Eight felt oddly calm as she lay in the giant palm as fingers broad as telephone poles wrapped around her, holding her delicately in place.

Enormous scarlet eyes looked down at her, soft, sparkling, and gentle, with just a hint of playfulness in them. Eight couldn't wipe the smile from her face and felt more comforted than aroused when a giant thumb began stroking her abdomen.

"Do you like that?" Three's heavenly voice boomed. Despite the power of her voice, Eight felt like her otoliths were being snuggled into fluffy blankets.

Eight reached out and grasped the thumb, hugging it tightly and nuzzling her cheek against it. "Even your thumb is beautiful," she said. "I wish I had eyes on my hands so I could examine them closely every time I hold it."

"If you want to look at my hands," the giant Three said, "You only need to ask."

Eight looked at her, up into those big beautiful eyes, so close she could now see her reflection in them.

"You wouldn't find it disturbing?"

"Of course not. Should my lover not be given unrestricted access to my beautiful body? It is your privilege." Those eyes gleamed naughtily and the thumb pressed against Eight, moving slightly downwards. "I certainly take advantage of mine."

Eight's face flushed but she felt an odd sense of relief. Perhaps it was from Three finally seeing her as a lover. It was like getting an enormous boost in status.

"But you're so big. It would take me a while to examine you as closely as I desire."

Three grinned and Eight felt herself moving as the other girl lay on her back on the ground. Three lowered her hand and gently deposited Eight on her stomach.

"Well then, I suppose you better get started."

Eight felt as though her chest might burst. There was a surge of hormones as her arousal reached peaks she didn't think existed and she felt a whole new kind of freedom no magazine or internet article had ever told her about: a total lack of inhibition. And so, with hearts soaring and hormones raging, she did as bid and began exploring.

Eight would end up exploring depressingly little of that giant, glorious body before she woke up and the landscape of Three's skin was replaced by light-brown bedsheets, once again soaked through with ink.

Eight whined pitifully and smacked her mattress dejectedly. Yet another mere dream, a delusion of her lonely, pining soul.

Eight tossed her covers off angrily and began the well-practiced process of changing her sheets. Fortunately, the blanket had remained unsoiled this time and she was able to keep that.

Her clock read 05:00, about the time she normally had to wake up, which meant she at least got a decent night's sleep. Still, this changing of bedsheets was starting to become routine.

Ever since their date at Wahoo World, Eight had been experiencing progressively more intimate dreams with Three. It was as if their discussion on the ferris wheel had opened new doors in her mind that took her consciousness to unsavory places she didn't know were there. Plus, her dream Three had been getting bigger every dream and since meeting Jewel, those dreams had been more palpable than ever.

At first, she had blamed her male tentacle for such dreams, but as she dumped her sheets into the laundry hamper and took out a fresh set from the linen closet, she was less certain of that.

Maybe it's just an indication that I like strong females. Three is certainly that already, so maybe her increasing size in my dreams is just an acknowledgement of that strength? Except her dream Three was still much more curvaceous than the real one, which tainted that idea somewhat. Had she always been so impure?

My fantasies will surely get back under control once Three and I start dating properly. That should be very soon. I just have to endure until then.

Three had only sent once text in the four days since their date: 'Things are progressing now.' Eight took that to mean Three had figured out how to free herself from the hangups and obstacles had been inhibiting her. Eight wanted to inquire further but decided to trust Three and leave it.

I just have to be patient and make sure I'm ready to receive her when she returns. I can't let my dreams set unrealistic expectations.

Eight quickly made her bed and had a quick shower before changing into her maid uniform. Donning it helped her focus and discouraged the presence of unwelcome thoughts.

Eight went to the kitchen to get started making breakfast, but no sooner had she entered the room that she froze.

Pearl sat in her pyjamas on one of the stools at the kitchen island, nursing a steaming cup of tea. Her hunched posture and the way she gently tapped her fingers on the cup indicated she was deep in thought. The single fluorescent light from the stove cast her in shadow.

