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Marina's birthday started a little earlier than she might have hoped, at four o’clock in the morning. She awoke with a stinging pain in her throat, so bad it hurt to breathe. She sat up fast enough to send a sharp pain through her head, reaching for the glass of water she’d set out for herself earlier that night. It was half empty, and she drained it in a matter of seconds. Every swallow hurt, but she was too thirsty to care.
She breathed too early, inhaling a droplet of water. Her following coughing fit was enough to wake up Pearl. Pearl’s bioluminescent tentacles brightened slightly as she awoke.
“Rina, are you alright?” She asked groggly, sitting up.
Marina nodded, wiping the tears forming in her eyes. “Yes–cough–a little water went down the wrong pipe.”
Pearl looked worried. “Does your throat feel alright? You sound funny.”
“I’m fine.” Marina assured her. “Throat’s just dry. Gonna get more water.”
She pushed herself out of bed before Pearl could ask more questions. A wave of dizziness nearly knocked her over as she stood up, but she caught herself before she could hit anything. She drank two full glasses in the kitchen before filling a third and heading back to bed. Everything hurt, her throat, her head, her muscles, she just wanted to fall back asleep.
Pearl was still awake when she came back. Marina fell into bed beside her, wincing as the change in position sent another wave of pain through her head.
“Feel better?” Pearl asked.
“Mh hm.” Marina answered. She didn’t want to keep talking, as sweet as it was that Pearl was worried about her.
“Alright.” Pearl sighed, laying back down.
It took a long time for Marina to fall back asleep.
…
“Yep, you’ve got a fever.” Pearl said, taking the thermometer from Marina’s mouth.
Marina groaned, which hurt her throat, so it got cut off.
“I’m sorry, Rina.” Pearl said more sympathetically. “And on your birthday, too. That’s bad luck.”
“I felt fine last night.” Marina forced out. “Maybe a little more tired than usual…”
“And you managed to go almost the whole winter without getting sick.” Pearl added. Pearl had gotten sick a little after New Years, and then again just after Valentine's day. One of the perks of being an inkling/octoling couple was that they couldn’t get each other sick as easily. There were a few diseases that were transferable, but generally colds and flus couldn’t be passed on between species. It was kind of interesting when Marina wasn’t sick.
“But don’t worry, I won’t let you lay in bed bored all day.” Pearl said. “Today can still be fun.”
“That’s sweet, Pearlie.” Marina wasn’t really in the mood for fun, but it was a kind gesture. “I think I just wanna take it easy today.”
“Of course.” Pearl agreed. “I’ll let Callie and Marie know breakfast is off, and tell Eight and Acht not to come over.”
Marina sank deeper into her pillow. That was the worst part. She’d been looking forward to spending the day with her friends. They were all so busy, she wasn’t sure when they’d be able to reschedule.
“Hey, I’m sure we can find another time to catch up with them.” Pearl said, reading her mind. “Callie and Marina just got back from Splatsville, they’re gonna be around for a while. They’ll understand. And Eight likes to spend the spring and summer here, so she’ll be around a lot.”
That did make Marina feel a little better.
“Plus, Smollusk has a birthday surprise for you, so you’ve got that to look forward to!” Pearl added.
“They made me something for my birthday?” Marina asked. “That’s so sweet!” Pearl and Marina had worked to throw Smollusk a memverse birthday party for both their two years of existence, including virtual cake and new toy assets Marina had created, but she hadn’t expected them to acknowledge her birthday at all. Mostly because Marina was pretty sure they didn’t fully understand what a birthday was, or when her or Pearl’s were.
“They’re really excited about it.” Pearl said. “Don’t worry about the others, I’ll get all that sorted out when you feel better.”
“Thanks, Pearlie.” Marina said.
“Course. Now, what exactly hurts?” Pearl asked.
“My throat.” Marina said. “My head, my muscles, and my ears. I think I caught the octo flu.”
Pearl grimaced. “Poor Rina. Imma get you some medicine and something warm to drink. Do you wanna stay in here or move to the couch?”
Marina thought for a moment. “The couch.” Their room was nice, but the tv in their living room was nicer. Plus it was near the kitchen, so she wouldn’t have to go far if she got hungry.
Pearl nodded. “You want me to carry you?”
