.”

“And?”

“… and I’ll try to ask Eight on a date…”

Four grinned, smug as usual, as she’d finally won this debate.

Afterwards Four was subjected to many hours of training; Three gave the excuse that she was ‘getting rusty’ but they both knew it was Threes way of getting back at her.

—

“You are a brutal teacher y’know!”

Three flashed green, but Four managed to spot the ripples of yellow, she definitely had fun putting her through the intense exercises.

“Speaking of titles… why do you call me sister?” Three asked, her tone genuine.

“Easy. I consider you family that’s all.”

“I assumed so… but that’s not exactly something you just decide casually. And you aren’t the type to just do something for no reason.” Three reasoned.

“Well. If you must know. I also consider Eight and Marie family. My folks don’t exactly talk to me anymore, and haven’t for a… long while now. So, at this point, you all feel more like a family than they do. All there is to it really.” Four remarked causally, as if she hadn’t just revealed some very private information.

Family was a very important thing for Inklings. Blood or Not. They we’re your people, your duty, and were a vital aspect of Inkling culture. And while it was not uncommon to consider people outside your bloodline family, it usually spoke to a difficult upbringing or a lack of living relatives. Both were seen as pitiable.

Though, Four never saw it as such a grand thing. To her family was just people you could always rely on. For all her academic prowess, she saw such delicate social practices in a rather mellow light.

“Well, I’d say I’m honored, really, but that sorta makes me worry about you.”

Three didn’t see it, but Fours tentacles rippled a soft pink at that. She appreciated that Three was worried, even if she was obviously okay, now at least.

“Well, how about instead of sticking around here, we go and play a few rounds of Turf War? Show everyone how skilled my sister is.” Three remarked, already heading towards the pipes that lad to Inkopolis Square.

Four paused for a moment, a small smile forming on her face at Threes words, “That sounds like a great idea! I actually just reached X Rank, so we’ll have to show them how its done!”

—

“So, what are you gonna do.” Pearl, more a statement than a question. As they had finally come to an agreement on what Eight should do.

“I- I’m going to go up to her, and I’m going to ask her out on a date!” Eight repeated.

“And where are ya gonna go?” Pearl asked.

“We’re gonna tour the Square! And I’ll show her around like she did for me in Inkopolis City!”

“Atta girl. Good to have a game plan, finally, just don’t overdo it and make it an itinerary. Remember, have fun and enjoy yourself.”

Eight felt pretty good now, and confident to boot. Having realized her feelings and actually planned to do something about it had felt great. Like she was finally taking another step towards fully adapting to the surface.

As such, her tentacles had unconsciously curled on themselves, which Marina found rather cute, seeing the teenager show such delight at her future.

“Well, with all that decided. I believe it’s about time you headed back home Eight, it is getting late and you need to prepare.” Marina stated.

“Ah, I suppose you are correct. There is still a lot to do! I appreciate all your help today. It has been very enlightening.” Eight said, seeming very happy at all the help she’d received today.

Pearl and Marina simply nodded and thanked her for allowing them to help, especially being the first people she went to, it meat a lot to them that Eight trusted them so explicitly.

After she left, the two idols seemed to relax for some reason, as if they’d been anxious about something.

“Kinda feels like I just sent my kid off…” Pearl murmured.

Marina smiled, sharing the sentiment. In the short time she’d known Eight she had become a sort of daughter to her, and it was rather nice to see that Pearl thought the same.

“It sure will be fun to watch. That’s for sure.”

“Oh for sure. But, I do hope the best for the two, if we could do it I’m sure they can.”

Pearl grinned, “I sure hope so.”