“You're not so free if you've gotta work a nine-to-five. Pearlie wanna PLAY. ALL. DAY!” - Pearl

---------------------------------------------------------------

“So, lemme see if I heard you right,” said Bryson, sitting next to me on his large couch. Everything in his home always seemed to be extra large or extra fancy for some reason. I guess that was just how the rich lived. “You want me,” said Bryson, “to use my own time and money on finding your brother, a human, who may or may not be alive, in a city full of inklings, that he may or may not be in, even though he has been missing for possibly six years ?”

I idly drummed my fingers on the arm of the couch, looking down, looking away from him. “Mhm,” I replied, just barely nodding. I didn’t want to ask him at first, but on my own, I didn’t think I could ever find Mark. 

“Amelia, just letting you in my home is enough to get me in trouble,” said Bryson before sipping from his soda. I shrank into the corner of the couch, feeling embarrassed that I had even asked.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered. “I guess I can’t get over the fact that he’s been gone for so long…”

Bryson brushed a tentacle out of the way of his vision, then he took off his round sunglasses, revealing his surprisingly very blue eyes. I had never known what color they were until now. “Look… I know what it’s like to lose a brother. I lost one of mine a long time ago. That’s something I will rarely ever talk about.”

“I’m sorry,” I said again, feeling hopeless.

He placed a hand on my shoulder, a firm grip clenching it. “I can try to ask my dad, or one of my brothers. Dad’s got relations with the Kensa company and Edward’s got partial ownership of Annaki. Though, I’m gonna have to fudge the truth a little. Can’t talk about the human bit. That, or I’m gonna have to do it myself. I’ll need help to work a computer.”

“You really want to?” I asked. “I’m sorry for asking you. I didn’t think about how selfish my request was.”

“Quiet, noob ,” said Bryson with an unapproving grimace. . “Don’t ruin the moment.”

I giggled, unable to hold it in. I looked up at him, his gaze catching mine. “Thanks,” I replied.

For some reason, I saw a hint of red on his cheeks. Had I embarrassed him? I hoped I hadn’t. He shook his head, the red now gone. “No problem, noob ,” he said. He let go of my shoulder and leaned against the arm of the couch on his side.

“So, what now?” I asked, feeling odd for just sitting around.

“Dunno about you, but I’m gonna sit back and relax for a bit,” he said, picking up a remote off of the table in front of us. He pressed a button, causing the television to turn on.

The news was on at the moment, a reporter speaking. “In other news, a local inkling has reported a rare phenomenon in which a participant in an earlier turf war could not be splatted by any means. This has caused rumors to float around, stating that it may be a new project being tested by either our own government or by the octarians.”

The scene switched to the outside, showing an inkling in a hockey mask. I panicked. “Th-That’s the inkling that kept shooting me with his blaster!” I exclaimed.

“That freak,” the hockey masked inkling said, pausing briefly, “is a cheater. She shouldn’t even be allowed in a turf war. Judd is taking bribes, and I refuse to believe anything else.”

“What do you think she is?” the reporter asked a female. As I looked closer, I recognized her. She was the inkling with the splatterscope, the inkling who had insulted my ears several days back.

“A cheater, maybe. Ugly , of course,” replied the female, looking at her own nails. “Like, has she ever heard of fresh? My grandma had better fashion sense than her. And her ears? They’re horrifyingly misshapen. ”

“Excuse me, did you say misshapen ears?” the reporter asked.

I reached up, feeling my ears. I didn’t really understand why they were considered ugly. I could hear Bryson crushing his can of Tentacola, making me flinch. “ Not fresh,” he commented. He stood up, walking out of the room and down the hallway.

“Where are you going?” I asked, confused.

“I’ve got inklings to hunt down!” he called back. Wait… was he…?!

“Bryson, no!” I shouted after him.

“Too late!” he shouted back with a smug smile as he returned, raising his umbrella. “Got my weapon!”

“Bryson, what the squid?!” I exclaimed. “You can’t just gun down inklings outside of turf wars! That’s illegal!”

“Who said it was outside of turf wars?” he asked. “Nah. I’mma just find ‘em, follow ‘em ‘til they enter one. Then I’m gonna shoot ‘em down through the entire game. Besides, they were on the team that beat me, so now I’ve gotta make sure I get compensation.”

Bryson’s determination was something that couldn’t be stopped. This was something I had learned quickly since I had met him. From what Ace had told me before, Bryson had been like this for a long time, doing as he pleased, taking life by the horns and directing it in whatever direction he wanted.

Though, it did get me thinking about whether or not that was that actually true. Did Bryson really control his own destiny? From what I remembered, Edward seemed to be pushing him towards that goal. My curiosity got the better of me, and I asked, “Bryson? Do you enjoy turf wars?”

He looked at me as if I were insane. “Excuse me?”

“I-I’m sorry,” I stammered, sinking further back into the couch. “I w-was just wondering… C-Cuz Edward and… the ‘being number one’ thing and other stuff…”

He facepalmed. “Ugh… This again? Ace already asked me that question, but I didn’t expect to hear it from you . Since when did you care about how my life is?”

I muttered, “S-Sorry…”

“Amelia, I’m fine ,” said Bryson. “This whole thing was what I’ve wanted to do since I saw my brother play. “If I were to be forced into it, so would one of my other brothers, Jacob. He’s a researcher, and actually hates turf wars.”

