“To live a truly happy and fulfilled life, love is the only answer.” - Marina Ida

 

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When I had first told Nem-Nem about my problem, she was both excited and worried. She was excited that I had an interest in someone, but was worried that I may have been rushing into it, especially since Bryson was in the picture.

I stood by Nem-Nem as she dug through her closet in her room. Nem’s room was rather small, and she apparently liked it that way, even if it was slightly smaller than mine. “I don’t know what to do,” I told her. “I… never really had feelings for Bryson, and then I find out he likes me…? How do I respond to that?”

Nem pulled out an old cardboard box, blowing the dust off the top. “Who did you like first?” she asked, opening the box.

Looking in, I replied, “I liked Ace first.”

“Did Bryson ever approach you before Ace?” she asked, pulling out a seashell necklace from the box. It glittered in the light that shone through her window, the anemone smiling with what I could only assume were fond memories running through her mind.

“Ace had asked me out to the movies after Splatfest,” I said.

Nem turned to me and put the necklace on me, her pupils growing bigger as she suppressed a giggle, a snort escaping her instead. “Oh, you look adorable with it on.”

“Nem,” I reminded. “The talk?”

“Yeah, yeah,” she said, patting my head. “Look, Amelia, if Bryson didn’t approach you first, I think that’s his loss. Besides, he treats you pretty bad. I mean, who calls their friend a noob and insults them constantly?”

But Bryson had also saved me, but I couldn’t tell Nem-Nem that just yet. She’d freak if she knew I had gone off with the enemy. I’d need to tell her when the event was way behind us. I simply sighed and hugged her, asking, “Do you really think Ace is right for me?”

“When we first met, he was very polite,” said Nem. “And he seems like he really cares for you. What’s not to like about him? If Bryson did this for his own friend, then maybe we should respect that.”

Maybe…

Looking down at the necklace, I asked her, “What’s this for?”

“Have I ever told you the time I had a crush on a childhood friend when I was your age?” asked Nem.

“No?” I responded.

She sighed sadly, saying, “Oh, he was such a sweetheart… He was the best thing to have ever happened to me. We grew up together and, well, we promised to be there for each other. This necklace was my grandmother’s, and she wanted me to give it to my special someone.”

“What happened?” I asked.

“I gave him this necklace and we married,” she said. “But… after many years of being together, an accident happened, and we split up after that. He gave back the necklace, saying he didn’t deserve my love. Oh, how I wished he would’ve stayed…”

“You’ve never told me any of this,” I said, wondering what else Nem had been through that I didn’t know about. Was the accident the reason she quit playing Turf War? What else was there in Nem's past?

“It’s no longer important,” replied Nem with a smile. “What matters is now , and I think that now is the time I give you this necklace, so that, in the event that Ace is really the one for you, you’ll do what I did and give him this symbol of love.”

I shook my head. “I still don’t know if---”

Nem shushed me. “It’s okay, Amelia. You’ll find out later. For now, just keep that necklace as a good luck charm, okay? For now, we’re gonna help you figure out how to approach Ace. He’s obviously a sweet boy, but… he’s pretty dumb .”

I giggled to myself at Nem’s comment. I honestly didn’t think Ace was dumb. In fact, I thought he was just too shy. There may have been hints that I had missed, like… the handholding. I felt like there were a lot of things I had missed, too. I didn’t know too much about dating, nor did I know how it worked back when humanity was still thriving.

I had never had to worry about it back then. I had been younger, and I had been very naive. I was still naive, and sometimes I wished that naivety would leave me, but that wouldn’t happen any time soon.

I then asked her, “Well, I texted him earlier, and I was wondering if we should meet at the Humpback Pump Track.”

“Isn’t that place filled with really unhealthy food?” she asked. “Worse than Crusty Sean’s.”

“What’s wrong with Crusty Sean’s?” I asked, a little biased.

“You’ll become more health-conscious when you’re older,” said Nem. “Trust me when I say that Crusty Sean’s food isn’t exactly the best for people. It can really mess up the body.”

“And the food at Humpback Pump Track is worse?” I queried.

“Yep,” she replied. “Nothing’s greasier.”

“Well, where would you recommend?” I asked her, hoping she’d have a better place in mind.

Nem grinned. “When in doubt, Arowana Mall’s always the best place to go.”

I didn’t waste a precious second, typing it into my phone and sending the suggestion to Ace. Almost immediately, I got a text back confirming an agreement. “Thanks, Nem,” I said, looking up at her.

“Psshh, don’t thank me,” she said. “Now, c’mon. I’ll drive you there, alright?”

I nodded, and we went on our way. Nem’s car wasn’t the best, but it was fairly reliable, rusted chrome and boxy on the outside, lined with a bit of comfort on the inside. Sure, it broke down every once in a while, but I liked its atmosphere. It was comfortable, and it was filled with memories.

Once we stopped by the mall, I stepped out of the car, my beanie snuggled tightly on my head, not a strand of hair showing. The confidence in me was overwhelming, but then… I saw Bryson standing next to Ace, the two of them chatting. I couldn’t hear what they were saying over the mall’s speakers playing music.

Nem walked up from behind me. “You need help?” she asked. “He’s right there.”

