Chapter Text
Expectations
Tribble nibbles on Terry's nose. It makes him sneeze, like it always does, and roll over. Tribble moves to keep nibbling. He knows that means he's supposed to get up now, he knows sleeping late is an Inkling trait, but he was up really late with his mom last night, and
DEEP CUT!
Terry sits up fast, sending Tribble tumbling into his lap with a “Pwek!” and Terry grabs him, holds him steady as he swings his legs over the side of the—her legs, he woke up as Amy, of course, he changes forms when he sleeps and he's always a girl at home he was born a girl. Last night, while he and his mom raided a Grizzco holding facility and rescued over five hundred smallfry being fattened for makomart fish counters. But while he was gone, Deep Cut came and spoke to his father and sister.
And now that he's awake, that makes him nervous.
So he looks around and belatedly realizes he's in his sister's bed, still, and his sister is... not in his bed? That means she's awake. He really overslept. Only, as he holds Tribble to his chest and stands and stretches and gets out his Splatsville outfit, it isn't that late. Just a little past sunrise.
So why is his sister awake? She's never awake this early.
When Terry emerges, he finds his father and sister in the kitchen, each eating a ration bar. “Good morning, Amy,” says his father.
“Morning, dad, ” he says.
His dad chuckles. “You slept right through Atla getting up, and us giving Tribble some breakfast. Last night wear you out?”
Terry bounces. “It was so great, though! We freed over five hundred small fry, now they'll be able to grow up properly into Big Salmonid and hopefully die in battle like they wanted, not kept back as slaughter.” He reaches for a ration bar.
“Since you'll be having breakfast with Deep Cut, you won't need anything here,” his dad says. Even though that's what Terry's been doing every morning for months, it still stings to hear his dad say it, and he puts the bar down. “So, what are your plans for today?”
Terry shrugs, swapping Tribble to his other arm. “Head into Splatsville. Meet up with the NSS in about an hour, maybe two hours; I think we'll start exploring a new island in Alterna today.”
“Good,” says his dad. “Will you spend the whole two hours with Deep Cut?”
“Probably not all of it, but usually forty minutes or an hour.”
“I want you to try getting closer to Shiver, my diamond,” he says. “See if you can get her sympathy, to make her want to visit us again. I think, if she returns alone, I may be able to get something.”
Terry winces. “That'll be hard,” he says. “The members of Deep Cut rarely go places alone. But I'll do my best.”
His father nods. “Atla, my ammolite, I'll need you to go to Splatsville today. When Deep Cut is doing the news, wave, but don't stay around long enough for them to speak with you, understand?”
“I've got it, Dad,” she says. “They're Terry's turf. I just keep his cover, make them think he isn't with the NSS.”
“When you're not doing that, I want you to play with more people today,” says their father. “Different people. Octolings. Like we discussed yesterday. You aren't to put your hypnoshades back on until you get home this evening, is that understood?”
Terry doesn't know what he missed, but it sounds like his dad figured out Atla's got real friendships with her turf buddies. His hearts ache for her. That's the real hard part of being on the surface: all their friendships are lies.
At least he doesn't have to worry about that. All he's got is Tribble.
“In any case, it's almost time for the bus,” his dad says. “I'll walk you to the bus, Amy, then I'll be going underground for—”
“I can walk her, Dad,” says Atla.
“I'm surprised you're not going back to bed, ” Terry says.
Atla rolls her eyes. “I don't think he slept last night, and if he's gotta supply the council and DJ with a personal report he's not gonna have time for any today, either. Unless he sleeps now.”
Oh! Yeah, that's right, their dad usually sleeps during the day. “Go to bed, Dad,” Terry says. “We can handle it.”
His dad raises an eyebrow, but nods. “If you're both sure. I don't like leaving you two alone so often; Octarians are about solidarity.”
“We don't have to be together all the time to support each other,” Atla says, kissing his forehead. “The strength of our suckers will connect us again.”
“That saying really doesn't translate well,” Terry says.
His father yawns and reaches for each of them with one tentacle. They reach back. Only once they've both been squeezed into safety does their father turn for bed.
The two tiptoe out and into the desert. The sun's just over the horizon, and Terry covers a yawn. He dips into swim form so he can re-emerge as himself as the two walk.
“Why are you a boy again?” asks Atla.
“I told you, it feels better,” Terry says. “I think I really am a boy.”
Atla kicks the sand. “I think you've just spent too much time in boy form. I don't feel more like a boy than a girl, and we're just the same.”
Yeah. The same in every way that matters. But... is this a way that matters? It has to be, doesn't it?
The phone in his pocket feels heavier than normal. He can use it to talk to that... deserter. Maybe she'll know.
“Anyway, dad didn't quite tell you everything about Deep Cut,” Atla says.
Terry realizes she's gotten ahead of him. He has to jog a couple steps to catch up. “What did he miss?”
“He started talking about all the things that are better underground. No one missing food. Free housing.”
Terry nods. “Did he talk about the guaranteed jobs, and that everyone gets the same treatment regardless of their rank? They're always helping the poor, it would probably appeal to them.”
“He did,” Atla says. “And he also said there were no other species down there, and how great that was.”
One of Terry's hearts stutters. He knows what his dad said. He's heard it before. He and Atla know that to live on the surface will require getting along with other species, possibly having them living in the New Octopolis they'll make of the wretched inkling city, because there's no way to live without trade. That's true underground with the Salmonids, but even with all the surface's resources, they'll need more.
And while Inkopolis and its people are all their enemies, individuals from the Splatlands, and from further away, aren't. Even if they are inklings.
But neither of that matters as much as, “Did Frye and Big Man hear?”
Atla twists a tentacle, and Terry's stomach clenches. So they did.
And now he has to face them. For breakfast.
DJ defend him.