✕

“   I feel like with your reckless nature   IT’S ALMOST MY JOB   to worry about you,   someone has to.   ”   Comes lighthearted reply,   a joking tone to his voice,   as if he was trying to convey to Urick that he forgave him without actually saying it.   Still,   he’s grateful to the hint of guilt   STAINING URICK’S WORDS,   able to pick up on the underlying tones to his confident speech without too much trouble, like remembering how to ride a bike. 

UNCOMFORTABLE WITH PROLONGED TOUCH   as ever,   Corltax is quick to remove his hand and lower them to his sides,   fingers sliding into the pockets of his pants in a largely similar fashion to how he’d do with his lab coat.   Yes,   the scientist could tell   HE WAS UPSET   Urick hadn’t contacted him at all throughout the extended time he’d vanished from his life,   but…..  for all he knew,   the other Octoling could have very well had no way to communicate.   Either way—–   HE WAS HONESTLY JUST OVERJOYED that Urick was back. 

“   Forgive my rudeness—–   but you never were very skilled at   KEEPING YOURSELF OUT OF TROUBLE.,   mm   ??   ”   He was teasing now,   with a slight tilt of the head and a small pull to his lips.   Truth told…..  it felt as if a crushing weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

To hear Corltax speak again, especially in such a lighthearted manner.. it was something that Urick didn’t realize he’d missed so terribly until just now. Truth be told, the elite wasn’t sure that he could find anything to miss again after finally getting over the loss of his family. It felt so foreign to feel so genuinely content to see and hear another again.

Gaze settled on the scientist again, Urick found Corltax’s smile to be a bit contagious. The corners of his lips curled slightly into a rare smile, not often displayed by the elite. Something only his family, and now Corltax, have seen.

Terren can’t help but glare a bit as he feels that familiar stare on him.  He’s being judged for his size - as usual.  The elite should be used to it by now…  but still…  being so much shorter has caused a lot of troubles in his life, and he’s very self conscious about it.

He looks up at the other elite. Yep, this is truly what comes to mind when elites are mentioned.  Tall and powerful, a terrifying face…  Terren comes nowhere close to that.

Letting out a small growl, the smaller elite turns away.  He doesn’t want what little self confidence he has to be so quickly shattered after all.  

“ Nothing too big, I was informed of your rather long break after all - it would be foolish to send you back to regular posts so soon.  We are to go to the upper domes and simply observe the Inklings there.  In case you are not aware, a traitorous Octoling has sided with the Inklings and become quite popular to them - it has made Inklings more curious of us Octarians, and as such there’s significantly more agents floating around.  We are to find out their numbers, head back, and avoid fighting entirely. “

“Mmh. Fuckin’ disgustin’,” the elite hissed in response to the information that was being relayed. To hear that one of their own was legitimately mingling with the inklings for fame like it was nothing. What kind of idiot puts their entire race, one that is already under constant threat, in deeper danger through this kind of exposure. Considering how he lost his family, his last partner, and a handful of others that was able to consider friends, this wasn’t something he was going to let slide.

Being so close to the Surface like this, it brought back memories. Ones that really, the octoling didn’t want to think about. He was only here to report back to the King himself, and then, return to Inkopolis. He could only stay away for so long, before others suspected he was gone.

And he was far from alone…

The smaller octarian paused when his eyes seem to of caught sight of another nearby, who seemed to be looking about or daydreaming. Whichever it was, he didn’t care. It never hurt to be on guard. “…Keep dazing off like that, and you’ll be in some hot water.” He murmured under his breath, pushing up the goggles he wore to stare. Was this one he was familiar with? He had a hard time recalling nowadays.

Upon hearing another’s voice address him, the elite had his attention torn from their previous fixation in order to focus on the source. He spun around to find.. another octoling? With words that sounded more like a threat than a passive warning, Urick half-expected it to be one of those piece of shit inkling agents.

“... An’ who’re you, thinkin’ you’ve any right to be speakin’ t’me like that, eh?” the elite spit back, shooting a piercing glare at Cass. He eyed the other for a moment and took a closer look at him now that his attention was all his. Urick gave him a judging look as he made a realization. Was this.. a kid?

Corltax   WASN’T GOOD WITH ABANDONMENT,   never had been.   With Urick’s sudden disappearance he had—–   handled it,   the only way he really knew how.   Work,   work,   work.  WORK HIMSELF TO THE BONE   until he couldn’t concentrate on anything else.   And when he couldn’t work anymore—–   DRINK,   drink until everything fades away into a blurry numbness.   He had told himself many times that   HE DIDN’T CARE,   THAT URICK WASN’T ANYTHING SPECIAL   to him,   he had only been friendly for professionalisms sake—–   but Cod,   seeing Urick here now,   right in front of him…..   the wave of relief and happiness that crashed straight into him   WAS ALMOST DROWNING. 

