A Mother's Concern

Maize had been through several matches of Turf War as an after-school activity, each match her opponents were getting more and more competitive. She just got into her next match at Museum d'Alfonsino, ready to roll with her squad, Tri-Stringer in hand, glove on over her void corrupted hand to hide it. The match went on a usual, she would pick off enemies from afar while her team would push to the center to defend her, but they kept coming back and pushing further into her teams' defenses. One of them had eventually slipped through, unaware of their presence until she was flung towards the back wall by a Dynamo Roller, crawling back disarmed having dropped her weapon during the ambush.

Fear had started coursing through her body as she felt her back hit against the wall. As she watched her opponent raise their roller into the sky, getting ready to drop the heavy weapon down upon her, she shut her eyes tightly, holding up her hands in complete terror. In that moment, a bright teal beam shot out of her gloved palm, blasting out and splitting her opponent's roller in two, sending it flying out of their hands. She opened her eyes, tearing up before seeing the person before her staring in complete shock. The whole match froze as everyone had stopped what they were doing, especially when a whistle was blown by Judd early. The cat was making his way over to the commotion to assess what happened, upon arriving seeing a Dynamo completely split in two, and not by force, but what looked as if to have been seared through. "That's not ink!!" one of competitors screamed, with an agreement across all of them. Maize turned her hand back over slowly, and rather than seeing the palm side of her glove, saw that teal glow swirling around her steel hand, looking at it closely seeing as the entire glove was burnt off, realising they were staring at her malformed hand.

Judd had arrived to examine what on earth happened to have everyone stop, to see all of them crowding one individual, he pushed them aside meowing to them, not that they could understand him, but understood that he was making his way past them. Upon getting through the small crowd, he saw Maize huddled up in a corner in fetal position, rocking herself as if scared out of her skin. He looked behind him to see the weapon again and could piece some sort of image together on what happened and got Maize up on her feet to collect her things and escort her out of the battle and take her home. The journey had the two walking in silence, with Maize covering her hand as best she could before arriving back home, shakily thanking Judd before entering and going to her room, shutting herself in there. Judd wandered back to Inkopolis, going to his cat bed that he is usually seen resting upon before contacting Maize's guardian.

Marie arrives back home in a rush, having left work early due to her discussion with Judd, getting back roughly 10-20 minutes after Maize had gotten home, calling out to her...

Marie: Maize! Sweetie, are you home? We need to talk.

Maize had heard her mother's voice call out to her, feeling worried and afraid knowing what it was likely about, she gripped her bedsheets and curled up into a ball and hoped she could just hide in plain sight. Marie checked the kitchen and living room before going to Maize's bedroom, knowing she treats it as her safe spot... yet when she came in, it was dark, and Maize was nowhere to be seen. She searched frantically through Maize's room looking for her, worried sick, under the bed, nothing, in the bathroom, nothing, in the wardrobe, nothing. Maize, the whole time was watching Marie, but it was strange to her, could she not... see her at all?

Marie: Maize, come on... don't play games with me! Where are you??

Maize: .... Right here....

Marie ears perked up as she heard her daughter's voice, snapping herself around to face her bed, and there Maize was, right there curled up and holding herself. Marie pondered for a second, she knew she looked at her bed, but she wasn't there before, so how on earth did she just appear?? She knew she couldn't have just entered the room as she would've heard her come in. She rushes over and brings Maize into a tight embrace, at least relieved she's okay.

Marie: There you are...! Thank cod...

She loosens her hold and brings her to sit up on the bed so Marie can better converse with her.

Marie: Look... I got a call that something happened in your Turf War match, and you were taken out of it. Maize... what happened? Something was said that you somehow melted your enemy's dynamo roller in two, that doesn't just happen, talk to me...

Maize was clutched onto herself tightly, absolutely terrified to talk about it to her mother. She starts hyperventilating, wanting to get out of it before shutting her eyes. Marie watched this, rubbing Maize's back before watching her vanish into a teal fog causing Marie to panic, looking around before feeling where Maize was, she could still feel her, holding onto where her shoulder was, but why couldn't she see her. Maize knowing she can't get out of this talk and that it needs to happen, breathes slowly and relaxes her body, reappearing right where she was.

Marie: I-I... That's not normal... Maize, what happened...?

She stays silent for a few moments before answering her quietly.

Maize: ... Here...

She hesitantly moves her hands away from her body, and slowly takes the glove off of her right hand even though the palm side covering was completely singed off from earlier. She shakily brings her hand into view, the dim teal glow in its palm and inward grooves illuminating the surroundings slightly while Marie looks on in horror.

Marie: W-w-what on earth... happened to your hand...?!?!

Marie carefully reached out to hold onto her daughter's warped hand, where she would usually feel her smooth and warm skin, it's entirely replaced with the feeling of flowing steel that is cold as ice. The strangest part to her, is she could hear a very quiet hum emanating from it, along with a pulse that definitely was not Maize's heartbeat.

Maize: I... d-don't know mum... I'm scared... are you g-going to kick me out... because of this freak hand...?

Maize could feel tears start to envelop her eyes as she looks up at her mother's eyes, feeling all of her emotions flood her body and swallow her up, yet she was shocked when instead of getting scolded at, she felt herself brought into a warm embrace.

Marie: No! nonono, sweetie... don't ever think like that, I'm not going anywhere... It doesn't matter whether you have this... hand or not. It's gonna be okay, I'm right here with you... always.

Marie holds Maize tightly, gently whispering words of comfort into her ear, yet despite all of this, she can't help but feel uneasy seeing Maize's hand like that.

Marie: Now... can you tell mum what happened...?

Maize: O-okay... [She starts recounting the events that happened, taking short breaks to breathe and regulate herself]

Marie listened closely to her daughter explain the whole story, she didn't need to second guess her honestly because she knew she would be honest to her, it was a part of the Splatoon's code after all.

Marie: I think I understand what happened, so... your hand reacted to say, extreme emotions, like an emotional outburst. So, in response to that, with the roller, it blasted out a, beam of light as people were saying? It must've been your fear that caused it to happen... And I'm gonna go on a whim and say that you disappearing is also because of that.

Maize looks at her mother, why is she so understanding she thinks. But listens more as she watches her open her mouth to speak more.

Marie: That's my hypothesis at least. So, from now on young lady, don't be scared to come talk to momma, about anything at all... We should probably go tell your auntie Callie about this as well... I don't want her to freak out at random from you just appearing out of nowhere. And we'll go shopping so we can buy you some gloves as well, now that I know why you wear one all the time.

Maize feels Marie put her hand on her shoulder to support her, smiling warmly with a motherly love to her. She doesn't know what to say to all this, instead responding the only way she can, jumping forth from her bed and embracing her mother tightly.

Maize: T-thank you...