Chapter Text
Winter came in like a thundering wave, blanketing the sovereign nation of Octaria in soft, powdery snow, some even still falling from the sky as that warm sandy colored van came crunching along the paved roads of Tennouji.
Sumire was left rather excited at the sight of the white drifts that lined their path, bouncing in eager anticipation for their arrival at the Royal Kettle. Craig talked with his granddaughters, who sat with him in the rear row, yapping away about how nice it was that they finally got a break from… whatever it is they're doing nowadays. The only one not so thrilled was Tav, rather irritated by the chilly weather. Even with that insulated haori that his counterpart gave him, the cold wind still made him shudder in discomfort as he sat up front with Sam, who was playing chauffeur to the group.
“...Remind me again why we’re going out in this cod awful weather,” Tav grumbles, sinking into the fur lined rim of his outer coat.
"Well, one - Via was really insistent on wanting you guys here for the holidays this year…" Sam replied, with a neutral but optimistic look in her scarlet eyes, "Two - as much as I'd love to, I don't control the rate at which the weather moves. If I could, we wouldn't be having snow… and her father would be a bit more hesitant to have me around her."
The Octoling sighs, still pouting, but a little less vocal about it, “...The things I do for you people…”
“Oh hush mr grumpy gills,” Callie pipes up from the back seat, leaning forwards to poke him, “It’s a party. We’re not going to be outside for very long. You’ll have plenty of time to camp out by the fireplace once we get inside.”
"...She's right," Sam interjects, "...Besides… There's something pretty cool they recently added over here. Makes getting up to the Palace a helluva lot easier than before… No more are the days of me having to trek up hundreds of steps just to go see my girlfriend! Watch."
She pulls the van up to a small gate, bringing out an Octarian military badge for the guards that approach her window. They inspect it briefly… then nod, letting her pull onto a service road that curves up the peaks with a scenic view. The misty, snow-covered peaks loom over the Nantai Trough, with the wide, deep blue expanse of Lake Chuuzenji spread out below them. Some military helicopters go flying by, carrying supplies and soldiers to Kettles and Townships across the territory.
Sumire gasps, completely glued to the window and captivated by the sight. Callie ooohs, grabbing Marie’s shoulder to make her turn and look.
"Quite a sight, don't you think? We're probably about a couple thousand feet up and climbing… Not as high as Mount Akajako or Mount Nantai, but still a great view."
Craig huffs fondly at their wonder, and Tav… he briefly forgets about his aching scars, simply watching the world flow by them.
Once they reach the top of the road, the van would come to a steady stop alongside the helipads and Flight Hangar. Sam turns the keys in the ignition, cutting the engines with a huff. "We're heeere~!" the Inktoling would chirp with delight, climbing out of the driver's seat.
She peeks back in to where Sumire is, smiling cheekily, "You might wanna hurry up though, ladies - else your tentacles might freeze solid if you're not quick enough~"
The little Octoling squeaks fearfully, hopping out and rushing inside.
“That’s the same line you used on me when we were kids,” Callie snarks to her cousin as the two of them follow suit.
“You were the one who was too slow,” Marie huffs, “Not my fault you took it so seriously.”
“I believed that until I was twenty, Marie!”
“Like I said, not my fault.”
“Alright, alright,” Craig snorts, pushing them along, “Inside you two, come on.”
The Inktoling chuckles in amusement, before opening Tav's door gently, offering him a hand out of the van. Her olive tentacles bounce like a soft spring in the wind. He accepts the help without his usual fuss for once, just wanting to get inside as soon as possible.
"...There's a side door that we can duck in through, going past the workshops. It should be warmer than it's been in the past… given the King's been busting the engineers' asses into gear, prepping the palace for Blizzard Season since October. Bandana's been working on the insulation for nearly two weeks straight now…"
“Ugh… Blizzards. There better not be one while we’re here.”
=====
The double doors to the hangar pull open with ease, a large space full of helicopters currently under repair greeting them. Sparks fly from welding guns, machinery and crank wrenches clang and rattle… and a warm humming of a bassline track ebbs from the Octobot King L3Gs as repairs were underway, a familiar face visible from inside the gutted out cockpit.
