Eight was full of tension as she sat down at the table for lunch. Jewel had mentioned a surprise but she had yet to fathom what it could even be. She had said that both her and Marina would enjoy the surprise, so that probably meant something neither of them had experienced before, or perhaps even something Octarian.

But how would they know about anything Octarian? Could Marina have told them?

Jewel herself sat at one end of the table, Ruby and Sapphire sitting adjacent on her right and left side respectively. Eight sat next to Ruby with Marina sitting directly across from her. Pearl was on Eight's own right with Diamond sitting across from her, and Laren at the foot of the table.

The younger girls kept asking her questions about what she was doing, what it was like working for their big sister, and how her dating life was going. Apparently nobody knew the name of who she was dating. She wished she could be more forthcoming but, for now, she opted to keep Three's privacy.

Anytime they got a bit too pushy, Jewel's mantle would subtly shift, and then, despite looking in completely the opposite direction, Ruby and Sapphire would calm down, as if Jewel's will alone was enough. Eight was in awe seeing a mother's power at work.

Diamond, for her part, said very little, other than trading occasional barbs with Pearl, as if some obscure tradition or custom demanded they interact that way.

Finally, the double doors of the dining room opened, and a conch in a black suit led a group of servants wheeling serving carts. Once they were all inside, they stopped and faced Jewel, who flashed a simple green through her mantle, and then they moved.

Eight already knew what the servants would do. They carefully and gently set the dishes in front of each member at the table, careful to not lean over any of them. Then they stood back and waited for Jewel's command.

"Hachiko, Marina," she began, "I know you didn't have the best time growing up and it's full of unpleasant memories. I'm glad you're making the most of your new lives here in Inkopolis, but I thought it would bring you a little taste of what happiness your old lives brought you."

A short pause and then the servants removed the cloches covering the food. What they revealed were warm bowls filled with bits of different foods that Eight couldn't quite identify. She frowned, wondering what it was. The smell that filled her nostrils and it started nagging at a small corner of her brain. She knew this smell from somewhere, from some time. What was it?

"It looks funny," Sapphire muttered.

Jewel glared in her direction and Sapphire paled. The girl slouched in her seat as if being physically crushed. It sent a shiver down Eight's back.

"It does look a little strange," Marina offered gently.

"You don't recognize it?" Jewel asked.

"It does seem familiar, but I don't quite remember it."

"I see. Well, it was insisted to me that you would recognize it once you tasted it. So, why don't you and Hachiko take the first bite, hm?"

Marina and Eight looked at each other. Eight shrugged with her tentacles and picked up her fork, stabbing it into the bowl. The contents reminded her of pictures in cookbooks she had seen of turkey stuffing. She saw some pieces of meat and small chunks of vegetables mixed with a thick sauce. Again, the look and smell was painfully familiar but she couldn't identify it. The mixture was thick enough that the fork had no difficulty holding onto the contents.

Something from our old lives? But what could it be? Eight finally brought it to her mouth, sliding it off the fork onto her tongue… and then her tastebuds exploded.

"Karthshii!"

Pearl leaned away from her, startled by her loud exclamation. "What?"

"Karthshii! It really is kartshii!"

Marina took a bite and her face went slack with shock as she locked eyes with Eight. "It really is. This is karthshii." Shen then turned her gaze to Jewel, eyes welling up. "H-how?"

Jewel smiled. "Well, we recently got an Octarian on our cooking staff. I asked her to make this. You can meet her after this, if you like."

"I'd love to!"

"Not to be rude," Pearl interrupted. "And not to dis the dish or anything, but it's obvious that it's some kind of big deal."

"It is!" Eight exclaimed. "Karthshii is given to every intake of octoling children when they turn five-years old. That is, they become a karth, a child between five and fourteen."

"Sometimes it's pronounced 'kart' and 'kartshii,' Marina added, still wiping away tears.

"Yes. It's a dish that most octolings will only eat once in their lifetime. It's a celebration of us living long enough to leave the nurseries and go on to general education."

