Alright, send a review if you are liking the story so far!
While holding a kitchen knife on her right hand, Mirii immerged the item inside a light reddish jam contained in a jar: she retract the knife, bringing the covered upper part on the rusk, sliding the knife on it. She puts the knife on her plate, as her left hand brought the meal towards her mouth.
"Hmm…! Squisite." Her cheeks were puffed, as her sealed mouth moves around. "Food quality is always a plus, especially in the morning: thanks to this excellent meal and that Orange Juice in front of me" Her irises moved towards a glass full of an orange beverage. "I'll keep my perfect shape for the rest of the morning."
Mirii's eyes moved to her right: Hun was holding a spoon with his right hand, filled with milk and cereals.
"Despite his simple ways, Hunley's breakfast is at least healthy enough." She smiled briefly.
Her eyelids and eyebrows lowered, as her eyes moved slightly to the left.
"Unlike the food Bars is eating right in this very moment."
The boy was holding two pieces of toasted muffins, respectively located on the top and on the bottom, with inside hot sausage, melted cheese and ham. He was munching with his mouth closed. Mirii rose her eyebrows, making a grimace.
"Th-that's simply disgusting: how he could eat that oily food for breakfast?! I-I can't watch him at all, right now…" Mirii turns her head to her left. "Otherwise I'm going to puke everything I just ate."
Her eyes tracked down Tonna, walking towards the Inklings: she waved her right hand.
"Hi!" She stops in front of the table, as her eyes were seeing the table full of plates, food and glasses. "I knew I would find you here."
"Hey there, Tonna!" Grina turns over the woman, as her right elbow rests on her chair's top edge. "Wanna get some food down the stomach?"
"No thanks, I already had breakfast." She closes her eyes, while smiling. "A nice cup of espresso!"
Mirii's eyelids and eyebrows lowered, as a sweat drop appears on her head's right side.
"Pffff! No wonder your stomach is holding up signs of protests!" Grina's left hand was in front of her mouth. "You kinda need to stay chubby until lunch."
"Eating breakfast doesn't mean to eat eggs, sausages, bacon and baked beans: it must be more balanced and healthy!" Mirii frowns, while looking at Grina.
She shrugs while shaking her head and closing her eyes.
"Healthy might just be your personal impression." Still with her eyes closed, Grina's right hand stood on her chest. "How can you work without food in your stomach? That stuff you are eating seems an extreme diet regime you are forcing on yourself."
Mirii growls faintly, with her mouth closed.
"To be honest, I have to agree with Grina…" A sweat drop appears on the left side of Tonna's head. "Whenever I'm at home for holidays, I always try to stuff myself with some food. It's so painful to hear your own stomach grumbling, especially in front of others."
"Hmpf, unbelievable." Mirii rose her head with her eyes still on Tonna. "She jumps from one extreme to the next: no one should ever follow her example."
She sighs, as she took the glass full of orange juice.
"In any case, I need permission to exit the Headquarters, Tonna." Her right hand brought the glass closer to her mouth. "Can you compile the justification"
"Out of question, Mirii." Tonna frowns a bit. "You and the others have a mission this morning."
Mirii's eyes expanded, as she kept drinking on her glass and her eyebrows skyrocketed on her forehead.
"NO! YOU CAN'T BE SERIOUS!" She puts her glass behind her plate. "Tonna, my brother said that he needs my"
"Call him now and pass your smartphone to me." Tonna squeezes her eyes. "I want to hear his motivations personally."
Mirii bites her lips.
"Nnngghhhh!" Sweat covered her forehead.
Tonna bends towards Mirii.
"You don't have any idea what I had to do in order to convince the chiefs about your justifications…" She snorted faintly. "That's something I wouldn't even wish for my worst enemy."
"Tonna, th-this is important…" Mirii whispered, as sweat kept falling from her forehead. "It's related to… well, to Hunley."
"How's that related?" Tonna grits her teeth.
