Aureolin and Linen had spent the next hour together eating dinner. The restaurant did have a nice variety of food that they didn't mind sharing with each other, if either of them were curious for the taste. Aureolin mostly had the chef's special soup and a slice of cheesecake, and Linen had gotten a salad and some spaghetti, though the two did keep watching the Turf War competition on one of the many televisions in the restaurant. So far, the yellow tentacle haired girl was enjoying the date, glad they could enjoy the celebration of their first victory tonight, even if the Blank Slates had imprinted fear into both of the teenage inklings' minds.
"This has been nice, Linny. What made you ask me out, anyway?" Aureolin asked, aware that the pretext for this date was a celebration for their victory today, so it made her wonder how long he had been wanting to do this. The two did do a lot of things together and often shared the same bed if they spent the night at either one's house. Linen didn't want to wreck their great friendship, but he did want more than that.
"Do I need a reason, Aure?" the purple tentacle haired inkling responded nervously. His date shrugged while getting her money out to pay for her half of the meal.
"No, but if you had a reason, then I'd feel less awkward by how sudden it was," Aureolin grinned, her sharp teeth adding onto showing how much joy she was getting out of teasing him. Linen sighed, getting up and putting his half of the payment on their table, following her as they both exited the restaurant and stepped out onto the streets, being mostly illuminated by the moonlight and the lights on the sidewalk.
"I just… I like you a lot. We both know that I have for a long time," he answered, doing his best not to upset her, but she didn't have any plans of being angry at him. She found it cute how he acted so brash and hyperactive one day and then suddenly shyer the next. Linen blushed, feeling Aureolin wrap her arms around him, and then their lips met. He didn't know how to react, but he didn't fight against her. He put his arms around her. They both felt like today had been great they won their first round. Now this signified the start of a hopeful relationship. When they broke apart, Linen found himself just against a nearby wall, staring awfully at her.
"Why your mouth tastes like ink is beyond me…" Aureolin laughed, seeing her new blushing boyfriend. She acted like there was no tension in the moment. The way she treated everything like she didn't have a care in the world, reassured Linen a lot that the date was a great start.
"I'm gonna head home…" the yellow inkling claimed, bidding him goodnight, though she only took a few steps away before stopping.
"Oh, and Linny…" she said, gaining his attention.
"Y-yeah, Aure?" Linen responded, beginning to snap out of his own stunned daze.
"Thanks again… for everything," Aureolin thanked him for getting her onto the Ink Jets to begin with, back when she gave up hope on getting into the Turf War competition.
"I-it was nothing…" he nodded, watching his new girlfriend leave. He decided he had to get home, too.
"Wait… did she say my mouth tastes like ink?" Linen mentally pondered. He didn't taste it himself, but then again he had been shot a lot by enemy teams' ink. He tried not to let his mind worry him as he headed back to his home, aware this could be a week of mostly relaxation before the next round of the Turf War competition.
Aureolin's walk home was nice, the sidewalks being somewhat empty, due to the time, anyway. It was awake now either at home only, or at the Inktopolis Plaza. She felt absolutely delightful. It only took a short while to get back to her apartment. She entered inside, where she was greeted by the empty darkness. She entered into her living room, looking at the television. Aureolin couldn't deny that she wanted to keep watching the Turf War competition, but she needed to sleep. She just switched the light off and headed straight for her room.
The yellow inkling slept quite peacefully. The hours of the night ticked by obliviously with her head resting comfortably in the pillow, though Aureolin was awoken from her sleep early by an odd noise. She heard a light tapping. She groaned, rolling over and resting her face on the pillow. She glared at her alarm clock which read 5:49am. She asked herself if she even should set the alarm on it anymore. She always woke up early, so it seemed pointless. Aureolin forced herself out of bed, shutting off the alarm so it wouldn't annoy her later. She left her bedroom to go see what was with the noise.
Aureolin entered into her living room, her attention focusing on the person currently inhabiting her couch. It was Myrtle, who was watching the Turf War competition on television. Her long green tentacles still were eerily long to the yellow inkling, but she ignored it, not being her prime focus right now.
"Myrtle? Why are you in my house? Wait, scratch that. How did you get into my house, and how did you find out where I live?" Aureolin began her questioning, thinking it was too early in the morning to tolerate her teammates' oddities. She went to the small nearby kitchen and opened the refrigerator that was lacking in stock. She grabbed one of the few sodas available, an odd brand that was called Electric Watermelon, her favourite flavour.
"Folly told me where your house was. I guess he asked Linen for it first. Also, you need to remember to lock your windows," Myrtle explained to her teammate that their leader told her where Aureolin lived, though the green inkling wasn't being her aggressive usual self.
"Right… so what is so important you had to break in?" Aureolin continued pressing further, seeing her teammate sigh.
"I need someone to come with me to the hospital."