First, a pulse. Faint and erratic, but still bouncing.
A rumble. Unsteady and low, yet always vibrating.
A murmur. Hushed, but its words clear as crystal.
Then, a voice, louder than ever before.
"Hey! Wake up!"
And with it's call, Jade rose from the dark with a start. Her eyes snapped open to the sight of a dark-skinned man looking directly at her oddly. No sound came from either of their mouths for a good few seconds.
Until of course, Jade screamed.
She tried to crawl away, but the man quickly grabbed her by the shoulders and held her in place.
"Hey, hey, calm down! It's okay!" The man tried to assure. but his words brought no relief to the girl in his grip.
"S-stay away!" She yelled in turn, thrashing about in his grip.
"Just simmer down for a minute, miss!" He tried again, but only received a shove in response.
"If you come any closer, I'll hurt you!" She shouted in desperation, holding her hand out as if she were about to slash at him.
"... Look, I know you kids like to sound tough, but stop. I am really not in the mood to deal with you at the moment," the man advised in an unamused manner.
Jade felt confused. Why hasn't he reacted oddly to her? Why isn't he running away, or screaming, or attacking her? He knows he's looking at a monster, right?
Then she looked at her raised arm and instantly realized why. Peach skin, and perfectly round, clawless fingers.
She stared down at herself for a few moments with a very puzzled look on her face, seeing the same peach skin all over her body. How did she change back?
But as she continued to do so, another realization hit Jade, and her cheeks turned red hot as a result. With an "eeep!" sound, Jade jumped to her feet and pitifully tried to cover herself with her arms.
The man could only shake his head as he watched. "I should have a towel nearby.." He mentioned, turning around for a moment.
A small head slowly peeked out from behind the man, looking somewhat similar to him. His stutter alerted Jade to his presence, and the two locked eyes with one another. The exchange lasted for more than a few moments.
"Jade?"
"..Khal?"
One, two, three beats of silence followed.
".. Why are you naked?"
Khal's obvious comment only flustered the girl more as she shook her head and looked away. "I-it's not what you think it is! I—"
Jade stopped when she felt a bump against her, and she looked down to see Khal had wrapped his arms around her in a hug. She gingerly returned the gesture with a smile.
"I'm so glad you're ok.." Khal said softly, burying his face into Jade's abdomen. The girl gave no reply, only giving a soft squeeze to the boy.
"I take it you already know each other?" The man spoke once more, startling Jade and Khal out of their embrace.
"Wh— oh! Uh, t-this is Jade, dad, she's my—"
"Friend! We're.. friends! Since a few weeks ago!" Jade continued awkwardly, with a nervous laugh afterwards.
"Hey, it's alright," Khal's father reassured with a friendly smirk and putting his hands up in a casual manner. "By the way, I think you'll be needing this," He added as he pulled out a white towel and held it out to Jade.
She snatched it with surprising speed and quickly wrapped it over herself. "Thanks.."
"WILLBUUURR! IT'S TIME TO GO!"
All three turned to the source of the sudden shout; an inkling woman clad in a yellow sundress. She stood on a wooden platform that lay at the berm of the beach— very close to a fence and a road behind her—, and her crossed arms and uneasy frown gave off an air of impatience.
"Yeah, yeah, I just.. found some company!" The man, Willburr, yelled back from where he stood. "Get your bags Khal, your mother's waiting," he commanded quickly, waving at the boy to follow him as he broke into a jog to where the woman stood.
Khal did as told, picking up a blue duffel bag from the san. Before he could join his father, however, he gazed at Jade once more.
"What are you gonna do, Jade?"
"I.. don't know."
Khal's frown was laced with worry. "Huh? But how are you gonna get back to your home?"
"I'll figure it out, okay? Don't worry about me," The inkgirl tried to reassure.
Yet her words ended up having the opposite effect, if Khal's dissatisfied frown was anything to go by.
"Khal… I can't go with you. I'm a stranger to your parents, I doubt they'll let me into your house so fast."
"You won't know until we ask. Trust me, they don't judge!" Khal said, an encouraging smile plastered on his face. It was enough for Jade to relent, and with a huff she grabbed ahold of Khal's hand and accompanied him on the walk toward his parents.