“Bryson’s there, though,” I said, uncomfortable. I felt… bad. I really liked Ace, but Bryson’s talk with me had my brain going through a lot of emotional stress. Why was Bryson there?! Was he trying to make me feel guilty? Did he know I was meeting Ace here?

I then saw Bryson get behind Ace and push him in my direction, the poor squid’s shoes scraping across the ground as he tried to keep Bryson from doing so. I felt bad for Ace, because he definitely didn’t look like he wanted to do this, and I was having second thoughts myself.

“Amelia, steady your breathing,” instructed Nem quietly. “Remember, this is your moment. Take charge of your emotions and push forward.”

“What if I mess up?” I asked, staring at Ace as he attempted to stop his approach.

“Make the most of it,” said Nem. “Nothing’s perfect. Now… I’m going to go back to the car, but I’ll be watching. Text me what happens, okay?”

I steeled my nerves, nodding.

As Ace stopped in front of me, our eyes met, and I felt nervous, my stomach feeling queasy. I didn’t know what to say. Nem gripped my shoulder, and I looked up at her. She gave me the warmest smile possible, strengthening my will. Her eyes showed pride, pride in me .

“Hello, Ace, Bryson,” she said to them. “I was just dropping Amelia off. You kids have fun!”

Before she left, she and I exchanged gazes, and I knew that she was secretly rooting for me to gain confidence. She then walked to the car and got inside, leaving me with Ace. He was right there, in front of me, and all I had to do was to tell him I knew. I took in a deep breath of air, ready to just say it.

But then, Bryson patted Ace on the back with force, and with red, blushing cheeks, Ace asked me, “D-Do you want to, uh, go out?”

My body just froze there. I was caught off guard. It was only when Bryson coughed that I finally responded, “Y-Yeah, sure!”

Ace’s face donned an expression of relief, making me realize just how much stress this whole situation had put on him. For me, I was going through the same thing, this sense of weight being lifted from me. I felt more confident than ever before.

Actually, now that I thought about it, it was Bryson’s doing. He was pressuring Ace to ask me out, wasn’t he…?

…

I cleared my mind of thoughts and didn’t question it. I shouldn’t. Bryson was firm in his own decisions, right? He wanted to do this for his best friend, but why did I feel so bad about it? Way to go, Amelia. You’ve ruined your own happy moment.

No. I had feelings for Ace first, and Ace had feelings for me. I was now able to confirm this. I kept my emotions in order and asked, “What did you want to do?”

Ace then responded, “I was hoping I could buy us smoothies here, show you how to do graffiti, and then maybe take you over to The Shoal.”

The Shoal was one of the few running arcade places in Inkopolis. With the rise of consoles, arcades were quickly going extinct. I wasn’t sure how a human girl would react back when humanity was still around, but here, I was pretty excited. I remembered how I used to go to The Shoal with Nem-Nem.

Back before I was allowed to roam freely, Nem-Nem had often taken me to The Shoal whenever I had done well during language lessons. It was, admittedly, one of the few things that really motivated me to keep learning more of the inkling language, simply because I wanted to go to The Shoal.

“Yes!” I exclaimed. “I’d love to!”

Rubbing the back of his neck, Ace flashed a grin. “H-Hey, that was easy!”

Bryson rolled his eyes. “I told you. Now, if you’ll both excuse me, I gotta prepare for an upcoming solo match.”

Ace seemed surprised. “Wait, what?! Against who?”

“Some guy named Emperor or something stupid like that,” answered Bryson. “Said he heard about my constant win streak and wanted to break it.”

“Emperor, huh?” said Ace, scratching his head. “Never heard of him before.”

Bryson sighed. “Yeah. He’s apparently never lost a match. But neither have I.”

Ace, confused, pointed out, “But you lost that one ma--”

“Only because of Amelia ,” said Bryson, making me flinch. “She diverted your attention to her when I needed you covering the side paths.”

“Well, she was in trouble,” said Ace. “There’s also the matches before tha--

Bryson glared at Ace. “Not helping, Ace. I’m gonna go prepare. Can’t keep talking.”

As Bryson walked off, Ace shouted out, “Wait, you sure you don’t wanna talk about it?!”

Bryson was… an enigma to me. I couldn’t understand his reasonings, nor could I comprehend why he does what he does. I guess pride was a factor, but there were also his feelings for me. I felt guilty, and I hated the feeling.

Ace looked at me and asked, “Hey, what’s wrong?”

I was caught off guard by the question, not having an immediate answer. After some thinking and pushing away feelings, I said, “Nothing. Let’s just move on. Y-You said smoothies and graffiti, right?”

Later that afternoon, after hours of talking, laughing, and sipping on our beverages, I stood in an alleyway with Ace, holding a can of spray paint. Unlike Ace, I was not an artist, because while his graffiti was highly detailed, depicting an inkling, mine was… a crude smiley face. Yep, this would definitely be in a museum one day, sarcasm and all.

“It’s, uhh, alright,” said Ace. “Dimitri’s first time was pretty similar.”

“Really?” I asked.

“Yeah, he’s not one for art,” assured Ace. “He eventually gave up and started writing equations and stuff.”

I looked down at the spray paint can in my hand reading the label. It had been made by Enperry, the same company David worked for. These brands were everywhere, and they kept reminding me of my dad’s hatred towards big companies. If he were alive today, would he have the same hatred for these ones?

“You alright?” asked Ace. “You look a little lost in thought there.”