Eight reached up to the light switch to turn on the overhead lights but hesitated. She didn't want to disturb Pearl, and for her to be so deep in thought, she had to be contemplating something important.

Eight withdrew her hand and approached Pearl, slowly, her stockings muting her footsteps until she reached the stool next to her.

Pearl flinched away, finally detecting her presence, but quickly relaxed.

"It's creepy how you and Marina are so damn quiet," she muttered.

"Habit, I suppose. Are you alright?"

Pearl shrugged. "Fine, I guess. I just woke up early and I was too restless to stay in bed so I made myself some tea."

"I see. Is there anything I can do to help?"

"You can make me breakfast, I guess. Something with lots of meat."

Eight smiled. "Sausages and pancakes then?"

Pearl arched an eyebrow at her. "Sausages and pancakes?"

"Why not?"

The corners of Pearl's mouth twitched upwards slightly. "No reason. Sounds great, actually."

"Then I shall get started."

Eight turned all the lights on, making sure Pearl had ample warning before she did so, and set to work.

Once Pearl's eyes finished adjusting to the now well lit room, she asked her, "have you been sleeping alright lately, Eight?"

Eight jerked, nearly dropping the bowl she was holding. Did Pearl know about her odd dreams? Had she seen the soiled sheets? She turned her head to look over her shoulder, but Pearl's expression appeared totally neutral.

"I suppose," she replied slowly. "I have not had any nightmares lately."

"That's good."

Eight frowned. "Have you been having nightmares?"

Pearl shrugged, her mantle flashing blue. "Just bad dreams; wouldn't really call them nightmares though." She smiled sardonically, "tends to happen after I visit my family."

"Ah."

Pearl's mantle turned scarlet and she glared at her. "Don't act smart just because Mom gave you some sneaky info using her mind-reading mom powers."

"I am not trying to," Eight insisted. "You act as though I am going to use that against you."

Pearl crossed her arms and scowled, staring down at her drink, bringing her voice down to barely above a whisper.

"Mom never had to ask a girl out. I don't know why she thinks she's such an expert. It's not as easy as she thinks it is."

Eight took a package of sausages and milk from the fridge and set them back on the counter. "Is it all that different from a marriage proposal? The principle seems the same."

"Wouldn't make it any easier," Pearl countered, "and it is different. After you get married, you transition into a totally different phase of life, the phase where you raise a family, but when you get bonded, that doesn't happen. You're still in that phase, it's just become a lot more complicated because you have to manage that relationship and do more dating to find someone to marry both of you, and you all have to be able to love each other. There's a good reason epeso families are so few in number."

Eight nodded and began mixing the batter for the pancakes. "I understand, it is a lot to consider. Perhaps once my relationship with Three develops further, I will also begin to worry about that."

Pearl waved her hand dismissively. "That's way in the future, Eight. You've got a long way to go before you get to that stage."

Eight turned and lifted one tentacle towards Pearl. "How long have you and Marina been courting?"

Pearl frowned. "Courting? No, we haven't really been- I mean, we've known each other for almost two years."

"You've been courting since you met?"

"No, I mean… we've never…"

Eight looked at her, a hand on her hip. "You were the one you told me to be assertive when I was trying to get Three to court me. After weeks of floundering and failure just trying to get Three to speak to me, we finally got our first date at Wahoo World, and it was there I realized you had been right, I should have been more assertive." She pointed an angry finger between Pearl's eyes.

"You already have a wonderful relationship with Marina. You cuddle on the couch, you can argue and tease each other without fear of harming your relationship, you even sleep together sometimes. That is much further ahead than Three and I are, and yet, you are afraid to even ask Marina to go on a date with you? Do you even realize what you are saying? You know Marina far better than I know Three."

Pearl grimaced and looked away. "But it's different between us. You and Marina have these weird secrets I don't know about. How can I say I really know Marina if I don't know about any of that. I know she doesn't like to talk about it, but it obviously affects her a lot. I just feel like she's shutting me out a little."