"Every octoling remembers that one meal," Marina said. "Somehow we always remember that time when we ate the most delicious meal we would ever have. I thought that it wouldn't taste so remarkable since I've had so much good food in Inkopolis but it still tastes just as amazing as I remember."

"I'm glad you're not disappointed," Jewel said. "Now, why don't the rest of us try it."

Eight didn't expect as great a reaction from them. They had grown up with amazing food their whole lives, after all. They did seem to genuinely like it though, with Sapphire and Ruby even asking for seconds. Neither she nor Marina could bring themselves to have more than the one bowl they were given. It felt… wrong somehow.

Later, Eight excused herself from the table to use the bathroom. Pearl discreetly told her where it was and her directions proved easy to follow.

The bathroom was every bit as elaborate as one would expect for such a great house. Big and fancy, but nothing she hadn't seen before during her maid training.

I can't believe I'm actually getting used to all this excess and opulence. She thought. Maybe she needed to spend some time away from it all. The last thing she wanted was to become apathetic to people's financial circumstances.

Finished her business, Eight left the bathroom, but rather than going directly back to the dining room, she wandered back to the painting she had been looking at with Jewel earlier, and stared at it.

There was something to this painting, something she could not understand, but she was drawn to it. Something about the pattern and shape of the colours perhaps?

"Something catch your eye?"

Eight turned to see Diamond walking up to her. Even now it was a bit odd seeing someone who looked so much like Pearl walking with such poise and grace. The different mannerisms were a bit jarring as well.

"I… don't know," Eight admitted. "But something about this painting… intrigues me? Is that the word?"

"I believe it's acceptable. It's probably the most complimentary thing I've gotten from it."

Eight blinked, and then her jaw went a bit slack. "You made this painting?"

Diamond shrugged. "I entered it for a competition once. Never even placed, nor were the judges comments particularly encouraging."

Eight frowned. "But… how can you judge art that way? Is it not an expression of one's emotions and feelings?"

Diamond smirked. "You have obviously never met an art professor." Then she flashed grey and looked back at her painting.

"I don't remember what I was feeling when I made this. I'm not sure I knew it at the time either. It's the biggest painting I've ever made. It took more time and effort than anything else I've done too. Yet, it amounted to nothing."

"Not nothing," Eight insisted. "Surely the experience you gained and what you learned making it is valuable for your next work."

Diamond flashed grey, which Eight was starting to believe indicated ambivalence. "I don't know. Because art is subjective, it means there's every chance people won't like it. Artists are supposed to paint for themselves, not others, but everyone wants people to like their creations. Not everyone can be successful and famous at what they do."

Eight pressed her lips together into a thin line, her tentacles flattening against her head. Had that been bitterness creeping into her voice at the end?

"What are you girls talking about?"

Jewel appeared. Eight marveled at how she had managed to hide her presence for so long given how the very world seemed to change whenever she drew near.

"J-just about Diamond's wonderful painting."

"Don't patronize me," Diamond muttered.

"Diamond, I'm sure she wasn't patronizing you."

Diamond huffed and her mother pulsed blue. "Do you have any siblings, Hachiko?"

Ah, so that was about Pearl. "Yes ho- Tetka. I'm not sure how many, but I believe I was from a clutch of seven successful eggs."

"Seven? My, that is impressive. You will find very few inklings that can lay such large clutches."

"Or want to," Diamond quipped.

"Diamond," Jewel said warningly. "That attitude is why our population is in decline."

"I wasn't talking about myself, Mother, I meant the general population up till now. Our generation is expected to be far more prolific."

"Let's hope so, otherwise the Octarians will be the ones teaching us how to have babies." She winked at Hachiko who blushed slightly.

Still, that was a rather startling revelation. The inkling population was in decline? One would certainly never have guessed it from how many there were already. Inkopolis alone had a larger population than all of the domes combined.

