The Great Storm
Guess who's gotten knee deep into Splatoon? (its me) Guess who fell in love with the new duo? (still me) Guess who thinks they're gay (not just me eyyyyy I know you guys are everywhere!)
Quick shout out to some folks on tumblr who helped inspire this
beanapocalypse (who makes some quality art so go follow them please, they deserve it! Also allowed me to meet some quality people, and geeked out with all of us)
the-kings-vengeance (a total nerd but one heck of cool person who geeked out with me and has therefore earned my respect)
rabbitpxl (a fellow writer and a huge motivator for this, so go follow them too! Also geeked out with me)
refroste (once again, geeked out with me and humored my puns, also a motivator to this story as well)
SO LETS GET THIS DUMPSTER FIRE BURNING!
The crowd roared while the two idols performed, dancing and smiling for the world to see. The fans had endured a freak thunderstorm just to see Off The Hook perform, and the rain didn't stop them at all even as it hammered on their t-shirts and faces. Inklings with soggy clothes danced to the beat and sung back the lyrics with the duo, a symbiotic rhythm forming with the rain as they did so.
The stage that the idols danced upon was sheltered from the storm's wrath, but when the wind forced the rain to change direction, the front of the domed structure was soaked in seconds. No equipment was damaged or at risk of being soaked, but the peppy Inkling who bounced around the stage was unaware of how slippery the floor was when she bounded through the small puddles. Music distracted her from her friend's warning, and suddenly, her feet slipped out from under her, falling off the stage and onto the ground below with a resounding SMACK! while the audience grimaced, shrieked, and gasped all in one breath. The Octoling behind the keyboards and soundboards shouted to her friend, but got no answer.
The music was halted as and the audience grew deftly quiet as the Inkling simply stayed on the ground, groaning in pain and struggling to get her breath back. Her friend was at her side after leaping down from the stage, struggling to pull the rapper from the floor, but the sopping wet mud made her shoes sink and she lost her balance and toppled over, as well. Embarrassment at her fall made her cheeks burn, even with the cold mud splattering her face and clothes, she felt her entire body warm up. The fallen rapper looked at her and was giggling and smiling, forgetting for the moment that she too had fallen, even a farther and arguably more painful distance.
Pearl had dried mud all over her, staining her white coat a dingy brown, but she was staring and giggling at Marina, who wiped the mud off of her tentacles with a towel, wearing an angry look and huffing about the situation.
"I can not believe you fell off the stage!" The Octoling cried, staring at her friend through the mirror in the backstage area. The concert had been over for an hour, and like champions, Off The Hook had performed covered in mud and a little beat up. It was going to be all over the news for the next few days, but had they abandoned the concert over a few minor injuries and a bit of hurt pride, that'd be the end of them.
"I can't believe you jumped down after me." Pearl said, taking a small bagel from the nearby tray of confectionaries. A strawberry bagel with small white sprinkles in it, just as she had asked for. She took a bite as she looked at the bandage on her arm. The fall had unfortunately taken place right where a few sharp rocks had been, and she'd gotten a pretty bad set of cuts on her arm. The antiseptic that the on-hand paramedics had to use hurt more than the actual fall did, and they told that she'd be fine, but her pride was still a bit sore.
Marina sighed as she placed the dirty towel down and looked at her friend with a small smile on her lips.
"As if I wouldn't come to your rescue, princess." Pearl nearly choked on the bagel.
Two stage hands had been in ear-shot and looked at them both with confused expressions, but they'd simply chalked up the comment to playful teasing and went on their way. When they were out of ear-shot, Pearl tossed the remainder of the bagel at the Octoling, just barely missing her leg.
"Marina, we can't do the thing here, it's a secret remember?!" She whispered/hissed as best she could with food still in her mouth. She just stuck her tongue out to retort, which made Pearl stand up from her chair. The Octoling laughed, seeing their difference in height again and how the Inkling puffed herself up to try and look bigger.
