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“Hah…” Marina exhaled, her breath scattering to the wind in visible clouds of white. Her arms were hugging herself tightly, hands rubbing against her forearms on the occasions a new gale of frigid air passed them by. Where which her skin would literally start stinging with the overbearing cold.
“Hooh…” Pearl breathed out into her hands, rubbing them together for warmth. “F-fuck fuck fuck…” Her entire body shivered. “Damn fucking forecaster…d-didn’t know shit…”
“H-hey, t-they couldn’t have known…” Marina offered, though unable to muster the energy to even look at her as she spoke. “How often does it snow in Inkopolis?” Marina looked up to the sky, which was billowing with small flakes of ice, all swaying in the wind as they made their way to the ground below. It was beautiful, in a way…
“Hey!”
Pearl hand met her wrist, pulling her back. Marina’s head whipped around to see what was up, met with the relieved eyes of the shorter girl. “...Sorry, just- be careful. You’re not s’posed to look straight up, y’know?”
Marina blinked, before realizing her mistake. Oh, duh. Snow is just frozen water, and if there’s anything more hazardous to an inkfish - it’s that…
She was well aware of this fact, of course. She’d done her research. Particles of water in clouds would crystallize to form snow if temperatures allowed it. And it would melt just as quickly the moment it touched your skin.
Not deadly. Just a little painful. The real danger was getting it in your eyes.
…Oh, how sweet of her Pearl to protect her like that~.
“Aww, Pearlie. You were worried, weren’t you?” She looked back at her, somewhere between coy and excited.
Pearl’s face went pink, eyes attempting to look away. But they found themselves looking back at Marina’s as she spoke. “I mean- pff, yeah. ‘Course.”
That lighted fireworks in Marina’s chest. She wasn’t really meaning to tease Pearl (even if her blush was SO adorable), she just couldn’t help but bask in the moments Pearl would show she cared. Her lionhearted, loving little...
…There she was, spacing out again. The exact thing that had led her to risk needing her eyes flushed out in the first place.
Could you blame her? She’d lived her entire life underground, not even knowing what weather was. And in this, only her second snowstorm ever…she was a bit marveled by it.
As for Pearl, well…maybe it was the same thing. Marina never knew affection in the underground.
Or maybe it was something…more…
Marina looked down, clutching at the end of her jacket.
She quickly cleared her throat. “Um…” Before she could mumble anything and everything to try and change her train of thoughts, she spotted a Catfish Cafe in the distance. “Hey!” She pointed. “We can, um, t-take refuge over there.” She forced a smile toward Pearl.
Pearl perked up at the mention. “Aw, hell yeah!” She rubbed her hands together. “I’m gonna get me some Seaweed Nuggets.” She turned to Marina. “Let’s share a basket!”
Marina looked over at her softly.
You’ll never know how much I love you.
“That would be wonderful.”
Pearl flashed a smile, before racing toward the entrance, Marina close behind.