I nodded. “Sorry for asking…”

“It’s fine,” he replied, rubbing the back of his neck. “Just didn’t expect you to ask.”

I rose to my feet and asked, “I get very curious. I’m sorry.”

“Stop saying sorry,” he said.

“S-Sorry!” I replied, sorry for being sorry.

Bryson gave a growl of annoyance. “Seriously?”

“Sorr--” I was suddenly interrupted as Bryson’s hand covered my mouth.

“Hush,” he said, looking stern. “You don’t gotta apologize for everything . Sometimes you gotta own up instead of apologizing. If you can make up for it before having to say sorry, then do it.”

That made a lot of sense to me. Then again, Bryson was teaching me. I nodded, and he removed his hand. I giggled a little, not expecting to learn such an important lesson at a time like this. I told him, “Thank you.”

“Nah,” he said, walking out the door as he twirled his umbrella. “Don’t thank me. Just get fresh!”

---------------------------------------------------

Well, he did find them, and he did make them pay for making him lose. I just didn’t think it would have been so brutal.

Bryson, a true professional, challenged them all to a turf war with a special condition. He wanted to take them all on by himself. Eagerly accepting their supposed win, they went in having no clue what he was capable of when he wanted revenge.

I had watched in shock and horror as Bryson went through the ink without making a single splash. No one had been able to spot him until it was too late. One by one, sometimes even two by two, Bryson would take them out using a combination of carefully-placed ink mines and special umbrella tactics. 

I thought I had known his limits, but I had been dead wrong. Although I didn’t want to admit it, watching the hockey mask inkling cry in the end as Bryson hunted him down was… satisfying .

I would never question his teachings ever again, for I had experienced true freshness. Afterwards, he treated me to a soda in Inkopolis Square, my face blushing as I sipped from the can and thought back to the fight. “I didn’t think such power was possible,” I commented.

Bryson, leaning back in his chair, feet on the table and arms folded behind his head, said with a smug smirk, “ Never mess with me when I’m angry.”

“Get your feet off the table,” said Liv as she approached. “Who knows what dirt your shoes picked up.”

“Why?” asked Bryson. “The jellyfish will clean it up. They always do.”

The jellyfish of this city. I had nearly forgotten they were a thing. In the inkling society, jellyfish did most of the labor while the inklings played. It wasn’t forced at all, because for some odd reason, the jellyfish wanted to do it.

From what Nem-Nem had told me, the jellyfish had some sort of hive mind, and that they craved to be like the other sea creatures, to be able to have emotions and enjoy life. Most jellyfish didn’t even have families.

When we had once seen a smaller one with a big one at a Chirpy Chips concert, I thought it was a father and his son. Nem-Nem, however, explained that they were merely pretending to be parent and offspring. It was something they did often.

In fact, they did all kinds of weird stuff, just to see what it was like, hoping to recreate the emotions others can feel. In the end, though, they were just jellyfish, hoping to evolve into a creature that could understand emotions and experience true thrills.

“Have you ever once thought they might gain feelings within our lifetime?” asked Liv.

Bryson removed his feet from the table, avoiding eye contact with Olivia. I think the guilt had probably gotten to him. This was a civilization, but that didn’t necessarily mean it was perfect. There were many inklings who took things for granted. Sure, the jellyfish didn’t mind at all, but there was something about it that still bothered me. Had anyone ever shown any thanks to them?

As I thought that, the jumbotron screen above us displayed a commercial for a gym, with jellyfish doing all kinds of activities. I supposed that jellyfish did play quite a big role in some media. I even remember having watched a movie with Nem-Nem about a jellyfish who had finally gained emotions.

Olivia looked at me with a smile. “Hi, Amelia!~” she said, sitting in a chair next to me.

I smiled back, feeling ecstatic from her greeting. Liv had this strange way of bringing joy to any conversation sometimes, erasing all of my negative thoughts from the moment prior. “Hey, Liv,~” I greeted back.

“Splatfest is tomorrow , you guys!~” she said. “It’ll be my first time!”

She seemed really excited about it, and honestly, so was I. I wanted to fight the best of the best, and Splatfest always brought out the fiercest of competitors. “Me too,” I replied. “I can’t wait!”

We both squealed in excitement, making Bryson jump from the sudden noise. He then coughed into his fist, then said, “You know, noobs , there’s a chance you’ll face me if you pick Team Old. I’m going with Team New.”

“W-We can win!” I blurted out. I don’t know why I had said that. I literally just saw what Bryson could do. I had no chance against him. Maybe it was the fire burning inside me, but I shouldn’t have just said that. I knew Bryson would never back down from a challenge.

Bryson stood up. “Alright, noob . Prepare yourself. It’s going to be an entire three days of pain .”

As he left with his pride intact, I turned to Liv and said, “I don’t know what I’m doing! ”

She put a hand to her mouth, trying to hide her smile as she accidentally let out a giggle. “Don’t worry,” she said. “We can beat him. We’ve still got Ace on our team. And I’m bringing a friend to be our fourth.”

“A friend?” I asked, slightly tilting my head.

Liv’s smile vanished. She then asked, with her eyes looking thoughtful, “Amelia, as a friend, I know I can trust you, right?”

“Of course.” I said, a little concerned by her sudden lack of happiness.

“I wanna discuss something with you,” she said. “After knowing you for a while, I feel as though I can trust you, considering that you were willing to tell me your secret.”