Vio and his personal stage team worked quickly, circuit boards passed back and forth through the under-hatch. The Octarian peeks out from below, fuchsia tentacles draping behind him as he hangs backwards over the hatch hole, orange-tint safety goggles wrapped around his face (and mantle - he's in his Octopus form, it seems) as he reaches for some components, swinging himself back up into the craft once he has them in hand.
“Oh wow, isn’t that a blast from the past,” Callie chirps, tossing a glance over to Tav, “You never rebuilt yours after what happened, did you?”
“No,” he shrugs, “Or at least, I don’t think so. Kai hasn’t told me anything about it, so I think it’s safe to say it got scrapped. It’s not like I really need it anymore.”
“Aw, bummer. I was hoping to get it in the inheritance…”
“You are absolutely not getting it,” Tav huffs, turning to glare at her, “You would cause so much property damage.”
A soft rumble-like crash comes from nearby… and a familiar Inkling shape comes bursting in, covered head to toe in what looked like black soot, crusted on every curve and tentacle of the poor man. "...Phew…! Sonnuva-fish…"
Vio peeks out from the cockpit, sneering. "...The fuck did you do, Cuttlefish."
"Someone f'rgot t' disable th' fans from inside th' Ink Vacuum... Tried t' clean out an' it blew burnt ink right back at me! So it ain't my fault. Cut me some slack, will ya??" He groans, turning his attention to Tav. "...Oh. 'Ello there, pufferfish."
“Pufferfish, huh?” Marie grins, leering up at him.
Tav goes a light shade of green, hiding in the fur of his coat once again, “Don’t you even start.”
“You must be Other Gramps! Hi! It’s so nice to finally, properly, meet you!” Callie beams, bouncing over to the poor ash-laden man.
"...Howd–" He gets interrupted with the sudden impact of getting squeezed by the younger Inkling, his topknot shooting up like those novelty hats you can get at the carnival. He wheezes, looking at Craig with discomfort. "-Eeeeeee…"
The sailor sighs, coming over to wrangle the wayward squid sister, “Easy there sweetheart. Don’t crush him ‘fore he even gets the chance to speak.”
She steps back, also dusted with soot now, “Sorryyyyy. I’m just so excited!”
“And dusty,” her cousin comments, coming over much more reservedly, “Seriously Cal, do you even think before you leap?”
“Nope!”
Interestingly, the two were noticeably taller than their grandfather, neither one of them wearing heels.
Creighton flops backwards on the floor, squidding away briefly to shake off the rest of the soot, coming in rather casually once more. "Yeesh! Girl's got a grip… then ag'in, my Callie ain' much betta…"
A warble comes from the Octobot as the Octarian comes flumping out with a THUNK! onto the marble tile. He groans into the tarp, shifting to Octoling form, wearing a sleeveless grey thermal tank and black cargo pants. Hibiscus peeks out from one of the engine bays, looking bluntly to her father behind her welding goggles, "Dad… Y' really gotta be more careful. Y're gonna break somethin'..." The Shogun grumbles, adjusting to a seated position.
“And you’re the Other Octavio,” Marie hums. Her smile was soft, but her eyes were sharp, “It’s going to be interesting seeing the differences between you…”
Vio pushes up his glasses, revealing the lime-mauve eyes that glared behind them.
“Mar. What did I say about antagonizing them,” Callie huffs, puffing out her cheeks just like her grandfather does.
The green squid sister crosses her arms haughty, not unlike a certain Octoling… “It’s not antagonizing, it’s scientific observation.”
“So you can tease them later.”
“Maybe, maybe not. Who’s to say?”
Vio glances over to Tav, his frustrations rapidly dissipating. "Hey."
The Octoling sighs deeply at the girls' antics, giving a small wave, “...Hi.”
