#the expanse fanfiction

[talesfrommedinastation]

My husband at a recent party bragged about my fanfiction

He was rocking a sweet MCRN shirt, and while talking with some nerdy dads, started talking about 'The Expanse'.

Turns out the other dads have been watching the show too, and were sad it ended after six seasons.

My husband's response?

"Oh, if you miss The Expanse, talk to my wife! She wrote a whole novel of the extended universe of it! Even included some Star Wars characters, but she really went into the science of it! I'll send you guys the link, it's so good!"

I found all of this out from one of the guy's, who apparently LOVED my Bobbie Draper/Stormtrooper art piece?!

Is this a good thing or a bad thing? It's weird enough that fucking Redneck Neighbor Doug read the entire thing to his wife on a long drive to the Upper Peninsula.

#tbb #the expanse #the expanse crossover #star wars crossover #far past the ring #theexpanse #the expanse fanfiction #the bad batch #my husband is my biggest fan #he has been mum on the fic itself though #fanfiction #starwarsfanfiction

[cafeacademia]

Um okay so whether anyone wants it or not, you're getting some fics for The Expanse because Amos is >>>>>> and there's not enough to quench my thirst

#amos burton x reader #the expanse fanfiction #probably some holden fics too because that boy and his coffee obsession #but amos *insert melting emoji*

[fickle-fixations]

He knelt, scrambling to take off his magboots but at the same time couldn’t bear the loss of contact. He peppered her soft legs with kisses as he worked the boots off.

“You can slow down, sugar.” she laughed.

“Mm-never, darlin.”

Hello???? I wrote this???? I never knew it would be so fun to write smut people with southern drawls like???? These lines are so hot and I wrote them????

Every time I read over what I've got so far I'm like wow this is amazing this is hot this is adorable but then I step back and I'm like wait it is a pilot fucking his spaceship who turned into a human

But then I take ANOTHER step back and I'm like wait no he would absolutely fuck Roci in a heartbeat

#spaceships are subs btw #i have decided this #unless they have a 'personality' of being temperamental/rebellious/very particular and not exactingly responsive #they are subs #they obey orders perfectly that's what they were designed to do #and when they perform super well #like ya know #they're super responsive and good at it #and if they were people they'd like it #the expanse fanfiction #Alex kamal #ALSO #i gave roci a southern drawl 1 bc she's martian obviously #and 2 bc Alex is the only one who talks to her like she's a person so she'd pick up on his voice the most

[thecoffeelorian]

I don't really write in this fandom, but here's some food for thought...

#the expanse #the expanse fanfiction #18+ only

[wilder-fangirl]

Literally Alex x Roci is one of my new favorite pairings I can't stop thinking about them

They're an old married southern couple Alex is a SIMP for her they're in a symbiotic relationship they tease each other aaaahhhhgh

#the expanse fanfiction #alex kamal

[lisa-russell]

FOR THE FANS OUT THERE WHO CAN'T GET ENOUGH OF SPLATOON.

UPDATE: Twas fun! Even if Team Bunnies lost! I Was more amused by Shiver having to try and stop or distract Bigman from rembering/clueing who team bear remined him of lmao.

"Learn the rules like a Pro, so you can break them like an Artist"-Pablo Picasso

If your like me and love reading, listening and seeing fanart,music and stories all based around Splatoon...well look no futher!

IF ya wanna see a bunch of amusing and comedic, like memes or mini comics collected from all just #sploonies.

Do me a favor and reblog this! or...atleast share it! More inkfolk who see thia the better!

# splatsville sploonies if yah wanna see all dah memes ive reblogged from tumblr!

HERE IS A LIST OF 83 STORIES ALL LOVINGLY WRITTEN BY FELLOW FANS LIKE YOURSELF.

I reaaaad alllooot. So these are what I get when the game ain't enough. I made this lil list from myself and others. Authors who have taken their time to let us dive into their inky tales or love, danger,action,fluff and... the risqué.

AND THIS IS A PLAYLIST OF....

Yah your reading right. Over 257 songs. Remixes, Fanmade, Originals and so much more!

CHECK THIS OUT!

Ya, 6 links up but they lead too some really good fan comics. I consider small panels one and full series. Feel free teh let me know or suggest some!

.......My stuff lol so can keep track.

Prologue of a sorta half-planned au Splatoon story.

And an INDEPTH AND UPDATED AGENT 4 SIDE ORDER THOERY BLOG!

This a rather interesting Reddit Post about how music effects Inklings and Octolings!

An A.I Assistant thoughts(?) On Octo Expansion sanitizing and dah memverse cure...

These are also link's tah my Artwork.

