Marie and Callie arrive home, they'd just been out doing patrols to make sure Octarians weren't making a move to try and free Octavio again, which of course they weren't. They knew better than to try, and he knew better than to let them anyways. Especially with everyone being so on-edge as a result of the recent events regarding Agent Three and Kamabo, so Octavio is, for now anyways, being respectable.

"Ugh, I swear these patrols are getting more and more tedious with each passing day" Callie thwumps herself down on the couch, tossing her shades onto the coffee table. She was still dressed in her agent gear, as was Marie, but given how long the day was, they both wanted a chance to rest a little before they actually got into their comfortable clothes. Besides, their agent gear wasn't exactly uncomfortable either, so they had no qualms leaving it on for a while.

"Well if things keep going the way they are, we might finally be able to be a bit more lax in our patrols… there hasn't really been much octarian activity outside of the domes lately, it's possible that the rebels are gaining ground." Marie idly states as she takes off her face mask and puts it in a bin to be washed, also taking off her hat and hanging it on the hat stand and letting her tentacles down. "Ah that's better!"

"That would be nice, maybe we'd finally be able to do normal Inkling things like… finding someone to date." Callie chuckles, looking straight at Marie with a smirk. She knows EXACTLY who her cousin has a crush on, and she knows for a fact she hasn't acted on it. Callie tried being subtle with her before but now she feels like she has to be more blunt about it, otherwise Marie might never actually get a date. She keeps the look fixated on Marie, and when she notices it, Marie just makes a confused look in return, raising her eyebrow slightly.

"What's got you so smug?" Marie takes her jacket off now and hangs it up as well before going over to her recliner and plunking herself down on it. She gives her cousin this confused stare that Callie simply becomes more smug from seeing. Marie's expression becomes more confused, before suddenly Marie actually registers what Callie said, and she fully understands the look her cousin is giving her. Marie's expression shifts from confusion to flustered, her face warming up and being tinted green by her ink.

"You like her! Ask her out!" Callie says, trying to build Marie up so she'll actually do it. Callie could see the way her cousin would look at their fellow agent, and the fact that Marie very obviously thought highly of her. Callie had yet to figure out why her cousin hadn't just bit the bullet and asked her out. But whatever it was, Callie was sure that the explanation wouldn't be good enough.

"I-I… N-No! I can't do that!..." Marie blushes hard, averting her gaze from her cousin for a moment. While it's true her feelings are there, it would feel wrong if she just went and asked her out! At least in her own opinion. Marie has her reasons, and she's set in them, and as a result, she's going to be incredibly difficult and refuse to change her stance on the situation at hand.

"Why not! It's obvious you like her! Just ask her!" Callie prods, continuing to try and egg her cousin on. She knows they'd be good together and she just doesn't understand. She wants to see her cousin happy and she knows that Marie's been needing companionship that isn't just familial. While Callie is always happy to spend time with her cousin, she knows Marie needs more than just her in order to be truly happy.

"Because! If I ask her out, I'm afraid she'd feel like she HAS to go out with me! I don't want her to go out with me because she feels like she has to! I want her to do it because SHE wants it!" Marie huffs, and then blushes hard as she realizes she's just aired her own feelings so freely. But she's sure of herself, her reasoning makes sense to her, even if it's a bit unfair to Jay and also to herself. She figures at least she's being unfair to the both of them, which somehow makes it fair.

Callie was, understandably, a little shocked. She hadn't really expected this answer out of her cousin at all. Back when she herself and Alex had a little fling Callie had no problems asking her out, it just never really went anywhere. Callie was more than happy that Alex has found Kiaria now though, they're really good for each other. But Marie and Jay would be really good together too!

"Marie… What if she wants to try a relationship with you and she's just too intimidated by who you are to ask?! Sure back when you two met she had virtually no clue who you were but she knows now! Maybe she's scared because she thinks you're so much higher than her!" Callie tries her best to explain, but she was never the 'give a pep talk' type. She hopes she can at least get Marie to consider just going out for coffee or something with Jay. She isn't really sure how to do it but she's determined to. Callie hopes her explanation will at least make Marie soften up a little so Jay can actually have a chance. "So many fans put us on this pedestal that makes us seem unattainable to them, that's why dating in general is so hard for us! Pearl and Marina cheated the system by not being related so they can just date each other."

