Ethan had agreed to pick up Marino at her apartment that night, so he raced back to his own apartment to perform a quick change of clothes (a nice collared shirt and some jeans) and fetch the bouquet of flowers he had bought for the occasion earlier that day. When he arrived at Marino’s apartment door, he took a deep breath, and rung the doorbell.
Normally he wouldn’t feel so nervous, but Ayane’s concerns had thrown him off. Was Marino really the right girl for him? He knew he was totally into her physically and found her personally alluring, but was there more to it than that? Only one way to find out.
Answering the door was an Inkling girl - Cinnamon, he presumed. She briefly looked him over, “oh, you must be Ethan!” She called out, “Marino, your boyfriend is here!”
Ethan heard a yelp and a crash inside, “oh, squit-coming!”
After about half a minute, Marino stumbled out of her bedroom, but almost instantly regained her composure. Was she just as nervous about this as he was? Or was she just unprepared? Either way, his thoughts about that were quickly pushed aside by the lovely strapless purple dress she wore that, well, accentuated her curves. “Hey, handsome. You’re a bit early.”
Ethan forced a grin. “What can I say, I don’t like being late.”
Cinnamon was obviously trying not best not to laugh her ass off, stepping aside. “Calm down, you two, it’s just a first date. Where are you guys going, anyway?”
“To a diner. Something nice and simple,” Marino smiled as she walked over, noticing the flowers, “oh, is this for me? On the first date? Ethan, you really are a charmer.”
“It was the least I could do for such a lovely lady,” Ethan said, smiling more genuinely as he presented the bouquet to her.
Marino accepted the bouquet, taking a deep sniff, smiling widely. “Oh, these smell lovely. Cinnamon, do we have a spare flower pot or something to put them in?”
“I’ll figure something out,” Cinnamon giggled as she took the bouquet, “okay, you two, get going, and have fun! You certainly picked a cute one, Marino. And a big-shot ink battler, too? Pretty impressive for your first boyfriend. Hair’s a bit old-school, though, practically every Inkling boy was rocking that ‘do back when the Plaza was in vogue.”
“Well, it’s not like I’d call myself a hipster or anything, it’s just nice and simple,” Ethan remarked, extending a hand to Marino, “shall we?”
“Sure,” Marino smiled, taking it. “Let’s go have some fun.”
Artemis bit into her burger as she looked at Iris on the other side of the table. The Octoling girl had barely only taken a couple of bites and was actively avoiding eye contact, having not said much since they’d arrived, squirming and fidgeting on the spot. Artemis had expected her to be fairly nervous, but not this nervous.
The Inkling girl put down her burger with a sigh. “Iris, you’re being way too nervous about this. Chill.”
“I’m sorry, but courtship is a big deal and stuff,” Iris eeped. “If it works out we could get married with all that implies, and if it doesn’t it could damage our friendship…”
Oh. Oh, right, she came from an aristocratic family, who likely made dating and marriage an especially big deal to her. In fact, considering what she remembered of Iris’ mother from when they were blended together, she wouldn’t be surprised if she made it especially clear to her how much of a big deal it was to their family. “Iris… You’re thinking about this way too hard and taking this way too seriously. It’s just a fun date! If it doesn’t work out, it doesn’t work out, it’s not like we weren’t friends before we started dating.”
That seemed to calm Iris down a bit, but she frowned, finally giving Artemis some eye contact, “I suppose you have a point, but you also have a tendency to not take some things as seriously as you should and not thinking about them hard enough.”
Ouch. Low blow. Artemis winced, but she said, “okay, fair cop, but still, it’s just the first date. We’re here to have fun, not figure out if we’re right for each other right off the bat. That takes time, and it won’t help if you keep worrying about it so much.”
Iris bit her lower lip, but she nodded. “Sorry. This just isn’t quite what I pictured when it came to courtship. Before I decided to leave for the surface, I was expected to be courting an Octarian nobleman in these grand affairs, but here I am, just sitting out here eating burgers with a normal Inkling girl. I’m wondering if I’m missing something.”
Artemis was about to laugh at how high her expectations were, but then she imagined Iris in a big fancy princess dress and suddenly she felt a little hot under the collar. She cleared her throat, blushing, as she tried to get her brain back on track. “Yeah, we aren’t that fancy around here. Don’t set your expectations so high, dates are supposed to be fun.”
Iris picked up her burger, taking a bite out of it, and then chewing and swallowing - she was obviously mulling over her words. “I… I get that. I know it should be, but… I’m just worried that maybe it’s too soon for us to be dating?”
“Iris, you asked me out, not the other way around,” Artemis giggled.
“Colonel suggested it! She’s braver than me, so maybe I thought it was a good idea if she was suggesting it?! Now I’m not so sure!”