And my more r3cent digital work...word of warning I take weeks tah months just tah finish one..I'm a bit of a perfectionist and detail lover lol...

#splatoon 3 #splatoon 2 #splatoon #splatoon fandom #splat2n #splatoon3 #splatoon oc #new squidbeak splatoon #splat series #splatoon 1 #splatoon fanfiction #splatoon music #splatoon remix #splatbands #splatoon art #splatoon2 #splatoon idols #splatoon agents #nintendo #youtube #splatoon comic #squitter #inkstagram #side order #octo expansion #story heromode #deep sea metro #agent 8 #agent 3 #agent 4

[bandomfandombeyond]

I'm sorry you're telling me the show with canon polyamory, canon bisexuality, and SEVERAL hot dykes to thirst after doesn't have more fans??? is it cuz only like 2 of the main characters are white??? that show is tumblrina cocaine everyone is missing out the plot bunnies are multiplying with every empty archive I fjnd

#the expanse #lgbtq #queer media #fandom #fanfiction

[campingwiththecharmings]

HAPPY OSCAR FICVERSARY HONEY!!!!

That is SO exciting!!!!!!

Ok so listen, if you want me to choose a prompt specifically I will, but I had a thought that I think you might like so please just lmk what you think:

Neighbor Miguel is Spider-Man and his identity is a secret from the world, ofc. Reader works in the medical field, he knows this because they've talked casually on occasion in the past. He gets injured and doesn't have anywhere else to go (for whatever reason) so he knocks on reader's door.

Can be just fluff or smut, whatever your heart desires, but I thought it would be a cute idea that you might like hehe <3

Helping Hand

AN: Eeeeeee, thank you, Mel. Your friendship and support mean a lot to me, I hope you know that. ❤️ Thanks for being there, and also for sending this prompt in. I hope it did it justice! 🤞

(Un-beta’d)

Rated: T (for mild gore) Words: 1,007 Pairing: Miguel O'Hara x Reader (should be GN, please let me know if that's incorrect) Warnings: brief mention of blood, wounds/injuries, hurt/comfort, cheesy/contrived dialogue probably lol AO3

——————

You sigh as you enter your apartment, shuffling through the door and letting your bag drop to the floor. The ER had been slammed today, and you were beyond exhausted. Starving, you head toward your kitchen, rifling through the fridge before settling on some leftover takeout for dinner. You decide to change while you wait for it to reheat and exit the kitchen, heading in the direction of your bedroom.  

A soft tapping noise makes you pause, your ears perking at the sound as worry settles in your gut—shit, it wasn’t rats again, was it? You’d thought the landlord had taken care of that problem months ago. You listen for a moment longer, your anxiety easing a little when you don’t hear anything further. Maybe it was just the wind, you think, resuming your trek. 

You hear it again as you reach the door to your bedroom, the tapping louder this time, more insistent. It takes a moment for you to realize it’s coming from your window, a surprised scream lodging in your throat when you finally locate the source of the sound. 

Is that….Spider-man? 

You stare, a little flabbergasted and blinking rapidly, as if it’ll somehow make this baffling image disappear. 

Alas, it does not. 

He taps again, the movement sluggish. His fingers slide down the glass and your breath catches when streaks of red appear in their wake. 

He’s injured.  

Before you can really think about it, you’re at the window, unlocking it and pushing it open. He all but falls through it, his huge frame pouring onto the floor beneath the sill. You immediately crouch beside him, your hands on his broad shoulders as he struggles to prop himself up against the wall.  

“Where are you hurt?” you ask calmly, your eyes flicking over him expertly, alert for any signs of injury. 

He says nothing, just gestures to his head, panting as if he’s been running a marathon. You frown, carefully taking his face in your hands. You can feel the warmth of his skin through his suit as you gingerly turn his head this way and that, careful not to injure him further. He grunts when your fingers graze the back of his head and you bite your lip, your gaze settling where you assume his eyes are beneath his mask.

“If you want my help, I’ll need you to remove the mask,” you tell him, your voice gentle but firm, leaving no room for negotiation. 

There’s a pause as he presumably considers your request, and just as you’re wondering what he’s thinking, he nods, his mask retracting like magic. Your mouth falls open when you not only see his face but recognize him. 

It’s your neighbor, Miguel. Spider-man is your neighbor. 

You allow yourself a moment of shock, before standing to your feet and running to your bathroom to grab a few clean towels and your first aid kit.  

Help first, questions after. 

You crouch before him, holding his chin between your fingers and carefully tilting his head up to check his eyes with your pen light. He flinches but doesn’t fight you. Once you’re positive he doesn’t have a concussion, you maneuver him so you can reach the back of his head and begin gently examining and cleaning his wound. His hair is soft against your palm, the ends curling slightly from exposure to the humid air outside, and you wonder briefly what it’d be like to plunge your fingers into the dark, mussed depths (under different circumstances, obviously).  

