Work Text:
“It's a beautiful night tonight, isn’t it?” Eight asked, staring out the open window.
“Hm?” Three mumbled, lifting their face off the couch.
“The night! It is cool, and breezy!” Eight exclaimed, turning to face the inkling. “Perfect for a walk, yes?”
Three slung their legs off the old sofa, standing with a stretch. The day had been busy, and her back ached and creaked like an old bridge. Being the captain of the squidbeak splatoon wasn’t so bad right now, but the extra grizzco shifts she had to do to make rent was brutal. She walked over to the window, leaning against the sill and staring across the city. The sun had just finished setting, and the city was coming alive with the lights and sounds of the soon-to-be bustling nightlife. Eight shuffled to stand next to her, staring off as well. A cool breeze blew in, pushing their tentacles back a bit. Three tilted her head in thought, then turned her full attention to the octoling.
“You wanna go out tonight?” She asked quietly. “I don’t got any plans, so…”
Eight nodded excitedly. “Yes! Many things to see in Inkopolis, it will be fun!”
Three nodded, chuckling a bit. Despite living on the surface for a few years now at this point, Eight was always so excited to walk around the city. She was excited about a lot of surface things still, which always made Three smile. Three already had an idea of what route they would take, going over to the door and slipping her shoes on. Eight bounded along behind her, following suit. They stepped out into the hallway, descended the stairs, and stepped out into the city.
The first place they stopped at was a small food stand ran by a flashily-dressed octoling. Her outfit was always a rainbow of colors, with equally colorful ring piercings in her tentacles. She seemed to never stop smiling, exposing one section of her beak had been replaced with gold. Balls of takoyaki sizzled in the grill, the girl’s hands darting above it to turn the dough. The place was close to the apartment, in a smaller plaza-like area the locals called ‘the fishbone strip’. Eight loved the area, sometimes almost more than the square. As the two agents approached, the vendor smiled.
“Ah! You two! Gettin’ the usual?” She asked, already preparing two baskets.
Eight nodded, fishing for her wallet from her pocket. Before she could, though, the vendor thrust a basket into each of their hands. Their smile seemed to grow even wider.
“For my favorite customers, this one is on the house!” She said with a wink. “You two always make this place a lot brighter. Come back soon!”
She waved the duo off, and they slowly made their way to the next location. It was a place at the end of the Fishbone Strip, a small shop that specialized in odd trinkets and baubles. Three didn’t fully understand how a place like that could stay in business, and it seemed like the place was always empty. But, Eight liked it, so she didn’t argue. They ducked inside, Eight leading the way and pushing through the beaded curtain. Immediately the scent of lavender hit them, along with the smooth jazz playing from muffled speakers in the ceiling. Dim lights cast the place in a faint kaleidoscope of colors through the various hanging crystals and glass artworks. At the back, a sea anemone gave them a small wave, a glint in his eyes as he spotted his most frequent buyer. Eight waved back, not seeing the judging gaze of Three behind her. The owner didn’t seem perturbed, giving a small laugh and returning to the magazine he was reading.
Eight zipped off to check a display case of shining rocks, and as she did Three sidled up to the counter. Before she could even say anything, the owner leaned forward with a smile.
“You in the market for something special?” He asked quietly.
“W-what?” Three stuttered, suddenly taken aback.
Instead of answering, the man reached under the counter and brought up a small packet of slightly purple candles. They were about the size of a few gesos stacked on top of each other, and there were four in total. Immediately, the scent of lavender became much more intense. Three eyed the bag, then the anemone.
“You and that girl come in often, but she comes in alone a lot more!” He explained. “She wants to buy some of these, but doesn’t know how you’d react. She’s quite shy, you see!”
“I know, I live with her.” Three said flatly.
“Well, I thought you should know. Maybe it’d be a nice surprise? Plus, I heard…” He leaned in even closer, voice barely audible. “...lavender can help someone feel… more relaxed , if you catch my current.”
Three felt her ear twitch in surprise. She glanced over at Eight, who was holding another complex series of glass shards tied together into some sort of…windchime, mobile, thing. She turned her attention back to the store owner, quickly pulling out her wallet.
“Not a word to her.” She said as she slid the pack of candles into her pocket. It bulged slightly, but probably not noticeable. Probably.
“My lips are sealed.” He said, leaning back and returning to his reading.
Eight bought a small necklace, and the two set off for the next location. It was a bit further away, to a small park the two liked to visit. The trees here were sparse, but the space was wide and open. There were already a few people here enjoying the cool night, so the two set up on the grass a decent distance away from everyone else. Eight laid out fully, stretching her legs and arms out like a starfish. Three sat next to her, watching the octoling enjoy herself. The octoling held the necklace up to the moonlight, eying it like a profreshional. After a bit she nodded, letting it fall from her fingers. Her tentacles curled slightly, eyes gazing over to Three. She smiled.
“ You’re staring. ” She said in octarian. “ Don’t you want to look at the stars? ”
Three quickly looked away, feeling her face flush. “U-uh, um, sorry.”
Eight giggled, rolling over and resting her head against the inkling’s knee. “ Don’t be! I like when you look at me. You always smile when you do. ”
“R-really?” Three tried to meet Eight’s eyes, but her silver gaze made her face flush even more. She felt like she was glowing.
Eight sat up, fully leaning against the other. “ Thank you for coming out with me. Being captain is a tough job, I’m sure, but I’m glad you still do these things with me. It makes me feel…special. ”
Three nodded. “ Of course, I’ll always make time for you. Even if we don’t do much, I’m happy to be here with you. Just being here is nice. ”
Eight laughed again. “ I love that about you, too. Listen, you’re speaking in octarian. ”
“ Easier to speak in your native tongue, right? ” Three responded, slinging an arm around the octo.
“ Hm. Thank you, it is. Inkling is so…restrictive. ”
“ Oh? Too restrictive? ”
“ You don’t have enough swears. ”
Three laughed. “ Don’t let Marina hear that. I don’t want her to think we’re putting bad ideas in your head. You’re the one coming up with them yourself! ”
Eight laughed as well. There was a comfortable silence as the two sat together, staring up at the stars. Eight’s tentacles slowly twitched and uncurled, re-curling around Three’s closest. She didn’t fight it.
“ So, what did you buy? ” Eight asked suddenly.
“ O-oh, you saw? ” Three asked, feeling heat rise in her face again.
“ Didn’t mean to pry, just saw you shove something into your pocket .”
Three pulled the pack of candles out, passing it to Eight. “ He said you might like them. And, hey, I was a little curious myself. Might be a nice addition to the apartment. ”
Eight nodded, setting the pack aside silently. Three was about to ask if something was wrong, but the octoling suddenly threw her arm around three and flopped backward, cradling the inkling to her body. Three squeaked in surprise as Eight giggled.
“ You made a good choice! ” Eight said excitedly. “ Marina buys similar things! She really likes Lavender, and I’m sure you will too! ”
She buys them too, huh? Three thought, remembering the last thing the shop owner had said. She’d have to ask Marina if it actually…works.
But, that was for later. Three looked back up to the moon, then back down to Eight, who was staring starry-eyed at the inkling. She was giving an infectious smile, and Three felt one forming on her face as well.
“ ...well, look who’s staring now .” Three mumbled, shuffling a bit closer. “ Let’s go back in a bit, alright? It’s getting a bit cold… ”
“ Hm! ” Eight replied, nodding. “ Just, five more minutes… ”