Oooooohhhh, so that’s how it was. Even without the split personality, it wasn’t far-fetched for someone to think something was a good idea only to have second thoughts once starting with going through with it. Artemis sighed, “well, I still think you’re-”
“-you’ve got reservations about this too, don’t deny it!” Iris said, glaring at her.
“W-Well, I like you and you’re cute and you asked me out, I couldn’t just say no!” Artemis stammered out, hands on the table.
“Even though you’ve only known me for less than a month?!”
“YES! And you wouldn’t just ask me out if you didn’t like me too!”
Iris’ face was getting redder. “You kinda made a big impression on me when we first met! Reaching out to take my hand, surrounded by the morning glow, it was… Kinda romantic…”
Wait… Did Iris have a crush on her from the very first moment they met?! Artemis’ heart was racing, and her face was becoming more red as well. “Well, I was watching you in action while you were making your way up to the surface, and you were so cool… You worked so hard to reach the surface, and, well… How couldn’t I admire that?”
The two of them looked each other in the eyes.
And then they burst out laughing.
“This is so stupid!” Artemis giggled, nearly falling off her chair, “why are we so worried about this?!”
Iris was giggling as well in such an adorable way, holding a hand in front of her mouth, “I know, we’re just getting worked up over nothing! We clearly like each other, so…” She wiped a tear from her eye, “I needed that stress relief. Thanks for talking it out with me.”
“Feeling better?” Artemis said with a smile, sipping from her milkshake.
“Much better, yes. You’re right, I should stop worrying and just enjoy myself,” Iris smiled back, and then leaned forward, elbows on the table, “you never answered my question about becoming a biologist the other day, by the way~”
Artemis was utterly blindsided. She had almost forgotten about that completely. After a moment of being dumbstruck, she cleared her throat. “Well… Um… I’ve never really thought about it. I do like biology, but I never really considered becoming a biologist…”
“Karlene and Hinata tell me you’re easily distracted and need study sessions to keep your grades up,” Iris said, coming around the table to sit next to her. Artemis couldn’t help but think that was deliberate. “You haven’t got a very good attention span.”
“I… Uh… Well…” Artemis was awestruck by how pretty Iris’ eyes were. “I just… Like to…”
“You’re doing it right now!” Iris poked her belly.
Oh geez she was getting distracted. Artemis looked away, blushing, “not my fault your eyes are really pretty.”
That got Iris flustered, but she quickly rerailed the conversation. “Don’t try to excuse yourself! You need serious mental discipline! I still recall some of your memories from when we were, well, merged. You’re capable of incredible things, but you can’t keep your mind focused on one thing for long enough unless it’s super serious or you have help.”
Memories, huh? She could recall memories she had picked up from Iris as well. Those memories felt more like she had watched a movie rather than fully experienced them herself, but… She recalled the abuse Iris suffered from her parents trying to mold her into the ideal Octarian soldier. And how her upbringing had caused others to distance themselves from her - after all, as far as her society was concerned, Octarian noblewoman shouldn’t be associating with commoners, as much as Iris wanted to have friends. Axl was her first and only friend until she met X and reached the surface. How heartbreaking was that?
She looked back at Iris. “You’re amazing, you know that? You had every reason to hate the world and yet you’re still a kind soul.”
Iris blushed, “h-huh?!”
“Those memories were a two-way street, Iris. I saw yours, too. You were so lonely for most of your life,” Artemis said, taking Iris’ hand. “You didn’t deserve any of it. And I promise you… You’ll never be lonely again.”
Iris sniffed, tears welling up. “You… You really promise?”
“Cross my hearts and hope to die,” Artemis grinned.
Iris sniffed again, straightening up, “and… I promise I’m going to help you become focused! My Octarian training won’t just be for hurting others! You’ve been so kind to me, and I want to help you become the best you can be!”
Oh. Oh geez, now it was Artemis’ turn to start crying. “Iris… I don’t know what to-”
Artemis was interrupted by Iris kissing her. On the lips.
Her brief surprise didn’t stop her from leaning into the kiss - it was slow, but sensual and passionate. She didn’t want to stop.
But it had to end, and after about a minute, their lips separated. Iris smiled, her face red as a tomato, “that felt… Really nice.”
“Yeah. Yeah, it was,” Artemis smiled softly. “You know, as much as I’d like to stay like this, we don’t want our food to get too cold.”
Iris moved her chair back to its original position, giggling, “you’re right, sorry. I just had a lot to get off my chest, you know?”
Artemis chuckled, taking a bite of her burger. Even if this didn’t work out… She had a feeling she and Iris were just plain good for each other.
Ethan and Marino were sitting opposite each other at the diner he had picked out - the Tasty Trout. He initially didn’t go with this one after thinking of the times he and Ayane had gone here when they were still dating, but he decided it wouldn’t be that much of a problem. At least, he hoped that was the case.