"Don't let it pressure you," Diamond said. "Just have as many children as you feel you want. Make sure you don't bring it up to your girlfriend yet though. That's usually a kind of red flag."

Eight grimaced at the thought. Even with her inexperience with love and courtship she knew it was too early to even think about such things.

"Do you want children, Diamond?"

"Of course; I just want to be a mother they can be proud of first."

Jewel sighed audibly. "Sweetheart, I told you not to worry about that so much. Just be the best you that you can be."

"That's what I'm trying to do, Mother, but if I'm not happy with myself, how can I expect my offspring to be."

"They will love you regardless." Eight's interjection caused both inklings to look at her, but Eight didn't hesitate. "I have not seen my mother since I was two years old but I still love her. I still remember her love, the songs she used to sing, being held in her arms, and sometimes, when I was troubled, she would come to me in my dreams and comfort me again. I still love her with all my heart, even though I cannot remember her face or her voice. It does not matter to me what she accomplished or who she was, I only care that she is my mother."

The other two looked at her in a stunned silence that hung for several long moments before Hachiko shrank a bit and looked away. "I am sorry. I spoke out of turn."

Jewel knelt next to her and pulled her into a firm but gentle hug. "No, you said what needed to be said, dear. If it means anything, I think that your mother would be very proud of who you have become if she could see you now."

Means anything? Coming from another mother, one who seemed to embody everything Hachiko believed a mother to be, that meant the world!

Eight hugged her back, letting Jewel's warmth fill her. "Thank you." It was all she could think to say.

"You're welcome. Now, being a mother, I do have one or two little concerns. Would you mind helping me answer a few questions I have?"

"Of course not. I'd love to help any way I can."

"Lovely. Come, let's go talk in the study. Diamond, you come too."

Diamond's mantle changed to a pale yellow with purple-red ripples but followed along obediently behind Jewel with Eight as she led them to the study and shut them all inside.

"Now, Hachiko, you have been living with Pearl and Marina for about three months, yes?" She gestured for them to sit down in some plush maroon armchairs. None of them looked big enough for Jewel and she remained standing.

Eight could see her mantle shifting and changing beneath the surface, changing the shade and tone of her natural colour slightly. Eight wasn't sure what that meant but she could see what looked like concern on her face.

"Yes, about that long. They have treated me very well. I could not be happier where I am."

"I'm glad, but that wasn't what I wanted to talk about."

"O-oh… I see."

Jewel's mantle changed to a dark blue, like the deep sea, and rippled. "I know this will be an awkward question, but what is your opinion on Pearl and Marina's relationship?"

Eight frowned. "I am not sure I understand the question."

"Please," Jewel said, her voice suddenly sounding tired and worn. "I know it's a strange question but please answer as best you can."

Eight's tentacles pressed against her head and then curled outwards, but she obeyed and thought hard.

"Well, they argue sometimes but always work things out eventually. They said they try to follow a rule where they never go to bed still angry at each other. They tease and make fun of each other a lot, but not the same way they do on the news. They seem to do everything together, even when they're not performing the same activity. Like Marina will read her book while Pearl leans her back against her reading her phone." She gave a little shrug with her tentacles. "I am not sure how else to answer."

"They certainly sound chummy," Diamond agreed. "But we already figured that. They seem more comfortable with each other than when we first met Marina."

"Yes," Jewel agreed. "But, Hachiko, would you say their relationship seems… romantic at all, even just sometimes?"

Eight's brows furrowed in thought. "I suppose? I am still not sure where the line between friendship and romance is but-." Then she realized it, what Jewel was really asking. It was, more or less, what she was trying to do with Three, and had Three not properly explained the concept, she would never have guessed it.

"You're asking if they might become bondmates."

Jewel stiffened and Diamond chuckled.

"I'm impressed you know about it. Many other species can spend years here without knowing about the custom."

"My- that is, the girl I am trying to date, her family is… what's the world? Expanded?"