The taller girl suddenly took a more dismal expression and her eyebrows furrowed as she stared blankly at the ground. This made Pearl get worried a bit, and she walked up and held her hand, pulling her attention away from the floor.
"We'll tell the world when we're ready, okay? And if anyone has an issue with it, I'll… I'll punch them in the mouth!" Pearl stated with confidence, and her breath smelled of the strawberry bagel she had just taken a bite of. Marina smiled and kissed the Inkling's forehead quickly, hoping no one saw them.
Their relationship had been hidden for a few months now, and every time they were near each other anymore, it took everything Marina had not to shout their status to the world. She was tired of hiding it, but tired of the slander she faced for even being with Pearl as Off The Hook. Octarians were hated in general, so one being famous made many Inklings disgusted. The storm that would form from an Inkling and Octoling dating would be immense.
"Pearl..." Those adorable golden eyes stared up at her. "I'm scared Pearl…" She gently hugged the Inkling, resting her face against her head, eyes closed and body trembling. Pearl hugged her in return, trying to calm her down before one of her famous panic attacks set in.
"I know," she mumbled softly, "I know." What could she say anymore? The idea to keep the relationship hidden was Pearl's, and she hated seeing her girlfriend cry and live in fear everyday of life. Empty threats hinting at violence had been made towards the group ever since they debuted, but what they truly meant to one another kept them together.
"Pearlie," she used that dorkish pet name with full sincerity but also with a quivering voice. Pearl's hand rubbed small circles on the other's back, skin cool to the touch, but somehow on fire all at the same time. Her fingers brushed at the fabric of Marina's jacket, and this caused the Octoling to shudder out a breath.
"'Rina, we're never going to give in to fear, okay? Never." She stated firmly, snuggling into the taller girl's chest.
"Never." She repeated, wrapping her arms tighter around the rapper's shoulders, and planting another quick kiss on her head.
She didn't realize how tightly she'd been hugging Pearl, until the latter squeaked when her arm flared up in pain. The spot still ached and was extremely sensitive to any kind of touch, but that was a small price to pay for some quality hugging. Especially hugs from Marina.
Pearl adored Marina's hugs. They were calming and sweet, but never suffocating, but if Marina was freaked out, they were rougher and more a way for her to ground herself, but they were still pretty great and that was what made them worth getting crushed for. The Octoling would fight tooth-and-nail to say that her girlfriend's hugs were better, as they were warm and soft, just as gentle as how Pearl herself could be.
They both needed each other when they were at their worst, and that happened far too often these days. With Pearl fighting battles that were not hers to fight, and with Marina's self confidence flailing like a leaf in a hurricane, they needed each other to keep going. That was how they realized they needed the other as badly as they did.
"What do we do if our fans turn on us?" Marina had mumbled.
"If they do, we run as far away as we can and never come back." Pearl had replied, not moving from the warmth of her significant other's chest.
She could hear the Octoling's breath shudder in her lungs, and she could feel her heart beating fast. She didn't want to move, and by everything sweet in the world, she just wanted to inhale the intoxicating perfume Marina wore forever and forever beyond that.
The nervous singer didn't want to budge, either. She'd made her peace with the situation, but kept finding reasons to keep the Inkling in her space, even refusing to let her back away when someone walked past. Her arms still draped loosely over the short Squid's shoulders, being mindful of the injured and sensitive arm. Her fingers traced over the still-clean parts of the dingy coat, her nails dipping into the seam lines and gently running over the pillow-like pattern on the shoulder. She smelled of sweat, dirt, and sugar so sweet that it made Marina sigh.
"You need a shower." She mused, scrapping off some dirt from the coat.
"Make me." Pearl dared, a sly grin forming on her face. Marina took the challenge and scooped the Inkling off of her feet, making her cling to the taller girl out of reflex. Pearl then realized she'd been tricked.
"HEY!"
*fans self* HOPE THAT WAS GAY ENOUGH FOR YOU
(might also do more sappholopods if I feel this fic got enough praise… so if you want to see more… frickin show this thing some love!)