As the pair of teens drew closer, they could overhear the adults in the middle of a discussion.
"We don't have anything to provide her with, Lena. We can't bring her with us," Willburr argued.
"Well we can't just leave her here either!" Lena, exclaimed with a look of distraught.
"I know, but what are we supposed to do? Drive her around until we find her house?"
"We can ask her about that later. For now she needs aid.. and some clothes," she affirmed with a glance towards Jade as she and Khal came right up to her and Willburr.
Jade glanced uneasily between the adults, shifting her feet nervously. She expected the arguments, they were a natural aspect of any relationship, after all. She figured they probably felt unwilling to take her in and would rather call an ambulance or something. That was expected as well.
But then they turned towards her, and in their gazes Jade found not suspicion or judgement. She saw.. concern?
"Heya. We were uh.. actually talking about you just now.." Willburr began, an air of awkwardness permeating through his words.
"Are you alright?" Lena asked softly, taking a step closer to Jade.
The girl's nod was quick. "Sorry if I'm being a bother to you, or your husband."
"You're no such thing, sweetie," Lena replied with a small smile. "Right, Willburr?"
Her forceful mention of his name caught the man off-guard and broke his composure. He could only utter a hasty "No, of course not! You're fine!" as a response.
"Mom, can Jade come with us?" Khal asked as he hugged his mother.
"Of course she can," Lena affirmed, stroking Khal's hair gently. "Right, Willburr?"
She received an exasperated groan from her husband however, as he hung his head down. "You really need to stop doing that, you know?"
Lena merely grinned mischievously. "I'll take that as a yes, if you don't mind."
Jade had covered her mouth all the while, trying and failing to suppress a giggle.
A content smile graced Khal's face for much of the car ride to the Serranos' home. He had his friend back after all, and despite some initial apprehension, his parents and Jade were getting along as well as he'd hoped. The car had turned another corner in the maze of roads when Lena and Jade shared another laugh.
"You should've seen his face after I wiped the floor with him. He was absolutely fuming!" The girl bragged with a chuckle.
"I can't imagine it looking any other way," The woman confided, shaking her head. "Kids these days get angered over the smallest thing. It's just a game, what's the problem?"
"Trust me, mom, it hardly feels like a game once you're actually in the match," Khal added, "You kinda forget about everything when you're focused on winning."
Jade nodded sheepishly. "I've been guilty of that a few times.."
With an amused glance, Willburr chimed in. "Guess we now know why you sometimes come back with a long face, Khal."
"Hey! I get over my losses fast.." The boy retorted with a pout. In turn, the parents shared a chuckle between themselves at their son's expression.
The quartet had soon arrived at their destination, stopping at the entrance of a small, run of the mill two-story house painted yellow. As soon as they entered the small parking lot near the front yard, the vehicle's rear doors swung open and Khal and Jade hopped out of it. Lena and Willburr followed, albeit in a more subdued manner.
The inkboy immediately set down the orange bag he had on him in the nearest table and plopped down on the couch beside it. In turn, Jade sat down beside him, letting out a sigh of relief while doing so. "This is actually comfy.."
"I know, right? Best place to lay down if you're ever tired," Khal chimed in, stretching on the couch.
Jade hummed. She looked to have visibly relaxed, her shoulders slumping and her body leaning backward on the couch. They both stayed like that for a bit, unwilling to lift a finger and simply enjoying a moment of respite. The parents soon stepped inside the house as well, glancing at the pair. With only a shared gaze, they silently agreed to let the young inklings have a moment to themselves, and promptly headed up to their rooms.
Khal's gaze wandered towards his taller friend, and despite her tranquil expression, there was something in her eyes that struck him as.. odd. Out of place.
They looked narrowed and slightly drooping down, the light in them missing. He's seen it before; his mother had it on her every time she went to wish him good night.
He could only imagine what would possibly be upsetting his friend. Though.. maybe this time, he could provide some sort of comfort, just like Lena always did to him.
He said her name, and in turn she craned her head straight towards him with a tired gaze.
"Is there something bothering you?"
Now Khal was greeted with confusion from the girl's end. "Of course not. Why would you think that?"
"Well.. you don't look very happy.."