You’re close, close enough to smell him, his scent warm and woodsy, oddly calming. He winces as you work, grunting every now and then in pain as you clean the area. Once you're finished, you apply an antibiotic cream to his scalp that you know will help heal it quickly.  

“You should be okay, just try to keep it clean and dry.” 

He nods, wincing a little as he shifts, leaning more of his weight against the wall. 

You study him quietly for a moment, eyes tracing the tired lines of his face. His eyes are half closed, his mouth drawn in a tight line. You wonder if anyone else knows his secret; does he have a partner or does he carry the weight of all of this alone? The thought breaks your heart a little. 

“So,” you begin airily, his eyes flicking to you as you gesture at what remains of his spider-suit, “is this why I never see you at any of the building meetings?” 

He blinks at you, his movements sluggish, and for a moment, you worry that you’ve made things awkward...but then he sniffs a laugh, a smile curling on his lips, and there’s a dim light in his eyes that wasn’t there before, despite his wince of pain. 

“Sorry,” you mutter, a pang of guilt snagging in your chest.

He waves you off, meeting your eyes again briefly, his expression sobering a little. “I’m the one who should be apologizing.”

“What for?” you ask, brows furrowing in confusion.

“For showing up like this…unannounced and bleeding all over your floor.”

“It’s okay, was only a little blood,” you tease, shrugging slightly.

He snorts and you chew your lip, your stomach flipping nervously. Has he always been this good-looking? Suddenly you can’t remember, aren’t sure you ever really took the time to notice…

“C’mon,” you say, standing to your feet and offering him your hands. 

Miguel looks between your face and your outstretched hands for a moment, then takes them, his large hands engulfing yours. You grunt as you help him stand, using all of your weight to help him get up off the floor. He wobbles a little as his center of gravity shifts, leaning against the wall again for support as he waits for the dizziness to pass.

“Okay?” you ask, watching him closely, your hands still clasped in his.

Your heart skips in your chest when he meets your eyes again, his gaze soft as he smiles and nods.

“I’m getting there.”

If you enjoyed this, please let me know! I appreciate every single reblog and/or comment. Thank you. 💖

🌟 Masterlist 🌟

i am no longer doing a taglist. please follow @charmingupdates for updates and turn on notifications.

#miguel o'hara x reader #miguel o'hara x you #across the spiderverse fanfiction #miguel o’hara fanfiction #my fic #i can see an expansion of this #mostly bc i didn't get to write as much as i would've wanted #maybe with drabbles like the neighbor!santi au #idk i might revisit this at a later date lol

[talesfrommedinastation]

WIP Wednesday meets Wrecker Wednesday! My goodness.

Writing little side stories from Far Past the Ring, I realized some things....

Clarissa Mao has an implant that turns her into a killing machine. She can't remove it.

Wrecker HAD an implant that turned him into a killing machine. He's gotten rid of it.

Clarissa made the choice but can't go back on it, Wrecker had none but found a way to fix it.

Clarissa struggles to think of herself as worthy of anything. Wrecker DGAF, he's got his brothers, his squad, and plenty of things to BLOW UP!

Clarissa's a little Rich Girl with Daddy Issues. Wrecker is a clone in a massive, defunct army. Neither have parents or a home planet.

Both have shortened lifespans.

Both know their way around machines.

...cue ALL THE HEARTS AND DISNEY SONGBIRDS!

Some folks asked if I was going to hook Wrecker up with Bobbie Draper, or even Amos Burton. But Bobbie likes ladies and Amos likes Not Giving In To Emotions.

And then there's Clarissa, who I should have included more but didn't know how to.

There will be a short story dropping soon with these two, but in the meantime, enjoy the art I'm working on.

@eyecandyeoz pointed out that many of the Fett Clone Bois would have a tendency to flirt with a lady by chucking under their chin. Here's Wrecker doing it and Clarissa going WHAT.

