Chapter Text
As usual, Hyacinth was running errands far away from the battlefield under the morning sun. It was early, sure, but the Octo Valley couldn’t sleep. They had to be running supplies pretty much constantly between Octo Canyon and Octo Valley to keep everything supplied properly, and the only real safe time to make a swapover of items was when the Inklings were asleep.
He was approaching the border sections near the fairly quiet Inkopolis Square, humming along to the music blaring through his headphones. Octarian Onslaught were a hell of a band. Once he got closer to the more inhabited areas, he pulled the flat black cap onto his head, jamming any identifying features under it and keeping his head down.
In the dark alley where they always met, next to an abandoned building, he sat on the edge of the curb and watched for any signs of activity other than what he was meant to see. He was supposed to run as soon as he saw anything; even if he was combat trained, this wasn’t his kind of combat mission and alerting Inklings to their presence within their territory was nothing but a bad idea.
But, as usual, nobody came. It was just him until he saw a familiar face surface from the drain in front of him. “Morning, Tana,” he greeted her with a smile.
“Good morning, Hyacinth,” she said, jumping up to sit on the overhang with him, her legs dangling in the air. They were meant to exchange backpacks before going on their way, but there was time. There was no threat to worry about, not this early in the morning, and he liked being able to talk to people. His job could be lonely sometimes, not that he minded.
“How is it in the Canyon?” He asked. It was how he always started their conversations, and he got the same answer every time.
“It’s fine,” Tana said. “A little dull, but the same as always. How’s the Valley?”
“The same again,” he said. “The weird old man set up a camp now, though. Wish he’d go away, it’s making everyone nervous for pretty much no good reason.”
“Don’t worry about it,” she said. “Just an old cuttlefish. Probably homeless. No one would believe him if he shared what he knew. Anyway, I don’t want to rush this, but my commander wanted me back quickly today for extra manoeuvres. They’re picking people to transfer to the Valley.”
“I get it,” he said with a sigh, slinging the rucksack off of his back and handing it over. Tana did the same. “I’ll see you next time then, probably.”
“You were sent to collect twenty Sardinium,” she said, heading back over to the grating she’d initially emerged from. “There are twenty three in there. Get some friends together and do something, or sell them on for a bonus. Whatever you like.”
“Thank you!” He said, grinning at her. It wasn’t often that there was enough to spare that people like him got a cut. That was nice, and encouraging. Logically, he wanted to turn it in to get the bonus. Sardinium was useful for creating weapons, but...he opened the rucksack once Tana had disappeared back into the Canyon. Yep. It smelt amazing.
Even though he shouldn’t do it, and he knew he shouldn’t, he returned back with a bit of a spring in his step. He knew who he’d call to share these with, as soon as he got home. For half a beat, he heard the tinkling of a tune in the distance in Inkopolis, but he turned up his music as he passed it. He was curious about how Inklings lived, sure, walking around openly on the surface, but he was carrying a precious cargo and he didn’t want to waste it. It wouldn’t be worth it, considering the good times that were waiting at home.