Impurity

Away from YOUR problems- #3

She remembered a story from her fleeting childhood.
Four Cods once ruled over the land. Each were friends with the only octopus in the world. Then one day, they disappeared. The octopus cried and cried, oh so lonely! There was no one else but octopus. The cods heard the octopus cries and gave them one last gift. Suddenly, sea urchins, jellyfish, inklings, prawns, and other species appeared! And they all wanted to be friends with the little octopus. The octopus smiled, and lived happily for the rest of its life.

Marina wondered why she was thinking of fairy tales while traveling down a dark and dingy alleyway. Her dress was torn and ripped, not that she gave a damn. Scruffs and dirt blemished her face, and blood still stained her hand. Her apartment was surrounded by police, and everyone everywhere had heard what... what she had done.
It felt like a bad nightmare. It was so hard to stomach...

She's been so, so close before to doing something like that. She knew that. It's why she stayed away all this time. Away from the limelight. Away from that mansion. Away from the loud obnoxious crowds.
Why did she go?
Just why, just why?!
Why in the world did she go?!?!
Maybe she was looking for someone, to get up and tell her to get off her ass and go somewhere. And look where it got her.
What was the point of running away? Everybody knew what she looked like anyway. Even if they didn't all she had was 3,000 G, and the clothes on her back. She couldn't outrun it for long.
She was fucked. Screwed. No chance of getting out of it.
Maybe-
Darkness.
Sweet, sweet darkness. It pulls her beyond the brink, and it's warm embrace soothes her.

She wakes up, weary, vision blurry, she puts a hand up to her head and the setting around her comes together.
A white, white... white.
Lots of white. She sits up, it appears to be an infirmary. It looks... familiar.
She stands up and realizes that she's wearing a crisp, again, white hospital gown. Beside her was a wall-to-floor mirror. In front of her was a door, and next to the mirror were a desk and a set of drawers. She stared into her reflection, expecting to look like a 'effing mess. She was... surprised to see that her skin was just as smooth and chocolaty brown as always, bruises and scratches gone without a trace. She looked at her hands. The blood was gone. The only blemish left were the dark circles under her eyes. She stared at her reflection blankly for a few minutes. Then got up, and attempted to open the door. Locked. Marina took a few steps back and slammed her shoulder into the door. Pain shot through her shoulder and she hissed in pain.
No luck.

She started rummaging around the desk and drawers. Found a few notes written in... Octarian.
Oh no.
She knew where she was. She had to get out of here- NOW! Throwing herself against the door, she hit and kicked and punched with loud thumps and knocks until her fists were a brilliant shade of bright red and her palms stung. Breathing heavily, Marina stared into the palms Why was Cod punishing her like this...? Stuck back here. She curled up onto the hard titled floor.

She woke up when something hit her leg.
A female octoling towered above her, looking at her with pity and a bit worryingly. The door had hit her ankle.

"U-um, are you-"
"I don't need your DAMN pity. " Marina spat this out as she stood up, now towered over the octoling, being a whole head taller. She looked at her with squinted eyes and a sneer. The octoling swallowed and there was a long moment of silence.

"Why the FUCK. Am I here?" Her scowl did not loosen one bit.
"U-um, t-the DJ wants to see you...."

Marinas eyebrows flew up in shock for a brief moment. Just a moment. Her expression hardened again.
"Why?"
"U-Um I don't know..."
"Tell him he can shove it. "
"I-I can't tell him that! P-please come with me!" she cried out with desperation, which only made Marina want to say no to her even more.
"How did he even escape from that damn snow globe?!"
"H-he's been here for 6 months...." Her eyes shifted all over the place, looking at anywhere

6 months. Holy carp she's been behind.

"Again. Why does he want to talk to me? If it's a plan to take the zapfish I'm double not interested, he can shove it up his ass. "
The octoling looked guilty to the side.
"If he wants to talk to me, go tell him to get off his throne and come here himself. "

"That won't be necessary. "
Marinas blood went cold. The female Octavian slowly looked behind her and... he was there. In all his big headed glory.
"S-sir!" The octoling squeaked and stiffly saluted.
"Stand aside private Kimiko. "
Kimiko nodded and quickly stepped out of the way.

"...You're happy with yourself Octavio? Kidnapping me so I can come here? You make me sick." She spat at his feet. This didn't deter Octavio.
"You asked why you are here."
"..."

"It isn't fair isn't it? How they get to live blissful lives while you struggle in silence. Life moves on while you suffer. They have already moved on. Forgotten what happened to her. "
"...How the shell did you know about that?" Her hands curled into balls, very very close to start swinging.
"I have my eyes and ears. You saw those disgusting, disturbing inklings. The lives they live and lead. Hailing celebrities like the squid sisters like they are Cod. And looking down on anyone they deem... "unfresh. "
"..." marina couldn't deny any of this. "Maybe so... but they have their good qualities too. "
"Like what?"
"...They get to make their own decisions. They don't live at the hands of a fucking dictator. "

Octavio scoffed. "What else is there to do? We are confined to this one space. We aren't allowed to go anywhere else. "
"Y-you're wrong. " her voice quivered a bit "t-there are ones who escaped-"
"What about the ones who aren't strong enough to go on their own?"
"WHY DO YOU BRAINWASH US THEN?!"
He stifles, like a cat ready to strike.

"I have NEVER brainwashed you. I give orders, and you follow them. But suddenly you hear a bit of music and think that suddenly, it makes a fish-frying difference. There have been ones who've listened to that bastard of a song, and remain loyal to me. Those are the ones I need. Not some flippy-floppy soldiers who make their mind up on what beat is the freshest. "
Marina stands her ground, "..." he did have somewhat of a point- no wait what was she saying?!

"You never gave us another choice!"
"You would never have left if it weren't for that song. Face it, I'm not the one to blame, yourselves are. I take care of you, make sure you're well fed, have a good place to sleep, after the Inkling race ostracized us and pushed us away from the surface. I wanted us to have a better life! That is why I wanted the great zapfish! Without electricity, there is no music at all!"
"...But you started the war." Marina said simply, her expression finally softening a bit.

"They did. They try to justify it, but they can't change what they did. They started losing turf, and decided to storm in and take ours. I'm sure there's some sort of excuse they make for that."

There's a long pause. Silence echoes through the entire hallway. Staring intensely at each other. Marina swallowed, and stood her ground.
"...You still haven't answered why I'm here." she finally growls
"I want you to help me."
"Why should I?"
"Don't you want revenge? All of those people keep constantly harassing you. Never leaving you alone. You had to shut out the world in order to get away from it all. Once you finally snapped, they pinned all the blame on you didn't they? And weren't they the ones who did... that?"

"....I need some time to think."
Octavio sighed. "Fine, Private, take her to my private guest bedroom."
Marina looked at him in confusion, "Guest bedroom?"
"You are my guest. " he simply said, brushing her off with 3 of his tentacles, and walking away, Well it was more more of a slither. She briefly wondered...

"U-Um... this way please. "
She usually didn't listen to people like this... Apparently Octavio still had some influence on her. But even with that thought in the back of her mind... she still thought he had a point.