Tag-a-long is not just a Girl Scout cookie:

@wrenkenstein @warsamongthestars @eelfuneral @eclec-tech @eelfuneral @rememberthecant @rocicrew @that-salmonberry-punk @techs-stitches @thecoffeelorian @ilikemymendarkandfictional @insertmeaningfulusername @isthereanechoinhere96 @perfectlywingedcrusade @askwenjing @autistic-artistech @auntie-venom @amalthiaph @sometimes-i-talk-a-lot @dukeoftheblackstar @littlefeatherr @constant-brain-fog @sued134 @supremechancellorrex @vivaislenska @blitzink @nahoney22 @notavalidusername @nika6q @moosethren @merkitty49 @freesia-writes @marymunchkiin

#tbb #cloneforce99 #thebadbatch #the expanse #the bad batch #theexpanse #starwarsfanfiction #fanfiction #clarissa mao #wrecker the bad batch #wrecker tbb #wrecker clone force 99 #wrecker bad batch #wrecker x clarissa mao #the expanse fanfiction #the expanse fan art #clone trooper wrecker #wip wednesday #wrecker wednesday

[jemaniacreates]

Just finished my first run in Side order

First of all, the dlc is fucking awesome. If I could play it for the first time again, I would. If you haven’t played it yet, unless it’s because you can’t afford it,

LEAVE THIS POST NOW AND PLAY THE DAMN DLC!

Now with that out of the way, Dual Complexity still needs a bit of development now that I’m getting the plot. I’m not doing a total overhaul because of Side Order, but I will let you know that the first two arcs will get hit the hardest since they are the only once mostly influenced by previous events.

Other than that, nothing is changed until side order is fully completed. But I don’t want to end up rewriting the chapters over and over again to fit the lore. And I had to unfortunately spoil myself since 100% completion is gonna take a while, knowing Splatoon 3 is basically the finale of the NSS story, that is where I’ll stop.

I love writing this series, and I don’t want to be restricted to lore like I am with the short stories.

TLDR: Dual Complexity takes place after Side Order. Anything else afterwards is ignored.

#splatoon #splatoon 2 #splatoon 3 #octo expansion #return of the mammalians #side order #splatoon fanfiction #splatoon fanart #splatoon au

[ghostly-idiot]

143 got a virus or smth and is suffering the secret 10th circle of hell /hj

anyways the story behind this shit is that sunny tried to tinker a bit with 143 for funsies, but then they start showing flu-like symptoms and overheated to a very concerning degree.

so sunny called 143's them-friend 257 and her girlfriend over from whatever the fuck they were doin with this picture

they were gone for literally just 20 minutes.

#side order #parallel canon #canon divergence #splatoon ocs #splatoon fanfiction #splatoon #splatoon 2 #splatoon 3 expansion pass #splatoon 3 #sunny #143 #257 #cloud

[carvaiine]

#if you have been reading my fanfiction consider this a spoiler #to sanitized octoling eyes not having dark sclera: I refuse #dedf1sh #acht splatoon #ahato mizuta #side order #octo expansion #splatoon

[voids-colourful-creations]

Take it With You -- A Pearlina Fic

[Read on Ao3!]

Rated: T Relationships: Pearl/Marina Splatoon 2: Octo Expansion Content Warnings: Standard Octarian Propaganda stuff, Knives in kitchen context. Words: 3.8k

Summary: Even after all the time she's spent up here, there's still more than a few things Marina finds strange about Inklings. Even when she thinks she understands everything, Pearl finds a way to flip her world upside down. (Now that Pearl knows everything Marina's been hiding, maybe that's fitting.)

--

Inklings were… strange, in their pride. It was one of the things Marina found herself endeared by from the start. 
When she’d been in training, when she’d been working, designing— it was all in service of the Greater Goal. The work had been glorious, their task virtuous… but the technicians? Their value was defined by what they could produce, for the sake of their future. 


Inklings weren’t like that, and Marina was enthralled. Oh, they were vain and selfish, she had known that from the start. Octolings were everything Inklings weren’t, Marina had heard growing up.

“There’s no in-between. You are one of us, a righteous Octoling soldier, and they are Inklings.”

Even the name itself was an insult, when spoken in the right mouth.

“Where they are lazy, we are diligent. Where they are scattered, unorganised and listless, we are driven, unified.”

Yes, yes, just as she’d been told.

But with laziness came freedom and relaxation. A lack of unity could just as easily been seen as a beautiful cocktail of different ideas and expressions.

Startlingly, Inklings were self assured. That, Marina hadn’t been prepared for. Inklings were bold and brash and bright. Inklings could be wrong , all the time, without a care in the world. They’d laugh and joke, no regard to their errors beyond a minor correction, if any. It took a while for it to sink in for Marina, but to be wrong was no failure, no stain on an Inklings pride. Shame instead, came in different ways. One’s appearance was important, as was skill in turf, general “vibes” so to speak. But mainly, an Inklings pride came in the same thing that drew Marina to them in the first place.

It was so starkly different to what she’d been accustomed to. A pride you chose for yourself? Unthinkable.

“You must wear everything you do with pride, ours is a noble cause, our work as a collective.”

