Photograph dream on a getaway mile

"What part of 'ow' do you not understand? Wait, contract?" Caasi sat upright and reluctantly threw off her blankets. "This sounds like a big deal. I thought we were discussing things that are a big deal."

"I know... I'm sorry... But babe, I'm set! My manager's brother's friend told her producer friend about my upcoming movie, and since I'm getting accolades for the role, and apparently I'm on everyone's 'hot list' - imagine! Me! On a 'hot list'! People want me! Badly! But my manager-”

"You don't have to keep calling Grace 'your manager', we've had coffee with her five times, I've met her kids, for kelp's sake. I think it's safe to say we know each other."

"Right, so... Grace didn't let me settle, she worked out something really great. I'm guaranteed five new films! They want me in this new Sci-Fi adventure series based on a book, and a standalone project that's still in the planning phases. Plus, if the standalone gets any sequels, tie-ins, anything, my role is pretty much locked. I'm... I'm..."

"Set," Caasi nodded. "Do you have to move for any of this?"

"No, that's the beautiful part! It's all being filmed in Inkopolis and the surrounding area! Some of it is even gonna be on-location!"

"Fantastic. Then I don't care." And with that, she reclaimed her covers and curled into a ball.

"You don't care?"

"'I don't care', not as in I'm not interested, of course I'm always going to support you. 'I don't care' as in, if you don't have to move, then I won't be mad at you for making a huge decision like that without even talking to me."

"Oh, babe...!"

"Don't 'babe' me!"

"How can I make it up to you?"

"Like I said, I really don't care."

"It sounds like you care."

"Just get under here," she sighed, pulling the Inkling onto the bed and enveloping her with the blankets before giving her "kisses" with her feelers. 

"Hold on, hold on," Penny said, sitting back up and pushing off the blankets before unbuttoning and taking off her overshirt, throwing it across the room and leaving her softer, lighter undershirt on. 

"Don't just throw your clothes around the place, you neanderthal," Caasi griped. 

"Neanderthal, eh?" Penny laughed, grabbing onto her girlfriend and shaking her back and forth. "OOGA CHAKA, OOGA, OOGA! OOGA CHAKA, OOGA OOGA!"

"I can't stop this feeling," Caasi sang, "deep inside of me. Girl, you just don't realize what you do to me." Penny wrapped her arms around her and carried on the verse.

"When you hold me in your arms, so tight, you let me know everything's alright. IIII-I-I-I-I'm hooked on a feeling. I'm high on believing, that you're in love with me~"

\/\/\/\/\/

"Thanks for helping me move, Queenie."

"Are you kidding?" Carina laughed as she helped Pyxis carry bags out of their old apartment. "I got out of a family barbecue because of this. If anything, I owe you."

"Sure, sure," Pyxis laughed.

"Is this the last of it?"

"Yep, these wall scrolls are all that's left," they said, picking up a cardboard box with their free hand and jostling it under their arm. 

"Wall scrolls you never hung up? You sure haven't made much use of this space, honeybunch."

"I don't know, I guess I always had a feeling I'd be moving out sooner or later. Guess I was right."

"Please promise me you won't live like that at your new place."

"Live like what? I live fine."

"Yeah, but you've gotta live in the now! Appreciate what you've got, while you've got it! Eat dessert before dinner sometimes, y'know?"

"I'll try," they chuckled as they stepped outside, setting their things down to lock the door behind them. "Well, I guess this is the last time I'll be at this old place. I'll meet you at the car, I've just gotta give the keys back-"

"What is going on here?"

The young adults' smiles both faltered as they turned to see Pyxis' mother stomping up the stairs.

"Mom..."

"So the rumors are true. High and mighty Pyxis is moving out. Without even telling her own mother!"

"Mom, I-"

"Do I have to guess what brought on yet another bizarre moment of spontaneity? Are you gonna move again in another year? Well, why don't we all just throw our homes away and live on the road like some wild animals!" 

"Miss Arcturo," Carina began, taking a step forward, "as entertaining as that sounds, I don't-"

"Shut it!" The older Octoling turned on Carina at once. "You shut it right now, I don't want to hear a word from you, you hussy!"

"Hey, I moved up from abomination to hussy," the young Octoling smiled. "I love it!"

"Get out of my sight!"

"I'll be in the car," Carina said, giving Pyxis a pat on the back before picking up the box they had set on the floor. "Yell if you need me."

"Mom, if you'd just-"

"Put your things away. You're not going anywhere." This sudden presumption lit a small flame within Pyxis. 

"Yes, I am. I'm twenty years old. My life is my own, and I decide where and how to live it."

"Where do you think you're going?"

"I'm moving to Inkopolis. I got a new job there, working for a friend of mine." All the color drained from their mother's face. 

"Are you out of your mind? They will kill you!"

"Mom, those scary stories aren't true. You know this by now. If they were, I wouldn't have come back the first time."

"I will not argue with you over this, young lady. Put the box away! Put it all away! I forbid you to throw your life away-"

"You forbid it?"

"Pyxis, listen to me-"

"No, you listen! I have followed your every order for as long as I remember, trying to make you proud of me! I wanted to have a happy relationship with you, but I've never been a person to you. I've tried over and over to tell myself that you love me, but you really just want to keep me in a box!"

"That is not true!"

"You don't want me! You never wanted the real me! You've hidden behind your denial and your orders and expected me to be what you wanted, but you never saw me for who I grew up into, who I really am! I'm non-binary, mom, did you know that? I'm genderfluid. Sometimes I feel like a woman, sometimes like a man, and sometimes somewhere in the middle."

"Stop it! You are spouting nonsense! You're too young to know what you're saying!"

"I'm also pansexual. You probably didn't realize when I was helplessly in love with Carina, did you? Or did your denial protect you from being uncomfortable that time, too?"

"Quit it, quit it, quit it! You need to talk to the minister. I'll call him right away-" She grabbed Pyxis' wrist, but they yanked it away and ran down the stairs, into the pouring rain. "Pyxis! Get back here this instant, young lady! Pyxis, stop!" When ordering didn't work, she resorted to pleading, chasing after her child. "Pyxis, wait. Pyxis, please! We can work this out! Honey, come back! Wait! We're family... We're family! Well..." She was completely at a loss. "You... You'll visit me, won't you?" 

Pyxis paused beside Carina's car, and stared back at their mother, as tears poured down their face. 

"I don't know, Mom..." They shook their head and brushed a soaked tentacle out of their face. "I don't know." They turned back around and got in the car as fast as they could. Their mother could only stare as the blue coupe drove away.

\/\/\/\/\/

"Hand."

"Wha-? Oh, of course." Ankyr turned toward his best friend and extended his hand, and Pyxis clung to it with both of theirs. "You've been crying."

"I, uh... Unfortunate run-in with my mom while I was moving all my stuff. Luckily, Carina had her car." They resumed their pace, and Ankyr matched it, continuing the walk through Great White Park for the day's "festivities". They both had umbrellas to block the rain that hadn't ceased since dawn, but Pyxis had closed theirs in favor of standing under Ankyr's blue one with umbrella designs.

"You moved this morning? Why didn't you ask me for help?"

"I, uh... I was in a hurry. To avoid just that kind of incident."

"What did she say? What did you say?"

"I don't know... Everything, I guess. I yelled a lot of things I've been dying to say to her. Just... not like that."

"I think I get it," he nodded, performing an awkward maneuver to put his hand over their shoulder while still allowing  their hold on it. "How'd  the unpacking go?"

"Haven't really started," they laughed. "Do you want to-?"

"I'd love to."

"Thanks, Pretty Harmless."

"Always. Hey, we found the gang." 

The usual suspects were seated under a large pavilion, taking shelter from the rain. The Runaways were chatting with the Sharks, along with Shera and Hans, while Feel Good Inc hung out with Eighty 8s, who they'd bonded with over the past week. Carina napped with her head resting on her girlfriend's lap. Rocky and Caurel were sharing a very large plate of nachos, while Moises and Ecto barraged each other with tortilla chips.

"Do they have to do that at least once a month, or something?" Pyxis asked, gesturing to the Jellyfish and his best friend. "I swear, this has to be the fifth time..."

"They're the typical squabbling siblings," Ankyr shrugged. "They were like that when we got 'em." This got a laugh out of Pyxis, while somewhere in the pavilion Thresher's voice could be heard screaming "YES! SIBLINGS!" The crowd turned as one to give them a look, and the young Inkling gave a weak laugh before running into the rain.

"Where are they going?" Ecto asked with a raised eyebrow.

"They'll be back," Tiger sighed, and Bonnet and Zebra nodded their confirmation.

"It's, uh, still raining," Thresher announced sheepishly, coming back under the pavilion only to disappear into the crowd, trying very hard to avoid Ecto's gaze. 

"You're pretty popular these days, hon," Moises said as he wiped chips and queso off of his translucent skin and shiny new clothes - apparently, he had lost this match.

"What do you mean?" Ecto asked.

"Ai ai ai," he shook his head, but said nothing else. Caurel turned her attention to Ecto, blushing orange. 

"Ghoul... Are you really this oblivious, or do you just try to pretend until people take a hint?"

"What do you mean?" the Tinkerer asked. Caurel shook her head and silently went back to her nachos, while her brother held onto her hand.

"So, you guys feeling better?" Pyxis asked Rocky and Caurel, now that the spectacle was over. "On speaking terms, at least?"

"Sometimes we just have to beat the ink out of each other," Rocky shrugged. "Let's not make a big deal of it."

"What were you fighting about, anyway?"

"What did I JUST say?"

"I'll tell you some other time, dear," Caurel said before stuffing her face with more chips than she probably should have. When she finally got it all down, she tapped a small cardboard box with her shoe. "By the way, check the box." Pyxis gasped. 

"They came in?"

"Right on time, too. Looks like the rain has stopped. And guess who's up next?"

“I’m gonna change right now!”

“Get a room,” Rocky yelled, and for once Caurel didn’t smack him.

“Yes, probably a good idea not to change in front of everyone, dear.”

“I didn’t mean, like, RIGHT now.”

\/\/\/\/\/

"Well, I guess this was inevitable."

"I guess so."

"Who'd have thought we'd both end up in the bottom bracket so early?"

"I know, right! It's not fair!"

"Noodle..."

"Yeah, Taurus?"

"It's been great getting to know you. I feel like we've truly become friends over the past week and some change."

"Aww..." Noodle clasped the Octoling's hand in hers. "I feel the same way!"

 Taurus removed her left hand and grasped Noodle's tightly with her right in a firm, unmoving handshake, her soft smile shifting to a determined leer.

"But all of that gets thrown out of the window on the battlefield." Noodle cackled when she heard this.

"I couldn't agree more, Taurus!"

"Expect no quarter!"

"Expect no mercy!" 

"Eighty 8s are not getting eliminated!"

"Neither are we!" 

"We'll see about that!"

"Guys, get to your spawn pools already," Corvis sighed. 

"So dramatic," laughed Moby, who was still the acting fourth for Feel Good Inc. Instead of his usual Aerospray, today he was equipped with a Jet Squelcher. Feel Good Inc assembled at the blue spawn point, and Eighty 8s at the lime green. This would be the third match of the ninth day - which covered the fourth and fifth rounds of the bottom bracket. When the signal fired, both teams sprang into action immediately. 

Noodle and Russell rushed straight ahead while Stuart and Moby inked the base. Moby then went ahead to ink whatever their two teammates missed along the center path, while Stu took the right-hand pathway. 

Great White Park's two spawn points rested on elevated platforms, and each platform extended to form a path to one side, curving around one whole edge of the stage. The end of each pathway had a boost pad to launch the players onto a small platform with yet another boost pad. If they timed their jumps correctly, the boost pads could send the players flying over the tall, un-inkable hedges that surrounded the center of the battlefield. The only other way to reach said center was between the sets of hedges, where one would find themselves immediately taken over by the force of conveyor belts. 

Of course, it was possible to ink the belts and slowly swim across - which was what Noodle and Russell were doing - but most battlers preferred to take the boost pads. Which was why Moby stuck around in their lower section, his Jet Squelcher aimed at anyone jumping across. He already had a Splash Wall set up just about where anyone would land if they made it to Feel Good's side, and waited patiently... 

Unfortunately for him, Vega had seen through the plan, and twirled counter-clockwise through the air, barely avoiding landing under the Wall. They took one second to aim, getting hit by one shot from the Squelcher, before blasting Moby with their Inkzooka special. Their opponent splatted, they spent their remaining blasts covering the turf in that section before moving on to the center. 

Locked in by the conveyor belts, at the very center of the stage was a huge double-helix slide. One end let out to one side of the stage, and the other let out to the opposition. An ink gusher shot players up through a grate at the top, where they could ink a switch to change what color ink ran down the slides. Noodle and Russell had already flipped this switch to blue, and it was Vega's mission to switch it to lime green - but not until their teammates were at the proper positions on their map. 

'Must be off my game today,' Moby thought to himself as he shook his head, fresh out of the spawn pool, and made his way back down. 'The way their team is set up, the way I've seen them battle, I was expecting Sandro to be the first one to jump over, followed by Corvis... Then they'd try to ink our side, while Taurus charged the slide, and Vega hung back on standby. Then again... they've been watching us battle, too...' 

He glanced around, but couldn't see Vega. Regardless, he set to work cleaning the enemy's ink from their side. What he did see, was all three of his teammates riding the gusher up to the slide. Hadn't they just gone...? They must have been splatted and respawned before him. 

"Guys, change it up," he shouted, not sure if they heard. Not a second later, he was caught from behind by a shot from Vega's Luna Blaster.  

'Well... That's.. slightly disheartening.'

Vega rode the ink geyser up to the top and splatted all three of Moby's teammates with two shots, before hitting the switch and riding the slide to their home base side. Mere seconds later, their teammates reached the top, and rode the opposite slide, over to the opposing team's turf. They busied themselves with covering their opponents' turf with blue ink yet again, before Feel Good Inc dropped down and rained down terror, managing to avoid being splatted and take back control. 

"They'll just get us again if we use the slide," Stuart pointed out as the four re-inked their side of the battlefield and destroyed any Squid Beakons Taurus and Sandro had left there. 

"Yep, this stage can be pretty limiting," Noodle sighed.

"I've got an idea," Moby said. "Follow me. Rus, stay here, out of sight, and prepare your Special. I'll give a signal when I need you to use it. Send your Bomb Rush through the conveyor belts."

"Will do," Russell nodded. 

"I don't know what you're thinkin'," Noodle shrugged as she followed Moby. "But I trust ya."

"Your special is the Inkstrike, yeah?" Moby asked as he led them through. "Let's fill our gauges and do a double." 

Swimming across the conveyor belts was slow going, but they fared well enough, not interrupted by the other team. Remaining in the center, they inked as much turf on the opposing side as they could, using the hedges as cover. Soon enough, they could hear a Burst Bomb Rush going off behind them. 

"Whoops," Stuart said. "Looks like he had to use it on that end instead."

"It's alright," Moby shook his head. "This actually works out fine." He glanced at his map. Russell's Special had wiped out three out of four of Eighty 8s, who had used the side passage all at once for some reason. Doubtless, they had had a plan, but it didn't work out. Their fourth member had to still be somewhere on the other side... but they weren't inking turf. 

"They're hiding," Russell said, coming up behind them. "Gonna get the drop on us."

"Nah," Noodle shook her head. "Stu, let's do 'shake n' bake'."

"Got it," he nodded. "Special's charged." 

Noodle rolled a Splat Bomb out of their hiding place, toward the left. When it exploded a bit of the ink spray landed on Corvis, who had been hiding in her green ink, waiting to ambush her opponents while her teammates respawned. Noodle glanced at her map one more time before swimming over and popping out of the ink close to the Octoling, who aimed her Bamboozler... right before she was splatted by Stuart's Kraken special. 

"Hahaa, works every time," Noodle laughed, running farther to the left and spraying more ink. "Alright, I'll be over here blocking off access to the side area with my bombs. Moby, put up a Splash Wall between the hedges. Let's box 'em in!"

"Aye!" the team responded. Once Stuart came out of his Kraken form, he set up a few Squid Beakons on the enemy side and joined in the inking process. Noodle and Moby set off a double Inkstrike at their base, wiping out anyone who didn't stay within the spawn point's protection. Eighty 8s fought their hardest to break free, but didn't make it out in time. The victory went to Feel Good Inc. 

"We lost..." Taurus dropped to her knees, her weapon forgotten on the ground, and stared up at the sky as tears flooded her face. "We lost. It's over... Guys, I'm so sorry. I let you down."

The other three members of Eighty 8s rushed over to their leader. Vega made it over first, running, falling, then sliding over in the ink to wrap their arms around her. 

"No... You didn't let anyone down. We all fought together, and together we lost a magnificent battle. Be proud of that. I know I am."

"I think that's the most I've ever heard you speak in one sitting," said Sandro, who came over second. 

"This is a tender moment," Vega pointed out, as if it weren't obvious.

"Yeah, yeah..." Sandro shrugged and threw his arms around both of them. Corvis came in last and joined the group hug without saying anything, pressing her tear-stained cheeks against Taurus' own. Taurus couldn't find any more words to say; she sobbed and let out a low, mourning wail. It was at this time that Noodle and her gang made their way over and added four more members to the group hug.

"Taurus, I'm so sorry," Noodle sobbed. "I wish I could do something."

"You didn't take it easy on us," Vega spoke up yet again. "That's the best thing you could've done for us. No joke. We wanted a real game with you. We wanted to face you honestly, and that's what you gave us. We thank you."

When Taurus could finally speak again, she grasped Noodle tightly and pulled her closer. 

"Okay... Back to being friends."

"I like us better that way," Noodle laughed. 

"So do I," announced Pyxis as they approached the hug puddle, with Ankyr in tow. "But good Overseer, was that a magnificent game. Oh, how do you like the new threads?" They twirled around, showing off a pink and white tee with a black long-sleeved undershirt. The tee had Eighty 8s' name on the front, with the numeral 8 taking up most of the space. 

"Designed by Caurel and Moises," Ankyr said. "We had to pay them for such short notice, but it was worth it."

"Hope you can get your money back," Sandro said, getting an elbow in the ribs from Corvis. 

"You're all winners in my eyes," Pyxis insisted, pulling each of them up to their feet one at a time. Taurus squeezed Pyxis and Ankyr in a tight hug. 

"Our very first fans... Thanks for being there."

"It's what we're good at," Ankyr said with a shrug. Pyxis let out a loud laugh at this. 

"Alright, come on, I'm taking all of you out for lunch."

"Whoa now, easy," Ankyr joked. "You did just move into a new place. Sure your wallet can handle it?"

"In this economy? I'm loaded."

\/\/\/\/\/

"So, Rescue Girls rocked this round, too," Penny said as she returned to the audience section of the park with a tray full of food. "Here, love, get your sandwiches." 

"My eternal gratitude," Caasi said, scooping food off the tray. Other members of the group grabbed their own food, leaving Penny's solitary jumbo nachos.

"Yup," Rocky nodded. "They're not getting eliminated anytime soon."

"Keep rubbing it in, why don't ya?" Thresher groaned. 

"You guys may have been eliminated, but you're still winners in our book," Rocky said. 

"Yeah, I mean, who says a tournament can really decide who's best, anyway?" Penny asked. 

"That's kind of what they're for," Bonnet pointed out.

"Yeah, but can they really do that for Turf War?" Ecto asked. "I mean, there are so many variables to a single battle. Even if we were just to take into consideration that there are eight players - eight individual minds - there are more possibilities than I could count on which way each one will go at any given moment, how much turf they'll ink at any given moment, how they'll attack or distract or whatever they do, how they'll react to dangerous situations... And that's not even taking their weapon types, subs, and specials into consideration. Or the stage and how well each of those eight people performs on each stage."

"We're losing you, hon," Caurel said. "Reel it back in."

"I'm just saying, Turf War is a complex game."

"Complex?" Sandro scoffed from where he was sitting with the other members of Eighty 8s. "Shoot ink, swim in ink, shoot more ink." 

"Okay, on the surface it doesn't look that deep, but it really is. There are so many factors that wins and losses can never be contributed solely to any one player. It's the best team sport you could ask for. Anything can happen."

"That's why I love it so much," Caurel nodded. "Well, that, and splatting people is cathartic."

"It really is," Rocky sighed. "So, where are we going for lunch?"

"What do you mean?" Rory asked. "We just ate. And the matches aren't done." 

"Today, we have the fourth and fifth bottom rounds," Ecto confirmed. "Next the winners of the previous round will battle each other. We've got the Dragoons versus Big Blue, Feel Good Inc versus Soldiers of OZ, Mushroom Queendom versus Dear Prudence, and Fancy Tea Party versus Rescue Girls."

"Having to battle twice in one day," Noodle sighed. "Can't a gal relax?"

"We do way more than two a day under regular circumstances," Rus reminded her. 

"Yeah, but it's Summer! I'd usually be sleeping right now!"

"She has a good point," Rocky nodded. "We could all be sleeping right now. Let's kick Ziggy in the shins for thinking up this tournament."

"You're having fun and you know it," Caurel said, smacking him on the arm.

"Yeah..." He grinned. "I am. I mean, we haven't lost a single match yet." The members of Feel Good Inc, Eighty 8s, and the Sharks all turned to glare at him. 

"STOP RUBBING IT IN!"

\/\/\/\/\/

"I'm so close, I know it! I feel like the answer is just staring me in the face!"

Knock-knock-knock.

"Uuuugh!" Ecto threw her pencil down and groaned. "Come in."

"Bad time?" Caurel asked, opening the door that connected to the house via stairs.

"I was doomed regardless," the young inventor sighed, burying her face in piles of paper.

"I refuse to believe that," Caurel said, setting down her duffel bag and holding out a cup of coffee. "I got you a treat."

"Ooh, thanks, Kobra! Hey, wasn't the memorial thing today?"

"Yeah, but we cut it short because no one wanted to deal with rain. There will be others. Rocky's in Ranked already, and Penny went back home, so I figured I'd come encourage you."

"Aw, thanks!"

"So, what's the masterpiece today?"

"This disaster," Ecto said, gesturing to her desk before gulping down hot coffee.

"You're making a short-range weapon?" Caurel asked, picking up one of the loose leaf pages, which had sketches of gauntlets. "Like, really close-range? Is that possible?"

"Kobra..."

"Oh! I forgot." She dropped the paper with an apologetic bow. "No touching without permission. My bad."

"I'm so close... I know I can make this work."

"Do they stamp the ink, or...?"

"I'm working on a device that releases a large amount of ink in one quick burst."

"That... doesn't travel very far?"

"Yeah, but the pro is that it deals an insane amount of damage, more than any other weapon type. But... none of the math adds up the way I want it to. At this rate, I won't be able to make it do its thing without knocking back the wielder."

"Nothing is impossible for you, Ecto," Caurel shook her head. "You'll get it eventually, I just know it."

"Thanks, Kobra."

"Why don't you take a break? Have you gotten any fresh air lately?"

"Um..." Ecto checked her wrist. "It's been about four hours, so I guess I could use some sunshine."

"He's not here, sorry," Caurel joked, ushering a hearty laugh from the tinkerer.

"It's okay, I've got the best cheering section already," she shrugged, rising from her seat. 

"Thanks for that, Ecto," Caurel said with a wide grin as she picked up her bag. The two opened the horizontal cellar door and stepped outside into the sunlight, Ecto sipping lovingly at her coffee.

"So, what's in the bag?"

"Well... It's a present." She slowly unzipped the duffle bag and gently pulled out an outfit wrapped in a plastic coating for protection. It was a sport coat and slacks that looked very familiar to the young inventor. 

"Is this... That design you showed me?"

"Yep," Caurel nodded emphatically. "What do you think?"

"I love it," she said, admiring the gear designs sewn in that shone silver when the sunlight hit them at the right angle. "It's even better than the picture... This is for me?"

"It was always for you," the bespectacled Inkling smiled, pink ink rushing to her cheeks. "Do you want it?"

"Of course I want it," she laughed. "Are you kidding? It looks so great! You must have worked so hard... Matter of fact, I think I'll close shop early today just so I can clean up and try this on."

"You're sweet, Ecto."

"Nah," she chuckled, closing the cellar and running across the lawn to the front door, with Caurel following close behind. "Hey Dads," she announced as she opened the front door, "I'm gonna jump in the shower real quick. Caurel will entertain you."

"Welcome back, Caurel," one of Ecto's dads greeted from the living room, where he was hard at work folding a mountain of clothes. "I feel like I haven't seen you in forever!"

"I know, Pop," Caurel giggled. "I missed you for those long few minutes, too."

"But not moi?" 

"I missed you, too, Dad," the bespectacled Inkling said, zooming into the kitchen to wave at another adult, who was pouring hot chicken broth into a pot full of other ingredients. "What can I say? You're both my favorite."

"You warm my heart, Coral Reef," he said with a smile. "As always. Hey, are you staying for dinner? In case you couldn't tell, I'm making my one-of-a-kind-"

"-World-famous chicken lime risotto?" Caurel finished. "I wouldn't miss it for the world."

"She could tell just by the smell," the turquoise-tentacled man cheered in a sing-song voice. "Magnificent. You and your brother have the best noses. Speaking of which, where is my apprentice chef?"

"Ranked Battles," Caurel said, hopping up on the kitchen counter. 

"Should've known," he smiled knowingly. 

"I remember when there was no Ranked," Pop stated loudly from the living room.

"Oh Great Zapfish, here we go," his husband said as if he wasn't going to enjoy the oncoming ramble, unable to stifle a wide grin.

"We only had one mode of battle, and it was TOUGH! None of those fancy Abilities, no, no, if you wanted things done, you had to do 'em the hard way! And if someone didn't show up, tough break! Either fight with a three-person team or go home. I remember the time I had a full team against one person - but do you know who that one person just HAD to be?"

"Master Aqua," Dad said under his breath, chuckling. 

"Master Aqua," Pop said in a booming voice, as if the very name demanded respect. "She was younger than most battlers, but do you know why they called her Master? Because she dominated every battle anyone ever remembered her being a part of. And that was when battling well wasn't guaranteed. Our ink tanks weren't such high quality as they've got now, and sometimes our Specials didn't even work! Ah, harder times, those."

"You sound like an old grandpa in there," Dad called, stirring the concoction on the stove. 

"Old? Come here, you!" Pop dropped the plaid long-sleeve he had been folding and ran into the kitchen to scoop his husband into a bear hug. 

"You guys are so adorable," Caurel sighed. 

"Yeah, so adorable it's gross," Ecto said with a grin as she returned to the living room, freshly clean and wearing the clothes Caurel had made for her, boots and all. 

"Oh my gods," Pop said as the three stepped out of the kitchen to get a better look. "That looks so good on you! Caurel, you designed this?"

"She did," Ecto grinned. "She's a genius."

"I try," Caurel said, blushing. 

"Ohh, my baby girl looks so gorgeous," Dad said, stepping closer to give his daughter a tight hug. 

"Careful, Dad, don't wrinkle it," Ecto said, smoothing out the black fabric of the jacket.

"Hey, now," the adult Inkling said, patting her on the back before returning to his risotto. "Thank you, Caurel, it's wonderful."

"Yeah," Ecto nodded. "Thanks. I don't think I've ever looked this good."

"Whatever," Caurel laughed. 

"No, but seriously. I don't know how to repay you. You worked so hard... When did you have the time, with the tournament still going on?"

"You don't have to get me anything," Caurel shook her head. "Just... Just promise me you'll wear it to the Spring Festival next year?"

"You've got a deal," Ecto smiled. "Okay, let me change out of this before it gets dirty."

"O... Okay," Caurel said, dejected, as Ecto headed back to her room.

"That went right over her head, didn't it?" Dad asked from the kitchen.

"Yep," Caurel nodded, sighing. 

"Don't take it personal, dear," Pop said. "You've just gotta smack her in the face with it instead of dropping hints."

"Chin up, Coral Reef," Dad said. "You've still got half a year to think of something."

"I'm... I'm getting tired of this."

"What do you mean?" Pop asked. Caurel simply hugged him, not wanting to talk anymore.

\/\/\/\/\/

"This is it... Calm... Stay calm... Be one with the stage... One with the ink... One with the Zapper..." 

Pyxis glanced down at the orange weapon in their left hand. running the fingers of their right along its barrel.

"Help me make some sweet art, my good friend."

Day ten of the tournament had come. The first of four battles was the Fabulous Killjoys against Tropical Mermaids. Pyxis' moment had come. They had already asked Ankyr to watch them, only them, for this battle, and it was too late to back down now. Their mind was overtaken with many feelings. Today, they planned to unleash all of those feelings in a torrent of ink and guts. Their love for Turf War... And their newly flourishing feelings for a certain Inkling.

'Don't think too much about him... His smile... His words...That smile...’ They shook their head, administering a gentle slap to their right cheek. 'Stop that... Breathe... Calm... I'm calm..."

"You ready, my pet?" It was Penny. Pyxis nodded, venturing into the spawn pool. They glanced toward the crowd, and sure enough, Ankyr was right there in front. Their cheeks went orange, but they shook their head again, gave a thumbs up, and sank slowly into the pool. 

'Calm... Calm."

The announcement came, and the teams rose up from their spawn points, waiting...

KAPOW!

Pyxis threw a Sprinkler, forward and to the right, before turning to the left and waving their N-Zap '89 in wide arcs, letting out a spray of ink. They ducked into octopus form, pushed themself forward a bit, and jumped off of the starting platform, reverting and inking more turf on the way down. They sprayed in a circle around themself while their teammates covered the rest of the base - all but Rocky, who was already rolling toward the center - then moved up the ramp to their right, spraying as they went.

They knew Urchin Underpass like the back of their hand by now, and had three different basic opening strategies. Their favorite was tackling the right-hand passageway the ramp led up to, throwing a Sprinkler into the center via the enclosed "doorway" at the end, and turning back around to cover the lower level, fence and all - or at least, whatever was left. Penny had taken her Slosher to the area, but had left several intentional gaps as she hastily made her way toward the center area; these were all filled now by Pyxis' main weapon. They then dove into the thick of things from that very same enclosed "doorway", splatting Athena, the roller main, on the way down before aiming their Inkstrike at the center and throwing another Sprinkler, this time onto the opposing team's side. All of this within the first twenty seconds. 

They doubled back around to cover anything that had been missed on their side, while the rest of their team pressed onward to the other end. Once the incline area on their side was covered, they tossed a Sprinkler over the central gap to spray on the Mermaids' incline area, before taking the left-hand ramp down to the lowest level. A Sprinkler had been set here, which they quickly disposed of, along with two Ink Mines - one of which almost got them, but they managed to set off the other with their N-Zap. They noticed the opposition's charger user, Nietzsche, firing a few rounds to cover what their previous Sprinkler had done, so instead of charging in blindly, they threw another and finished off the gap, letting loose an Inkstrike in her general direction.

"Thanks for holding the center, dear," Caurel squeaked as she and Rocky swam past. 

"There wasn't anything to hold," Pyxis laughed as they followed the two up the incline to their opponents' side of the stage. "You guys must've been holding them up ahead."

"Yep, and they should be coming, right about..." 

SPLOOSH! The firing of an Inkzooka announced the arrival of Athena, the Carbon Roller user. Pyxis swam back into the gap when they also noticed Martha, the squad's leader, swimming full-speed in Kraken mode. She managed to splat Caurel with a spinning leap, before reverting to human form and spraying in a wide arc with her Aerospray PG - just before being splatted by Rocky. 

Pyxis swam up the alleyway ramp and through the fence there, rising to cover blue with orange. The Rapid Blaster wielder, Sonata, followed them, but they could hear her coming a mile away. They set a sprinkler and dove into the ink, swimming around the corner before zooming right back and popping up to splat her. At this point, the Mermaids had regained control of the center, so Pyxis threw another Sprinkler, launched their Inkstrike as soon as it became available, and dove into the ink hurricane to splat two of the others - Martha was taken out by Penny's Slosher - before pressing on to the opponents' side. Rocky came with them, while Penny and Caurel doubled back to clean up their base area.

The Octoling leaped through the fence and sprayed a wide arc of ink at the bottom level before swimming up the opposite incline to throw a Sprinkler back toward the center, while Rocky rolled right up the ramps with his Carbon Roller Deco. They swam back to meet him at the enemy base, but before they could rendezvous, Rocky was splatted by Burst Bombs from Martha and Athena. They swam back the other way as fast as they could, pursued by all four of the Tropical Mermaids. 

They took the incline instead of the fenced way, dropped down to the center, and swam for one of the two ramps on either side of the central valley. Just before they would have been done in by Nietzsche's Kelp Splatterscope, they swam up the ramp, reverted to human form, and spun around in midair, spraying orange ink everywhere. Hearing Burst Bombs being hurled their way, they backflipped away as soon as they had landed, getting caught with the spray but not the full impact. They fired their N-Zap in midair, aiming as best they could, and took out Athena and Sonata. They then reverted to Octo form right before hitting the ink, and quickly swam to safety.

