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It had been exactly eight days since that fateful day—the day Octopus had left Sugarteara for good.
The first thing Electric Eel had done, after that initial nap they had taken upon their arrival, was put them on house arrest. It wasn't official—there was no way for Electric Eel to enforce it, after all—but they advised Octopus to take a week off to make sure their injuries had subsided. Octopus had told him that they would only need a day, perhaps two, but Electric Eel argued that they had been working for so long that they deserved a vacation either way.
But today marks the day that restriction is lifted.
Octopus insisted that they help in keeping the city functioning, for it was the least they could do to repay Electric Eel's kindness. And Electric Eel had told them time and time again that they were welcome to Wandercrab, that they owed him nothing in return, but deep down he had known that he wouldn't be able to stop them from trying.
And so here they stood, fixing their hair out of their face in front of the mirror to the best of their ability.
Octopus has a much simpler outfit on now—nothing more than a shirt and a pair of shorts. It feels odd going out in such a "plain" manner, but it's not like their old priestly robes would make much sense here, they suppose.
Once their appearance is finally to their liking, they stand at the front door. This should suffice. They'll explore on their own, and socialize a little if they muster up the courage.
They move their hand to turn the knob and step outside.
Feeling the water against their legs and arms makes for such a strange feeling. They had worn longer clothes for most of life—even during summer, even to bed. They haven't dressed this lightly since childhood.
Being in public without the coral staff brings a strange nakedness with it. They're not sure what to do with their hands like this.
Electric Eel always puts his hands in his pockets, so they opt to do the same.
Truthfully, Octopus could have planned this venture better. It's not like them to walk without a purpose to their step. The sheer amount of newness, even just outside Electric Eel's door, is enough to make them stand still, thoughts ruminating.
Where should they go first?
Maybe they could head to that shopping district they frequented with Electric Eel before their permanent move. They know their way to and from there by heart now, after all.
The city's bustling with activity as Octopus quietly strolls on over. Some recognize them and wave, but they shy away from any prolongued conversations, even though they have Wandercrab's one rule by their side. Something about that kind of socialization simply intimidates them, though they aren't sure why.
When they reach that same street that Electric Eel took them down the first day they met, all they can do is listen in on all of the conversations. It's strange yet somewhat cathartic how well they blend in now.
One of the things Octopus had come to love about Wandercrab was just how community-driven it all was.
In Sugarteara, they were definitely more well-off than their peers. Everything they could have desired could be bought, yet even the nicest clothes and best furnishings failed to make them happy.
Money was much less of an object here. Things were far cheaper, for one, and if anyone needed food, it would be offered for free. Electric Eel had relayed that the food Choco Flounder served was considered a luxury among Wandercrab's citizens, yet they could pay for an entire meal with what it would cost for just an appetizer back home. No one in Wandercrab was ever left alone to suffer.
Shaking their head, Octopus realizes they've gotten lost in their thoughts when a trout working a food cart stand asks if they're okay. Feeling singled out, they reply quickly before skirting away, agonizing over how awkward the encounter had been.
Eventually they end up at the Tropical Jazz Bar.
"Ah, Octopus Cookie, is that you?"
"Choco Flounder Cookie! Yes, hello."
They can't help but watch as Choco Flounder peers over them, seemingly on the lookout for something.
"Is Electric Eel Cookie not with you?"
"Not today, no."
"I don’t think I've ever seen you without him."
"Haha," Octopus laughs, tinged blue with embarrassment, "you'd be right. He's busy at the power plant at the moment… I hope you do not mind."
"A customer's a customer," Choco Flounder insists. "Looking to order your usual?"
"Yes, please."
"I'll have that for you in just a second."
Choco Flounder turns around to gather the ingredients for Octopus's mocktail as they take a seat on one of the barstools. Unsure of what to do with themselves and with no Electric Eel to turn to, they tap their nails along the table.
They've gotten longer. Back home, they kept them short, but every time they've thought of asking Electric Eel for a nail clipper, he'd been out at work. And for some reason or another, they'd always forget by the time he'd come back.
Perhaps they'll remember this time.
"One mocked raspberry sangria for you.”
"Thank you," Octopus replies, nodding their head in a sort of half-bow. Old habits die hard, they suppose.
"Of course. Enjoy it."
The day has been rather pleasant and peaceful thus far, but as they stir their drink with a straw, they can't help but feel a general uneasiness in pit of their stomach. They aren't sure what it is, but something feels off today. As if today has been too perfect.
Perhaps they are simply still adjusting to this life—this life that they had chosen on a whim. This life that they never thought they'd have only a few months before.