"Khal, I'm fine. Really! Just somewhat.. tired at the moment, that's all."
"Oh. Well, is there anything I can do to help you feel better?"
"I'm not sure. But don't worry about me, I'll be fine."
Khal saw the small, stiff smile form on Jade's lips as she said that, and somehow he immediately knew something was definitely amiss. No way was he going to let Jade beat around the bush today. Not on his watch.
Khal frowned. "Jade.. you don't have to hide stuff from me, you know. I won't be mad at you."
"I'm fine," the girl repeated forcefully in turn.
"Don't you trust me?" He crawled closer to her on the couch.
"You wouldn't get it," she mumbled, turning away from Khal.
"I want to help!"
She turned to Khal again with an unreadable expression. "Khal, I—"
"It's been so long without a word or a text or anything to tell me you're okay! And then when you come back and you're obviously bothered by something, you expect me to just ignore that?!"
It was enough to startle Jade, as she leaned away from Khal in surprise and stared at him with widened eyes.
He took a breath to calm himself before resuming. "Just let me know about whatever it is that's eating you up inside, and I'll help you. Please."
"...I'll tell you later, okay? I'm not exactly ready to share now…"
"Promise?" Khal's hopeful gaze shone directly onto Jade's own.
Jade smiled warmly in turn. "Promise."
Fine by him. He'd rather have it now, sure, but he could wait a few hours. It's the least he could do.
So without further ado, he hugged Jade as tightly and lovingly as he could, bringing an even brighter smile to the girl's face.
"Lunch is ready!"
Such a call sprung the pair of teens into action— Khal moreso than Jade— and on the dinner table they were greeted with a banquetful of foods of all kinds, courtesy of Lena and Willburr's combined cooking expertise. Awe and wonder was evident on the teen's faces as they looked over the food— Jade even felt beads of drool gather inside her mouth, and she was too focused on what she was seeing to stop them from sliding out.
Khal was the first to dig in, excitable and energetic as ever, and Lena and Willburr followed suit. Again, Jade felt slight apprehension at intruding in the family's activities, but that was mitigated when they beckoned her to eat with them. What followed was an hour of laughs, stories, and of course being treated to delicious food. It drew a smile on Jade's face. Some time later, Khal and Willburr had to leave the house in order to run some errands, to both of their displeasure.
Lena even allowed Jade to borrow some of her clothes for the day, a simple blue tank top, some underwear and gray shorts. They fit a little loosely on her, but they worked nonetheless. Lena's promise of buying a set of clothes for her later on also helped reassure Jade, even if she did feel like a bit of a leech at the moment.
These people… they've only just now met her, yet they acted in such a kind and caring manner. It puzzled Jade, made her ponder as she watched Lena wash and clean the dishes from where she sat, sometime after lunch had ended.
There looked to be many of them on the sink. At the pace Lena was washing, Jade was sure it'd take an entire afternoon for all the dishes to be cleaned. Too much for one person, in her book.
Without making any noticeable noise, she stood up from her chair and approached the sink. Only when she began scrubbing her first plate did Lena notice her.
"What are you doing here?" She asked simply, her brows raising in surprise.
"I thought you'd like some help, miss Lena," Jade smiled. "These are a lot of dishes after all."
"Aw, don't worry about me. I can handle this just fine!" Lena assured as she added another plate to the stack of cleaned dishes.
"C'mon, It's only fair I do something in return for all the help you've given me."
"Not if you're my guest, you won't."
"..Not even just one?" Jade finished cleaning the dish in her hands and slowly reached for another, only to have her hand slapped away by Lena. "Phooey.."
"Like I said: Not if you're my guest."
The girl crossed her arms with a huff. A brief stareoff between the females ensued, until Jade gave up and retreated to the couch. Lena continued washing without delay. So Jade fell right back into where she started, simply watching with faint interest..
Lena did throw a few glances at her all throughout the cleaning process, either frowning or nodding at whatever stance Jade was in. It felt baffling to say the least; was she like this with Khal, too?
The woman did eventually finish with the dishes, however, much faster than Jade originally thought. She was drying her hands with a towel when she glanced at Jade again.
"Why the long face? Relax." Lena encouraged, walking over to Jade.