"Good job, bro," Rocky said as he passed them on his way to the center. Caurel and Penny Super Jumped to Pyxis and followed Rocky in, and their Octoling friend did the same once they caught their breath. In a few moments, it was over, and the Killjoys were once again victorious, with Pyxis leading the pack at more than a thousand points of turf inked on their own.

Friends and fans jumped down into the valley to congratulate the Killjoys - and console the Mermaids. Ankyr stared up at Pyxis, who was letting out deep breaths and returning their breathing to normal on the upper area. 

"All that..." He had a look of mystified amazement in his eyes, and not the usual warm smile. "That was all for me?"

Pyxis didn't know what they would say in response; they didn't know what they should say or do. Tired, aching, adrenaline rushing, they just did what they wanted: they jumped down, threw their arms around Ankyr, N-Zap '89 still in their left hand, and kissed him. The entire surrounding crowd cheered, and Ankyr's eyes popped wide open. When they finally released him and took their lips from his, they apologized. 

"I'm sorry... I'll try to warn you next time, I promise."

"Next time?"

"Do you... want there to be a next time?"

"Very much," he laughed, before clearing his throat. "Um... I mean..."

"Good. Because I want to kiss you, Ankyr... I want to... do a lot of things to you."

"TO me?"

"With you," they corrected, blushing. "I... I thought I'd sworn off this kind of thing, but I guess I want you to be my boyfriend or something. If you're looking for the job..."

"Pyxis..." Ankyr took their hands in his, his face visibly glowing. "I'd love to. But... I can't."

"You... can't?"

"Yes, you can," Caurel said, stepping out of the crowd to grab Ankyr by the arm. "Say yes, Ankyr."

"Caurel..."

"You can. It's okay. The past is the past. This is your present. Embrace it."

"Caurel..." Ankyr let go of Pyxis to hug Caurel tight, shedding tears on her shoulders. "I'm always gonna be there for you."

"I know, Sunshine. Now say yes."

Ankyr let her go and wiped his eyes, turning to face Pyxis again. 

"Pyxis... Yes. Yes," he couldn't help but giggle as he took their hands again. "I want... I wanna..."

"I WANNA KNOW WHAT LOVE IS," Penny and Caasi sang at the top of their lungs, making the two blush. "I WANT YOU TO SHOW ME. I WANNA FEEL WHAT LOVE IS. I KNOW YOU CAN SHOW ME!"

"Boooooo," Rocky yelled. "Get a life! And you two, get a room!" His sister elbowed him in the side as usual, and the crew laughed.

"Wanna run off into the sunset?" Ankyr asked. Pyxis grinned.

"Boy, do I ever."

They started running, and the crowd cleared out room for them.

"It's still morning," Rocky yelled after them. 

"Nobody cares!"

\/\/\/\/\/

"Hey Mom, you mind if we have another sleepover?"

"I didn't get enough of my wonderful young adults the last time, so yes please," Umi said, smiling at Ankyr and Pyxis, who had come by ahead of time. She set her mug down and rose to her feet, leading them inside the house. "Let's go prepare the place. How many? The usual bunch, or are other squads coming again?"

"We've got the Killjoys, Feel Good, Runaways, Eighty 8s, Sharks, and... My friends across the water wanted to come, but only Shera can make it."

"Oh that's fine, I love Shera!"

"Carina might be able to come later." Umi turned around and made a face at the mention of the Octoling woman. 

"...I'll allow it." 

"I swear she'll be on her best behavior," Pyxis laughed. 

"Mom, before we get started," Ankyr said, as they walked down the hall, "I have an announcement. Or..." He blushed violet. "We have one. Um..." Umi's jaw dropped, and she glanced between the two.

"No way! Are you... Are you about to say, what I think you're about to say?" She turned her attention to Pyxis. "Is he about to say-?" They nodded. Umi covered her mouth with her palms. 

"Mom... Pyxis and I are... well... dating."

"Hold that thought," Umi said, turning the doorknob to the spare room and opening the door, a sparkle in her eyes. "Be just a sec." She slammed the door behind her, but the two could hear her jumping around and shouting. "Yes! YES! Yesyesyesyesyesyesyes, YEEES!" 

A moment later, she came out of the spare room with blankets under both arms, clearing her throat, and saw the two young adults' faces both blushing bright orange. 

"Mom," Ankyr started slowly, "we... don't have sound-proof walls." Umi let out a "hmph" and lifted her head up at this, marching to the living room with her dignity intact and setting down the blankets.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"So... I'm guessing you're happy about it?"

"Are you KIDDING?" She rounded on him, running toward the two to throw her arms around them both. "I'm JUBILANT. I'm on cloud nine! Why, I..." She grabbed hold of Pyxis and stared into their smiling eyes. "I could NEVER in a million years find such a wonderful, kind, clever, amazing person for my young man as this person right here!"

"Umi," Pyxis laughed, still blushing, "I think you might be a little biased."

"Are you kiddin'? I'm COMPLETELY biased! I'm one hundred percent biased! All aboard the Pyxis hype train! Ohh gods I think I need decaf."  This earned her more laughs. She took each of their hands and clasped them together. "Oh, but you two... You'll be very happy! I know you'll both be good for each other, I mean you already are! And you'll take good care of my special guy." Pyxis nodded. "And Ankyr, you'll take good care of my dear, dear, friend." 

"Of course!"

"Oh... You two..." She squeezed them both tight again. "This is the best present I could ask for! And it's not even my birthday!" 

"I guess this means we're not allowed to sleep next to each other in the cushion pile anymore?" Pyxis asked, pulling out more mattresses and blankets.

"What, are you kidding? I let Penny and Caasi, why wouldn't I let you two? Besides, just remember... This is my house, I am the mother, and I. Hear. Everything."

"We're... not at that stage," Ankyr said, blush intensifying. "I don't even think we know what stage we're on."

"It's true, if there's one thing I didn't prepare you for, it was this."

"He's doing fine," Pyxis assured her. 

"Fine at what?" Ankyr asked. They shrugged. 

"Don't ask me, I'm just as lost as you are."

\/\/\/\/\/

"This is... the first time I've ever been in your room, isn't it?"

"Yep," Ankyr said, gently kicking a shoebox with the Tentatek logo underneath his bed. "I'm... very private when it comes to my room. I don't like anyone being in it, usually. But I needed to bring you here for this."

"Right, you said there needed to be a talk."

"Yeah... He opened his closet and pulled out an old blue notebook - the entire front cover completely covered in ink drawings and scribbles. He sat down on the floor, and Pyxis did the same, waiting for him to begin. "The thing is... If we're gonna be together... I need you to know about this."

"Your journal?"

"No. This is my... 'Caurel notebook'. I've written lots of things about her, like favorite foods and recipes, favorite songs, and all kinds of things that cheer her up, et cetera."

"You love her," Pyxis said, piecing together the notebook with what Caurel had said at the Underpass. "Or, loved. Romantically."

"No," Ankyr shook his head. "That's the problem."

"I don't follow."

"How does Caurel seem to you, hon? What kind of person do you see her as?"

"Selfless," they answered without giving it much thought. "Willing to do anything for her friends."

"True. But she doesn't commit enough time and care to herself. But everyone has their own personal wants and needs, dreams and fears. Caurel is just a person like everyone else."

"Of course."

"She just doesn't tell any of it to anyone. Except me. Because... I'm..." He shook his head. "Guilty."

"Of what?"

"Caurel loved me for years. It took her so long to confess, but she didn't even get to do that the way she planned. It just came out one day... in an awkward way. Our classmates laughed at her. Rocky... silenced them, Rocky-style. It was brutal. But I just sat there, staring at her, then went back to my schoolwork because I didn't know what to say. I didn't feel the same way. I love Caurel. But as a friend, as a surrogate sister. I just couldn't love her 'like that'. And... I don't know if I can ever forgive myself."

"But that's not your fault!" Pyxis took his hand. "You don't have to keep yourself down for something like that. Feelings are feelings. You can't help if it you don't feel the same." 

"That's basically what she said," he scoffed. "When we finally talked about it, I mean. But that didn't keep me from feeling this... heavy guilt. I wanted to do what I could for her, be there for her. She tried to shut herself off from the world, but I got in between the walls she put up. Yes, Caurel acts selflessly. Because she loves everyone so much. Her friends and family mean more to her than anything, and she won't do anything to harm us. But... she needs someone to look after her. Someone she'll let in."

"Hence the notebook."

"Yes. I'm... the Caurel Backup Squad or whatever. And... if we're going to be... a couple... Then I need you to be part of that too."

"I'll do it," they nodded.

"You agreed to that way too fast."

"For Caurel? I'll do it. A person who's given me so much... Not just things, but words of wisdom, words of kindness, love and understanding when I need it... How can I help?"

"Get to know this book," he said, handing her the secret notebook. "And help her when she needs it. She has tells... Like when she rubs her right ear or changes her tone just so..."

"Or randomly assaults her brother." This got a laugh out of him. 

"She definitely needs affection when that happens. Oh, her favorite place to be kissed is her cheek, just in case you're comfortable with that."

"I can kiss a friend on the cheek," they nodded. "I can also do forehead or top of the head."

"Those are nice," Ankyr smiled.

"Oh, really?" Pyxis made a wide grin and rose up to their knees to plant a kiss on his forehead, making him laugh more. He wrapped his arms around them and let out a content sigh.

"Thank you so much for helping me with this. And... thanks for liking me."

"I do. I like you a lot... much to my chagrin. Or whatever."

"Why chagrin?"

"Eh... I'll spill my guts about that later. Right now I just wanna kiss you more."

"Hit me with your best shot," he chuckled. 

"Fire away..."

\/\/\/\/\/

"This is nice."

"Mhmm," Ankyr nodded, his forehead brushing against Pyxis' cheek. The two were lying together in the midst of their friends in his living room, their arms wrapped around each other. Holding each other was a very new experience, and one they didn't want to end, so they figured they'd just each let one arm go numb. 

"This is the cutest thing ever," Penny squeaked from her part of the cushion pile, squeezed between Caasi and Caurel as usual. 

"How does it feel to no longer be repressed?" Rocky asked in a flat tone, which made Pyxis let out a loud laugh. 

"It feels great," they said, pulling Ankyr a bit closer.

"Two down, one to go."

"Whatever that means," Caurel yawned.

"You're still doing the tournament tomorrow, right?"

"Yeah yeah yeah," Pyxis said as they absentmindedly played with Ankyr's hair. 

"Take it easy, Jet-Star," Moises laughed. "They're trying to enjoy their BOOOOOYYYFRIEEEND!" This resulted in a multitude of "OOOOoooOOOOOH"s from the other Killjoys, making Ankyr blush and Pyxis sigh.

"How long are they gonna keep doing that?"

"Probably a few days," Ankyr shrugged. "Rocky and Moises though, probably at least two weeks."

"Great," they said dryly, though their smile had returned. "Wanna go sit on the swing and make out?"

"BOY, do I ever!" This got more laughter from the gang as the two got up and walked outside. Their plains were derailed a bit however, as Umi was sitting on the porch swing, drinking coffee as usual. 

"Sorry, my lovebirds," She grinned. "I was here first."

"Nah, this is just as good," Pyxis shook their head, taking one side of the swing while Ankyr took the other, sandwiching his mother in. 

"Pyxis really loves you, Mom," he laughed. 

"The feeling's mutual," Umi said, planting a kiss atop the Octoling's head before doing the same to her son. 

"Umi's just... so... great. I don't have the words."

"All I ask is that you all grow up to be even better," the adult Inkling smiled. "It won't be hard, I promise."

"Yeah, right!"

\/\/\/\/\/

"Oh hey, Mom, I thought you were up!"

"Everyone left already?"

"Yep," Ankyr laughed, gesturing to the empty, immaculate living room. "Tournament and all. But they still remembered to clean up."

"Why didn't you go with them, dear?" Umi asked, from where she was making a fresh pot of coffee in the kitchen. 

"I'll meet up with them later. I wanted to ask you a favor, Mom."

"Anything for such a gorgeous young man," she smiled, turning around. He held a small brown box that was usually in the bathroom. "You... You want me to cut your hair..."

"I know this is probably..." Ankyr shook his head. "It's time, I think."

"Ankyr... Why did...?" She trailed off, taking the box in her hands. 

"I'm listening, Mom."

"Why did you wait until now?"

"I..." He turned around and walked slowly to the living room, and she followed. "I didn't want to make you sad. I wanted to leave something... of that girl that never existed. Something besides that old photo."

"Photo?" 

He nodded and approached one of the tables, setting down the box to pick up a framed photograph of him as a very small child, with very long tentacles. "You wanted... to hang on to it, just a little bit, right?" He suddenly frowned at the wounded look on his mother's face as she realized what he meant. 

"Oh, no..." She ran to her son and squeezed him tight, cracking the glass frame in the process. "No, no, no, my baby, no. I'm so sorry I let you think that!" 

"I... I don't understand..." Even though he was confused - or possibly the confusion was one cause - he felt tears rolling down his face. Umi pulled him toward the sofa and sat down with him, taking the photograph in her hands, pulling it from the frame and discarding the broken shell. 

"This picture... This was taken on the day... Do you remember when we went to this park? With the huge dinosaurs?"

"Yeah, I wouldn't get down from the Stegosaurus," he laughed. "It's just a few pictures and scenes in my mind now, but I remember."

"It was after we went to the doctor, and I got you ice cream. You were very sad. Do you remember?"

"I..."

"It was the day he left."

"Was it...? Was that the same day?" She nodded. "I guess I forgot."

"Yes. You were very sad. You had been sad for so long, and then he... I remember thinking that what was left of your heart must have broken that day. But you still had to go to the doctor. Ankyr, I... It took everything I had not to break down in front of you in that hospital."

"It's okay to cry, Mom," Ankyr said, wiping tears from his mother's face. 

"I know that, dear. But you were so tiny, and so miserable. I had to smile for you. I had to let you be the only one to cry. At least for that one day." She grasped his hand in hers. "Oh, honey, I was afraid you'd never smile again. But after the doctor, we got ice cream, and went to the park... And then I saw it. That beautiful smile. For the first time in days." She held up the photo. "It wasn't me who snapped this, it was Tia. She was the one who was with us. She was the one who kept me strong. But in that moment, after she took that photo, I finally broke down crying."

"I remember," he nodded. "I ran to you. I kept asking what was wrong. But you just hugged me. Mom... I had no idea!" She embraced him again, rubbing his back.

"There are just some things..."

"Some things kids can't understand, even if you explain it to them."

"No, son," she shook her head, letting him go. "Not because you're kids. Just because you haven't experienced it the same way."

"I guess."

"I kept this photo," she said, taking it in both hands, "not to hold on to something that was never there. I kept it because that was the moment the world stopped crashing down around me. It was the moment I finally thought, 'everything's gonna be okay'. It's been hard... There's no doubt of that. And I know I've screwed up too many things to count. And I could never give you everything you deserve... But we made it. Without him, without... all the people who refused to love you as you are. Somehow or another, I... I raised you. I raised a beautiful, intelligent, kind, wonderful son. This photo, this..." She let it fall to the floor, and held her son's face in her hands. "There is no little girl in that photo, baby. There's a little boy. There is only my little boy!"

"Mom!" Ankyr threw his arms around his mother, sobbing, and she rubbed his back again. 

"I've promised you this... many times in your life. But here it is again. I will always be your mother. Life tossed me around, kicked me when I was down... toughened me up for that one reason. So I can be your strength when the world's falling down around you. If you're ever in trouble, you come lay your head on my shoulder. No matter what. Mama's right here. I'm not leaving. And I will always, always love you."

"I love you, too."

"So," she said, smiling, as she let him go and wiped away tears - his, and her own. "What's the fresh new look the young adults are into these days?" "I don't know about all that, but... There is a certain look I'd like..."

\/\/\/\/\/

"Look who finally showed up," Rocky said as Ankyr entered the Yellow Submarine. "Where've you-wait WHAT?" 

Rocky jumped up and ran to his best friend, who looked like a whole new person. He was so used to seeing Ankyr with long tentacles tied up in the back, but if the other Inkling were to cut his hair, he never imagined it like this. All of the tentacles were neatly cut to just above the shoulder in the back, and parted to the right in front, eventually curving upward to a small rounded point.

"H... Hey, guys," Ankyr said, a faint tinge of blue on his cheeks. "What do you think?"

"'A' plus plus," Caurel shouted. 

"Ten outta ten," Caasi cheered. 

"I like it," Rocky shrugged, going back to his food as Pyxis rose to meet their boyfriend. 

"I love it," they said, beaming, unable to keep from playing with his hair. "You look so fine."

"Thanks," he said, blush intensifying as they wrapped their arms around him and pressed their lips against his. 

"Oh..." Pyxis pulled back. "Sorry, I keep forgetting to say something beforehand."

"It's okay," he shook his head, smiling, before returning the kiss.

"I'M EATING HERE!" Rocky yelled from the booth.

"Whatever," Pyxis laughed, pulling Ankyr to the booth by the hand. "You're just mad that we lost."

"You guys lost?" Ankyr asked, wide-eyed. 

"I mean, against the Runaways, did we stand much of a chance?" 

"Hey, we are just as good as them," Rocky shouted. 

"Shut up and eat your pasta," Caurel sighed. Rocky stuffed spaghetti into his mouth, but made angry eating noises.

"Who all played?" Ankyr asked as his own plate of pasta arrived in front of him without even having to order. "Oh... Thanks, Jude!" 

"No big," the waiter winked before moving fluidly across the restaurant to his next table.

"Tandy and Ty," Pyxis began. "And Jubilee and Bruiser. Against me, Jet-Star, Caurel, and Penny."

"Ecto was gonna play," Penny said, finally looking up from where she and Caasi had been daydreaming in each other's arms. "But she was busy, so I jumped in."

"Ghoul, you've been showing up to battle less and less for a while now," Rocky said. "I'm concerned. Is there a health issue?"

"No, I've just been busy with a lot of new ideas," Ecto shook her head, putting the notepad away and grabbing a butterknife. She opened a few packets of butter to spread on a breadstick as she spoke. "And I keep getting more all the time. Some of us are trying to build our futures, y'know."

"Oh yeah, by the way, I'm set," Penny said, eyes lighting up. "I signed a new five-and-some-change-film contract that's gonna have me working for like, at least the next decade."

"That's a long time," Moises said. "Kids are gonna grow up as those movies come out."

"Wow, I never thought of it that way..."

“We’ll have our business built by then,” Caurel said, to which Moises nodded. “You can put some of our clothes in your movies!”

“I’ll ask,” Penny laughed, definitely excited by the idea.

"Time passes so fast," Pyxis said. "When you really think about it..."

"It's the last year of high school," Caurel said slowly. Ankyr, Ecto, and Moises lowered their heads. "Sorry, guys."

"Not this again," Rocky sighed. "Why do you guys always have to be downers? Why can't we just enjoy the present while it lasts?"

"Because it's not going to last very long," Ecto said. Everyone stared at her - except for Rocky, who tried to stare her down. "Let's face it, the future's coming right at us at a merciless speed. And we can't fight it. We can't stop it."

"It's bulletproof," Moises nodded.

"I don't want things to change," Rocky said, his eyes filling with tears. "I want us to battle every day and eat at the Submarine and crash at each other's houses like we always have."

"But Rocky," Pyxis said, shaking their head, "you've already changed. You don't jump right to the lobby after school anymore. You go to the beach and clean up the trash. You've done it so much that we got Bluefin Depot back. You've changed. You care about something other than Turf War." Rocky had no answer to this, and moved his chair to look away from the table.

"We can still play Turf War," Ankyr said. "Tandy and Ty do it - and they've been in college for two years. We'll find the time, because it's something we care about."

"Two things we care about," Moises said. "Turf War... and spending time with each other."

"Couldn't have said it better myself," Caasi nodded.

"So, that settles it," Penny said. "Things are going to change. And we're going to change with them. Together." 

"Okay," Rocky said, turning back to his squad. "That doesn't sound too bad, after all."

"To the future, then," Caurel said. "With a hollow-point smile."

"TO THE FUTURE!"

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((I want to give a super special Thank You to anyone who’s read this entire thing, all ten chapters of what has become possibly my favorite work. These young adults have been such a big part of my life and my mental real estate for the past few years. I honestly intended to wrap this up like two years ago, but eh, life happens. Seriously though, if you’ve grown to love these characters as you read this story, then I’m so so happy, and I’ve successfully done my job. 

Well... PART of my job. There are other books to come, after all.

Yes, I know, there are still LOTS of unanswered questions and unresolved plot threads, but trust me, we will get to a lot of them soon, and the rest... eventually. If there’s something you’re burning to know, feel free to ask me! I can at least tell you when it’ll be answered in the story! 

Book 2 will cover the rest of Ankyr, Rocky, Caurel, and Ecto’s school year, and the time directly after - Spring vacation and maybe the start of university for a bunch of our young adults, though I am saving most (if not all) of the university stuff for book 3. Or, planning to. We’ll see how it goes. IF you read through this whole thing, then you know there aren’t many actual matches. This is because I’m bad at writing action scenes (though writing this series has definitely forced me to get better at it), and it takes me forever to do so. So you can expect about the same amount, or maybe even less, in the second book. That being said, I really hope you enjoyed the final battle scene I put in here, Pyxis’ “work of art and message to Ankyr”. I put everything I had into making it stand out and be the best battle in this book. So if you enjoyed it, I am doubly grateful.

...And I think I’m done blathering for now. Get outta here, you party animals! 

"I've got news," Pyxis said. "My friends were planning to visit next week, but it looks like they're able to come by today. Ankyr and I already vote yes. What's everyone else's vote?"

"Of course," Caurel smiled. "We'd love to meet your friends from across the water, honey!"

"I've got no problems with it," Rocky shrugged.

"We've been making new friends left and right anyway," Abbey giggled. "The more, the merrier!"

"Awesome, I'll let them know," Pyxis said, the chromatophores on their face shifting to faint traces of the same violet in their tentacles.

"I'm excited," Ankyr said, jumping up and down.

"You really like them?"

"Yeah! I mean..."

"What?"

"Let's be honest, Cygnus is kind of a jerk."

"You don't have to mince words, Pretty Harmless. He's a lot of a jerk," Pyxis laughed. "But I think he'll be glad to see you."

"Me?"

"H..." a new voice chimed in.

"H...?" Penny echoed, confused, as they all turned to face a newcomer.

"Hello!" an Inkling finally said, far too loudly. "I'm sorry, but..."

"Hey, Tiger," Rocky said, taking the young woman's hand and pulling her into their circle. "What's up? Oh, guys, this is Tiger, the leader of the squad we're fighting today! And one of our biggest fans!"

Tiger's face quickly matched the turquoise of her tentacles. She habitually gripped the bill of her Streetstyle Cap, which had Rocky and Pyxis' signatures scrawled onto it.

"Hey, we were on a team in my first Ranked Battle," Pyxis said, extending their hand to Tiger, who slowly shook it. "How have you been?"

"W... Well..."

"Ah, you're in shy mode because everyone's here," Pyxis said, giving her a pat on the shoulder. "Relax, we're just regular people."

"Are you 'T!grSHARK4'?" Ecto asked. Tiger did everything she could to hide her face, which was still burning hot.

"That's me..."

"I thought so, you've liked pretty much every post on our page."

"Why haven't you come to party with us these past few days?" Rocky asked. "I was waiting for you guys."

"You were?! I mean... I didn't think..." She lowered her head and finished her sentence under her breath. "...I was worthy..."

"You're always welcome to hang. So feel free to round up the squad and come party in the audience with us after this."

"Rocky... You're the best!"

"Hehe, thank you, thank you."

"But... I'm not going to hold back! Even if it's you guys! So... Don't go easy on me, either!"

"I wouldn't want it any other way," Rocky grinned. "Well, there's the announcer; we should get to our places."

"Right! Good luck, guys!"

"Ankyr, are you ready?" Pyxis turned to their best friend.

"Yep," he said, patting his Heavy Splatling Remix. "Good to go."

"I'll cheer you on," they nodded.

"I'll look forward to it," he grinned. "Let's go, guys."

For this battle, it would be Rocky, Caurel, Ecto, and Ankyr against Tiger and her squad . Abbey and Moises would be using Ecto's tablet until she returned to the viewing area. Not that she had much need for the tablet, other than marking who won each battle - the preliminary round had not only given her plenty of information, it had also burned her out, and she swore she'd try to be a regular spectator from now on.

The battlers turned pink and made their way to their spawn pool, diving in until they heard the announcer telling everyone to prepare. Back in solid form, they waited...

KA-POW!

Rocky rolled left. Ecto fired a long streak diagonally to the right. Caurel used this free path to swim ahead while Ankyr stayed back to spray the entire home base area with his splatling. Everyone pressed onward, and Ankyr dropped down to cover their valley section. Meanwhile, Tiger's crew stormed the center right away, leaving their base practically untouched. Once the series of ramps in the center of the stage was covered with turquoise, two of their players Super Jumped back to ink their base, while Tiger and a defender-type player, Bonnet, remained to serve up furious resistance to the Killjoys moving in.

Tiger sent a Seeker down the ramp toward the Killjoys' side before inking the narrow wall that led up to their alleyway and climbing as fast as she could. She sent another Seeker down the alley before focusing her attention on firing at anyone who climbed up the center ramps. Bonnet launched an Inkstrike at the Killjoys' valley section that barely missed Ankyr, who quickly turned his attention to cleaning up the mess. Once that was done, he swam back up the entrance ramp and along the right-hand passage, throwing a Sprinkler down to the lower area.

Meanwhile, Ecto's Kelp Splat Charger was making it hard for Tiger and Bonnet to hold the center, so the former backed down the alley, and the latter retreated toward her own side of the map. She was soon backed up by Zebra and Thresher, who rushed in with their brush and roller to take back the center. The latter noticed Ankyr moving into the alleyway above, and devised a nefarious plot right away.

"Ink me up," they said, nodding toward the alley passage. Zebra nodded, throwing a Sprinkler before falling back a bit, knowing just what to do. Once Thresher got close enough, Zebra launched an Inkstrike at the center area, driving the enemy away and giving their teammate a chance to swim up into the alley unseen.

"Oh, you're here, too?" Thresher asked with a wild cackle, when they saw Tiger launching a Seeker toward Ankyr. They pushed their roller forward, following the Seeker, then swinging it wildly at the male Inkling, who dropped down to the lower level to avoid being splatted.

"That was great," Tiger cheered before chasing after Ankyr.

"Yahaha! I claim this land in the name of me!" Thresher planted a Squid Beakon near the drop-down point, before swimming back to plant one next to the exit at the center area. Rocky and Caurel had long covered it and split for other areas, so they set to flinging ink from above - until Ecto popped out of nowhere and - KAPOW! - they were splatted.

"Uuurgh!" Thresher's frustrated ghost growled. "Why wasn't I expecting that? That was such an obvious Ecto trap! I've watched her do that a million times! Whatever, don't worry, don't worry, pull it together. I WILL impress these guys!"

Ankyr was chased by Tiger all the way back to the center, where Ecto almost splatted her - before Ecto herself was splatted by an Inkstrike from Bonnet. Ankyr narrowly avoided the Inkstrike and went about inking the center, but was splatted when a freshly respawned Thresher dropped down in Kraken mode, annihilating Rocky along with him.

Tiger used one of Thresher's Beakons to Super Jump back into the fray, destroying a Sprinkler Ecto had set up on their side and cleaning up before charging onto the center valley, unleashing fast-moving ink twisters with her Inkzooka. This kept Caurel busy long enough for the full Shark squad to move forward as one into the Killjoys' side. Zebra was taken out by one of Caurel's Ink Mines, and chaotic battle ensued once more when Ecto and Rocky dropped down to the bottom level with surprise attacks. Ankyr, taking the alleyways yet again, poured plenty of ink down from above to reclaim the center area, and Caurel... had suddenly disappeared from the action.

"Oh, I've got twenty-five coins for the sea show clanking in the backseat, whoa-oh. I've got thirty-two seashells lined up in a row..." Caurel happily sang as she covered the turqoise side in pink, pausing and hiding in a corner when she noticed Zebra rising out of the spawn pool. The younger Inkling, hesitant, flung their brush wildly to cover the pink ink and swam forward, repeating the process every few feet. When they dropped down to the valley, they triggered another Ink Mine, this time getting away just quickly enough.

"Not falling for that again," Zebra sighed... right before Caurel popped out of her corner and slashed her brush at them, sending them floating right back to the spawn point. Unable to keep from giggling, Caurel re-inked the entrance ramp and climbed up to the higher level, brushing quickly down the alley as Zebra respawned again.

"And I'll swim, swim, swim, to my darling Martha... And let her lay me down in the bay where the warm winds blow~"

"Are you singing 'Martha's Bay' by the Seagulls?" Penny shouted from the audience, loud enough to be heard over the stage music.

"'There's no way you could hear me over the sound of Squid Squad" Caurel shouted back.

"I read your beautiful lips!" This sent Caurel into a giggle fit.

"I love you."

"Boooo!" Rocky shouted as he took out Thresher. "Get a room!"

"But their love for each other is like our love," Ankyr said with a wink.

"You really are a sea turtle."

"Hey, only Pyxis can call me-" SPLASH! Ankyr fell prey to Bonnet's Heavy Splatling.

"FOR ANKYR!" Rocky jumped up and flung his roller down before rolling toward Bonnet - and getting caught in a freshly thrown Splash Wall.

"I love it when he does that," Tiger squeaked. She and her team moved on to ink as much as possible before the whistle blew... But the winners were the Fabulous Killjoys.

"SO CLOSE!" Thresher fell face-forward, letting out a small "ow" when they hit the ground.

"That was awesome," Ankyr said, letting out a sigh of relief and dropping to a sitting position. "I vote me out of the next match though."

"I was so sure we had you," Tiger chuckled, shaking hands with Rocky as the two teams gathered. "Congrazzles. You get to keep going."

"So do you guys," Ecto said, pulling Thresher up off the ground and wiping ink from their face. "In the bottom bracket. You could still win this tournament if you don't get beaten again."

"You really believe we could do that?" Zebra asked.

"Anything can happen," Caurel said. "Expecially with your brush skills. Don't give up."

"We're still hanging out in the audience, right?" Rocky asked Tiger, pushing up the brim of her cap, unable to resist smiling at his own signature.

"Y... yeah! Um... Rocky... Can I...? Can you teach me..."

"How to battle like a champ?" he asked with a wink.

"...How to be like you."

"Aw... Honey..." He patted her on the head and tilted her chin up. "No."

"What? But... I can handle it! Whatever you throw at me, I'll face it! You saw me rock today's battle, didn't you?"

"Look, Tiger... Being me is pretty great." His sister rolled her eyes at this. "Like, for me. But only for me. I don't want you to be me. I want you to be you."

"But I'm... I'm just..."

"Funny? Super cool? A great leader who knows her team like the back of her hand because they're also her best friends?"

"Not as cool as you, though."

"I mean, hard to argue with that," he laughed. "But I feel that way about someone too, you know."

"What?"

"Yeah, the guy sitting over there gasping for breath."

"I'm not gasping! My breathing has returned to normal!"

"We call him 'Sunshine' because he does his best to cheer everyone on, and let them know how much they matter, even when he's feeling terrible inside. I mean, we really call him that because Tia used to sing 'You Are My Sunshine' to him in about three different languages when she rocked him as a baby-"

"Dude! Soy sauce!"

"What? Everyone knows!"

"I'm telling the fan club right now," Zebra said, tapping away at their phone.

"Sure, he has a breaking point," Rocky continued, "just like everyone else, but until he hits it, he'll do everything he can to clear away everyone else's storm clouds. He always tries to say the right thing, he never tries to push anyone's buttons unless they need pushing, and you'll never hear him put anyone down. He's the most comfortable person to be around. I'll never be like that, and I wish I could be. I'm supportive, yes, but I'm just the aggressive meathead."

"There is so much more to you than that," Tiger said, frantically shaking her head. "So, so, so much more!"

"And more to you," Rocky nodded.

"...Right..."

"I have tons of people I look up to. My parents. My uncles. My teammates. But just like them, there's something I've got, that someone else doesn't. It's true, sometimes it seems like... I'm a speck of dust compared to them. I know what it's like to want to be someone else... But I'll never stop being myself. And I hope you never stop being you, either. I like you just the way you are."

"You guys coming or what?" Caasi shouted from the rooftops.

"Yeah, yeah," Ecto replied, as the gang moved out of the battlefield.

"He... likes me just the way I am," Tiger said, her face burning turquoise as she locked arms with her team.

"You're so lucky," Zebra sighed, shaking their head.