Still, it feels so wrong to just be out and about. It feels as though they're going against their mother's wishes, even though they sought a new life in Wandercrab to avoid that very thing.
They still love her dearly, from the bottom of all three of their hearts. She was controlling, yes, but she did want them to be happy in the end, hadn't she?
They can't hate her. Not even if they tried.
Maybe they shouldn't be thinking too hard about her right now. They sigh, paying their tab and thanking Choco Flounder before sliding off of the barstool and heading on their way.
As they continue to make their way down the street, it astonishes them just how many names they know in Wandercrab. In Sugarteara, Mocha Ray was the only person they had known who wasn’t directly affiliated with the Octopus estate. Here they're able to put faces to the stories Electric Eel has told to them. Maybe in Wandercrab they could finally start living outside of the thoughts in their head.
One of those faces approaches now: Ivory Tail Cookie, by the looks of it. A skittish mermaid with red eyelashes and a cream-colored cape. It seems she's looking for something.
Finding themselves curious, they approach Ivory Tail from behind.
"Ivory Tail Cookie!" they call.
"W-Who's there?!" Ivory Tail shrieks, turning around with a shudder. She takes a deep breath upon seeing Octopus.
"You must be that Octopus Cookie…" she mutters, fidgeting with her hands. "You've been the talk of the town as of late… But you're not who I'm looking for."
"Am I, now?" Octopus asks, surprised despite knowing they shouldn't be. "Well, who is it that you are looking for?"
"Any strong cookie, really…" she clarifies. "There's this strange statue that fell from the shallower waters near my house, and I'm not strong enough to carry it to the junkyard… It's weird looking, and nearly as tall as I am… I don't like it."
"Statue…"
Statues usually aren't among the trash that makes its way to Wandercrab.
"May I see it?" Octopus asks, intrigued. "I know I am not very strong, but I may be of some assistance."
"U-Um, sure?" the mermaid replies with a puzzled expression. "I guess you do have more arms than I do… Follow me."
And so Octopus does, quickening their pace to walk alongside her. Unlike when they're with Electric Eel, the citygoers tend to ignore the two of them as they make their way to their destination. Ivory Tail is a rather flighty cookie, so Octopus supposes it makes sense, but it was still that much different from the almost hounding hospitality they've come to expect.
Ivory Tail's home lies in a remote corner of the city. It's so desolate that it makes the statue stand out that much more—a shiny, cyan thing, clearly crafted with the utmost care. Something about it sends a shiver through Octopus's body, though maybe they were exaggerating things. It wouldn't be so scary up close, right?
The closer they swim to it, however, the more they recognize this statue.
It's not a pleasant kind of familiar. It's an object they know should not be here, given how well looked after the temple was.
They stop as they arrive, and even kneel next to the statue to get a closer look. The bear jelly's eye's lifelessly stare back into their own, just as they did when Octopus once passed by it every day to light the temple flames. It once stood so proudly, but now has seemed to broken off from its base, sinking deep into this abyss. They can hear Ivory Tail's confused voice calling out to them, but they can't make out what she's saying.
Why is this here? Sugarteara was never one to just misplace important pieces of decor like this one. Not without a reason. Not unless something had been…
They look up. Up into the lighter waters from where they had come from. Then they look down at the statue again. They stand, feeling all three of their hearts increase their tempo.
"I have to go," they announce.
"H-Huh?" Ivory Tail asks, quivering. "Did something happen?"
Octopus shakes their head, unable to find the proper words to reply to her with. She doesn't even get another chance to ask before they hurry away, ignoring her cries of concern as they return back to Electric Eel's house. Their surroundings have begun to fade into a blur, but they don't care. Putting their own feelings above those of others is what got them into this mess in the first place.
Once they finally arrive at his house, they lock the door behind them as soon as they're inside.
Something has happened in Sugarteara. There's no other explanation for what they saw. But what, and why? Was it because of their departure?
Were they truly the last suture holding Sugarteara together?
Of course they were.
Their mother had told them that often, as did Mocha Ray. The purification was something only they could do, and it was their most worthwhile effort in maintaining the fragile stability of their home, the coral beginning to bleach and erode away. They stayed as long as they did because they knew that the innocent Sugartearans did not deserve to suffer for their own selfish comfort. What they just saw only proves that exactly what they had feared must have happened somehow. Maybe Sugarteara had rapidly succumbed to the tear's darkness. Maybe they failed to find stability in Octopus's absence. Maybe their mother—
They can't just stand here and do nothing anymore. Their home needs them. They made a mistake. They ruined so many lives just by being here.
