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The sky was full of stars, as the three Inklings were marching on the sidewalk: the clouds were seemingly nonexistent. A car or two zoomed on the road, followed by faint engine noises. The grasshoppers were singing: the sounds were coming from behind a long, stone wall. Mirii kept lifting her glasses, which were sliding a bit every time she lowered her head.
"Julie, I have an innocent question to ask out of my curiosity…"
Mirii turned her head to the right, seeing Grina holding her left tentacle and closing her eyes: her right fingers were near her right cheek, almost bended.
"Why do you carry those glasses? Your sight might get hurt by them…" Grina opened her eyes, smiling.
"… those glasses possess an unique propriety, Grina." Mirii rose her head slightly, with her mouth slightly downturned. "They analyze voices and discover lies."
Grina's tentacles stretched to the sides, as her irises shrunk and her mouth opened wide.
"Wh-what?!"
"Thanks to those fine pieces of technology, I could detect the lies pronounced by the Chief and uncover Hunley's real situation." Mirii nodded, quickly pushing her glasses inside. "Also, the glasses are needed for the cover-up we are about to deploy."
Grina's right hand rested on her mouth's right side, as she bended towards Mirii and frowned a bit.
"Way to act in-character, genius!" She whispered. "Didn't Tonna told us to start pretending to be those characters, the second we step out of the building?!"
"As she said before, the important aspect of this interpretation is to capture the theme around those characters…" Mirii's head turned forward. "… aside from the fact that at midnight, no living being is around Inkopolis."
"Wow, so much for strategizing everything!" Grina lifted her pose, as she shows her teeth. "I bet you just can't wait to not give a care about this whole turfing plan!"
"I acquired awareness skills, during my perfect training sessions…" Mirii took her right tentacle, stroking it. "I can confirm without doubt that no one is nearby… not even at 100 feet."
"C-come on!" Grina clenches her fists. "You can't be that sure…!"
She's right, Grina: not a single living creature is near. Although, I can't really agree on your careless attitude, Mirii.
"Hmpf." Mirii frowned a bit. "I'm the one who's losing the patience here? You should reconsider your statement" She closed her eyes. "since my explanation was supposed to be brief, 100% safe from strangers' ears."
Ah… sigh, listen. You are getting near the Turf War Station: I officially order you two to forget about your discussion and focus on the mission. How about you talk to each other in-character?
Grina closes her eyes: her face gradually formed a smile, as her left hand held her left tentacle upwards again.
"The night is quite calm… I can feel the breeze caressing all those delicate flowers…" She giggled a bit.
Bars' smiled widely, while blushing a bit: his right fingers twirled his mustache.
"Like, as charming as always Miss Serena. Your words are the fine scent of every morning."
Grina clapped her hands once, as she turned to her right, seeing Bars with her sparkling eyes.
"Why thank you, Barsy! Eeeeeh" She shook her lowered head quickly, as her right hand stood on her forehead. "I-I mean Mr. Monter!" She grins, while her eyes are closed.
Bars chuckled, as the girl giggled too. Mirii shook her head slowly, frowning a bit and opening only the right side of her mouth. The three Inklings turned to the right, as their eyes were seeing a large Zapfish sleeping on a tower's front wall.
"It seems we reached our destination." Grina's hand palms were touching each other, as they positioned near her right-tilted head's right cheek. "Everything is so silent, though…"
There is someone behind the gate: just show yourself and get inside.
"Splendid!" Grina clenched her fists, which were close to her face, while smiling widely. "Then, what we are waiting for? Onward we walk!"
Grina walks a bit faster, getting ahead of the two. Mirii let out a low sigh.
Grina, what are you doing?! Don't leave your friends behind: that's something Serena would never do!
"Oopsie!" Her hands covered her mouth. "I'm so sorry…" She turns behind, seeing the two Inklings walking in her direction. "For some reason I feel strangely energetic…"
"Ah ah, don't sweat on it girl!" Bars patted on Grina's left shoulder.
Mirii turned her head, as she stares down him, frowning a lot. The boy's left irises caught hers: he jumped, as his hands got right on his back.
"Oh… I-I felt very juvenile with that manner…" Sweat came down from his forehead. "Like, let's keep walking."
