The troubles of knowing yourself

Calm before the warm

Three was the one waiting this time, and when Eight spotted her, she waved exuberantly. "Three!"

Three turned her head, smiling as the other swiftly approached. "Hey Eight. You seem to be in a good mood today."

She smiled warmly. "Hm? I guess I am, yeah."

Her own smile grew in return, and she beckoned the other over and began walking. "That's good to hear. Things going well with your guests?"

Eight followed. "Well, as well as they can for the moment. Honestly it's just surreal having Benny around again. It's like...a puzzle piece. Or a really nice rainstorm."

The Inkling chuckled. "I'm not going to pretend to know what that means but I'm happy for you."

Eight beamed.

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Eight swirled her straw around. "I think...I want to try doing turf war a bit more." She said as their conversation was paused.

Three looked up from her food in slight surprise. "Oh? I mean, I'm free pretty much whenever if-"

The Octoling raised her hand, cutting her off. "N-no, I mean...on my own. That usually makes me nervous but I want to try it again."

Her expression softened a bit in understanding. "Ah, I getcha. Any particular reason?"

She took a deep breath. "I told Benny about what happened to me, and...it got me thinking. I've gotten so much better since I got here. In the beginning I could barely look at strangers and now...we're in public, and I don't recognize anyone, and I barely even notice unless I try. I used to be so scared of fighting but at this point I know I'm not in any danger. Fight or flight isn't winning anymore. Or, I mean, I guess it is but now I'm more inclined to fight than flee. At least in Turf War, I mean."

Three gave an affirmative nod. "Mm-hm, I get it." She took a bite out of a chicken strip and smiled around it. "I'm proud of you, Eight."

She blushed a little, rubbing the back of her head. "Thanks, Three..." She replied, and there was another pause.

Then something occurred to her, and a tiny seed of guilt began to grow. She decided to speak it rather than let it fester. "Hey...Three?"

"Yeah?"

"I...when I told Benny about what happened down there...I think I gave him a better picture than I gave you."

"...yeah?"

"Are you....mad?"

Three's eyes widened a little. "Mad? Why would I be mad?"

Eight averted her gaze. "...I don't know, I just...feel like you should be."

She was quiet for a moment at that, and then she reached over and clasped Eight's hand. "Well, I'm not. I don't need to know every detail if you don't want me to. It hurts for you to talk about, and if it hurts less around him, than there's no reason for that to bother me. I'm just glad you can confide in someone."

The Octoling still looked a bit guilty. "Even...even if that person isn't you?"

She smiled in return. "It doesn't always have to be."

She took a deep breath, and her hand tightened around Three's. "Thank you." She said quietly, managing to smile again.

She gave a light chuckle. "Anytime."

Something else occurred to her all of a sudden. "Hey, you know what else I found out while talking to Benny?"

"What?"