He slinks out from underneath the mech, standing up at full height, only slightly taller than the Octoling. "...Cod, it's like their personalities are swapped…"
“They were raised by Craig, so they’re both cheeky little gremlins,” Tav grumbles, “Marie’s just sneakier about it.”
"...Ahhhhh, now I see. That makes a lot more sense."
The group exits the hangar, going up a tier to the Private Common Room, where Via is working with an azure-colored Inkling to finish putting up streamers and decorations. Mika is setting up tablecloths, aiding the servants with some last finishing touches… including the hot chocolate table, which the room absolutely cannot be complete without.
The moment she can get away, Sumire bolts over to Mika, not having seen her in quite some time. Callie almost follows the scent of the hot chocolate… but a stern hand on her arm pulls her back from blindly following her stomach before introductions. Tav casts a longing glance at the fireplace, a gentle pat on his back from the sailor reminding him to be patient.
Via squeaks, squid jumping gently over to Sam once the banner is secured, the tiny Octopus snuggling right up against the Inktoling's… err… assets in the background.
Mika looks to Sumire, her long ears perking up.
"Oh. Sup, Su."
“Hiiii~ I’m so glad we could come over! It’s been ages.”
The small Inkling chuckles.
"Yeah, it has… Oh! Before I forget…!"
Mika rapidly walks over to the azure-hued Inkling, tapping her arm. The girl turns, following her as she returns. "...Sumire, t-this is my girlfriend, Eris."
"Hi there."
Eris is only slightly taller than Mika, her deep azure blue tentacles split into two forms of bangs, then two pigtails in the back. She wears a thick leather jacket and leggings, a pair of Punk Cherries sitting near the door (next to a pair of Punk Nights decorated with orange trim and a messenger bag embossed with the Annaki logo). Her eye mask is decorated with deep indigo eyeshadow and she wears matching lipstick.
The young Octoling waves, “Hi! I’m Sumire. It’s nice to meet you.”
She smiles and chuckles at the Octoling's enthusiasm, "Pleasure's mine."
Her pointed ears wiggle, revealing little firefly-shaped gold stud earrings.
Creighton sighs in relief, looking to Tav and Craig, "Make yerselves at home. My own granddaughters are s'pposed to be here, but I s'pose the weather's makin' them run a little behind. Would y'alls like any hot cocoa, t' help yous warm up?"
“Yes. I don’t even care that it’s sweet,” Tav groans, stretching the ache out of his gloved hands, “Anything to get rid of this damn chill…”
"...We have unsweetened too, if you'd prefer that."
“That… sounds great, actually. I didn’t know you could get unsweetened hot chocolate…”
"Yeah. It's pure cocoa, as opposed t' how the blends have it. I mean, I make my own semi-sweet with spices mixed in, but it might still be a bit much fer yer palate." The soldier would step over to the table, scooping out some powder from the red-colored jar instead of the clear jar and mixing it with hot milk, stirring it up before adding cinnamon. "Mika loves the bitter stuff, so I usually have it around fer when she visits… it was actually her to suggest we get extra so you'd have the option. Here y' go."
Tav holds it in both hands as it slowly cools, savoring the heat seeping into his joints. A sip has him pleasantly surprised at the taste, a nice deep bitterness.
Mika makes herself a cup from the same jar, adding cinnamon and a few pods of clove into hers. She blows lightly on it and takes a sip… Her ears flutter, smiling happily. And she was about to take another when the doorbell rings.
She goes to answer it, setting her drink down on the table, a delighted squeal ebbing in through the side as she slides open the door. Creighton and Vio look at each other with a shared 'welp here we go' written all over their faces, when –
"GRAAAAAAAAAAAMPS~!"
A bright cerise-pink blur comes flying in, knocking the older Inkling over with a yelp. At their feet was the other Callie - wearing a thick woven sweater that looks like a gingerbread squid, matched with thermal tights and a red plaid-print skirt, topped with gumdrop earrings. She snuggles into her grandfather with a big ol' grin. "How…dy…"
"...Sorry about her… She's already had a glass or two of eggnog from a work lunch."
