Alga ==> Talk To: Brutus
Ignoring the effects of the teleportation, Alga shakily asked, "Wh-Where are we? Do you know?" She had to know what Brutus knew. Was he familiar with the area?
"Ehh..." the Octoling began, "nawt really? Oy mean, it smells like 'ome. Dank and musty. Oy don' really know where we'd be all specific-like... but we're prolly in Octo Valley!"
Well, so much for asking about that. She figured he would know about this area. "...C-Can you see where we are? I can't..." He might be able to take a better look around than she could…
"Nah. It'll take a little while longer," the boy admitted. "Aelia says somethin' about our eyes readjusting. And something about light?"
Eager to please, however, Brutus looks around before saying, "but, but, but we're in an outpost, Oy think. These're scattered 'round Rock Bottom so that people 'ave a place ta rest on journeys between Jetties!"
Okay. Still not quite up to par, but she could give him credit for the additional information. That was good.
Alga tentatively took up her case again and looked it over before frowning. An outpost? Rock Bottom? Then, perhaps that meant they were at the bottom of Octo Valley...?
"Where is Rock Bottom?"
"I's what it sounds like?" Brutus said, as if it were the most obvious thing. Though, it was clear that Alga had her suspicions. "We're at the bottom of the valley!"
But then, why did the Sisters have a kettle to the Octo Valley?
"Jus' making sure..." So, she was right. Another glance at her case, and she sighed. She really didn't want to keep lugging this thing around.
So, tentatively, Alga asked. "Do you...Do you think I should put on a weapon?"
She honestly didn't want to come across as threatening to anybody; maybe there were other Octolings she could talk to and calm. But, carrying this thing was becoming cumbersome, and now that she was out of safe territory, it wouldn't hurt to at least ink a path in case she fell or needed to make a speedy getaway.
"Ehh, can't 'urt to be synched," Brutus said, shrugging. "Most travellers are real nice... but some jus' wanna cut yer purse and leave ya dry. So... mos' people carry around a weapon down 'ere."
At this, he frowned. "Oh yeah! Lili never gave me back my splattershot! Maan... an' that was a gift from Cato..."
Well, that certainly sold it for her.
"O-Okay. Just- Gimme a second."
It was lucky that it was dark; she probably would have been embarrassed to do this is front of someone, even if she was just putting the cord to her navel. Alga kneeled and felt for the case's opening, and clicked it open when she found the clasps. It was easy work drawing out her weapon, and it didn't take long to attach it to herself.
Situating it into her left hand, she looked over towards where she guessed Brutus was and hefted the now much lighter case back over her shoulder. "Sh-Should we get going...?"
"Mmm... tha' depends," he says, worried. "Where's Lili? Didn't she come through with ya?"
Wait...
Ah, squid.
Alga's heartrate shot up and she tentatively shook her head, momentarily forgetting Brutus wouldn't see the action. "I don't...I don't think s-so? I thought she might've g-gone ahead or something..."
"Well, she didn' come through," Brutus frowned. "Ya sure she went in ahead?"
"I-I'm sure. I saw her."
Oh man, what now? The group was split. It was just her and Brutus... It made her nervous, certainly, and she didn't like it.
Still, at least she wasn't alone.
"Sh-Should we look for them?"
"...Yea." Brutus said, finally.
He holds up a few fingers. Two... three? Now, definitely two. "Aelia taught me this trick. Can ya count the fingers? Then yer eyes are adjusted enough to react."
She looked closer, squinting her eyes just a bit, and spoke in acknowledgement when she saw that he was holding up a few of his fingers. "Y-Yeah. I see them... Two, right?" It looked like two.
"Nah, i's three." He got up closer to Alga so she could see better. What was definitely two slowly became three.
"We should wait an ickle bit longer. Then we'll be able ta go out and search."