Chapter Text
Viridia was tired.
"Captain?" read the first line of the transcript. "We need you to --" and the transcript got fuzzy, as the sound of an ongoing Turf War overpowered the voice-to-text "--veemo the woom over at Octo Canyon. I'm -- BOOYAH! -- retired as of this week, so you've got to vequay the octonauts to--"
Cuttlefish had apparently fat-fingered and ended the call.
Viridia-- Captain Viridia now, though she'd become so familiar with being just Agent 3, had scoped it out, written a report, and submitted it for processing.
There were no Octarians left in the canyon. It was just automated systems -- and those had nearly taken her life, Marina's ruggedly-made Flooders almost killing her.
She was lucky, she reflected, to have escaped with her life. And why? So a paranoid old man could feel better about his vacation?
...
Viridia thought of her apartment, of the multi-monitor setup tracking all known Octarian bases, monitoring the activity of all of her closest "friends" and allies, watching the Inklings and Octolings engage in Turf Wars and damn Clam Blitz games without a single worry...
Her scar hurt.
She didn't want to go back.
And so, limping into Inkopolis, she turned left at the plaza instead of right, and entered an apartment building that she'd researched on behalf of a friend.
Friend.
Yeah, that was one way to put it.
Before she could overthink things, she'd found herself outside the first-floor apartment's door.
She hesitated.
What if after everything... she didn't want to see her? Viridia was some... trigger happy Inkling who'd tried to have her splatted for good only a few months ago. Sure, she was under mind control, but she'd splatted Octarians for less.
She'd splatted many, many Octarians for less.
Her head fell on the door, or at least, she tried to--
Unexpectedly, it opened, as a familiar face looked at Viridia--
But her balance was already off, since she'd expected a door there--
And she was just, so, tired--
Viridia fell to the ground, directly on top of the former Agent 8.
Elspeth.
Strange name, but she was called Viridia. Also, she was thinking about that while entirely entangled with the Octoling on the ground, so--
Viridia
...Hi.
Viridia
What's with that face?
Elspeth
...
Viridia
I guess that's fair.
Viridia
Well, I'll be off, then. Just need to not be on top of you anymore.
Elspeth
...Wait.
Elspeth
You look... awful.
Viridia
Gee, thanks. Didn't notice.
Elspeth
...
Viridia
Sorry. I'm taking this out on you.
Viridia
I just need to lie down for a bit, I think.
Elspeth
Take my couch.
Viridia
I didn't know you had a couch.
Elspeth
You're right.
Elspeth
Take my bed.
Viridia
!!
Viridia didn't know to react.
In her time in Octo Valley, most of her snap-judgements had been life or death. Splat or be splatted. Dodge or drown.
This, though? It was highly inappropriate to throw a Splat Bomb in a residential district (not to mention she'd left her gear unequipped), so Viridia did her esrtwhile plan B, her Get-Out-Of-Dodge-For-Maybe-Another-Second card, her one answer to all of life's most difficult challenges--
She turned into a squid.
Surprisingly, this did not help matters.
Elspeth
...
In her position on top of the other girl, Viridia couldn't swim far at all. Not to mention that Agent 8's warm body was appealing to some of her ancestral instincts.
Elspeth
You're so small like this...
Viridia felt Elspeth hug her tiny form, and went still.
Oh, that feels nice.
Viridia felt her eyes droop. There was something about the way she was being held -- no, the way she was being cuddled -- that made her understand why Judd the Cat lazed around all day.
This is really nice.
Elspeth
...
Elspeth
Are you falling asleep?
Viridia didn't reply.
Elspeth
...
Elspeth
I guess there's enough room in my bed for two of us...
Elspeth
And when you came in, you looked so...
Elspeth
...
Elspeth
I hope you have a good night's sleep, okay?
And with that, the great master tactician, the twice-over hero of Inkopolis, General of the New Squidbeak Splatoon, fell asleep clutched to Elspeth's chest.
Elspeth
(...)
Elspeth
(...How do I get up without waking her?)
Elspeth
(...Is she purring? Do squids purr?)
Elspeth
(...I should get off the floor.)
Elspeth
(...She seems so peaceful...)
Elspeth
(...I'll text Kara that we'll meet tomorrow instead.)
Elspeth
(...)
Elspeth
(...I remember sleeping on the train in the Deepsea Metro.)
Elspeth
(...It was always so uncomfortable...)
Elspeth
(...Strangely, right now my hardwood floor is the most comfortable place I've ever slept.)
Elspeth
(...)
Elspeth
(...She's still asleep.)
Elspeth
(...Good night, Viridia.)
Elspeth
(...)
Elspeth
(...and thank you for everything.)
And that's how they stayed, octoling girl and a squid cuddled to her chest, through the length of the night.