"I-I just learned yesterday that my mother knows something about the situation…" Her irises moved left and right. "I-I must talk with my brother, in order to"
"Then, you'll have plenty of time to do that, after finishing this mission." Tonna lifts her posture. "Besides, Hun truly needs your help more than anyone else."
Her eyes moved over Hun, as she smiled. Mirii blushes as she turns her head over the boy, while leaving her mouth open.
"R-really?!" Hun blushes, as he lifts his back up with his arms down.
"Sure!" Tonna nods, while smiling. "I mean, no offense or anything... but Mirii seems natural at leading an entire team." She clasped her own hands. "Even though you are an Agent and your friends are all Rangers, you can still let Mirii become the leader of this team."
"Ah…" Hun's mouth was left open.
"Nch! Times sure changed faster than a milkshake preparation…" Grina shrugs. "I thought to be the leader of the Inkinators."
Tonna's eyelids lowered, as she turns over Grina.
"A true leader wouldn't act this passive, as you do." She squeezes her eyes a bit. "Not to mention, those missions aren't little games for kids."
"You sure didn't see this Inkling doing her leading job, Miss Foureyes." She grins, while turning over Tonna. "I make jams out of dangers, you know!"
Tonna gradually frowns a lot.
"I can report your insults to the chiefs…"
"For what? Mirii is going to give me the role like nothing" Grina turns over Mirii. "Am I right?"
Mirii's head was a little up, as her face got darker.
"If Hunley wants me to be the leader, I'll gladly accept."
"Eeeeh?!" Grina's tentacles rose up for a moment, as her eyes expanded. "Since when you were this interested to the leading role?!"
"Because improvising during a mission is the best way to get the entire team out of commission. Besides, that obnoxious behavior was getting on my nerves…" Around Mirii, everything got darker.
"Uuuuuuhh…" Grina gradually shrinks, as her completely white eyes had a tear shape under them, standing in a darker background. "Th-that was so mean, Mirii…"
"Then, stop acting like a child for once." Mirii lowers her head, while closing her eyes. "If you are aware of the situation, this mission could be seen as symbolic."
"Why?" Hun turns over Mirii.
"Because, this time the entire Inkinators team is asked to complete a mission." Her head turns over Hun, while smiling and opening her eyes. "Last time we were only in three, trying to infiltrate inside the Turf War Station."
"So now… with me included…" He starts smiling. "Not to pretend things who don't exist, but… wouldn't this be the first time, the Inkinators are doing something together?"
Mirii kept seeing Hun: she nods faintly.
"Yes… yes, you are correct, Hunley!" Her eyes grew a bit. "We were suppose to compete in a Global Testfire, but those Stingray creatures captured you."
"He gets himself into trouble a bit too much." Grina giggles, as she took a bite of a piece of sausage on her fork. She pushes the food in her mouth's right side. "I hope this time you'll hide a bit more from danger!"
"Better face danger than acting like a coward, Grina." Mirii frowns, while turning over Grina and bending forward a bit. "If you keep hiding, how can you learn to defend yourself when you are out in the open?"
"Sheesh, Mirii…!" Grina rolls her eyes, while munching then swallowing. "Do you really have to attack a harmless joke?"
Mirii sealed her mouth for a moment: her back rests on the chair, while snorting and folding her arms.
"Ehm… I-I have decided to let Mirii become our leader!" Hun rose his forefinger up.
"Then, you have to say that to the Chief." Tonna smiles, while closing her eyes. "I'll remind you this during the briefing, so don't worry about it."
"Ok!" Hun nods.
"Can I com' too?!" Fara stands up, with her glove-like hands on the table and sparkling eyes.
Tonna chuckles a bit.
"No no, Fara… you are too young to participate in a mission." The woman's eyes were staring at the little girl.
"But…" Fara's mouth was wavy, her eyes were getting a bit watery. "I wan' to protect big bro."
"Wh-what about I protect you, Fara?!" Sweat jumps out from Hun's head, as he turns over Fara with his eyebrows up. "You are safe here, you know that!"