"Epeso, but yes, that makes sense. Girls from an espeso family are more likely to get a bondmate themselves. Those who aren't tend to be less comfortable with the practice."

"Epeso," Eight repeated, practicing the word.

"Because 'expanded' family can mean many different things, so the original word never fell out of use. It's much more clear.

"They were much more common two-hundred years or so ago. Due to the destruction of the Great Turf war, rampant reproduction was discouraged until things could get back together. It remains a controversial decision to this day. Unfortunately, now we're paying for that and our population is in decline, which leaves it up to our generation to breed like crazy to fix things."

"I see." So the Octarians weren't the only ones who had to control hatching rates in light of diminished resources and infrastructure, the inklings apparently had too; except, when the resources became available again, they didn't resume their previous levels of reproduction.

"I'm asking because I'm worried." Jewel said softly.

"Because of Marina?" Eight asked.

"Sovereign God and all the heavens, no. I think Marina is the best thing to happen to Pearl in her adult life. I might be a bit worried for her, but not because of her."

"Mother, perhaps you should tell Hachiko what your concern actually is so she can have a bit more context and provide better responses."

Jewel exhaled and her mantle rippled again.

"Hachiko, do you understand what bonding involves?"

"Bonding under the White Lily? Yes, I believe so. It is like marriage, in many ways, but also different."

"Yes, it means sharing a life and future with someone. Do you know what would happen if Pearl and Marina were bonded, for example?"

"Um… they would legally become family?"

"Yes, and Marina would take Pearl's surname and become a member of our family officially."

"And all the difficulties that involves," Diamond sighed.

"Difficulties?" Eight asked.

"Yes," Jewel said. "When I married Laren, that meant I had all the responsibilities that come with being the wife to the head of the most wealthy family in the country. You have to look a certain way, behave a certain way, not to mention dealing with all the gossip hounds and the like. Finally, there are people's expectations. Those are the worst."

Eight gave a worried look. "Expectations?"

"Yes. Even if Pearl thinks Marina is amazing, even if we do, it won't matter if certain other people don't."

Eight frowned, wondering who she might be talking about, when Diamond spoke.

"What Mother means is that marrying into the family means dealing with an additional circle of people. That means the political and business elite, potential investors, business partners, and so on, and it's of a very different nature than what they might deal with now."

Eight nodded slowly. "I have noticed that Marina tends to leave most of those things to Pearl."

"Because Pearl has been exposed to this sort of thing since she hatched. We've raised her and trained her from a young age to know how to deal with these sorts of things. Even if she pretends to ignore it and its value, she actually understands perfectly well."

Eight crossed her arms thoughtfully. "But if Pearl actually does want Marina to be her bondmate, she wouldn't let anything get in her way. She would ask her if she really wanted to. I know she would."

Diamond chuckled and Jewel smiled. "I'm afraid you don't understand Pearl as well as you think you do, little one. Pearl is the one getting in her own way."

Eight gaped. "What? Pearl is?"

"Yes. If she loves Marina, then of course she wouldn't want her to put her through all that, and have her deal with it."

"Not to mention the other issue with bonding," Diamond interjected. "Being bonded means sharing a mate as well, which means it has to be someone who suits both of you, someone both of you can love and happily mate and raise children with."

"Ah…" Eight hadn't considered that. Actually, that could be another thing that had caused Three to hesitate regarding their relationship. There was a lot of uncertainty there. She didn't even know how a bonded couple would go about finding a mate.

Eight suddenly sat up straight. "Pearl has been thinking about it!"

"Oh?" Jewel asked. "That sounds interesting."

Eight nodded, now certain. "On the way here, Pearl was asking us about how octolings go about finding and choosing mates."

Diamond smirked. "Yes, that certainly sounds like she's been thinking about it."

"Which is what I thought," Jewel sighed, her mantle rippling violently. "That's why she's been dallying with her dating life. She's debating whether or not to pop the question to Marina."