"I can't believe Ecto touched me," Thresher exhaled, still in a daze. They pressed their fingers gingerly against their face. "On my... f... f... face..."

"You're SO LUCKY!"

"I guess you two do have some things in common," Ankyr said, throwing one arm each over the shoulders of Rocky and Caurel.

"What? We have loads of similarities," Caurel said. "Like... Uh..."

"Whatever," Rocky sighed.

"I couldn't live without both of you. There's one thing."

"'Without either of you'," Caurel corrected.

"Nope. Couldn't live without both."

\/\/\/\/\/

"And Big Blue takes the win! Looks like Tidal Wave is dropping down to battle Launch Hearts in the bottom bracket's second round! That'll be... the day after tomorrow."

"You could be a commentator," Thresher said. "A great one, at that."

"Really?" Ecto chuckled. "Thanks!" The younger Inkling's cheeks turned turquoise, and they stared at their shoes as they tried to utter a response.

"D... Don't mention it... Thanks for... letting me sit here, by the way."

"What do you mean?"

"...Never mind."

"That was a boring match," Rocky yawned. "Big Blue had control the whole time. Felt like the other guys didn't exactly know what they were doing."

"Everyone has bad battles," Caurel pointed out.

"Whatever, now it's time for the match we've all been waiting for," Corvis said. She and Vega had joined up with the crew only a few matches ago, eager to watch the day's battles while Taurus and Sandro spent their time shopping.

"Thanks a lot," Noodle said. "We were here too, y'know."

"We cheered you on plenty," Penny said. "Hush."

"Why aren't Pyxis and Ankyr back yet?" Tandy asked. "I don't want them to miss this."

"They'd probably care more if we were battling today," Ty said, folding his fingers behind his head. His sister let out a loud laugh at this. Frostbite simply grunted.

"So, Moby," Noodle said, turning to the short-haired Inkling. "You've been doin' great. Having fun with us?"

"You guys rock," Moby nodded. "But I think I know where this is going."

"Wha-?"

"And... Battling with a squad is fun. But I'm a solo act. I can't be your permanent fourth player."

"Ahh..." Noodle fell backwards, caught gracefully by Stuart and Russel.

"I... wouldn't mind coming on every now and then as a guest artist, though!"

"Glad to hears it," Stu smiled. Noodle made no answer, simply lay there in her friends' arms, mumbling to herself.

"Was... so sure... found the one... Auuaaaauuuugghhh..."

"Bring her over here, boys," Penny called. Stu and Rus sat Noodle down in front of Penny, who took out a comb and started playing with her friend's tentacles.

"Uuuuhhhhhhhhhhhhhhghghghhggh" was Noodle's only response.

"I know, honey, I know," Penny said, undoing Noodle's hairties and combing through the blue mess atop her head. "Lean your head back... Now... You'll find another fourth member someday. And they'll be a hundred times better than-"

"Don't speak that creature's name in my presence," Stu shuddered. At this, Russel gave him a great bear hug.

"You're a fantastic squad leader. Your mates love you. You've been together through thick and thin. And when you find the right one, you'll all know. You'll feel it. It'll just hit you-"

"LOOK OUT!"

SMACK!

An inflatable beach ball collided with Noodle's face before falling and bouncing along the rooftop.

"Oohhh... I am so sorry, miss..." A tall Octoling with long green tentacles walked slowly up to the group, scratching the back of his head. "It was my brother's bad serve. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Noodle growled. "It's just life kicking me when I'm down, that's all." The young man gave her a puzzled look, before catching the ball when Bonnet threw it back to him.

"Alright... Um... Hope you feel better... Sorry again!"

"THERE you are," Rocky shouted. The stranger had jogged back to his companions just as Pyxis returned with their own friends in tow. "What took you so long? Why did you trade Ankyr for these randos?"

"Rocky," Caurel sighed. "They're the friends we were supposed to meet today, remember?"

"Oh..."

"Guys, this is Rocky, our squad's leader," Pyxis laughed.

"Nice to meet you," Carina said, stepping forward to shake Rocky's hand. "Don't worry, my 'boyfriend' will be back soon."

"'BOYFRIEND'?" The entire crowd turned their attention to the charismatic newcomer.

"It's just an inside joke," Pyxis hastily assured them. "You'd just have to be there."

"Yeah, he kind of saved me a lot of hassle," Carina shrugged.

"My Sunshine has inside jokes with people I don't know," Moises thought out loud. "Not sure how I feel about this..."

"Well, you know us now," Hans piped up. "She's Carina, I'm Hans, this here is Shera, and the rude guy is Cygnus."

"I haven't said anything rude yet!"

"We all know you will," Shera said as she scooched over to Abbey. "Soooo, what's your name, gorgeous?"

"I'm aromantic," Abbey said between sips of coffee.

"Aw, that's too bad... Are you... asexual, too?"

"They're not sex-repulsed, if that's what you mean," Pyxis jumped in. "That's not what asexual means, though."

"Sweet little Pyxis," Cygnus chuckled, patting his friend on the head. "Always here to educate her friends."

"...You mean their friends," Rocky corrected.

"What? No. You too? Are all Squids okay with the whole fluid-gender thing?"

"You didn't even last five minutes," Hans sighed, covering his face with his palm.

"Look, she was born with lady-parts, am I wrong or am I right?"

"Here's what I know," Rocky began slowly, stepping closer to the Octoling and staring him in the eye. "This particular group of friends respects what people choose to call themselves. When you're with us, you refer to Pyxis as they/them. If you can't handle that, you can swim back home."

"ROCKY!" Caurel grabbed her brother's arm and yanked him down to sit beside her. "They're our guests!"

"And Pyxis is family," he bit back. "Which is more important to you?"

"Wow, they really worship you around here," Cygnus laughed, turning to leave. "Do they even really know you? Your history? What have you been telling them?"

"Cygnus, get back here and act your age," Carina commanded.

"No thanks, Your Majesty."

The group was hushed for some time, the noises of the audience around them and the battle down below, permeating their silent space.

"Sorry about that," Carina finally spoke up. "I told him to behave himself. But he's... how do you say... stuck in his ways."

"He's only twenty-two," Shera rolled her eyes. "He's not 'set in his ways', he's just a stubborn jerk."

"You okay, honey?" Hans asked Pyxis, who was too busy processing their own thoughts to realize they should answer.

"...I'm family?" Pyxis asked, turning toward where Rocky was pouting beside Caurel.

"I'd say so, yeah," Caurel smiled. Ecto nodded her agreement.

"Most definitely, my pet," Penny said, still playing with Noodle's hair.

"You... We haven't even known each other a whole year."

"I like to measure love in quality instead of quantity," Moises said.

"That's the sappiest thing I've ever heard," Hans said. "And I love it. Who are you?"

"Oh yeah, we never got through introductions," Ecto said. "That's Moises, I'm Ecto, the one beside Rocky is his sister Caurel, the one in the seats above us playing with her friend's hair is Penny - the friend is Noodle, by the way..."

"Leader of Feel Good Ink!" Noodle piped up, jumping up from her seat. "Pleased to meetcha! If you're looking for a squad, we've got an empty slot to fill!"

"You have no idea what's going on, do you?" Jamie asked, peeking up from his sketchbook.

"Not at all! Who are the new people?"

\/\/\/\/\/

By the time they finished introductions, the Runaways' battle had already started. Most of the gang was cheering them on, while Caurel and Moises entertained Carina and Hans with conversation about how they had met Pyxis and what they all liked to do together, and what they planned to do once the day's matches were over. Shera, on the other hand, was fascinated by this new sport, and sat by Ecto and Thresher and asked the two to explain all sorts of things. Rocky and Tiger stood closeby in case either of them wanted to jump into the conversation, but kept their attention on the battle.

"So... you call arms, 'shooters'."

"The thing Pyxis is carrying, yeah," Ecto nodded, gesturing to their mutual friend, who was seated with Tandy, Tyrone, Rory, and Frostbite, eyes glued to the battle below.

"But that thing that woman's using... isn't designated a 'shooter'?"

"Jubilee uses a Luna Blaster Neo," Ecto said, pulling up a picture on her tablet so she could show Shera a close-up view. "It's a blaster. We consider it a different type because it performs much differently."

"Ah... we just call blasters arms too. Never seen one like that, though."

"Lunas are a newer type of blaster, they've only been around the past couple years, I think."

"Yeah, they were invented in 2212," Thresher nodded.

"Oh, that's right!"

"And you also use... buckets," Shera pointed out. "Weird."

"Oh yeah, Sloshers. Trust me, they're a lot more fun than they look. Bruiser, the brawn of the outfit, uses the vanilla Slosher, it has Burst Bombs and the Inkstrike. And Delphyne uses the Tri-Slosher Nouveau, with the Seekers and the Echolocator."

"Vanilla? Is that a brand, or...?"

"Oh no, I just mean, the original one."

"So... Vanilla means original?"

"The basic form of something, yes. Regular. It's just slang."

"Who's the person with the gatling?"

"Ah, that's Pixie with the Zink Mini Splatling. Disruptor and Bubbler."

"Pixie..." Shera turned to where Pyxis was seated. "PIXIE!"

"Yes?"

"I can never call you Pixie again! That's the name of my new future wife!" Ecto and Thresher couldn't help but laugh.

"...Glad to hear it?"

"She's actually dating Ty right now," Tandy pointed out. "Sorry, you'll have to look elsewhere."

"Darn."

"Great Overseer," Carina sighed. "Why are you so thirsty today?"

"I dunno, Queenie," Shera shrugged and shook her head. "Look. I had no idea Squidlings could be so attractive, okay?"

"I mean, she's not wrong," Hans laughed. "The first time I saw Ankyr..."

"YOU CAN DO IT, GUYS!" Pyxis suddenly stood up and cheered as loud as they could.

"We believe in you," Caurel joined in. "Let's go, Runaways, let's go!" She clapped her hands in rhythm and repeated her chant. "Nobody? Come on, join in!"

"You've got this, Jubes," Frostbite shouted. "Let's go, Jubilee, let's go!"

"You guys a couple?" Caurel asked with a smile.

"Y... Yeah... Almost a year now," the older Inkling grunted.

"Aw. I'll bet it feels great to cheer on someone you like."

"You'd know all about that, right?" Rocky asked, keeping his eyes on the battle. "Then again, you're usually playing-OOF!"

Caurel had jumped from her seat and walked toward the stairs, pushing Rocky down to the cold roof as she passed.

"Sorry."

"Caurel, what the Pluto?" Moises asked, as he and Tiger helped Rocky back up to his feet.

"He was in my way."

"Are you okay, Rocky?" Tiger asked. The male Inkling shook off both her and Moises and ran toward his sister, jumping into the air and landing a kick at the small of her back.

"Whoops. My foot slipped."

"Um... What's going on here?" Pyxis asked, panic evident in their voice. "These two..."

"They get like this every once in a while," Ecto sighed. "Best to ignore it until they calm down."

"Don't you feel like you should do something?" Penny asked, staring at Ecto's back until the tinkerer turned to face her.

"What? Why?"

"I got it," Pyxis sighed, jumping to their feet and approaching their friends. "Come on, guys, let's chill-"

Caurel had got back up on her feet, and rammed into her brother with her shoulder, knocking him backward into Pyxis. They were definitely not paying attention to their surroundings.

"Yeesh!"

"I told you," Ecto said, as the twins grappled with each other, falling onto the floor and rolling. "This is just something they do once in a Blue Moon. The only thing that can stop this is..."

Ankyr stepped into the crowd and grabbed Rocky and Caurel under their elbows, lifting them back up - though they had done most of the work for him as soon as they felt his touch. He patted dust and dirt off of their clothes, and straightened their hair. He then pressed his lips against the side of Rocky's head for a few seconds, then did the same to Caurel.

"Now... We good?"

"...You kissed Rocky first," Caurel pouted.

"I see," he chuckled, before kissing the two again, this time Caurel, then Rocky. "Now are we good?"

"Fine," Rocky said, patting Ankyr on the back and shaking him off. "I'm out. All this repressed desire is making me wanna puke." He gave Caurel one last glare before walking away.

"Man, I always thought Kobra was the glue that holds the Killjoys together," Zebra spoke up.

"Oh, she is," Ankyr nodded, as Caurel threw her arms around him, sobbing. He returned the embrace and ran his hand gently down her back. "I'm just the water in the glue."

"There's water in glue?" Hans asked, eyes wide.

"Yeah, it's what keeps it from drying," Pyxis said. "We learned this in like second grade, Hans."

"Well, excuuuse me, Princess."

\/\/\/\/\/

"Well, that was a day," Ecto said, standing up and stretching as the announcers declared Lovesick Electric's victory over the Z Squad. "Who's hungry?"

"Wait, that's it?" Shera asked, following suit.

"There were only eight matches today. There'll be eight tomorrow. For some reason, they split the second top round into two days. The day after, it'll be the second bottom round all in one. You should stop by then!"

"What should we do in the meantime?" Bonnet asked.

"Like the woman said, let's grab lunch," Carina chuckled, as the group more or less stood up and made for the exits. "I'm starving. What do you say, lover? Wanna treat us to your finest local eats?"

"Stop that," Ankyr laughed, giving her a light push. "It feels weird."

"Fine, fine."

"Thanks for understanding."

"Hey, if we're going to be friends, we need at least a teaspoon of understanding. Maybe an ounce or so of consideration."

"I am in love with the way you talk," Corvis said, moving closer to the Octoling. "Are you taken?"

"Everybody wishes," Carina said with a wink.

"Do you... date girls?"

"When my mom laid my egg, it was rainbow-colored."

"I'm Corvis."

"I'm yours."

"That was smoother than a dorodango," Vega suddenly spoke up.

"Well, now that that's taken care of," Ankyr laughed, "let's get out of here."

"To the Submarine?" Caasi asked.

"TO THE SUBMARINE!"

"Whatever that means," Carina laughed.

As they neared the stairs, and fell behind the rest of the group, Pyxis grabbed Ankyr's hand, then immediately let go.

"Sorry."

"What?" Ankyr raised an eyebrow. "Hey, no apologizing, remember?"

"Well... I... Don't need the medicine. I'm just..."

"Do you need a reason?" He smiled, holding on to their hand this time. "See? It feels nice, anyway, so just hold on if you want to hold on." Pyxis' face turned violet red, and they stared away from him, though they didn't let go of his hand.

"Are you saying that... because...?"

"Because...?"

"Do you pity me?"

"What? What do you mean?"

"Do you feel sorry for me, because of... all the stuff we've talked about?"

"I... I don't know what you're trying to ask, hon. I did... I've felt all kinds of ways about all that. Angry. Sad. There's been a lot of sympathy, yeah. Is that all I see in you? Of course not. You should know that by now. I admire you, Pyxis. I seek comfort in you. I treasure you."

"Treasure?"

"Of course! What's up? Did somebody say something to you? I will have a talk-"

"No, I just... I treasure you, too."

"I'd hope so!" The two laughed.

"Ugh. Booooo! I'm gonna lose my lunch, and I didn't even eat yet."

"Rocky?"

The male Inkling threw one arm each over Pyxis and Ankyr.

"Yeah, I didn't go far. What's all this feelings-talk for this early in the morning?"

"It's four in the afternoon," Ankyr pointed out, ruffling up his best friend's tentacles.

"Pretty Reckless called me family," Pyxis recalled, tightening their grip on Rocky.

"I agree with that," Ankyr nodded. "I've felt like you were family to me since way back when it was just us, when I'd sneak away to visit you and we'd talk for hours about everything I felt I couldn't talk about. Like I said... treasure. And I felt a bit greedy when I first introduced you, but... treasure should be shared."

"Ankyr..."

"Called me Ankyr again," he laughed. They simply shrugged, having no other reply.

"You know," Rocky started slowly, "there's a place about two blocks from here where youngsters go to artfully give sound to the voices of their sensitive inside-parts."

"Their what?" Ankyr asked, giving him a puzzled expression.

"Never mind," he sighed. "Don't pay any attention to me. I don't have any right, anyway." He let go of the two, patted them on the back, and hurried to the front of the crowd. "I just don't have the right."

"Rocky confuses me sometimes," Pyxis eventually spoke up.

"Welcome to my world."

"So, where are we going?" Rocky asked.

"Rocky!" Tiger rushed up to meet him, but stopped in her tracks and cleared her throat. "I was gonna follow you, but I, uh..."

"I'm glad you didn't," he said, tapping lightly on the brim of her cap. "Everybody needs time alone sometime."

"Oh! Yeah! I mean, psshh, yeah, totally, me too."

"So, Yellow Submarine?"

"That's the plan," Caasi said. "Welcome back, roller-boy."

"Bleh." The Crayfish poked Caurel.

"Is your brother alright? He usually has something aggressive or sarcastic to say to me."

"He's just mad at his own feelings. And everyone else's."

"Oh, so the usual."

"You sure we can fit this many people?" she asked, trying to change the subject. "The Submarine isn't that big."

"It'll be fine," Penny said with a dismissive wave.

"Wait," Rocky said, as they made for the train station, "Penny's not working... And Abbey's not working... Who's working?"

"Jude and Eleanor," Abbey replied.

"I actually... don't work there anymore," Penny said. Her friends, minus Caasi and Abbey, turned toward her with looks of shock, and everyone else stopped to wait for them.

"You ditched Sarge?" Caurel asked. "After everything he's done-"

"He told her to go," Caasi cut in. "She's got two gigs now. A new movie and a set of commercials."

"What about your apartment?" Caurel asked, clasping hands with Penny. One by one, the group slowly started walking again. "Where will you stay?"

"My place," the Crayfish assured her. "For now."

"Does your dad know about this?"

"I..." Penny paused. "...Am writing him a letter right now."

"Call him."

"I willll!"

"On the train."

"Yes, sir!"

"Don't feel bad, Penny," Carina said. "My dad's a deadbeat, too."

"Whoa, that is not what's going on here," Caasi said, shaking her head. "The Professor is a good parent. He's not the one who hurt her."

"Ah, got it. Seen that too. Sorry."

"Don't you think he wants to celebrate your happiness, too?" Caurel asked, continuing the subject at hand. "He's proud of you. Let him be proud."

"I get it!" Penny took a few deep breaths and rubbed her face with her open palms. "I just forget... I have a good parent... After all the..."

"I know."

"I do appreciate him."

"I know."

"I'll call him. I promise. On the way to the Submarine."

"Actually, guys," Ecto spoke up, "Dad's breaking out the cookware literally right this second and is wondering if there are any hungry young adults around?"

"He's got a trainload of 'em headed his way," Caasi said. "Change of plans, guys. No Submarine tonight!"

"To Ecto's," Rocky cheered.

"TO ECTO'S!"

\/\/\/\/\/

"Hey... Professor?"

"Penny! Good evening, dear." A middle-aged Inkling's voice sounded from the phone.

"I, um... How've you been?"

"Mostly the same. All's well. When are we watching this movie of yours, hm?"

"Oh yeah! Let's do that tonight."

"Are you sure, honey?"

"Yes... Tomorrow night's a no-go, and I wanna hang out before I..."

'Before I run away again,' she thought to herself.

"I'm always here, dear heart."

"I know... I'm sorry."

"I love you."

"I know," she laughed, wiping tears away. "I just... Can I say something brutally honest?"

"I'm sure I can take it."

"It's... been hard to get used to... Having a parent who cares about me, I guess. And... I don't think you've made it easier. But I know you've tried! I know... I can tell. I just..."

"What are you trying to say, Penny?"

"I... I spent a long time thinking I was worthless, and would never get anywhere. I was wrong... THEY were wrong. When I look back over the past few years, it seems like paradise compared to the nightmare I was born into... But it wasn't easy. I used to think I was the unluckiest person in the world. But I got through it. I was more stubborn than all the things life threw at me." She scoffed as she cleaned sweat from the face of her phone. "I guess if I had just been a good girl and stayed with you, everything would've been easier. But... I couldn't trust you. I couldn't let myself trust anyone. Except Cricket. And even her, I kinda tried to shake off."

"I remember," he said. There was a break in his voice.

"I'm sorry I hurt your feelings."

"I'm just glad you told me. It's not easy being a child. I remember. Everyone expects something of you, and no one considers what kind of pressures they're putting on you. And you feel like you have no control over your own life." Penny couldn't think of anything to say after that; she simply wiped away more tears, sobbing. "Are you okay?"

"Fine, I'm... Fine. I just... It's just the thing I was talking about. Some... part of my brain keeps expecting you to guilt-trip me, or turn the conversation around on me, or call me crazy, or..." He waited for her to continue. "But you never do! You never do, and... I'm grateful, so grateful, but my brain..." More silence. "Is it ever gonna heal?" He thought a moment before responding.

"I've got two answers."

"I'll take number two."

"I try not to act like an expert on people, but... I believe it's healing right now. That it has been for quite a while. You've built yourself an amazing family, my dear. You've got the Waters. You've got healthy friends. You've got your fantastic girlfriend. And you've got me. Whenever you need me. A healthy family is a powerful thing. I think you'll find that, in five years' time, you'll be surprised at yourself."

"Sounds great," she nodded, knowing he couldn't see her. "Can't wait for five years. What... was answer number one?"

"Yes." They both laughed loudly.

"So, how about six o'clock?"

"I'll look forward to it."

"Thanks, Professor. I'll see you then... Bye."

"See you then."

She let out a loud sigh after hanging up, and turned to face Caurel and Caasi, who were sitting with her on the train ride to Ecto's house. The rest of the group was waiting in the next car.

"Feel better?" Caurel asked.

"I need hugs."

\/\/\/\/\/

"I see the party's here!" An adult Inkling with lime green tentacles, garbed in a dress suit and a tie-dye tie answered the door and let all the young adults in. "How was it, honeycomb?"

"There were some pretty fun matches," Ecto said, giving her father a hug and moving into the house. "I'm gonna go grab some blankets."

"Sure, sure! Yell if you need help! GASP! Coral Reef! How are you doing, beebee?"

"Fine, Pop," Caurel said, accepting the sweeping hug from the tall man. "Is that... Pokémon I hear in the living room? Maybe something... multiplayer?"

"You know it," he chuckled. "I was waiting for you. Let's get it! Oh, but first, introduce me to the new family members."

"So we've got... Tandy and Ty, the ones you've heard of but not met."

"Ohh, it's a pleasure to meet you two!"

"Same," Tandy said. She offered a handshake and her brother offered a hug.

"Hey Pop, is Dad in the kitchen?" Rocky asked, pushing through the crowd.

"Is that my apprentice chef?" a voice called from their left. "We're making vegetable soup tonight!"

"Good, I need to chop things," the young Inkling said as he made his way to the kitchen.

"Aww, what's wrong, honey?"

"I'll tell you about it if you let me close the kitchen door."

"Only for you, my dear." The light shining from the kitchen closed off, abandoning the dim glow of an overhead light and the brightness of the television.

"I guess they'll just have to miss out on the party for the time being," Pop shrugged. "So, I know Noodle and the gang. Hey, kids!"

"'Sup, Mister P," Noodle said, high-fiving the older Inkling as she and her gang walked into the living room.

"This is Jubilee," Caurel said, continuing with introductions. "She leads the Runaways, Ty and Tandy's group. There's also Pixie and Frostbite, but the rest didn't feel like staying out. You might meet them later! These guys are the Sharks. Tiger, Thresher, Zebra, and Bonnet."

"Some of my favorite sharks," Dad shouted from beyond the kitchen screen.

"You can't hear us and we can't hear you," Pop reminded him. "That's how it works when one of our babies needs to talk, remember?"

"Yeah, yeah..."

The battlers all waved, raised their hands, or nodded as they were introduced and welcomed into the house. Ecto had returned with blankets and cushions by then, and began the process of laying out the temporary sleeping quarters while Caurel and her uploaded Pokémon challenged Pop to a battle.

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Dad was allowing Rocky the culinary therapy he craved so much. Though the young Inkling had a lot on his mind, his fruits and vegetables were chopped and sliced to perfection. Mostly.

"I see... Look, Rocky, if you ever get too stressed, just come over here and vent to us any time. We're here for you. And so is our kitchen."

"Appreciate it, Oji."

"Feel better now, honey?"

"Yeah, I..." Rocky sighed as he got started on a tomato. "I just wish I could deal with feelings the way I cook. One part is over before I even realize. Then on to the next part. And that's easily taken care of... And it's... Something I can do, and see, and manage."

"You can manage your emotions too," Dad said as he gently dropped ingredients into a large pot on the stove. "It's just not that easy."

"But when it's about..." He turned to stare at the folding door that separated the kitchen from the living room. "I just want them all to be happy."

"Of course you do, you love 'em. Love is a wonderful and powerful thing. But you're not responsible for their feelings. You're not responsible for anyone's feelings but your own."

"Pfft... I can't even guarantee my own happiness."

"Happiness is hot soup."

"...Pardon?"

"You can't always have it. It's not a collectible thing you can hang on your wall forever. Sometimes it's in your bowl. Sometimes it's not. But when it is, it eventually gets cold."

"What does happiness become when it's no longer hot soup?"

"Cold soup, weren't you paying attention?" Dad grinned, stirring the masterpiece and adding salt.

"You know that's not what I meant."

"Sometimes... Sometimes you get nostalgic for past times, good times you had. Wonderful moments you shared with loved ones. Small victories. Or large. And you think, 'I took this for granted. I miss this. Man, what if I had eaten that soup while it was hot?'. 'What if I had done such-and-such thing, or not done some other thing?'. But you can't go back. There's no going back to the point in time when that exact bowl of soup was still hot."

"So... I should always make my soup exactly the same? So I'm not looking back with regret?"

"What? No! Are you even listening? That's the opposite of what I'm trying to say."

"Well, when you speak in metaphors and stuff..."

"Look. Rocky. Ten, fifteen years or something in the future, you're gonna look back on good times you're having now, and your heart is gonna hurt. That's just how it is. You'll want it. You'll want... something. Something you no longer have, at least not in the same way. What I don't want, what I absolutely do not want, is for you to tear yourself up over it, and try to change your life to get back whatever it is you'll feel you need so badly. It's not worth it. It will never be worth it."

"Oji..."

"The past is only a masterpiece when it's the present. Once it's the past, it's just a memory. And memories are great, but you can't throw your arms around one. Believe me, I tried. Do you understand?"

"Be happy in the moment," Rocky said. "And make new happiness for yourself, regardless of the circumstances. Is that it?"

"There you go! Not a bad metaphor after all, huh?"

"Yeah, but... You can just reheat the soup," he pointed out. The older Inkling shook his head and chuckled.

"Nah. Sometimes it's not that simple. What if your lights are out? Or you're out camping in the wilderness and you've used all your fuel? Besides, have you ever reheated soup? Does it really taste the same?"

"Well, no, it usually tastes better."

"That's because you can look back on the past, apply your knowledge of the present, and cook up a better future for yourself. A new happiness. Again, one that won't last forever. And maybe it's not perfect. Maybe you burn your tongue. Maybe you let it go cold without realizing. But there'll always be more soup."

"You just have an answer for everything, don't you?" Rocky scoffed, throwing more tomatoes into the pot.

"Not quite. There's one thing I've always wondered."

"The secret of life?"

"Nah, figured that out in college."

"What? No. Shut up." The two shared a laugh. Dad reduced the burner's heat and placed a lid on the pot, before turning to Rocky.

"Back when you were in Coral Reef's boat... Why didn't you say anything?"

"Well..." Rocky took a moment to continue. "Figured there wasn't any point, I guess. Can't help it if the person you have a crush on is gay. Like, if Pop was het, you wouldn't have the love of your life."

"Well I'm glad that's not the case," he said with a short laugh, before frowning and patting Rocky on the head. "Sorry, hon."

"It's fine. That's one of those 'just move on' parts in life. So I did."

"Ah..."

"Happened with Ankyr, too. But that was back when we were super tiny. Like.. That's a different kind of love. Baby love, I guess. But then again, we thought Ankyr was a girl back then. That was easier to move on from."

"You just can't catch a break," Dad laughed. "Anyone on your mind these days?" Rocky thought a while before answering.

"I... Not really. I don't know, Oji. Guess I'm kind of giving up for now. I just wanna cook and take care of the ocean. Those are my loves. Well, I'll never get tired of Turf War either. I guess... that's it."

"And that's A-okay," the adult Inkling nodded, before yelling "COME AND GET IT!" There was a multitude of shuffling sounds from the living room as the young adults made their way to the kitchen. "Come see us any time," he said again. "We'll always be here for you."

"I know. I mean... I'm grateful. Hey... So what is the secret of life?"

"Hm? I thought I told you? There'll always be more soup." Rocky scoffed at this.

"Goofy old man."

"I am only forty-five!"

\/\/\/\/\/

"So, what do you need to talk about?" Carina took her time before responding, kicking gently at the porch's siding with her heels. Pyxis waited patiently, as they usually did.

"I've been upsetting you."

"What? Carina, I'm happy you're here."

"I know you are. I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about Ankyr."

"Um... What about him?"

"You like him."

"What?! I mean, what makes you think that?"

"Pyxis, I've known you for ages. I can tell... It feels strange to see you falling for someone after all this time. But I'm glad.."

"I'm not falling. At the very most, I'm looking downward."

"Still, there's something there. I haven't seen you like anyone for years. How long has this been going on? Why didn't you tell me?"

"Nothing has been 'going on'," Pyxis huffed, getting up from the porch and pacing around Ecto's backyard. "There's nothing. I just... have a few feelings. It's fine." Carina didn't say anything; she was sure Pyxis had more to say. "Like... Maybe I want to pin him to the ground and..." They shook their head. "Why are you being so nice about this?"

"I... don't know how to take that. I'm your friend. We've known each other since the dawn of time."

"You've never been kind to me when it came to lo..." Carina couldn't help but give them a sly smile. "...Feelings."

"I thought I let you down easily enough."

"You tormented me! You took every chance you got to remind me that I'd never have you, and other people would."

"What? When? I don't remember saying that-"

"No, not directly. Just in small ways. You were cruel to me, Carina. You mocked my feelings and laughed at my pain. Don't pretend that didn't happen." The two spent the next few minutes in silence, Carina staring at her feet, Pyxis pacing slowly.

"I did," the older Octoling started slowly. "I... was a real piece of work. I still am, I guess. But I got joy from your suffering. I wanted to forget about that."

"Sorry I didn't let you." No response to this. "I do love you," Pyxis sighed, finally taking their seat, across the way from their friend. "As a friend. You've been better to me. I wouldn't be here if not for you. You know that's true, you remember the..." They took a deep breath before continuing. "But I can never think of you that way again. And I never wanted to have those kinds of feelings again. For anybody. So..."

"Tell that to Kilin."

"Please leave that boy out of this."

"You've never...?"

"What? No! I could never see him that way. I considered it when we were younger, but only because I was told to. We're... completely incompatible."

"How so?"

"You want me to e-mail you the list?" Carina scoffed at this.

"Fair, fair. So... Ankyr, then."

"...I guess."

"What are you gonna do?"

"What do you mean, 'what am I gonna do'? Who says I need to do anything? I just have feelings! Sweet Overseer!"

"Pretty sure you're not the only one with feelings."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing, nothing," Carina shook her head, getting up from her seat and walking toward the back door. "You're not going to do anything about it, so what's the point in discussing it further?"

"Carina... I still hate you sometimes."

"I think some friendships just work that way," their childhood friend said. "I can accept it if you can. Open your heart, Pyxis. It's gonna be alright."

"What is?" Carina simply laughed at this, and walked back into the house, where their friends were all waiting. "What's going to be alright?" Carina approached Corvis and wrapped her arms around the Octoling, ignoring her childhood friend for the moment.

"Don't worry," Moises sang, waving at them, "about a thing." Ankyr and Ecto joined in the song.

"'Cause every little thing, gonna be alright!"

Pyxis smiled. They started singing as well, joined eventually by most of the group. Penny had already left for her family night with the Professor. Vega sipped their kiwi-banana smoothie in silence. The Sharks were strangely absent. Jubilee kept her concentration on her current Pokémon match against Pop.

"You're good at this, intelligent adult figure."

"Thanks, I actually won a championship in my twenties."

"No way!"

"Yeah, I thought I was really great at this game... until I meet Coral Reef."

"She's that good?"

"I'm tenacious," Caurel shrugged. "But I'm only really good with my team. I know them inside-out so working with random mons feels wrong to me."

"Got any tips?"

"I'll message you," she laughed.

\/\/\/\/\/

"He likes me the way I am..."

"Well, that was quite the conversation," Zebra muttered. They were sitting on the edge of the roof - Ecto had guided them up earlier and hung out with them a while before heading back in. The quartet hadn't meant to listen in on Pyxis and Carina, but they also felt far too awkward to stop them amid their conversation once it was clear it was personal. "Guess they've got some history."

"I'm gonna pretend I didn't hear anything," Thresher shook their head.