The flooders weren’t Marina’s to be proud of, so much as her teams. Not that she was all too proud of those things nowadays…


To do whatever you want, whenever you want. There would be no one to answer to, and nothing to hide. Was that what it meant to be an Inkling? Everything about yourself was to be flaunted, everything you do something to be proud of, or at minimum entertained by.
 Inklings simply… did as they wanted. 


Pearl shone so brightly in that regard. She never apologised. She never backed down from her desires, from displaying herself in the most vivid manner possible. Pearl was always doing whatever she wanted, how she wanted, when she wanted. 
It was strange how Marina found she didn’t mind it, mainly. 
Inklings were selfish, yes, but Pearl was selfish in a way Marina couldn’t help but admire. And Pearl, her Pearl? Her selfishness was pure in the end. How could anyone fault her for living as she pleased? Even otherwise, it would be hypocritical to say a thing. At least, in Marina’s eye.

Wasn’t it her selfishness that pushed her here? The call for more, for the sun on her face and a thousand new colours she’d never seen before?

That same selfishness caused her to be ever enthralled by Pearl’s own. 
All’s to say, Marina had seen Pearl apologise maybe twice in the three years she’d known her. Always a casual, though sincere thing, quick and easy and done.

That’s all there was to it… but .

Now, Pearl knelt at Marina’s feet. Head down, voice muffled, the only words she spoke were simple.

“I’m sorry.”

At that moment, the first thought that struck Marina hit her straight through the chest.

“Oh. She really means it.”

Quickly followed, naturally, by Marina’s own flustering reply.

“W-what for? Pearlie, stand up, it’s– what are you saying? Come inside at least!”

Tentacles brushing against the door frame, Pearl looked up to meet Marina’s eyes. Despite this, her posture remained the same, body pressed against the floor.

The edges of sunrise settled on her back, lighting her up in rosy hue. Had it really been that long? A full day then, since Eight had surfaced– 24 hours. Marina could’ve sworn it hadn’t been that late she’d been working, but the night was quickly slipping away from her grasp.

Pearl didn’t say anything, biting the edge of her lip. Slowly, she brought herself up to standing, though wavering still in the doorway.

Despite her height, Pearl’s figure shielded Marina from what little sun shone in. A soft ring of light surrounded her, blurry at the edges.

“You sure?” Pearl asked, tentative.

Marina opened the door wider, as far as it would go.

“Come in, let’s... let’s talk over breakfast.”

***

The kettle hissed and whined on the counter, but Pearl remained silent, perched up on the bar stool at Marina’s kitchen island. Marina busied herself, fretting around this way and that. A fruit might’ve been good, if she had any left that weren’t starting to rot. Maybe some muffins were left over? No, all gone…

The past few days had been a whirlwind, As Eight grew closer and closer to the surface, Marina’s time became more and more consumed by her rescue.

Now, she could breathe easy knowing Eight was breathing fresh air. That she’d made it safely, fully and completely free. With their dedication, all of theirs, Eight was safe. Inkopolis was safe.

...But Marina’s kitchen hadn’t been quite as lucky.

Tip-toeing around the counters, Marina swept up crumbs and shuffled about cutlery, trying to make things look ever so slightly more presentable. It helped very little, but at least Pearl would see her making an effort? The last thing she wanted was to look lazy in front of her...

Pulling open the fridge, she fished out the last two apples, and set them on the island behind her. She shut the door with her body, leaning against it as she moved towards the drawers. From the top, she retrieved two knives, serrated. From the second, a large wooden cutting board, heavily marred with jagged lines.

These followed the apples, gently set down beside them.

Dragging over another stool, Marina sat herself across from Pearl, pulling the basket of oranges set on the table's edge between them.

“Alright.” She said, taking a deep breath, “How about you take the oranges, and I’ll cut up the apples?”

Pearl nodded, quiet, and took an orange from the basket, alongside one of the knives.

Content, Marina took the remaining knife, and placed her apple down on the cutting board.

“So...” Marina began, carefully cutting her apple exactly in two, “What’s wrong?”

Pearl seemed startled for a moment, tearing her eyes away from the orange and over to Marina.

“What?”

“...Inklings don’t usually come apologising on hand and knee at daybreak because things are going peachy,” Marina said, ‘and you don’t usually come apologising at all.’ She thought, but kept the rest of it to herself.

From the way Pearl shifted in her seat, Marina almost wondered if she’d heard it anyway.

“I... it was just– Earlier, there was more important shit goin’ on. With Eight, and all the helicopters and... you get it.”

Marina nodded quietly. Methodically, she began to slice her apple halves into thirds, a total 6 pieces.