Eight gasped, her tentacles flaring. "She is? Really?" She couldn't barely believe it, not because she doubted Pearl's sincerity for a second, but because she hadn't realized things were like that between them already. Vague speculation was one thing but this was something much more concrete.

But what if Marina refused? Eight could scarcely imagine it, perhaps because she didn't want to, but what if she did? Would it ruin her and Pearl's relationship forever? Would Off the Hook end just like that? Many of the romance stories she had come across worried about that sort of thing. Potential couples, childhood friends, afraid to take the plunge because of that possibility, because they might lose what they had.

"Pearl might be thinking things are fine as they are," Diamond said. "After all, they're already close and Marina might want to choose her own mate. Maybe what they have is enough and they can be happiest as soulmates instead."

Eight's brows scrunched, remembering Four's explanation of soulmates from months ago. As best she could remember, it was as close as two girls could be without being bonded. She supposed that would more or less describe Pearl and Marina's current relationship. But what was beyond that? She didn't even know.

Jewel took in a deep breath and straightened. "Well, thank you, Hachiko for answering my concerns. I think I have a good idea of what's going on now."

Eight bowed her head. "I was happy to help."

"Yes, well, don't mention any of this to them, or anyone else, understand? This conversation never happened."

Eight nodded earnestly. "I promise."

"Good, then let's get back to the others. I'm sure they're wondering where you got off to and Ruby and Sapphire are just dying to ask you more questions."

"Ah….

Eight quickly pushed that to the back of her mind they left the study and went back down the hall.

Three had also said she was dealing with things before she tried again to date her better. Now Eight had a lot more context for that. She obviously wasn't talking about bonding but she was trying to get things out of the way so that Eight wouldn't be burdened with anything that might interfere with their relationship or perhaps poison it.

I'm glad I understand that better now, and I can use this knowledge to better understand Three and our relationship. But she would never be able to look at Pearl and Marina the same way again. Never.

"So, you survived the experience." Pearl said as they rode the long car- a limo, it was apparently called, back home. Eight was sitting on one of the bench seats in the middle of the car while Pearl and Marina sat together on the back seat.

"It was not difficult," Eight said confidently. "Your family is very warm and loving. I wish I could have gotten to know your father better. He barely spoke at all."

"Daddy's the strong silent type," Pearl said, smiling.

"The opposite of you in many ways," Marina smirked.

"My being loud and strong are two separate things," Pearl insisted. "One doesn't depend on the other."

"They seem to help each other out a lot, especially after we visit your family, you tend to be a lot louder than normal for a while."

"That's because I have to be so sodding quiet at home. I've got to get the loud back out or I'll explode."

"Really? Could have sworn that's how you normally sounded after coming from home."

"Hey!"

Eight couldn't help but smile. Whatever friction there had been between Pearl and Marina earlier seemed gone now. They were back to their usual selves.

But could they be more than this? Would it be worth it for both of them? Would Marina be willing to live that kind of life to be with Pearl?

"I didn't get a chance to ask this before," Pearl said, interrupting Eight's thoughts. "But Mom and Diamond didn't do anything weird to you while you were gone, did they?"

Eight frowned. "No, they did not; we just talked. Um, there was the painting. Yes, Diamond's painting. We were discussing that and things went on from there."

"Oh," Pearl looked away. "Yeah… that."

"It's too bad she didn't win," Marina said. "I was really rooting for her."

"Stupid judges," Pearl growled.

"Pearlie, you always say you don't 'get' art."

"Doesn't mean I don't care," Pearl said sourly. "Diamond's a stuck up togaira but she's still my sister." She looked out the car window, resting her chin on her hand. "It's not easy living up to the Pygmy name even if you try to do everything right."

Eight wasn't sure what that meant but she thought it best not to ask right now. She already had a lot to think about. Maybe it had to do with the expectations Jewel and Diamond talked about.

"I thought her painting was pretty. I am sure she will one day win a competition if she keeps trying."

Pearl nodded. "But it takes a while to get over the pain of people trodding over something you've loved and laboured over for months. I know that feeling and it's not great."