“   Wha—–   ”   The sound of the other Octoling’s voice was what brought him back,   LIKE HIS HEAD HAD SURFACED   from the inky waters surrounding him and he was able to breathe again as the tide continued to carry him on.   With a comment so…..   undoubtedly Urick,   Corltax couldn’t help but give a little laugh,   SLIGHTLY BREATHLESS—–   but   GENUINE.   “   I could easily say the same about you,   dear.   ”   Closing the door after the other,   the scientist reached up to let his hair down.   THERE WAS NO WAY   he was going back to cleaning dishes now.   “   Forgive me,   you caught me off guard.   I didn’t think you…..   ”   Trailing off,   he decided to let his voice die out,   entirely unwilling to actually voice the thoughts that had   PLAGUED HIM FOR SO LONG.

Corltax felt…..   a little uncomfortable,   OUT OF PLACE,   like he didn’t exactly know where to start or what to do.   It had been so long since he had been around Urick,   was it really okay to try to pick up from where they had left off,   or…..   FINDING HIS COURAGE   the Octoling forced himself to open up,   he couldn’t just treat this as an everyday matter…..   he wanted Urick to truly know he had missed him.   Striding over in long steps before he got the chance to   CHICKEN OUT,   Corltax gently placed a hand at the others shoulder,   giving a small nod. 

“   …..It’s good to have you back…..   YOU HAD ME WORRIED.   ”

Urick knew all too well that Corltax had likely blamed himself for his disappearance, despite being smart enough to realize that he had absolutely nothing to do with it. Urick knew that his friend more than likely took path of self-destruction due to certain bad habits- habits that, despite being told to forget about them in the past, the stubborn octoling refused to erase the images from his mind. It wasn’t often that he cared about another enough to give a damn about their personal habits, likes or dislikes, and so forth.. and he wasn’t willing to let this one go.

With Corltax having returned his pseudo-snark with a laugh, Urick started to feel more at ease. Eyes briefly skimmed the familiar interior after the door clicked shut behind him. It looked as though some re-arranging had been done since his last visit several months back, but it still looked very.. very Corltax. Ah, now was not the time to take in such trivial observations. He had much to say to the other, and whether he should say certain things or not was the least of his concerns. His gaze shifted shortly after to the hand placed on his shoulder, then back to it’s owner with a smirk.

“Yea, yea.. you ain’t rid’a me that easy. I ain’t a weak li’l kelpfucker that’ll turn belly-up at the first sign’a some sorry excuse of a disaster. Lotsa shit’s happened, but I ain’t willin’ ta die just yet.”

Boots clank as another elite approaches - Terren.  He’s not too excited about having to do a mission like this, it’s boring compared to what he’s used to…  but it makes sense.  Apparently this elite he’s assigned with has been missing for quite some time, it’s a miracle he gets to keep his status at all.

“ So…  you are my partner?  Urick, correct? “

“Yea, tha’s me,” he confirmed as he examined the other in a judging manner, arms crossed. This.. was this really the best that they could do in terms of a partner for him? But he’s so.. so tiny- just over a foot shorter than Urick himself. This had to be some kind of joke... No matter, an elite had to have earned their rank, and King Octavio didn’t pick nobodies to hold such a title. Maybe there was more to him than what was outwardly presented.

The housing arrangements Corltax had for himself could possibly be seen as   SOME SORT OF LUXURY,   at least for Octarian standards.   Being lucky enough to come from a family who already lived close to the surface,   and with a secure job that earned a lot of power eggs,  IT WAS SURPRISINGLY EASY   for Corltax to nab a little area for himself in the first sector of Octo Canyon.   It was serene,   peaceful,   A GRASSY AND SUNNY AREA   with a refreshing amount of wildlife.   Of course,   the houses and buildings around were quite old and worn down,   and the land was as broken up and frightfully dangerous as ever,   but it was still nice.

THE ONLY THING THAT RUINED IT   was—–   the fact that Inkling agents had set up base extremely close by,   any Octarians in the area were under a near constant threat and had to be on high alert and perfect behaviours.   YOU WIN SOME YOU LOSE SOME,   he supposed. 