Marina flopped down, making herself look extra sad. “Yes, I don’t think I can make it by myself. Cough.”
Pearl laughed. “Alright, Rina.”
Pearl leaned over, carefully scooping Marina up in her arms. It wasn’t very difficult; inkfish could lift several times their body weight without much strain. Marina felt a giggle die in her sore throat as Pearl lifted her. She always loved being carried by Pearl.
Marina managed to hold onto her pillow as Pearl carried her down towards the living room. She set Marina down gently in the corner of the couch, spreading a blanket over her legs and handing her the remote.
“Thanks.” Marina said, pulling the blanket to her chin with a shiver. She inhaled wrong, sending her into another coughing fit.
Pearl passed her a box of tissues, frowning. “I’m gonna make you some tea. Do you want me to get you anything to eat?”
Marina thought for a moment. She was hungry, but the thought of eating anything solid made her throat hurt. “Can you make me one of those s’more milk shakes?”
Pearl cracked a smile. “Rina, it’s ten o’clock!”
“It’s my birthday.” Marina reminded her. “And I think the cold will help my throat.”
Pearl sighed. “I guess since it is your birthday…”
“I love you.” Marina added.
“I love you too!” Pearl said in a sing-song way as she walked off towards the kitchen.
Marina smiled, snuggling into the corner of the couch. She was so lucky she had Pearl.
She grabbed the remote, flipping on the tv and skimming through channels until she landed on a home renovation show. They were a guilty pleasure of hers, one she didn’t mind indulging in under her circumstances.
This episode showed a crayfish couple looking to completely gut and remodel a home on the outskirts of Inkopolis. She wrinkled her nose as they showed the tile they had selected for the kitchen floor. It was a teal blue that clashed horribly with the red back splash they had chosen.
Pearl returned after a few minutes carrying a mug, dayquil and a large milkshake glass. “I made it extra sweet.” Pearl said, placing the glass on the coffee table before handing Marina the pill and the mug.
Marina smiled. “Thank you, Pearlie.” She winced as she swallowed the large pill, blowing on the hot tea before taking another sip.
Marina’s s’more milkshake recipe consists of hot fudge and gram crackers blended with vanilla ice cream, topped with marshmallow fluff and gram cracker crumbs. Pearl had even topped it off with some rainbow sprinkles, since it was a birthday Sunday afterall. Marina thought it was delicious, though Pearl found it disgustingly sweet.
Marina sighed as the cold ice cream soothed her raw throat.
“Did I make it right?” Pearl asked, sitting down beside her.
Marina nodded. Pearl had blended it longer than usual, making the gram cracker bits smaller and gentler on her throat while still providing a bit of crunch.
“Good.” Pearl leaned back, turning her focus towards the television. “Damn, that’s an ugly back splash.”
Marina laughed. “Wait until you see the vanity they chose for their bathroom.”
Pearl shook her head. “I don’t understand what runs through some people's heads. You go through all this trouble just to make the worst decisions and air it on tv.”
“Guess how much they spent on the whole renovation.” Marina said.
“150 million g.” Pearl guessed.
“280 million g.” Marina corrected her.
Pearl’s hands shot to her head. “All that and they couldn’t hire a designer with some style?”
“Maybe I should start working as a freelance designer." Marina said. She always thought in another universe she ended up going into construction. She already loved to build things, and the process of turning plans into reality had always fascinated her. Plus, it would give her a reason to be around heavy machinery every day.
“You’ve already renovated half the rooms in our house.” Pearl said, only half joking. “If you asked the network if they’d like to feature you on an episode, they’d definitely say yes. Wouldn’t that be a crazy collab."
“You think so?” Marina asked. Her tentacles curled with excitement at the idea.
“Yeah, and I could do the demo!" Pearl said. “One good battle cry and you’re good to go! Bam! Off the Hook? No, we’re, um, On the Clock!” She shook her head. “Nah, that doesn’t sound right.”
“We’d make a great team.” Marina agreed.
“We always make a great team! It’s me and you against the universe til the end.”
Marina smiled. It was a silly dream, but Pearl always had a way of making dreams feel possible. With no need for shifty stations, Marina hadn’t gotten a chance to build anything huge like that in the real world in a long time. Renovating rooms in their home had been a way to scratch the itch, but they were running out of rooms that could justify being torn apart. Getting all the licences needed would be a hassle, but doing renovations for other people could be a good side hustle to keep her occupied.
