A Quick Word Before You Start
Hello there! I am back with the first chapter on this new, spaced out upload schedule, which will be the norm for a while. But while I have been working away at the other chapters, A LOT has happened. For one,I have made a cover image for the story, which is half of a bigger and better quality photo of my drawing, which you can see in full at my google+ page ( u/1/+Raptorus77 , insert self promotion joke here). But MUCH more importantly, other humans have read my story! It has legitimately has blown my mind away seeing how many people have read my little fanfic, and from so many places. It's actually a little daunting, but it's definitely pushing me to try not to let you guys down. You guys have left me some much appreciated encouragement, and ideas. That being said, I am anxious on how you guys will like this chapter, which I have put a few, tired late nights into, and gone (and thought) over a good bit. Either way I hope you enjoy it!
(Reminder, I do not own Splatoon, or any of the related products, as much as i would love that for all sorts of reasons, it's Nintendo's, but I wouldn't worry, they seem to know what they're doing ;-P)
Chapter 5: Oven Trouble
This time, it was different, something she knew had to happen, as it would be silly to think it was always the same, yet it still filled her with a warm, pleasant feeling. This time as Agent 8 looked out the window, the dawn sky had clouds over the city, clouds which seemed to absorb the light and turn them purple and softer colors. She moved away from the window, careful to be silent as she walked away from the beautiful sight, as Agent 3 was still asleep. Admittedly she was slightly worried at first that 3 kept waking up later than her, since she wondered if it could be related to him being sanitized, constantly knocked out and unconscious underground, but decided that it was probably just the result of an exhaustive few days. As she walked around the apartment, looking her, she ended up in the kitchen, where something got her interest. The device was sitting on the counter next to the stove top, and looked similar to the object below the stove top. However, it was much smaller, just the right size for her to analyze it. She grabbed and pulled it, to which she felt resistance, which caused growing frustration, and her to pull harder. This time, it gave and the black cord flayed in the air, as 8 jerked back, her pink tentacles swaying forward. She quickly caught herself, holding the thing, with it's black power cord dangling below it. She brought it to the dining table and set it down, with the knobs and small door facing up. She traced her finger over the spacing between the knobs and the paneling of the machine, when she felt it give over a certain crease. She managed to utilize her fingernails to pry the black case enough to put her tan fingers between the space and force it off, exposing an array of wires behind it. As an octoling, she was accustomed to messing with technical and mechanical parts and computers. So even with her inability to remember events using those skills, something in her felt an urge to mess with the wiring, an urge she indulged. She began to first analyze the types of wires and their connections, something that let her know that the device's use was to heat up the opening next to the panels and knobs via coils. She then decided to see how well her mechanical skills were. She spent about ten minutes modifying the machine, disconnecting and reconnecting different wires, and soon plugged it back in the wall, when there was a soft thumping sound.
Agent 3 stepped out of the bedroom, wearing a wrinkled black t-shirt and matching sweatpants, and was glad that this time he got to sleep in his own bed, (while also thankful Agent 8 liked the air mattress so he didn't feel guilty). He looked over at the couch, where he assumed she'd be looking out the window again. She wasn't there, but unfortunately he did see her when he turned to look towards the kitchen, and saw her leaning over his toaster oven with it's wires strewn all around it. She was in the only clothing that was a good idea to give her last night, old white pajama pants that stopped just above her ankles, and a blue shirt with a worn out white logo, which was a little loose around her shoulders, with it draping to a little less than halfway on her right shoulder. When the pink tentacled octoling saw 3, stunned at what happened to his oven, she felt ashamed and blushed quite hard, though the light from the rising sun managed to hide the deep shade of red on her face. She slowly sat down in one of the chairs next to the table. Suddenly different wires began to spark, as the coils in the main compartment heated up and glowed, first a normal dull red, followed by a sea green, then many shades of purple, a mixture of orange and yellow, and finally a mixture of different shades of blue and pink, but then it burned out, and the wires popped with brilliantly bright bluish white sparks. It appeared her modifications worked… for about twelve seconds. The silence lasted about a minute, with 8 trying to avoid 3's gaze, and 3 looking at the octoling girl, hoping she would just look up at him.
