Adapting Is Key

[splattershot]

"Well, shit."

That was all Tidal had to say when she awoke in the grassy field that was very much not her apartment. She'd fallen asleep in her jacket and pants after an exhausting - but highly satisfying - day of turf wars, excited to have more fun the next day. Well, now the next day was here, and this was not the Inkling's idea of fun.

As she rolled onto her back and sat up, she took in the area. It seemed like there was a city nearby, from the smoke rising up beyond the hills. Where the hell was she, and how had she gotten here? This wasn't good; she didn't even have her Splattershot.

Damn. She didn't even have her hat.

But she wasn't going to find anything out by sitting around, so she pushed herself up to a stance, tied her 'hair' up into a topknot, and began to walk towards the rising smoke. At least she'd be near some kind of civilization, then.

Comments

[morganknight]

So it was just a thing with her?

Morgan considered that for a moment, looking at her curiously, then mentally shrugged. If it was a thing, it was a thing! "Well, I'm not sure where to look, but I bet we can find something here!"

[splattershot]

"Oh, yeah, there's always hats!" Tidal agreed, happy he hadn't made a fuss about her quirk. "Or something that can be used like one, that'd work too. Some cloth for a bandanna, maybe?"

[morganknight]

Hey, Morgan had his own quirks. Why be a hypocrite about it? "Sure, let's look around! Maybe there's a store or something here. Style doesn't matter so long as it's awesome?"

[splattershot]

"Yeah, you got it," Tidal said, nodding. "Cool and stylish is definitely what we're going for - where I'm from, we call that combination fresh."

[morganknight]

"So tell me a little bit more about where you're from?" While they walked and looked, what else did they have to do?

[splattershot]

"Sure," Tidal said. She didn't mind talking about her life in the least, after all. "I already told you about Turf Wars, and that's like, the biggest part - but Inkopolis is the city I live just outside of. Everything there is powered by the Great Zapfish- Huh. You know, I haven't really noticed it around lately?" she added - more to herself than anything else. It was an incredibly delayed reaction on her part. "Whatever, I'm sure it's still there. Anyway, the heart of Inkopolis is the city square, where you shop for all sorts of cool gear, and weapons for Turf Wars, and there's some arcade games, and- Oh! The tv studio where Off the Hook is recorded!"

[morganknight]

Privately, Morgan thought 'Off the Hook' sounded more like a restaurant than a TV show, but that might be tacky to point out to a society that seems... slightly more amphibious than human ones tended to be. "So you make a living off of Turf Wars then?"

[splattershot]

"Well, mostly," Tidal began to explain, looking unhappy to even be thinking about the rest as she went on. "That's only so much of an income. I work part-time for Grizzco Industries. I get Golden Eggs from Salmonoids. Salmonoids are like these mutant fish guys, and we need to get the Golden Eggs from them 'cause..."

She paused. Wait, Mr. Grizz never had explained that in the employee handbook, had he? "...Well, I'm sure it's important."

Or maybe he just ate the eggs. Whatever. As long as she got paid.

[morganknight]

"That sounds pretty dangerous." Mutant fish guys? Golden eggs? That's a heck of a tale. "I guess you're even more badass than I thought!"

[splattershot]

"It is," Tidal agreed with a smirk, "and I am."

Sure, being yelled at by Mr. Grizz meant work was a pain, but the adrenaline rush couldn't be beat.

[morganknight]

"Be still my heart." He put his left hand over said heart, even as he pointed out a shop that said TAILOR beneath a picture of a needle and thread. "Hey, that looks like a place to start."

[splattershot]

"Alright! Now we're talking; we're in business!" Tidal crowed as her eyes followed his finger to see the sign. Perhaps foolishly, she rushed out ahead to the store, but all seemed safe, at least.

[morganknight]

God, she was cute! Not just physically, though Morgan wasn't going to pretend that he didn't enjoy the view as she darted on out in front of him. And so far everything seemed peaceful enough here, though Tidal's 'hair' drew a couple of looks.

Morgan, who was used to far weirder, learned a couple of things from that as he followed after her.

[splattershot]

Once inside, Tidal looked around excitedly, grinning. It wasn't as up-to-date as her usual fashion shops, back home... But it was a nice enough selection that included some hats, and she had clearly taken a shine to a grey, newsboy-style cap.

"Ooh, look at that!"

[morganknight]

"Okay, yeah, that'll look great on you." Leaning against the door frame, Morgan grinned down at her as she went for it. "That what'll get you feeling 100% again, then?"

[splattershot]

"I know, but thanks," Tidal laughed. "And it sure will! I have one kind of like this back home, even."

[morganknight]

"Perfect!"

But Morgan suspected one thing for sure: he was paying. So he motioned to escort her to the proprietor with a smile.

[splattershot]

Well, she wasn't going to ask, but if he was going to do all but offer... Her face split into a grin as she gave him a nod, then headed for the shopkeep.

[morganknight]

Thing is... Morgan pulled out a few silver coins, actual silver metal, and with a flourish offered them to the shopkeep. He peered at them for a moment, puzzled by the curious stamp on them, and after a moment drew out a small pair of scales from beneath the counter. Setting a weight on one side, he took a coin from Morgan and placed it on the other.

They balanced. "You've come from quite a far way, I take it," he said, sorting through the rest of the coins just as a matter of course.

[splattershot]

Tidal blinked at the shopkeep. She was always easy to get on the defensive, about anything... This might not go well.

"We might've, so what?"

[morganknight]

"Your coin's good, so simply noting it." Tidal's sudden snap had the merchant looking at her more carefully, with more of an eye for her unusual characteristics.

Thinking quickly, Morgan said, "Don't mind her, she's cranky when she's hungry."