The three Inklings resumed their walk, after Mirii snorted faintly. They stepped on each stair treads, closely stopping in front of a gate. Mirii walked in front of the two Inklings.
Mirii, there is a secret door bell somewhere near the gate… try looking to the right side, ok?
The girl nodded, as her eyes moved to the right, black wall. Walking near it, her right hand fell on the metallic surface, touching and pressing while moving the hand around or towards the right.
"I hear steps." Mirii said in a low voice, twisting her head to the left.
She sprinted back in front of the gate, as her eyes were squeezing and staring at the darkness beyond the gate. The steps got louder: emerging from the darkness, an Inkling woman which the top of her head reaches Mirii's tip of her nose.
Her hands were round, same for her stomach. She was wearing a light brown, short-sleeved shirt; long-sleeved, black pants; a half apron under her stomach. Her wrists were resting on her hips, as she smiled widely.
"Why if it isn't Julie!" She closes her eyes. "Howdy, nerd!"
"N-nerd?!" Mirii frowned a bit, as her right cheek twitched.
"Yep! I didn't say it wrong, thi' 'ime!" She reopened them. "Took me some darn tries, bu' finally I git it memoriz'!"
Mirii, did you forget?! "Nerd" is a nickname she self-implied, because of her low self-esteem.
"Ah…" Mirii's irises were as large as points.
Grina holds her mouth, as small bits of her laugh escaped. The woman tilted to the left, seeing the girl.
"Howdy Serena!" She waves her left hand. "You got some happynss today?"
Grina jumped, as her hands fell on her back, her eyes closed and her grin got out of her mouth.
"Eh eh, the flowers improved my mood!" Her hands threw ahead. "I'm just full of positive energy… I could laugh and laugh without stopping!"
"That's nice, my frien'!" The woman smiled even more, while closing her eyes. "Laughin' is th' best medicin', after all!"
"Yes, certainly." She bows down.
The woman's head moved towards Bars.
"Howdy Mr. Monter! I'm still tryin' to speek lik' a Technie." She shrugs. "Can' do a thin' about it…"
"Ehm…" He turns his head to the right, for a moment. "Like, keep practing!"
"Ah ah, sure thin'!" Her right hand moved downwards.
"That woman… she's speaking like Fara." Mirii's right finger stood on her right cheek. "I wonder if she knows Hunley or if she even comes from the farms… if that's the case, then our plan would have been ruined ever since the very beginning."
The woman kept tilting left and right.
"Huh? My husban' isn't with you?" Her eyebrows rose, as her right forefinger stood on her mouth. "I swear he said to retur' for his midnigh' shift…"
"Your husband…" Mirii left her mouth open. "Ehm…"
Sigh, Hun was supposed to act as that woman's husband… but ever since he's doing those health tests, you must tell her the following excuse. Ahem!
Mirii looks up for a moment, then back on the woman.
"Your husband is momentarily doing a commission for the Turf War Station." She nodded. "You'll mostly find him back home."
"Aaaahhh… he must hav' forgottn to tell me…" She shrugs. "Not muc' of a surprise, really." She bends closer, standing near the gate. "Ya kno, he even forgets his name sometimes!"
Mirii kept looking at the woman.
"Is your husband coming from the farms…?" She squeezes her eyes slightly.
Mirii!
"Ah ah, no no!" She chuckled, as her right hand stood on her stomach. "He's a Technie, just like ya!"
"I see…" Her irises moved to the right. "Strange… I never heard of cases where people forget essential information such as their name. Hunley seems to have similar problems too… I wonder if her husband is involved with Project Neo."
"Now, enou' wit' chit-chat!" The woman walks to her right, as she took a bunch of keys and pushed one of them on a keyhole. "Ya got work to do, as muc' as I."
"Yes, that's undeniably true…" Her left hand grabbed her right elbow, as her irises moved to the left. "Is there anything else we should know?"
"Nah!" The woman pulls the gate over the left, with both her hands. "Same ol' shift. Dserted office is dserted."
"It's even deserted… now I understand the reason behind the mission starting hour." She smiled, bending just slightly. "Thank you for the service."
"Ah ah, for wha'? Git in, now." The woman's hands were on her back.
The three Inklings entered inside the tower, as each of them were greeting the short woman.