"Guys," Tiger began from her seat, farther away from the edge, "do you think he meant it... that way?"

"No," Zebra shook their head.

"Nopers," Thresher said.

"Sorry, hon," Bonnet replied with a pat on the head.

"He probably just thinks I'm a dumb kid," Tiger sighed, burying her face in her palms.

"You're only three years younger," Zebra pointed out. "Besides, I think they all like other people right now."

"Who?"

"Well... Rocky likes Abbey-"

"No!"

"I think Ecto and Moises are together. Or maybe they're just like siblings, it's hard to tell, really."

"Siblings siblings siblings siblings siblings," Thresher chanted under their breath, flailing their limbs desperately.

"And Caurel likes Ankyr."

"What? No way."

"I think she's liked him for a while," Bonnet said.

"Wait," Thresher began, pausing a moment, holding their finger in the air. "Didn't... Pyxis just say that they like him?"

"I smell drama," Zebra said, eyes lighting up. "Shall I post?"

"We don't post anything without confirmation," Bonnet reminded them. "Besides, this is... too personal for the fan club. We've been accepted as friends, and that's a great honor. We can't take advantage of that."

"So, what do we do? I mean, besides forget we heard anything?"

"Be there," Tiger suggested.

"I can do that."

"Me, too," Thresher nodded.

"Then it's decided," Bonnet agreed. None of them spoke for a moment after, not sure of what to say.

"So, who are we facing in the bottom bracket?" Tiger eventually asked.

"Rescue Girls," Thresher said.

"Oof."

"You can say that again."

"OOF."

"Ouch, even," Bonnet added.

"Think we'll make it?" Zebra asked.

"Guess we'll find out in two days."

\/\/\/\/\/

"Everybody! Cheers! To Pyxis!"

"TO PYXIS!"

"I didn't do anything," Pyxis shouted back. The gang was all partying it up on the beach at Bluefin Bay, the night of the eighth tournament day. Eighty 8s had been sent to the bottom bracket on day five, and the Sharks were thrown down there on day six. Today, The Killjoys and the Runaways had both been victorious, while Feel Good Inc - back to using the C in their name - were crushed by the Tropical Mermaids. The very same squad would be facing the Killjoys two days from now, but Rocky didn't seem worried at all; he was dancing atop a wooden stage set up a fair distance from the campfire, yelling gleefully into a microphone.

"AKA Velocity, AKA Fierce Deity, AKA The Unstoppable Juggernaut, AKA King of Urchin Underpass, AKA-"

"Enough already," Pyxis sighed.

"Thanks for taking us to the top! You're on the top of your game, as always!"

"It was a team effort," Pyxis said. "Congratulate Caurel and Penny, too."

"I will! To my sister Caurel, AKA Kobra Kid, AKA Shinobi, AKA Red Lion-"

"Get on with it," Caurel yelled.

"Yes, get on with it!" the crowd agreed.

"And to Penny, AKA Party Poison, AKA Super Star, AKA Ballroom Blitz-"

"Are you done yet?" This came from the singer of the band Tomorrow's Warning - all of the members were waiting at the edge of the stage to be introduced.

"Oh, right, and the rest of my crew as well!" Rocky said hastily, letting out a nervous laugh. "Thank you all for doing this thing with me. And now, Tomorrow's Warning, everybody!" The crowd cheered, none more excited than Ankyr, who stood front and center as the band took the stage. "Remember to throw your trash in the bins! Keep the bay clean!"

"Agua, Dashy, Sogen, I'm so glad you guys could make it!"

"Ankyr, stop acting like we're hot-shot rockstars," said the one named Sogen, a green-spiked Urchin who played the drums. Their vocalist and lead guitarist, Agua, put a finger to her mouth to shush him.

"No, no, don't tell him that. I need the ego boost."

"That's the last thing you need," Dashy said, tuning up her bass. "But I do admit it's nice to have such a big fan."

"A fan who goes to the same school as us," Sogen reminded them. "Does that really count?"

"Of course it counts, I have all your music!"

"All two EPs and one record, eh?" Dashy chuckled. "Wait, I thought your favorite band was ABXY?"

"I mean, yeah, they are, but you guys are my favorite Rock band."

"But we're complete opposites."

"Well... I kinda like everything," Ankyr said, blushing green. "Music, I mean. ABXY just takes the top because I love their sound. It's so gorgeous and complex."

"Oh please," Sogen scoffed, playing an energetic beat on the drums for a moment. "Complex? It's not that hard to play their stuff the traditional way."

"That's the drumline of 'Quick Start'," Ankyr said energetically, jumping up and down.

"Oh, you like that?" Agua shredded for a moment, before playing the notes of the very same song. "I could play this with my eyes closed."

"Will you?!"

"Well... I don't see why not." The full band picked up the tune, and Agua brought her mouth up to the mic.

"Come with me!"

"We're gonna be there for you," Sogen and Dashy sang in the background.

"You and me-ee!"

"It's gonna be alright!"

"Don't you wanna be?"

"We're gonna be together, just wait and see... We're gonna be!"

"HEY!" 1

Ankyr jumped up and down, shouting the second "HEY!" with them and singing along when the second verse started up. A good portion of the crowd who had been sitting jumped up to their feet and joined in the jumping and dancing.

"I love how passionate he is about music," Pyxis smiled, watching him from across the way. They and the rest of the Killjoys were seated on large blankets spread out on the sand, closer to the bonfire, relaxing for the time being.

"It's easy to love lots of things about Ankyr," Caurel said with a grin.

"So, guys," Pyxis began slowly, "it's a nice night. The mood is light. What do you say?"

"You wanna howl at the moon again?" Rocky asked.

"No, I want story time," they laughed. "I was promised a history lesson."

"Oh, right," Caurel nodded, remembering their chat from what felt like so long ago. "Well, the first thing you have to realize is that Penny was a different person back in the day."

"I was a real problem child," Penny sighed. "A hell-raiser. A ruffian. A gadabout."

"Oh, you learned a new word!"

"The point is, I was brought up in a garbage family in a garbage part of town, and didn't have anybody. My blood family didn't care about me, or I guess you could say they cared too much, but in the wrong way. Anyway... they aren't important. The important thing is, I was always causing mayhem. Vandalising, rough-housing, you name it. This was not the same Penny you now know and love, my pet. Then one day I bumped into Cricket, and she invited me to her place for dinner because apparently I looked like I was starving."

"You were! You were pale as a ghost. Well, it was far from dinner, but my dad fixed her something right away. Then we played together for a while, then dinner came, and we ate again."

"Then we were inseparable after that, the end," Penny said hastily.

"Nice try," Caurel scoffed. "We didn't become close until after you stole my mom's statuette."

"You stole something?!" Pyxis gasped.

"Psh, it wasn't the first time," Penny shrugged. "...What?" She felt everyone's stares. "This was old Penny! I gave the disclaimer! Lay off me."

"It was the first time she stole from us, though," Caurel noted. "It didn't take long to find her. She was crying in the street because she had fallen over and the statuette broke."

"I wanted to give it back! It was the first time I felt bad about taking something... well, first time in a while. Caurel and her family were the first people who were ever kind to me, like, in a way I felt was genuine. It touched some part of me, deep down. Stealing from people like them made me feel miserable."

"We took her back to our place, comforted her, and glued the statuette back together. She refused to tell my parents her phone number, which I don't blame her for now, so we let her sleep over. It was a great night!"

"I had never felt so safe and comfortable," Penny nodded. "I finally felt like I had a friend, something I had convinced myself I didn't need, but was so wrong."

"You still tried to convince yourself," Caurel said. "And everyone else."

"She followed me around school all the next day," Penny said, half-whispering to Pyxis. "It was SO annoying."

"And every day after. And gave you tips on school work."

"'If you take clearer notes, it'll help your brain retain the information'," Penny recited in a sickly-sweet tone, to the laughter of her friends. "At some point I turned to her and yelled 'Stop chirping, cricket!' because she wouldn't leave me alone. I got detention for it, but my grades did slowly start to improve eventually. Then for a while any time she tried to talk to me, I refused to call her anything but 'Cricket'. It eventually transitioned from a sign of annoyance to a loving nickname."

"By that point, she was with the professor," Caurel said. "I was the one who reported her parents... Well, I told my mom, at least, and she did something about it."

"Let's not talk about all that," Penny groaned. "I think they've got the gist of it. I wouldn't be who I am today without Cricket chirping in my ear. We've gone through a lot together, and grown a lot. And at some point, she decided that I was a butterfly."

"We love a lot, and live a lot, and give and give and give a lot," Caurel smiled, holding onto her best friend's hand. Penny grabbed back and jumped up to her feet, taking Caurel and Caasi with her.

"Enough talk, let's dance."

"But I still have more questions," Pyxis said, rising to their feet despite their objections.

"Ah-ah-ah," Penny said, wagging a finger. "You've used up your story time voucher for this evening. Thank you for playing, try again later."

"Oh, is that how it works?" The Octoling let out a laugh and extended a hand to Moises, the first person they saw. "May I have this dance?"

"Sure, hon!" Moises spun around in circles with Pyxis, arm-in-tentacle, to the energetic beat. "If it makes you feel any better, you can ask me all the questions you want. I can't think of anything you don't know about me, though. I'm a pretty open book."

"A good read, nonetheless," Pyxis winked.

"Ahhh, I set that one up and you knocked it down! We're a dream team, my friend!"

"There is one thing I'm confused about. You and Ecto didn't meet the rest of the gang until a few years ago, right? But I could've sworn I'd seen photos in Ankyr's house of Tia with him as a kid. And didn't Rocky say something about her singing him to sleep?"

"Oh, Tia's my birth-aunt's wife. Uhh... So long story short, my parents kinda... ditched me."

"Oh my gosh..." Pyxis immediately stopped dancing. "Moises, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to bring up something so painful."

"Oh, hush," he said, shaking his head and gesturing for them to keep dancing with him. "It's not that kind of story. It happened when I was a baby, so I never knew them. The person I call 'Mom' - she's away on business stuff right now, but you'll meet her eventually - is my birth-aunt, my uh... birth-mother's sister. She raised me, so she's my mom."

"Of course," they nodded, getting back into the rhythm.

"Well, Tia, my other mom, is actually from around this neck of the woods. She's known Umi since they were kids. And she was one of the few people who stuck around her when her family started to split."

"Wow, I had no idea."

"When me and Ecto met the rest of the gang and became such close friends, naturally our families were invited to get-togethers, y'know, picnics and family game nights and house parties and stuff. Tia met Mom, they hit it off, and she's been with us ever since. They actually didn't get married until last Winter. But I've always loved her. It's like we were meant to be a family."

"That's so beautiful!"

"Hehe, thanks. Oh, by the way, Mom's name is Pearl, and Tia's name is Revanshe. We just call her Tia 'cause that's what Ankyr calls her."

"Mind if we cut in?"

"Umi!" Pyxis cheered when they saw two of their favorite adults. "Crystal! What are you guys doing here?"

"I'll leave you to it," Moises said with a low bow, before running across the beach and diving into a mosh pit.

"Background check came back," Rocky and Caurel's mom announced. "Let me be the first to welcome you to Flounder Heights." She held out a key ring with two keys, and Pyxis took it, slowly, with several low bows.

"Oh my gosh... Thank you thank you thank you! You're the best!"

"Hey, I told you, everyone in town owes me favors. Not that I really needed to call one in. Your credit is astounding for someone your age. Oh, the small key is for your mailbox."

"My mailbox... Ahh I'm so excited!"

"I'm so glad you're going to be living here," Umi cheered, jumping up and down. "We all are."

"You're moving here?" Caurel squeezed out of the crowd to gawk at the keys her friend was holding. "Pyxis, I'm so happy for you!" She threw her arms around them. "Where will you be living?"

"Flounder Heights."

"Whoa, look out, big spender coming through."

"Whatever," they said, blushing.

"Congratulations, dear," Crystal Waters said, patting the Octoling on the shoulder. "I'd stick around, but there's a mosh pit calling my name."

"Try not to hurt anybody. Army Woman," Caurel called after her.

"I've got to get going, too," Umi said, pulling a small gift box from her pocket and handing it to Pyxis. "But I wanted to give you a housewarming gift."

"Umi, you're the best!"

"You say that to all the parents," she joked, winking. "Nah, I know I'm your favorite. Open it, open it, open it!" They tore at the packaging and unwrapped a small box. Inside, they found a compass hooked to a long chain.

"...Very funny. Pyxis, compass, you're a real riot, Umi." Despite their words, they couldn't help but smile, just happy for a gift from someone who loved them so much. They clipped the chain together around their neck immediately, letting the compass hang down to their chest.

"No, no, no, that's not it. I just wanted to remind you that wherever you go, no matter how far away, you can always come to me for anything."

"Oh, Umi!" They hugged the older Inkling, who squeezed them tight in return.

"I'm so happy you've got a new home now. But my house will always be home for you, too."

"And mine," Caurel said. "I'm sure everybody else feels the same."

"You young adults be good," Umi said, giving the two kisses on the tops of their heads. "Don't stay out too late. You're crashing at my place, right?"

"That's the plan," Caurel nodded.

"Alright, whoever arrives first has to stand watch. Spread the word."

"You got it, Mom!"

Pyxis hung back from the dancing crowd for a while, admiring the compass. They turned it this way and that, watching as the needle constantly adjusted to keep pointing North.

"I've always been amazed by compasses," Caurel said with a grin as she cleaned sand and dust from her glasses. "I know there's science behind it, but it still seems so mystical that they always face North. Well, magnetic North, anyway."

"True North is the North Pole, right?" Pyxis asked, glancing between her and the needle.

"Geographic North Pole, yep," Caurel nodded. She took Pyxis' hand in both of hers and guided it a bit to the side, "True North would be abouuut... here."

Pyxis looked up from the compass to see the needle pointing directly at Ankyr, who was still dancing up a storm right in front of the stage. Their cheeks flushed violet again, and they let the compass drop, feeling its extremely light weight hanging on the chain.

"Caurel?! You, too?" All Caurel could do was cackle for the moment. "Don't tease me about this, it's something I'm sensitive about. I swore I'd never fall in love again."

"Well, that's a promise you can't keep."

"Caurel! Soy sauce!"

"Sorry, sorry, sorry," she said, finally calming down. "You know I'd never try to make fun of you."

"Well now I'm not so sure."

"Look... You both love each other. As friends, practically as family, as if you've known each other your whole lives, and then some. And now for the past week you've been doing a whole lot of blushing and panicking around him. So you must've come to a realization that you're attracted to him in some way. And I'm positive he's got similar feelings for you. But he's not going to say it first."

"I mean, you can't be one hundred percent sure that he..."

"Oh, I can. Just trust me on this. I'm... kind of an unofficial expert." She grabbed the compass and placed it in their hands. "At least this way you won't be a nervous wreck around him anymore. Besides, if it doesn't go well, you can just come running back to me. I'll be here."

"I don't know..." Pyxis glanced at the compass again, then shifted their view to Ankyr, who noticed them and paused to wave energetically. They waved back, laughing nervously.

"You know I don't push people without a reason."

"I know that, but..."

"Go on," Caurel nodded, giving them a gentle push. They took one step and...

"How dare you?" It was Rocky, stepping forward and grabbing ahold of Caurel's wrist. "How dare you?"

"Rocky?" Pyxis asked, eyes wide. "What's wrong?"

"Pyxis, excuse me for a second. I need to have words with my sister."

Before anyone could object, he stomped away from the party, dragging Caurel along. She waited until they were a good distance from the bonfire to speak up.

"Rocky, let go, I can walk on my own. Rocky! You're hurting me!"

He finally let go, and took a few more steps on his own. When he finally turned around, his eyes were full of tears.

"How DARE YOU? How can you just tell them to go after Ankyr like that?"

"They deserve to be happy," she shrugged.

"YOU deserve to be happy!"

"That's a completely different-"

"No, don't give me that! It's exactly the same. You refuse to go after your own happiness, but you're completely willing to play matchmaker with someone else. You don't have the right to stick your nose-"

"Oh, look who's talking," she scoffed. "What gives you the right to yell at me for this? You gave up, too!"

"I fell in love with a lesbian! That IS a different situation! I didn't have a choice!"

"Whatever," she shook her head, turning to go back to the party.

"You know what I hate about you?" He shouted at the top of his lungs, running after her. "What I absolutely hate? You can just stand there with a smile on your face, when I know you're crying inside. When I know you wanna scream, and punch at the walls, and it's tearing you up from the inside out! You give everything to everyone else. You give, and give, and give. When is it your turn, Caurel? When do I get to see you be happy? Huh? Answer me!"

"You think I don't want to take that chance?" She turned around to do her fair share of the yelling. "If I knew it could possibly turn out any other way, I would! But it won't!"

"How do you know, if you won't try? You have no reason to make that call. You're just selling yourself short! Again! You have all these friends who constantly tell you how great you are, and you're still putting yourself down!"

"That's enough." The two turned to see Pyxis, who had spoken, and Ankyr, with a rather uncomfortable look on his face.

"Pyxis..." Caurel averted her gaze. "When did you...?"

"I'm not sure what you guys are arguing about, but it's not worth it. I hate it when you get like this. Caurel, come take a walk with me. We can collect seashells." Caurel nodded and started walking when they wrapped an arm around her. Ankyr stepped toward Rocky.

"Rocky..." He didn't know what to say. His best friend scoffed, jerking his head to the side, practically throwing his tears onto the sand.

"Still feeling guilty?"

Ankyr lowered his eyes at the question, not sure how to respond. He eventually lowered his head altogether, staring at the sand beneath his bare feet. Rocky clicked his tongue and kicked up sand before walking back toward the fire.

\/\/\/\/\/

"Thanks for helping us clean up, guys."

"No biggie, Agua," Ankyr shook his head, dumping the last of stray garbage into one of the many receptacles around the stage.

"Yeah, it's not like there was a lot to clean," Pyxis said from where they were placing stones around the bonfire. "Everybody was pretty great about not leaving a mess."

"Are you two heading out soon, too?"

"Yep, I think three AM is late enough. Hey, what do we do about the stage?"

"Ah, don't worry about that," Dashy said. "Squid Squad is coming by in about half an hour to set up for an early morning show."

"Those party animals," Agua laughed.

"You guys know them?" Pyxis asked.

"Eh, we've talked a bit," Sogen said. "Jammed together, too."

"I don't wanna be 'that guy'," Ankyr said, "but could you guys get a backstage pass sometime? For our friend Penny Lane?"

"For the Penny Lane?" Dashy asked.

"Consider it done," Agua said, hoisting her guitar case up. "She got a deal for one of our songs to be added to the soundtrack of her new movie. It's the least we can do. I'll message you the deets."

"Thanks!"

"Well, see you guys around," Sogen said, carrying the last bit of his drum kit away to their van. "I'd wave, but this stuff is heavy."

"Bye, you guys! Thanks for rocking!"

"It's been a real treat," Pyxis shouted after them, waving.

"Thanks for coming out," Agua shouted back.

"Well, should we head out too?" Ankyr asked before chugging the remainder of a water bottle. The only thing left to pick up was a cooler with wheels and a handle, which he had brought from his house.

"Not yet," Pyxis shook their head, dropping to the sand. "I need to sit."

"Good idea!"

"Hey, Pretty Harmless... Not many people know this yet... I mean, I wanted it to be a surprise. But I'm... I don't know how to say this to be impactful..."

"You've never had to try before," Ankyr shrugged. "You just make an impact automatically."

"Thanks," they said, blushing. "I don't know why I'm trying now..." They took in a deep breath, held it, released. "Okay... I'm moving here."

"What?!"

"I mean, not here, but to Flounder Heights."

"Really?!"

"Which isn't very far away from Bluefin at all."

"You're moving to Inkopolis?!"

"Yep," they said, dangling the keys in the air.

Ankyr suddenly used his arms and legs to spring into the air, rushing at his friend, wrapping his arms around them and lifting them off the ground. He spun around a few times before falling down to the sand, cushioning Pyxis' fall. They both burst out laughing despite the mild sense of panic Pyxis had initially felt.

"What was that?" They wiped tears of mirth from their eyes, still laughing.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, next time I'll warn you," he cackled. "I'm just so happy!"

"I can tell!"

"I'll try to warn you next time, I promise."

"Of course, thanks."

"I'm just..." The two finally started to calm down, and he gave them another hug, this time without hoisting them into the air. "...So happy. I get to see you whenever I want. I mean, that's kind of already the case, but now I get to see you more!" He suddenly relinquished his embrace, backing away a bit, blushing blue. "I mean..."

"Ankyr, do you...? Um... Would you mind if...?"

"I'm listening," he nodded, waiting patiently. Pyxis took in another deep breath. Hold. Release. Then shook their head and climbed up on the stage.

"Ankyr Moreta!"

"That's me!"

"The day after tomorrow, we'll be battling against the Tropical Mermaids. I want you to watch that game!"

"Of course, I always do. Want me to record it?"

"No, no, let someone else record. I just want you to watch me. No one else."

"Oh! Uh... Fine with me," he said, blushing once more. "You turn battling into a work of art, hon."

"Then consider our next match my finest piece yet," they said, staring into his eyes. "And a message exclusively to you. I don't want you to look away from me for a single second!"

"I promise," he nodded.

"And now, for dramatic effect, and also because I feel very embarrassed right now, I'll be the first to leave! Please allow a few minutes' head start!" They played the air drums for a moment, complete with sound effects, finishing off by slamming both imaginary sticks down. "THANK YOU, BLUEFIN! GOODNIGHT!"

And then they ran.

_____________________

[ 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 ]

1 - I made up these lyrics to Quick Start, by listening to the Inkling lyrics and just randomly coming up with words or phrases that sounded similar. This is obviously not an official translation, but feel free to sing these lyrics along when you're playing Splatoon if you wish. XD

((Well? How was it? :3 I hope it was entertaining, after all that wait. Sorry again for taking so long, and sorry for that weird sudden four-day time skip near the end there. But I knew if I didn't put the beach scene at the end of this chapter, the final chapter would be BEYOND ridiculously long (this chapter right here is about 13k words, and chapter 10 is looking to be longer).

Anyway, let me know what your favorite parts were, what you're hoping to see in the final chapter, and all that jazz. And look forward to the grand conclusion! (And eventually, the second book. :3 )

\/\/\/\/\/

"Oh, I've got twenty-five coins for the sea show clanking in the backseat, whoa-oh. I've got thirty-two seashells lined up in a row..." Caurel happily sang as she covered the turquoise side in pink, pausing and hiding in a corner when she noticed Zebra rising out of the spawn pool. The younger Inkling, hesitant, flung her brush wildly to cover the pink ink and swam forward, repeating the process every few feet. When she dropped down to the valley, she triggered another Ink Mine, this time getting away just quickly enough.

  "Not falling for that again," they sighed... right before Caurel popped out of her corner and slashed her brush at her, sending her floating right back to the spawn point. Unable to keep from giggling, Caurel re-inked the entrance ramp and climbed up to the higher level, brushing quickly down the alley as Zebra respawned again.

  "And I'll swim, swim, swim, to my darling Martha... And let her lay me down in the bay where the warm winds blow~"

  "Are we singing the same song?" Penny shouted from the audience, loud enough to be heard over the stage music.

"'Martha's Bay' by the Seagulls?" Caurel shouted back for confirmation.

"I knew it! Ahhh, I love you!"

"I love you, too, Butterfly!"

"Boooo!" Rocky shouted as he took out Thresher. "Get a room!"

  "But their love for each other is like our love," Ankyr said with a wink.

"You really are a sea turtle."

  "Hey, only Pyxis can call me-" SPLASH! Ankyr fell prey to Bonnet's Heavy Splatling.

"FOR ANKYR!" Rocky jumped up and flung his roller down before rolling toward Bonnet - and getting caught in a freshly thrown Splash Wall.

  "I love it when he does that," Tiger squeaked.

\/\/\/\/\/

"What took you so long? Why did you trade Ankyr for these randos?"

"Rocky," Caurel sighed. "They're the friends we were supposed to meet today, remember?"

"Oh..."

"Guys, this is Rocky, our squad's leader," Pyxis laughed.

  "Nice to meet you," Carina said, stepping forward to shake Rocky's hand. "Don't worry, my 'boyfriend' will be back soon."

  "'BOYFRIEND'?" The entire crowd turned their attention to the charismatic newcomer.

  "It's just an inside joke," Pyxis hastily assured them. "You'd just have to be there."

"Yeah, he kind of saved me a lot of hassle," Carina shrugged.

  "My Sunshine has inside jokes with people I don't know," Moises thought out loud. "Not sure how I feel about this..."

"Well, you know us now," Hans piped up. "She's Carina, I'm Hans, this here is Shera, and the rude guy is Cygnus."

"I haven't said anything rude yet!"

"We all know you will," Shera said as she scooched over to Abbey. "So, what's your name?"

"I'm aromantic," Abbey said between sips of coffee. Their friends howled with laughter in the background.

"Aw, that's too bad... Are you... asexual, too?"

"They're not sex-repulsed, if that's what you mean," Pyxis jumped in. "That's not what asexual means, though."

"Sweet little Pyxis," Cygnus chuckled, patting his friend on the head. "Always here to educate her friends."

"...You mean their friends," Rocky corrected.

  "What? No. You too? Are all Squids okay with the whole fluid-gender thing?"

"You didn't even last five minutes," Hans sighed, covering his face with his palm.

  "Look, she was born with lady-parts, am I wrong or am I right?"

"Here's what I know," Rocky began slowly, stepping closer to the Octoling and staring him in the eye. "This particular group of friends respects what people choose to call themselves. When you're with us, you refer to Pyxis as they/them. If you can't handle that, you can swim back home."

"ROCKY!" Caurel grabbed her brother's arm and yanked him down to sit beside her. "They're our guests!"

"And Pyxis is family," he bit back. "Which is more important to you?"

"Wow, they really worship you around here," Cygnus laughed, turning to leave. "Do they even really know you? Your history? What have you been telling them?"

"Cygnus, get back here and act your age," Carina commanded.

"No thanks, Your Majesty."

  The crowd was hushed for some time, the noises of the audience around them and the battle down below, permeating their silent space.

  "Sorry about that," Carina finally spoke up. "I told him to behave himself. But he's... how do you say... stuck in his ways."

"He's only twenty-two," Shera rolled her eyes. "He's just a stubborn pufferfish."

"You okay, honey?" Hans asked Pyxis, who was too busy processing their own thoughts to realize they should answer.

"...I'm family?"

\/\/\/\/\/

And now, here’s Shera going goo-goo over more Inklings

---

“Vanilla? Is that a brand, or...?"

"Oh no, I just mean, the original one."

"So... Vanilla means original?"

"The basic form of something, yes. Regular. It's just slang."

"Who's the person with the gatling?"

"Ah, that's Pixie with the Zink Mini Splatling. Disruptor and Bubbler."

"Pixie..." Shera turned to where Pyxis was seated. "PIXIE!"

  "Yes?"

"I can never call you Pixie again! That's the name of my new future wife!" Ecto and Thresher couldn't help but laugh.

"...Glad to hear it?"

"She's actually dating Ty right now," Tandy pointed out. "Sorry, you'll have to look elsewhere."

"Darn."

"Great Overseer," Carina sighed. "Why are you so thirsty today?"

"I dunno, Queenie," Shera shrugged and shook her head. "Look. I had no idea Squidlings could be so attractive, okay?"

"I mean, she's not wrong," Hans laughed. "The first time I saw Ankyr..."

"YOU CAN DO IT, GUYS!" Pyxis suddenly stood up and cheered as loud as they could.

\/\/\/\/\/

And now for some good parents! Specifically, Ecto’s dads. Well, one of them. The other is busy playing Pokémon with Caurel and co. in the living room at this moment. They haven’t been mentioned much so far, but they’re great friends with the Waters (Waters’? Waterss?) ever since all the families met, and Rocky and Caurel hang out with them a lot.

---

"That's because you can look back on the past, apply your knowledge of the present, and cook up a better future for yourself. A new happiness. Again, one that won't last forever. And maybe it's not perfect. Maybe you burn your tongue. Maybe you let it go cold without realizing. But there'll always be more soup."

"You just have an answer for everything, don't you?" Rocky scoffed, throwing more tomatoes into the pot.

  "Not quite. There's one thing I've always wondered."

"The secret of life?"

"Nah, figured that out in college."

"What? No. Shut up." The two shared a laugh. Mister Plasma reduced the burner's heat and placed a lid on the pot, before turning to Rocky.

  "Back when you were in Coral Reef's boat... Why didn't you say anything?"

  "Well..." Rocky took a moment to continue. "Figured there wasn't any point, I guess. Can't help it if the person you have a crush on is gay. Like, if Pop was het, you wouldn't have the love of your life."

"Well I'm glad that's not the case," he said with a short laugh, before frowning and patting Rocky on the head. "Sorry, hon."

"It's fine. That's one of those 'just move on' parts in life. So I did."

"Ah..."

"Happened with Ankyr, too. But that was back when we were super tiny. Like.. That's a different kind of love. Baby love, I guess. But then again, we thought Ankyr was a girl back then. That was easier to move on from."

  "You just can't catch a break," Dad laughed. "Anyone on your mind these days?" Rocky thought a while before answering.

"I... Not really. I don't know, Oji. Guess I'm kind of giving up for now. I just wanna cook and take care of the ocean. Those are my loves. Well, I'll never get tired of Turf War either. I guess... that's it."

"And that's A-okay," the adult Inkling nodded, before yelling "COME AND GET IT!" There was a multitude of shuffling sounds from the living room as the young adults made their way to the kitchen. "Come see us any time," he said again. "We'll always be here for you."

\/\/\/\/\/

And that’s all I have for you here today, I wanna stop myself before I give away more than I might have given away... But yeah, working on that slowly but surely now. I was already about halfway-ish done with the chapter before I fell off, I think? Depends if I think of adding any more scenes than what’s already planned. So, look forward to that soon! Catch you on the flip side~

"She would if she understood." "Are you sure?" "...I don't know her, so all I can say is, our parents come cheer us on when they have time. They know how much it means to us." "Rory's parents?" "What? What about them?" "Do they come watch matches with her? Do they know how much it means to her?"  "Oh... I think I get it. I'm sorry." "You have nothing to apologize for." "I know. I just meant, it sucks." "Yeah. It sucks. I've been thinking about stuff like this a lot. That my mom... doesn't want me. Like, she obviously loves me in some way, I'm her child. But the... entire person, that is me, she doesn't want. The non-binary, pansexual Pyxis who believes in their deity the way they choose to instead of the way they're ordered to, who plays sports with Squids and listens to loud music and... I don't know... Has their own thoughts and aspirations. She... doesn't want that person. And... that makes me feel... some kind of way, I really don't know what to call it. A lot of things, I suppose." "Pyxis..."  "I gave up on her accepting who I am and calling me what I want to be called, a long time ago. But... If she came to watch me play... If she saw what you guys are really like... Maybe we could have some kind of connection again. Or maybe not... But it would be nice, to hear her cheer me on. I guess...  that's it. I don't know." Ankyr let go of their hand and leaned into them, wrapping his arms around their slender frame and burying his face in their shoulder.  "I love you." "Um?!" Pyxis' entire face shifted from olive-tinged light brown to purple in an instant.  "I don't even have words for how much you mean to me. I'll always come watch your matches, any time I can. I mean, any time we're not battling together, of course." "Yeah, of course." "I'll cheer you on forever, Pyxis. You deserve it. The rest of our friends will, too. We know how much this game means to you. And that matters to us." "Thanks, Pretty Harmless," they said with a smile, patting his shoulder. "You're the best." "I try." "I feel a lot better now. Why don't you get back to sleep? I'll be back inside in a minute." "Are you sure?" "Yeah, I'm fine," they nodded. Ankyr released his embrace and rose to his feet.  "Alright. Goodnight, Pyxis." "Goodnight." Once their friend went back inside, Pyxis dropped down to the dew-covered grass and rolled over onto their back, letting out a loud groan.  "Aaaaahhhhh! Why would he say that? No, I know the way he meant it... But why do I want him to mean it... another way?" Their face, recently returned to its usual color, flushed purple once again. They covered their face with their hands as their legs curled up in a fetal position. "Damn it, I wouldn't even be thinking of him this way before today! I just got so mad when Carina kissed him, I-" "She did WHAT?" "...Umi?" "...Schist." Pyxis sat up and stared at the unlit front porch. The silhouette of Ankyr's mother rose from the two-seat swing and started walking their way. "Pyxis, look, I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to betray your trust. I was just trying to drink my coffee in peace when you guys came outside. I'm not that kind of person - well, let's be real, I am pretty nosy in some regards... But I promise-" "I have no reason to doubt you, Umi," Pyxis said as they sank back down to the grass. They smiled warmly at the adult Inkling as she stepped into the moonlight. "You can relax." "That's a relief," the woman sighed, placing her coffee mug on the ground before lying down next to them.  "So..." "So?" "You heard?" "Ah, yeah..." She nodded, and lay there in silence for a moment, thinking of what to say. "And...?" Pyxis eventually pressed, after a while of listening to crickets. "Pyxis," Umi finally said, rolling onto her side to look the Octoling in the eye. "When I was young, or... Younger. I wanted a little girl so much." "Uh...?" "When we thought Ankyr was a girl, I was happy. But when we realized he was a boy, and stopped telling him otherwise, started treating him like what he was... I was much, much happier. Because he was happy. And we've had a happy life together. We've lost some family members, but I was willing to let them go, willing to let anybody go, for my son." "Umi... He never told me. Is that what happened to his... dad?" "Oh, him. He's not important, dear. I only bring it up, to say this: A parent's utmost duty is to make room for their children." "Make room?" "In the world, and in their hearts. Pyxis, how old would you say I am?" "Ack! Why would you ask me something like that?" "Oh c'mon, just guess," Umi laughed, tapping their arm with the back of her hand. "Um... Forty...?" "Wrong! Thirty-five." "Oh wow, you're young for a parent." "Ahaha, thank you! But still... Even at seventeen, when Ankyr was born, it was time for my wants to make way for his wants, his needs. I had never had any transgender friends, and my family didn't really believe in discovering or being true to themselves, so I had no experience. But I learned everything I could, from as many sources as I could, and burned his old pictures, and made sure every day that he knew that I believed him, that I supported him, and that I would always be here for my son." "Umi, I don't understand why you're telling me all this." "Because..." She hesitated, taking a few slow, deep breaths. "Because... I'm sorry that your mother didn't make room for you." Pyxis tried to come up with some sort of response, but nothing would come out of their mouth. Part of them wanted to defend the person who had raised them, but there was no denying what Umi had said, resonated with their own thoughts. That didn't mean they had to like it. But still... But still...  They rose to a sitting position and buried their face in their hands. Umi sat up as well, and rubbed the Octoling's back gently.  "I know you're already grown," the woman continued slowly. "You're an independent young adult, and I respect that. And I know it's not my job..." Here she gently pushed up against Pyxis' chin, and stared into their eyes. "...But I will always, always make room for you, honey." Pyxis threw their arms around the adult Inkling, sobbing into her chest. The woman patted their back and began to sing a slow song. "When I face the sea breeze,  and close my eyes, my thoughts turn to  the green and leafy shade. Having crossed the distant sea, I just want to heal my body now.