I smiled at him with fake confidence. “Yeah! Sorry about that. I was just thinking about my dad.”

Ace seemed intrigued. “You never talked about him much as far as I could remember. You said he was some scientist or something?”

I nodded, my fake confidence turning into real enthusiasm. “He was incredibly smart, and he could tell you all kinds of things about the many different species on Earth.”

Ace’s warm smile appeared. “Bet he was a really cool guy.”

“He was,” I said, my own smile slowly fading. “...I miss him.”

Ace put a hand on my shoulder and pulled me into a hug, and after he let go, he said, “Hey, let’s get your mind off that, okay? Ready for The Shoal?”

I did want to get the topic off my mind, so I agreed, and we walked there, where I was hit with a tsunami of nostalgia. The sounds of the arcade machines reminding me of my times here with Nem. She would teach me a few tricks on how to beat specific levels on older games.

Ace chuckled, looking my way with a grin. “Hey, Amelia, have you played Squid Beatz?”

Automatically, my response was, “One or Two?”

“Three,” he said. “It came out two years ago.”

“I haven’t been keeping up with that series lately,” I admitted. “Why?”

“Thought you’d like to try it?” he suggested, pointing to two VR helmets hanging from a wire that was connected to a ceiling.

“Wait, there’s no dance machine?” I asked. “I’m too used to playing using the arrows on the dance pad.”

“Don’t worry!” assured Ace. “It’ll teach ya! It’s got this pretty neat system.”

I walked over, taking the VR helmet into my hands. This was a different model, I was sure of it. Looking at the brands on the back, I could see that it was a collaborative piece between the Annaki company and the Ancho-V Games company.

“Did Bryson ever play this?” I curiously asked. “His brother, Edward, has partial ownership of Annaki, right?”

“Bryson’s not one for dancing,” said Ace, putting on his helmet. “He’s pretty bad at it, and the last time I tried to teach him, he kept getting frustrated.”

Sighing, I put on the helmet, and immediately found myself in a black void. In my vision, I could see a hologram of a light-blue inkling girl with twin ponytails. “What is this?” I asked.

“Hello!” greeted the hologram, surprising me with her synthetic voice. “My name is Beatz, and I’ll be your personal dancing instructor!”

“Uh, where’s Ace?” I asked, looking around me, seeing nothing but the infinite darkness.

“He’s currently selecting a level!” answered Beatz. “He’ll be with you in just a few moments!”

“So, you’re an assistant, you said?” I asked. “Can you teach me how to play this? This is nothing like the other two games.”

“That’s my job!” she happily announced. Beneath you, you will see footprints! Your goal is to step on them in sync with the rhythm! Don’t lose the flow, or you’ll lose points! You get bonus points for moving your upper body as well in a rhythmic fashion! There is also a freeplay mode you can select for practice!”

“Uh, Freeplay Mode, please?” I asked.

“I’m sorry!” she said. “I’m afraid your dance partner has selected a level! But, don’t worry! Just remember what I said, and have fun!”

With that, she vanished, and next to me, Ace appeared, grinning. He waved at me, and I waved back, and before I could ask him what song he picked, I heard that familiar beat. It was the song from my dreams, the Calamari Inkantation.

Footprints appeared beneath Ace and I, with his being pink and mine being blue. I followed mine in rhythm, each new footprint appearing after I took a step. I had almost forgotten I could use my upper body. Seeing Ace move his arms, I moved mine as well, trying to come up with anything I could think of, with most of my movements being random.

I was thankful that Ace hadn’t laughed so far. In fact, he was very supportive. “Hey, alright! You’re doin’ good, Amelia!” he praised. I couldn’t help but blush at his overwhelming support. It made me continue on with my dancing, the rhythm of the song seeming to flow through both my mind and body.

“Thank you!” I shouted back, excited. This song was something else. It wasn’t natural. It was more than natural. It was like I’d known this song my entire life, as if it was my own story. I felt like I was the center of it. My blood just kept pumping, my legs feeling a little achy, but I didn’t care. I was feeling it. It was the most incredible experience.

After a while of dancing, the footsteps inevitably led me over to Ace, where we continued in rhythm with our own crazy moves. Without any thinking, I grasped his hands in mine, our fingers interlocking as our palms pressed up against each other.

Seeing the surprised look on his face, I couldn’t keep myself from giggling. I led him into a dance away from the footprints on the ground, the game flashing warning signs in my vision. I didn’t care, though. The beat of this song seemed to match my heart’s pounding pulse. Ace eventually got rid of his shocked expression and flashed his teeth in a big smile.

“Uh, what are you doing?” asked the game assistant.

“Dancing,” I said to her.

“Put it in Freeplay Mode!” said Ace.

“Um, alright,” said Beatz, very confused.

And we kept going, the song driving us into a long session, and when it finally did end, I… got a headache, and felt a little dizzy. Why did… the song end? My thoughts were jumbled, and I could only think back to my dreams of living life through inklings in the past. I felt happy, sad, jealous, angry, and betrayed.

So many emotions were fading in and out of me until Ace asked, “Amelia? Are you okay? You don’t look too good.”

“G-Get me out of the game,” I requested.

Within a few seconds, Ace vanished, only to reappear again as my helmet was taken off, my beanie falling from it. Ace quickly picked up the beanie and fit it snugly onto my head, glancing around to see if anyone had seen my hair.

