4's hand shook his aggressively. 8 only stared in silence at the handshake and back up at the smiling inkling, thought he could pick up on the hint of what he could only assume was anger? Passive aggressive to say the least.
"Y-Yeah, 8. That's me.." Nova mumbled a little bit, unsure as to how to respond to everything going on right now. Who was he? 8 only assumed that he was acquainted with 3, since they were standing side by side when he opened the door.
4 had let go of his hand, and took a step so that he stood within the doorway. He looked ahead as 8 stepped aside, and made eye contact with 3 resting on the couch, watching the whole interaction silently.
"So this is the famous 8 you were talking about," 4 commented, resting his shoulder against the door frame and crossing his arms. Nova stared nervously back and forth between 3 and 4, feeling the tension in the air. The octoling wanted to ask something but held back for a second, what he did ask was, "Who is this Nagi..?" Nova walked over to the living room, sitting on the opposite couch and looking at the both of them. Nagi didn't respond immediately and had instead asked for her keys back politely, to which he tossed her, the little squid on her keys looking like it was super jumping across the room.
"Nova, this is Agent 4. Aka Draco." Nagi's hand motioned over to the inkling standing in her doorway, eyeing the both of them. 3 could easily tell something was bothering 4, and 8 being nervous. "He's one of our Squidbeak Splatoon Agents."
Nagi turned to look at Draco, and motioned her hand towards Nova, "Draco, this is Nova. Agent 8."
Both Nova and Draco, who were on opposite ends of the apartment, only gave each other a subtle nod.
"So..what's this about..?" 4 asked. "..You two living together I mean."
Nagi explained how Agent's 1, 2, 5 and 6 were all out for the moment, trying to make progress in their idol careers while also not disappearing for too long as to not arose suspicion. "So, they asked me to help him, so I am." 3 finished explaining. However, 8's ears drooped a little bit hearing that. The way she phrased it made it seem like she only is helping because she was asked to. That was the opposite of what 8 wanted, the last thing he wanted was to make her feel forced to show him around and how things worked.
"I see," 4 scratched his head a bit. He was a little jealous of 8, in the aspect that he got to see her everyday pretty much guaranteed in the comfort of home. Though 8 was clueless as to what 4 felt, his attitude had given off that he was bothered. "I could've taken him in too you know," He hesitated a little bit. Agent 4 continued to stare at the octoling nervously staring back, with 3 also looking at the both of them.
4 was still slightly in shock seeing an Octarian living up here in the surface. It was something that he, alongside 99 percent of Inkopolis, would never imagine seeing happen. But there he was, an Octarian, the same enemy he had been fighting against to protect Inkopolis alongside Nagi, sitting here among the inklings in the city. Especially right across from the inkling he still had feelings for. It was a lot to process, and he reminded himself on what 3 had said earlier as to why she hesitated.
"I see what you meant about earlier.." 4 sighed, understanding what she meant. Nagi nodded, not necessarily saying anything.
Nova knew her name already, meaning that Agent 3 had told him herself. Back then when they first met at a Squidbeak Splatoon meeting, he had talked to Agent 3. Yet, she never once turned around to respond, much less look at 4. Now, Nagi herself had already claimed that they were friends already, with 8 even nodding along to what she had said. 3 had befriended the enemy.
"They seem close already.." 4 noted. And they were living together? The question rested in the back of the inkling's mind, completely unrelated to his earlier thoughts, but was unsure as to ask it. "Screw it.." 4 thought to himself.
"Are you two datin-?"
"No," Nagi responded, almost immediately. Giving a frown, she pointed at herself and back at Nova repeatedly, almost as if wagging her finger around. "We're friends." 3 wanted to clarify this as soon as possible, not wanting to stir up any kind of drama or rumors between themselves. 8, understanding what 4 had asked, felt a little embarrassed and in return made his face feel a little warm. "Y-Yeah.." He stammered over himself. "That's a relief.." Draco would tell himself, and gave a light playful chuckle as to play it off. "I'm just messing with you two."
8 gave an awkward chuckle, and 3's eyes once again pierced through 4's. Draco could sense that Nagi knew what was going on here, and attempted to tell him to stop through a blank, frowning look. Adjusting his tentacle hair, he sighed, "Sorry."
Nagi yawned, and fished through her bag to double check everything was there. Both 4 and 8 watched 3 as she rummaged through, going down the mental checklist of the things she was supposed to have with her. It was late, and Nagi was too tired to deal with 4's shenanigans alongside this conversation. Draco had made it very evident that he was jealous.
"Is he your ex..?" Nova asked out of the blue, making everyone sit up stiff in their positions. Nagi's eyes widened, temporarily forgetting that they had talked about it before. 4 could be seen with an embarrassed face and shook his head.
"W-Well, I'll see you too soon," Draco stuttered, attempting to avoid eye contact with both the inkling and Octarian. Stepping out after locking the door behind him, the wooden door shut closed.
"Was I right..? Forgive me for asking that out of the blue.." 8 apologized immediately after, Nagi's eyes still wide. Eventually, the inkling had confirmed his question with a nod. With another yawn, Nagi stood up and walked back over to the kitchen counter, slinging her bag over her shoulder. She briefly walked into her room, and walked out, with Nova still waiting in the living room. Stepping towards the kitchen, Nagi asked as she opened the freezer, "You hungry Nova?"
