Perspective

Now, what's a bright young lady
Doing in detention?
You can't be like this.
People already look at you,
Living in that shack
With that no-account father
And think you're no good.
You really proving them right?

As Marie finishes the news, she glances behind her. Chirpy Chips and Off The Hook sit on benches there, all looking nervous; Marina in particular is almost green with it. She holds back a grin and turns back to the cameras, and the window full of people watching this live. So when Callie says it's time for the Splatfest results, Marie can't resist a dig at them all: "Boy, this was a close one, wasn't it, Cal?"

There's a strangled noise from someone in Chirpy Chips, and Marie smirks. She may not have been permitted to represent them—since everyone knows she's a fan of theirs, and Callie still can't remember Off The Hook's name, it was ruled this way would be more interesting.

The screen behind them stays green, the results only available on television—so they can't cheat—like it did for Final Fest. Not that Callie and Marie need it—they were told that Off The Hook won before going live. But they can't confirm it until they've gone over certain aspects of the contract.

Oh, this is going to be too good.

"And now for the final results!" announces Callie, and Marie glances behind her. Two members of Chirpy Chips may be praying; the other two are deathly still. Marina and Pearl have their eyes closed, holding hands with a death grip.

Now's the time. "Actually, we've been told you have to wait for the results."

"WHAT?!"

Marie bites her tongue to keep from laughing. Every member of both groups—oh, this couldn't have gone better if they'd rehearsed it.

Callie, though, gives way to a full-on belly laugh. "That's exactly why. You'll know who the new host are on Monday, because they'll be here.

There's noise behind her, grunts, some scuffling, but that's all the time they've got, so she and Cal have to do their sign-off pose. It's only when the camera's click off does Marie turn to see Marina bodily restraining Pearl. When Marina uncovers Pearl's mouth, she starts, "The fuck—"

Marina covers Pearl's mouth again.

Marie looks away until she gets her laughter under control The members of Chirpy Chip are standing and stretching, looking at each other and laughing awkwardly, glancing at Callie—their representative in the splatfest—and away. They need to get this under control.

Marie coughs and smooths her dress. "All right, who first, Cal?" They already know they have to give the news to Off The Hook first, make sure they still wanna host—seems pretty obvious, with their desperation—but they have to get Chirpy Chips situated as well. And Marie can't do it without fangirling.

"Meet in ten minutes?" Callie asks.

Marie nods; that'll give her enough time to make tea. She turns to Marina and Pearl. "You two, follow me."

She doesn't wait for their response, just glides, smooth as she's practiced, to the door. Pearl's stomping after her in moments, and she can only assume Marina's following as well. That's fine. She doesn't look at them, no need to embarrass them. To embarrass Marina.

Marina's fan tendencies can be anywhere from adorable to annoying, but neither of them have been in her and Cal's dressing room before, and she should give them both a moment to get it out of their systems. Besides stopping at the door to wave them in after her, she pays them no attention, moving past their dressing tables to retrieve the kettle, and then back to the sink between their vanities to fill it.

There's some whispering, but by the time she has the kettle situated, it's over and they both look as normal as could be expected after that announcement. She settles into her favorite chair, still with her latest novel on the floor beside it, and waves them to the couch. "How do you like your tea? I have milk, honey, and sugar." It shouldn't be more than a minute for the water to boil, this is the fastest electric kettle Marie's ever used.

"I'll take it black, with two sugars, thank you," Pearl says; Marie smiles, because she can hear trained politeness in Pearl's voice. "Marina'll take a small dollop of milk and you can just empty the honey container into her cup."

"Pearl," Marina warns, but says nothing else. She must still be fangirling.

Marie can't help herself this time: she covers her mouth and pretends to cough so she can laugh at last, just a few bubbles of the amusement that's been stirring up her chest since they started the announcements. "Extra honey it is," she says, gets to her feet again, and gathers the supplies she'll need.

She makes her guests their tea first, then pours a cup for herself (extra milk) and Callie (honey and sugar, Marie's never understood it but Cal insists she needs both). As she sets the kettle down again, Callie dances through the door, pushing it shut behind her with one foot, then drops a plate of cookies on the table and flops in her chair.

Marie pokes her. "You can't drink your tea like that."

Callie groans and moves so she's actually sitting in it, not lying draped over both armrests. "But I'd like to," she mutters, rubbing one temple. Another headache; she should make Callie go to the doctor. She's been getting them a lot lately. Stress, perhaps, or maybe she needs reading glasses.

Never mind that now. Marie sips her tea and turns towards their guests. "You must be wondering who won."

"No shit," Pearl says. Marie fights back a smile.

Marina puts a hand on Pearl's leg—okay, she really has to emphasize that part of the contract. "Inkopolis management must think the suspense will drive up ratings. But if we'll be here on Monday, or not, then surely we need to know?"

Callie slurps her tea. "There's something in the final contracts, the ones you sign if you're the full hosts, that isn't in the temporary contracts. And we need to know you're okay with it before we give anyone the results."

The two of them glance at each other, giving tiny shrugs. "What condition is it, then?" Marina asks.

Marie shakes her head and sets her cup on the table. Pearl is going to be the one to initiate things, if either of them do, so she makes sure she has Pearl's attention before putting every bit of authority she has into her voice. "From the time you sign the contracts until the hosts after you take over Inkopolis News completely, you must not enter any romantic relationships."

Color drains from Pearl's cheeks, her eyes widen, her shoulders slump. She looks at her lap, but if Marie needed proof, there it is.

"Isn't the lead singer of the other group married?" Marina's almost laughing.

Callie takes her feet off the coffee table and starts eating a cookie. "Their contract would have that they can't get divorced or in any sort of scandal. Romance gets messy, and they want the new hosts to seem like their relationships are perfect."

"That won't be a problem," Marina says. Just as Marie expected. Marina, at least, knows the differences between Inklings and Octolings. "Right, Pearl?"

Pearl doesn't answer. Marie watches her, as she shreds the cookie she took, and doesn't look at anyone.

Marina nudges Pearl. "Pearl, really, you know what this job is. Doing the news live every two hours, five days a week, and recording us doing it so they can air it during off-hours and our days off. One splatfest a month; that'll take time to set up, not to mention the rehearsals for each one, and those performances. And we'll still be setting up concerts on our off-days and writing new music and all that 'branding' stuff M. Dusa's always going on about. How would we even have time to romance someone?"

Marie can't help her smile. Well, if Marina doesn't know, it's about time she did. "You'd have plenty of time if it was with each other."

Marina chokes on her tea and coughs, spraying it partway across the table.

Marie shoves some napkins at her and wipes the few drops that reached her side of the table. "Oh, should I not have said that?"

Callie steps on Marie's foot under the table. "Mar and I are cousins, or we'd've had rumors, too."

Pearl looks up at last, her face burning. "The fuck do you mean, too?"

"Don't tell me you haven't heard," says Marie.

Marina and Pearl look at each other. They scoot apart on the couch, Marina a second before Pearl, and Pearl looks at Marie. "We can agree to no romance," she says, but her voice shakes.

Pearl would rather not agree. It's clear as the difference between Inklings and Octolings to Marie. But even if it wasn't in the contracts, making her agree to this is for the best. Nothing good would come from Pearl, an Inkling, trying to date Marina, an Octoling.

"Then I'm pleased to tell you," Marie says, "that the job is yours as soon as you've signed the contracts."

Marina smiles. Pearl does not. But they're both blushing too hard to really celebrate.