“You alright?” he asked.

I nodded, trying not to vomit. “Yeah. Just feel weird.”

“Maybe it’s the VR?” he deduced. “It’s pretty common to feel strange after a play session like that.”

He was probably right. I remember my first time playing VR, and I did get pretty dizzy, but… I didn’t feel as dizzy as I did just now. This was as if someone cranked up the side effects or something. It was to the point where I felt like I could’ve collapsed.

“You wanna sit down?” he asked.

I shook my head. “No, no, thank you. Let’s just move on with our day. How long were we in there?”

“Well, that was the extended version,” said Ace. “Probably… thirty minutes?”

Thirty minutes? It felt longer than that. For me, it felt like it could’ve been the entire day. Was I really that into the music? Perhaps I had just lost track of time inside the game. I decided to change the subject. “So, what now?” I asked.

At that moment, Ace’s phone rang, a catchy tune reaching my eardrums. “Yo, what’s up?” he asked, holding up the phone to his ear. After a few seconds, his eyes went wide. “What?! No way!” he exclaimed. “Where are you?!”

“What’s going on?” I asked, unable to hold in my curiosity.

“Got it,” said Ace. He hung up the phone and slipped it into his pocket. “Geez… This ain’t good. Bryson got beat pretty bad. He’s not takin’ it so well.”

“I’m guessing we’re gonna go see how he’s doing?” I assumed.

Ace looked at me, a look in his eyes confirming my guess, and when we got to Deca Tower, we could see Bryson sitting on a bench next to the building, his eyes looking empty. I wanted to say something, but knowing how Turf War meant more to Bryson than it did to me, I didn’t. My words wouldn’t matter here.

Ace was more suited to this situation. Sitting next to Bryson, he put an arm around Bryson’s shoulders. I was surprised that Bryson hadn’t ripped that arm right off of Ace, but, then again, they were best friends, and Bryson seemed to trust Ace more than anyone.

“How bad was it?” asked Ace in a hushed whisper.

Bryson seemed shook, as if he’d seen a monster. “I… I couldn’t even touch him.”

I was startled. Bryson couldn’t even touch his opponent? How skilled was this “Emperor”? I had seen Bryson in action many times before, in both training and in Turf War, and, in my opinion, I didn’t think anyone could beat him? The very fact that he was taken down had scared me. If I were to have faced this opponent, I don’t think I would’ve lasted a single second.

Ace’s face had an expression of grief, as if someone had recently died. “Do they know…?”

Bryson looked at Ace with horror on his face, tears in his eyes, his teeth clenched, the poor inkling trembling. “Not yet, but when they find out, they’re gonna shun me.”

I couldn’t help it. I blurted out, “Who?”

Ace and Bryson both looked at me, making me freeze. I was scared. Ace said to me, “His dad. Bryson’s part of the Annaki clan, a pretty big family. That whole company was named after them.”

“I’m sorry, Annaki clan ?” I questioned.

“Before Inkopolis, before most of modern society, there were clans, and they all did high stakes turf wars to dispute land ownership. The Annaki clan was well-known for overthrowing a bunch of dictators during an age of oppression, creating anarchy for a short period of time.”

Bryson continued the history lesson. “A little over six years ago, a big business took notice of the clan’s contributions to inkling society and offered to create a partnership. That’s how the Annaki company was born. Ever since then, it’s been up to my dad to give them a face, and that was supposed to be my brothers and I.”

“That sounds like a lot of pressure,” I commented, feeling bad for him.

“My ancestors were the best of the best, and had never lost a single match,” said Bryson. “I’ve lost multiple times .”

“M-Maybe your dad’ll understand,” I tried to reason.

“You don’t get it!” shouted Bryson, his expression showing a mix of anger and fear. “We’re the face of that company! If the world finds out… If my dad finds out…”

“What about the first time you were beaten? You weren’t as upset,” I pointed out.

“Amelia, those were noobs ,” countered Bryson. “Who’s gonna believe them ? Besides… I beat them bad enough to get honor back. But, this guy… he’s up there and he’s got credibility. One word from him to anyone and the news will spread. Then, it’s over.”

My brain worked itself into only one conclusion. “Ask him for a rematch,” I blurted out.

“If I could find him, I would,” said Bryson. “After he beat me, he left, so I’m outta luck.”

“What does he look like?” I asked.

Bryson sighed in frustration. “Yellow ink color, fancy clothes, and I mean fancy . A milky-white jacket, milky-white shoes, and--”

“Found him,” said Ace, pointing over to a streetlamp, and standing next to it was a pale inkling with yellow eyes. His tentacle hair resembled a style similar to a hipster haircut, but it felt more dignified, without the usual ponytail. His jacket was white, and his shoes were the same, his entire getup looking as fancy as Bryson had described. And, upon his left ear, I could see a golden cuff of sorts.

“Well, that was easy,” I said, finding it to be such an odd coincidence. So, this was Emperor, and he was supposedly very skilled.

Bryson stood up, then walked over to him, saying, “Hey, noob! I challenge you to a rematch! ”

Emperor looked Bryson over with a smug smirk on his face, replying, “What? You again? Why would I when you’ve already lost?”

“Because I have a reputation to keep up!” said Bryson. “We can even spice it up a little. Loser has to do whatever the winner wants!”