“I’m used to eating in places like this now, but before I came to the surface? It was just rations,” Marino remarked, munching on one of her chips. “I’d say you Inklings don’t know how good you have it, but…”
“I’ve got some ideas, yeah,” Ethan chuckled.
“How did you become an Agent, anyway? I know the Squid Sisters are the Cap’n’s granddaughters, but you and Ayane…”
Ethan recalled being hailed by the old guy peeking out from the manhole, interrupting the argument he and Ayane were having after a heated match - it was like it was only yesterday. “Right place at the right time, I guess. The Cap’n asked for our help, explained what he was asking of us, and the rest is history. I wanted to make a name for myself. Kinda grew out of that, though.”
“I guess your near-death experience at my hands was part of it.”
“Sorta. But doin’ missions for two whole years and getting to know the Squid Sisters personally put a lotta things into perspective for me. Fame and fortune became a distant second concern after keeping Inkopolis safe.” The last two years should’ve been a blur, but he remembered every mission. Ethan looked her in the eyes, “you sure took your sweet time getting here after that ‘underground concert’.”
“Not all of us had the luxury of being able to make an inconspicuous disappearance like Marina did,” Marino sighed, eating another chip before continuing. “I had to avoid looking like I had been affected by the Inkantation for months before I was able to fully plan my escape. And even then, I was hounded by squads for weeks until I was out of their range. And when I did, I was at death’s door. Cinnamon found me and nursed me back to health, and next thing I knew, we were roommates. It was supposed to be temporary, but…”
Ethan smiled. At least Marino’s story ended well. “She’s a good friend, huh?”
“And as a trained nurse, she’s got one shell of a bedside manner,” Marino chuckled. The mirth was short-lived, however, as she clenched her fist. “I should’ve gotten into contact with Marina at the first opportunity. But to her, I was her dependable big sister, and I prided myself on that. And it’s that same stubborn pride that made me keep myself away from her until I had found my footing in Inkopolis and made a name for myself like she did. I didn’t want to look weak in front of her.”
“That’s the thing, though, she didn’t do it by herself,” Ethan pointed out, “she had Pearl’s help. And you had Cinnamon’s.”
“I know. As I said, it was a decision driven by stubborn pride, not logic,” Marino sighed. “But I do owe Cinnamon my life, as well as owe her for letting me stay in her apartment. I pay half the rent now, so we’re even on the second part, but the first… You know what, nevermind, you get the idea.”
She leaned back, her smile returning to her face as she crossed her arms, grabbing a handful of chips, “enough about me, though. I’ve heard you’ve become a big-time ink battler. Guess that fame came eventually.”
“I’m not a proper professional turfer… Yet, at least,” Ethan laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. “It’s kind of a dream come true, though, I’ll admit.”
“Well, it’s nice to know you didn’t get burned out of doing it.”
“I’ve always had a competitive streak. A good fight always get my blood pumping. Ayane, though… She’s been having second thoughts lately. I don’t blame her.”
“Yeesh, I can relate. Fighting for your life can make fighting for sport less appealing for some people.”
There was an awkward silence for a bit, before Marino shifted the subject away from that particular topic. “You and Ayane… Honestly, you two seem more like siblings than partners.”
That struck him like a freight train. “Sorry, what?”
“You two just kinda remind me of how Marina and I were back when we were in the army, you know? Well, not in the same way, but-”
Ethan sat back laughing with a hand over his eyes. Of course neither of them would’ve have figured it out, since they were both only children. After getting the mirth out of his system, he leaned forward again, “sorry, it just… All makes sense now. I was wonderin’ why there wasn’t any real spark in our relationship, even though there weren’t any real problems.”
Marino blinked, and then laughed, “oh, good grief, I don’t know whether to find that incredibly awkward or hilarious! Figuring out why your previous relationship didn’t work out while you’re in the middle of a date with someone else…”
Ethan chuckled, “no wonder she doesn’t approve of you dating me.”
Marino blinked. He could see her mentally connecting the dots, and she burst into laughter again. “Oh my cod, really?! Talk about ‘my brother is off-limits’ energy!”
“Don’t hold it against her. She just wants to make sure I don’t get my heart broken.”
“I know. I totally get how she feels, too - if Pearl wasn’t so perfect for Marina I’d totally be more wary of her. I even gave Pearl some ‘tips’ about where Octolings are… Sensitive,” Marino said, with a widening grin. Ethan wasn’t sure what she meant until she leaned in close, whispering, “and no, I’m not giving them to you. You’ll have to figure those out yourself… If we get to third base, that is~”
Ethan’s face went red as he tugged at his collar. Maybe this girl was in fact actually supposed to kill him… Except in a clever scheme to do so by nosebleed instead of in battle. “You really aren’t afraid to get spicy…”
Marino stretched her arms upwards, arching her back, “I know what I’ve got and I know what I like. I didn’t just get into modelling for fun, Ethan - I use all the tools at my disposal to make my way in life, including my body. Marina won’t admit it, but she likes flaunting herself too. I mean… Have you seen her idol outfit? I’m pretty sure that wasn’t Pearl’s idea.”