“But I wasn’t gonna just... Worm my way outta apologisin’!” Pearl’s thumb dug into the slit in the orange she’d created, tearing open a seam.

“For what?” Marina asked, voice faint.

Pearl made a quiet noise, neither a groan nor a breath. Just something… caught. By now, a sense of dread had begun pooling in the back of Marina's throat. She could tell where this was going, but she was still hoping she might be wrong. If she played dumb, then luck might favour her. She could delay this a little longer.

“For chattin’ ‘bout you with Cap while ya weren’t there.”

Just a little longer... even a few more moments.

“And lookin’ through that file,”

Even if she’s only lying to herself, only pretending things could stay the same...

“Digging into all your past junk. Everythin’ you didn’t wanna tell me ‘bout.”

Please, don’t say any more. Don’t say it.

“Finding out you’re an Octoling. And that you used to be in the military, I guess? And all of it. I really am sorry, Marina.”

Ahh...

Now she’d done it. The facts spilled out and sticky, laying on the table between the apples and the oranges.

No more going back.

“You’re sorry?” Marina asked quietly. She pulled an apple slice forward, singling it out from the rest. Cupping it in her palm, she began to score the surface of the skin.

“Hell you take me for?! ‘Course I am! I’d already made up my mind I wasn’t gunna go digging into ya shit if you weren’t gonna tell me yourself, then I find out all this stuff anyway. I shoulda kept my mouth shut or sumthin’.”

Marina shook her head, tentacles bouncing lightly.

“No, no, that’s-- I can’t blame you for that. You weren’t digging into anything, it all just kind of... happened.”

Pearl rolled her eyes.

“Sure, I guess. Feels like ya cutting me way too much slack.”

Chunks of orange peel began to pile up on the counter, Pearl’s peeling the furthest thing from even.

“I couldn’t… It wouldn’t be fair to blame you for that. Not for just… reading the information you were given. I- you don’t have to worry about it.” Marina’s voice had grown to a whisper, somewhere along the way.

“I wasn’t worried ‘bout that!” Pearl bit back, a frustration audibly growing in her throat as she half rose out of her seat. Calming herself just as quick, she sat back down, “Gaah, you’re so off. You’re too nice, ‘Rina… It wasn’t that. I just…”

Pearl sighed, dropping her partially peeled orange onto the counter. She leaned over the table, propping herself up by the elbows and leaning her head in her hands. Staring towards the marble countertop, puddles of orange juice reflected her expression.

“You were so skittish when we met. Can’t tell if ya remember that. Back when you were new here, new to the fucking– surface, I guess. Cod… You were so eager to learn about all my shit, everything about Inkopolis and Inklish and whatever junk. But whenever I asked you about your stuff, your town or family or whatever…”

Pearl’s palms shifted forward, covering her face as she finished speaking.

“Your expression… it broke all my hearts, I guess. Like, a little sad and sorta scared? I hated it every time. I never wanted to make you feel like that, so I just– stopped asking. Was never my business anyway.”

Pearl took a deep breath, pulling her hands back to reveal her face once more. She looked over towards Marina, seeking her eyes. Marina remained focused on the apple slices in her palms.

“I meant what I said an’ all.” Pearl continued, “Back in the chat with Cuttlefish, but like… when we met, too. I don’t care where you’re from or what you’ve done. But still, I’m sorry. For finding everything out that you didn’t want me to know.”

Marina cradled an apple slice in one palm, carefully running the knife up under its skin.

“It— it’s not like I didn’t want you to know, exactly… It’s just…”

She trailed off again. The feeling infuriated her even as the words remained caught on the tip of her tongue.

“’S’cool.” Pearl mumbled, “I get it an’ all. It’s my bad anyway, even if I don’t know what I did exactly. Just… I’m sorry— ”

The strain of the past few days was audible, Pearl’s voice unable to withstand the weight of her words.

“I’m sorry you didn’t think you could trust me with this.”

With that, finally, Pearl was entirely silent, satisfied.

The orange lay long forgotten on the table.

“I trust you!” Marina pleaded, her voice cracking ever slightly, “Pearlie, I promise I do.”

Her fruit was quickly abandoned, callously dropped from her hand as Marina reached across the table. Towards Pearl’s hands, towards Pearl .

“You don’t have to!” Pearl replied, but it sounded less confident than she had hoped.

“You don’t have to,” She repeated. “I just… never wanted to make you feel like you couldn’t— ”

“Pearl! ”

Marina snatched up Pearl’s hands, yanking them close. Pearl jolted forward, nearly bumping heads with Marina over the table.

“I never thought I couldn’t trust you. It isn’t your fault. It’s all mine.”

Pearl only looked at her, face unreadable.