Emperor seemed slightly intrigued. “Anything? Alright, then. You’re on, peasant .”

“I’ll give it all I’ve got, noob ,” replied Bryson.

Come to think of it…

When I looked at these two, I realized that they were almost exactly the same. They were up there, and they both seemed cocky, as if they were, well, forgive me for describing them as such, but, they always acted as if they were full of themselves, looking down on others.

Bryson, however, seemed to have changed a bit, recently. Getting to know him over time, I became more and more sympathetic towards him, and I knew that he was doing what he thought was best for himself and his family. It was sweet, and I guessed I kinda admired tha--

…

I forcefully pulled myself out of those thoughts. I didn’t want to think about feeling guilty. I wasn’t guilty. I liked Ace first, and Ace liked me. I wasn’t going to drag myself through this yet again, questioning things. It was a waste of time, and it caused unneeded stress.

Later that day, we all met up in a shady part of town, where the streets were practically empty and the houses were abandoned. This place was dangerous, having once been part of the bustling community of Inkopolis. Back before the war, these streets were the home to many octolings. It was a place of cultural events as well.

The tall skyscrapers here were no longer maintained, the buildings having slowly withered through the years. This was a place of homes, businesses, and festivals, and in the blink of an eye, with the speech of a general, it was all gone, only husks remaining to remind inklings of who used to live here.

I sat on the sidewalk with Ace, sitting cross-legged. Bryson and Emperor stood at opposite ends of the nearby crosswalk, both of them staring each other down. Bryson had his umbrella in hand while Emperor wielded a shiny pair of Enperry Dualies, a special pair with a different kind of loadout to go with them.

“You’re going to regret this,” said Emperor.

“You afraid of getting beat like this?” asked Bryson with a serious look on his face. “Say the word now and I’ll call it off.”

Emperor seemed to be thoughtful about this, taking the time to make his decision. “Hm… You’re very stubborn, aren’t you?”

“Ink-driven,” said Bryson. “As long as I’m holding a weapon, I’m not just going to let someone take my honor from me. I’m going to make you work for it .”

I was nervous. Bryson had never acted like this before, but… from what Nem-Nem had taught me in class, it made sense. During the early periods of inkling and octoling society, they were very honorbound. Prideful squids and octopi, duking it out in Turf Wars like today.

But they didn’t have spawn points back then.

Bryson was pulling something very risky. While he had brought a mobile spawn point for Emperor, he didn’t bring one for himself. I had begged Bryson to register himself to a spawn point, but he simply disregarded my pleas. This was a pride of his that I couldn’t get past. I could only hope that Bryson would get through this alive.

“One last warning,” said Emperor. “It’s pretty stupid that you’d want to do something like this , in modern culture. Either you’re stupidly old-fashioned, or you’re so desperate that you’d risk your life for it. Is there someone you’re trying to get approval from?”

“Shut up,” demanded Bryson.

Emperor spun his dualies in his hands. “Fine… We’ll get this over with. Come at me, peasant , but before you do, I must warn you. You cannot win against a king.”

Bryson’s expression turned to that of anger, the inkling screaming as he fired off ink from his umbrella before diving in. Emperor simply stood there at the end of the line, twirling his dualies. The moment Bryson jumped out at the end, changing into his humanoid form, Emperor raised his dualies. My blood ran cold as I thought this would be it.

Bryson had somehow gotten the end of his umbrella pressed against Emperor’s stomach. Meanwhile, Emperor had a dualie to Bryson’s forehead. In less than a second, Emperor suddenly raised his leg up, his knee against the umbrella, knocking it to the ground and surprising Bryson. Emperor then kicked Bryson in the stomach, sending him tumbling across the asphalt.

“There’s a reason why I have a ninety-nine percentage win streak,” said Emperor. “I’m The King here! I’ve never stepped in enemy ink, and I refuse to let yours be the exception! ”

Bryson stood up, pink ink running from his nose. Was… that the equivalent of a nosebleed? “I can beat you,” he said, running at Emperor. “Stop being a wussy noob and SHOOT ME! ”

“You’re crazy!” said Emperor, stepping back.

Bryson ran forward and picked up his umbrella, quickly aiming at Emperor before firing. I didn’t understand what his mentality was. Why was he willing to do this without a spawn point? Emperor clearly didn’t want to shoot him. He knew that if he shot Bryson, Bryson wouldn’t respawn.

“There’s a lot you don’t know about him,” said Ace. I looked over to him, confused. After taking a sip from his Tentacola, he explained, “His family’s really serious. They’re old-fashioned, and they expect a lot from him. His family’s bigger than what you’ve seen. Cousins, aunts, uncles, all with kids of their own, all of them upholding the same traditions at some point before moving on with different careers. If Bryson doesn’t get back his family’s honor, well… let’s just say his dad already doesn’t have a pleasant view of him.”

“Why?” I asked.

Ace took another sip before answering, “Bryson was the only one to ever lose his first few matches, even after two years of straight training with holograms. His dad was forced to pay a lot of cash to have those records scrubbed.”

I looked at the battle, worried. “I just hope Bryson doesn’t… you know…”

“It’s fine,” assured Ace. “I talked to Emperor on our way over here.”

“Wait, what? What did you tell him?” I asked.