The mint tea and ice cream worked in tandem with the tylenol to soothe her throat. It worked a little too well, since before she knew it, Marina had finished the entire milkshake in record time. She set the glass aside, clutching her stomach as she shivered.
“Was a giant ice cream first thing in the morning not the best idea?” Pearl teased.
“It’s my birthday.” Marina groaned. “I can make bad choices if I want.”
Pearl laughed. “Aw, poor Rina.”
The episode finally ended with the reveal of the finished house. It wasn’t as bad as Marina had been expecting, but still definitely not worth all the money. “You wanna wait and watch another?” Pearl asked.
Marina thought for a moment. “Maybe one more, just to see if it’s better than the last one.”
Pearl nodded. “Hey, while we wait, how ‘bout you open some presents?”
Marina perked up. “That sounds good.”
Pearl jumped up. “Alright, I’ll be right back. Don’t go anywhere!”
“Haha.” Marina called after her. After a few minutes, Pearl returned with her arms full of gift bags and wrapped boxes. Pearl was an Olympic gift giver.
She set the pile down beside Marina, first handing her an unwrapped heart shaped box of fancy chocolates. “I know you like these, and I also know you ate all the ones I got you for Valentine's day, so I saved you a little stash.”
“Oh, thank you!” Marina said, taking the box. She had finished all the candy Pearl had bought her for Valentine’s day only a few days after the holiday, and by that point the stores had stopped selling her favorite set.
“There’s four more boxes hidden somewhere.” Pearl told her. “The gift is I’m not tellin’ you where they are so they’ll last more than a day and a half.”
Marina cut the ribbon holding the lid in place, popping one of the chocolates in her mouth. Her stuffy nose made it harder to taste, but the texture was half the enjoyment.
Several more of her gifts were candy, much to Marina’s delight. Another was a collection of highly sought after Squid Sisters merch that was only sold at one of their earliest concerts, before Marina had even come to Inkopolis.
“How did you find all this?” Marina asked, shocked. “I’ve been hunting for someone willing to sell this poster for years! And this hoodie looks like it’s never been worn!”
“Let's just say I have someone on the inside.” Pearl said with a wink. “Callie was going through her closet and found a box of super old merch. It’s from her, really, she knew you’d want it but thought it was a little narcissistic to give her own merch as a birthday gift to you, so she gave it to me to give to you instead.”
Marina set the box down gently. She almost didn’t want to touch any of it, it was so priceless. She’d have to remember to thank Callie, some of these things she never thought she’d ever be able to add to her collection.
“I, however, have no such reservations.” Pearl continued. “Open this one next.”
She pushed another large box into Marina’s lap. Marina pulled back the paper, opening the box to find a plush in the exact shape and appearance of Pearl’s drone.
Marina held it up. It was almost the exact same size as Pearl drone, too. And just as adorable. “Pearlie, how did you get this?”
“Eight helped take my measurements while you were busy with Smollusk.” Pearl explained. “I was gonna try and make it myself, but I’m not as good as I thought it’s be with a needle. I found someone who makes really good custom plushies and sent them the design, which turned out a lot better.”
Marina held it to her chest, squeezing it. The fabric was soft, and the stuffing the maker had used was perfect. “I love it.” Marina said earnestly. “Thank you so much.”
“Any time.” Pearl said. “You’ve gotta make a drone for yourself so we can fly around together.”
Marina didn’t say anything. That was actually a gift she was making for Pearl’s birthday. Pearl had been practically begging her to do it for two years now. Marina had also been working on a few stages they could fly around in so they had something to do together.
“Oh, this one I think you’ll like!” Pearl said, giving her a smaller box.
Inside was a jewelry box containing a pair of earrings and matching necklace. The earrings were deep blue gemstones dangling from silver hooks. The necklace’s center pendant was the same stone, this time in the shape of her iconic eight shaped logo.
Marina took the necklace out gently. “Pearl, they’re beautiful! Is this real sapphire?”
“Of course it is.” Pearl said. “Real diamond, too.” Marina looked closer at the stones, realizing they were surrounded by a thin line of tiny diamonds. “They reminded me of your space tentacles. You’ve been using that ink for so long and yet you barely have any sapphire jewelry to match. I thought these would look real good with the new blue gown you bought.”