Olivia trusted me enough to keep her secrets? Something about that made me pretty happy, knowing that she could trust me. “I’ll keep my lips sealed,” I said.

“Then… follow me, please?” she asked.

I nodded, and when we both got out of our seats, I followed her, and as I did, I checked my GPS. The direction we were going in didn’t seem to have anything noticeable other than a few neighborhoods, or at least, that’s what my squidphone said.

But… as we progressed, the city seemed to be grimier with each street we crossed. She took me way downtown, to the parts that were much shadier. I would constantly check my phone to see where we were, as she kept taking me through these alleyways that weren’t even on the map.

Eventually, after a while, I couldn’t even see Deca Tower anymore, and my phone had lost its GPS signal. As we walked down several alleyways, I saw creatures who were the most bizarre.

We passed by a woman who had this tree of blue gel-filled sacs as her head, and a humanoid-shaped shark who was looking at his watch a little too much, not paying attention to other creatures who would lightly push him out of the way to get by.

“Liv?” I asked, trying to stay brave. “Where are we going?”

“My home,” she answered. “If I’m going to show you my friend, then I need to share something with you.”

“Is this really necessary?” I asked as we approached a rusted warehouse. I could hear music coming from the inside, the bass bumping the metal walls and making them vibrate.

She nodded with a smile. “Just trust me, okay? You’re honestly the first friend I had ever met who wasn’t… ahem...”

“Wasn’t what?” I asked.

She ignored my question, knocking on the door. I was beginning to feel very unsure. The door crept open very slightly, an inkling with an afro poking his head out. “Password?” he asked.

“Don’t get cooked,” she answered.

“A’ight,” he answered, opening it wide, lights shining from inside. “Stay off the hook.”

As she stepped in, the afro’d inkling stopped me, his eyes staring into mine with cold suspicion. Liv then poked her head back out, saying, “She’s with me.”

“Fresh,” he said. “Always nice to see a newly-woke.”

What?

Liv giggled nervously, quickly grabbing my hand and yanking me into a world of bright colors and rhythmic thumping, electronic music and heavy bass filling the entire warehouse. The room was absolutely packed.

As Liv guided me through the large crowd of inklings, I felt like there were many eyes upon me, and it made me feel very awkward. What had I gotten myself into? I had the urge to text Nem-Nem, but when I looked at my phone, there was no signal.

Not good, I thought.

As we went deeper into the crowd, I could recognize the music, especially that bass. Wait… It couldn’t be. “Liv?” I asked as she kept guiding me. “Who’s music is this?”

“Uh, Diss-Pair,” she answered. They’re playing on stage right now, why?”

I suddenly had the urge to squeal from the sudden burst of excitement, but I kept it in. Diss-Pair was a music duo of inklings, with Ikkan, who was a former member of another band known as the Squid Squad, and Warabi, an amazing DJ who could really bring out the beat in all their songs. He’d even done his own solo remixes of Squid Squad’s original music.

Why, out of all places, would they have been here?

It was hard to see through this crowd. There were a lot of teenagers here, dancing and rocking out to the music, and with all of them being so tightly packed together, you’d think the place was a giant sardine can.

Finally, I was led to a door in the back of the warehouse. She opened it, yanking me out of the crowd and into a smaller room. When she closed the door, the music became muffled, my heart sinking a little as I could no longer fully hear those amazing tunes.

But, now that I was in here, I could smell incense, and it reminded me of the brand Nem-Nem used to keep the house smelling nice. What stood out to me was the odd style of this room, with everything being in both black and white. Black and white dresser, black and white chairs, black and white picture frames, black and white table, black and white carpet, black and white sofa.

But, what stood out the most to me was a large rectangular safe in the corner of the room, with a digital number lock, a key lock, and a wheel combination lock. What could have been in there that was so precious, that you would need a safe like that ?

There was a male inkling with round ears, gray eyes, and a white, punk hairstyle, wearing clothing consisting of a white vest, black jeans, chain bracelets, and wooden sandals, sitting in a plush chair and looking at his phone. With his size, I’d have to guess he was in his early twenties. Without looking up, he asked Liv in, quite literally, the smoothest voice I had ever heard, “You brought the new girl, right?”

Liv cleared her throat. “Ahem.”

Looking up, the inkling saw me. “Oh, hello,” he said.

I shyly waved, and Liv guided me over to a chair across from the inkling. Why did I feel tense? “H-Hello,” I greeted, sinking into the chair. This thing was way too plush. I felt like I could literally sink into it. I was surprised that I didn’t.

Olivia whispered into his ear, and he nodded in understanding. “A long-forgotten age, hm?”

I was confused. “What?” I asked.

“Don’t play coy,” he said, smiling softly. “I can understand your predicament. We all can.”

“I still don’t understand,” I said.

“She’s not bright, is she?” he asked Liv.

“She doesn’t know yet,” said Olivia. “I was hoping you’d explain to her.”

“Ah, I see,” he replied. “You should have told me that first. I thought you’d tell her before bringing her here.”

“What’s going on?” I timidly asked, feeling like I was among something I shouldn’t be.

“Amelia, yes?” he asked. I nodded. He then continued, saying, “I am Hector, and you are in my domain. I run the place, I host the parties, I hire the bands, I bring the heat to the cold and lifeless .”

Talk about a big ego…

“I understand your situation, Amelia,” he continued. “I know what you are, and I can assure you, your secret is safe with us.”

I looked at Olivia, feeling betrayed. “Y-You told him?” I asked. “We all agreed, no one else!”

