Sleep, unfortunately, doesn't always solve everything. Especially the restless sleep Atlanta had had. Things aren't always magically better in the morning. Despite both troy and her father's pearls of wisdom and reassurance the day before; Atlanta couldn't help but mull over Marina's mysterious scaring. Don't worry is after all the worst thing to tell someone prone to worrying about others.

Atlanta didn't get the chance to speak to Marina that morning. Not for lack of trying. But stingray was on an early launch and was gone long before Atlanta even clocked in for the day. It was almost eighteen hours later till she saw any member of the crew again. And even then, that was only troy swinging by to say they were back, the tugboats were recovered and to wish her goodnight.

So, Atlanta didn't get the chance to speak to Marina that day. So, Atlanta continued feeling uneasy, privately.

Not that there wasn't plenty to take her mind off at work. Everyone was very busy for the most part. A supply holdup issue. The admiral visited unannounced. Some drama over a counter counter revolution in the east. Strange sightings of even stranger things in the west. So, Atlanta didn't get the chance to speak to Marina that day. Or the next day. Or the day after.

Plus, by Friday it turned out the previously disappearing tugboats were down to the plans of some previous undiscovered underwater race. Two of whom started threatening to destroy Marienville. Battle stations were called with moments to spare. Stingray investigated and intervened. Troy tempest and his plucky crew save the day by a narrow margin; as if just to add to Atlanta's stress levels over their safety! Hijinks on the high seas. Danger at ocean deep. The usual.

But in the quieter moments, in the down time and the paperwork and routine Atlanta couldn't stop her thoughts from turning back to Marina. The memory rattled around in her head so loud. Her worries gnawed at her like a piranha on a bone.

It might have been easier if Atlanta could act like she hadn't seen anything. If Marina and they could pretend. Or ignore it and move on. Not that she was the person who could do that. Atlanta was at least for her trying to act as if everything was fine. Even if she did feel like (pink) ice closing in. All Atlanta wanted to do was check if Marina was okay; if only to put her own mind at ease at least, find some innocuous answer to it all. But she couldn't.

Because the few days following the 'discovery' incident, Marina was acting odd.

Or to be more specific, Marina was avoiding her.