Look At Me

A soft, steady beat. Calming and slow, like a heartbeat.

Maybe a small composition in the background. Nothing too complex, just a simple melody. A simple piece of music to relax to....

"Ahato. Ahato—!"

The sanitized octoling, who just moments before was deeply entrenched by her own beats, glanced up to see the other octoling in front of her. Marina Ida. A childhood friend she didn't remember quite right. Ahato took off her headphones, a slow, sluggish movement that was rather common of them. Marina waited patiently for the octoling to reorient themselves with reality.

"What's... what's up, Ida..?"

Her words were slow. Slightly slurred, even. Ahato hadn't used her voice for a very long time, and combining that with her own body fighting against it, it was a wonder she could talk at all.

Marina didn't comment on the octolings speech, her polite smile remaining on her face.

"I was wondering why you never take off your shades. I know it's random, but..."

The idol twitched a tentacle, fidgeting with her own claws nervously. Ahato felt a twinge of guilt. She knew what the sunglasses were- what they symbolized to Marina and every octoling.

"My eyes. I keep them on to protect you... from my eyes." Was her answer, after such a long period of silence she was surprised Marina hadn't stepped away.

Instead of being confused, the other octoling pulled up a chair and sat across from Ahato, smiling awkwardly.

"Why don't you like your eyes? I've always thought your eyes were rather pretty, back home..."

Ahato's heart could almost start again from such a compliment. Feeling a little bolder, almost blinded by that small display of affection, she began to take off her shades.

But stopped herself.

"My... eyes are different now. Changed. Cold."

Marina nodded, reaching across the table and placing her hand on Ahato's arm. The sanitized DJ could feel ink rushing to her cheeks.

"Ahato. I didn't think your eyes were pretty because of the way they looked... I thought they were pretty because they were yours."

She sat there for a minute, soaking in Marina's words as a light panic set in.

"You can take off your shades. It's over, you know. No more phone, no more Octavio. Nothing will control you ever again."

Teal tears dripped onto the table. With slow, shaky hands, ahato wrapped her numb fingers around the glasses, and for the first time in years, she took them off, right in front of someone.

Marina smiled, her own shade of teal spreading across her face. "See? They're still pretty."