Marina could only imagine how much they had cost, though they had enough money that that didn’t really matter. What mattered was that they were her exact style, the shade of deep blue matching perfectly with the indigo ink she had been using for the past few years. The necklace must have been custom made, and Marina suspected the earrings might have been as well. That was Pearl’s style, she loved giving gifts completely custom made to fit the recipient's tastes perfectly.
“I can’t wait to try them on.” Marina said, placing them back in the box. “I love them, Pearl, really.”
“I’m glad to hear it.” Pearl said. Her tentacles flickered blue for a moment as she smiled.
One of Pearl’s favorite gift ideas was to give gift cards or tickets to various restaurants and activities. That way the money had already been spent, so they had an excuse to do it together whenever.
The last gift was a pink envelope closed with a heart sticker that Pearl procured from her pocket. “Here, I saved the best for last.”
Marina peeled back the sticker, pulling out what looked like a coupon. She turned it over, reading the words, ‘Free appointment at Pearl Houzuki-Ida’s soon-to-be-famous massage studio! Book any time, infinite uses.’”
“I bet you’ve been wondering where I’ve been disappearing off too every Tuesday and Thursday night.” Pearl started.
Marina had been. It wasn’t unlike Pearl to be spontaneous, but it wasn’t like Pearl at all to make excuses for coming home late two nights a week for months. Marina trusted Pearl fully, but curiosity had been eating away at her. The only other time Pearl had done something like this was when she had snuck off to take a cooking class so she could make Marina’s favorite meals from home as a surprise for her birthday many years ago.
“Y’know how you get really bad back pain from sitting at your chair for too long, and you always get really sore after concerts, but you hate getting real massages?” Pearl said.
Marina did. Her shoulders always ached after performances. Pearl had convinced her to try getting a professional massage once, but Marina had hated it. She hated feeling that exposed with someone she didn’t know. She couldn’t stand the feeling of a stranger's hands on her skin, even if she had paid them to be there. She’d been so uncomfortable she ended up leaving early. She didn’t mind it when it was Pearl attempting to rub the tension out of her shoulders, in fact she always enjoyed that.
“Well, you’re now looking at a professional masseuse.” Pearl said proudly. “Well, not really. It turns out you need to have, like, a thousand hours of training before they give you the stupid licence, but you’re my only customer and I’m not chargin’ you, so who cares. I think I’m pretty good.”
“You took a massage class?” Marina asked.
Pearl nodded. “Yup. I know all the fancy techniques now. I bought one of the tables with the hole in it and everything. I was gonna surprise you with it tonight, but I don’t think it’d be super comfortable right now…”
“That’s so sweet of you!” Marina opened her arms, and Pearl leaned into the hug. “Thank you, Pearlie, for everything. I’ll definitely need a good massage once I’m less sick. This was all so wonderful.”
“Aw, I’m glad you like it all.” Pearl said. “I just wanted to show you how much you mean to me. I’m sorry your birthday didn’t go as planned.” She gave Marina a kiss on the cheek before pulling away. “Bleh, you’re really sweaty.”
That made Marina giggle. “Sorry, I should probably take a shower.”
“Yeah.” Pearl agreed. “I mean, I love you, but you’re really sweaty. It would probably help clear your nose, too.”
Marina nodded. “I think I’ll go do that and put on some clean pajamas. Thank you again for everything, I love all of it.”
A shower turned out to be a wonderful idea. The warm water helped soothe her throat and clear out her sinuses. She felt cleaner, and somewhat less like a puddle of ink. The new pajamas felt good, too. She hadn’t realized how damp she had been before.
Marina eventually returned to the couch, finding that Pearl had cleaned up all the gift paper, as well as moving all her presents besides the Pearl drone plush out of the way. She sat back down, hugging the Pearl drone as she waited for Pearl to return.
Pearl came back from the kitchen holding a glass of water. “Feel better?”
“Much better.” Marina answered. She took the glass as Pearl sat back down.
“You sound better.” Pearl said.
They ended up watching another episode, and then another, and then a rerun of Marina’s favorite comedian, and then a documentary on the history of gas powered engines, and then Marina had no idea what Pearl watched after that since she fell asleep halfway through the documentary.