Confirming her question after forgetting about his stomach, he walked over as she once again pulled out whatever was leftover from the frozen pepperoni pizza they had a couple days ago and plopped it into the microwave. Neither of them spoke a word after her question, and they both watched the microwave spin the slices in synch. The only thing that can be heard now was the humming of the microwave, and their own thoughts. After what had occurred, Nova could tell that 3 wasn't necessarily in the mood to talk. The inkling had her arms crossed with a subtle frown, which only left Nova to assume that she was upset.
Wanting to brighten up the mood, Nova had asked her how her day went.
"It..went ok," Nagi sighed. "However it did suck a little bit by the end."
"I'm sorry to hear that..." Nova trailed off, unsure how to approach this conversation now. "W-What about work..?"
Nagi's expression was washed over with realization after processing his question. How could she mention that she had fought and splatted a couple of other octolings, who were essentially 8's people? A feeling of guilt that she never really experienced nor felt before began to build up within her. Agent 3 had no idea what to say, after all, would he take offense to it? Agent 8 seemed like an understanding person, but how would he even react if she did say this? 3 didn't want to mention it, but she definitely did not want to move on from this conversation with this feeling in her stomach.
"It uh..it went okay.." Nagi stuttered mid sentence, awkwardly avoiding eye contact with 8. Nova, based on her expression, her body language, and the way that she spoke, made it all the more evident that something was bothering her. Nova cleared his throat, "Well, you know you can tell me anything that's bothering you right?" Nagi had turned and met his eyes. "You can trust me, Nagi." The octoling grinned sheepishly.
Nagi exhaled, and adjusted her tentacle once more. His grin had made 3 a little more comfortable to be open about it, yet she still worried about offending him.
"I came under fire by some octolings," She said softly, so softly that it was hard for Nova to hear her. However, he was able to make out what she had said with the few words Nova pieced together, catching his attention all the more. "You did? How many were there? Are you okay?" The bombardment of questions from the octoling interrupted her thoughts a little bit, though she made sure to reassure Nova that she was fine.
"It was 3 if I remember correctly.." Nagi murmured. The microwave was nearing its final seconds on heating up their slices, soon enough it'll beep ready. "Something bothered me about it." Nagi began bringing up how, despite her fighting against them as an Agent since she started, every Octarian would continue fighting until the end. 3 brought up how distressed the one she met today was, and how they brought up the "Promised Land". "What did they mean by that 8..?"
Nova, who had a blank expression trying to process everything he was just told, perked up once the microwave beeped. He understood that Nagi's job as an Agent there was to splat whatever octoling proved to be aggressive, which to his assumption, was each one she faced. It's probably why she found it so strange when one of them showed some sort of remorse. "The "Promised Land", it's here," Nova said, slowly taking out the slices and separating them, one for each. "We refer to Inkopolis as the Promised Land." His expression seemed to soften, almost as if reminiscing of the past. Nagi watched before saying, "Why is it considered that?"
"Life isn't the best there," Agent 8 chuckled a bit. "Here compared to the Canyon, life is so much better."
The octoling turned around, facing the inkling with a plate gestured towards her, "Careful, it's hot." The inkling took it, briefly looking at the slice and back up at him with a nod saying thanks. In unison, the pair walked towards the three seats seats centered in the middle of the kitchen. 8 took the far right one, and to his surprise, Nagi had taken the seat next to him instead of the far left one. There was a brief moment where no one talked, and were instead blowing air onto the recently heated up slices in order to cool them a bit.
"I hope this doesn't offend you." Nagi said.
"Why would it?"
"It's your people isn't it..? I mean, our job is essentially to keep them at bay."
8 gave it some thought. "Well yeah, but I don't take offense to it. A lot of them are naturally aggressive due to the propaganda spoon fed to us since we were younger, you know? Inklings are this, inklings are that, all that nonsense. Plus in my time in the Deepsea Metro, I've had to fight some octolings myself."
Taking another bite, 3 gulped, nodded, and turned to ask him, "Do you still believe in it?"
The octoling shook his head, "I don't. After spending time here, I realized you guys were just living the life I wanted. And then there are those who are genuinely kind, like you Nagi."
Nova had said it so casually, not even meeting 3's eyes, but even she knew he meant it. The inkling could spot a glimpse of a smile resting on his lips, and struggled herself to hold back hers.
"I just want to confirm something," Nova hesitated. "Are you sure you're not only doing this because you were asked to..? I ask because earlier when you were explaining it to 4-"
"I'm positive Nova,"3 responded, taking another bite of her slice. A small piece of pepperoni fell, splatting on the plate. "I phrased it weird, 4 was getting a little bit on my nerves." She had spoken with her mouth muffled, one hand holding the slice itself, the other covering her mouth as to block 8's view on her chewing. "H-How so..?" 8 tilted his head to the side, raising a confused brow. He had forgotten about his food due to being caught up in their conversation.
Nagi stopped and finished her bite, facing him and raised an eyebrow. She even temporarily moved her tentacle behind her ear. "You couldn't tell?" She asked with Nova immediately shaking his head no. "I thought you noticed," Nagi lightly giggled.
"He got jealous of you."
~
A.N. I have been playing a lot of Splatoon 3 lately, so my gf had gotten me Splatoon themed thumb grips! They're really nice, and put one squid and one octopus.
Word Count: 2240