“It was too important,” she said, avoiding eye contact. “Your kind is actually of great interest to him.”

“Why?” I asked. I desperately wanted to get out of here, beginning to rise from my chair.

Hector pulled an N-Zap from within his chair’s cushions. “Ah, ah, ah. Sit, please.”

“Y-You can’t hurt me,” I said. “I’m unsplattable.”

He closed his eyes, smiling. “Unsplattable, maybe , but that doesn’t mean you can’t feel pain. Don’t forget where you are. There are hundreds of people out there, willing to listen to me."

My short burst of confidence melted away. I sat back down, still looking at Olivia. Why would she do this…? I thought I had her friendship. She just… took it and broke it in two. “Why…?” I asked her.

She looked back at me with somber eyes and replied, “Amelia. I know we’ve only known each other a short time, but now that I know what you are, I couldn’t pass up the chance. He’s been looking for anything human-related for a long time, and you’re… you know...”

“I’ll explain,” said Hector, putting down his weapon. “I don’t want to hurt you. You are free to decline what I am about to offer, as I am honor-bound, as is all of my family. Olivia trusts you. She really does want to be your friend, and I want to be your friend as well, but you need to be patient and listen carefully to what I am about to say. Understand, human?”

Did Olivia really want to be my friend? I had such a hard time thinking that. To think that, after such a short week of being a turfer, I’d end up in such a shady place. It was impossible to predict. Why should I listen to her?

Regardless, I nodded slowly, avoiding eye contact. I didn’t want to look at either of them, feeling powerless and betrayed. “I’ll listen,” I said with a choked voice, trying not to get too emotional.

“Amelia,” he said. “We are special creatures, you and I. Smart creatures, above the inklings.”

“We?” I asked. “But, you are an inkling.”

He shook his head. “No, Amelia, I’m not,” he replied. “Believe it or not, I am an octarian, or better yet, an octoling. Every single person you passed by in that big room out there was either an octoling or an octoling sympathizer.”

My heart rate jumped. All of them were octolings? “W-Wait! Not possible!” I exclaimed. “How?!”

Olivia looked away from me, acting ashamed. I didn’t know what to think. Was… she one of them? My previous battle made more sense now. I now knew why she didn’t swim up the shelves, but took my offer to pull her up. I now knew why she verbally defended that octoling from the battle.

She trusted me enough to tell me this…?

“We’ve been within inkling society for a long time,” he said. “There’s just many more of us now, ever since a certain duo saved us.”

“Duo?” I asked, confused.

He nodded. “The Squid Sisters,” he said. “Famous singers who used their voices to free us from Octavio’s control.”

“Octavio? Who’s that?” I asked.

“She doesn’t know who Octavio is?” he asked Liv.

“She’s still learning, I think,” said Olivia. “Please, don’t be harsh on her.”

“I’m not,” said Hector. “I’m just surprised” Turning to me, she smiled softly. “Forgive me. Allow me to share some history with you.”

I nodded, folding my hands in my lap. I felt like I’d be here for a while. Although I didn’t want to be here, and although I wanted to talk to Liv alone, I didn’t think I had a choice here. There were hundreds of octolings out there, and I didn’t think I could just run out.

“Long ago, when inklings and octolings were both still working together, the sea levels suddenly began to rise,” he started. “We had no idea why this happened, or if it would happen again. Because of this, the Great Turf War began.”

“I learned about that from Nem-Nem,” I stated as politely as possible. I didn’t want to make him angry. I didn’t know his full character, and from how Liv was acting around him, I don’t think I wanted to know. “I already know this.”

He looked at Olivia, then back to me and said, “The leader of the octarian forces, Octavio, is a powerful octoling. In fact, he’s had so much influence that many of us are currently brainwashed, under his commanding grip. It was only when the duo of singers came along that we were able to break free of Octavio’s control.”

What…? “So, you’re the good guys?” I asked, very puzzled. I was having trouble with understanding this. “Like, you’re the ones who broke free?”

He smiled. “Indeed. Many of us are desperate to join inkling society, but inklings don’t trust us, and you can certainly understand why.”

“But, why me?” I asked. “Why are you interested in me ?”

“Olivia,” he said. “Could you please get me some tea? I want to keep talking to Amelia.”

Olivia quickly jumped to attention. “Green?”

“As always,” he said, nodded and smiling. She quickly left, and the first thing that came to my mind was that I didn’t like the way he just… ugh, but if I said anything, what would happen to me? Was I selfish for wanting to keep myself safe? Should I have said something before she left?

He looked at me with an odd expression. There was something in his smile that was hidden. I knew he was hiding something, but what? He leaned back in his plush chair and then asked, “I’m sorry, did you want something as well? I could get Olivia to get you a soda, perhaps? Just a quick text.”

I shook my head, uncomfortable around this creature. “N-No, thank you.”

His smile went away, a pouty lip replacing it. “What’s the matter? You couldn’t possibly be scared of me, could you ?”

Scared, very much so. “No,” I quickly answered.

“It’s understandable,” he said. “After all, our evolutionary ancestors were among the smartest of sea creatures. Very formidable, too. Unmatched. A human like you , being the last of your kind among a world of completely alien creatures, would obviously be scared. I would be scared if I were in a world of humans, because although inklings haven’t figured it out yet, we octolings have . We know your diet. You’re just like us, a predator, eating meat to survive .”

