Work Text:
Wahoo!
“I can't believe you've never been to Wahoo World,” Pearl says, bouncing in her seat a little.
Marina smiles at her, a bit tightly. “I mean, you know when I came to Inkopolis.”
“Yeah, yeah, your parents sucked, but now you're here and I should've taken ya ages ago.” Pearl keeps bouncing. “Besides, we've gotta do something to celebrate! Getting that audition for Inkopolis News is hype as all fuck, means we're going places even if we don't get it, and Rina, we're gonna splat the ink out of that job.”
Marina laughs, and waits until the car's stopped and turned off before removing her seat belt. “I think so. I just can't believe we'll be in the same room as the Squid Sisters.”
“Hey, they're lucky to be with us.” Pearl turns squid to squirm out of her seat belt and slip from the car at top speed. They have VIP parking, and Pearl splurged on season passes, so it's only a handful of steps to flash their passes to the guards at the gate. Once through, she grabs Marina's hand.
Rina squeezes it. “Where to first?” she asks. “It's all so... big.”
“Oh, we've gotta do everything at least once,” Pearl says, because she's gotta introduce Marina to amusement parks properly. “But when my gran took me, the first and last thing we always did was go on the merry-go-round.”
“That sounds like fun,” Rina says. She still hasn't let go of Pearl's hand.
In fact, she keeps hold of Pearl's hand all through the line for the merry-go-round, only letting go when it's time to choose their animals. “The seahorses don't look very comfortable,” Marina says.
Pearl nods. “I mean, they're fine if you sit on them, but I like a challenge. We should go swim form! That way, you can ride the squid, and I can ride the octopus! Those are both super comfy, and in swim form you can really feel the wind through your ink!...what?”
Marina flushes teal and looks away. “Nothing,” she mumbles. “I'll, uh... just get on the squid, then.”
Pearl turns squid and clambers up onto the octopus. It's stretched out long, with a nice indent for her to snuggle down into; the side tentacles hold the poles. She glances over as Marina slides onto the back of the squid, all ten tentacles behind it, clinging to its own pole there. “I kinda thought about taking the squid, but your tentacles are longer,” Pearl says. “I've always gotta use my suckers to hold on, but yours are so nice and pointy they'll wrap around easy. Where'd ya learn to style them like that?”
Rina laughs, just a little. “I, uh... I don't remember.”
Huh. Well, time to stick her tentacles to this guy's head, then. “What's your squid's name?” Pearl calls over.
“Uh...” Marina looks down at the squid she's hugging. “I don't think he has one.”
“Come on, you gotta name your ride, Rina! It's part of the fun.” Pearl wiggles a bit as she waits for the attendants to check the seat belts on all the kids on seahorses. “I'm gonna name mine.... um... Octavio.”
Marina sputters what must be a laugh.
“Yeah, I know, not that original for the eight tentacles,” Pearl says. “You can do better!”
“Uh...” Rina really sounds nervous about just a merry-go-round. It's good they're starting with this. “How about, uh, Oyster?”
“Sounds good,” Pearl says, then the ride starts forward with a slight jolt.
Marina yelps as her squid starts sliding up and down the pole. After a second, her yelling turns to laughter. “I didn't know they jumped!”
“It's just kinda bobbing up and down, but it's nice, ain't it?” Pearl asks. She raises up as high as she dares in this form, looking outside, but mostly just watching Rina, who's between her and the outside of the ride, staring around her with wide eyes.
When she lays flat, she resembles something. “Ya know, Rina, ya kinda look like this guy,” Pearl calls, patting her octopus's head with one free tentacle.
Marina freezes. She looks over at Pearl, her eyes wide.
“I'm always scared I'll bust something with my head, but yours is nice and smooth! Gotta admit, I'm jealous.”
The ride slows, and stops, and Marina lowers herself to the ground with her tentacles, then turns back fast. “Let's, uh, ride something else now,” she says. “What do you recommend?”
Pearl gets off the octopus and turns kid, then grabs Marina's hand. “How about the ferris wheel? You can see EVERYTHING up there!”
“That sounds good,” Marina says, giving Pearl's hand a squeeze.
Pearl's hearts soar. She squeezes back.