She finally met Eight's gaze, and Eight thought she saw a bit of hurt in those golden eyes.

"You never had that problem with Three. She speaks your language, and for whatever reason, she knows whatever secrets you and Marina have been keeping from me."

Eight paused, brow furring. Something about this felt eerily familiar. That was when she realized she had been in Pearl's position with Three. It seemed hard to believe. Despite all their closeness, despite how well they understood each other, they were dealing with the same type of obstacle she and Three had just gotten past. It seemed a tragic irony.

Eight sat on the stool next to Pearl and took a deep, calming, breath. "I am sorry you feel left out of all that, Pearl. Please understand that I do not try to hide any of my past from you, but I cannot simply reveal everything I know. It is quite a large topic. As for what I cannot tell, I am afraid that not all of those secrets are mine to tell. I know what Marina did, Three knows, and I know you at least know she was a weapons development engineer."

"Yeah, I know all that. Cap'n told me. I don't know what secret Marina could have that's bigger than that."

Eight nodded. "I don't know if she knows how much you already know, but I do know she was part of a great many secret projects. I do not know the details but I am certain that she feels a lot of guilt about them, even shame. Maybe she even feels like a… a monster."

Pearl's mouth opened, frowning deeply. "You've got to be kidding me. Marina's like the super sweetest girl I know. She's an even bigger puffball than you are. She even told me she couldn't hold a candle to your combat skills."

"Skills aren't what make you a monster," Eight said sadly, remembering Three's heartfelt rant as it flashed in front of her eyes and echoed in her ears. "It's what you do with those skills. Even if it doesn't seem rational, sometimes you cannot help but feel guilt over what you've done, especially if it affected or could have affected someone you love."

Pearl's mouth slowly closed and her expression softened. Her eyes moved from side to side, as if looking for something just in front of her.

"So how do you stop feeling guilty about it?" Pearl asked softly.

"By talking to someone about it." Eight gently took Pearl's hand and gave it a small squeeze. "You need to tell her that it's not her fault, that she has nothing to be sorry about, but most of all, you have to get her to release those feelings she's keeping inside her."

"I've tried that," Pearl said sourly. "She always got mad at me and brushed me off, saying she didn't want to talk about it."

Eight sighed. "And you don't want to push because you're afraid they'll leave you. You're afraid of breaking what you already have."

Pearl stared into her eyes, gold searching through amber, and then those eyes widened slightly.

"You went through this with Three?"

"Yes. Three considered herself a monster and was afraid she might hurt me somehow. There was much more than that but that is all I can say. Please trust that I was in the same position as you."

"And how did you get her to talk?"

Eight smiled and shrugged. "I got mad and yelled at her."

Pearl let out a snort of laughter. "You got mad? I've seen you annoyed and irritated, like just a couple minutes ago, but not really so mad you'd yell."

Eight blushed. "I suppose I was feeling passionate. That's when I realized you were right about assertiveness."

Pearl sighed. "I've tried yelling, Eight. It doesn't work with Marina. Trust me."

"Then do not yell. When we were with your family, I do not recall your mother needing to yell once to be assertive."

"Mountains go swimming when she yells," Pearl said with a fearful shudder. "Still, you might have a point there. I'm not sure how I'll do it, but I can't just leave things as they are."

"Because you love her?" Eight whispered.

Pearl's mantle turned solid pink and she glanced away. "Yeah… I guess that's the reason."

Eight smiled broadly and gave Pearl a hug. "I'm sure it'll work out."

"Yeah yeah." Pearl gently pushed her away. "But it's going to have to wait until after splatfest. Now's not the time for us to be dealing with internal drama."

"Yes, Three said she had things to deal with too, before we tried again in earnest." She hummed. "I suppose now I better understand what that might mean."

Pearl shrugged. "Well, life can make things difficult. Sometimes you have to leave things until you have a clear head."

Eight stood up and got back to making breakfast just as Marina came into the room.

"Morning," she said drowsily.

"Mornin," Pearl said casually. "I made the tea this morning."

