Real

Real (One-Shot)

"Hahahahaha...it's funny because we're all living in a simulation and free will is a lie."

Pearl stopped. That was...just about the last thing thing she expected Marina to say during all this. It was Summer in Inkopolis, the start of a brand new month. And everyone knew what that meant! It was time for another celebration of the city's freedom and spirit; a Splatfest! Everyone loved Splatfests; the combat, the competition, the sheer scale of the festivities put on. And some, most of all, enjoyed the banter between the band members that did the news slot; Pearl and Marina, Off the Hook. They had been at this for some time, putting on an air of rivalry that was far from real behind the scenes. This time was...different. Marina never said something like that before. It wasn't in the script, for one. There was a stark silence after that, lasting a few seconds as both processed what exactly had just been said.

Eventually, the Director waved them on to get continue, and Pearl cleared her throat, "A-Anyway! Go to the Terminal in the Square and pick a side, yo! Awright, time for the Turf Stages!"

The Director seemingly satisfied, they went about their map rotations as they always did; Turf, Ranked, League, not Salmon Run this time. Griz had closed shop to mop up all the idiots who couldn't handle the shifts, it seems. Or at least that was the vibe he gave off. Hmm, bad vibe. Marina went back on script for sure, but there was something about her expression that Pearl couldn't shake. Marina always had the puppy dog look on her face, but this one looked especially...hollow.

It continued into after the skit was over. Marina got a bit of a talk from the Director, questioned about why she said what she did. Pearl couldn't hear the answer, but it seemed the Director wasn't pleased. That was bad. Not "losing the job" bad but it was certainly something that could spiral. And Marina looked worse off for it, too. Pearl sighed, this was something she was going to have to solve herself. Lunch went by quickly, for all their closeness Marina liked to keep to herself during it, scuttled away in the corner with a sandwich and some Eel Grey tea. Pearl didn't mind, not like they didn't see each other the rest of the day.

When they got into the office for some quick work, she could see Marina pace around the office, touching things, picking them up and inspecting them. She picked up a stapler, "Looks real..." and placed it back down again. The hollow look was still on her face, but now it only looked worse. Like she was searching for something, desperately. Pearl couldn't stand aside when her best friend was hurting.

She softly, gingerly approached her, "'Rina?" she said quietly, "You okay?"

Marina jumped with a yelp, turning around to the squid and clearing her throat, "Y-Yeah!" she stammered, eyes darting around the room, "Yeah, I just...you know..."

"You sure?" Pearl pressed on, a sad look on her face, "What you said back there, it was kinda...weird."

"What, about the simulation thing?" an agitated Marina dismissed the notion with a flick of her wrist, "It's nothin', really. Just, a little joke for the people. The boss...didn't like it."

"I mean, it WAS a weird joke and all..." Pearl shrugged. She was about to return to her desk to...well, pretend to do more work, but she stopped. Marina had frozen in the middle of the room, hugging herself, shivering violently. Small sobs were escaping her, and she was clearly hyperventilating. A pang of fear rose in the small squid, "...Marina?"

"It's not...it wasn't a..." Marina babbled, before dropping to her knees, "I can't..."

She continued speaking, only now she was babbling what sounded like gibberish. Splayed in an accent she rarely used, at that, often hidden behind another. Pearl panicked and rushed to Marina, shaking her shoulders, "'Rina, you're speaking Octarian! Not in public! Snap out of it! I..." No luck, Marina kept going, repeating the gibbering like a mantra. Desperate, Pearl turned to one of the Octoling ex-Elites they had picked up as interns, "You, Elite."