"Well…" Fara's irises moved to her left, as a sweat drop appears on her head's left side and her eyebrows lowered. "Me and Skippy don't really lik' being too safe: this place is so borin', Hun..." Her irises moved back to Hun, same for her eyebrows. "Stayin' aroun' with you, it would be so much fun!"
Hun stood with his mouth open, with his eyes still on his little sister.
"That little girl right there is saying wise words for sure." Grina grins, with her eyes closed, her head down and her hands behind her head. "Certainly, if I was the leader of this squad I wouldn't hesitate to add her in…"
She opens her right eye: Fara was looking at her, while frowning and puffing her cheeks.
"You wan' to take advantage of me…"
"Aaaah, what's this?! The Hate-Grina day?!" Her hands went down, her eyes expanded, her mouth downturned.
"Tricking people will bring you nowhere, Grina." Mirii rose her head a little. "It's a tactic used by people who can't just say their true intentions."
"Eh eh…" Grina grins, as she looks at Mirii. "Said the one who tried to trick Tonna before…"
Mirii's tentacles bended zigzag, as her eyes expanded.
"Bu-but that has"
"Actually, you wanted to trick out the poor chiefs." Grina shrugs. "I guess you stepped on the Ink Mine this time."
"Nnnngghhh!" Mirii frowns, as sweat covered her forehead. "That was too careless, Mirii! How could you let your guard down this easily?!"
"Well, now if you excuse me…" Tonna steps backwards. "I'm going to reach the Briefing Room, informing the chief about your arrival: can you finish your breakfast in 10 minutes?"
"Like, I'm already done with that girl!" Bars stands up, with his palms turned over the woman. "Just need the bathroom for a sec!"
Her eyes were seeing his palms, covered in oil: she grimaces a little.
"Alright, alright." A sweat drop appears on her head's right side. "Hun and Mirii are almost done too, it seems."
"I just need to finish this rusk and my orange juice." Mirii's eyes were staring at her plate, then at her glass. "The presence of this mission completely interferes with my plans."
She frowns, as her irises went to her left.
"I can't renounce my online purchases, though: I'm sure I'll have enough time to sneak inside the treehouse and take all my new gadgets… but I must be quick, otherwise the Headquarters would start getting suspicious."
Her fists clenched.
"I feel like a criminal acting this way… even more when I have to hide that fact." Her eyebrows rose.
She shakes her head once.
"Calm down, Mirii: no one will ever point at you as a criminal. I'm perfection incarnated after all."
She rose her head a little.
"Hmm… for now, there is only one thing I'm asking: which mission me and Hunley will end up with?"
Mirii was seeing herself through a square-shaped mirror: her fingers took her bangs, petting them downwards.
"Uhm… it looks better now." Mirii rose her head. "Well, certainly I look like a professional, full of seriousness."
"Hey girl, like this mission is totally going to bring out the fun, huh?"
Mirii's irises pointed at Bars, which was standing in front of Grina.
"You bet!" Grina nods, as her left eye winked. "It's better talking with our weapons than doing boring administrative stuff."
"Well, that word was already too boring to hear!" Bars shrugs, with his eyebrows up.
Mirii slowly shakes her head, while frowning and squeezing her eyes, as her teeth showed up a little and her head lowered a bit.
"You ingrates… always thinking about having fun, like 5 years old kids…"
She turns to her left, as her eyes met Hun's ones. She smiles.
"At least this mission has its own positives."
The boy smiles too. Mirii's eyes closed, as her head slightly tilts to her left.
"So, Hunley, do you feel energized after that breakfast session?" She clasps her own hands.
"Oh yes I do!" He nods, while leaving his mouth open for a moment. "I never ate anything that delicious before! It's so true you can always do something even better than before!"
Mirii giggles, while nodding once.
"Aaaah, Hunley… his simplicity is truly a genuine remark." She opens her eyes. "Appreciating obvious things like milk and cereal literally helps people understanding how far we have gotten, quality wise."