"Ah, yes, I suppose music would also be a form of art."

"Not everyone thinks so, but it is," Pearl agreed. "Even Diamond thinks so. She just doesn't think my music is art."

"Pearl, I'm sure she was just teasing."

"Yeah yeah. Eight, just so you know, my family isn't typical. Don't base all inkling families off of them."

"I will try not to," Eight said with a smile. "But they do seem wonderful, especially your mother. Although I have to admit…"

Pearl grinned knowingly. "You didn't expect her to be so tall."

Eight grimaced, and her tentacles curled outwards. "Um, something to that effect. I suppose I was also confused by the fact she took your father's name. I thought it was custom for the male to take the female's name."

"Yeah, but not every guy is heir to the largest fortune in the country. Plus, a female can choose to take her husband's name as a sign of respect, making him head of the family instead of her."

"I see. Well, I am certain your mother would never take a mate if he were of anything less than stellar quality."

Pearl smirked. "She would for the right price."

Eight frowned. "Pardon?"

Pearl shrugged. "I don't know if you noticed, but being of Colossal Squid descent isn't exactly cheap. All your clothes are big, you can't always use regular furniture, and you eat a lot. So, what's the best way for a girl like that to survive?"

Eight frowned. "Um… find a means of supporting herself in spite of those things?"

"Right, by marrying into a rich family."

Eight gave Pearl a blank look. "I still do not understand. That makes perfect sense to me."

Pearl sighed. "I'm saying Mom didn't marry Daddy because she loved him, she just married him for his money."

Eight eyes went wide with shock, her image of Jewel, the kindly, perfect, image of a mother and a female crumbling. The back of her head saw no practical issue. After all, mating for love was a foreign concept to most octarians. However, Eight had been spending the past couple of months learning about love, about how wonderful it was to spend your life with someone who meant the world to you, about how badly she wanted Three to love her.

This revelation meant that Jewel discarded all of that, completely at odds with how much more meaningful relationships were supposed to be in the surface world. It was like a betrayal of those principals Eight had come to hold dear.

"What? Surely not."

"It's true. Mom beat off every other suiter and managed to seduce and otherwise convince Dad that she was the best one for him. Not hard when the size difference is so big. See, in Inkling society, the bigger the difference in size between a guy and his girl, the more studly he's perceived, and Daddy is the smallest squid species while mom's the biggest."

"Didn't he love her?"

"Oh, he was totally head over heels for her." Pearl laughed. "He's weak to strong girls."

"Pearlie," Marina sighed. "You make your mother sound like such a villainess."

"She was a villainess," Pearl insisted. "A sodden gold digger." She looked back at Eight. "Sorry to ruin your image of my perfect mother."

"Pearl," Marina said in a warning tone. "Finish the story. You're going to make her cry."

"Alright, geez. Anyway, the mom you met today isn't the same one."

Eight's face, already looking mortified, twisted into an ugly expression of confusion. Pearl went on.

"Mom and Dad married, Mom took his name, Mom was happy, and as long as she lived comfortably she was content with doing whatever wifely things she was expected to do. All she had to do was pretend to be the loving, devoted wife. Only, she broke.

"After she got eggnant with me and Diamond, she started to feel guilty. She started losing her mind, especially when they started visiting temples to pray for healthy eggs. What she didn't know at the time was that the priestesses knew she had married Dad purely for… practical reasons. Normally, that would be grounds to refuse a marriage, but they didn't. So, when she went to the temple and they saw her cracking, they pushed, trying to make her feel even more guilty."

"What?" Eight asked. "Why would they allow the marriage if they knew?"

"I'm getting there. Eventually, Mom went in the tank, that's where we lay our eggs, and after she laid us, she finally broke. She called for the priestess who had married them and confessed everything. She couldn't live the lie anymore and it turned out she had come to actually, genuinely love Daddy."