I didn’t know what to say to that at all . This guy was nutso, and I wanted to go home and be safe in my bed. I laughed, the nervousness in my voice being obvious. “W-Why don’t you just tell me why you want me here instead of sk-skirting around the issue?”

“I simply want to study you,” he said, his voice, for some reason, suddenly sounding more genuine than ever. “I want to know more about your culture, your people, your fashion .”

Fashion?

“Believe it or not, I own a brand company,” he stated. “One that’s become very famous over four years.”

“Wait, really?” I asked. “What brand?”

He had the most smug smile on his face. “You’re wearing it,” he said, pointing to my shoes, completely shocking me.

“You own the Toni Kensa company?!” I exclaimed, nearly jumping out of my seat.

“I am Toni Kensa,” he said. “Not my real name, of course, but it’s nice to have anonymity.”

I was stuck in surprise, finding out that Toni Kensa, a fashion artist, was actually an octarian. “Wh-Why are, I mean, I, uh, I…” I had lost my words.

“Allow me to tell my story,” he said. “If you will.”

I nodded, still stuck in a sea of confusion.

He started by saying, “Four years ago, when I was sixteen, I was freed of my brainwashing when I was at what I thought was a concert. Having heard the Squid Sisters, I felt as if a veil was removed from my eyes, and when I found that inkling society wasn’t ready for the octarians to join them, I pretended to be one of them, studying their culture, learning their fashion quirks.

“Naturally, I took to collecting anything related to fashion, books, movies, news articles, focusing on what was considered hip and what wasn’t. But then…” He smiled wide. “I found something I never knew could even exist. There was a merchant at a swap meet who collected human-related artifacts.”

Standing up, he went over to the safe that resided in the corner of the room, unlocking it, one lock at a time. When he opened it, there was a large collection of magazines, but on a special shelf inside was a magazine that caught my eye. It had humans on the cover, wearing black and white clothing.

“This,” he said, taking out the magazine, “was what made me famous.”

As he approached me, handing me the magazine, he smiled with great pride. “I adore the human mindset. These people, in this magazine, were true fashion artists! All I could do was take the idea from them!”

He then placed the back of his hand against his forehead as he said, “But, alas, that was all there was! I was so desperate to find anything human related that I had my fellow octolings search out everything human-related that could potentially help me with a new line, a line that would help me surpass the Annaki corporation’s new gear.”

Oh no.

He got in front of me and placed both hands on my shoulders, looking me in the eyes. “You, being a human, can help me get back on top!”

“B-But I know nothing about fashion!” I replied.

“Ah, but see, I don’t need you to tell me!” he replied.

“What do you mean?” I asked, a little scared.

He let go of me and plopped back into his chair, saying, “All I need is a scan of your memories. It’s quick, it’s painless, and it allows me to see what you’ve seen, letting me draw inspiration from the people you’ve encountered in your entire life. If you let me do this, I will give you full access to every piece of Kensa gear before it’s even out.”

I wasn’t very comfortable with this. All my memories? Even embarrassing bits? I certainly didn’t want this guy probing my brain. “Y-You said I could refuse your offer?”

He looked at me with a serious expression. “You can…”

“I-I refuse,” I blurted out.

“I see,” he said, looking unfocused, staring at the table. “Hm… I’m assuming I’ve made you uncomfortable.”

“Very much so,” I quietly replied.

“I am an octoling of my word,” he said, looking unsure. I was almost certain he’d go back on his promise. “Amelia. Do you know how much this means to me?” he asked.

I shook my head.

“This lifestyle of mine… It’s something I’ve dreamed of since I first broke free of Octavio’s control,” he said, staring off at the wall. “You may not know it now, but my company is on the verge of collapse. Annaki has us in a stranglehold with their new suit. The moment it was announced, inklings stopped saving up cash for Kensa gear. They wanted Annaki . I’m lucky enough to have partial business collabs with them.”

“Isn’t that a good thing…?” I asked. “They’re keeping you afloat, right?”

“For now,” he said. “But when they’re done, they do indeed plan to sever the ties between our companies, leaving me on a raft to fend against the vicious ocean of critics. I need something new, something fresh, or I’m done for. I’ll never get to become the one octoling that stood out among the rest.”

“I’m sorry,” I muttered. “I didn’t think of it like that.”

“If you don’t want to be scanned, Amelia, you can be useful in other ways that can keep me afloat,” he said, looking at me. His eyes showed something else in them, apart from all the other emotions. This was desperation. “We’re alike, you and I, two creatures in a foreign world. We can help each other. After all, I am helping your little group of friends in Splatfest while I keep my eye on the other competitors to determine who will be the face of Kensa. I love to multitask.”

“I suppose I can try to describe clothing I’ve seen in my life,” I said, feeling a little bad for him. I didn’t like him, but the fact that he had hopes and dreams like everyone else just made me sympathize. I guess I was just corny like that... “Th-There’s just so much I can remember, you know? Don’t put too much faith in me.”

He grinned, his fangs unsettling me. “Excellent. You will not be disappointed, Amelia. I will make sure you are given access to all Toni Kensa gear!”

I didn’t know about that. Bryson had already given me his brother’s old suit. If I was going to be helping Hector, would he be offended by me wearing the brand of a rival? “About that,” I said. “I… have a friend who gave me an Annaki suit…”

“I see,” he said, looking a little disappointed. “Then our weapons, at least?”