“You’ll see,” said Ace.

Watching the battle, I could see that Emperor was evading ink at insane speeds. No matter what Bryson did, even with ink mines, he couldn’t catch Emperor off guard. Emperor seemed to look… bored. “Are you tired?” he asked. “You’ve gotta be. You’ve been trying to hit me for a while now.”

“Shoot me, you coward!” demanded Bryson. “I dare you! If you won’t let me take it back, then shoot m-- !!!”

“Shut up,” said Emperor. “I’m not telling anyone.”

Bryson stood still, his hand tightening its grip on his umbrella. “What...?”

“I don’t care,” said Emperor. “Keep your stupid honor. At first, I thought it’d be fun to mess with you a bit, but you’re just plain crazy. By the way… I’m counting this as a win since you obviously couldn’t hit me. I’ll keep your word in check.”

Emperor simply walked away, and that was it, with Bryson simply standing in the middle of the street, and I couldn’t keep from noticing a tear running down his cheek. It led me to think back to what Ace had just told me. There was a lot of pressure on Bryson, and the young squid was beginning to crack underneath.

Ace stood up, walking over. He put a hand on Bryson’s shoulder. “Come here, dude,” he said.

Bryson turned to face Ace, burying his face in Ace’s shoulder. I looked away, hearing sniffles and sobs. This wasn’t the Bryson I knew. In fact, I didn’t know Bryson at all. I felt bad for him, to hear that he had more pressure than I had initially thought was being put on him. The sunset was sinking, and before we left, I picked up the mobile spawn point, carrying it with me.

Ace was very understanding of Bryson’s situation. Bryson was willing to cry in front of Ace. I doubt he would have if it were just me there. He had a pride only siblings could see through, and Ace may as well have been one.

It was a long and quiet walk home, with all of us staying quiet. Bryson wouldn’t even look at me, and I understood why. I didn’t want to pressure him, too, so I looked away whenever I could, afraid to make him feel even worse. I was scared for him. What if things got worse? He was willing to take a permanent splat over something as minor as honor.

It wasn’t minor for him, though…

I sighed as I approached my home, going up the stairs. Ace had already taken Bryson home, and I just wanted the day to end, so I went home on my own. I knew my way around the streets by now. Plus, I had GPS on my phone, so it wouldn’t have been a problem.

As I took out a key from under the mat, I could hear David’s voice. Great…

Opening the door, I stepped inside, smelling food coming from the kitchen area. Nem always made things better. I didn’t think I would've made it through isolation without her, honestly. I could always count on her.

Walking into the kitchen, I saw David, sitting at the table, smiling as he saw me. “Ah, Amelia. It’s good to see you.”

“Hi, Amelia,” said Nem, looking through her recipe book. “Dinner should be done in a bit. Take a seat and I’ll get your plate ready.”

“Yes, Nem,” I said, obediently sitting across from David, staying quiet after, the scene from earlier having put me into a bit of a depression. Sure, the date with Ace was fun and all, but… Bryson had been going through pain I could’ve never imagined. Back when my dad was around, I didn’t have to worry about any kind of expectations. He just wanted to keep me alive. He cared, unlike Bryson’s dad.

David drummed his fingers against the table. “So, Amelia. I’ve been thinking. What you and Nem said the other day was a bit of a shock to me, and I know I haven’t been the best moral support. I, uh, wanted to make it up to you.”

“C-Could we talk about it later?” I timidly asked, the heavy feelings keeping me from focusing. I couldn’t do this, not when Bryson was on my mind. Why was life so complicated?

“I don’t think it’ll come up again after this,” he said. “It’s rather important, because it’s a very rare opportunity.”

I sighed. I didn’t want to talk, but if I had to… “Alright,” I said. “What did you want to talk about?”

David chuckled, a smug smile on his face. “Well, the company I work for, Enperry, has decided to grant me a family pass to Wahoo World.”

I was a little shook up. Wahoo World was a very popular amusement park on the boardwalk of Inkopolis. It was one of the most thrilling places to be, but also one of the most expensive . I’d always wanted to go, but Nem was never able to afford it. It wasn’t her fault. Wahoo World was a big deal, and so the prices were at the highest they could possibly go without it being considered highway robbery.

I stared at David in disbelief. I’d never thought he’d actually do something like this before. “You really mean that you’re going to--”

“Yes, indeed, Amelia,” he said with amusement in his voice. “My brother will be coming along as well.”

“You never told me you had a brother,” I replied. “Why haven’t you ever mentioned him before?”

David seemed uncomfortable with the question. “Amelia, I’d like you to keep that beanie on, at least for tonight,” he warned. “He’s coming over to join us for dinner. It’s… been years since I’ve talked to him.”

I nodded. “Alright,” I said. “I’m guessing you never told him about me.”

“I have my reasons,” replied David. His expression was one of… regret, disappointment. I felt something wrong in the ambience of the room, and so I stayed quiet until the doorbell rang.

Nem-Nem looked back at David, her oven mitts on. “Could you get that, please?” she asked. She then gestured to the oven as she said, “I’ve gotta take this thing out.”

“Remember, Amelia,” said David as he stood up. Walking over to the door, he seemed to collect his thoughts before he opened it with a false smile on his face. “Bram, you’re finally here!” he exclaimed with a cheerful tone. “I’m so happy you could come by after all this time!”