Eight let out a breath she had been unconsciously holding, suddenly feeling a sense of relief. "That is good, I think. But, what happened next? It must have been alright."

"Well, Daddy knew the whole time and the priestess knew the whole time, but the priestess said she knew that Mom already loved Dad when they married. After all, she had other rich guys who would have made easier targets, but she persisted after Daddy."

Eight smiled. "Of course, a priestess would know."

"She's a good one alright. She's practically family now. Anyway, Daddy forgave her and everything and Mom promised to be a genuinely good wife and to do her super very best to raise us kids."

"I'm still wondering if she succeeded or not in your case," Marina smirked.

"I'll tell her you said that."

"No you won't."

"Wanna bet?"

"But, wait!" Eight yelled, cutting off their argument. "How do you know this? Did she tell you?"

"Priestess Dalanna - see, that's the priestess from the story, told us when we were old enough. At Mom's request."

Eight winced. "You must have been shocked."

"Beyond shocked. Diamond and I couldn't speak- not a word, Marina."

Marina only grinned. "I wasn't even thinking anything."

Pearl ignored her and her voice suddenly went quiet and soft. "We were honestly a little hurt too. I mean… she's Mom. We trusted her totally, and suddenly we find out that we were conceived by basically an illegitimate marriage. But the priestess said that we were, in fact, love children because it was our existence that drove Mom to come clean and actually realize she really did love Daddy."

"But surely there was no way you could have looked at her the same again."

"No, but we didn't love her any less. Actually, it felt good, knowing she changed for us, because she loved us too. That's why we were all named after precious things, so that she could remind herself what was most important."

Eight finally smiled. "That sounds lovely."

"Yup. Mom's really the best, now, but she wasn't always."

"That's fine," Eight said. "Nobody is hatched that wonderful. In the end, it doesn't change how I see her. As she is now, she's still everything I think a mother should be."

Pearl smiled. "Yeah, she's the best."

"You should tell her that once in a while," Marina told her.

"I know, I know."

Eight giggled. "You know, I see a lot of her in you, Pearl."

Pearl's head snapped over to stare straight at her. "Huh? Seriously? Her? Me? Wait, do you mean the old her or-"

"The her I know now. You both take care of your family to the point you can't help yourself, even if it makes things more difficult for you, and I can see you becoming the same sort of mother she is."

The back of the limo went silent, save for the soft roar of the tires as they rode along. Pearl looked genuinely astounded, more so than Eight could remember. It nearly made her laugh.

"She's right," Marina said softly, taking hold of Pearl's hand. "I think you'll make a wonderful mother some day, Pearlie, the kind every octoling imagines and dreams of every night." Marina leaned her head on top of Pearl's and caressed the inkling's cheek with her long front tentacle. Pearl coloured slightly and Eight could see her fingers give Marina's a little squeeze.

"Think so, huh?"

"I know so."

The scene playing out on the back seat was a little strange for Eight because she was seeing it in a different light since her discussion with Jewel and Diamond. On the one hand, this seemed like a nice and wonderful place for their relationship, but a large part of her wished the best they could get. If bonding could give that for them, then maybe, just maybe, they should go for it. She had a feeling Marina was well aware of the difficulties it would bring and probably didn't care. After all, surely it was nothing compared to life in the domes.

Pearl caught her staring and Eight realized she was grinning stupidly and quickly turned her head away. She felt Pearl's burning gaze on her another few seconds before she heard the inkling cry out.

"Rancid barnacles! I can't hide anything from Mom."

Eight couldn't help but burst out laughing, leaving Marina, bemused and shaking her head at the both of them.

Author's Notes:

For those of you who have been hoping for more Pearlina, I hope this answers your questions.

So, Pearl has been thinking about some serious things, Pearl's mom wasn't always perfect, and Eight has a different perspective on her own relationship with Three. I wasn't sure if I should leave the thing with Pearl's mom at the end. I'm still not, to be honest, but I don't feel bad leaving it in. Let me know what you think.