Jay and Marie had planned to head back to Marie's apartment after having "breakfast" since Marie did have to start getting ready for the tour, and Jay was going to need time to pack as well, though Marie still hadn't dropped that she planned to bring Jay along. Marie kept waiting for the right moment, then resigned that it would either happen when Jay dropped her off at her apartment, or she could do it over text since then it could link to digital tickets that Jay could keep on her phone. They had a lot that they needed to get done so they needed as much of the day as they could get, they couldn't afford to get lost in each other's eyes right now, they'll have plenty of time for that later.

So the date wound up lasting until the next evening, and the sun was now setting over the horizon. Jay and Marie just didn't want to stop being in each other's company. But, as they say, all good things must come to an end. Marie and Callie have a tour coming up soon, and Marie needs to prepare for it. Jay insisted on walking Marie home though, partially because she wanted to spend more time with her, and partially because she actually just wanted to go for a walk anyways, she loves fresh air. Marie and Jay walked hand in hand, slowly towards Marie's apartment which she still shares with Callie. Jay had been there all of twice before, once when Marie left her phone in Octo Canyon and Jay needed to bring it back to her, and another time when Callie did the same thing. Jay wonders if maybe Callie had done it just to get Jay over to the apartment because she's pretty sure Callie has been on to both of their feelings for a long time now.

"This was really nice, we should do this again." Jay comments, blushing and smiling cutely. She glances between Marie and the setting sun in the distance, something about the way the evening gave way to night made her calm. Marie giggles and gives Jay's hand a soft squeeze, followed by a tender smile and a kiss on the cheek.

"We absolutely will! I mean, you're my girlfriend now after all!" Marie smiles softly and blushes herself, it sounded so nice to finally be able to call Jay her girlfriend. She'd been toying with the idea of it in her mind for so long it almost didn't seem real, she kept thinking that at any moment she was going to wake up and the entire thing won't have happened. But that moment never came, and Jay was still smiling and holding her hand. Marie felt lucky, she felt like maybe things might get better now. Alex and Kiaria had been through enough bullshit for more than their entire lifetimes, between both of their Kamabo experiences, to Alex's scar, to Kiaria's memory issues, they'd been through enough. From what Marie heard, Jay had some issues in the early days too, namely with her biological mother, but evidently she'd not been heard from in years, and Jay seemed very happy about that.

"Geez, hearing you call me your girlfriend… it's nice, I didn't think I'd ever hear you say it, and yet you did! And I get to say it too! You're MY girlfriend!" Jay giggles and blushes, squeezing Marie's hand this time. They both stare into each other's eyes and smile, giggling occasionally as they walk. Then they stop walking, finding a park bench to sit at for a while, not quite wanting the evening to come to an end. Jay leans in close and Marie leans the rest of the way, their lips meeting once again as they both coo and hold each other's cheeks.

After a few moments, the kiss is broken, and the two squids just lovingly look into each other's eyes, holding each other's cheeks. The sun was slowly setting behind them, Jay knew she was going to end up walking home in the dark, but she didn't mind, she'd rather spend this time with Marie. Besides, she's an AGENT after all, she can take care of herself. Marie didn't like the idea of Jay being by herself outside after dark, Jay was plenty reckless during missions, but she knows she can handle herself, she's proven competent many times, including the time she somehow hit a graplink while falling through the air without even looking. She proved it wasn't a fluke by doing it three more times in a row because she would then miss the easy jump and need to re-spawn. So instead, Marie simply decides to enjoy this. She wants to enjoy this moment of being intimate with her girlfriend before she has to go home and do her pop star job.

"Today and yesterday have been nothing short of magical, between you saying "yes" when I asked you out, to everything that's transpired since… it's all just a dream come true. You know I never told you this but… part of the reason I followed you into that questionable sewer grate all those years ago was because I wanted to know why someone so beautiful as you was heading down a place like that. I had to know for myself what was up." Jay chuckles and rubs her neck awkwardly, admitting that she has basically had a little crush on Marie since before they even met.

"Oh, so THAT'S why you had such a confused look on your face when you came through!" Marie giggles and kisses Jay's cheek softly. Marie has to admit, she didn't think too much of Jay when they'd first met. Sure she thought the squid was cute, but her mind was absolutely not on the attractiveness of the squid in question, she was more interested in getting Callie back from Octavio. But then, once Marie could appreciate the agent a little more, she found she admired more than her can-do attitude and her overwhelming determination. Marie was definitely admiring her other… assets… once the dust settled and Callie was freed.

"Heh, I'd been in Inkopolis for maybe two days, hadn't even done a single battle yet, and I found myself following an Inkling I don't know down into a sewer. If it hadn't worked out so well I'm sure Alex would've thwaped me upside the head." Jay chuckles softly, thinking about her cousin, and how much she cared about her, and how much the opposite is true as well. She really hopes she recovers quickly, she deserves to be happy.