They begin turning the house upside down as they search for the remnants of their uniform they had arrived to Wandercrab with, frantically fumbling through every drawer they come across.
Their patience wears thinner with each second. Had Electric Eel gotten rid of it? They wouldn't blame him—that was what was to be done with unnecessary things, with trash—
It feels like an eternity before they finally find their boots and pants beneath the couch, washed clean of the blood that once stained them. Of course he wouldn't have thrown them away—what had they been thinking? The denizens of Wandercrab were known to be upcyclers, and Electric Eel wouldn't throw away something that had good memories attached to it, even if those memories were now outweighed by bad ones. Though seeing their uniform again pains them, the care Electric Eel put into cleaning it to the best of his ability makes them smile.
But what were they to do about the lack of shirt? All of this was such a mess. Would they even be welcomed back after doing something so selfish?
The thought of their mother's disappointed glare meeting their eyes once more makes their chest tighten in fear, but Octopus knows they deserve to face the consequences of their actions.
They decide to simply keep their current shirt on while they change into the clothes that they have found. They color shift their tentacles to that same color they always used to make them blend in as a skirt with the rest of their outfit.
Before they go, they decide to look in the mirror one last time.
They look so shabby. Their mother would be ashamed. But it's better than nothing.
Just as they're about to head out the door, however, they hear the door unlocking. Electric Eel was home.
Their stomach drops.
Not only were they about to desert him, they were about to leave his house in such an unsightly state! What should they say? What should they do? They feel like they could burst, dissolve into seafoam right then and there—
"…Octo? Are you okay?"
Octopus freezes where they stand, looking over at Electric Eel. They're too paralyzed to form words at first, but soon, they speak.
"…I have to go," they choke out.
"What? Go where?"
"I have to go back. Back to Sugarteara. I've made a mistake."
"Hold on, what're you talking about?" Electric Eel asks, tilting his head. "What happened?"
"I left the house today, while you were gone," they explain. "I encountered someone had found a statue from Sugarteara that had fallen. One that I know would not be here if everything was fine. They're likely suffering, and it's all my fault."
Electric Eel clicks his tongue at their words. There's a grimace to his face, though Octopus isn't sure what it means. He wasn't mad at them, was he?
"Okay, okay, okay," he mutters, tapping his foot against the sand. "Maybe it was a fluke. An underwater volcano or something."
"There are no volcanoes there, Eel!" Octopus exclaims. "I don't know what could have caused this, or who may have been hurt, and it terrifies me!"
Tears well up in their eyes.
"I'm sorry. I cannot stand the thought of my selfishness causing harm to them. Them and my mother. I was so utterly impulsive."
Unsure of what to do, Electric Eel finds himself holding onto both of their forearms. "Let's calm down for a sec, okay?"
"How can I stay calm when I've realized just how terrible I am?" Octopus sobs shaking against Electric Eel's hold. "I have to go back! I have to make everything right! I owe it to all of them! All of them!"
Electric Eel braces himself as they shake, brow furrowed. "Can… Can you at least explain to me how one fallen statue means all those things?"
"It's… It's…"
They can't come up with any defininitive proof, yet it makes so much sense to them. It might sound irrational to Electric Eel, yet one fallen statue spelling Sugarteara's doom makes perfect sense to Octopus. Flukes don't just happen in Sugarteara.
They try and try to choke their words out, but it grows more difficult the more effort they put into their attempts. They can tell how dumbfounded he is, too. How ridiculous they look and how annoyed he must be. They look down in shame, as if they're a child in trouble, and continue to sob.
"I just know it somehow! I am so sorry… Please don't burden yourself with my mistakes."
"It's… It's okay," Electric Eel breathes. "I don't mind. I want you in my life, Octopus."
He opens his eyes to look into theirs, even though they can't see him through their tears.
"Would you be able to promise me something? Before you go."
Octopus nods wordlessly in response, still not being able to look him in the eye.
"If… If you really are going. Can you stay here until you stop crying, at least?"
A sense of urgency lingers within Octopus, but they know better than to back out of a promise. They nod once again.
"Y-Yes. I can."
"I just can't let you go until I know you're in your right mind," Electric Eel explains, finally loosening his grip on their forearms.
"I understand," they reply, attempting to take deep breaths. It's difficult, but they try. While they breathe, Electric Eel tears his gaze away from them.
"…Are you really going?" he asks, with a weakness Octopus is unfamiliar with to his voice.
The strain in his voice catches them off-guard, giving them pause.
What do they truly desire, and what is their mind telling them that they are obligated to do?