Marina eventually awoke to the sound of something being knocked over echoing from the hallway. Then, a few moments later came another loud crashing sound.
“You already Smollusk?” Pearl called.
Smollusk’s squeegee body emerged from the hall with a new dent on their front. “Happy birthday Marina!” They exclaimed.
“Aw, thank you for coming to see me Smollusk.” Marina said groggily. She sat up as they wiggled over to the couch. The squeegee was a temporary way for Smollusk to move around the real world while Marina worked on growing them a real body. The memverse had served its purpose; and without new test subjects, Smollusk had been growing bored. While they were harmless now, a bored, highly intelligent AI with a superiority complex was a recipe for disaster. Marina wouldn’t let them become another Tartar.
Cloning herself had turned out to be pretty simple. She was just letting the body grow for a while so Smollusk wouldn’t be stuck in the body of an infant. The body would still match their relative mental age, but Marina wanted them to have some autonomy.
Pearl knelt down, lifting Smollusk onto the couch and setting them between her and Marina. “Marina, what’s wrong with you?” Smollusk asked. “You look awful!”
“Smollusk!” Pearl said, folding her arms. “The polite thing to say is, ‘are you feeling alright?’”
Marina suppressed a giggle. “Because you always say things the polite way. They get it from you.”
“You’re not helping.” Pearl frowned.
“What’s wrong with Marina?” Smolsuk asked again.
“I’m just getting over the flu, I’m alright.” Marina assured them. “My throat hurts and my nose is clogged, so that’s why I sound funny.”
“Oh.” Smollusk said. “Are you still coming to see your surprise?”
“I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” Marina told them.
Smollusk perked up. “Ok! Let’s go!” They wiggled off the couch, accidentally flipping themselves upside down. “Ah! Pearl, help me!”
Pearl chuckled, flipping them right side up. “We’ve gotta find a way for you to flip yourself right side up on your own.”
“Your octoling body is almost done, so you won’t be stuck as a squeegee for much longer.” Marina said. After Smollusk was out, Marina could finally stop running the memverse 24/7. She had been afraid to turn it off knowing Smollusk was in there, just in case turning it off would reset or erase or scare them. She had been terrified of a power outage or surge hurting them, so the sooner they were safely in an ink body, the better.
“Yay!” Smollusk’s squeegee tail wiggled with excitement. “I’m so excited to go to a real playground!” Marina had programmed them a lot of things in the memverse to keep them entertained, but it was no replacement for the real world.
Marina pushed herself up, stretching her stiff muscles. Pearl hopped up next to her. “Do you want me to carry you?”
Marina shook her head. “Yes, but I think it would be good for me to stretch my legs a little.”
Smollusk zoomed out of the room, crashing into a wall on their way out. Even after two years, they still hadn’t gotten the hang of controlling the squeegee.
Smollusk led them towards the basement where all the memverse equipment was set up. Marina had installed ramps along all the stairs in their mansion so Smollusk could get up and down without trouble.
The moment they were both uploaded into the memverse, Smollusk teleported them to the top of the spire. To her great relief, Marina didn’t feel sick while in the memverse. She took a deep breath through her nose, appreciating the freedom of a clear windpipe.
The control room was decorated with colorful ribbons and party lights. “Suprise!” Smollusk yelled. Suddenly, two portals erupted with jelletons, only they didn’t look like normal jelletons. They were brightly colored and each adorned with a party hat. Three Drizzling Capriccioso’s flew above her, shooting out confetti rather than ink. A Gushing Trionfale appeared, holding up a disco ball rather than its usual projectile.
“Aw, Smollusk, is this a surprise party?” Marina asked. She felt tears welling in her eyes.
“Yes! Me and Pearl set it up for you!” Smollusk said.
“It was all their idea.” Pearl said. She was in her drone form, also wearing a party hat and shooting out little bits of confetti from her sprinkler.
A pack of Swarming Languendo’s surrounded Marina, jumping around her and nearly knocking her over. They were making cute little excited noises as they circled her. “Oh my! You’re all so friendly!”
“These jelletons serve only as party guests!” Smollusk told her. “Thus, I made sure they have no intention or capacity to harm.”
“That’s so sweet of you.” Marina said, patting one of the Lenguendo’s on its jelly head. This one looked as though it had been dyed a bright blue, and looked a lot closer to Marina’s original designs for the memverse helpers.