"I'm relaxed," Jade mumbled, lying face up on the couch.
"Tossing and turning doesn't exactly ease the mind," Lena replied as she sat next to the girl.
"Hey, it works for me," Jade shrugged, "Staying still has never been my thing."
"Is that so.."
The woman walked briskly to a nearby door. She instructed Jade to come with her, and despite some reluctance the girl did as told. She found herself in a pitch black room upon following Lena inside, and somehow the woman had vanished as well. Jade looked around in the darkness, and on instinct covered her eyes when the lights turned on.
The room looked basic and featureless, only boasting a floor of black tiles with a white square rim along with a table serving as the resting place of a small speaker. Now that Jade got a good look at it, she'd say the room kind of resembled a simple dance floor..
The speakers blared to life suddenly, playing a short but catchy beat to start. Opposite to Jade stood Lena, barefooted and boasting a strangely inviting smile.
"M-miss Lena? What is this?" Jade's tone was laced with suspicion as her eyes darted around the place.
"Let's dance," Was her only answer as she held out a hand toward Jade. The girl took it gingerly in turn, only to be suddenly spun around and caught by Lena before she could fall.
"W-wait! I dunno how to actually dance!" She cried out as Lena carried her from one end of the dance floor to another.
"Don't worry about that, just try it! The music will guide you!" Lena advised over the developing melody.
The time spent on the dance floor was both fun-filled and a bit of a scare for Jade. On one hand, She did enjoy the music, having both a decently fast pace and catchy melody for her to base her moves after, and the simple act of dancing about to her heart's content brought much joy to her. On the other hand..
Boy was she an utter mess at it. Half the time it felt more like a balancing act than letting herself be carried by the beat of the song, and there were many instances in which she tripped herself up, fumbled her choreography, or otherwise struggled to stay on her two feet. Lena was always nearby to help her out, at least, and she either caught her from falling whenever she was about to, or pulled her up whenever she actually did. Her welcoming smile and urgings of "Keep going!" and "You're doing great!" certainly did their job of motivating Jade. There was a moment where Lena grasped onto Jade's hands and led her all over the dance floor, spinning round and round and even singing along with the music, an amusing sight contagious enough for Jade to join in on the singing.
The song ended eventually, and the inklings stopped to catch their breaths. They shared a glance. The sheepish smile on Jade contrasted Lena's patient smile.
"So…"
"That felt.. nice, actually? I'm surprised... I think I feel a little lighter now."
"Relaxed, even?"
"Yeah! That too—..." Jade stopped in the middle of the sentence, realization hitting her at full force, and slowly turned toward Lena with an unamused pout. The woman couldn't stifle her laughter. "Hey…"
"You did mention that staying still wasn't for you. I figured doing something more active could stop that head of yours from throbbing so much."
"Yeah… If I'm honest, I'd like to thank you, miss—"
"Oh don't worry about any formal stuff. Just 'Lena' is fine," The inkling woman said with an off-wave.
"Oh, ok! Thanks so much for this, Lena!" Jade beamed.
Lena smiled warmly in turn. "My pleasure."
She found herself smiling along with her, feeling quite good about herself for the moment. A question did cross her mind however as she looked out the door.
"I wonder how Khal is doing…"
Khal felt incredibly, unmistakably, small. Now, it was true that he was shorter than the average inkling youth, he had no qualms about that. Any jokes regarding his height were usually brushed off with a smile and a laugh. His height was the least of his concerns.
But for the love of god, why was Inkopolis so. damn. Big?
Every corner he turned, every street he crossed, and every sidewalk he passed through looked the same as the last, and his path only led to places he knew nothing of. Without a map in hand, he lacked any sense of direction, stuck wandering in circles. To Khal, Inkopolis might as well have been one needlessly big maze. And he was a fly in it.
Backpack slung over his shoulder, he trekked through another avenue, his bored frown and droopy eyes swaying about in search of something— anything— that could lead him to his destination. He had gone out to run errands for his mother, namely completing a checklist of items she needed, but so far he's had very little luck in locating the majority of them. Lena did tell him that most of the things on the list where at a particular supermarket, but he had no idea how to get there, and the map on his phone didn't help either.