Who stepped through the door made me shiver. I was stunned, my worst fears coming back to haunt me. It was Doctor Scalpel. The last time I’d seen him, he was scolding his son, Berry. He’d also recognized that my accent was different, a consequence of me being human and unable to adjust to Inkopolis.

Nem-Nem stared, holding a pan with baked fish on it. I could tell that she was just as unsettled as I was. She didn’t seem surprised, however. There was just the unease expression, unless that was her surprised face. She played along. “Welcome to my home!” she said. “I’m sure you’ll enjoy what I’ve made for tonight. David helped out as well with some of it.”

David walked over to me with Scalpel, introducing him. “Amelia, this is--”

“Bram Lancet,” finished Scalpel.

“H-Hello,” I said. “How are you?”

“I recognize that accent,” replied Bram. “You’re that inkling from the turf war on the beach.”

The way he emphasized inkling scared me. Did he already know? Was he like Ace’s little brother, Dimitri? No, no, keep calm, Amelia. It hasn’t even been five minutes and you’re already freaking out. I simply nodded in response, smiling as innocently as I could.

Bram’s eyes roamed over to David as he said, “I see you’ve adopted.”

David suddenly coughed, then replied, “What?! No! That’s not it at all.”

Bram then looked at Nem, their gazes locked onto each other. “I see,” said Bram.

The silence between all of us was extremely uncomfortable. I thought it was going to last forever until David coughed again. “Bram, why don’t you have a seat?” he asked.

Bram nodded, sitting down in a seat next to David’s. “I’m sorry I couldn’t bring my son, Berry,” he said to me. “He has finals this week, and I need him to read up on his genetics.”

“Genetics?” I timidly questioned.

“It’s beyond your understanding, I’m afraid,” replied Bram. “Berry will be enrolled in a university in the near future, and I won’t have him slipping up his grades. He’s a prodigy.”

I remembered when Scalpel had scolded berry. “He didn’t seem very happy when you took him home the other day,” I said.

“Turf War is brutish,” said Bram. “It’s completely unnecessary and life would be better off without it. He will thank me when he’s older.”

As Nem set out the plates, I was focused on Bram’s eyes. They were cold. There was something very unnatural about them. Eyes weren’t typically gray when it came to humans. In inklings, gray could be a color, but most inklings could choose what color they wanted, and it was typically something bright and full of life.

Scalpel’s eyes, however, were very dull and lifeless. He could change his appearance into whatever he wished, and yet he chose his current form, a form that led me to wonder how it came to him choosing such a cold palette.

“Amelia, your food,” said Nem, putting me out of my thoughtful trance. I looked down, noticing that it was baked fish. As I began to eat, I could hear them talking.

“Nem Nemone,” said Bram. “It’s been a long time.”

Nem’s eyes avoided contact with Bram’s as he addressed her. She wasn’t comfortable, that was for sure. “You hardly keep in contact with anyone,” she said. “I’ve always been here, and you know that.”

“My research is very important,” stated Bram. He cut into his food with slow hands, as if he were dissecting it. He wasn’t even eating it. It was simply being slowly sliced into small pieces. “And raising a son can be difficult. He often sneaks out for those troublesome Turf Wars.”

“How old is he now?” asked David, trying his best to connect with his brother. To me, it felt like Bram and David were never on good terms. The way David sighed before opening that door hinted at that. If I had to guess, the Wahoo World trip was planned to get him to patch something up, whatever it was, with Bram.

“He’s fourteen,” answered Bram. “The prime age for when foolish inklings start risking their lives.”

“But what about the spawn points?” I asked, looking down at my food. I didn’t dare look at him. I was surprised at myself that I had even asked such a question when I was so nervous around him. I suppose my curiosity got the better of me.

“They’re imperfect,” said Bram. “I may not have invented them, but when I was a child, I did improve them for our troops who bravely fought against the octarians. Little did I know that the government would approve their usage for mere sport because of the advancements.”

“You’re the reason modern turf wars exist?” I questioned. I was in awe. To think that Doctor Scalpel , of all inklings, was the one to improve the spawn points to such a state where they could be regularly used.

“Sadly, yes,” answered Bram. “Though, the spawn points can still malfunction. The government simply chooses to cover up the numbers of deaths.”

“I-I’m sorry?” I queried.

“The spawn points don’t always work,” he explained. “There’s a very low chance where a spawn point could malfunction and simply refuse to respawn any poor creature registered to it.”

“Bram, not here,” said David, shuffling a bit in his chair. He was obviously very uncomfortable.

“She has the right to know,” said Scalpel in a calm manner. “The spawn points are dangerous and they should only be used for military purposes. Citizens shouldn’t be playing around with them so foolishly.”

David had sweat dripping down his neck. “Bram, please. This is supposed to be a reunion.”

Scalpel looked at David, the two displaying very clear and distinct energies. David had an awkwardness about him while Scalpel seemed very annoyed and impatient. “Fine,” said Scalpel. “Now, tell me about this trip you had planned for us…”

David leaned back in his seat, then cleared his throat before saying, “Well, as you know, Wahoo World is very popular, so we’re most likely going to be encountering a lot of people. I know you don’t do well in crowds, but… I was hoping you and I could hit one of the buffets there, have a heart-to-heart conversation. It’s been such a long time.”