He originally offered gear, and when I told him I was wearing the Annaki brand, he offered weapons instead? Was I taking advantage? Should I?

…

I nodded quickly. As a turfer, I wanted to try out more than just my dualies, just to see if I was good with other things. He immediately laughed when I nodded, making me jump a little yet again. “Ha!” he said. “So eager for the big guns, aren’t you?”

“W-Well, I love turf wars, so… yeah,” I replied.

“Are all humans like you?” he asked. “So eager to get the bigger weapon?”

In my mind, I immediately thought back to what had happened to humanity. Every nation wanted the bigger weapons, and we all paid the price for it. Now that I think about it… seeing all these inklings fight always gave me adrenaline. I loved it, but did that mean I was as bad as the ones who made the bombs…? I wasn’t sure.

I was snapped out of my deep thinking by Hector as he waved a hand in my face. “Inkopolis to Amelia,” he said. “Come in, Amelia.”

“I’m sorry,” I replied. He gave me an expression of both confusion and concern. “Fascinating. Do humans often go into trances like that?”

I shook my head. “It was only me in my family that did that.”

“You have family?” he asked. “Might I ask where they are now?”

I looked at him with discomfort. “I’d rather not talk about it,” I said. Although it had been four years, that still wasn’t enough time for me to be able to talk so openly about it. I doubted that anyone would talk about that so openly.

It was a pain that stuck with you, leaving you feeling empty and desperate to fill the void. I guess Nem-Nem filled the void my mother left, but as for my father and brother…?

Hector’s eyes slightly opened up a little wider as he realized what I had meant. “O-Oh,” he said. “I’m sorry.”

This was an odd meeting. First he had threatened me with an N-Zap, then told Liv to get him tea, mocked me for being scared, then had a heart-to-heart with me about his hopes and dreams, and now he’s showing concern for what I was going through ?

This octoling was much stranger than any individual I’ve ever met, and even worse, I seemed to be warming up to him. There was always something in his voice that just helped to deliver every line of his perfectly, making me sympathize with him more and more.

Was this how all octolings were? I didn’t know about Liv, but this guy was just strange , and I was honestly wondering whether or not I should fear for my life or not, not sure what level of danger this guy was.

Liv finally came back into the room, holding a tray with a teacup on it. Hector smiled and said, “Thank you.”

He took a sip and took a deep breath before sighing with the most peaceful smile on his face, as if he were lost in his daydreams. Liv looked at me, and as soon as our eyes met, she looked away, looking ashamed.

“L-Liv,” I said.

“No,” she said. “You don’t have to be my friend. I should’ve asked you before I informed Hector.”

I stood up, walking towards her. She backed away, but before she could go out the door, I grabbed her hand. She looked at me, more shame in her eyes, pleading forgiveness. I couldn’t be mad at her.

I didn’t know what was going on with her situation in its entirety, but I wanted to give her a chance, because I honestly didn’t want to lose a friend I had just made a few days ago. I pulled her into a hug, and she froze, my guess being that she wasn’t expecting it.

“I don’t want to end our friendship over something like this,” I said. “Way too soon, I think.”

Hector watched us as he sipped his tea, intrigued. It didn’t take a genius to know that this wasn’t something that happened around him. “Well, now,” he said. “That’s cute and all, but I think we’re done here. I want you to meet me tomorrow inside the Toni Kensa building’s waiting room. It’s on the north side of Inkopolis. You literally cannot miss it.”

Liv gently unwrapped my arms from her, then said, “Yes, sir.”

When we left the room, the party was less active, with only a few octolings hanging around and looking at their phones. I could finally see the stage now that the crowd was gone. There was graffiti all over the walls, the most noticeable piece being the image of an octopus with a spear through it.

It felt a little too violent to me. Actually, now that I thought about it, I never saw ink weapons as being too deadly, but that was probably only because I was human. To these inklings, ink was just as deadly.

Would I have been labeled oddly enough if I had that mindset as an inkling, to carelessly see ink weapons as weapons that killed? But, then again, every inkling and, apparently octoling, had the privilege of being tied to spawn points.

Death was a concept that was meaningless to them. The only time an inkling experienced permanent death would have been through either a horrific freak accident, or from their bodies simply giving out due to old age.

I didn’t have the same privilege as the inklings. At least, not normally. That one incident at Mr. Grizz’s shady place came back into my mind. It said my genetic material was identified. That machine recognized human DNA, and that made me want to learn more.

But as of now, I couldn’t worry about that. Liv was at the center of attention at the moment. She walked with her head down, her eyes looking off to the side to avoid mine. Even though I said it was okay, she still felt guilty.

I probably would have felt the same thing. I knew she didn’t mean it. At first, I thought she had betrayed me, but seeing her like this, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for her. I had no idea this was her life. I thought she was like any other inkling.

To find out within such a short time of meeting her was jarring, to say the least. “Liv…? W-Wanna talk about it?” I asked, feeling bad that I had almost ended our friendship. I know what she did was against what we all had promised, but I just couldn’t be mad at her.

After seeing how she just jumped to attention when Hector asked for tea, like a butler awaiting a master’s order, I just couldn’t help but feel like she was in a worse situation than I was. At least I had a proper home, a loving caretaker. I didn’t even know if Liv had parents.

Was Hector all she had to help her? Would Nem-Nem take her in if I asked? So many things were running through my mind. It was the most confusing time I have ever had since I had woken up four years ago.