Even without words, if our eyes should meet. Our hearts, reaching one another. The dreams we both believed in. To the friends who held out their hands to me, I thank you." 1

"So," Pyxis eventually spoke up after they had calmed a bit, "what about the other thing?" "Other thing?" Umi asked, pausing her song.  "You know... The other thing." "Oh, that! Ah, don't worry, honey. I won't tell him you want him to say 'I love you' in 'THAT' way." "Not love," Pyxis shook their head. "But definitely 'I like you'. That... would be nice." "Good idea. By the way, I approve." "Approve?" "Of you, honey! If Ankyr ends up feeling the same, I'd be super okay with that, since it's you." "Umi... Thank you." "So, go make him fall for you, already!" Umi laughed, with a very hard pat on the Octoling's back.  "What a strange mother," Pyxis sighed, unable to stifle a chuckle.  "Oh? Am I?" "I wouldn't have you any other way." "So, what's this I hear about somebody kissing our boy?" "Oh..."

\/\/\/\/\/

"Looks like you're getting used to it," Pyxis said, observing their pupil, who had just knelt down to refill her ink with a long tube extending from her ink tank. "Yeah," Rory said. "I still wish it looked like the ones the Killjoys wear, though." "That can't be helped," Pyxis shook their head. "This is all I've got. Sorry." "No, it's okay. I appreciate it, really." "Alright," Pyxis said, before blowing the whistle around their neck. "Next drill: You're facing an enemy with a charger. You need to proceed, but if you do, they'll splat you for sure." Here they set down their roller and picked up a charger. "What can you do?" "Um..." Rory glanced around at the dojo room, which was designed to look like Walleye Warehouse. "Dash-jump behind cover until I find a safer way?" "That's good! But what if there isn't enough cover? What if there's only one stack of containers between you, and a charger in an open field?" "...Um... I... Well..." "You ask your teammates for help, of course," shouted an Inkling, who fired a charger shot that almost hit Pyxis. "Moby!" Pyxis greeted. "Welcome! I'm glad you had time to help out." "Thanks," Moby said, running up closer to the two. "Sorry I'm late." "No, you're actually a bit early. Working together with your team is always a good way to go. But they can't always be there to bail you out, they've got things to do too. What if there are no teammates around?" "Again with the 'what-if's," Rory groaned. "I don't know. It's not like I have a super long-range weapon or... anything..." Pyxis and Moby gave each other excited grins before returning their attention to the Anemone. "My special!" Rory continued. "Yeah!" the other two cheered, applauding.  "Why didn't you just tell me that?" "Didn't it feel great, figuring it out?" Pyxis asked.  "Yeah... It really did." "And that's just the beginning; I'll give you lots of puzzles like that. Figuring things out yourself is the only way to begin to integrate them into your soul." "Always with the soul," Moby laughed, remembering similar speeches from previous training sessions. "I think I get it," Rory said. "Personal experience is the other ingredient, right? To... integrate it?"

"Yep," Pyxis nodded. "Think you're ready?"

"Ready as I'll ever be."

"Good. Now see if you can win a match against two chargers." "WHAT?" "It'll be easy! We won't ink any turf we don't have to." "As for the splatting," Moby said with a grin, "we promise not to go easy on you." "Bring it on, then!" \/\/\/\/\/

When break time came around, a few battles in, the trio met in the middle of the room, and Pyxis opened the picnic box they had made a habit of packing for these training sessions. "Mmm, you always bring the best snackage," Rory said, before chowing down on mushroom-stuffed onigiri. "You deserve it," Pyxis said between bites of their sandwich. "You've been working super hard for the... month and some change we've been at this." "Yeah, you've got all the basics down, from what I've seen," Moby added, sipping on a coconut water box. "Thanks, you guys," Rory said, blushing. "I've never heard of someone without an ink sac trying to Turf War," the Inkling continued. "I hope you know how awesome you are for following your dreams like this." "Okay, stop, my cheeks are burning," Rory shouted, hiding her face with the plant matter she called hair while the other two laughed.

 \/\/\/\/\/

 "This movie was so dumb," Rocky sighed, picking up a disc case just to put it right back down again. "It was so overdramatic, like 'We're stuck on this ship with a monster', but the twist is that there was somehow a lifeboat all along, that they didn't know about. Like... Hire a writer, please." Penny, Caasi, Moises, and Abbey all laughed at this one-star review, while Rocky picked another movie out of the bargain bin. The group was taking a break from watching day two of the battles, the second half of the preliminary round. Tomorrow would be the first bottom round, where everyone who had lost the preliminaries scrambled to continue into the bottom bracket, and - if one of the squads could manage - make it back up to the top in the end. "Chao in Space?? What is this doing here? It's a universal treasure!" "It's old," Caasi pointed out. "I think it came out when I was a baby." "That doesn't matter! This movie deserves respect! I'm buying it." "Movie night after the day's matches?" Moises suggested.  "Excellent idea," Rocky nodded, placing the movie under his arm and digging for more. "Sleepover, Moises' house!" "What?" "All in favor say 'aye'!" "Aye," Penny and Caasi cheered, followed soon by Rocky. Abbey simply shrugged.  "Fine, I'll tell Tia," the Jellyfish sighed. "You guys can't come over right away though, I gotta make sure the place looks nice." "It's just us," Penny said, squeezing Moises in a squishy hug. "You don't have to get all fancy." "Town With No Name?" Rocky read. Isn't that-?" "Nope," Penny shouted, smacking the case out of his hands. "It's nothing."  "It's not 'nothing'," Caasi said, picking up the movie. "This is your movie." "It's not my movie, it's just a movie I have a few lines in." "Why didn't you tell us it was out?" Rocky asked.  "I didn't think you guys would care this much. I mean, I'm gonna be in a better one soon, anyway." "And I'm sure you'll tell us when that one comes out, right?" Caasi asked. "I don't get why you're so bent out of shape, babe. It's not that big a deal!" Caasi stared her girlfriend down for a moment, before dropping the movie back into the bin.  "Fine." And with that, she turned and walked away. "If it's not that big a deal, we're not buying it." "Honey! Don't... I'm sorry." "What are you sorry for?" Caasi asked, standing still for a moment, but not looking back at the group. "Do you even know why I'm upset?" "Well... Yeah. I should've known you'd want to see it, and..." "I need to walk." "Okay." "I'll meet y'all at the warehouse." "I love you." "And I love you." "'Not buying it', my ninth tentacle," Rocky said, diving into the bin to retrieve the movie once Caasi had walked away. "Rocky..." Penny groaned and covered her face with her hands. "We are watching this," he argued. "Tonight! We want to see it! No matter how good or bad it is! WE'RE PROUD OF YOU! STUPID!" "I know," she said, pulling everyone into a group hug. "It's good to be in a family like this." "I agree. Now go get your girlfriend and drag her back here. We're going back to Walleye." "No, she'll come back on her own. When she needs space, she needs space. It's my job to respect that." "Everybody," Moises shouted, "get you a woman like Penny! Somebody who gets to know you and respects your boundaries!" "Whatever," Rocky said, walking toward the check-out aisles with his two treasures.

 \/\/\/\/\/

 "No way! No way!" "Yes way," Noodle cackled, jumping up and down and clapping her hands. "Go, Tikal, go!" "I can't believe they came back from that," Ecto said, typing on her tablet furiously. She had given up on pen and paper, what with all the squads participating in the tournament meaning almost more data than she could handle inputting - almost.  Ecto and Caurel were sitting on the upper-floor loft of Walleye Warehouse with the members of Feel Good Ink and the Runaways, looking down on the stage that was chosen for the second day of the tournament. On the first day, half of the squads had done battle at Urchin Underpass, and today the latter half would be finishing off the preliminaries. The current battle was between Sattelite Mind and the Angel Islanders - neither of which the Killjoys were familiar with, though Noodle and the gang had recently become acquainted with the latter team.  "Keep going!" Caurel cheered. "Push 'em back, push 'em back, push 'em waaaay back!" Stuart, Tandy and Ty joined her in this cheer for the last ten seconds of the match. They didn't have to look at the results screen - the Angel Islanders had made a comeback in the last minute and covered most of the stage in green ink.  "I knew they could do it," Noodle yelled as the gang all cheered.  "So the Angel Islanders will be in the next round," Ecto nodded, scrolling up in her text document to make alterations to the bracket table she had made. "That means they'll face Rainy Monday next. That should be next week, I think." "Whatever, let's go greet 'em," Noodle said excitedly, running toward the nearest lift, only to bump into Penny. "Hey, punk!" "What's the word?" Penny asked as the two performed their secret handshake.  "What did we miss?" Rocky asked.  "The best match of the day," Caurel grinned. "Don't worry, I caught it on camera. It's your turn, by the way." "Sure, sure," he nodded, yawning, as he accepted the video recorder. "Who's next?" Moises asked.  "Whoever wins the next two..." Ecto paused. "Wait, you meant literally the match about to start. Hold on... Launch Hearts vs. Eighty 8's. I've heard those names, but can't place them. After that, it'll be Ta-Dah vs. Pumpkin Soup. Then, the Spiders from Mars vs. Fancy Tea Party." "I was wondering when those hot-air balloons would be battling," Rocky scoffed.   "Be nice," his sister sighed.  "Do you guys want a break now?" Penny asked, giving Caurel a tight hug.  "I'm good," Ecto shook her head. "What about you, Kobra?" "I'll be fine for a while longer," Caurel said. "But I'll be taking a break after Ziggy and the gang battle. And I want you to come with me." "Yes, mother." "Don't call me that." "I thought I saw you guys around here," came the voice of Pyxis, who was approaching the group with Rory and Moby in tow. "Pyxis!" Noodle cheered, running to greet the Octoling.  "Hey, Noodle," Pyxis smiled. "How've you been?" "Wait, when did you two meet?" Rocky asked with a puzzled expression.  "Before my first Ranked match, remember?" "Huh... Must've been a deleted scene." "What's up, Stu?" Pyxis continued their greeting.  "Yo!" the short-haired male Inkling said, raising up his fingers in a peace sign. "Rus?" "Hey, Pyxis," the more burly young Squid greeted with a wave.  "Jamie?"  "'Ey," the Angler Fish nodded. "Damon?" "What's the word?" asked the blue-spiked Sea Urchin.   "Not much-" Pyxis gasped mid-sentence. "TY! TANDY!" They ran to give their friends a double-hug, which was happily received.  "It's not like we hung out all yesterday evening or anything," Tandy laughed. "I missed you so much for these fifteen hours!" "Hey, now's the perfect chance to introduce you to the Runaways," Ty said, gesturing for his friends to stand up. "Guys, this is Pyxis, the unstoppable juggernaut we told you about." "Marvelous," said a short-haired Inkling woman who adjusted her neon shades and shook Pyxis' hand. "Jubilee. You can just call me Jubes. This here is Pixie." She gestured to a shorter woman with long tentacles all brushed to one side and hanging over her shoulder.  "Pleasure to meet you," Pixie said. "The buff gal is Frostbite," Jubilee said, gesturing to a tall, broad-shouldered Inkling, who simply nodded in greeting. "And the kid is Bruiser." "I'm not much younger than these guys," a young Inkling girl insisted, pointing a finger at Feel Good Ink and the Killjoys.  "The rest of our squad is home sleeping," Jubilee continued. "But I'm sure you'll meet 'em sooner or later." "It's nice to meet all of you," Pyxis said with their usual bow.  "So, shooter main?" "Pardon? Oh, right," they said, adjusting the strap on their ink tank, which their weapons were attached to. "I usually go with the N-Zap '89 these days, though I do try to mix it up so I don't fall out of practice. But for the tournament... If they want me to be the 'fierce warrior deity', I guess I'd better go all out." "That's the spirit," Tandy cheered.  "Next battle is starting," Ecto stated in a monotonous tone, typing more information into her tablet.  "Is she in 'carried away' mode again?" Abbey asked.  "Off and on," Caurel nodded, slapping Ecto hard on the back. "You here on Earth or on Jupiter, hon?" "Wha-! Yeah, I'm fine..." Ecto rubbed the back of her head. "I wasn't going all zombie just yet." "Just wanted to check." "Who's starting up?" Moby asked.  "Team ten, Launch Hearts," Ecto said, "against team fifty-five, Eighty 8's." "What number are the Killjoys?" Rory asked. Rocky tugged on his shirt, which had a large numeral 1 pasted onto it.  "Number one, of course." "Yeah," Pyxis scoffed. "We're Ziggy's number one with a bullet." "Don't let any of that get to you," Noodle said. "Remember what we talked about the other day." "Yeah... I've got my own reason for battling." "What are you battling for, Pyxis?" Rory asked. "For the love of the game," Pyxis said with a grin, crossing their arms. "I told you to stop being so cool!" "I'm trying, hon, I really am." "Impossible," chimed in Ankyr, who had slipped into the crowd unseen. "You'll always be cool." "There you are, Sunshine!" Moises said. "Where've you been?" "Ah, helping my mom clean and stuff." "You're such a good son, Sunshine," the Jellyfish cheered, administering his usual cheek-pinches. "Well, Umi's a really great mom," Pyxis said, "so it's only natural." "Thanks, hon," Ankyr said with a wide smile. "She'd be happy to hear that." "I'll be sure to tell her," the Octoling nodded. "There's a member of Launch Hearts who also mains the '89," Ecto spoke up, having pulled up a different page of her document. "Her battle name is Neptune."  "Like the god?"  "Yep. Then there's Syldra, with a Carbon Roller Deco." "Excellent taste," Rocky grinned. "Blackbird with an Inkbrush, and Nautilus with a .52 Gal Deco," Ecto continued. "Eighty 8's... is a team made up of all Octolings."  "No way," Pyxis gasped, peering down into the battlefield. Sure enough, there were four Octolings walking toward the East spawn point, which was now orange. "Oh my gosh... GO, EIGHTY 8'S! You can do it! I believe in you!" Their tentacles had turned from violet to orange in their excitement.  "Yeah," Ankyr jumped in with his hands around his mouth. "Take 'em out! Paint the town orange!" \/\/\/\/\/ "Do we even know those people?" Down on the warehouse's first floor, one of the members of the Octoling squad stared up at the randos cheering for them. "Who knows?" the squad leader asked, waving her hand lazily at the audience. "C'mon, Sandro." "Yeah, yeah... Hey, Corvis, Vega, does that Octo look familiar to you?" One of the two, a female Octoling named Corvis, lowered her 18k Aviator shades from her eyes to get a better look.  "Well... Don't know 'em, but they look familiar." "Maybe we watched them play before?" Vega suggested, pushing a tentacle away from their face before patting Sandro on the head and chuckling. "Come on, don't make Taurus mad before our first official battle." "Remember, formation V-2," their leader, Taurus, said when the squad reached their base. "Yeah, yeah..."  The four combatants dove into the orange ink of their spawn point, while the battlers of Launch Hearts dove into the blue spawn pool. Once the initial announcement was made, they all rose up and prepared for the signal.  KA-POW! Taurus and Corvis took the descending ramp, while Sandro and Vega each inked a path on either side before dropping down. While most of the team covered the main section between their base and the center area, Sandro took the alley to the right, planting a Squid Beakon near the end.  Meanwhile, the members of Launch Hearts were busy covering their own ground - all but Blackbird, who brushed a wild and wavy line into the center, inking a circle around the stack of containers. She dove into the ink, popped back out to throw a Sprinkler toward the opponents' side, then swam back the way she had come. By the time she had resurfaced, she had filled her special gauge, and launched an Inkstrike on Eighty 8's second-level area, splatting Corvis and Vega, while Taurus took the alley to her left and Sandro reached the lower area. Once Taurus dropped down at the end of her alley, she nodded to Sandro, who raised his Custom Dual Squelcher. As soon as the blue team pressed through the center, the two moved toward the blue base as quickly as they could, Taurus rolling and Sandro shooting. Once they reached their opponents' alleyways, they each planted a Squid Beakon, then with a quick glance at their maps, fired their specials. For Taurus, it was just in the nick of time - she transformed into a Kraken just before facing a Seeker launched by Nautilus. The bomb burst against her invincible form, and she moved on to splat the female Inkling with a devastating spinning jump before swimming around and inking as much of the area as she could. Meanwhile, Sandro had aimed his Killer Wail toward the center, and splatted Neptune and Blackbird. The only one who managed to dodge it was Syldra, who swam into the South alley and sent a Seeker up the ramp. She then swam through the trail left by the moving bomb, and unleashed a Bomb Rush out of the alleyway, launching Seekers everywhere.  While Taurus and Sandro scattered to avoid the bombs, Syldra rushed to the center to meet the other half of the orange team, while the newly respawned members of her team reclaimed their base, taking out Sandro in the process. Taurus used her Krak-On Splat Roller to defend Sandro's Beakon as long as she could, then dove into the lowest level and planted another. She then swam toward the center area to try for a two-pronged attack, but was splatted from behind by Blackbird's Inkbrush. 

Vega and Corvis took out Syldra and Blackbird, but had to scatter when their other two opponents sent Sprinkler and Seeker and swam after them, firing their shooters. Sandro soon came from the orange base to back them up, and the center of the warehouse soon became a chaotic war zone.  Meanwhile, Taurus respawned and Super Jumped to the Beakon she had placed, and stealthily made her way around the center to overtake the blue team's side once again. The inking was going well, until an Inkstrike forced her down to the center. Giving up on the orange base for the moment, she joined the fray and helped her team from the rear. Thanks to Disruptors thrown by Corvis and Vega's Inkzooka, they soon won the center, but most of the blue team escaped to the orange team's side, inking as much as they could as they went. Sandro and Vega Super Jumped back to their spawn point to head them off, but couldn't get their side under control. "Five seconds!" Taurus shouted as she rolled frantically. Corvis fired as many charger shots as she could. By the time the whistle blew, both teams' bases were mostly blue, but the entire center area and the Southern alley were covered in orange. Eighty 8's were victorious. "YES!" Pyxis cheered from up above. "I wanna go congratulate them." "Sounds like a great idea," Ankyr nodded as he followed them to the lower level.  "Who's next again?" asked Tyrone, peering at Ecto's screen. "Ta-Dah vs. Pumpkin Soup," Ecto said while still typing. "Hold on a minute..." She pulled up the next teams' information. "The first squad's leader, Okashi, is using a Berry Splattershot Pro. They've actually held the Berry's number-three record spot for the past half year, almost... Then there's Joanna with a Soda Slosher... Rainbow with a .52 Gal Deco... And Cake with a Rapid Blaster Pro Deco." "Are they a squad, or a party supply company?" Everyone turned their heads to the familiar voice of Caasi, who had just squeezed through the crowd. "Baby!" Penny rushed to embrace her girlfriend, who met her with open arms. Their assembly of friends fell silent and kept their attention on the battlefield, giving them space without performing the awkward act of more than twenty people getting up and moving. "I'm-" "Don't apologize." "I know, I'm just... really upset." "I know." "I hate that I hurt your feelings." "It's going to happen. We talked about this before. I'll hurt your feelings sometimes, too. And I'll hate it. But we'll both make up for it, as long as we treat each other like equal individuals. Nobody's perfect." "I know. But I don't have to be happy about it." "Well that's fine, 'cause I'm here to make you happy anyway." "I love you," Penny chuckled, kissing the Crayfish on her beak.  "I love you," Caasi echoed, squeezing the Inkling tighter. The two stood in silence for a moment, with no sound but the murmuring of the crowd all around the warehouse as the ink began to disappear.  "Sssooo..." Ecto began slowly after a long silence. "Pumpkin Soup's leader is using a Grim Range Blaster..." Caurel slapped her lightly on the arm.  "You could've given them another minute or two." "Nah, we're good," Caasi said, letting go of her girlfriend with all but one arm. "Are we good?" she asked for confirmation. "We're wonderful," Penny said as the two sat down. She buried her girlfriend in kisses while the others returned their attention to Ecto's analysis.  "Her name is Kate. Pretty well-known lounge singer, too." "What a strange name," Jubilee said. "I love it." "Then there's Kina with an Aerospray RG, Maple with a Tri-Slosher, and Jack with a .96 Gal Deco. Jack actually does run a party supply company, Caasi." The gang laughed at this. "Well, co-owner, anyway." "Who do you think will win?" Rory asked.  "There are... nigh-infinite variables going into a Turf War match," Ecto shrugged and shook her head. "Ask me when there's one minute left?" "Sure," the Anemone nodded.

 \/\/\/\/\/

The air microbes had fully devoured the ink on the battlefield, and the two teams were now being summoned for the next match. While those eight cephalopods moved to their respective spawn points, Pyxis and Ankyr ran into the members of Eighty 8s on the stairs.  "You guys rocked it out there," Pyxis blurted out, not sure of what else to say. Corvis eventually broke the awkward silence that followed. "Now I know where we've seen you," she said, lowering her shades. "You're that Octo that got a hundred-win streak a while back." "I just got lucky," Pyxis shook their head, blushing orange.  "I wouldn't say that," Sandro cut in. "I've seen y'all around. Fabulous Killjoys?" "That's right," Ankyr smiled. "I'm Ankyr, the splatling main, and this is Pyxis, who pretty much uses everything." "It's nice to meet you two," Taurus said, resuming her original pace, "but I'd really like to sit down now." "Oh, that's fine!" Pyxis said, as they and Ankyr walked beside the group as they headed to the loft. "We can walk and talk." "That's cool. I'm Taurus, by the way. Chick with the sunglasses is Corvis. Guy with the hoodie is Sandro. And the one who hides their face with their tentacles is Vega." "It's great to meet all of you," Ankyr said, which Pyxis supported with a nod. "That battle was amazing. Our whole crew was impressed, actually." "See, Taurus?" Corvis chuckled. "You had nothing to worry about. Our first battle was a complete success, and we even got some fans." "First battle?" Ankyr asked. "You mean in the tournament, right?" "Ever," Vega said, polishing their Luna Blaster with a sanitizing cloth. "We've done nothing but study and practice before today. Granted, we only started practicing like. Last year?" "After the Lantern Festival," Sandro said. "So late last year. Or early this year, depending on which New Year festival you follow, I guess..." "Either way, it's all paid off," Taurus said. "Winning this tournament right out of the blue will show the world how good we are." "Don't you mean right out of the orange?" Corvis joked, flapping one of her tentacles. She at least got a laugh out of Sandro and their two guests. Vega smiled, but their tentacles hid that from view for the most part. "You're confident you can win?" Pyxis asked. Taurus hesitated before answering, glancing from Pyxis to her own teammates, then back again. They all stepped out of the stairwell and onto the second-floor balcony where the crowds had gathered, and she shielded her eyes from the heavy glare of the lights as she spoke. "It's Turf War. Anything can happen." "That's what Caurel always says," Ankyr chuckled. "'Nothing's a sure bet. Anything can happen. Never give up'."  "Sounds like good advice to me," Corvis nodded. "That your crew?" Taurus asked, gesturing to a large crowd. Caurel and Moises were waving them over, while the rest of the crew was engrossed with the current battle. "Yep," Pyxis said. "Our squad members, and some friends and fans, including some other squads." "That's not just some other squad," Corvis said, lowering her shades once more. "You're friends with the Runaways?" "Yeah... Well, we're friends with Dagger and Cloak," Ankyr said. "The others, we've only just met. You know them?" "We know they're good," Vega said.  "Yeah," Sandro nodded. "Out of the squads who had their performance measured in the Pod cards, they're in the top five teams." "Wow," Ankyr whistled.  "They said they weren't well-known," Pyxis said. "Oh, I'm sure they're not, compared to the newer 'celebrity squads'," Corvis said. "But they're definitely some of the best players. I pity whoever has to go up against them." "Let's hope it's not us." "Ecto can tell us our chances," Ankyr said. "Chances of what?" Ecto asked as the small group drew nearer to the ever-growing mob of friends and fans.  "Facing off against the Runaways," Pyxis said, nodding toward the squad in question and crossing their arms. "Who I didn't know were one of the best squads in recorded history. Thanks a lot, guys." "I mean, you already knew how good me and Ty are," Tandy winked. Ty threw his head back and laughed.  "That was a long time ago, dear," Jubilee shook her head. "We were younger. Practiced more. Didn't have to deal with university bee-ess." "Let's see," Ecto said, scrolling through her data and zooming in on the tournament bracket. "Runaways won their battle yesterday against squad twenty, Anchors Away. Which puts them... here. You'd both have to win your next three battles to face each other in the top semifinals. That's, um... Less than ten percent chance, I'm pretty sure. But possible. Then again, I'd have to weigh the likelihood of victory for every team you'd possibly run into in the interim to really get any kind of proper estimate. I mean, I'm fairly confident we can beat Shark Squad the day after tomorrow, but Dear Prudence vs. the Runaways, I can't really say either way. Then there's the question of who you'll be facing after that. It could be either... the Cryptik Souls Crew or Soldiers of OZ for us, and Tidal Wave or Big Blue for the Runaways. From my observations so far, I'm pretty confident Tidal Wave can win, but Cryptik Souls vs. OZ is anyone's guess. Then after that, who knows who you'll be playing? That's a... two-eighths chance, or rather two one-quarter chances, plus two fifty-fifty chances on top of that, which makes it-" "Ghoul." Caurel patted her hard on the back. "Drink some water. Take a break." "But the battle..." "You've already lost track of the battle, my dear. Give the tablet to Sunshine." "Y... Yeah, you're right..." "Sorry to go so long without introductions," Caurel said with a smile to the members of Eighty 8s. She kept her hand on Ecto's shoulder while the tinkerer downed a bottle of water and wiped sweat from her brow. "We're-" "The Fabulous Killjoys," Corvis said. "Jet-Star, Kobra Kid, Fun Ghoul, Party Poison, Sunshine, and Velocity. I read your blurb in Ink Weekly." "And we've seen you play," Sandro said. "Very impressive." "We can say the same for y'all," Rocky said, keeping most of his attention on recording the match.  "Thanks!" "And these of course are the Runaways," Taurus said, gesturing to Jubilee and her crew. "Absolute legends. Jubilee, Pixie, Cloak and Dagger, Frostbite, Bruiser... Where are Delphyne and the others? We'd love to meet them." "Oh man, I've got heart eyes for Delphyne," Corvis said, holding her hands to her hearts. "D... Don't tell her I said that!" "Sleeping," Bruiser piped up. "Still. It's like. Sleep Day is over, guys!" "I'd still be sleeping right now if it wasn't for the tournament, to be honest," Rocky yawned. "And these guys... I have no idea who you are," Taurus admitted, gesturing to Noodle's crew. "Feel Good Ink," Vega spoke up, just loud enough to be heard over the music and noises of battle. "Yee, somebody knows us," Noodle cheered. "It feels nice," Stuart nodded. "You guys graffiti'd my back fence two years ago," Vega continued. "Oh," Noodle said, laughing nervously. "Aha... Sorry 'bout that." "Don't apologize," the shy Octoling shook their head. "It's beautiful." "Really?" Jamie finally poked his head up from his sketchbook.  "Yeah. Can you do my garage next? I'll pay you." "Wow," Ankyr shouted, typing wildly into Ecto's tablet as he observed the battle below. "They've got this in the bag." "What kind of bag is it?" Corvis asked. "Silk? Leather? Supermarket?" "I like this one," Caasi chuckled. "Don't be too sure, bro," Rocky said to Ankyr. "Check out Maple over there."  Ankyr scanned the battlefield until he saw an Inkling wearing a Black Tee, Sporty Bobble Hat, and Squid-Stitch Slip-ons. She was using her slosher to cover the pink ink in orange for just a bit, then dash-jumping into more of the enemy's ink to repeat the process. This created a dotted line of sorts that cut the stage almost right down the middle.  "It's a trap," Corvis said, unable to stifle a hearty chuckle. "I love it."  Meanwhile, Kina had also managed to sneak away from the pink squad camping their base, and inked her own bit of turf closer to the enemy's side. By the time she had planted two Ink Mines, the members of Ta-Dah had followed her to the center, where they were hit by Maple's Disruptors. Moving slower, and with their ink draining much faster, they were much easier to dispatch - three by main weapons, while Rainbow was taken out by an Ink Mine. In the last thirty seconds, the orange squad struggled frantically to catch up, recovering their base as quickly as possible before moving forward. By the time the whistle blew, the map was a chaotic mess. Everyone held their breath for results, and...  "Pumpkin Soup wins!" Ankyr shouted. "Unbelievable!" "By zero-point-one percent," Ecto said, staring at her wrist device. "Gotta love it when that happens." "Anything can happen," Caurel said with a shrug.  "Mind if I sit with you guys for a while?" The Killjoys all fell silent, turning their attention to the Inkling who had approached them. She was dressed all in black, with violet tentacles, and a violet star-shaped tattoo around her right eye. Their friends, reading the Killjoys' expressions, remained silent as well, until Moises spoke up.  "Come on in, Lady," the Jellyfish greeted with a wave. "The water's fine." "I can see there's a veritable ocean," the older woman laughed, bowing to the assembled group. "Good afternoon, good afternoon." When she drew closer to the Killjoys, she clasped hands with Caurel. "I know... it's been a while since I've visited you guys..." "It's been years," Rocky said, his arms lowered, the video camera forgotten. "Literal years." "Rocky," Caurel warned, before returning her attention to the woman. "How are you doing, Hermione? Have you been out long? Are you sure you don't want to lie down?" "Always worrying," the woman laughed. "No, the treatments are over. No more pain, no more swamp brain. The cancer is gone." "That's... great," Caurel laughed, tears in her eyes as she hugged the woman. "That's great!" "Ah, ah, not too tight, honey. I'm a brittle old woman now." "You're in your twenties, hush." "I mean, not for long." "Guys, this is Lady Stardust," Rocky said to the crowd. "Moises' partner in setting this all up. She used to be our friend." "Rocky!" "That hurts," Lady said, nodding. "But I deserve it. You're all looking great. You're growing up! I'm so sorry I haven't kept in touch. Like... What's object permanence, am I right?" "I feel that," Russell nodded. "Me, too," Ty sighed, while his sister threw her arm around him. "I would've at least liked to know how your treatments were going," Caurel said. "I texted you, e-mailed you, sent you letters..." "I know. I didn't want to talk to anyone. Not even Ziggy. But he's the one person I couldn't shut out. He's such a pain, sometimes." "You're telling me," Rocky said, raising the camera once again as the next two teams entered the battlefield. "Rocky, I know you're still mad at my brother, but..." "I'm not 'still' mad at him. I get mad at him all over again every time he acts like an idiot. Which is all the time." "I understand."  "Are you gonna tell me the reason he's been a total siphon is because he's been stressed out worrying about you? 'Cause he's been acting like that a lot longer." "Nah," the woman shook her head. "He was never scared. He always knew I'd fight it off, come out just fine. I don't know how, but... he was right." "He acts like that a lot," Pyxis spoke up. "Tries to put on a tough act, and bury all his fears and insecurities where he thinks no one can see them. Problem is, there's only so far down you can cram all that junk." "You must be Pyxis," Lady said slowly, with a smile. "The one who made my brother cry." "I made him cry?" Pyxis sat up straight. "I'm sorry, but that's great." "Pyxis!" Caurel shouted.  "I said I'm sorry," Pyxis cackled.  "I'm not saying you shouldn't have done it," Lady shook her head. "Sometimes he gets carried away, and needs to be taken down a peg. But I will have to battle you at some point to defend his honor." "I'll look forward to it," the Octoling said, giving her a salute. "I just can't promise I won't remove more of those 'pegs' further down the road. Honestly,  I still want to punch him in the face." "You're not the first person to say something like that, to be honest. I'm sure you won't be the last." Here Lady's gaze fell on the Inkling to their right, and rested there for a while. "What?" Ankyr asked. "I never said I wanted to punch him." "You know what you did." "I did nothing." "You're battling again?" Rocky asked, trying to change the subject as quickly as he could.  "Every once in a while. It's taken a long time to shake the rust off." "Can you make your next act throwing those idiots out of Moonage Daydream?" Lady had a good laugh at this.  "I'm sorry, Rocky, my parents are the owners now. I can't just take it back after promising they can have it." "Yes, you can," the male Inkling insisted. "They don't know how to run it. You built that place with your own two hands." "I had a construction crew, dear." "Whatever!" "The next match is starting," Ecto said. Rocky and Ankyr brought their attention back to the battlefield. "Spiders From Mars vs. Fancy Tea Party." "Hey, we beat a squad called Mad Tea Party yesterday," Stuart said. "Think they're friends or something?" "Or maybe rivals," Noodle suggested. "Booooooo!" Pyxis yelled when Ziggy Stardust waved at the crowd. He, Weird, Gilly, and someone they hadn't yet seen, were just arriving at the pink spawn point, while the members of Fancy Tea Party arrived at the one that had turned turquoise. "Ah, good," Lady nodded. "He's letting Niddler and Gilly play. I really was going to ground him if he didn't." "Do they not let Gilly play with them a lot?" Pyxis asked. "They don't seem to have a lot of respect for him, from what I've seen." "They take care of each other. But no, the lower-ranking members don't play as much." "That sounds like the opposite of how it should be, don't you think?" "You're one to push the envelope and irritate people, aren't you?" Lady laughed. "Oh, I revel in it," Pyxis winked.  "I think I might like you, after all." "Hey Ankyr, do the thing," Ty said. "Oh, right... So, Ziggy's using his usual Splattershot... Comes with Burst Bombs and Bomb Rush. Gilly has a Tri-Slosher Nouveau, which has Seekers and Echolocator. Weird has the vanilla Blaster, with Disruptors and the Killer Wail. And then there's Niddler, with the Inkbrush Nouveau..." "Ooh, my favorite," Caurel said. "Ink Mines and the Bubbler." "Nothing better for a ninja squid," Pyxis nodded.  "What about the Neo Sploosh-o-matic?" Pixie asked, raising her head up from where she had been trying to sleep. "Point Sensor and Kraken. High inking rate, good recon sub, and a special that's good for taking people by surprise or getting to safety." "Luna Blaster Neo," Vega spoke up. "Splat Bombs are the best for traps." "Splattershot Jr.," Tandy chimed in. "Tricks, traps, defense, and support. Best of all the worlds. They don't call me 'Cloak' for nothing." "No way," Bruiser shouted. "Original Slosher for the win! It's got Burst Bombs and the Inkstrike!" "You're not a ninja, Bruiser," Jubilee said. "You're... well... a bruiser." "Oh, my bad, I must've missed the beginning of the convo," the younger cephalopod laughed, returning her attention to the match that had just begun.  Three paths of pink ink, all different sizes, were being forged toward the center, while Ziggy followed them closely and inked whatever turf was missed before jumping into the lower alley. The members of Fancy Tea Party were a bit slower to reach the center, but when they did, they brought a veritable steamroller - an Inkling with a Dynamo Roller, protected by a Bubbler. The other three turquoise Squids, also sharing the Bubbler, converged on the Spiders as they moved out of the way of the roller. The three pink Squids were splatted in no time, leaving Ziggy, who was stealthily swimming between cover, to fend for himself.  "That was Mary," Ankyr said, scrolling through Ecto's notes. "Her Bubbler, I mean. The one with the Cherry H-3 Nozzlenose. Splash Wall and Bubbler. Windy also has a Bubbler special, courtesy of Kobra's favorite main." "I saw," Caurel nodded excitedly. "She swings that brush like she knows what she's doing." "I can't tell from your tone," Pixie said, "whether you're impressed by her battle prowess, or turned on." "Why not both?" Jubilee asked with a wide grin. "It might be both," Caurel said, blushing.  "Same here," Corvis laughed. "Wanna go flirt with her together after the match?" "No, thanks," the bespectacled Inkling said after clearing her throat. "I'm... more interested in long-term romance than fleeting-moment brain chemicals." "Well, she could be someone you end up having that long-term stuff with," Stuart shrugged. "Never know, brah." "He's right," Corvis nodded. "You never know, if you don't go, you know?" "I know," she smiled, patting the young Octoling's hand.  "She's already got her eyes on someone else," Rocky spoke up from where he was filming the match. "Rock-!" Caurel didn't even finish saying her twin's name before stopping to shout "Soy sauce!" "Fine," he said, rolling his eyes. "Soy sauce?" Bruiser's attention was once again drawn into the conversation. "Nobody told me there was soy sauce! I got the blandest noodles..." "It's kinda their squad's safe word," Noodle explained. "When somebody goes too far or starts to talk about something they'd rather deal with later, in private, et cetera." "Oooh, but now I wanna know," Tandy said, tapping Caurel's knee.  "Me, too," Corvis cackled. "Come on, girl, dish! You can tell just me if you want." "Everybody leave her alone," Ankyr shouted, casting the whole group into silence for a moment. He followed, much softer, with "Just watch the match." "Thank you, Sunshine," Caurel said quietly, clasping her friend's hand.  "Any time, hon," he said with a smile, swaying their hands side to side for a moment, doing his best to ignore the half-second glare he wasn't sure he had seen Lady give him. Most of the small group did indeed turn their attention to the battlefield, where the Spiders had quickly come back from their initial stomping, and had all but seized victory. They were camped near the turquoise base, not letting anyone pass easily. Weird was constantly throwing Disruptors into the only path downward, while Gilly sent Seeker after Seeker their way. Ziggy and Niddler sprayed and slashed at anyone trying to escape, but they missed one when Windy shared her Bubbler with the team, and her teammate with a Sploosh-o-matic swam forward, covering as much pink as they could with turquoise before turning around and launching a Killer Wail.  The whistle blew, and the verdict was clear; though Fancy Tea Party had tried their hardest to break away and start to come back, most of the field was pink.  "Good job, kids," Lady sighed. "I'd go congratulate them, but I need a bathroom break." "Come join us in the park, Lady," Caurel said, grabbing Ecto's arm and rising from her seat. "We're gonna run through sprinklers!" "Sounds great," she laughed. "I'll follow you out, at least."  "Okay, everyone who needs a break, follow me!" Caurel, Ecto, Lady, Noodle and her gang, all got up and moved toward the exit stairs. "I'd come along, but I just got here a few matches ago," Pyxis said. "I don't need a break just yet." "Same here," Ankyr said. "I am gonna go get some junkfood from the concessions, though. Want anything?" "Veggie burger with mushrooms and cheese?"  "Heck yeah! Bee-ar-bee."