Ethan pictured said outfit, and… Yeah, there was a point to be made there. He couldn’t imagine the more reserved Marina admitting to liking that sort of thing, but Marino would know her sister well enough to know for sure. Though, there was one missing element to Marino that stuck out to him that he recalled from their first meeting. “I haven’t seen you wear the elite seaweed since two years ago.”
“That’s just an indicator of rank, not a fashion statement.”
“You could make it one. Say you were inspired by old Octarian fashion or something? I dunno, I’m just throwing ink at the wall.”
Marino blinked, and then smirked, “That might actually work. I’ll give it a shot sometime. Thanks for the suggestion.”
“Hey, I’m not smart but I’ve got a decent grasp of what’s fresh,” Ethan smirked back.
“You sure you don’t want to be a fashionista when you graduate?”
“Might actually be fun, but nah. Maybe I could help with designing new models of the hero suit, though. We’re looking at getting some serious upgrades, and not just to handle the Octarians. You fought Quint alongside X, you know what I’m talking about.”
Marino frowned, “oh, right. Good thing the Octarians don’t have access to that technology.”
“They might. Octavio was using one of Dr. Wily’s mechs when Artemis, Orion and their classmates fought him recently. And the only reason they found X was because the Octarians were excavating the lab he was sealed in.”
“Squit.”
“Yeah. That’s why we’re upgrading. On the off chance the Octarians get their hands on old human weaponry, we need the protection to handle that,” Ethan nodded grimly.
“The Emperor’s lost his mind. You better keep him locked up this time.”
“Trust me, we’ve got better security this time. And if he does break out, well… We’ve got X and Zero.”
“How on Earth is nobody batting that much of an eye to human-like robots walking around Inkopolis? Seriously, you Inklings have the weirdest priorities sometimes,” Marino shook her head.
Ethan just shrugged. Not like he was an expert on Inkling psychology, so he really couldn’t say.
The rest of the conversation was pretty much eating and small talk about topics of minor consequence. All things considered? Ethan thought it went pretty well.
As they left the diner, Marino turned to him and smiled. “That was fun. We should do this again sometime.”
“Well, maybe I should take you out to fancier places at some point, but yeah, we should,” Ethan smiled back. “Glad you enjoyed it.”
Marino moved in closer, bringing him in for a kiss, which he eagerly reciprocated. It was a short, simple kiss, but for a post first date kiss, it was pretty good. He really should initiate the kissing at some point, though.
As Marino pulled away, she remarked, “you’re a good guy, Ethan. I’m glad I asked you out.”
“I try to be. Want me to walk you home?” He asked, stroking her cheek softly.
“Thanks, but I’ll be fine on my own,” Marino smiled, turning around and walking away. “Later, handsome~!”
“Seeya, babe,” Ethan said with a wave. The way she was swaying her butt as she walked away was totally deliberate and he didn’t know whether he liked or hated that it was working on him.
Ayane didn’t know what to feel when Artemis arrived at the Outpost with an arm around Iris’ waist, kissing her on the cheek when they went to sit down.
She was happy for them, certainly, but the fact that everyone else seemed to be hooking up was making her feel more isolated than usual. Which was weird, because she had already been used to being alone to some degree. Maybe the feeling was worse with Ethan being, well, elsewhere. (The other absentees were Pearl and Marina, who apparently were busy with something on their schedule.) Still, what was wrong with her?
Her thoughts were disrupted by a sudden burst of commotion. Ciel had arrived via teleport, and with someone else behind her.
“Hello, everyone! I’ve brought someone important who I’d like to introduce to all of you,” Ciel grinned as she stepped aside, gesturing to the newcomer. “I’ve been working on her over the last few days, and she’s fully operational.”
The newcomer was on the taller side compared to everyone else, and was a robot resembling a blue-scaled aquatic dragon, complete with a full set of fins on her head. She had a long tail, and sharp claws on her hands and feet, albeit currently retracted. Adorned on her body was a full set of black, gold and purple battle armour in the style of X and Zero’s sets, a ring of green beads around her neck and on her torso was an old human symbol that she couldn’t recall the meaning of. The robot’s magenta eyes briefly made eye contact with Ayane’s as she looked at everyone present.
“It is a pleasure to meet all of you. I am DCN-001, Hydro Dragoon. But the name I have chosen for myself is… Merga.”
