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Something had obviously been bothering Shiver the past couple days. Frye would see her, more often than usual, tapping her fan either on her thigh or on the table in that way she only did when she was thinking, or she'd count and re-count the change she had in her dressing room vanity drawer. On their own, neither of these things would be particularly strange. Together, had they just started coming up with a new track, Frye might assume she was thinking about how to better get a line to fit or how much they might be able to charge if it was for another company.
However, as she was not aware of any such things happening, Frye could only assume it was something else bothering her. Possibly clan-related; Shiver didn't really talk about the doings of the Hohojiros. She had once told her they were, and thus she was raised to be as well, very secretive about their doings. The Mantas were not; Frye supposed it would be a little silly if a clan that ran a dance school were supposed to be some top-secret organization. The Onaga were somewhere in the middle. Frye didn't really talk about her clan as it never usually came up in casual conversation, but if someone had a question for her she'd be happy to answer.
Regardless. Shiver was bothered. Very likely to the point of being upset. And she hadn't spoken to her or, as far as she could tell, Big Man about it. So it was probably clan related, and she shouldn't ask because it was unlikely Shiver would, or could, talk to her about it anyway.
What a stupid rule.
The octoling in question was standing in front of the fridge in their little apartment, hand on the handle but not moving to open it. Definitely bothered; Shiver very rarely spaced out like that. Frye scooted up behind her, going to rest her chin on her head when her hand touching Shiver's hip made the octoling jump.
"Hey Shi— ow, fuck. Bit my tongue."
Shiver gave an unconvincing scowl, reaching up to tap her knuckles like she would her fan, were she holding it, on Frye's forehead. "Your fault. Don't startle me like that."
Of course, Frye didn't move beyond wrapping her arms around Shiver's middle and resting her chin on her head. "Ah, very scary Shiv. Your frown is very convincing." It was somewhat of a shame she couldn't properly see the pout that likely got. "So… You, uh, gonna tell me what's been buggin' you or…?"
Shiver grunted. "You could tell?"
"Shiv, I've known you for like, forever. I'm basically an expert Shiver Reader." After a pause, she continued. "Clan related?"
She got an annoyed huff at that. "Alright, you're not allowed to be that good at this."
Frye gave a laugh, loosening her hold as Shiver twisted to face her. "That's about as far as my incredible powers got me. No clue for the rest." She gave a disarming smile and raised her eyebrows expectantly.
Shiver sighed, her eye dragging off of Frye's face to somewhere in the general direction of their living room. She seemed to debate with herself very briefly, then continued speaking to that vague middle distance. Most likely she had been really wanting to talk about it but didn't know how.
"Ma said I'm almost ready to take over the clan. Mother agreed."
"Yo what? That's amazing!" Frye lit up with pride, picking her up and swinging her around in a hug. "I'm so—"
"We can't be together anymore."
"What?" That stopped Frye dead, smile still frozen on her face.
Thinking about it, Shiver had been a little more distant, but she assumed that was a byproduct of whatever was bugging her. It wasn't like she didn't still lean into a hug, hold Frye tight enough her claws pricked her skin, or tip her head in that no-longer-subtle way she did when she wanted a kiss but didn't want to seem like she was asking. Was she wrong about that? Had she done something? Could she—
Shiver's voice cut through her thoughts. "If I take over the clan. I can't be a part of Deep Cut anymore."
"Ooh," Frye let out a breath that deflated her shoulders. "Holy fuck Shiv, you scared the hell out of me. I thought you were, like— wait, you mean we can't be a band anymore? Are the Hohojiros that busy?"
"No, it's some rule. Not— band specific." She specified to Frye's slightly confused, vacant look. "I'm not supposed to interact closely with the other clan leaders."
Frye squinted as she let the thought process. The three of them had had their lives practically woven together for years. Deep Cut was a large part of who they were— bandits or bandmates, take your pick— but also…
"How's that gonna work with, like—" she hoisted Shiver a little bit in her arms, "— us?"
They'd been dating for almost as long as they'd been bandmates. Now, in hindsight, it had taken them a lot longer to get together than it probably should have. It had gotten to the point where Big Man, who had only told them this recently, had apparently been seriously considering begging (or paying, in Shiver's case) one of them to just coddamn ask already. Thankfully it hadn't come to that, though Shiver wanted to know how much money had theoretically been on the table. Out of curiosity, of course.
"I…" Shiver looked almost like she might cry, and Frye immediately regretted bringing it up. Of course she'd have thought about it, Shiver wasn't an idiot. Hence the problem; and doubly why she hadn't mentioned it.
"Sorry," Frye mostly set her down to wrap her in a better hug, and Shiver tucked her face into her neck. Claws pricked her back where the octoling held on. "Sorry. Why'd they even tell you you gotta take over if they knew all this shit?"
Shiver took a steadying breath before she spoke up, speaking almost like a recital. "The mantle of heir is passed down to the best Tamer in the clan; a title based on the size of the Tamer's bonded shark. Master was always a big deal even when we were younger, now…" Everyone knew Master Mega was the biggest shark that had been in the clan in years, never-mind bonded to a Tamer. The Hohojiro clan might be secretive, but the few times they went public seemed to be if they had something they felt was worth bragging about.
"Well, it has to be me."
"Can you like… decline? Just be like 'hey thanks for the offer, but I already got a job in a band. It's not a phase mom, we went big already.'" Shiver had a couple siblings; even if they weren't "as good" a Tamer as Shiver was, surely it'd be better than simply having no heir. What if the intended octoling just didn't want to?
She almost got a laugh; Shiver's breath puffed against her shoulder at that. "I've thought about it. Mother, when she was telling me about the responsibilities and whatever, said that's seen as a shirking of duty. Possibly subject to disowning or exile." Her grip on Frye tightened. "I still thought about it. I don't know if that would mean I'd lose Master."
"That's…" That seemed beyond extreme. What the hell was even going on in the Hohojiro clan anyway? "That's fucking stupid."
Shiver gave a stiff laugh, loosening her grip to look up at Frye with a tight smile. "Yes, I agree. But… you see my predicament."
"Well… we'll think of somethin'. Don't think you'll get rid of me that easy, Leader." She grinned and hoisted Shiver back up, hands bracing against Frye's shoulders as she was lifted. "Or Deep Cut! 'Cause y'know, the three of us are…"
Shiver's face brightened as she picked up their old saying. "The best."
"The brightest!" Frye continued.
"And bandmates forever!" As both of them finished the last line, Shiver dropped her brace against Frye's shoulders to wrap her arms around her instead.
Frye stumbled slightly with the impact, then, grinning, started peppering Shiver's shoulder, neck, and cheek with kisses, holding her tight against her. The octoling snorted into her hair before it cracked into that laugh Frye loved so much— full bodied, loud, unmistakably Shiver's.
"Alright, alright; stop, stop!" When Frye did not, Shiver pushed against her shoulders to make her, getting her face and neck out of range. She stayed like that for a moment, twirling the tentacle that ran beside the inkling's face between her fingers, then leaned down for a proper kiss. She, of course, obliged.
"Better?" Frye asked when they parted— not that they went very far, as Shiver's arms were looped around her neck.
Shiver hummed, resting her cheek on her shoulder. "Better. You can put me down now." She didn't move, though.
"Nope, sorry, think I gotta carry you around all day. It's like, legally required or something."
"Well, I suppose I can't argue with that." She snuggled into her hold. "Just don't try and carry me out of the apartment."