It was easy for me to see that David was very eager to patch things up with his brother, but what happened between them that tore them apart for years? Were adults simply like this? I remembered how Nem would say that adulting was difficult and required a lot of willpower to simply get through the day.

I felt her hand on my shoulder, but I didn’t look up. I was too focused on Scalpel. He listened intently to David’s words, and by the look of the expression on his face, he was considering David’s proposal to fix their brotherly relationship.

I had no idea David had had a brother, let alone it being Doctor Scalpel of all people. I never even thought I’d meet Scalpel again. Knowing he’d be going with us on the trip made me queasy, and I knew I wanted to bring my friends with me. I couldn’t do this alone, because if I screwed up even once, I may end up on an operating table with a human-obsessed scientist.

Bram took a bite from his food, chewing it thoroughly and slowly as he thought of a response. After he swallowed, he said, “Fine. I shall go with you.”

David sighed in relief, a soft smile on his face. “Thank you. It’s been a long time since we’ve caught up.”

“How long again?” asked Scalpel. “I’ve lost track of time.”

"Three years, Bram,” replied David.

“I see,” muttered Scalpel. “I suppose I should thank you, then. Our time apart has allowed me to advance quickly in my research.”

David’s face had something akin to worry. “Bram, you’re not still trying to--”

“I am,” replied Scalpel. “It’s my life. I get to choose how to spend my years.”

Finishing my food, I wanted to leave, but I couldn’t keep my eyes away from the two brothers. If Nem and David knew about Doctor Scalpel, then why didn’t they tell me? I couldn’t pry into it right now, of course. It wasn’t the right time. David had his hands full with his sibling.

Looking at Nem, I asked her in a hushed voice, “Are you okay?”

Nem nodded, discomfort on her face. It was an obvious lie. She just wanted me to remain calm as well, and I could understand that. Having someone here like Scalpel was pretty dangerous. I wondered what David’s thoughts were when he had planned Scalpel’s visit here. Was he thinking for my safety? I wasn’t so sure. Maybe it was just such a desperate attempt to see his brother again, he had forgotten all about me.

I could kinda understand that, given my brother’s disappearance.

An hour had passed, and Scalpel was getting ready to leave. Before he did, he took one last look at me and said, “Perhaps I’ll bring Berry along with us to Wahoo World. He’s never been to an amusement park before, so I suppose it’ll be an interesting experience for him.”

“S-Sounds good,” I replied, smiling nervously.

“And, Amelia,” he added. “Try working on that dialect. Your pronunciations need more practice.”

I nodded quickly, avoiding all eye contact. After he left, and as soon I was sure he was no longer able to hear, I turned to David and shouted, “What the shell?! You didn’t tell me Doctor Scalpel was your brother!”

“You’ve met him before?” asked David.

“I… yeah,” I replied. “Saw him on television once, then I met him on the beach when he was picking up his son…”

“I see,” said David. “Amelia, I want you to remain calm, alright? He’s always been known to be a bit eccentric with his work, but he’s no real monster . He’s just dedicated.”

“David, Amelia has a panic attack nearly every time she sees a scientist on TV,” said Nem. “It’s become a phobia with her.”

I turned to Nem and asked, “How do you know Scalpel?”

Nem-Nem looked to the side, keeping herself from meeting my gaze. “It’s complicated, Amelia. I knew him back when David and I were much younger. He was normally the shyest one in our circle of friends.”

“He wasn’t always so serious,” added David.

…

“I’m still uncomfortable with him coming with us,” I whimpered. “What if he finds out what I am?”

“David, I know you want to fix things, but bringing Amelia into it isn’t going to help,” said Nem.

“The pass is good for up to eight people, so Amelia can bring her friends along. She doesn’t have to stay near Bram and I,” said David. “You can take the kids with you anywhere else in the amusement park. I’m planning on keeping Bram at the buffet area since he’s not one for the rides.”

“I don’t know , David,” replied Nem. “Can’t you just go with Bram and your wife instead?”

David’s gaze lowered as he twiddled his thumbs. “She, um, filed for divorce…”

“Oh, no,” said Nem. “What happened?”

“A few fights,” he said. “Nothing to worry about…”

Nem sighed. “Ugh, I still don’t know, then. I’d rather not risk her life like this.”

I didn’t want to go, but… then I thought about Bryson. He did need a break. If I brought him along, maybe he’d have a chance to forget about all that dumb family honor and stuff for a while and just be a kid. Plus, he and Ace would be able to protect me, right? Bryson literally tore through an octarian base .

I spoke up. “I… I guess I could go, but I want your word you’ll keep Scalpel away. Please…?”

David’s eyes lit up with a glimmer of hope. “You have my word, Amelia. I know how he is. He won’t even go near those rides. You have fun with your friends and I’ll keep him in my sight.”

“Aw, jeez, not you, too,” said Nem. “Ugh, fine… I suppose I could take her. David, you’re owing us for this.”

“A trip to Wahoo World isn’t good enough payment?” replied David smartly.

Nem’s hair lit up in a reddish color. “ David , I’m serious. This is my daughter’s life we’re talking about. I could easily just keep her here and you’d be left to find some other girl to help you out, and I know you’re not good with girls.”

David nodded. “Of course, of course.”

So, Wahoo World, huh…? This is gonna get wacky...