And there was the other Marie in glow-stick green - wrapped in an oversized snowman sweater dress with a bright green scarf and thermal tights that matched her cousins, Squidsmas light shaped earrings hanging from her long ears. Both girls have their hair tied up in their usual shapes.
"...Greeeeeeeeeat. So she's already loaded up on sugar."
"...And a little bit of bourbon."
"Oh."
Marie 1 looks at the pile with very little surprise, turning to her cousin, “...This is why I came over to your place so early, Cal. So you couldn’t ‘get into the spirit of things’ and cause a scene.”
“I’m not that bad when I’m tipsy,” said Inkling huffs.
The two were dressed quite differently from their counterparts. Callie 1 had on an obnoxiously sparkly pink sweater, black thermal pants, and her hair down in a braid over her shoulder. Marie 1 was wearing a rather neat white, long sleeved blouse, and an ankle length olive green skirt, with her hair down for once. Interestingly, both were wearing a single earring, with a smooth cut pink and green stone hanging from pure platinum hooks. They looked to be two halves of a matching pair.
"...It's not even that she's full-on tipsy," Marie 2 would interject, "...It was a rather sweet eggnog. Pair that with all the peppermint canes she downed earlier…"
“...Sugar rush central,” Marie 1 nods.
Mika groans, pulling the hyperactive Inkling off of the old man with one arm. Thank goodness for it too, because Creighton looks like all the air was knocked out of him.
"You can't keep doing that every time we come see him, Callie," the tiny Inkling growls in annoyance, "You might accidentally crush him to death one of these days."
Callie 2 chuckles awkwardly, "...Heh… Sorry, Gramps."
Vio kneels down, picking the nearly-flattened squid.
"Go ahead and have a seat, get yourselves comfortable, and we'll be right back… I need to take Creighton back to the Barracks so we're a little more… presentable."
And he exits with his fiance in tow, the Inkling slowly re-inflating with time.
Tav doesn't waste a single second to plop himself down as close to the fireplace as possible, stubbornly curling up with his unsweetened hot chocolate. Craig follows with a light, amused chuckle, settling in nice and close.
Marie 2 comes over to look at her other grandfather and his partner.
"...Hmm. So similar, yet so different from Gramps and the DJ… How interesting."
She seems a lot tamer compared to their own granddaughter, although she still holds that stern air about her. She also holds herself quite profreshionally, all things considered.
Her calm tone does nothing to ease the Octoling’s nerves. In fact, it only seems to make them worse. He doesn’t show it, eschewing a response by taking a long sip of his drink. In the back of his mind, there was a small fear that if he spoke, he was going to offend her and ruin this nice thing he’s worked so hard to maintain. It wouldn’t be a stretch to say he was intimidated by her. Marie Cuttlefish is one scary squid.
Mika drops Callie 2 on her ass, the peppy Inkling popping back onto her feet rather quickly. She turns to greet the two – "It's very nice to meet you-" – when she suddenly stops, looking over Craig. "Heyyyyyyy, wait a minute! You're that Other Gramps from the Rollerball Incident!"
The tiny Inkling turns to her cousin, "...Roller…ball… Incident?"
Callie 2 rubs the back of her head, chuckling awkwardly, "...Admittedly, I might've gotten a teensy bit carried away…"
“More like a lot,” Craig huffs, a little sternly, “We understand that it was an accident, but what ya did could have resulted in major consequences. We got incredibly lucky thin’s shook out the way they did.”
“What… happened?” Tav braves asking, confused.
"A certain somesquid decided it would be a smart idea to play Rollerball out in the training courtyard," Via would interject, shifting back to Octoling shape with an annoyed huff. "...Callie accidentally knocked the ball with a Super Charged Swing and it actually somehow grew threefold its size, dinged through the scoring pole on my side of the court, and crashed into the Hangar Wall. Then when the wall clanged back into shape, gaining momentum from the force of the engineers smacking the dent from the inside with the Octobot's Fists, it went flying right back towards the terrace at high velocity… slamming Dad clean through the railings and plunging right down into the forest."
