Work Text:
Green
“I know Inkopolis is a good place, shell, you come from there, but my skin is green.” Alex studies himself in the mirror again, refusing to turn to look at Droney—uh, Pearl. “Green. I'm gonna be laughed out of basic training.”
“For the last time, turf war isn't basic training, and you'll be fine.” Droney stomps over to clap a hand on his back. “You may get some weird looks, but if you turf well, no one will care after a couple matches. You might even make some friends.”
Alex rolls his eyes. Friends isn't the goal. Finding out what happened to Eleanor, and carving out a life on the surface, is the goal.
“Want me and Rina to come with you?”
Alex hesitates, his tentacles curling and uncurling and curling again.
“It'd be no problem,” Droney says. “You know Rina's been looking forward to—”
“Maybe I'll just wait another day, or two, until I get started turfing,” Alex says. He feels like a coward, but he's not. He's just. Waiting for Marina to be occupied, so she can't go with him, because she's Marina Ida the engineer who had the spot he wanted even though she's three or four years younger than him, and even famous on the surface. And he owes her for making the memverse, so he doesn't know how to act.
If this were the domes, he'd know how to pay his debt, but nothing's certain on the surface and Droney gets angry every time he tries to be Marina's servant.
“You can stay here as long as you want, dude, but you've gotta at least leave the mansion.” Droney shoves his shoulder. “You need friends. I could ask Acht to go with you; they're green, never bothers them. But you can't really search for Ellie without—”
“Pearl!” Marina Ida bursts into the room, and Alex twists his tentacles in respect. “Took eight days of searching the boards, but I found one!” She holds up a small computer.
“Yo!” Droney shouts, and reaches up to grab Alex's shoulder and give it a shake. “Maybe you can! ”
“Can what?” Alex asks, looking between Droney and Marina Ida.
Marina Ida looks at him and her tentacles droop at the tips. “Stop doing that, we're not underground,” she says, and Alex presses his tentacles against his head. She plops into Alex's desk chair and opens the computer, pointing to a yellow page separated into a couple rectangles. Alex leans closer, his eyes widening and tentacles going stiff.
The writing is in Octarian, not the Inklish he's been struggling with.
This is Angel, domes name Opal Barnacle, former squad 826, on the surface and alive. Any others from splatoon 826?
Maple here, kept my domes name, I was in splatoon 256. Currently in the splatlands.
Minceling Caballo, formerly Octavia Loyalty, of Splatoon 7077. I left behind three younger Octings, and I want them to be able to find me if they come up.
Every rectangle includes a little text box in Inklish, that he can't read, but Marina Ida taps on one and it opens. It has a picture of Opal Angel, and names and descriptions of all his former splatoon members.
Alex sucks in a breath. “I can find Ellie this way?”
“Maybe,” Marina Ida says.
“You won't know if you don't try!” Droney says. “Bet not every Octoling's on here, or knows about it, but if she finds it she'll find you!”
“Let's make you an account, and get set up,” says Marina Ida.
Alex grabs the end of a tentacle with one hand and squeezes. “Thanks. I... I acknowledge my debt.”
Droney snorts. “Acknowledge nothing, you're on the surface now, we wanna help!” She grabs him again. “Stand against the wall, I'll get your picture for your post.”
Alex squeezes his tentacle harder. “Can... do I have to have a picture?” He won't be green forever. And if he can help it...
He doesn't want Ellie to see him this way.