"She doesn't have much ground to stand on there, since that's exactly how SHE became an agent too. Except it was gramps that recruited her. I can't remember if he told her about the Octarians before or after she jumped down the sewer grate in Inkopolis Plaza, but either way, she still followed him." Marie chuckles, thinking about how absurd their recruitment strategies seem to be, and yet how effective they also are. Jay and Alex were both very capable in their own right, it makes sense that they were raised together.

Jay snorts, trying to contain a laugh. She knew there was a reason Alex hadn't told her the whole story of HOW she became an agent. There was always the little detail left out about HOW she became one, and there it was. Marie giggles a little which doesn't help Jay trying to stifle her laugh, but after a few moments, they both give up holding it back and just laugh loudly, not caring what anyone else thinks, they're having fun!

"Oh my GODS! Dammit Alex!" Jay snorts and laughs hard again, causing Marie to also laugh just as hard, they couldn't help it! They'd been having so much fun together that anything that got them giggling would KEEP them giggling for quite a while. But eventually, it starts getting dark, and the streetlights come on, and both Jay and Marie realize it's time to say goodnight, at least for now.

"Ah, I should really be getting home… I need to start getting ready for this tour and… hey wait! I have an idea! How about you come with us!" Marie beams, suddenly feeling very excited about this Tour which she'd previously only felt like she HAD to do. But now it was a chance to share the experience with Jay! Okay she'd been planning to do this for ages by now but she's trying to make it seem like a spur of the moment thing with her excitement.

"C-Come with you?! Like, as in, be with you while you're on tour?!" Jay blushes hard, feeling more than a little excited. She'd been able to go to a couple concerts here and there, but to go with her on tour?! That sounds amazing! This deal is very fair and she's happy to be a part of it. "I would love to!"

"Great! We'll get you backstage passes to every show, and your own hotel room in every city… Well, I say your, but you know." Marie winks and pecks Jay on the lips quickly, hinting that while Jay will be the only one officially registered to stay in that hotel room, she might have a visitor quite often. She was very happy about this idea, she couldn't wait to execute it! "But unfortunately, I have to get home… care to walk me the rest of the way?"

"Oh, I would love to!" Jay gets up and helps Marie stand as well, sneaking a smooch once she's standing, the both of them giggling more and heading back to Marie's place of residence. They walk hand in hand once more, smiling happily. Once they arrive Marie kisses Jay tenderly one final time, bidding the Inkling farewell and heading inside, leaving Jay to head home.

"I should be sad about having to say goodbye, but, I'm just too excited!" Jay says to herself as she excitedly starts heading home, she has to pack now after all! This was going to be a remarkable experience, she'd only done a little bit of travelling, it was going to be so much fun! Plus, more time spent with Marie! She expects that they'll probably do a lot of cuddling and watching TV since she's going to be so spent from the concerts.

Jay walks quickly, passing by Inkopolis lake. She has to stop to look out at it, normally it's still this time of night, but now it's got some strange ripples in the distance. She considers investigating, but all she has is a single dualie tucked away under her jacket, and no ink tank to speak of. Really it's just an emergency thing too, she couldn't really splat anyone with it, she'd get maybe four shots before having no ink to shoot left without an ink tank. Jay sighs, assuming it's probably nothing, and even if it is something, she's not equipped to deal with it anyways.

As Jay walks she notices something else strange, a little thin trail. It looks like ink, but it smells like swamp. Actually, now that she thinks about it, it smells an awful lot like the Salmonid areas she's been sent to on her handful of shifts at Grizzco. Freelance work there could be quite lucrative if a bit sketchy. She pulls the dualie out from under her jacket and follows the trail, finding it leads behind one of the benches. Rounding the bench she spots a Smallfry, but it looks like it picked up a metal fork somewhere instead of their usual plastic spoons. Upon seeing Jay, the smallfry immediately charges at her and screams in rage. It sounds like someone took a war cry and made it really high pitched and quiet. Jay steps back, reluctantly pointing her dualie at the Smallfry and pulling the trigger, letting a few shots of ink come out, splatting the little Salmonid and the tiny fork it was holding clangs against the ground since its owner is no longer present.

"Okay that was weird, don't think I've ever seen salmons inside of Inkopolis before… then again, I'm not out this late usually, maybe that's it?" Jay tries rationalizing, but she knows she's rationalizing, and she quickly shakes her head. "I'll inform Sheldon, he can check up on Inkopolis's defenses and make sure there's no holes."

Jay then puts the dualie back under her jacket, and heads the rest of the way home. Her head is on a swivel the rest of the way, she knows Salmonids rarely travel in such small groups, there's always a bigger fish. She was ready to grab her dualie and fire it at a moment's notice, just in case there were any bigger fish to fry, but as she got back to her apartment, no such fish crossed her path. She was calm once she got inside, but she felt much more tired once she was home than she had anticipated. Something about being ambushed by a fish the size of her foot.

"This better not become a thing, too much has happened, we just need a break." Jay says to herself as she makes her way to her bedroom. She'd pack in the morning, right now she just wanted to pass out. She'd figure out what was going on and why there were Salmons in Inkopolis another day, right now she was just going to sleep.