“Presents!” Smollusk exclaimed. “I wasn’t sure what to get you since you can’t bring anything here into the real world, so Pearl helped me write you a song!”
Marina lit up. “Really? You two wrote a song together? Oh, that’s so adorable!”
“Smol did all the DJing.” Pearl said, her voice filled with pride. She hopped back into her inkling form, brushing confetti out of her tentacles. “We’ve gotta feature them on a track some time. They’ve got skills.”
Suddenly, two microphones as well as a tiny keyboard appeared in front of Pearl and Smollusk. It was the little keyboard Marina had made them for their last birthday, modeled after the one Marina had had when she was little. Smollusk had been over the moon when Marina gave it to them.
The song was about what one would expect from a two year old octoling. The beat was clunky and full of random sound effects, and Pearl had to keep pausing to remind Smollusk of the words. It was the most beautiful song Marina had ever heard.
“Why are you crying?” Smollusk asked once they had finished.
Marina whipped her eyes, sniffling. “I’m sorry, I just love you two so much–”
“Did you like the song?” Smollusk asked.
“It was the most wonderful song I’ve ever heard.” Marina said truthfully. “Thank you so much, both of you. Oh, I should’ve been recording this!”
Pearl put an arm around her shoulder. “I had that covered, don’t worry.” She pointed to something behind Marina, and Marina almost laughed at the sight of a bright pink Battering Lento holding a camera in its mouth.
Smollusk floated over to her, squealing as Marina pulled them into a hug. They had grown considerably over the past two years, taking on the expected appearance of a two year old octoling.
“Eek! Release me!” Smollusk demanded, and Marina let them go.
“Sorry, sorry.” Marina apologized.
“Do you wanna do the pinata next?” Pearl asked Smollusk.
“Oh, yes!” Smollusk hurried over to one of the portals as another Drizzling Capriccioso floated out of it. In its mouth it held a string attached to a pinata in the shape of a Pinging Marciale. “I made this all by myself!”
“It looks amazing!” Marina said.
“Smollusk has a real talent for decorating.” Pearl agreed. She handed Marina a bat, tying a blind fold around her eyes. Being spun around didn’t make her dizzy, as she wasn’t really there, but it did disorientate her.
Marina paused. “Is Smollusk far away? I don’t want to hit them.”
“Smol is with me.” Pearl’s voice said. “No where near the bat, I’m watching them.”
“Ok.” Marina said, still a little worried. She took a swing, connecting only with empty air.
“You missed!” Came Smollusk's voice.
“A little to your left.” Pearl suggested.
Marina adjusted before trying again.
“Missed again!” Smollusk called gelfully.
“You’re aiming too low!” Pearl said. “Try hitting up!”
Marina did as she said, feeling the bat graze the bottom of the pinata.
“There you go!” Pearl said.
Marina aimed up a little more, this time connecting with the center of the pinata. She felt it crack but not break. She waited a moment for it to stop swinging before hitting at it again. It took several more swings before she got another good hit, connecting with it as it was swinging in the direction of her bat.
The last hit was enough to spit it open, and Marina pulled the blindfold off. Brightly colored unbranded candy poured from the opening, and Smollusk ran forward, trying to grab as much as they could.
Pearl knelt down beside them, grabbing some and stuffing it in her party hat. “C’mon, Rina! You’ve gotta get the candy!”
“Oh, right!” Marina smiled as she joined them. Food didn’t work the same in the memverse. She could taste it, but the moment she swallowed something it simply disappeared from her mouth and left no remaining taste. It was weird, but the best she could do so that Smollusk could try birthday cake.
A group of Swarming Lenguendo’s suddenly descend on them, eating the candy that was still somehow falling from the recked pinata.
“Eek!” Smollusk squealed.
“They’re gonna get it all!” Pearl exclaimed. “Hurry, grab as much as you can!” Smollusk laughed, grabbing as much as they could hold. Pearl stuffed some in her jacket pockets before the Lenguendo’s ate the rest of it. “Let's get outta here before they try to take it from us!”
“Ok!” Smollusk said, following Pearl as she ran away from the pack of Lenguendo’s. “Hurry, Marina!”