The unspoken sentiments and silence, built up like tidal wave, until he couldn't stay silent anymore. The inkling exhaled, quickly calming himself. He awkwardly ran a hand up to the blue tentacles he had tied together on the back of his head. 'Well… I don't think I've ever seen it do that before!" 8 still remained quiet, and pulled her feet on to the chair, curling up, one arm around her legs, the other laying next to the oven. 3 sighed, he had no idea what to do next, he was kinda upset sure, but he was secretly impressed with the oven tinkering, and didn't want to scare or yell at her, or pander her like a child, she was becoming a pretty good friend, and he didn't want her to regret knowing him, especially since she was staying at his place and would be seeing him every day. His brain was starting to think of several things to say, and all sorts of potential scenarios, when he had a stark moment of clearness, and he sat down, and hoped he wasn't about to make it worse. "Alright," he moved a chair next to hers, and sat down, on hand on the chair arm, the other on the table, "I know it kinda looks bad, but it isn't, I swear". This didn't get a response, but he kept going. "I admit, when I first saw the oven I was upset, and I still am." This caused her to hold her legs tighter, and her hand on the table to clench up, causing 3 to worry, "But that feeling is pretty small and petty. I'm glad you're curious, and if anything, it's my fault, I should've made things clearer, and tell you not to do that. But if anything, I think what you just made it do is squidtastic!" This caused the octoling to loosen her body up, and turn her head to peek at 3, eyes wide with a hardened, yet worried look. He continued, " I think it's cool that you have the skills to do that, we just have to find a better way for you to use those without testing them on my appliances.," he added a nervous, yet genuine smile which caused the octoling to cheer up a little inside. "Either way," he shifted his body, his hand accidentally brushing against hers, causing 8 to instinctively twitch, but not pull away, as it oddly soothed and comforted the octoling. 3 feel odd when his hand brushed hers, his stomach had even more knots, and it momentarily distracted him. He silently gulped and continued, his face slightly blushing, and their hands still touching. He cleared his throat timidly, "(Mhmm) Either way, it's fine, I wouldn't get very upset over something like this, especially with you." This caused 8 to uncurl herself and lift her head, slightly glassy eyed, but smiling.
Agent 8 felt guilty, and when her mind thought of different scenarios of how Agent 3 might hold this against her, someone she'd been growing closer to, and who she would be around daily, she followed an instinct she knew was childish. She sat in the chair curled up and trying to hide from any possible issues in embarrassment and innocent shame. She enforced a mental barrier when she thought Agent 3 was trying to insincerely coddle her. But then, his honesty slowly broke through that barrier, and now she couldn't help but feel ridiculous she even acted this way. It was something she never would've done, but with the sudden range of emotions she'd been feeling those last few days since hearing that song (or at least to the first time she remembered meeting Cuttlefish) it was all new to her. So as she moved her feet off the chair and gave the inkling a thankful look, she silently resolved that in her new home, she would explore and manage these emotions that she had never felt in the underground. 8 stood up, which 3 also did, and she brushed one of her pink tentacles away from her face as she looked into his blue eyes, and he looked into her amber ones. The inkling saw a little bit of smile show on her face, as she softly, but sincerely said "Thanks 3." 3 was beginning to give her a reassuring smile and going to say "No problem," when 8 suddenly leapt into 3, hugging him, resting her head on his shoulder. The blue tentacled agent quickly balanced himself out before they could tumble over. Once he managed an equilibrium, he stood there a little awkwardly, group hugs where one thing, but he didn't really hug anyone individually, especially in an emotional moment like this. So he stood there hot in the face with his hands in the air for a few moments. Then… he relented. The embrace filled him with a warm, slightly emotionally off guard feeling, and his arms closed around 8's shoulders and back, and he lightly rested his cheek against her tentacles