Ocean Feelings

Chapter 9

A few weeks after dealing with and strengthening the force fields, the octonauts were off once again. As they were on break near South Carolina, Inkling got a phone call. He stepped out to take it as the crew was in various stages of relaxation in HQ. Coco laughed at Tweak, chuckling, spammed the group chat with random memes, and Dashi tried her best to fight the smile on her face as her phone continued to buzz. Inkling sighed as he stepped back into the room, "Can you chart a course for Georgia Dashi?"

"Yeah shouldn't be too hard. We're pretty close to it now." Dashi said, pulling up the map and charting a course, "Is there a mission?"

Coco and Tweak grew intrigued, as did the others, as Inkling shook his head, "There is a company dinner. We are required to go. The whole crew." He gazed at Coco, and she looked at Tweak.

"Girl, I cannot help you here..." Tweak said as Barnacles rested a hand on Coco's shoulder.

"Everything will be okay. They're going to love you." He said with a smile, and Tweak snorted.

"If not, we'll be in Georgia. We can go to the Aquarium then we can hit the ocean. We can go to the coral reef in Florida." Tweak added, and Coco laughed.

"Well, let's do this then," Coco said, and Dashi set the octopod towards Georgia. The dinner would be after they arrived, so the crew left for their rooms to get ready. Even with the calm atmosphere, there was an edge to it as they discreetly looked toward the newest member, Coco herself, pretending not to notice. As the girls arrived in Dashi's room, they knew they had to play by the company's rules for today.

Coco took a steadying breath as she weaved around Dashi to gain access to the mirror. Dashi had been zipped into her dress, and her makeup was finished as she began pinning her hair in an elegant bun atop her head. Coco flicked the eyeliner on with practiced motions and smiled as she heard Tweak fight with her dress. Coco had done her hair first, and Tweak had decided to do her hair last. Finally, Tweak called out as she struggled against her dress, aggravated, "Can someone zip me up?"

Dashi giggled, and she spun Tweak around to zip her dress. Coco shook her curls out of her face, and Dashi leaned over her shoulder in the mirror. Coco smiled as she completed her makeup, and Dashi kissed her cheek, "No matter what happens, I am by your side."

"I won't ask you to risk your job," Coco said as Dashi hugged her tightly. "I know how much you love your job."

"I love you more." Dashi smiled, and Tweak sat beside Coco. Dashi moved behind Tweak and began braiding her hair, and Tweak grabbed Coco's hand.

"I think you know how to handle yourself. You know how to pretend, and you know how to work people to your advantage. Just be your usual, sweet, southern self." Tweak smiled, and Coco laughed.

"But one thing..." Dashi hesitated, "Don't tell them anybody is dating."

"Have you all been breaking the rules?" Coco questioned as she stood up to step into her dress.

"No..." Dashi hesitated, and Tweak sighed.

"Yeah. Technically they don't want any relations on board. Well, except for marriage, but to get married, you have to date, which is frowned upon. So no, no dating on the Octopod. Dating anyone outside the Octopod is allowed, but any crew relations are against the rules. Officially." Tweak said as Coco turned and Dashi tied her dress.

"Any other rules I need to know?" Coco asked as Dashi pulled the strings tighter.

"Try to be nice. I don't know how nicely they will take being undermined." Dashi hummed, tying the dress off in a bow. "Remember you skipped the year of placement and such."