“Amelia, I’m sorry,” she said, her voice breaking. “I’m obligated to help him.”

“Why, Liv?” I asked. Why would she of all people be obligated?

“Hector was the one who helped me break free,” she said. “I was just like any other octoling, doing my job when he suddenly played that song on his phone. It made me realize there was more to life than serving in an army. I never liked hiding in the underground, and being able to come to Inkopolis, it was like a dream.”

“I don’t like him,” I said. “He sounds like he takes advantage of you.”

“Hector’s just different,” she said. “And no, he doesn’t take advantage of me, actually. He just comes off that way. In fact, he’s more like a brother to me. If I refuse, he’ll accept that. It’s just that he’s been under stress lately, and to keep his company from failing, I wanted to help him in any way possible.”

“So you went to me,” I assumed.

She nodded, confirming my assumption. “He was just so obsessed with humans, saying it would help him find something exotic enough to keep his company afloat. When I found out what you were, I…”

“You told him,” I finished for her.

She smiled softly, nodding. “Hector and I were often grouped together on missions, constantly watching out for each other. He was always the aggressive one while I planned out our tactics. Without his willingness to go into battle without fear, I would never be able to win a battle. Hector used to always fail his missions before he met me. We are the perfect duo.”

“Then why do turf wars?” I asked.

“They remind me of the old days, when we’d go on missions together,” she said. “I also want to get stronger, so that one day, if something ever happens to him, I can stand on my own.”

“I’m sorry,” I said.

“For what ?” she asked, looking distressed. “I literally just betrayed your trust. I’m no friend. I should be the one who’s sorry.”

“Maybe you can make up for it by still being my friend?” I suggested, hoping she’d accept that.

She looked at me, looking unsure of herself, then said with a sigh, “Fine.”

I smiled, hoping she’d smile back. She did, but I couldn’t tell if it was genuine or not. She motioned for me to follow her, and as we made our way back home, I asked her questions, like what other octolings were like, and how they managed to stay undetected.

From what she told me, octolings began flooding inkling society the moment the Squid Sisters sang their song, wanting to be free from Octavio’s dictatorship. They wanted to live like the inklings, to be accepted.

However, due to the war, it was actually forbidden for octarians to enter Inkopolis, as was agreed on by the two sides when the war ended. Octolings were to remain in Octo Valley, where they supposedly belonged.

Because of this, I had thoughts about what had led up to the bombing of Antarctica. From what I remembered, we were going through a world war, and some country, we didn’t know which one, launched a nuke onto Antarctica, ending the war with the threat of extinction.

No longer fighting each other, we had to fight for our lives.

All the reporters had said the same thing: the water levels were rising past their predicted endpoint. Although all the ice from the Antarctic had melted, the water levels had continued to rise over the years, and no one knew why.

When I was three, my dad had snagged a position in Japan, taking us with him. It was where I grew up from then on. From what the people there had told me, there used to be a tourist hotspot called Tokyo, but it had been swallowed up by the rising waters.

As the waters had risen higher each year, the arguments between my parents would become more frequent. There had been times when Dad would just leave the room mid-argument and shut himself inside his study room.

Liv snapped her fingers in front of my face. “Hello? Amelia? You keep zoning out,” she said.

“I’m sorry,” I replied, feeling embarrassed. I did tend to do that.

I found that we had already arrived at the square. My body must’ve been on autopilot while I was deep in thought. Sitting down at a table, Liv stared at her phone, staying quiet. I sat next to her, looking at my own phone, or at least, pretending to.

I desperately wanted to say something to cheer her up, to snap her out of her guilty feelings, but what could I say? Sure, it was… a bombshell, yeah… a huge truth I had just found out, but I still liked her. She was my friend, one of my first real friends in years .

“Liv, please don’t feel guilty,” I pleaded. “What will it take for you to see that I forgive you?”

“I know you forgive me,” she replied. “It’s just a feeling that’ll wither away on its own is all. Don’t worry.”

I sighed, accepting her answer. “Alright,” I said. “But I’m gonna buy you a shwaffle.”

Liv shook her head and said, “Please, don’t do tha---”

Too late. I was already in front of the large food truck known as the Crust Bucket, looking at her with squinted eyes. “You’re gonna eat it and enjoy it,” I said. I felt evil sometimes. Was that normal? That’s normal, right?

If you were wondering what a shwaffle is, it was hard to explain. A deep-fried shwaffle was a strange combination of a deep-fried waffle covered in chocolate sauce and fried shrimp. And, get this, the owner of the food truck: he was also a shrimp. A giant walking shrimp.

Different world, different morals.

“Hey, squiddo! What’s kraken?!” said the owner, who most inklings referred to as Crusty Sean.

“Can I get a deep-fried shwaffle?” I asked, holding up a ticket. Nem-Nem would often give me tickets every once in a while, usually once a month. She normally hated deep-fried foods, but wasn’t really against me eating anything like that, so she just gave me the tickets that came in her magazines.

“You’ve got it!” he replied, getting to work on the food. I looked at Liv, and she held in a giggle, a snrrk coming from her throat as she tried her best to keep quiet.

“You’re impossible,” she said, a smile on her face.

I smiled, feeling sly. I’d make her feel better, one way or another, even if it cost me my own precious tickets. I leaned onto the table, grinning wide, doing my best to play the jester. “What weapon are you using for Splatfest?” I asked, trying to get her mind off of her guilt.