With an unexpected knock at the front door the Octoling lifted his head,   POINTED EARS PERKING UPWARD   and twitching as he shifted from his kitchen sink and turned off the tap,   pulling his arms from soapy depths and placing the bowl he’d just scrubbed into the drier,   Corltax pulled off watery gloves and fixed the tie holding his tentacles up into a bun before jogging to the front door.

“   Mother,   I already told you I had to   RESCHEDULE OUR DANCE NIGHT   until—–   ”   Freezing mid sentence,   the scientist  GAWKED  as he registered just who was standing at his doorway,   blinking in disbelief momentarily before pulling himself together and forcing his now racing mind   JUMBLING WITH DEAFENING QUESTIONS   into the back of his head.   Urick…..   This really was Urick,   wasn’t it   ??  He hadn’t seen or heard a single word of the Elite since…..

“   Y—You—–   I—–   WH—WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE   ??   ”   It was the first of an   ENDLESS ENCYCLOPEDIA OF WORDS   he wished to say that managed to leave his lips,   clearly frazzled and caught off guard and having a bit of trouble reigning himself in—–  Corltax shook his head firmly,   realizing   HOW RUDE THAT HAD SOUNDED   and opening his door further to allow his old friend entry.   “   U—Urick…..   you’re really here…..   ?   ”   Corltax took in a breath,   swallowing the swelling lump in his throat and   FORCING DOWN THE SUDDEN STING OF TEARS   he felt pricking the corners of his eyes.  “   I…..   I missed you.   ”

The taller octoling’s expression remained stoic, observing as Corltax reacted to his sudden unannounced return. While he did find comfort in seeing his scientist friend again, Urick wasn’t without that slight tug of guilt playing in his chest. He was almost certain that he was assumed dead with the collapsing of his dome- his old home- so he could only guess that having him show up on Corltax’s doorstep was much akin to having someone come back from the dead.

Urick didn’t take the other’s words as rude, and he’d likely have made some kind of snide remark if he hadn’t been gone for so long.. but it was clear that Corltax was taken aback by the whole situation.

There was so much left unsaid before Urick dropped off of the face of Octo Valley, but now was likely not the time to bring such up. At least.. not yet. He owed the other an explanation as to why he remained silent for so long.

Since his return, Urick had made an effort to remain fairly close to the surface. Food wasn’t much of a concern up here, while the screens and artificial sun offered a fairly different view of the place that his kind had called home for so long. Of course, most of his elite training took place in a similar sector, but he never had the chance to just.. observe until now.

This was something he was far from used to living with; the domes he grew up in were deep in the underturf, mostly hidden away from the makeshift surface of the upper-levels of Octo Valley. They were mostly dark and dank, food was more scarce, and illness was not an uncommon threat for the residents of the lower levels. He could have lived anywhere else, but remained in such a place for personal reasons.

"Tch.. ain’t need no’ trainin’. I fuckin’ earned my title, I c’n still splat any slimy li’l punk that crossed my path. Whatev’r...”

Urick audibly complains to himself as he awaits the other elite that had been assigned as his mission partner for a surface raid. As much as he didn’t want to admit, he was a little out of practice. The training would offer a nice enrichment to get him back into the groove of things before taking up a post again. He wouldn’t want to fail his King after all.. better to be sure he still has it than to die an embarrassingly avoidable death due to lack of recent training.

It’d been some time since the elite had walked the upper grounds of Octo Valley, but there was a sense of familiarity to where he currently stood. If one didn’t know better, they’d not think such a place belonged to Corltax. It’s.. certainly different from what Urick is used to, but the few times he had visited the scientist in his home as opposed to his laboratory were always oddly relaxing to him.

Although he had been gone for quite some time, Urick couldn’t bring himself to contact Corltax after what had happened; he’d felt like a failure as an elite, being unable to protect the dome that he and his family grew up in from it’s utter demise. The lower domes were old and rotting, and many had collapsed over the time he had been gone, including his own.

Urick draws in a deep breath before deciding that it is time. It’s been long enough, and Corltax deserves to know he is alive and well. He is, after all, one of the few he actually considers a friend.. the only other individual important to him aside from the King himself.

                                              I'm gonna fight 'em off

                     Independent Splatoon RP Blog // Semi-Selective                                     Splatoon Universe // Multiship

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                                      10+ years of RP experience

He just rolls his eyes.

While Urick doesn’t much care for the whole birthday thing- in fact, he’s mostly forgotten his own- a personal greeting from the king is quite an honor.

Today is Urick’s birthday, which means that he’s 20 now!

... Though, the grumpy octoling doesn’t seem to be too thrilled by the mun’s attempt to celebrate.