on her head. Whatever they wanted to get across to each other, was communicated better than if they ever used words. After a few moments, 8's head moved up, which caused 3 to move his head back as well. They looked each other in the eye, as their arms slowly dropped to their sides. As they pulled away from each other and ended the hug, 8 had a warming smile on her face as she giggled softly, which prompted 3 to do this same, at least until he realized something. His face blushed again as looked into 8's eyes, "Oh, uh… good morning." The latest Squidbeak agent's face went blank, before a sheepish smile crept on her face, and her face grew a little red again, "Oh cod you're right, well… good morning!" This prompted both of them to laugh, glad that the strange drama of earlier subsided and was dealt with. 3 and 8 then moved apart, the octoling sitting on the couch, and 3 went over, and picked up the oven, or at least it's remains. This caused the girl's guilt to start to build again, "Still...I'm sorry, it must've been expensive." 3 heard her worried voice and turned around, softly smiling and with a reassuring look, "It's fine I forgive. Plus it's nothing a run at Gizzco's and a shopping trip won't fix." This caused the 8's sudden wave of guilt to subside, and her mind slowly moved away from the issue.
3 on the other hand turned his back to her, as he sighed and his smile faded away, he knew it was going to take much more than just one Salmon Run to buy another toaster oven. 3 then went over to his bedroom, and changed his clothes, he put on a grey Splatfest t-shirt with a purple and green logo with "Splatfest" in white, black shorts, and instead of his black sneakers, put on blue laceless Dakroniks. He walked out of the room, looking over at 8, who was thinking about what she wanted to do first in Inkopolis. She looked over at 3, snapping out of her daydreaming. She noticed his new clothes, and when he nodded towards the bedroom, got the message, and went into the bedroom to change into the clothes she wore yesterday. She changed and as she left the room in her Squidforce t-shirt and black sweatpants she noticed the slightly tan inkling throwing away the remains of her 'experiment'. At this point, she didn't feel much guilt for it, considering the situation that device had gotten her into, she almost smiled at it being disposed and left behind, just like the insecurities of that morning. She was putting on her black boots, her mind enjoying the memories from the day before, when she remembered something 3 said. He also remembered, he remembered that he said they would go into Inkopolis Square and get her some new clothes. Since he now had to buy another toaster oven, he was thankful that the Squid Sisters had given him some money to pay for gear for 8 after they became friends with the octoling, something the tan octoling was unaware of. He turned and faced the octoling agent, "Well, yesterday I said we were going to go to Inkopolis, we need to get you some new clothes, I need to do a few runs," He quickly glanced over to the garbage bin and quickly shook his head, and moved on, "And since I don't have anymore food in my fridge, we need to get something to eat." This last bit had 8 smiling affirmatively and subtly nodding as she was starting to feel her hunger creeping in now that there was no melodramatic situation. So as she finished putting on her boots, 3 opened and held the door to the apartment with a smile, "Shall we be off?" 3 saw 8 walk up to him, mirroring his smile, "Lets!" With this, he closed the door behind him as they walked off to Inkopolis, with 8 keeping her smile thinking about how she was going to see Inkopolis in all it's glory, which caused 3 to smile seeing the excitement building in her. So the two gladly walked towards the city in the morning sun, wondering what the day might hold.
(Well, I really hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I wanted to add some emotional occurrence here, and went with this route, since I have seen people who have lived sheltered lives actually react this way. Still, if it seems a little cringy, I apologize, I've been kinda anxious and a little tired these past few days, and while this story certainly helped relieve some stress, it did and some new problems ;-). Either way I might suggest you remember this story, as it may or may not be relevant to future chapters...)
(Speaking of which, my next chapter will be uploaded next Friday, so look out for that, and I will see all then, Woomy, Ngyes and Veemo!)