“I’m coming!” Marina played along, running after them. Pearl jumped behind one of Smolsk's decorations, huffing.
“I think we lost ‘em.” She said, “How much did you guys get?”
Smollusk opened their goopy tentacle arms, dropping a pile of candy on the ground. “I should’ve made some bags.”
“That’s not bad.” Pearl emptied her hat and pockets into an impressive haul. “How ‘bout you, Rina?”
“Um…” Marina opened her hands, revealing the small fist full she had managed to grab in the chaos. She really hadn’t focused on grabbing much. She was too focused on how cute Pearl and Smollusk were being.
“You hardly got any!” Smollusk said.
“Sorry, I wasn’t expecting all the Lenguendo’s.” Marina said.
“It’s already, you can have some of mine.” Pearl said, handing her the hat. “I got lots. I’m practically a pinata expert.”
“How did you grab so fast?” Smollusk asked.
“Lots of practice.” Pearl said. “You’ll learn the tricks.”
Marina unwrapped one of the pieces of candy, finding it was pineapple flavored. They all had a hard candy consistency, disappearing after sitting in her mouth for a few seconds. “Hm.”
“Is it good?” Pearl asked.
Marina nodded, unwrapping a cherry flavored candy. “Smollusk picked good candy.”
“I can’t wait to try real candy.” Smollusk said, shoving three pieces in their mouth at once.
“When your body’s done, I’m takin’ you to the best sweet shop in Inkopolis.” Pearl promised. “And then the best sweet shop in Splatsville. It’s gonna blow your mind. I should probably buy you a tooth brush in advance.”
“I’m so excited!” Smollusk squealed.
Marina was excited, too. She loved Smollusk, and did everything she could to make the control room as fun and entertaining as possible, but it was no replacement for the real world. She couldn’t wait to see them try all the real world things they were excited about, as well as make some friends around their relative age.
“Oh, you’re gonna love Splatoween.” Pearl said. “I know the best neighborhoods. You’re gonna be stalked up on candy till Octovas.”
“Pearl has trick or treating down to a science.” Marina agreed. Pearl still took her younger cousins trick or treating, which was adorable. They liked going with her because she apparently took it more seriously than any other adult member of the Houzuki family, which Marina could easily believe.
“Oh, imagine Smollusk in a little costume.” Marina said, pressing her hands to her face. “Wouldn’t that be so cute!”
“I’m not cute!” Smollusk insisted. They shoved another fist full of candy into their mouth.
“Mh hm.” Marina said.
“Speaking of the real world.” Pearl said. “Do you think you should get back to your real body soon? You’ve never gone in here while you’re sick.”
“Oh, that’s a good point.” Marina had almost forgotten she was sick. Leaving the memverse while healthy always gave her a head ache and could leave her very dizzy and disorientated. It was probably a good idea to check on her real self.
“Aw, you’re leaving?” Smollusk asked.
“You should come with us.” Pearl said. “We were gonna watch more tv and then eat dinner, do you wanna stay with us?”
Dinner? Marina thought. Pearl had made her some mac and cheese for lunch, but that didn’t feel like that long ago. Marina didn’t realize it was almost dinner time, she must’ve been asleep for a while.
“Oh, yes!” Smollusk perked up. “What are we watching?”
Marina had planned on watching one of her favorite romcoms today, but that probably wasn’t age appropriate for Smollusk. She could force Pearl to watch one of those with her after Smollusk had gone to bed. “Do you like cooking competitions?”
“Yes!” Smollusk answered enthusiastically.
“Alright, see you on the other side!” Pearl said before popping out of existence.
“Can I have your candy?” Smollusk asked.
Marina nodded. “Sure. You can eat Pearl’s, too. I’m sure she won’t mind.”
Smollusk grinned, pushing all the candy into a pile as a Battering Lento suddenly poked its head around the decoration. It scared Marina half to death despite its bright yellow appearance.
“Guard this for me.” Smollusk demanded. “Don’t let anyone eat any of it.”
The Lento gave a goopy nod, planting itself beside the pile.
“What should you say?” Marina asked.
“Oh, thank you!” Smollusk said to the Lento. Marina smiled. She had been doing her best to teach the little octoling manors.
Marina groaned as she came too. She was leaned back in her chair, which was better than the few times she had woken up with her head on the table. Her head hurt. Her nose was completely clogged, and she felt dizzy.