\/\/\/\/\/

"I'll take the DK Barrel, SNES mix. And... two Super Mushroom Veggie Burgers with Shy Guy Fries, please." "You got a crew, huh?" asked one of the workers at the concession stand, a bipedal Tiger Shark wearing a red and white apron, as he accepted the Inkling's money. "How could you tell?" Ankyr laughed, watching with joy as one of the Jellyfish chefs cooked up two delicious-looking veggie patties. The cashier dropped a large barrel full of candy and other assorted junk onto the counter, followed by the two hot and fresh meals.  "You want 'em in the barrel?" "Please." The Shark carefully placed the two boxes atop the mountain of junkfood in the barrel, and sealed it.  "You got it?" He asked as Ankyr lifted the barrel from the counter.  "Yeah, I mean, it's not like it's the Wii U edition or anything." "I'd definitely have to help you out with that," he laughed. "Enjoy!" Ankyr hummed one of his favorite ABXY tunes as he made his way back to his crew, though he stopped right at the bottom of the stairwell, when Lady Stardust walked out of the nearby restroom, and the two stared at each other awkwardly.  "Oh..." "Ah..." "Hey." "H... Hey..." Ankyr didn't know what else to say. The two simply stared silently, seemingly unable to move. It was Lady who first spoke up. "When are you going to apologize?" "Pardon?" He raised an eyebrow. "You never once said you were sorry. I kind of stopped thinking you even were sorry."  Ankyr set his barrel down, getting the feeling he'd be stuck in awkward conversation mode for a while. "I have no idea what you're talking about." "See, that just pisses me off even more," Lady said, stepping closer. "You don't even think you've done anything wrong." "If you're talking about what happened when we were kids? That wasn't me. I didn't make any choice. I don't know what Ziggy's told you, but I never did anything to affect him in any way." "I don't believe you. You really don't remember." "Look, it's not my fault he had a crush on a straight guy. It happens to all of us. And we all get over it. He's the one out of touch with reality." "Don't talk like that about my brother." It was a warning tone, her voice barely raised, soon to be louder. "I... I'm sorry. But I'm not the cause of all his troubles. Just because Rocky started hanging around me..." He trailed off when Lady threw her head back and laughed.  "You think that's what this is about? Boy! You really are the most inconsiderate, self-centered person I know."

\/\/\/\/\/

 "Ankyr sure is taking a long time," Tyrone pointed out, as the battle between the Tin Soldiers and the All-Stars raged on, nearing its resolution.  "I have this feeling," Rocky started, not sure what else to say. "Me too," Pyxis said, jumping out of their seat and running toward the stairs. "I'll go." "Thanks, bro." "Everything okay?" Jubilee asked.  "I'm not sure," Rocky shrugged and shook his head. "But... I trust Pyxis to take care of it." "To take care of what, exactly?" Penny asked, looking up from where she and Caasi had been whispering sweet nothings, oblivious to their surroundings. Rocky glanced her way, then back to the battle, with a heavy sigh.  "You already know."

\/\/\/\/\/

 "So you're saying you don't care?" "No, I'm saying just because I happen to play the same game, doesn't mean I'm the one who hurt him. Neither is Rocky. His pain comes from something else, deep inside him. What Rocky did, was just something for his mind to focus on because he can't turn around and look at himself." "If you know there's a problem, why don't you-" "I'm not responsible for his feelings!  I'm not responsible for anyone's feelings but my own! You help him, he's your brother." "He won't open up to me." "He won't open up to anyone. But that's not my problem." "Selfish, self-centered, and cruel. I knew I had you pegged right. I have no idea why Caurel hangs around you." "We're family, that's why. We've always been there-" "'Family'? Do they even really know you?" "You don't know me." "I know enough." "Heeeyyy," Pyxis greeted loudly, walking down the stairs to stand between the two. "Who's up for some algae-flavored ice cream? I'm buying!" "I'm not in the mood for whatever this is," Lady said with a circular hand gesture.  "'This' is me coming between you guys. Obviously. I know I'm new to the group, and there are things I don't know, but-" "Right," Lady snapped. "You don't know. So don't speak." "Woof!" The Octoling laughed. "The Chain Chomp bites when she's off her leash! My oh my, does Caurel have a way with people." "Do NOT badmouth Caurel in front of me!" "That wasn't an insult, honey, but think what you want. I... would like some verification. I already know Ziggy used to be Pretty Reckless' best friend, but uh... where does you harrassing this perfectly harmless sea turtle come into this?" "I don't need to answer to you," the Inkling woman said, before turning to walk away. Penny, who had come down without anyone noticing, stood in her way.  "What did you say to Ankyr?" It sounded more like a statement than a question. Pyxis got the feeling she had asked it before. Penny's glare stayed fixed on Lady's own eyes. "Nor do I have to answer to a straight-D delinquent with a police record." Lady tried to shove her aside, but Penny grabbed onto her arm, squeezing tight, forcing her to look her in the eyes once more.  "I love you. I missed you. I want you to come back to us. But I'm tired of this. Ziggy's already constantly trying to get under our skin and make us miserable. I will not take it from you, too." "You're just embellishing. Ziggy is rude and irritating and likes to play jokes, but he's a good boy." "He told my girlfriend to 'go jump in a saucepan with some butter'." "You're lying." She wrestled her arm free and pushed Penny toward the wall, before running away as fast as she could. "You're lying!" "Oh boy," Pyxis said, offering Penny a hand to get back up. "You guys are full of surprises." "She's not usually like that," the Inkling explained. "She's a... good person, overall. She just hates Ankyr for no reason. He's her scapegoat, basically." "For...?" "Let's talk about that another time," Penny said as she approached Ankyr, who had already slumped down against the wall, shaking, bordering on hyperventilating. She knelt down and held his head against her chest, petting the back of his head and tentacles slowly. "There, there, it's alright now, Sunshine. Mama gave her a whippin'. She won't do it again." "...Thanks, Penny." "I'm gonna go back up," she said, letting him go. "You guys take a breather, okay?" She winked and ran back up the stairs. "You okay?" Pyxis asked, sitting down beside him. Ankyr grabbed onto their hand, brushing his fingers along the back of their palm. He nodded, his breathing slowing.  "I'll be okay. It really is like medicine," he laughed, as they covered his own hand with their left.  "You can hold on to both if you need it." "Thanks... I'm sorry." "Don't be. How many times have I held on to your hand for the same reason? We're here for each other, remember?" He nodded.  "...You called me a sea turtle." Pyxis laughed at this.  "It was the first thing I thought of. My brain goes into a weird mode when I get like that." "Defender Mode," he said with a grin. "Something like that. Do you want to eat down here?" They gestured to the DK Barrel he had set down earlier. Steam from the still-hot sandwiches and fries came out through the small holes in the lid. "I can go up." "Don't push yourself too much." "...Right. I'd actually rather eat away from all the noise." He opened the lid and took out the boxes, passing one to Pyxis. "Besides, I like it better when it's just the two of us!"  "Don't say things like that," Pyxis said, their face flushing orange.   "Huh? Why not? We always do things together when we're not hanging with the squad." "R... Right... Never mind..." Ankyr gave them a confused look, before smiling, shrugging his shoulders, and munching on delicious fries.

 \/\/\/\/\/

 "Esteemed guests, please allow me to welcome you to mi casa!" "Moises, don't let the sauce burn!" "Yes, Tia," Moises called back, running away from the group, toward the kitchen.  "I thought you said you lived in an apartment," Jubilee said, whistling as she glanced around at the pristine living room with marble tables and shiny gold-colored lamps. The walls were covered with minimalist art of extinct animals like deer and monitor lizards.  "This is an apartment!" "This is a suite, bruh," Jamie said, as he and the other members of Feel Good Ink stepped inside, following the Runaways and Killjoys - minus Caurel and Ecto, who were still at the park with Lady.  "Yeah, it's super sweet," Stu nodded.  "No, I mean it's a suite, it's... apartments for rich people." "We're not rich, we're just comfortable," Moises insisted. "How does one become 'comfortable'?" Damon asked.  "Live in a part of town that hasn't been neglected by our government," Ty said with a shrug. Everyone stared at him. "What? Just telling the truth." "The only thing keeping us from being rich," a Jellyfish woman said, floating into the living room, "is the fact that we're required by law to give more money in our taxes and whatnot than people with less money. That's a GOOD thing, regardless of what some people might tell you." "And they help out anyone who needs it," Ankyr pointed out. "My mom is a lot better off because of friends like Ma and Tia." "Ankyr!" The woman ran up to the Inkling and squeezed him in a hug. "My little Sunshine! How are you, dear? You look stressed! Tia doesn't like that. Go in the kitchen and get you some food." "Thanks, Tia." "You must be Pyxis," Tia continued, eyeing the Octoling as Ankyr let go of their hand. "I've heard about you."  "Why does everyone say that?" Pyxis laughed, accepting a hug from the Jellyfish. "Yep, that's me! It's so nice to finally meet more parents of the group. Want me to introduce you to everyone else?" "Oh, please. It's so nice to meet all of you!" While everyone was fed, Tia and Moises went about filling the living room with rolled-up mattresses, unrolling them and burying them in blankets. Everyone eventually picked their own places to settle down in, and Tia asked them how the tournament was going.  "We're all moving on to the next round," Penny said. "Killjoys, Runaways, Feel Good, Eighty 8's, who... had other plans, but I hope they can stay with us tomorrow." "Where are we sleeping over tomorrow?" Rocky asked.  "Caasi's place," Penny said. "It's not that big, but I think it can fit all of us." "Only if you all promise not to touch the tank," the Crayfish said.  "We never touch the tank," Rocky sighed. "You don't have to keep telling us." "I'm just saying, it costs a lot to have that thing in there. But molting outside of water..." She shuddered. "What were some of your favorite matches to watch?" Pyxis asked. "Eighty 8's versus Launch Hearts was great, but I also really enjoyed the Dragoons versus Elite 4." "The one before that," Tandy said. 'Lionhearts against Jungle Kings. It was SO intense!" "I loved it," Bruiser shouted. "But my favorite was Space PIrates up against Cryptik Souls. It got me pumped!" "Ah, I didn't see that one," Ankyr said. "We came in pretty late in the day," Rory nodded. "But it's fine, we'll get to see everyone tomorrow." "Oh no, we're partying again tomorrow," Pyxis shook their head. "Bright and early." "Oh," Rory sighed.  "What do you guys keep doing on your own?" Rocky asked.  "Partying," Pyxis insisted with a nod. "It's a secret party. You might be invited someday." "No, really." "It's a secret," Moby winked. "But it'll definitely be a pleasant surprise." "How do you think tomorrow's going to go?" Tia asked from her chair, where she was sipping valerian tea. "I hope the Space Pirates come back," Bruiser said.  "I think they will," Ankyr nodded. "They're up against Figure 8, who performed pretty poorly in the prelims. But..." "Anything can happen," Noodle shrugged.  "I'm waiting for Ever After versus the Rescue Girls," Pixie spoke up. "It's gonna be... wild. I didn't expect either of them to lose in the prelims." "I'm kinda mad about it," Frostbite said. The other young adults stared at her.  "So you do speak," Penny said with a smile.  "Only when I wanna," the buff woman shrugged. Jubilee grinned and wrapped her arms around her muscle-bound arm.  "Okay, enough talking, movie time," Rocky said, opening the case of Town With No Name.  "No wait, everyone isn't here yet," Penny shouted, grabbing for the disc.  "I thought you didn't want anyone to see it," Rocky fumed. "Make up your mind." "I mean... I just want Cricket..." "I get it," he sighed, putting the disc back into its case. "Let's watch Chao in Space first." "You guys are starting without us?" Caurel asked as she and Ecto arrived.  "CHANGE OF PLANS!" Rocky shouted, taking the disc out once more and shoving it into the television. "Penny's movie, it is! Let's do this!"  "Cricket, over here," Penny waved.  "Coming, my love," she said, taking off her shoes and walking inside. Ecto followed and carefully crossed the living room to sit on the sofa with Moises. The lights went down, and the movie played. 

 \/\/\/\/\/

 "Well, I'll meet you boys at the inn tonight. And don't forget the applesauce!" "Right, the 'applesauce'," another man on the screen nodded, as the pickup truck kept moving through the dingy city, leaving the first man behind. "We'll get it, chief. Take care!"  The screen panned for a moment before zooming in a bit on the man, who opened the front door of the house he had been left at. The camera followed him inside, zooming out to show the interior of the shoddy little house. Almost everything was in bags.  "What in blazes is going on? Molly? Molly!" The whole crew watching the film cheered as the cameras switched, showing a frustrated wife, portrayed by Penny, stuffing as many clothes as she could into a tiny suitcase. "Molly, what's goin' on? What're you doing with all this?" The character played by Penny stared silently at the man for a few seconds, before grabbing the bag and walking completely around him to get to the other side of the bedroom.  "Leavin', Franscisco, that's what I'm doin'," she said, stuffing a few photos and trinkets into the bag before zipping it up. "I'm leavin'." "You don't mean..." "I do mean," she said, moving to the living room. Her "husband" and the camera both followed. "I'm done, Franky. I'm gettin' outta this trash heap town, I'm movin' on ta' better things. I'm goin' ta' school." The man let out a snortling laugh, and she smacked him across his face. Her glare immediately turned into a soft, sad stare, as she caressed the cheek she had just slapped, setting down her bag for the moment. "Awww... C'mon, Franky... This just wasn't in the cards, we both know it." "But after this last job-" "It's always one last job, one last fight, one last gamble... One last kettle o' carp!" She picked her bag back up, and grabbed every other bag in the room as she made her way toward the door. "Francis" followed her the whole way. "Yer never gonna get anywheres until ya ditch those lowlifes, and ya never will, 'cause they mean somethin' to ya. I can't fault'chya for that, heavens know we meant somethin' t'each other once upon a time." The camera switched once again, back to the outside of the house, but this time facing the street. A yellow taxi van pulled up, and she threw her bags into the backseat as the man pleaded with her.  "You still mean the world to me! How can you say that? What am I supposed to do when you're gone?" "You'll live on," she said, closing the back door of the van and turning her attention back to him. "Ya might cry a bit, but it'll stop soon enough. Ya got the boys, right? Ya got a house t'come home to, right? Oh, ya won't be happy about it at first, but you'll live." She nodded knowingly, reaching up to fix the cap on his head, then brushing dirt off of his shoulders. "If there's one thing this damn ol' city's taught me, it's that. Life goes on."  She walked briskly to the passenger side and got in, buckling up as "Francisco" followed her even still.  "I'll never forget about you, Molly." "Molly" hesitated a moment before responding, rolling down the window and leaning her elbow on the door.  "I'm' countin' on it."  The taxi drove off. The camera rotated to keep it in center view, but once it was a considerable distance away, it switched to a close-up of "Francisco", who kept watching it driving away, until the screen went black to switch to the next scene.  "WHOOOOAAA!" Everyone in the room cheered, while Rocky simply stared at Penny. There was plenty of noise in the room to drown out whatever the characters in the next scene were saying.  "'Just a few lines'?" Rocky asked. "'JUST A FEW LINES'? That was the BEST SCENE IN THE WHOLE STUPID MOVIE!"  "You're just biased," Penny said, her face blushing blue.  "No, he's not," Jubilee said. "I don't know you at all, but that was great. Definitely the best scene in this whole thing. You made this movie." Penny simply buried her face in her hands, unable to speak. Cassi and Caurel smothered her in a group hug.   "The emotion in your voice, sweet Overseer," Pyxis said, their hands to their hearts. "'You'll live on. Ya might cry a bit, but it'll stop soon enough'."  "'If there's one thing this damn ol' city's taught me, it's that'," Noodle recited. "So good!" "I also love how she brings us back to the 'life goes on' theme," Ecto said. "After the part near the beginning, I mean. It makes this scene just that much better." "What did that mean, though?" Rory asked. "'I'm counting on it'? What?" "I don't know, either," Penny finally spoke up. "I mean, I think she just wants to be remembered. She's always had that fear of being forgotten, of being just another insignificant speck in the universe. That's the whole reason she came to the town to begin with, but her dreams didn't come true." "WHAT?" Rocky shouted. "Why didn't they say that?" "Why wasn't that in the movie?" Caurel asked.  "That's just liner notes or whatever you call it. What the director told me, to get a sense of her background, her behavior, all that." "What else did they tell you?" "Um... That little porcelain bear she stuffed into the bag? She's had that since she was a small child. They didn't say where she got it, but since she's always been poor, it's her most precious possession, and she's had it longer than anything else she owns." The room exploded with noise again. 

"I'm writing a fanfic, like right now," Caurel said. Penny blushed again.  "It reminds me of you," Caasi said. "But your dreams are coming true. You're making your mark. And you've found a real family to support you."  "Wait," Stu said, raising his hand up. "Is that why Francisco said something at the beginning of the movie like 'life is more fragile than a porcelain doll'?" More shouts throughout the room.  "This movie is so deep," Rocky said.  "It's not really that deep," Penny groaned. "It's just a B movie with a dumb plot." "I will FIGHT YOU." "Bring it on!" "I'm proud of you," Caasi said, pulling Penny's head toward her chest. The Inkling woman fell silent, enjoying the feeling of her girlfriend's arms around her. She honestly didn't want to speak about the movie any more. "Me too," Caurel nodded.  "We're all so proud of you, Pretty Fearless," Pyxis said. "Can't wait for your next project."  "Same," Rocky nodded. Penny took a moment to respond. The longer she waited, the more she sobbed, and the more tears formed in her eyes, smeared against her girlfriend's exoskeleton.  "I... love you guys. I don't know... I just... don't know. I just love you! I'm so happy to have a family."

\/\/\/\/\/

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After making their way quickly down the driveway and up the marble stairs, they were met with a view of their friends gathered around a luxurious sofa - some of them crying, some of them drowning their weariness in expensive coffee. And right in the center, Rocky screaming directly into Rory's face. 

"-EVERY SINGLE TIME! Not just us, but our parents, Ankyr's mom, Moises' aunts, they ALL invite you to things! They ALL ask about you! But any time you show up, you never tell us these things! HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO HELP IF YOU NEVER TELL ME WHAT'S WRONG?"

"Rocky, that's enough," Caasi said, trying to pull him away with her pincers. He yanked his arm out of her grasp, tearing the sleeve of his shirt in the process, and continued his tirade.

"Did you know about this, Caasi? Did ANY OF YOU KNOW? Caurel?" His sister simply shook her head, keeping her attention on soothing Rory, who was in tears. "DON'T LIE TO ME! PENNY? MOISES? PYXIS? Pyxis, I'm so glad you're here."

"What's going on?"

"PYXIS DIDN'T EVEN KNOW! You see? NOBODY had a clue how you felt! How could we? None of us ever tried to make you feel like we didn't want you around. That's your problem! You just ASSUME things! You ASSUME how other people feel! You ASSUME it's okay to cling to me all the time even though I've already told you I don't like it! You ASSUME people know how you feel when you disappear for months without saying anything, and come back and still say NOTHING! You ASSUME you can just talk to people however you want!"

"Look who's talking," Caurel said, finally resting her eyes on her twin. "What gives you the right to talk to her like that?"

"I'VE GOT PLENTY RIGHT-"

"Again, I ask," Pyxis said, loud enough to cut Rocky off. "What's going on here?"

"This DAMN IDIOT," Rocky began, pointing an accusatory finger at Rory's face, "tried to KILL HERSELF!"

"She already said that's not why she did it," Caurel said. "Won't you calm down and listen to her?"

"Why, then? Why, Rory? WHO DRIVES THEIR CAR INTO THE GREAT TOKYO REEF, EXPECTING ANYTHING BUT TO DROWN? HUH? ANSWER ME!" It was at this time that an adult Anemone entered the room, wearing black slacks and a cream-colored vest that was showing signs of sweating through. It was only when he had come through a beautifully carved white door with a golden handle, that Pyxis could hear the voices of other people, shouting and sobbing. They surmised that this man must be Rory's father, and the other voices were relations of hers as well.

"I think it's time for you to leave," the adult said as assertively as he could muster in his weary state. 

"THE HELL I WILL," Rocky said, shaking the man's hand off of his shoulder. "I've got bones to pick with you, too, so you might as well sit down!"

"Rocky, stop!" Caurel shouted. "Mom and Dad will be mad when they find out you swore at an adult!"

"Let them get mad! At least at the end of the day I know they won't treat us like THESE PEOPLE treat Rory!"

"I beg your pardon-"

"You heard me! This twenty-year-plan chowder has to GO. You are driving your daughter into the ground! She's just too afraid to say so. Afraid and obedient. Just the way you wanted her, right, pops?"

"I've heard enough," the adult Anemone said, pointing to the door. "If you don't leave, I'll have you arrested."

"You guys should go," Pyxis agreed, stepping in to offer Rory their hand. "I'll take it from here."

"I'm sorry, but who sent for you?" the man asked. "I've never seen you before. If you work for an agency, I want to see some certifications, or I'll have you carried out in handcuffs as well!"

"I'm a friend," the Octoling said. "Not a very good one, sometimes. But I do what I need to do. And right now, I need to talk to your daughter. Or rather, she needs to talk to someone who's walked the road she's on, and at least has some faint idea of what to say. With all due respect... can you give her that right now?"

"I... I don't feel right trusting my daughter with-"

"You can trust them," said the entire Killjoys squad simultaneously - all but Rocky, who had moved over to the wall to let out his tears in silence, and Rory, who took Pyxis' hand.

"You can, Dad," the neon-haired Anemone finally spoke up as she rose from the couch, patting Caurel's hand as the Inkling let go of her. "I'll be back. I promise."

"So, where can we walk and talk?" Pyxis asked as the two stepped outside, leaving their friends to talk among themselves in the living room. 

"The promenade is fine," Rory replied, gesturing to the very broad walkway that encircled the estate. 

"Promenade?" the Octoling echoed. "What is this place, a castle?"

"It used to be," she said with a bored sigh. Then, as if reciting something she'd heard too many times, "This was one of the few objects in the area that wasn't completely destroyed in the era of the old humans. Our ancestors found it and rebuilt it to their liking, and here it's stood for the past two thousand years. I know, impressive, isn't it?"

"But that's not how you feel about it?"

"Huh? I mean... I don't know. I don't really care. I'm proud of my family and everything, of course I am. I love them, and... And they love me..." Pyxis nodded, not saying anything just yet, though they definitely felt the urge to help her along. "H... How does your family feel about you, Pyxis? How do they treat you?"

"My blood family? Well, I only really have my mom. There are grandparents and great-aunts and whatnot, but I only see them on holidays. My mom... She loves me in her own way."

"What do you mean?" Rory asked. 

"Well... I've never told anyone this, but I've been thinking for a long time that my mom loves me more for her, than for me. If that makes any sense."

"I think I know what you mean," the Anemone nodded. 

"I think a lot of parents are like that. They don't think of their child as a life, with their own individuality, wants, thoughts, feelings... At least, not first and foremost. Instead they think of them as theirs, as a part of them, as..."

"As their property." They both stopped walking, and Pyxis turned in Rory's direction. 

"Y... Yeah... I guess." Suddenly, they found themself running through interactions with their mother that they could remember, re-examining anything that came to mind. They almost didn't hear when Rory spoke up again. 

"I don't think they think of us like that in the front of their minds. I don't think... they'd admit to it if I told them that's how I feel. I don't even think they'd take the time to properly look at their own behavior and maybe try to... I don't know... be different somehow. But... I really do think, on some level, that's how they think of me. Whether they're aware of it or not..."

"Take your time."

"They bought me a car for my birthday," Rory said in a frustrated tone, her legs moving once more. Pyxis followed, matching her gait, trying to stay at her side. "Not a used junk heap you can get for, what, thirty thousand Cash? No, a brand-new car that had probably never been touched by more than five people since its creation. Who does that? Who buys their child a brand-new car, just like that?"

"Lots of parents who can afford it, I guess?" Pyxis shrugged. "Not my mom, definitely. We never had a lot of money."

"They don't even know what kind of cars I like. What I would look for in one. They just dropped money on the first thing they figured a teenage girl would want. I... I just..."

"Yeah," they nodded, not knowing what else to say at that point. 

"You wanna know why I hold on to Rocky so tightly?" The Octoling nodded slowly, holding their breath without realizing it. "I mean, besides the fact he and Caurel were the only ones who wanted to be my friends when we were younger... I just really love their parents."

"Oh?"

"Like, I love all my friends' parents. But I'm super fond of Midori and Crystal. They're the most wonderful people I've ever met. They're always happy to see me, and they always pay attention to my interests. Back in the day, if I wore a band tee over to their house, then the next time I came over, Crystal would tell me what she thought about them after looking up their music. Just because I wore a shirt! At first I didn't like it, because I thought she was just being a snoopy, overprotective adult... but she really cares! She still has those songs on playlists she listens to while she works. Nowadays I just talk to her about everything. Midori, too. They're both busy a lot, but they notice me, and treat me like a person."

"You call them by their first names," Pyxis nodded. "You guys must be really close."