“That’s a toughie,” she said. “My slosher was fun, but the blaster is amazing . I feel powerful when I wield it, you know what I mean?”

“I’ve never used a blaster,” I admitted. “I’ve only ever had Nem-Nem’s dualies.”

“Nem-Nem, Nem-Nem… I swear, that sounds so familiar ,” she said.

“I’ve said her name before,” I reminded her.

“No, not that,” she said. “I swear that I’ve heard it long ago, but I can’t remember from where.”

“Hm… She used to be a turfer, if that means anything,” I said.

Her eyes widened. “No way.”

“Yeah,” I replied.

She quickly tapped her thumbs on her phone, her tongue out as she focused. She then showed the screen to me. A SquidTube video titled, ‘Nem-Nemone’s best highlights.’ As I watched the video, everything I thought I knew about Nem-Nem had melted away.

There was a young Nem-Nem, probably my age, in the middle of a hectic turf war, ink flying everywhere. She was covered in the pink ink of her opponents, spraying green ink from her dualies. An inkling snuck up behind her, but somehow, she was able to detect his presence, quickly turning around wrapping her arm around him while her other aimed a tetra to the side of his head.

I winced as she pulled the trigger, the inkling exploding in a mess of her team’s ink. I suddenly had an entirely new kind of appreciation for Nem-Nem. Not only was she an amazing caretaker, she was also an amazing turfer. And yet, she went for baking as a career.

“I knew she was a turfer, but I didn’t know she was that good!” I exclaimed.

“Nem-Nemone was a very brief star on the turfing scene,” said Liv. “Never lost a single game, and even made it to S rank. No one knows why she stopped.”

“Nem-Nem seemed to like baking more than turf wars,” I replied, sitting in my chair. “She makes the best desserts”

“I guess I can understand that,” Liv mumbled. “My life was pretty hectic, and a lot was expected from me. I had some big shoes to fill, but…”

I stopped smiling, feeling sympathy. If only there was some way to wipe this sadness from her mind.

“SHWAFFLE’S DONE!” shouted Crusty Sean. I guess maybe there was?

I quickly went to grab the plate, thanking him for his quick services. I then placed the plate on the table in front of Olivia. She looked up at me, a nervous smile. “Do I have to…?” she asked.

“Yep! Every last bite!” I exclaimed. “Anything to help you get rid of those awful thoughts!

The nervous smile was quickly replaced with a more genuine one, an expression of what appeared to be relief on her face. “Fine, Amelia,” she said, picking up a plastic fork from the plate and taking a bite of the shwaffle, the piece drenched in chocolate sauce.

Her smile grew a little wider as she giggled at my antics, having had to play along. I got to her. I knew she couldn’t sulk forever. “How is it?” I asked, already knowing the answer.

“Great, as always,” she said after swallowing. “I actually come here every weekend with Hector. He’s a big fan of Crusty Sean’s.”

“Well, maybe we can bring him here during breaks at Splatfest?” I suggested. I didn’t really like him, but then again, I didn’t really know him. From that brief time with him, I was still a little shaky.

“Alright,” she said. “Then maybe after we can--”

“Hey! Amelia! Liv!” shouted Ace from atop Crusty Sean’s food truck. He jumped off, rolling as he landed before standing back up. “I see you’ve got a shwaffle right there,” he said. “Mind if I…?”

“It’s hers ,” I said. “I bought it for her.”

“Just kidding,” said Ace, chuckling. “I was actually here to get one myself.”

Ace went up to Crusty Sean and handed him a ticket.. Crusty Sean accepted it, then started preparing the food. Ace quickly hopped up onto the table, his N-Zap pointed to the sky. “We’re gonna win this Splatfest!” he declared. “All inklings shall tremble before our awesome might!”

He suddenly pointed at me and said, “With Amelia, the Dualie Girl Wonder!”

I giggled. “Ace, wouldn’t---”

“And Liv, the Blaster Master!” he interrupted, pointing at her.

“And what are you?” asked Liv before taking another bite of her food.

“I am THE HYDRA KIIIIIIIIING!” he shouted, making several inklings look in our direction, one of them clapping while the others continued their normal business.

I laughed, my hand to my stomach. “Ace, you’re so strange,” I said, holding in a few excess chuckles.

“Strange?” he asked. “Nah! I’m optimistic!”

“Optimism can only get you so far,” Liv chimed in. “You also need strategy.”

“I don’t use strategy,” he said. “It’s all instinct. I’m way up there in X rank with Bryson.”

“If you say so,” I commented. “Just hope we don’t have to face Bryson in one of these matches.”

“Even if we do, we’ll still win!” insisted Ace, pumping his fist into the air. “Bryson’s got nothing on our morale!”

No. It can’t be. It was infectious, that optimism, because I suddenly shouted, “Yeah! We’ll beat Team New, and we’ll do it with the same techniques that previous generations had used!”

“BOOYAH!” shouted Liv, startling me, but it was also exciting.

“BOOYAH!” I shouted back.

We both looked at Ace, who grinned before shouting, “BOOYAH!!!”

Jeez… Ace’s enthusiasm was already spreading through my mind, making me feel the most pumped up I’ve ever been. Even Liv, who was a little depressed not too long ago, was feeling chipper.

And so, because of this, I was ready for Splatfest tomorrow. It didn’t matter that I may have had the chance of facing Bryson, or that Liv was an octoling. Even if the world was turned upside down, I’d rush at every challenge with my dualies held high, either mental or physical!