Marina squeezed Pearl’s hands for a moment.

“At first, I just didn’t know how to say it. Forget the right way to explain, I could barely string an Inklish sentence together properly! But after that, I started to… I started putting things off. I was never scared of what you would say, Pearlie… I was scared– I.”

Marina grit her teeth, looking away from Pearl’s face and downwards. Staring at the discarded fruits on the table, she whispered,

“I guess I was scared of me.”

She didn’t look up at Pearl, but she felt her grasp tightening, a deep tug at her. Pearl remained silent, as Marina began to speak again.

“Seeing everything up here, being up here, with you and the light and everyone. It felt so fresh. Inklings invent themselves again and again, everyday! We— I never thought I had that, I guess. It felt like a dream, becoming someone entirely new. Someone loved for her music , someone who spent every day in the sunlight, someone who was partners with someone like you…”

Marina teared her eyes away from the table, and back towards Pearls. If Pearl saw the tears edging Marina’s eyes, she didn’t say anything.

“If I told you everything, I’d break what I built here. I’d have to admit everything I was, everything I did. A-And not just that… I didn’t want you to pity me. I didn’t know if Inkopolis would still like me, if I would even be safe…”

Marina’s breath hitched for a moment, but her words just kept tumbling out of her mouth without her even thinking.

“Once you leave, you can’t ever go back. I betrayed everyone by leaving, my friends, my family, all of them. And the worst part is I would do it again, without a second thought. But even if I knew you would stand by me, no matter what… I just didn’t know if I could, too. I’m sorry, Pearl.”

Marina heard her hearts pounding in her ears louder than anything else, all her words coming out in a rush. Everything she’d been afraid of saying aloud, of even thinking about for so long; everything all unravelled before the sun had even fully risen.

She took a breath, focusing on the feeling. Absentmindedly, her fingers stroked Pearls, still held in her grasp. Pointed tips skimmed against blunt edges.

“Cod, ‘Rina… how long have you been holdin’ onto that? Well, actually never mind, I get it. Just...”

Pearl’s fingers ran along Marina’s, repeating her motions back to her.

“You know I’ll accept ya, no matter what. But that’s not ‘cuz like, I think you’re some perfect angel, or something. Where ya came from, what you’ve done, that shit matters , yeah? But like, it matters cause it’s part of you. And I love you. So it’s… fuck, I’m not good at this kinda thing.”

Pearl bit her lip, pulling Marina in closer.

“It’s just you at the end of the day. I like the you in front of me the best outta all of them. I like that you’re a perfectionist, even if I also kinda hate it sometimes. I wanna know shit about ya, cause it’s you. But you’re still fucking you , even if you’ve done a bunch of stuff, or been through a bunch of stuff. Probably both. You’re still my ‘Rina, who has awful taste in movies and drools when she sleeps, even if you were ‘Combat Engineer Iida’ before.”

Marina leaned in further, closing the gap and pressing her head against Pearl’s, eyes closed.

“And I’m glad you’re here. I don’t care if it’s selfish, I want you up here with me , making music and goofing off. If your family and friends are anywhere near as nice as you, I bet they’re glad for ya. That you’re up here, doing what ya want and being happy. …I mean I think you’re happy? I hope so.”

Pearl sighed, and Marina could feel the air brushing against her face.

“If you don’t think you can forgive yourself, you don’t haveta. I’ll always love ya enough for us both. I think Lil’ ‘Rina deserves to catch a break though, so maybe give her that. If it wasn’t for her, I mean, I never would’ve gotten to meet the you I have today. And you today is fucking awesome, so she must’ve done something right.”

And that was what ended up breaking Marina, so when the tears began to streak down her face she was so close against Pearl’s that they ran down hers too.

“Aw ‘Rina,” Pearl murmured, “That can’t be the thing I say that makes you cry, that’s gotta be one of the lamest compliments I’ve ever given you…”

Marina laughed, still slightly starved for air, still crying. She pulled back, leaning away from the table.

Pearl mirrored her, a soft smile on her face.

Without words, she opened her arms up, inviting Marina closer.

Stumbling slightly as she slid off her stool, Marina tiptoed around the island. Gently, she walked into Pearl’s awaiting arms, still standing as Pearl perched on the seat. As Marina made contact, Pearl’s arms pulled her in close and tight.

Marina rested her head on Pearl’s shoulder, and Pearl tilted her head against Marina’s.

“Thank you,” Pearl whispered in Marina’s ear, “For telling me that. You never have to but— thank you.”

Marina squeezed her tighter.

“Oh, Pearlie… I really never wanted to hide it all from you. But I wouldn’t trade being up here, being with you— not for anything. And if being on the surface means letting go of my history, I was more than ready… if I can only have one, I chose you.”