"Yep," Rory cheered, though her smile was short-lived. She stared in the direction of the pristine house, trying to see something out of her reach. "My parents... They're busy, too, but... They don't even notice that I change my hairstyle practically every week. Crystal does. Every time I come over, she says 'Nice look, Ladybug!' She calls me Ladybug," The Anemone couldn't help but giggle. 

"Oh yeah? How come?"

"I have no idea," she replied, and Pyxis joined in her laughter. "I just know that I like it."

"I can tell," Pyxis nodded. 

"Rocky... is going to grow up to be a wonderful adult, like them. Caurel will, too."

"Is that why you like him so much?"

"I think... it really might have been the reason this whole time. But it's alright. I'm over him."

"Really...?"

"Okay! In the process of getting over him."

"The beginning is hard," Pyxis nodded knowingly. "So I'm proud of you."

"Being with him... isn't what I really want anymore, anyway. It hasn't been for a long time."

"Mind if I ask what it is?"

"Pardon?"

"What you really want now?"

"I..."

"You don't have to tell me. I'm not here to make you feel uncomfortable."

"I want to play Turf War."

"That's great!"

"No, it's not. It's impossible. I don't produce ink. All I can do is... attract tiny sea animals to my hair. Not by choice, either."

"Can you wear an ink tank backpack?"

"I suppose..."

"Is your body made of soft tissue that can dissolve and pull itself back together?"

"...Not quite."

"Hm... That might pose a problem. But I've got this covered. Well, partially. I don't think the Inkopolis Battle Committee will allow you in registered matches, but that doesn't mean we can't play elsewhere."

"Elsewhere?"

"We'll worry about that later. For now, let's train you up!"

"Train?"

"You've got to learn how to play, right? Who better than the Fabulous Killjoys?"

"NO WAY!" Rory held her arms out and shook her head. "I don't want any of them to know I said that! Especially not Rocky."

"I'll respect that," Pyxis nodded, grabbing her hands and looking into her eyes. "Then I'll just have to teach you myself. Just you and I, one on one."

"A... Are you sure? You would take the time, just for me?"

"Turf War is my favorite thing ever. More people playing it is always a good thing."

"Why are you being so nice? You don't even know me. Not really."

"There's no one saying that can't change," they shrugged. "Except maybe you. And if you say so, I'll respect that. But I think we got off on the wrong flipper, and I think I'd be missing out on something important if I didn't fix that."

"Something important...?"

"Having you for a friend," they said with a wink. Rory, blushing, covered her face with her hair. 

"I'd like that, too. Just... stop being so cool. You're making me look bad."

"Okay...?" Pyxis couldn't help but laugh. "I'll try, I guess. I didn't know I was being 'cool'."

"Yeah, right!"

"Anyway, let's head over to the Plaza. I know a place we can train."

"Wait, we're starting right now?"

"Of course! You don't have any plans, do you?" Rory stole one last glance to the mansion, then shook her head. 

"You know what? I don't think I do. Let's go."

"Alright, TO THE TRAIN!"  As they jogged together toward the front gate, Pyxis made sure to let their friends know all was well through a private message. 

Pyxis: We're going somewhere to hang out. Please don't let the gang follow us. Rory's going to be just fine. Pretty Flawless: I knew she would be. Thank you for everything. I'm proud of you, honey. Pyxis: I could get used to hearing that. :D Pretty Flawless: It makes me sad that you're not already.  Pretty Flawless: I'm sorry. I didn't mean to imply anything. I go too far sometimes. Pyxis: We all go to far sometimes. It's okay. Pyxis: too* Pyxis: I know in my hearts that you say the things you say because you love us. If you ever really go too far with me, or I think you go too far with anyone else, I'll let you know. Pretty Flawless: Sounds like a plan. :) Pyxis: Rory wants you to hug your parents for her. And tell them she'll visit soon. Pretty Flawless: They'll be happy to hear that! They love her a lot. Pyxis: I think she knows.

 \/\/\/\/\/

  Fourth Month ended just as quickly as it had arrived, and now Fifth month would soon be over as well. Pyxis had their second Splatfest - Slicing Onions vs. Shaking Pepper - and their third - Beach vs. Water Park  - yet they were still upset they couldn’t use their Salsa tee in battle anymore. They had probably tried out every weapon available, tried Ranked Battle for the first time, and had now become familiar with every area that was currently in use as a stage. 

What with the younger Inklings ending the first term of their final school year, and the monumental effort of rallying squads together and petitioning battle spots for “Ziggy’s stupid tournament”, Pyxis was surprised when Rocky called them over for a one-on-one conversation.

"Pyxiiiis!"

"Rockyyyy!" Pyxis greeted back, holding out their hands and smiling as they walked further inside the Yellow Submarine. "You wanted to see me, right? Do you feel better? You were really worried about Rory for a while there."

“Better than ever. Come on, have a seat, take a load off!” He waved them toward the usual booth.

“Is this a private chat?”

"Yeah, I picked this place because it's not usually that busy-"

"Hey hey hey, watch your mouth," an elderly Inkling said, approaching the table with a notepad and pen. "Whaddya want, Jet-Star?"

"Sarge!" Rocky said, standing up and offering his hand to the gentleman, who took it even though he was still holding the pen. After a quick shake, Rocky regretfully took back his newly inked palm. "I haven't seen you outside the kitchen in about two years, what's up?"

"Just fixing a hole, small fry, never you mind."

"You didn't fire any of my people, did you?"

"Waters, they're fine. Mind your own business. Now, order somethin' before I kick y'out."

"Baby, You're a Rich Man for me," Pyxis said. "But can I get like half of a Yellow Submarine on the side?"

"Hmm..." The chef stroked his chin, as if he was giving the question much thought. "I'll allow it."

"Much appreciated. Oh, and a sweet tea, please."

"And the trough for you, Waters?"

"Nah, I'll go with the standard Day Tripper and an algae pop," Rocky said.

"Alright, I'll have it out as soon as possible. It might take a while, but we're sorry for the inconvenience."

"There's nobody here."

"I told you to watch it," the older Inkling said in a gruff tone before returning to the kitchen.

"That's Sergeant Pepper. He's kind on the inside. Like a walnut." Pyxis couldn't help but laugh at the bizarre comparison. 

"So, what did you want to talk to me about?"

"Well... I'm really glad to have you as a friend, and member of the squad. You're really awesome."

"But...?" "I just wanna know some things. Like... Caurel and Ankyr, I understand completely. We've had the conversations. It was strange at first, when we were kids, but now there's nothing strange about it. Ankyr's a boy, Caurel's a girl. No question about it."

"Ah," Pyxis nodded. 

"But... I don't really have much experience with non-binary, agender, or genderfluid people. Not that it's weird to me, it's just... I want to understand better. So I can be a better friend to you."

"And it wouldn't hurt your chances with Abbey, either," Pyxis winked. Rocky sighed and put his hands to his hearts, as if he were wounded. 

"How do you do that? And don't just say 'I pay attention'," he added, curling his fingers twice to represent quotation marks. 

"Fair enough," the Octoling chuckled. "Oh, thanks, Sarge!" The chef had brought their drinks, and disappeared again with a quick "No problem!" in response. "You're just easier to read than most, that's all."

"Well, that doesn't make me feel any better. Do you think Abbey sees right through me?"

"Oh, no, no, I meant you're easier to read for me," Pyxis shook their head. "I can't speak for everyone. Who knows? I mean, obviously, they know you like them. That's impossible to not pick up."

"True, true," he nodded, sipping on his algae-flavored soda. "Anyway, what is it like?"

"Hm? Oh... Well, I can't speak for every non-binary person... And... maybe I'm not the best at explaining this, but... To start off with... Basically, the way I've come to think of it, 'gender' is a societal thing. Like, there are two long lists of behaviors and attributes that we all have a grasp on without thinking about it, because it's ingrained in the cultures we were raised in."

"Of course," Rocky nodded. 

"Some people want to get rid of it altogether, some people are okay with the idea as long as it's practiced a different way... if that makes any sense?"

"Right, like how Ankyr, Moises, and me determine our own senses of masculinity, outside of the 'masculinity' of some other people we grew up around."

"Exactly! Meanwhile, me... I align with both lists, basically. Well... sometimes I don't fit into either. I feel like... there are a lot of other "lists" and the ones we use are... What's the word...? Rigid? Super rigid. Limited. But the world I was brought up in tells me I can only fit into one of those lists... And I want them both. I'm told I can't have both, but I want them. Like, I'm not trying to downplay how potentially harmful the lists can be, if used certain ways, like..."

"Like they've been in the past," Rocky nodded. 

"Yeah..."

"So... Let me see if I got this right. Your personality and behavior and stuff line up with so many things from both lists, that you don't feel like just one gender?"

"Pretty much," Pyxis nodded. "I guess I could've just said 'I feel like both a man and woman' but... Well, there it is. Oh, thanks again, Sarge." The chef had arrived with their meals, hot and fresh from the kitchen. 

"No problem," the older Inkling said once again before returning to the kitchen. 

"So, when did you first notice you felt that way?" Rocky asked. "Just curious."

"Ah... I'm not sure what the very first thing was, but..." They lowered their eyes and considered their next choice of words. 

"If there's anything you don't feel comfortable-"

"I know," they smiled. "You guys have always made sure I feel safe and comfortable. I'll let you know if we're going to cross that line, okay?"

"Sounds good," he nodded. "I'll follow your lead."

"So... When I was a little kid... Probably no older than ten. I got a dress dirty, playing outside with my friends. This... wasn't a common occurrence. I had a lot of dresses - I mean, tons. I had two great-aunts and a grandmother who gave them to me all the time, for no reason, and I took great care of them - too much care, I think, because most of them were never worn. They were more like trophies or decorations. But... Basically, things happened and I didn't get a chance to change before some friends suggested playing a game one time. I fell in some mud; it happens." Rocky nodded to show he was paying attention. "So I had to change before... a party or something, I can't remember. Something important, at least to the adults in my family. And they were angry. I think there might have been other factors in how mad they were, that I just didn't realize? Rather, it seemed really out of place for them to be so upset about such a little thing, so I guess I've always told myself that there was something else. Who knows? I just remember sitting at the table while my dad lectured me about how I act too much 'like a boy', how I need to learn to 'act like a young lady', and that I was no longer allowed to play with those friends. I didn't understand this - that group of friends was about equal parts boys and girls. But now I couldn't spend time with any of them. I tried to make up for it by hanging out with them more at school, but we still eventually fell apart. Rocky, are you crying?"

"Nah, I'm fine," the male Inkling said, wiping a tear from his eye, making it seem as though he was merely scratching. "I was helping Sarge chop onions earlier. So, that was when you realized you had traits from more than one list?"

"That was when I realized what it was like to have them separated, and that I didn't want that," they said. "My parents were adamant that I wasn't allowed to do "boy" things. I didn't understand what they meant, obviously. I played a lot of games, read a lot of books, all that. Looking back now, I can see which ones were made with a target audience in mind, but even so... Why should there ever be a distinction? Or if there is, why should it ever matter? Why can't I enjoy them all?"

"You deserve to enjoy whatever you enjoy."

"Thank you for that validation, Rocky."

"No big."

"So..."

"So."

"This is a long question and answer," Pyxis laughed. 

"Yeah," Rocky nodded. "Do you want to keep going with this, or are you wiped out?"

"We can keep going at least until I finish my pasta," they shrugged. "After that, we'll see."

"So... How do the people around you make you feel? In regards to your identity, I mean."

"I guess it depends," they shrugged. "I mean, most people that I know personally, don't even acknowledge it. So... I guess I feel... not great? Ignored? Disregarded? Like, they'd never disregard me as a person, but that's... part of who I am, so... Phew... I've never really vocalized all these feelings before. Like, I love them, and I know they love me... But when I'm around you guys, it's different. I feel respected. I feel like who I am is a wonderful thing, and not something  I should hide or neglect to mention. You guys are the best."

"We definitely try," Rocky winked. 

"But yes, most of the time, just quietly disregarded, I guess," Pyxis nodded once they caught their breath. "When I'm not afraid."

"Afraid?" Rocky raised an eyebrow. He shook his head slightly as he continued speaking. "I've... never thought of you as afraid before. You're so fearless."

"That's a good one," Pyxis scoffed, before clearing their throat. "I'm sorry, I forget you guys only see the me I am when I'm over here."

"What, are you a werewolf?" Rocky asked with a grin, which quickly faded. "Sorry. I get what you mean. I mean, not completely. Not even... a lot... But..."

"Yeah," Pyxis nodded. "To be honest... And like I said, my experience isn't universal or anything, but... Look, I'm comfortable with my masculinity, just like I'm comfortable with my femininity. I've been discovering and defining both. I hate to sound cliché, but it's been a journey." 

"I get that."

"But I take it so slow because. Well, I'm embarrassed to really delve into that journey around anyone. Like, shopping. If I buy mascara or something pink and frilly, it's no big deal. But I'm also tempted to buy things like tools or the pair of overalls I ordered yesterday, or... anything my mom wouldn't want me to buy. But I hardly ever do because I don't want the person I'm shopping with to know. It helps that I live on my own now, but at the same time I'd like someone to get excited with me over things... anything! But I'm afraid of what my friends' reactions might be. And I'm afraid to even involve anyone to begin with, so I'll never find out. So, it's like a cycle that never starts. Or, an endless cycle of nothing. Take your pick."

"But, you're talking to me about it," Rocky pointed out. "And I'd totally love to see those overalls. And I don't care about makeup, but I care about you, so if you want to show me, I can at least say "Nice!' or give you a thumbs-up."

"Wow," they smiled. "That's a lot like what Ankyr told me."

"Well, we're both pretty smart gentlemen for our young age," Rocky grinned. 

"I couldn't agree more."

"How do your friends contribute to all that?" he pressed on. "The ones across the water, I mean."

"I thought I said that already," they laughed. "They don't acknowledge it. To them, I'm... not who I am."

"Why?"

"'Why?' Why not? They don't think it's real. Being anything but a man or a woman... That's not a concept where I'm from. Everyone insists I'm a woman. Except a certain friend of mine who keeps asking if I want to be a man..."

"That's..." Rocky fell silent, choosing his words carefully. "I'm really mad right now..."

"I'm sorry..."

"Pyxis...! You didn't do anything, so don't apologize. It's them...! How dare they not respect who you say you are?"

"It's that easy, huh?" In spite of themself, they started laughing, and couldn't stop.

"Wh... What's so funny?"

"I don't know, I just... I love you, Rocky."

"I love you, too, weirdo," the male Inkling scoffed, wiping a tear from his eye.

"You're all so kind to me... Before I ever even gave you a reason to. How can people like you exist in the world?" Now they were the one wiping tears away. 

"Hey, hey, Pyxis... Where is this coming from?"

"You called me 'they' without question. You treated me like my thoughts and feelings matter. I think... I think my other friends really do care about me... But only within their boundaries, if that makes any sense."

"I think I get it," Rocky nodded. 

"I've been... thinking about stuff like that a lot lately. What I am to people. In what specific ways people love me... Figures it would overlap with my gender. I mean... That should've been obvious, but whatever."

"Feelings are difficult," Rocky shrugged.

"Feelings are feelings."

"Word."

"When I hang out with my female friends, it's 'just us girls'. We have 'girl talk' and do things I don't do with most of my guy friends. And that's totally acceptable for some reason. When I spend time with my male friends, it's like there's a breach between us, much bigger than between me and the women. When I was younger, I couldn't feel it, but nowadays... It's like they're holding back when I'm around. I don't know if I make them uncomfortable or anything... I hope not... But either way, there's that rift. I'll never be 'one of the guys', no matter how hard I try. Never... I hate it. I hate it so much!"

"Pyxis..." Rocky pulled a few napkins from the tiny dispenser and handed them to his friend, who took them and buried their face in them, soaking them with their tears.

"Why does it matter what kind of body I was born with? Or what people decided they had the right to call me before I could even think about things like that? I'm a living person, with feelings. I just want to be me! What's so wrong with that?"

"Nothing, nothing at all," Rocky said, shaking his head. "They're the ones who are wrong."

"They're the ones...?"

"That's it," Rocky said, slamming his fist on the table. "We're gonna fix this tonight!" He took out his phone and immediately started tapping keys on the screen.

"How?"

"You're gonna be 'one of the guys' tonight, Pyxis. Come out with me and some friends. We'll do guy things, like..."

"Like?"

"...I dunno, what are some guy things?"

"You don't know?" They couldn't help cackling despite their tears. 

"I never think about things as 'guy or girl', they're just things. Oh! We should roll around in the dirt."

"That sounds like fun," Pyxis nodded. "What else?"

"Um... Well, Caurel insists boys roughouse a lot, so... Let's get into fights!"

"Fights?!"

"It'll be with friends, so it's okay," he said, waving his hand. "Don't worry."

"Are you sure?"

"Let's see... What else?'

"Let's build a fire and howl at the moon," they said with another laugh.

"You really are a werewolf, aren't you?"

"Wolves aren't real, silly."

 \/\/\/\/\/

  "Yo!"

"Yooooo!"

"Is this the new bro?"

"Yup! Everybody say hello to Pyxis! AKA Velocity, AKA 100-Win-Streak, AKA King of Urchin Underpass, AKA-"

"Stop that," Pyxis said, giving Rocky a light punch to the back.

"They've never felt like one of the guys, so let's make sure they feel included."

"One of us," chanted one of the small group, "one of us, one of us!"

"Yeah!" A very tall Inkling raised his fist into the air. "Pyxis, welcome to our brotherhood of manly men! And not-so-manly men! And... whatever the heck Kelpy is!"

"Hey! I told you, it's Kel!"

"Yeah, yeah, sorry, Kel." 

"Kel?" Pyxis asked, their attention drawn to a dark blue Sea Anemone. She looked nothing like Rory, who was the only Anemone Pyxis knew by name at that point; she was much taller, and carried herself in a much more mature way. 

"Yeah, Kel is a manly woman," one of the others nodded. "She's right at home with the rest of us."

"It doesn't matter what you are," the tall Inkling spoke up again. "Everyone is welcome. As long as you're MANLY!!" The rest of the group cheered at this. 

"But what does it mean to be manly?" a red Urchin asked, gazing up at the sky. "What does manliness consist of? To what should we strive, if we wish to have manliness?"

"No, don't start that again," groaned a yellow Inkling.

"Are you sure I belong here?" Pyxis asked Rocky. "I don't really feel confident..."

"That happens to everyone," the tall Inkling nodded, touching his thumb and index finger to his chin. "Just be yourself and you should be fine. Speaking of which, we forgot introductions. I'm Clay. The one with the yellow tentacles is Dandelion. The guy with the red spikes is Bakemono - though we tend to call him Baka to save time."

"No respect," Bakemono shook his head, the spikes on his head swaying slightly with the motion.

"And last but not least, the one with the dark green tentacles is Kyouryuu." Clay gestured to an Octoling at the rear of the small group, tending the fire. "Hey Kyou, you feel like a man tonight?"

"Yeah, for the moment," the Octoling said, giving their friend a grin. "We'll see how it goes."

"An Octoling," Pyxis said under their breath, unable to hide their excitement.

"Kyouryuu is gender-fluid," Rocky said. "They usually prefer 'they/them' pronouns, but during these parties, most of the time, it's 'he'."

"Like right now," the green-haired youth said cheerily while stoking the campfire with a stick. "It's nice to be a man sometimes. Camping! Gutting fish! Cooking stuff over an open fire with no parental supervision! GAOOO!!" Pyxis couldn't help but laugh along with the rest of the gang. 

"Hey Velocity, why don't you help Kyou with the fire while we catch some fish?" Rocky suggested. 

"Um... Sure! Good luck with the fishing!"

"No sweat," he smiled before grabbing a large net and running into the water.

"Hi there," the green-tentacled Octoling greeted. "You can come closer, I don't bite. Here, have a stick."

"Ooh, a stick," Pyxis laughed. "Thank you."

"Everyone tending the fire deserves a stick to poke it with. Your name is Pyxis, right?"

"Right," they nodded, taking a seat on one of the logs around the fire and gently poking the burning wood. "You... Um... You live here, in Inkopolis?"

"Yep," Kyouryuu said. "About five years now, I think. My mom and I. You just moved here, huh?"

"Wh-what?"

"You seem kinda like I did at first. Slow to talk to other Octolings over here, not sure what to say. You'll get more confident about it, I promise. Anyway, this is a great place to live."

"I actually... don't live here. I live in Radical City."

"Oh... Sorry to hear it."

"No, it's fine. I have a great apartment there. And I don't hang around toxic people any more than I have to, just my few friends downtown."

"I'm glad," Kyouryuu said, his smile returning before adding a few more twigs to the fire. "But even if you have a good life, I would advise getting out of there as soon as possible."

"Getting out of what now?" Rocky asked as he and Clay returned with a net full of fish. They dumped the flopping creatures into a barrel. 

"That was quick," Pyxis marvelled, staring at the barrel full of fish. 

"Doesn't take long with a net," Clay smiled. 

"I was just advising Pyxis that there are better places to live than their hometown."

"Ah," Rocky said. "I don't know enough about the town to vote one way or another on that. I can say the Killjoys would love having you live here with us, though," he added with a wink.

"That means a lot to me," Pyxis smiled. 

"Doesn't matter if it's Inkopolis, New Sardine, Reisenkalmar, or even another Octoling town like Heartbeat City. Something fishy is going on in Radical."

"Like what?" Pyxis asked.

"I'm not sure. All I know is, I don't trust the military."

"Okaaaay," Kel said, approaching together with Bakemono. "That's enough paranoia for one evening. Pyxis, Kyou, you guys will cook whatever fish we don't salt."

"Sure," Pyxis nodded. 

"Rocky, Baka, help Clay clean."

"Roger," Bakemono nodded. 

"And Dandy, you can help me salt."

"Delicious," Dandelion said. "I've been full of salt since the day of my birth." The team got to work on their tasks, and all was quiet for a moment, other than Clay's quiet uttering of prayers each time he sliced open a fish. It was Pyxis who first spoke up. 

"You know, I really wouldn't mind living here in the future."

"How far in the future?" Rocky asked. "Like when there's life on Mars and stuff?"

"No," they laughed. "Like in the next year or something, maybe. I don't know... I just... I like the idea of living somewhere like this. Surrounded by people who love and understand me. And where even strangers respect me just the bare minimum amount to respect what I ask to be called."

"I drink to that," Kyouryuu said, emptying his water bottle in a few gulps. 

"Pyxis..." Rocky hesitated. "I appreciate that. But every place has its problems. Inkopolis isn't all that perfect, you know."

"True," Bakemono said. "Just the other day, somebody called Kyou a 'filthy Octarian'. I've never wanted to hit an elderly person so badly before."

"What?!" Pyxis shouted. "They're not even the same genus as us!"

"I know, right?" Kyouryuu laughed. 

"I mean, we have a common ancestor, but that's it!"

"Pyxis, you weren't this outraged when Rory called you an Octarian," Rocky laughed. 

"Huh? I don't remember that... When was this?"

"When you two first met. Salsa versus Queso Splatfest."

"Oh yeah, before I joined... I don't remember her saying that, but I trust your word. Maybe I just wasn't paying attention because of the concert high."

"Oh man, I love that feeling," Dandelion said. "Dancing all night to some great jams - what more do you need in life?"

"Water," Bakemono suggested.

"Healthy friends," Rocky added.

"Turf War," Pyxis said, putting a grin on their squad leader's face. 

"I'm happy me and the squad could introduce you to something you love so much."

"And I'm happy I have you guys in my life," they replied with a soft smile. "Even now, I'm learning new things and making new friends. I love it here."

"Pyxis... To be honest, Ankyr and the gang, and other kids our age, are only as free and safe and confident as we are, because previous generations, like my parents', made huge strides toward equality for everyone. They fought, and they fought hard. Not on a battlefield - I mean, my mom was a soldier, but that's beside the point!"

"I gotcha," Pyxis laughed.

"There are regulations and rules and... I dunno, new social norms, that protect people, that say that my sister and my best friend can exist exactly as who they are, without having to fear being killed for it. Penny and Caasi can receive all the benefits of any other couple if they get married, they can't be refused services because of who they love. My uncles dreamed about a future like this their entire lives, but they never thought it would become a reality in their lifetimes. They call it a utopia. Imagine, looking at this regular, plain, mundane life as a utopia."

"I can imagine," they nodded. Rocky smiled. 

"That's pretty much how I see it, most of the time," Kyouryuu said. 

"Well," Rocky began with a smile, though it turned to a frown when he noticed a candy wrapping under the sand. He pulled it up with a growl before continuing. "Maybe it would be more of one if there wasn't so much TRASH IN THE OCEAN!" 

"Hey, don't blame us, blame the old humans," Clay sighed. "They screwed this planet over long before we got here. I mean, who discovers their actions are harmful to the place they live, and still continues as they were, not changing, not growing?"

"I mean, can we really say that?" Bakemono asked. "Since we've piggybacked off of their tech, their knowledge, their architecture..."

"Yeah, but we did it right," Kel pointed out. "We've built our world cleaner and better than all those dead cities out there. We learned from their mistakes. Maybe that's all they were there for in the first place. Maybe the only reason we're here is so someone else can learn from ours."

"That's depressing," the Sea Urchin said, lowering his head. 

"Hey, don't stab the fish with your spikes," Dandelion exclaimed, pushing Bakemono's chin up.

"Pyxis," Rocky spoke up, his face blushing blue. "Teach me how to swim."

"What?" The Octoling blinked a few times and turned their attention to their friend.

"Teach me... So I can go into the ocean and clean it. Please." The entire group fell silent for a moment. "Like, not right now. But when Summer break gets here..."

"Sure," Pyxis said after some hesitation. "I'll let you know when I'm free."

"It's just... I want Bluefin Depot back," he said, his voice cracking. "The game's just not the same without it! That's it!"

"I understand, Rocky," Pyxis said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Don't be ashamed of what you're passionate about. Ever. Especially when it's something so important." Rocky turned away and continued scaling the fish, not really wanting to respond. "I will help you make the ocean a better place, Rocky. I promise."

"I... have a lot of feelings right now."

"You should let them out before you pull a Burst Bomb," they said with a wink. In response to this, Rocky jumped up from his seat, setting his spoon down, and ran across the beach. 

"Everybody howl with me! AWOO!"

The rest of the group exchanged glances for a while, then eventually shrugged and collectively stopped what they were doing to get up and chase after him, howling into the darkness of the night.

 \/\/\/\/\/

 The day had finally arrived! School was out for Summer, and every squid squad on the tournament list celebrated by sleeping away the next day - though that had been a tradition some time ago. Naturally, the opening matches would be taking place that evening.

[07:38]Velocity: Who wants to go swimming in rainwater? [07:38]KobraKid™: Ewww. [07:39]Velocity: Sorry, Pretty Flawless. XD It's just a tradition of mine. Or something like that. [07:42]Jet-Star: It's too early for that. First day of Summer break is Sleep Day. Also, I need to ritually prepare for the first battle after I sleep. So... my schedule is stuffed. [07:42]Velocity: But you wanted me to teach you how to swim! Come on, man! [07:43]Jet-Star: YOU SAID YOU WOULDN'T TELL ANYWON!!! [07:43]Velocity: Oh snowflakes... [07:43]Jet-Star: anyone* [07:43]Jet-Star: YOU TRAITORRRR [07:45]KobraKid™: We all know you love the ocean and want to save it. [07:45]KobraKid™: It's not like you're a closed book. [07:46]KobraKid™: Give it a rest. [07:46]Jet-Star: YOU DON'T KNOW MY LIFE [07:46]Velocity: I'm really sorry, Rocky. But if your rage has awakened you, do you want to go now? [[07:47]Jet-Star: Nah. Sleep Day is a tradition I plan to uphold for the rest of my life. [07:47]KobraKid™: Better tell all your future employers you need every 29th of Gogatsu off for religious reasons. [07:48]Velocity: Oh yeah, I keep forgetting you guys' Fifth Month is our Seventh Month. [07:49]KobraKid™: Cultures are fascinating that way. [07:49]Jet-Star: Doesn't matter, Summer is a universal language, baby! [07:50]KobraKid™: Go back to sleep. [07:50]Jet-Star: You're not my mom! [07:50]KobraKid™: We have the same mom. [07:50]Jet-Star: And it ain't you! [07:50]Sunshine: Well, now that that's settled, I'll go with you, Pyxis. [07:51]Velocity: Yaaayyy! What would I do without you, Pretty Harmless? [07:51]Sunshine: Swim by yourself a lot, for starters.  [07:51]Velocity: Yeah, and who wants to do that? XP [07:54]PartyPoisn: I love you guys more than anything, but would you all please STOP TALKING??? It's Sleep Day! [07:54]KobraKid™: You control the volume level on your devices, dear. [07:55]PartyPoisn: I knooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooowwwww [07:55]KobraKid™: But you're still going to complain. [07:55]PartyPoisn: But Im still gonna complain [07:55]PartyPoisn: :D I love you, Cricket. [07:55]KobraKid™: And I love you~ [07:56]Velocity: This is something that's been on my mind for a long time... Why do you guys call each other Butterfly and Cricket? [07:56]PartyPoisn: Ohhhhhhhhh [07:57]KobraKid™: That's a pretty long story. That I'm sure we'll entertain you with sometime sooner or later. [07:58]PartyPoisn: But I want the mood to be light when we do. Has to be a good time. I can't be in my irritable state. ][07:58]KobraKid™: I agree. [08:00]PartyPoisn: If you want a short explanation, my pet... Caurel has a tendency to chirp in everyone's ear, so she's Cricket. [08:00]KobraKid™: And I watched Penny grow a chrysalis and emerge as a Butterfly. [08:01]PartyPoisn: I'll become a merry butterfly, and ride on the earnest wind~ [08:01]Sunshine: I'll come to see you no matter where you are~ [08:01]KobraKid™: Darnit, Ankyr, you type faster than me! [08:01]PartyPoisn: Ambiguous words are surprisingly handy~ [08:01]Sunshine: I'll shout it out, while listening to a hit song~ [08:02]Velocity: I'm so lost, haha xD

\/\/\/\/\/

 "So, where are we going?"

"Well, first we're gonna go through this kettle."

"Kettle?"

"It's perfectly safe. Mostly. You will want to change your color more to mine, though." Ankyr nodded and shifted the color of his tentacles from dark green to purple. They dropped through the grate and landed in an enclosed pond. Pyxis bumped their tentacle against a switch which made the water swiftly flow like a river, and they were soon launched upward, passing through a wide tunnel that fed into the bottom of a collossal cavern illuminated by huge overhead lights. The walls of this subterranean chamber were completely covered by gargantuan monitors, all displaying a view of a cloudy sky. Within the cavern itself, buildings, rocks, giant sponges, and stretches of ground and pavement were all floating stationary in midair. 

"Wow... What is this place?"

"The Sponge Gardens," Pyxis said, nodding toward a wide circle nearby that was similar to the spawn pools he was used to seeing.

"One of many places we let the Octarians take over, if only because reconstructing any of this to be suitable for us to live in would take ages. Oh yeah, you've never seen an Octarian, have you?"

"Not in person," he shrugged. 

"What do you mean?"

"Well... There are pictures and descriptions in science books. They're... unflattering. It's easy to tell some kind of negative bias went into it."

"Ah... What about my species?"

"Well..."

"Unflattering?"

"Definitely."

"Lovely," they said, lifting the tentacle in front of their face with their breath. Both were silent for a moment, unsure of what to say.

"So, uh... Why do they call it the Sponge Gardens?"

"Sponges," Pyxis said, waving their arm lackadaisically in the air to gesture at the cavern in general, before walking toward the purple circle. Ankyr followed after quickly, resisting the urge to grab their hand. Instead, he focused on the yellow and purple sponges resting in the air - some half his size, some as big as his living room, and many in between. When he finally brought his attention back to Pyxis, they were biting the collar of their shirt, lost in thought.

"Hey... You're not mad at me, are you?"

"Nah, just all of Inkopolis."

"But I'm an... Inkopolis... ian..."

"I'm angry with the people in my town, too. I mean, I kind of always am nowadays. I was brought up in a bunch of lies. We all let ourselves be brought up in a bunch of lies, just because we've been isolated from each other for so long, and some old people have been angry for so long. I hate it!"

"I know," he nodded, offering his hand. "I remember."

"I know we've talked about this before," they sighed, taking his hand with both of theirs. "I'm sorry. I just... I just..."

"It's a big thing," Ankyr said. "It's something that's affected you... affected all of us. We can talk about it as much as you want, as much as you need. Your feelings matter to me."

"Ankyr..." Pyxis let go of his hand in favor of putting their arms around him. 

"So, do you want to talk about it?"

"Not right now. Come on, let's just go swimming," they said, yanking him into the purple circle. 