Tav was, understandably, horrified, “...That’s what happened to him?”
“Y’didn’t know?”
“I was a bit concussed at the time, Craig. I only really processed about half of what you said over the phone.”
"And lemme tell ya, Papa was pissed. Good Cod, that man is terrifying when he's genuinely angry about something… The kind of anger that could strip the paint off a cargo ship and destroy its payload while still fifty miles out." The tiny Octarian shivers.
“I… don’t have to imagine,” the Octoling mumbles quietly into his cup. He seemed a bit… melancholic and reserved, even more so than he usually was.
Callie 2 looked sheepishly to Craig, ears drooped.
That's when the door opens – "Sorry fer the wait, darlin's…!" – revealing the soldier all decked out in more festive attire. He wore the tackiest, nerdiest sweater-vest known to Inkfishkind, topping some nicer slacks and his usual Inky Clams, smiling from ear to ear behind those squared frames. It made him look ridiculous, but he seemed so happy in it, especially with his bangs swept over to the side casually. "Took a lil' bit fer Vio to change… 'ppreciate yer patience."
Craig grins, lightly punching his husband on the arm, “See! I told ya I shoulda worn that sweater Callie got me last Squidmas.”
The Octoling glances over… and groans, “Absolutely not. I’m burning that thing as soon as we get home.”
“You wouldn’t!”
“I will.”
“If ya do that, she’s just gonna get an even worse one, an’ give ya one too~ Are ya willin’ to take that chance, pretty boy?”
A low, rumbling chuckle came from the door, "...I hate to say he might be right, Tav. It's just gonna egg her on to do worse."
And there was Vio, coming in right behind the soldier, in attire quite unsuited for how he usually dressed - of course, there was still the blue hakama from weeks before, but he was wearing a rather deep-blue turtleneck with piano rolls decorating the sleeves and collar. Despite the sweater, however, he still held a raven blue haori coat around him like a shawl. His hair was down for a change, tacked back in a low ponytail with a different clasp, one that was more ornate than his Crown. The mix of casual and traditional seemed rather… out of place, at least for the Shogun, but was still well coordinated.
“Ooooo~ I could get those ones with the glitter threads…” Callie 1 muses wistfully.
“Don’t. Please. I’m actually begging here,” Tav whines, slumping into the couch.
He was starting to look a little bit miserable, to be honest. Curled up tight in the corner, clutching his drink like a lifeline… He hadn’t even taken off his coat when they got inside, nor his scarf, or gloves. Give him a blanket, and you’re guaranteed to never see his face again.
Vio comes over and gently puts a hand on his shoulder. "...You alright…?"
“Just– cold,” the Octoling shivers.
His husband sighs, leaning a bit more into his side, “...His circulation hasn’t been very good lately. He’s quick to get cold, slow to warm up… Really ain’t helpin’ his thermoregulation issues.”
"This might help then," Via chirps, bringing out a ribbon-topped box from under the bedazzled pine tree in the corner. She brings it over to the two of them, her tentacles wiggling with gentle delight.
Tav looked… confused. Craig is the one to take it from her, swapping out the Octoling’s drink with the gift. The box is the tiniest bit heavy, but it still appears rather easy to open. Still, his hands hover over it, hesitating. Clearly, he hadn’t anticipated receiving anything that night.
After a moment, a discrete poke to the side gets him moving.
When he opens the box, a lovely, dark wine purple fabric greets him, woven and embroidered with cherry blossoms and camellias. Out comes what appears to be a weighted, insulated haori coat, constructed with a quilted stitch on the inner layers. Paired with a set of accenting thermal haori made from a thick material, it felt soft yet dense enough to hold in anything.
Tav… stares. Unblinking.
He looked stunned.
Craig would recognize the fabric pattern as another they had seen at the fabric shop some time ago, called "Subakiye Hayomi" <Camellia Garden>. It is a silk blend fabric that's woven in the Koyoso District… and it appears to have been mechanically embroidered to bring out the detail in the flowers. The quilting on the inside also has camellia designs towards the bottom of the inner lining, most likely to match with it.