"She's so calm and gentle…" He blushes a bit. "Remembering is great, since I could learn any improvements… I'll not let this moment be forgotten like that!"
Ding!
The elevator door slides to the right. Grina opens her arms.
"Alright, gang! Time to visit the Chimney Room and get our mission!" She walks out.
Bars was right behind her. Mirii and Hun turned their head over each other: they nodded, as they walked out of the elevator together.
"If I manage to postpone this mission…" Mirii's irises moved over the collection of windows on her left. "I can talk with my mother just in time and proceed the Project Neo investigations."
Grina stops in front of a metallic door: her right fist knocks on it twice.
"Inkinators here, ready to hear whatever mission you have on paper!" She pushed the door's handle, pushing the whole door and walking forward.
"Hmm…" Mirii rose her eyebrows. "Maybe I should have told Grina to let Hun stay in front of us…"
Each Inkling entered inside the room: Hun pushes the door, until it stops and released a loud sound. He turns behind: the male Inkling had a cigarette on his mouth, which had semi-fire on its tip. His eyes were looking at each member of the Inkinators. Tonna was standing near a chalkboard, with a block note in her hands.
"Well, well, looks like you aren't getting rid of me that easily, chief!" Grina walks, while grinning, lowering her head down a bit, closing her eyes and opening her arms. "Unless the mission for today is a nice, little holiday to Mahi-Mahi Resort."
"If that was the case, Tonna would had sent you a message about it." With his hands on the table, the man stands up. "But where is that soon-to-be Senior Agent?!"
His head turns left and right, until he saw Hun which was bending a bit down.
"Ah, there you are!" He took off his cigarette, rubbing it on the ashtray. "I thought you got lost again…"
"N-no!" Sweat jumps out from Hun's forehead, as he walks quickly forward. "I-I didn't get here late at all, this"
Hun's right foot tilted forward.
THUMP!
"HUNLEY!" Mirii dashes, stopping in front of the boy. "Are you alright?!"
"Ow ow…" Jerkily he stands up, with his eyes closed and his teeth gritted.
Opening them, he tracks down Mirii's right hand in front of his face. He grabs her hand with his right one, getting slowly up.
"Sheesh, Hunry… thank turfness you didn't get hurt!" Grina's mouth downturned, as she walks near him. "That rush made me jump too, you know!"
"I'm sorry…" His right hand rests on his head's right side. "I-I didn't want to trip down…"
Mirii bites her lips.
"I-I could have stopped him in time… wh-why I didn't figure out all this?!"
Hun looks at Mirii: he smiles a bit.
"Thank you for helping me out, Mirii…" He blushes.
Mirii blushes a lot, as her eyes expanded. She smiles widely, as her eyes returned to their previous sizes.
"You are welcome, Hunley." She nods once.
"Eh eh, always a pleasure to see you again, Mirii."
The girl turns behind: the man had his hands behind his back, while smiling a bit.
"Chief." Her mouth got flatter, her eyebrows stood in the middle, as her arms stretched along her hips. "I'm truly sorry for asking this, but… is it possible to postpone this mission?" Her head rose a bit. "Hunley may not be in good shape, in this very"
"No, Mirii." He shakes his head. "I took a quick look at this mission's page information…"
He sighs, as he walks to the left.
"It's one of those where no Agent or Ranger can postpone." He turns over the girl. "The reason is that this mission takes more time than usual to complete. If one of you refuse to take part of this mission, then the mission is considered a failure. Besides, no other Agents can take on this mission, since they are following other missions…"
Sweat started to form on Mirii's forehead.
"… how much time does this mission take…?" She swallows silently.
The man sealed his mouth, as he walks towards a pile of papers resting near the ashtray.
"No, please… don't make this mission require too much time…"
His eyes were going left and right.
"No…" She grits her teeth, as she starts trembling.
"It's esteemed to take all the morning and afternoon."
Mirii's hands slapped her own cheeks.
"CURSEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSS!" Her eyes expanded.