Marie rolls her eyes and chuckles at the last quip. While sure it is convenient that Pearl and Marina can just date each other, Marie doesn't have that luxury. Marie is pretty sure their relationship started prior to their career taking off anyways. No, Marie likes Jay, and she has to find some way to get the girl to ask her out. Maybe she could drop some hints that she's interested? Well, more than she's already been doing. Unfortunately Marie is set in her mind that she can't be the one to ask her out, Jay has to be the one to ask Marie out. Marie feels like her reasons are justified, but she does at least understand where Callie is coming from.

"Look, Cals, I know you're trying to help. But the reality is… you can't change my mind, or the way I feel about this. Jay has to come to ME. Tell you what, if she asks me to go out for coffee or to get a schwaffle or something of the sort that is sort of a date but not really, at the end of it I'll ask her for another "date" okay? Does that satisfy you?" Marie says to Callie, just trying to get to the part where she can relax and go back to not thinking about how cute Jay is or how she seems to fit so perfectly into that hero outfit or… dammit stop that Marie!

"Humph… fine, you'd better find out how good of a kisser she is on that first date though, nothing seals a first date like a good kiss!" Callie chuckles, thinking back to the handful of first dates she herself has had. As well as the one time it went further than just the kiss on a first date… but that was partially because Alex had saved the Great Zapfish so it was technically part of her reward for it. Oops now Callie is reminiscing.

Marie rolls her eyes and is about to offer up a retort, but in that exact moment, Marie's phone begins ringing! Marie fumbles a little, being moderately startled by it as she reaches to her pocket to take out the cellular device and find out just which cephalopod has decided to attempt to reach her using it. Much to her surprise, it's Jay! Marie doesn't usually answer the phone, especially not for anything that isn't work related, but something in her gut tells her this is an important call to take, so she answers it and holds the receiver up to her ear.

"Hello? Four- I mean… Jay?" Marie answers, blushing a little from using her agent number at first instead of her name, but it's a force of habit. So many of her interactions with her are all business, she hopes that maybe she could start spending more casual time with her, maybe that would be a good start. She clears her throat and hopes that Jay doesn't mind the little mix up, she is genuinely happy to hear from her, she even blushes a little from hearing her voice through the receiver.

"Hey Marie… uh… I'm beautiful, wanna go on a date?" Jay says through the phone. Marie wants to be shocked that Jay has actually asked her out, but thankfully, the little mixup with the pickup line was enough to keep her in the moment, it was honestly funny enough for her to giggle at, and blush a little harder from as well. Well she's got her wish, Jay's asked her out! Marie can't help but be overjoyed, she'd secretly been hoping for Jay to make this exact phone call for so long! Since around when Alex and Kiaria got together actually. Now she has to figure out how to proceed without sounding like she's been waiting for this for ages.

"I would've said 'cute' but I guess beautiful works too… and, I'd be honored Jay." Marie says, smiling so hard it comes through her voice. She's even started playing idly with one of her tentacles since it's hanging freely at the moment rather than being up in the usual bow. She seems quite happy at this moment.

"Uhhh… uhhh… uhm…" Jay stammers for a moment, Marie could tell Jay hadn't expected to succeed in asking her out so easily, but Marie wasn't going to play 'hard to get' for any reason, especially because she wants to go out with Jay too. Playing hard to get would just make everything frustrating. Finally after a few moments, Marie can hear Jay speak again, it seems she's finally gotten over the initial shock. "Uhh… How about a walk through Inkopolis park? Say around eight so we could catch the sunset?"

"That sounds lovely Jay, I'll be at your place around seven thirty so we can make it to the park by eight. See you later! *click*" Maire quickly ends the call because she needs to SQUEAL with excitement! Callie, who had just watched the whole thing unfold, was just chuckling and smirking. Marie rolled her eyes at her again, and then went right back to being excited. After a few moments of being an excited cephalopod, Marie realizes something, something she hadn't thought of when she agreed to the date. "Shit I need to dress up so I look good… but not TOO good, I don't want to overdress… but still I should wear something kinda nice?"

"Marie, whatever you wear, she's going to think you look beautiful, so don't stress too much. But if you want my suggestion, don't go in a dress, go in something semi-formal still, but just not a dress." Callie smiles, she's genuinely excited for her cousin, she really hopes the date goes well, and something in her gut is telling her that Marie should wear something other than a dress.

"You think so? I guess that makes sense. Alright I'll go see what I have… I think I'll leave my tentacles down though, I think she'll like them like this. Plus I'm less likely to be recognized without having them up like normal." Marie smiles and gets up off her recliner, heading over to her room to find something to wear for her date. Something tells her this is going to be a night to remember.