"…Would it hurt you if I did leave?"
"I mean… yeah," Electric Eel admits, eyes downcast. "I'd really miss you. I was really looking forward to just… spending our lives together, I guess?"
Electric Eel lets out a sigh. He's not the sighing type, and they know it.
"But more than that. More than anything I feel, I just… I don't want you to walk right back into a place where they'll use you like some sort of tool again."
This whole time, Octopus hadn't even considered how this would hurt them. All that had come to mind is how their actions are hurting others, and how they ought to amend their wrongs and heal the pain they've caused. Even now, they've found themselves more concerned with how Electric Eel is feeling rather than how truly reluctant they are to return.
Because, as much as a part of them hates to admit it, they do not want to return.
They know that he's right. That they went through so much agony for the sake of others in Sugarteara, and that part of the reason they left was to escape that treatment. And yet…
"…I understand. I do not know why it has felt so necessary to return."
"It's 'cause you're so damn selfless," Electric Eel curses, answering the question they didn't even ask. "You've convinced yourself that your own feelings are way below everybody else's. That prioritizing a life where you're actually living is somehow wrong."
Electric Eel forces himself to look them in the eyes. Octopus's own soften.
"I really wish you would be a bit more selfish, honestly."
"I apologize."
"I just don't get it with you," Electric Eel continues. "Aren't you so much happier here? You were itching to get outside and start helping out in Wandercrab. Are you really gonna throw that all away?"
Octopus goes quiet, unable to form good rebuttal.
"And it was just one statue! How can you prove that means anything? How can you know it's not just some fluke? Are you really gonna give up your freedom for some dumb statue?"
The more Electric Eel talks, the more Octopus shrinks where they stand. They know he's right, and that he has every right to be annoyed.
"I know that recovery isn't linear, but—"
Electric Eel huffs.
"Sorry. I was trying to calm you down but I ended up getting all angry. I just care about you. A lot. And I wanna make sure you start caring about yourself too. It's your life. Not your city's."
"It's all right," Octopus murmurs. "I understand that this is confusing to you. Feeling this way is confusing to me as well…"
Instead of replying directly, Electric Eel grabs their hands. He feels them with every inch of his own until they're practically baked into his memory, turning them over this way and that. Octopus doesn't quite get the gesture, but they allow it.
If their mind wasn't racing a mile a minute, they'd be endeared.
"If you go, I don't know that you won't just sacrifice yourself. And that scares me."
Looking at his hands in their own, Octopus takes a deep breath.
What did they truly want?
They've felt so much happier and so much free here in Wandercrab. And yet, a part of their mind still has that belief instilled within them that they cannot afford make choices like this for themselves.
But that's wrong. They know it is, and the more they calm down, the more reassured they feel in changing their mind. They sigh, looking back into Electric Eel's eyes with a firm resolution.
"…You will not need to fear for that, then. As I will not be leaving."
"…Really?"
"Yes, really," Octopus confirms. "I feel that I should be less impulsive about it, at least, should I not?"
Electric Eel tries to respond to no avail. He decides to hug them instead, in one of those hugs that feels more like an enthused tackle. His hands between their shoulder blades, he rocks on tips of his toes, head in the crook of their neck.
Octopus is taken by surprise by the hug, but the feeling of his embrace makes them let out a chuckle of happiness as they wrap their arms around him in return.
It's a few minutes before words are spoken again. Electric Eel breaks the silence, voice muffled by Octopus's shirt.
"You know I would let you go if you really wanted to, right?"
"You would?"
"Yeah," Electric Eel says, slowing their rocking, "I just didn't think you really wanted to, deep down. That's why I tried to stop you."
Octopus can't help but chuckle. "And you were right… Thank you, Eel."
"Anytime," Electric Eel reassures them, nuzzling his head into their shoulder one last time before finally letting go.
When Octopus sees Electric Eel smile at them, they can't help but smile in return.
"…Do you wanna join me for my afternoon nap?" Electric Eel asks when the moment's grown stale.
"Hm... That does sound nice," Octopus muses.
Electric Eel yawns. "That arguing kinda tuckered me out…"
"I understand. I can be quite tiresome to deal with…"
Electric Eel gives Octopus a light punch on the shoulder. "No more self-deprecating talk until after our nap."
"Very well," Octopus agrees. "Can you make sure I don't stay asleep for too long?"
Electric Eel shrugs as he finishes pulling out the couch bed.
"No promises."
Chuckling, Octopus kicks off their shoes, letting their tentacles fade to their natural black as they wait for Electric Eel to get the blanket and join them under the covers.