"You got up so early?"

"I slept well last night."

Marina raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Really? Normally you're pretty restless at night after we visit your parents."

Pearl simply shrugged and poured Marina a cup as she sat beside her. Marina accepted it gratefully.

As Eight mixed the pancake batter, she couldn't help but imagine herself and Three in Pearl and Marina positions. Now that they were over the very obstacle standing between the older girls, perhaps she should start looking at how Marina and Pearl behaved towards each other as a way of determining how she should behave with Three as a girlfriend.

Sleeping together is too much but surely cuddling on the couch should be acceptable. She would think on that later. She would think on it a great deal.

Marie stared intensely at the large map on the wall that outlined known Octarian territory in Octo Valley. Nearly a hundred notations were pinned to it, each one indicating noteworthy features or activities. More than once, she had tried to get Captain Cuttlefish to upgrade to a modern system, yet, she found the tactile, analog setup working well. Her eyes had something real to latch onto and analyze, and although the notations cluttered the map, it put all the information up front. And somehow, her brain always seemed to work faster and better when it was looking at something tangible and real.

"You're sure?"

"Yes, Ma'am," came Agent 4's voice from behind her. "They're definitely stockpiling more and I overheard talk of new units being added to the frontline garrisons. I don't know if they're brand new or just moved from other parts of the valley."

Marie rested a hand on her hip, grimacing slightly from the fact that said hand had more to rest on than it used to. Second puberty was hitting both her and Callie like a train.

"I suppose it doesn't matter. What does matter is that we're going to have a lot more octarians to deal with pretty soon, too many for a potential jail break."

She turned around and stared at Four who sat seiza-style on the floor, looking up at her, mantle full of excited colours.

"So, we're gonna' have to move sooner?"

Marie's shoulders slumped a bit. "Unfortunately. I wish we had more time to plan our escape back to Inkopolis and get Three moved in first, but it's just not going to happen."

Four's mantle began pulsing orange, showing her eagerness. "I'm totally ready to get in there and do whatever! I've done tougher missions before."

Marie pulled out her phone and frowned as she examined her schedule over the next week.

Callie and I only have one day we're both clear for the next three weeks, which is just a couple of days from now."

Four pulsed blue. "Don't worry. Three and I can totally-."

"You're not doing it alone," Marie said firmly. "This is going to take all of us to pull off without involving Gramps." She grimaced. "That probably includes Eight."

Four winced. "You want to bring Eight in too?"

"Not in a combat role, more to receive the prisoners and get them through Inkopolis to a safe house." She hummed. "It might be worth asking Marina if Work Detail can help with this somehow."

Four relaxed, a wave of relieved blue washing through her mantle. "Okay, so what do I do?"

"Get some rest and be here at…" she checked her phone, "Sixteen-hundred tomorrow. We'll plan and get ready then. We have to be able to move as soon as we possibly can."

Four puffed her cheeks, her mantle turning sour blue in disappointment.

Marie sighed inwardly but she couldn't help but smile at Four's eagerness and desire to be useful. "Alright, if you really want to do something, go do another perimeter check in case there are extra snoops around. We'll need to double our caution 'till the op's over."

Four brightened and hurried out of the cabin like an excited child.

Marie stared back at the map and crossed her arms. She didn't know what was going on but she knew it wasn't good, not for their objective, not for them, not for Inkopolis.

"Well, we're not letting them get through this time. Third time won't be their charm."

Author's Notes:

Here we go, folks, this is the first chapter of the story's final arc. Danger looms on the horizon and Pearl is contemplating a more serious relationship with Marina much more strongly than before, with Eight's blessing and encouragement. Pearl clearly has a lot on her mind after talking with her family and knowing that Eight knows about her desire to eventually form a more permanent and intimate relationship with Marina. Will there perhaps be double-dates in the future? Who knows. I'm sure Freud would have a lot to say about Eight's dreams but I'll just let everyone come up with their own theories about what Eight's fantasies might mean, heh heh.