octogon.

recruit.

"What the fuck." Marie said, eyeing Agent 8 up and down.

"Marie! Come now! Language!" Cap'n Cuttlefish scolded; He turned to Agent 8. "I understand what I may have taught you in the past...but Agent 8 stopped the biggest threat to inkling kind! She very much is one of the good ones!"

Agent 8 frowned a bit before quickly smiling and shyly waving to Marie, who shrugged and spun her umbrella.

"Well...if Gramps trusts you, then I suppose I will too. Welcome to the Squidbeak Splatoon, Agent...8...? Why 8? Why not 5?" Cap'n Cuttlefish was caught off guard.

"Well...erm...it's just easier..." He finally answered.

Agent 3 stood quietly by the side, staring at Agent 8. She was fit, quiet, a bit curvy, and even now, had a bright look in her eyes; They couldn't believe that the octoling was able to best them in a fight, and they especially didn't believe Cap'n Cuttlefish when he told them 8 beat them with their limiter ON. Agent 8 gazed back and 3 realized everyone was looking at them.

"3?" Marie waved a hand in front of their face.

"H-Huh?" Agent 3 stuttered, facing her.

"Can 8 room with you until we all scrap together enough money to get them an apartment?" Marie frowned, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh! Yeah! I mean...uh...let me ask 4?" Agent 3 pulled out their phone, feeling guilt at the fact they were studying 8 like that. Their chat with 4 had one unread message, 'u still gone?,' that had been sent a couple days ago. 

"u still gone?"

"Hey! Mission's finally over! I'm really sorry I was gone for so long, I hope you've been ok. The Splatoon got a new recruit and they need to stay with us for a bit, if that's ok?"

A reply came instantly.

"k :D"

Agent 3 felt something crush their chest slightly, before shaking their head and looking up at Marie. 

"I uh...got an ok." They said.

"Perfect, I leave taking care of 8 to you; I think we'll only need a week." Marie tilted their head. "By the way, 3, you may want to do something about that eye..."

====

Agent 3 burst open the door; The apartment was empty. Running to the bathroom, they looked in the mirror and gasped. A large patch of skin covering the right side of their face was a grotesque green, their iris was a shade of sanitized cyan. Agent 8 quickly followed, standing in the bathroom doorway holding her gear; She stood there and stared at 3, who continued freaking out over the mirror.

"OH GOD, WHAT IS THIS? I...CAN I TREAT THIS? WAS THIS FROM WHEN I..." 3 tugged at their tentacles, stressed at the thought that they really did get sanitized; They tensed up as they felt two hands go on their shoulders.

"May I...?" A soft voice said.

Agent 3 turned to see 8 slinging her ink tank off her shoulder and pulling out a small bottle; She put one hand on 3's chin and adjusted it so that 3 faced the mirror. Squeezing out a bit of cream from the bottle, she gently rubbed it all over the patchy green skin. 3 sat still, stunned, only moving to turn their head to the bottle when 8 was visibly done applying the cream. 'Cloinkzilla - Anti Inkfection Cream' was written on the rim of the bottle.

"The ooze should be no different from a normal inkfection, so this should help treat it all the same." 8 explained, placing the bottle on the sink countertop. "Also, you're heating up, do you have a fever?"

3 looked at themself in the mirror again and realized they were blushing. 

"No! No fever!" They yelled, suddenly standing up. "I'm just...tired from...today..." 8 nodded thoughtfully and stared at 3.

"3? Are you home?" 4's voice came from the entrance of the apartment.

3 gasped and ran out the bathroom, their eyes meeting 4's.

"OH MY GOD, WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR FACE!" 4 exclaimed, quickly taking off her shoes and grabbing 3's face; 3 felt themself heat up again.

"Oh, it's...it's a long story..." 3 stammered. "But 8 got me some cream and...well it's not serious but I'm not sure if it's permanent-"

"Wait, Agent 8 is the new recruit we're keeping, right?" 4 pulled 3 closer.

"...yeah?" 3 answered, confused.

"Did she pay for the cream?" 4 asked.

8 walked out of the bathroom and saw the two, waving happily at 4.

"Uh, 8? Did you pay for the anti-inkfection cream?" 3 asked, still being held by 4.

"Pay?" 8 tilted her head, frowning. "Like with CQ points?"

"What? No, with money, the gold coins that Marie showed you earlier?" 3 clarified, turning pale.

"...oh. It was just on a shelf so I thought I could take it..." 8 shyly looked at the ground.

"Wahaha! I wish! You gotta get better at stealing if you wanna survive!" 4 laughed, letting go of 3. "In any case, I ran into the shopkeeper and he mentioned both of you not paying for the cream, so I covered it!"

"Oh? Oh, thank you sweetie!" 3 smiled widely, picking up 4 in a hug and spinning her in the air; 8 watched these two, eyes burning with admiration.

"Ehe! It's no trouble!" 4 smiled, closing the door. "Anyways, let's have a movie night! I'll fire up the popcorn!"