Right now, however, he wanted to rest his legs. So he sat down on the first bench he could find, stretched his legs for a moment, and laid there for some time. Something on the other side of the street caught his eye, however.
A gathering of fellow inklings it seemed, though not of the pleasant kind. One inkling looked to be antagonized by three others, the tallest among the trio grabbing their victim by the collar of their shirt and pinning them against a wall.
The sight struck a nerve in the boy, his gaze on the bullies hardening almost on instinct into a glare.
"Jerks…"
Without much pondering, Khal stood up from his bench and crossed the street to the other side. He briefly glanced around in search of something to get the group's attention and found some discarded juiceboxes on the floor. Good enough for him.
The tallest of the trio of bullies, a tan-skinned male, laughed rambunctiously at the smaller squid's blubbering. "Haha, what's wrong, idiot?! Gonna cry, maybe wet yourself?!"
His accomplices laughed along with him, the victim looking down in shame with tearful eyes. The tall inkling raised his prey high, but a sudden shout startled him enough to drop the bullied boy.
"Whu—?!" As soon as he turned around, the bully was greeted by juicebox smacking against his face, its contents spilling all over him and his shirt. "Hey, I just bought this!"
Khal disregarded the bully's complaint as he approached. "Leave him alone, you bozos!" He yelled defiantly at the trio.
"Who asked you, gremlin?!" the accomplice girl next to the tall one snapped back.
"Mind your business!" The other accomplice added. They both received juiceboxes to the face in response. The bullied inkling took the chance to scurry away from his aggressors, giving a thumbs up to Khal for a brief moment.
"Grr, that's it! You asked for it!"
"Get him!"
A brief chase ensued between the bullies and Khal, the small boy leading them all over the streets in an effort to both confuse and lose them. It didn't work, however, for the bullies were able to keep up and eventually corner him in a closed off alley. Khal looked between the wall behind him and the bullies in his path, his mind scrambling to figure out a solution.
Alas, he was unable to figure it out in time before the tallest of the bullies approached menacingly and grabbed Khal by his pink hoodie and slammed him against the wall.
"You made me lose my catch for the day.." The tall inkling seethed as he stared down at Khal. The boy looked unconcerned, however.
"Aww, I'm sorry. It just seemed like you didn't need it," Khal snarked back. He was slammed harshly onto the ground as a result of his indignation.
"No one messes with me! I'll just give you the boot!"
Yet just as the bully prepared to kick Khal while he was down, he noticed a large shadow looming over him from the corner of his eye. His companions' cheers were suddenly silenced as well, and as soon as he turned around to see why, he froze in place.
"Is there a problem here?" Nephrys asked inquisitively, her sharp purple eyes boring onto the trio of squids.
"N-no, lady, we w-were just uh.. helpin' out the little guy here get up!"
Glancing at Khal's bruised face told her another story however. A more truthful one. Swiftly and without warning, she grabbed the main bully by the collar of his shirt and lifted him off his feet, up to her eye level. His lackeys backed up in fear.
"A word of advice: if you're gonna lie, don't make it obvious, and certainly don't do it over something stupid. Otherwise, I might have to teach you some manners."
The boy trembled and squirmed, but Nephrys' grip only tightened as a result. "I see you pick on him or anyone else again, and a world of hurt will be coming for you. Am. I. Clear?"
The bully bobbed his head up and down with such speed that it looked like he entered a sugar rush of sorts. He was dropped onto the ground without another word from the woman, and the bully and his lackeys wasted no time in bolting out of the alley.
From where he lay, Khal gaped at the woman, unable to utter a word or sound. Where did she come from?
Nephrys stared him down again, and took short steps towards him. To Khal's surprise, her glare softened as she came closer and knelt down by his side.
"You okay there, kid?" She asked, extending a hand. Khal took it gingerly and was pulled up by Nephrys.
"Thanks, miss…"
"You shouldn't have done that. They could've done worse things to you."
"W-well, someone had to stop those mean guys from picking on someone innocent!" He exclaimed, though his tone was unsure.
"Not at your own expense," Nephrys replied before walking away.
Khal spaced out as he pondered those words. 'Own expense'? What did she mean by that? All he got out of his stunt was a slight bruise! He sure didn't see any expense there..