Craig whistles, admiring the craftsmanship while Tav is busy bluescreening, “Now ain’t that somethin’... Care in every stitch.”
He turns to his husband, grinning, “...Wanna try it on?”
At last, the Octoling’s tentacles twitch, reboot complete, “Uh– Well–”
But he doesn’t get to finish, seeing as the Inkling was already standing and tugging him along, “C’mon! Y’ know ya want to~”
With a small, startled yelp, Tav stumbles after the man, box clutched tightly to his chest as he’s dragged out of the room.
Via and her fathers share a cheeky smirk as the two go zooming down the hall.
It would take them a fair bit to come back, but when they do, Tav seems so much more comfortable. It fits him wonderfully, and the dark fabric compliments him well. The refined, traditional look is contrasted sharply by his husband’s light blue snowflake patterned sweater and khaki slacks, but in a good way.
The couple looks delightedly to Tav, Creighton's granddaughters and niece looking at him with joyful surprise. Via approaches, tentacles still waving behind her idly.
"Sooooo~? How does it feel?"
He shies away a bit from all of the attention, tentacles shifting to hide his face bashfully, “It’s… warm. And soft. I– Um… Like it. A lot.”
"Great! I'm happy if you're happy. Plus, Kayoan fleece is some of the warmest in the world, so it should bulk your warmth quite a bit… After all, it's made in a province where Shy-of-Zero is considered Summer Weather." She beams with pride, "I wouldn't have the quality any other way for one of my works."
The instinct to insist that she didn’t have to go through all of this effort for him was strong… but he bites his tongue. “...Thank you, Via. I really appreciate it,” he mumbles shyly, cheeks burning a light green.
She gives a delighted "Veemo!" in reply, ears wiggling.
“Yer hands are still freezin’ though… seems like it’s gonna take a bit fer ‘em to warm up,” Craig points out innocently, twining their fingers together.
“...Is this just an excuse so you can hold my hand?” Tav gravels bluntly, distracted from the feelings of self-consciousness for a moment.
“Yes.”
The Inkling’s completely deadpan delivery blows a wide hole through his standoffish mask, startling him into cracking a smile with a rough, stilted snort of amusement.
Vio and Creighton chuckle light-heartedly, taking a seat and waiting for the two to come join them. Craig hardly even has to lift a finger to get the Octoling to follow him to the couch. It was a little bit snug with all four of them… but not one of them seemed to mind. With Craig on his right, Vio on his left, and the super fucking comfy and warm thermals from Via, Tav was finally starting to enjoy this party.
Mika and Eris sat in one beanbag, Via and Sam sat in another, and the two sets of Squid Sisters were having a good chat near the hot cocoa table, getting to know each other. Everything seemed nice and cozy.
However, there was one person missing - and in she came, discreetly sliding in and trying to grab a cup of hot cocoa. Hibiscus was dressed rather tomboyish, wearing her normal overalls over a reindeer-fish sweater, goggles perched up on her ultra-short tentacles. She seems to be attempting to grab her drink and abscond back down the hall to the Workshops, hoping not to be spotted, when –
“Oh, hi! You’re Via’s sister, right?”
The tall Octoling freezes, looking back to the tiny one. "Um… yeeeeesssss?"
“I’ve seen you a few times, but I don’t think we’ve actually been introduced,” the young girl hums, holding out a hand, “I’m Sumire!”
"Uh… Pleasured…?"
She takes off her glove, so the oil on it doesn't smear onto the young one's hand as she shakes it. Her skin is that same shade of sepia, fuchsia tipped, delicate.
"Oh, come on, Hibiscus," Via would jokingly chide, "No need to be so awkward. Besides, y' need to talk to more people anywho, silly squid!"
She would squirm a little bit, but ultimately resign herself, at least for one night.
"Hibiscus. Hibiscus Takowasa. I… work as one of the mechanics fer Dad's armies…"
"And also my darling baby sister~~!"