“Are you feelin’ alright?” Pearl asked.
“Mhhg, no.” Marina answered. “Feel awful.”
“Emergancy awful or normal sick awful?” Pearl asked.
“Sick awful.” Marina said. “Please carry me. Mhf, god, I need water.”
“Of course.” Pearl lifted her up.
Smollusks squeegee buzzed to life. “Is Marina ok?”
“Marina’s alright.” Pearl answered. “Being in the memverse took it outta her. Your party was too fun!”
“Oh no!” Smollusk wiggled up the ramp beside them as they left the basement. “I killed Marina with fun!”
Marina tried to laugh. “Thank you, it was a lot of fun.”
“You sound terrible!” Smollusk said again.
“Thanks.”
Pearl set her back down on the couch, running into the kitchen to get her some water. Smollusk waited impatiently to be lifted back onto the couch, wiggling in circles until Pearl came back.
Marina downed the glass, nearly choking as the cold ice water cooled her throat. Pearl placed a hand on her forehead.
“You’re still warm. You were all sweaty again when I picked you up. Imma get you some more medicine.” Pearl ran off again, still forgetting to pick Smollusk up.
“You need to put a ramp on the couch.” Smollusk huffed.
Marina smiled. “I’m sorry, Smollusk.”
Pearl returned with some disgusting cough medicine. “You should probably wait so you can take nyquil later.” After Marina took both, she handed her a thermometer. “Here, I wanna check your temp.”
Marina obliged. Smollusk was finally lifted onto the couch, watching Marina curiously. “What’s that?”
“It’s a thermometer, it tells her temperature.” Pearl explained. “Sometimes when people get sick, they get really hot. If they get too hot, they need to see a doctor.”
“Oh. Is Marina too hot?” Smollusk asked, suddenly sounding very nervous.
The thermometer beeped. 100.3 degrees.
“A little.” Pearl answered. “She just needs to rest.”
Pearl jumped back up suddenly, taking Marina’s empty glass. “I’m gonna get you more water.”
“Thank you.” Marina said.
She turned the tv back on, just as an episode of her favorite baking show started. Pearl returned after just a moment, placing a damp towel on Marina's forehead. The cold felt wonderful against her burning skin.
“There, now just rest.” Pearl instructed.
“What time is it?” Marina asked.
“A little after six.” Pearl answered. “You were asleep for a while.”
“Pearl Drone!” Smollusk suddenly exclaimed.
“Huh? Oh, yeah, look what Pearl got me for my birthday!” Marina said, holding up the plush. “Isn’t it cute?”
“It looks just like her!” Smollusk said. “You should make one of me in my kraken form!”
Marina smiled. ‘Kraken form’ was what they had been calling Smol’s Overlorder form. “That would be adorable.”
“No, it would be super scary.” Smollusk huffed.
“Right.” Pearl said. “Do you still want sugar waffles for dinner?”
“Oh, yes!” Marina answered.
“Do you want me to start that up now?” Pearl asked.
“Maybe.” Marina said with a yawn. “I might just shut my eyes for a while. Just wake me up when they’re done.”
The Pearl drone plush was perfect for hugging; the maker Pearl had found really knew what they were doing. She gave it a good squeeze, resting her head against her pillow.
“I want waffles!” Smollusk said.
“You can’t eat waffles.” Pearl replied.
“Marina, can you code sugar waffles into the memverse?” Smollusk asked. “...Marina?”
“Mh, I’ll make you waffles tomorrow.” Marina said, followed by another yawn.
“Let Rina rest.” Marina heard Pearl say. “The memverse took it outta her, remember?”
“But she already slept for so long.” Smollusk protested.
“That’s what happens when someone gets sick.” Pearl’s voice was growing firm. “How ‘bout you come with me, you can help me make the batter, yeah?”
“Oh, that sounds fun. Feel better, Marina!” Smollusk wiggled off the couch, hurrying into the kitchen.
“Thank you.” Marina said with closed eyes. Even though it hadn’t been what she’d expected, Marina had still enjoyed her birthday. She got to spend time with Pearl and Smollusk, and the party Smollusk had thrown her had been adorable. And her birthday wasn’t over, anyways. She still had sugar waffles and ice cream cake to look forward to when she woke up.