Pearl scoffed, warm breath against Marina’s back.

“Well that’s stupid, who told you ya had to do that? ”

Marina suddenly froze.

Who had told her that? Who had gotten it so ingrained in her mind, created this inalienable truth?

It had been just another part of growing up, hadn’t it? A fact as true as the cruelty of Inklings, the unobtainable sun.

But a stream of sunlight glittered through Marina’s window just to get in her eyes. Pearl's grip around her was warm and comforting.

It wasn’t true, was it?

“No one, I guess. Or everyone. Inklings and Octolings are just… too different… they don’t mix. You were either a noble Octarian working for the cause or… or…”

And she’d known it, all along she’d known, but never before had she really said it aloud. Let herself believe it.

“Or you were against them. A traitor.”

The words she’d been afraid of didn’t sound scary anymore. Even as she spoke them, Marina didn’t find herself believing them.

Pearl laughed, sharp and biting.

“The biggest thing you could do to betray them would be to go against that black-n-white style in the first place. We got a whole rainbow of colours to work with!”

And Marina knew it, because she'd truly seen light for the first time when she’d come here. But Pearl had been the first person to really show her a rainbow.

Overcome with emotion, Marina lifted Pearl right into the air, still clinging onto her tightly.

“Whoa– ‘Rina!”

On instinct, Pearl clung tighter, wrapping her legs around Marina’s waist. In tandem, the tentacles on Marina’s head enveloped around Pearl, winding around to support her back.

“You are nothing like they said you would be,” Marina said, smiling down at Pearl.

“Hard to capture this much greatness in words, I know,” Pearl smiled back.

A beat. Only the call of birds in the distance as the sun crept further into view. The rhythm of heartbeats, 6 all in unison.

“We alright?” Pearl asked.

“We’re all right. We’re wonderful.” Marina replied.

Pearl sighed heavily in relief.

“Well thank Cod for that. Don’t know what I woulda done if I’d really hurt ya like that.”

Marina’s smile shifted to a smirk.

“Mm~? Cried maybe?”

Pearl blushed ever slightly, ink crowding her face before she could hide it. She tore her gaze from Marina’s.

“Nu-uh! Don’t say that, you’ll ruin my image.”

Marina spun around in place, twirling Pearl along with her.

“Hmm~?” Marina said, bouncing on her heels, “I think you’ve already done quite a bit of that yourself, no? I mean, apologising to me on hand and knee right at sunrise?”

Pearl shrugged.

“That’s the way Octolings do it, ain’t it? Or did Cap steer me wrong?”

Marina leaned forward, kissing Pearl on the forehead.

“Exactly how we do it.”

Pearl tilted her head up, pecking Marina on the cheek as she pulled back from her own kiss.

“You know me, always acin’ it first try.”

Marina’s tentacles wrapped around Pearl tighter, bringing her in ever closer.

“Wanna put that to the test? Now that everything’s out in the open, there’s a million things I’ve got to share with you~”

“Mm, looking forward to it. But uh… first… Much as I hate to say it,” Pearl glanced over towards the island.

Long since abandoned orange pieces lay atop one another in a pile, alongside half carved apple sea-bunnies. Apple and orange blended together into a sizable lake of juice on Marina’s kitchen island.

“Should we finish up all… that?”

Marina took in the mess on the counter, surveying it alongside the general disarray of her kitchen.

Dust particles sparkled slightly as they drifted through the air, gliding through a beam of light coming in through the kitchen window. Pearl shifted slightly, holding onto Marina tightly with seemingly no intent of leaving her arms soon.

“Let’s leave it. I’m sure Eight would appreciate some company for their first proper breakfast on the surface. We can introduce them to waffles.”

Pearl sighed contently, “Sounds good to me. But let’s be real, Eight definitely gonna be a pancake kind of gal.”

“Ha! You wish. We’ll just have to get both and let her choose.”

“Should we throw some toast in there to be safe?”

“Let’s give ‘em a full buffet! Bring Cap and Three along too, it’ll be fun.”

Words exchanged and punctuated with laughter echoed in the apartment as Marina and Pearl headed out the door, Pearl still clinging onto Marina just for the hell of it. A vibrant selection of colour danced across the early morning sky as they proceeded out, a dozen hues of pinks, purples and oranges. Ebbing and flowing, no colour stayed quite the same for long, all mixing and merging before streaking out in distinct colours. Climbing ever higher, the sun cast brightly upon a new morning in Inkopolis.

As Marina and Pearl headed out to greet it they left discarded fruit and cutlery in their wake, alongside a singular, merged shadow.

[End]

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