"....Clam it, sis… I'm only a few years under ya, so don' let it get to your head…"
Sumire giggles at their banter, finding it endearing.
"Both of you, cool it," Vio would warble, glaring at them both.
The two young Octarians awkwardly chime - "yes, Dad…"
He groans, shaking his head before glancing up to Craig.
“What's been goin’ on on yer end these past few weeks?” the sailor prompts.
"...Well… paperwork up the ass, on my end. We finally got the bullshit with the Rail Expansion all sorted, so that's going to start up once things dry out… Did some improvements to the Palace, including an update to our grid. Made it so we can utilize Power Eggs as an alternative to solar energy during the winter months, as weather like this wouldn't give enough charge for our batteries to provide power here due to the cloud cover…"
“Have you been able to look into the viability of geothermal generators at all? That's what we use, alongside what our zapfish can provide,” Tav inquires, “Our situations are different, as we’re still underground, but it is fairly reliable.”
"...My scientists are still studying Mount Akajako to see if we can implement it for those areas first before poking at Nantai. Our Cephalon HQ bases are working on it though… In the meantime, Power Eggs are what we've been using overall here." Vio shifts his legs a little, "As the Zapfish gets older… the more likely the chance that Inkopolis and Takoji will both have power problems on a scale to twenty-odd years ago, when we were still underground."
The Octoling sighs, expecting that response, but still disappointed, “Land… Energy… It’s always a race against time, isn't it?”
"...Yeah. And I'm not getting any younger…" the Octarian sighed.
“The weight o’ the world ain't restin’ on yer shoulders,” Craig softly chides, “Do what ya can, but don't work yerselves into the ground over it.”
"As… for… my end," Creighton creaks, hoping to change the topic to something a little lighter, "I've been hammerin' out all the kinks in that little doohickey 'uv mine. Was gon' go see if Sheld'n could make any last suggest'ns a few weeks ago… but when I got there, he wasn' in. Texted 'im and haven' got nothin' yet."
“Huh. That's odd… The one on our end’s always prompt t’ reply… Though maybe that's just a difference ‘tween them.”
The soldier leans back a little, "Last I saw 'im, though, he was talkin' t' a darlin' young lady wit' quite a knack fer tools. Makes m' wonder if that's got some'in t' do wit' it."
“Was he now… Little Shellendorf’s got himself a sweetheart?” The sailor grins.
"Hard t' say. Bright young octopus, though… Round glasses, warm smile… Looked like she could talk yer ear off jus' as well as 'im…." Creighton muses.
"Oh! That must be Aubrey! Sounds almost exactly like her…"
“Friend o’ yers?” Craig asks, turning to the beanbag corner.
"...She and I were in Basic together," Sam recounts, "She has something called encephalo…chromato…atrophy?… It's colloquially called Droopy Ink Syndrome. Her nervous system has defects in ink production and cohesion, so she can't use her swim form, and even then has to walk around with arm canes and braces not unlike yours, Cap. Can't walk for long periods, but she's sharp as a fucking blade… While I was an engineer, she was a recycler. She makes broken shit into cool shit as a… I suppose it'd be considered a special interest."
“Oh! Is this the same young lady we met on the bus, an’ then ran into on the train durin’ Sumire's birthday?”
Via smiles widely, nodding, "Mmhmm! She runs the Ammo Knights Express out in Takoji, so she's always between there and the Splatsville store getting inventory lists and giving sales reports. Although she also goes to the Inkopolis outlets to help Shelly and Donny too when need be."
“Thought so… She’s a charmin’ one, an’ quite the skilled conversationalist,” the sailor hums, “Those two’ll make quite the pair, even just as friends.”
The two girls chuckle.
…And that's when a timid voice pipes up, rare, but serious, “Um… guys?”
"What's up, darlin'?" Creighton perks up.
Sumire shifts nervously, glancing out the window, “Is… snow supposed to fall so fast you can't see the outside anymore?”
Vio perks up, getting up from the couch.
He sweeps over to the young Octoling's side, looking out the window.
His tentacles curl up in displeasure.
".....Fuck."