His feet moved on their own before he realized it, and in just a few seconds he went from seeing the woman depart to walking just behind her, trailing her as if he were a lost pet.
She glanced at him again with puzzlement in her eyes and slowed incher walking. "What is it?"
"Uh.. I want to.. do something for you, miss."
"Why's that? There's no need, kid."
"I mean, you went out of your way to help me, so… I want to help you back as thanks!" Khal affirmed with determination.
This earned a chuckle and a small smile from Nephrys. "So kind of you," she praised softly. "Hm.. I'm not sure what you could do…"
"Anything you want, miss!"
"Even pouring ketchup all over your clothes?"
Khal blushed upon hearing that and looked away with embarrassment. Nephrys chuckled again and placed her uncovered hand on Khal's head, Instantly vanishing any feelings of embarrassment in him. "I'm kidding. There's a place I'm going to just now, a store. If you want, you can accompany me there."
"Okay!" Khal nodded with his head, "I don't know exactly where it is though.."
"I don't know, either. Oh well, we can always figure it out on the way, right?"
"Yeah!"
Neprys smiled warmly at Khal, "Alright then. Let's go!"
So the pair was off toward their destination. Using Khal's phone, they managed to find a map of the sector, including the exact location of the store they were trying to reach, and devised a path to get there. They asked around whenever they found themselves lost or otherwise confused, and took moments of respite every so often, during which Khal got to know the woman better upon learning of her name. Needless to say, he was left intrigued. There were salmon runners with a higher rank than profreshional? What kind of things did she do compared to the salmon runs done from Inkopolis Square? What did she do when not in her job?
He didn't care if it was strange or naive of him to accompany and trust someone he just met, he just wanted to know more.
They had gotten closer to their destination when Khal spoke up again.
"So… what can I do when I'm surrounded by a bunch of salmonids?"
"Well in my experience, you only have two options if such a thing happens. Either you stand your ground and try to clear them out or—"
"You run away. Right?" He finished.
"It's more retreating to a safer spot, I'd say," Nephrys corrected, putting a finger on her chin. "Sometimes it's better to take a moment to catch yourself than to jump in headlong."
"So I shouldn't even try to fight when I'm surrounded, then?" He asked again, his voice glum and disappointed.
Nephrys turned to Khal, confusion dawning on her. "That's not.. why do you say it like that?"
"Like what?"
"'Shouldn't even try'," she repeated in a similar tone as his, "Retreating. As if that's something to be ashamed of. As if it's somehow wrong."
"I mean it is, no? It makes me look like a coward.."
Nephrys stopped and knelt to Khal's level, grasping him by his shoulders. "Keeping yourself safe is not cowardly. Not when you admit you're unable to handle a threat on your own."
"But then that means I can't do anything right on my own.."
He looked away, off into the distance. "If I can't help others without getting hurt myself, then what's the point? I'll just make them worry.."
With her gloved hand, Nephrys directed Khal's face towards her, and gazed sternly into his eyes. "Don't you still want to help them? Without getting yourself hurt?"
"O-of course!" It's just—"
"Then you must prepare yourself to take on challenges, even if the odds are stacked against you."
Her response only puzzled Khal further. "But how?"
She looked down, as if thinking about something for a few seconds, before gazing at the boy again. "I'll show you. Tomorrow at the grizzco outpost in Inkopolis Square, 10 in the morning."
"Really? But why me?" He wondered, his voice laced with insecurity
"I can see your heart's in the right place, Khal. It takes courage to stand up to people like the kids from earlier, and.. I'd like to impart on you a few tips and tricks for if you ever face people like them again. Maybe even help you do better in your next salmon run."
"...OK! I'll go!" He nodded with renewed vigor.
"That's the spirit!"
They soon reached their destination, and after helping Nephrys with her groceries, the two bid goodbye to each other and promised to meet the next day.
With a heave of relief, Jade plopped onto the bed in the guest's room. Today was just what she needed after the scandal from the island. No, after this entire mess started; a moment to slow down, relax, and leave her worries behind for a few moments.
Pondering her situation with a cooler head was also beneficial, though Jade was in no rush to do anything of that sort yet. For now, she decided to spend her time looking over the clothes Lena had bought her. They weren't exactly to her tastes, but they look good enough to wear and appropriately sized. Jade smiled as she stared down at the set.
She soon heard a knock on her door, and turned around to see Lena standing by it.
"I trust nothing too awful happened in the afternoon?" The woman asked.
"Nope! Just me and my thoughts," Jade grinned. Lena moved to sit down beside her in the bed.
"Glad to hear."
"Hey, Lena? I know I said this earlier but.. I'm really grateful for all your help. I don't know what I'd do without you, mister Willburr or Khal."
"It's no problem. I'm just wondering how you ended up in that beach."
Oh right. That.
"Um.. about that… I—"
Lena had noticed the uneasiness in Jade's shifting about and put a hand on her shoulder. "You don't have to tell me if it's too uncomfortable for you. It's alright if you don't."
"No, no! I do want to tell you, miss. You deserve to know."
"..I'm listening."
Jade sucked in a breath and exhaled slowly before continuing. "So remember when I told you a few hours ago that I went to a beach party and kinda lost it and passed out? I.. never really went to the beach. Not by choice. And there wasn't any party there, either."
"Oh my gosh, you were kidnapped?!"
"..No, actually. Sort of. You see, someone's been… searching for me in the past few days. They found me, we got into a fight and then.."
She was temporarily distracted by a light that entered the corner of her eye, and as she turned to see why, fear washed over Jade.
Out in the window lay the moon in full view. And she had stared at it.
"I-I have to go," she stood up hurriedly only to be stopped by Lena.
"Wait, what's wrong—"
"Please let me go, I—!"
She was cut off by her own blood-curdling scream, and in agony Jade fell to her knees. Her body burned once more, every muscle and sinew of her being aching and twisting, while she could do nothing but whimper. It didn't take long for her beastly visage to be completely restored.
Once the pain ended, the panting salmonling dared not move from her spot, her clawed hands gingerly grasping her snout. Likewise, the inkling woman could only look on speechless, stifling a gasp with hands over her mouth.
Their eyes met, enraptured into a long gaze, and both their minds ran wild with thoughts of doubt and worry and fear. So much fear.
Jade was drowning in it, even as she figured what was about to happen. A scream of fright, a rush to the nearest telephone, a bout of horror beckoning her to flee and for Lena to abandon her. Oh yes, she could almost picture it in her mind. This was goodbye wasn't it?
Yet the instant she made her move, Jade felt a hand on her wrist, and when she looked back at Lena she saw not disgust or anger in her eyes. She saw.. recognition?
Wait, why was she pulling her into a hug?
"Miss Lena…?" Jade tried to ask, her voice no higher than a whisper, but she was quickly shushed by the woman.
"This is why that someone has been searching for you, isn't it?"
Jade nodded, slowly but surely.
It was as if something had clicked in Lena's mind. Her expression turned solemn, her voice turning sad and gentle. "Oh, Jade.. I can only imagine what you've been through because of this."
Jade didn't have it in her to keep any sort of composure any longer. So she buried her nuzzle into Lena's chest and cried. For minutes on end, she did nothing else but cry and sob into the woman's dress, clinging to her like a lost child. Part of her felt ashamed of her current demeanor, demanded that she be stronger than this. Every time Lena looked directly at her and rubbed her back gently assured otherwise. She could never figure out this woman. Why?
"Aren't you gonna kick me out..?" The salmonling blubbered helplessly, staring up at Lena once more with tearful eyes.
"Not if you're my guest."
"B-but I—!"
The woman shushed her gently. "I know. I know what you did to him, but.. now I can see that it wasn't your choice."
"I don't know what to do.. I-I don't want to hurt anyone, I…"
"Calm yourself first. Deep breaths."
Jade did as instructed, sucking in air before exhaling it several times for a few seconds. It had the intended result.
"I don't fully understand what is happening, but we'll think of something, alright? You need to rest for now. It's been a long day."
Lena allowed the salmonling to set her head down on her shoulder, and the two returned to their embrace. Jade sighed in relief. The threat is over for now. Perhaps now that she had someone to trust she didn't have to be afraid anymore.
But then she gazed outside the room, and her eyes widened. Terror begun to fester within her once more..
As the terrified form of Khal stared right back at her.