"I've been meaning to ask, but what is this thing?"

"This is a launchpad. You just... Mollusc form... And kaboom." 

"Kaboom?"

"Super Jump."

"Oh!" The two shifted into their mollusc forms and waited a moment, and soon they were jettisoned upward and through another tunnel in the cavern's ceiling. They passed through one more kettle, and suddenly they were on the surface again. 

"Whoa," Ankyr said, looking around at the outdoor area he had been led to. From what he could tell, they were on top of one of the floating platforms in Octo Valley. This one in particular looked like a large skatepark, with several ramps and a few pools - the latter of which were filled with water.

"Reminds me of Blackbelly Skatepark."

"Are you sure you don't mind swimming in rainwater?" Pyxis asked, pulling off their Black Squideye top, leaving their black elastic undershirt. 

"Nah, it sounds mystical," Ankyr grinned as he removed his Green Hoodie. Soon both of them were wearing only the black elastic clothing popularly known as battle gear.

"You're pretty chill."

"Oh, are you changing my 'pretty' name?"

"No way, 'Pretty Harmless' is perfect," they said, running toward one of the pools. 

"I suppose, yeah," he nodded as the Octoling jumped into the water, splashing a few drops onto their friend. 

"Do you want me to change it?" Pyxis asked when they resurfaced.

"Nah," he laughed.

"Ankyr... Don't lie. Tell the truth."

"I mean," he shrugged as he slipped into the pool slowly. "'Pretty Chill' sounds cool, but... It's not me. Anyway, 'Pretty Harmless' has sentimental value that can't be replaced."

"Oh yeah?" they asked, frown turning into a smile.

"Well, I ran into this person who tried to kill me, once," he said, and both of them laughed. "Once everything calmed down, they made a joke, and... the rest is history."

"Sounds like you guys are great friends."

"The best. I'd be lost without them."

"Oh, because I'm a compass?" Pyxis laughed.

"Ah, you've heard them all before," the Inkling nodded. "I guess there's no point in trying."

"Stop," his best friend laughed, their cheeks turning purple as they splashed him with water.

"Okay, I'll cut it out," he chuckled. After a moment of silence, he spoke up again, giggling. "Thanks, Pyxis."

"Thanks for what?" He couldn't even make his response without laughing the words:

"Thanks for keeping me anchored."

"I give up!" Pyxis started laughing again, wiping tears of mirth from their eyes before diving to the bottom of the pool.

 \/\/\/\/\/

 "Thanks for swimming with me, Pretty Harmless. No one in Radical City ever wants to 'dirty' their bodies with wild water."

"Guess they have to miss out," he shrugged, grinning. Can I meet your friends someday?"

"You really want to meet them?"

"Of course!"

"Sorry, it's just. You tend to get so mad..."

"Well, that's only in regards to the whole not-respecting-you thing," he said, scratching the back of his head. "But they're still your friends, so they can't be all bad. I mean... I have relatives who don't respect that I'm a man, but I still love them. So I get that struggle, believe me. My grandma tries to buy me dresses. And calls me a 'little princess'."

"Wow. That's so disrespectful! I'm really... Ankyr! Is this what you feel every time I vent about my family and friends? This... Secondhand angry?"

"Secondhand angry," Ankyr laughed. "I like that. Yeah, it's like 'How dare you mistreat someone I care about? RUDE!"

"Yes, it's very rude! I'm not okay with this!"

"And yet, I still want to meet your friends," he winked. 

"WHY?" This set Ankyr into a bout of laughter. 

"Well, for one, that's not all you've told me about them. You've told me how Carina is sometimes the only person you can trust, that she's the mature person that ties the group together and gets you all out of trouble."

"True," they nodded. 

"And how Cygnus may be rude and inconsiderate, but you can always count on him to lighten a foul mood with a joke. And Hans is the best listener, and is always super kind to everyone, even though he doesn’t think so highly of himself. And Shera may be a dingus, but when she does notice there's something wrong, she's there for you in a snap."

“Wow... I’m glad your memory is so great, ‘cause I don’t remember saying all that.”

“I pay attention,” he winked. 

“That’s my line,” they said, slapping their shirt against his side. 

"I don't really remember much of anything you said about your other friends, though."

"That makes sense; I hang with those four more than anyone else these days." 

"Ah, I understand." 

“So you really want to meet them?” He nodded vigorously. "Hm... How about today?"

"Really?"

"I'm sure they don't have anything better to do," they said, tapping away on their phone. "And the tournament match isn't until like... seven hours from now."

"Sure," he laughed. “That would be awesome!” Several electronic beeps let Pyxis know they had responses. 

"So... The main four are free. Are you hungry?"

"A little," he nodded, drying off with a bright yellow towel. Pyxis typed a while more, as message tones rang out through the skate park. 

"Alright, we have plans. Are you sure you don't have anything else today?"

"Nope. And even if I did... I've been wanting to meet your here-friends for a while."

"Oh, sorry to keep you waiting," they laughed. Once the two were dressed, Pyxis led their best friend down the kettle. After a quick descent back through the Sponge Gardens, and a quick ink tunnel ride, the two emerged atop a hill overlooking a vast metropolis. 

"Whoa..."

Skyscrapers decorated with purples, blues, and pinks dotted the landscape, while plenty of smaller buildings rested both on the ground and on floating platforms similar to those he had seen in the previous areas. The city was filled with lush greenery, and he would bet you couldn't walk a city block without seeing a variety of trees. Just when Ankyr was about to ask how they grew all of this underground, Pyxis spoke up.

"Welcome to Radical City. Pretty cool, huh?"

"It's beautiful..."

"Hey, come on, we're gonna be late." They pulled him toward a large purple orb which was firing a steady, thin stream of ink through the air to connect to a much smaller orb, which then sent the ink out in three separate lines, creating a sort of aerial roadway that spread out above many spots in the city. 

"Wow, how does it do that?" Ankyr asked, examining the orb closely. 

"It's just an Inkrail," Pyxis said. "You mean you guys don't have inkrails in Inkopolis?"

"Never seen one before," Ankyr shrugged. "Are we taking this?"

"Yep!"

"Any tips?"

"Um... You have to stay in mollusc form. I mean, you don't have to I guess, but if you don't... It's gonna hurt," they finished with an open-palm gesture toward the city streets below. 

"No joke," he chuckled, and Pyxis jumped into the orb to lead the way. Ankyr stayed behind just a moment to place his palm against the orb, which was cold to the touch. "Cool." He pushed against it, and his hand entered the orb; he could feel the ink perpetually circulating in a current inside. "Whoa! Awesome." 

"You dork," Pyxis squeaked from where they were waiting inside the rail. "Come on."

"Sure thing," he nodded, finally turning to squid form and jumping in. He followed Pyxis along a route they traveled as quickly and surely as if they had taken it dozens of times. The two eventually emerged in a nearby part of town, jumping out and onto a wooden pier built onto a cliffside building with a gorgeous view of a waterfall. A group of four Octolings were waiting for them, and all but one gawked at the Inkling Pyxis had brought with them.

"Whoooaaah!" shouted Shera, who was wearing her tentacles hot pink on this particular day. 

"Pixie, good morning," greeted one of the two male Octolings. 

"This is your new friend?" the other asked. 

"Guys, this is Ankyr," Pyxis said. "He's from High Color City. Or, as they call it these days, Inkopolis."

"I knew it, I KNEW IT!" 

"Shut up, Shera," the two males said, their tones already exhausted. 

"Everyone hush," a female Octoling said, stepping forward. "Nice to meet you, Ankyr," she greeted, offering her hand to shake, which Ankyr took with a smile. "My name's Carina. I'm the mom friend or queen or whatever, pick one."

"It's nice to meet you, too,” Ankyr said before his hand was taken by one of the male Octolings. 

“Cygnus,” he said. “Charmed.”

“Same here,” the Inkling said. 

“You look athletic. What do you do for a living? Are you an Aquarius? You have that kind of energy.”

“Taurus,” he shook his head. 

“Cygnus, don’t hog the new friend,” the other male winked, nudging Cygnus in the ribs with his elbow. “Hans is the name. Howd’ya do, Ankyr?”

“Pretty great, thanks for asking!”

“And I’m Shera,” the last of them said. “I knew Pyxis had a second life across the water. So nice to finally see it with my own eyes. Are you really a Squidling?” She leaned in closer.

“Shera, personal space,” Carina said with the tired tone you’d expect from someone who has to repeat themself to the same person twenty times a day. Shera pouted, but backed away. “So, now that we’ve handled the pleasantries, let’s eat.” 

“I love that idea,” Pyxis nodded as the group moved inside the building.

 \/\/\/\/\/

 Instead of being seated at a table, they waited in line to place their orders at the front. Most of the gang knew what they wanted immediately, but Ankyr felt too out of of his element and far too shy to ask what anything was. 

“Not sure what you want?” Pyxis asked once everyone else’s orders had been taken. 

“Um...”

“Why don’t you get the Mega Spaghetta? It’s not the Baby, You’re a Rich Man, but it’s pasta.”

“Baby, You’re a Rich Man?” Cygnus guffawed. “What kind of name is that?” This earned him a light smack on the back of the head from Carina. 

“Manners.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Um, one Mega Spaghetta, please,” Ankyr told the cashier. 

“How do you want it, hon?” the adult Octoling asked. 

“Um... How do you recommend it?”

“First-timer, huh? I’ll just put you down for the usual,” she nodded, typing away at her computer monitor before handing Carina a plastic cube with the numeral 9 etched into it. 

“Alright then,” Ankyr said with a smile as the group moved toward a table. “Guys, I’m getting the usual!”

“Yeah yeah,” Cygnus said, pushing him gently to get him to move along. “Your mother and I are very proud.”

“You don’t know my mom,” Ankyr said, eyebrow raised in confusion. 

“Pixie, your friend is no fun,” the male Octoling chuckled. 

Once the gang was seated and situated, Carina started the conversation. 

“Ankyr, tell us about yourself. A few big things.”

“Um... Well, I’m from Inkopolis.”

“We already know that,” Shera said.

“Let him speak, Shera,” Carina said without removing her gaze from the Inkling. Shera bowed her head, pouting once again. 

“Um... I’m eighteen. A trans man. A-”

“Whoa,” Shera cut in. “Why are you wearing female skin?”

“Oh my gods, Shera,” Cygnus said. “You can’t just ask people-”

“What’s it like?” Hans asked. “The environment over there?”

“Um... There’s a lot of water...”

“No, no,” Hans chuckled, covering his mouth with his left hand. “The people... Are you accepted? Being yourself?”

“Oh...” Everyone was looking at him now. “Well... It depends.. There are a few people who give me a hard time, but overall nobody really cares. You can be yourself, especially at the Plaza.”

“The plaza?” Carina echoed.

“Oh, it’s where everybody goes to hang out.”

“It’s amazing,” Pyxis said. “There are great shops, and music is always playing overhead - really good music. There are lots of cool little places to hang out with your friends, and-” 

“Pyxis,” Carina said. “Let Ankyr speak.” The non-binary Octoling nodded, not saying anything, and turned their attention to the Inkling, who held onto their hand under the table.

“Okay, I’ve got three Mega Spaghettas,” a waiter said as he approached the table with a cart, lifting dishes from it and placing them on the table. “Two Class Act Salads, a double mushroom Super Slice and one with the works, and a family lasagna for the table, which is coming up soon.”

“Thank you so much,” Carina said, bowing. 

“Yeah, thanks,” Ankyr nodded. 

“Hope you brought your appetite,” Shera said with a wide grin before digging into her salad. 

“Oh, I eat food like this almost every day,” Ankyr laughed. “It smells like home.” He twirled up a good amount of the noodles and sauce and dug in, but paused almost immediately, savoring the taste of the pasta. “Mmm... Oh gods... Oh no...”

“What’s wrong?”

“Is it bad?”

“We can get them to take it back.”

“No, no, no, it’s great, I promise,” Ankyr said, shaking his head. He turned to Pyxis. “You can never tell anyone. But... This is better than the Baby, You’re a Rich Man.” Pyxis gasped.

“Are you sure? I don’t think so.” They took a bite of their own pasta, and shook their head. “Nope. Sarge’s is better.”

“Oh, good, please tell him that. His food is his life.”

“Sounds like someone I can hang with,” Shera said. The group broke off conversation for a moment, eating their food.

“What were we talking about again?” Hans eventually asked. 

“Environments,” Carina said after sipping her green tea. “People accepting people. Or not. Over here it’s a big pile of not. Unless you find the right people.”

“Oh yeah. Cygnus is trans too, y’know. I’m gay. Carina, too. Shera’s pan. None of us are really... welcome. Except here at the Market.”

“What’s so different about the Market?” Ankyr asked. 

“It’s the oldest part of town,” Carina said. “And over the years it’s been overrun by the hipsters and outcasts. Dangerous mix, as we all know.” The other Octolings laughed at this. “I dunno when it started, but for a long time now it’s been known as the kind of place you could go around with your tentacles neon green, or totally shaved off, and tattoos all over your body, and no one would bat an eyelash.” 

“Sounds great,” Ankyr said. “Like the Plaza.”

“Pixie might be trans too,” Cygnus said. “She can’t seem to decide. I keep telling her to make up her mind.” He laughed but quickly stopped when he realized Ankyr wasn’t laughing along.

“Why?”

“What?”

“Why do they have to choose? Why can’t you respect them enough to believe they feel what they say they feel?” Everyone at the table stared at him, remaining silent until Hans let out a “Damn” and snapped his fingers a few times. 

“No, don’t snap that,” Cygnus said. “He doesn’t get it. Either you’re a man or a woman. The only reason she thinks she’s ‘non-binary’ or whatever is because she read it on the Old Net.” Ankyr took in a deep breath after wincing from Pyxis’ tightening grip on his hand.

“I’ve already said what I had to say about it. So if that’s what you think... I guess that's what you think.”

“What do you think, Pyxis?” Cygnus pressed on. 

“I... I don’t know,” they said, lowering their gaze even more, so that they were staring at the Tentatek logo on their shirt.

“What do you mean, you ‘don’t know’? We’re talking about you.”

“Cygnus,” Carina said, prompting the man to lean back and fall silent immediately. “That’s enough. Pyxis, I’m sorry. That was too far.”

“Fine,” Pyxis shook their head, though they didn’t loosen their grip on their best friend’s hand. “It’s fine.”

“Ankyr, if we made you uncomfortable, I apologize,” Carina went on. “Let us know how we can make it up to you.”

“Let’s just change the subject.”

“I second,” Hans sighed.

“The motion has been forwarded and seconded, now on to whales,” Carina said hastily, banging her old tea glass on the table as if it were a gavel before sipping from the new one.

“Whales?”

“They’re glorious, magnificent, and adorable. Agree?”

“Sure,” Ankyr laughed, shrugging his shoulders.

“You guys need anything else?” the waiter asked, swinging by to drop off drink refills. 

“More breadsticks, please,” Shera said. 

“You don’t need any more carbs,” Hans said. 

“Shut uuuuup!”

 \/\/\/\/\/

  “No no nononono NO! You damn ghosts!”

“Aw, better luck next time,” Ankyr said, applauding Hans’ run on one of many arcade machines in the tiny hole in the wall the group had traveled to. The Inkling was mesmerized by the amazing selection of video games, only having seen one or two in one place in his hometown. "Anyway, I think you did great!"

“Do you wanna give it a shot?” Hans asked, stepping away from the machine. 

“Oh, no, no, that’s fine. You guys go ahead.”

“Go ahead, dude,” Carina said. “We’ve all played these games to death.” 

“Okay... I guess a few tries won’t hurt?”

Several games later, the crew was huddled around him and the machine. 

“I can’t believe he’s about to beat your score, Pixie,” Cygnus breathed. 

“Wait, you’re ‘Dragonlord95’?” Ankyr asked, unable to stifle a chuckle. 

“It’s a dumb name, I know.”

“No, I love it,” he said, shaking his head. “It reminds me of a book series.”

“Earl Crimsonian?” Pyxis asked hopefully.

“Yes! The Evermorrow Trilogy!”

“Oh my gosh! I didn’t know you guys had it over there!”

“PIxie, stop distracting him,” Shera whined.

“Oh yeah,” Ankyr said, bringing his full attention back to the game - but it was too late. A pixelated ghost closed his avatar’s path and caused him a game over. He entered his name - "Sunshine" - and saw it take its place in the number-two slot, just under “Dragonlord95”. 

“Wow, excellent run,” Carina congratulated him.

“He would’ve beaten that level... if he wasn’t distracted,” Shera grumbled. “Pixie, you cheated.”

“I wasn’t trying to,” they sighed. “Don’t be such a drama queen.”

“Should I try again?” the Inkling asked, but Pyxis grabbed his hand and guided him toward a different machine. 

“Nah, don’t worry about it for now, I wanna show you this one.”

“Pixiiiie!” Shera whined. When she got no response, she popped a coin into the previous machine and started evading ghosts on her own. 

“So, you like fighting games too?” Ankyr asked. 

“This is a classic over here. A brawler. Pick your character.” Ankyr selected a male character with blond hair and battle scars. Pyxis selected an androgynous man wearing a set of claws. The two avatars appeared against a backdrop of a city back alley.

“Okay, let’s fight some bad guys!” 

“Nice catchphrase,” Ankyr chuckled. 

“Don’t lie to her,” Cygnus cackled. 

“I’m not lying to them,” the Inkling said, as their characters strolled across the screen and defended themselves from oncoming enemies. Pyxis bumped their shoulder against his, never taking their eyes off of the screen. 

“Thanks, Pretty Harmless,” they whispered. 

"Always," he replied.

“Pyxis?!”

The Octoling’s limbs froze, and both characters stopped moving on the screen as the entire crew turned in the direction of the double-wide open doorway, where a very angry adult Octoling stood. 

“Oh boy,” Shera muttered under her breath, stepping away from her game to stand beside Pyxis, entwining her arm around theirs as if to brace them against a tide. 

“Mrs. Arcturo!” Carina greeted cheerfully, straightening her posture and walking up to the woman, blocking the rest of the group from her immediate view. “It’s been so long! How-?”

“Carina, if you don’t step aside this instant-”

“Yeah okay, I tried,” the younger Octoling said, turning ninety degrees and backing away. 

“Mom, what are you doing here?” Pyxis asked, stepping forward. By now both arcade machines were displaying Game Over screens, one simply showing the words on a blank screen while the other had  a laughing monster in the background.

“Don’t you dare question me like that, young lady. It’s bad enough I run across you in a filthy hole with this bunch of hoodlums, it’s bad enough you’re never home and you’re wearing all kinds of untasteful clothes and colors, but this?” She gestured to Ankyr, who jumped just a bit in surprise. “THIS? Are you completely out of your mind? Are you all insane? Do you know what that could do to you?”

“Mom... This is my friend.”

“FRIEND?!”

Ankyr chose this moment to step forward and extend his hand. 

“Ankyr Moreta, ma’am, at your service.” The woman glared at his hand, then back to his face, as if the mere thought of shaking hands with him was an insult.

“Mom, he’s just a regular person, like us,” Pyxis said, but fell silent when their mother turned her glare on them. 

“I have heard enough. I want the lot of you to get rid of this... invader. Right now!”

“Ah... Sorry, Mrs. Arcturo, we can’t do that,” Carina said, stepping closer.

“And why not?”

“Because he’s my boyfriend,” she said before kissing the Inkling on the corner of his mouth. Ankyr, Pyxis, and their mother’s eyes all went wide, and everyone else let out whistles and laughs. Mrs. Arcturo turned and walked away with all the haste she could muster, proclaiming “Well, I’ve never!” and “Never in all my days!” and, once more, “Well, I’ve NEVER!”

“Nice work, Queen,” Cygnus cackled, while Shera and Hans clapped enthusiastically. 

“Sorry, Ankyr,” Carina said, stepping away from the Inkling, who along with Pyxis seemed frozen in place. Both he and Pyxis had their mouths wide open. “You’re probably gonna have a reputation around here that you didn’t want. Then again, most of the community would rather believe I have an ‘evil’ Squid boyfriend than accept that I’m gay, so at least there’s that.” Ankyr and Pyxis remained silent, contemplating everything that had happened, so the rest of the gang left them alone for a moment to play racing games across the arcade. When Pyxis finally turned to him, Ankyr embraced them tightly, leaving no space between them and resting his head on their shoulder. 

“Oh... Oh. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” he shook his head. “I’m sorry. I know we usually respect each other’s space.”

“No, no, this is good. I want this right now.”

“I just know how bad your anxiety can get, and I was worried for you... And even before this, back in the restaurant... You were holding on really tight back there.”

“I’m sorry if I hurt you,” they said, grabbing his hand and opening it to look at where their fingers had dug into his palm. Having a semi-liquid body and all, the marks were gone by now, but they knew they had been there.

“No, please, always hold on to me when you need me,” he said, tearing up. “I’m your best friend, that’s what...” He paused, sobbing.

“That’s what I’m supposed to do.”

“Thank you,” they said, shedding their own tears as they rubbed his back. “I’ll always be here to do that for you too.” They wiped their tears away before burying their face in Ankyr’s hoodie. 

“You don’t have to wipe your tears in front of me, either. If you have to cry, just let it out. I’ll never make you feel like it’s not okay to cry, remember?”

“I’m only crying because you’re crying.”

“That’s fair,” he sobbed. “Can we sit down now?”

“Yes!”

The two retreated to a vacant nook under the stairs and sat down side by side, holding on to each other’s hands. 

“I’m sorry if I shouldn’t have said anything-”

“No, no, no, thank you...”

“Yeah,” he nodded. “I mean, you’re welcome.”They fell silent for a moment, taking in the electronic sounds of the arcade as they thought of what to say. 

“I liked how polite you were,” Pyxis said as an afterthought.

“Thanks,” he grinned. 

More silence. 

“So... That’s... Yeah.”

“Yeah.”

“A lot of stuff... just happened.”

“Yeah.”

“Does Carina use that method often?”

“Nope, not particularly that one.”

“Good, good. I mean, if she had asked permission I wouldn’t mind so much, but-”

“You wouldn’t?”

“I mean... I don’t like her like that.”

“Good! I mean... She’s gay anyway, so...”

“Yeah. That wouldn’t work out.”

More silence.

“So, that’s your mom, huh?” Pyxis inhaled. 

“Yyyyep.”

“I really...” He trailed off.

“Take your time, Ankyr.”

“You called me Ankyr,” he laughed. 

“Yeah, guess I’m more shaken up than I thought.” Ankyr wrapped his arms around them once more. 

“I’m sorry if I’m too clingy right now-”

“No, no, this is fine, this. This is nice.” They slid their arms under his, and let him rest his head on their shoulder. 

“I’m shaken up, too. I’m so... I’m so used to seeing you defend people. All the time. You always know what to say... You stand up for everyone. So... Seeing you like that, I...” He trailed off, shaking his head. 

“Yeah,” they scoffed, tears streaming down their face. “Guess the only person I can’t stand up for is myself.”

“That’s okay,” Ankyr said, his voice breaking, as he held on tighter. “That’s okay! That’s okay. That’s okay.”

 \/\/\/\/\/

 “Thanks again for hanging with us, Ankyr,” Carina said, shaking hands with the group’s new Inkling friend. 

“Thanks for having me,” Ankyr said. “I mean, uh... Anyway, I had a good time.”

“Please feel free to stop by again,” Hans said.

“Yeah, don’t worry,we’ll protect you,” Shera added. 

“Shut-” Cygnus hesitated. “Wait, you actually said something not stupid.”

“I say not-stupid things all the time!” Shera shouted. “You guys are just jerks!”

“Thanks, Shera,” Ankyr said.

“Are you sure you don’t want to stay and hang?” Carina asked Pyxis, who shook their head. 

“Nah, we’ve got plans. But I’ll be okay.”

“Yeah,” Carina smiled, glancing at Ankyr, then back to her childhood friend. “I know that now.” 

“See you guys later,” Ankyr said as the two turned and walked toward the docks. 

“THIS IS THE PART WHERE YOU INVITE US TO YOUR TOWN, DANG IT!” 

“SHUT UP, SHERA!”

“Why don’t you guys come over next weekend?” Ankyr asked with a laugh. “I’ll meet you here.”

“YAY!”

 \/\/\/\/\/

 “How are we doing, team?” Rocky asked, glancing from Squid to Squid to Octopus. "Our first tournament match! We're up against Carry Lucky. We've never battled them before, but they're pretty well-known."

“Are we really doing this?” Pyxis asked with a frustrated sigh. “Why are we entertaining this idiot’s ego?”

“I thought that swim you guys took was supposed to chill you out,” Rocky said, but cleared his throat when Pyxis threw him an annoyed glance. “Er, what I mean is, everything is gonna be okay. This isn’t just for him, it’s for us too! Not to mention we get to give our friends a chance to show the world what they’re made of.” Pyxis nodded. 

“Let’s do it for Tandy and Ty. And Moby. And Noodle and the gang.”

“Yeah!” Penny cheered, raising up her Slosher.

“Let’s not forget they’re all in the tournament, too,” Ecto said. “We could end up facing any of them.”

“Wait, Moby’s in the tournament?” Ankyr asked. “He didn’t even tell us.”

“It was a last-minute thing,” Penny explained “Noodle’s squad needed a fourth mollusc, so I suggested Moby, since he’s got mad skills.”

“Oh, yay!” Pyxis cheered. "I hope they hit it off."

"What are you using for this match?" Ecto suddenly asked Pyxis. 

"What else? N-ZAP '89 - it's just the best."

"Excellent," the female Inkling said, scribbling in her notepad. "Glad to see you've found a main. Mind if I record you?"

"Just me...?"

"It's purely for research, I promise."

"I mean, I knew that," they laughed. "Go ahead, I guess. Are you sure you don't want to battle?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'll probably swap with Caurel in the next match; depends on my analysis of whoever we'll be facing then."

"Why are you so sure we'll make it to the next round?" Caurel asked, to which Ecto simply gestured to Pyxis with both arms spread wide.

"You guys need to stop," Pyxis laughed, shaking their head. "I'm not..." They trailed off when the announcer called the teams to their spawn points. "Well, gotta go. Make sure to cheer extra hard for us." Ecto, Ankyr, Moises, Caasi, and Rory all nodded, and Pyxis followed Penny and the twins for a moment, before turning back and grasping Ankyr's hand.

"Are you okay?"

"Just a little bit more," Pyxis nodded. "Just... thought about something I shouldn't have. I'm okay." They let go of his hand, serious expression melting into a smile. 

"I can trade places with you if you want," he assured them, to which they shook their head. 

"I'm good now. I'll let you have the next one."

"Sounds like a plan," he chuckled. "Go get 'em."

"What was that about?" Caasi asked once Pyxis headed to the spawn point. "Are they okay?" Ankyr sighed.

"We've... had a weird day."

At the purple spawn point, Rocky and company were already resting in the ink.

"You good, bro?" the male Inkling squeaked. 

"I'm good, bro," Pyxis nodded before diving in. When the announcer spoke up through the PDA, they rose from the ink and took their positions, and waited... 

KA-POW! 

Pyxis threw a Sprinkler dead ahead as soon as possible, then sent a "Booyah!" signal and covered the base while their teammates charged ahead. Rocky and Caurel rolled and brushed paths to the center, and Penny used them to swim, dropping large splotches of ink here and there and relying on Burst Bombs for out-of-reach areas. Once the base was covered, Pyxis made their way into the right-hand alley, threw a Sprinkler next to the tree, then jumped back down and through the grate toward the center. A Seeker got Penny, and two green Squids ganged up on Rocky, splatting him with their Dual Squelchers. Caurel, ever the escape artist, managed to splat one of the opponents, but was forced to fall back. She had just been about to swim through the grate, when Pyxis launched an Inkstrike, forcing the other team back to the lower section - for a moment. Rocky's Quick Respawns allowed him to come back early, super-jumping to Caurel's location and mowing down the squids who were busy covering the ink from Pyxis' special.

The first splatted opponent, a Slosher user named Tsuki, had inked her base upon respawning. When her teammates came back, she launched an Inkstrike at the Killjoys' base, just shy of the spawn point. Back at the center, Penny and Caurel had a quick round of Rock-Paper-Scissors to decide who would clean it up. Penny lost, and super-jumped back to base immediately, just before Caurel was splatted by an enemy's Inkzooka. Rocky waited for the 'zooka shots to subside before jumping out from the ink with a roller swing, shouting "For Caurel!" at the top of his lungs. His opponent was visibly amused by his dramatics, but not distracted in the least - they swam backward to avoid the swing before throwing a Splat Bomb and high-tailing it elsewhere. Instead of chasing after them, Rocky took the opportunity to help Pyxis cover the center. 

"I'll keep an eye on the North alley," the Octoling suggested as they threw another Sprinkler. "You watch the main access."

"That's just what I was gonna say," Rocky laughed. 

"Aren't you guys forgetting about something?" Penny asked as she returned to the center, throwing a bomb at the drop-off from the South alley, damaging a stealthy opponent in the process. 

"We didn't forget," Rocky said, rushing over to finish the ninja squid with his roller. "We were just waiting for you guys. Hey, what?" A thin black energy ring encircled the male Inkling - it didn't impede his movements, but he knew every member of Carry Lucky could see him on their maps at that moment. "Ugh... Point Sensor."

"Nope, Haunt," Pyxis said as they threw a Sprinkler toward the enemy's side. "They were wearing that 'Octarian Jacket', I'm pretty sure."

"Oh, look who's been studying fashion!" Caurel cheered as she popped out of the ink with a few brush slashes, catching them all by surprise as usual. "I'm so proud of you!"

"Save it for after the battle," Penny said, as she and Rocky moved in to the enemy side, slipping through their fence even as three opponents dropped into the center from the alleys. 

"Fall back?" Pyxis suggested.

"Not this time," Caurel giggled, activating her special. A Bubbler surrounded her, and multiplied when she passed by Pyxis. The teammates, temporarily protected from harm, met the oncoming assault at point-blank range and splatted all three, as the fourth was taken out by Penny's Slosher. 

"Clean-up time," Caurel said. "Last minute, anything could happen!" 

"I got the ramps," Pyxis nodded before super-jumping back to base and swimming toward the lower section as fast as they could. Caurel used her brush to tidy up any uncovered spots in the center area, but had to think quick when the members of Carry Lucky slipped past Rocky and Penny and made a mad dash to the underpass. She pushed the "C'mon!" signal on the tablet at her waist, but was splatted before the cavalry arrived. Pyxis threw a Sprinkler before dropping down from the North alley and covering as much ink with their shooter as possible, evading the enemy all the while. Soon Rocky joined the fray, keeping the enemy on their toes while Penny remained at green base, covering every last trace of green ink with their purple.

Soon Carry Lucky had most of the center covered, and most of the Killjoys splatted once again,but when the timer ran out, it was the Killjoys who had the most turf covered - the enemy's base, as well as their own. 

"YES!" Caurel threw her Inkbrush Nouveau into the air as usual, catching it this time and spinning around while holding it behind her back. Her face flushed purple, out of breath, she felt like fireworks were going off in her head. "This... is definitely my proudest moment."

"That was so cool," Pyxis exclaimed. "You've got to teach me how to do that!"

"Sure," Caurel laughed. "As soon as I figure out how I did it!" 

At this point, the crowd was starting to dissipate, and the friends and fans of the two squads were making their way into the battlefield to speak with and congratulate them.

"Good game, Killjoys," one of their opponents said, approaching the squad. "I'm Kyo, by the way. I hope we get to battle you guys again sometime."

"That would be legit," Rocky smiled. "You definitely gave us a hard time out there. Don't stop battling!"

"Of course."

"Feeling better?" Ankyr asked as he and the other Killjoys approached their victors. Pyxis nodded, accepting a hug from him. 

"Yeah... Um, can you text Umi?"

"You want to stay over tonight?"

"If you don't mind."

"I don't," he assured them, before reaching for his phone. 

"Heck yeah, squad sleepover at Sunshine's place," Penny cheered, which received positive reactions from the rest of the squad and discussions about who would be bringing what.

"Oh, um... Yeah, that sounds like a great idea," Pyxis said, blushing. "Just what I had in mind."

 \/\/\/\/\/

[ 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 ]

"Yeah, pretty well," Pyxis shrugged.

"Really?" the male Inkling gave them a look, worried about their sudden change in tone.

"Yeah, it was fine. One of my friends kept asking a lot of questions I wasn't sure how to answer, but she does that all the time anyway."

"Oh, like Cricket," Penny laughed.

"Somebody say my name?" Caurel approached the group, wiping her glasses off on her shirt. "I sneezed."

"Welcome to the party, dear," Penny said, hugging her best friend and getting sand and garbage residue on her already-sweaty baseball shirt.

"Yo, what did I miss?"

"Not much, just talking about someone who asks as many annoying questions as you."

"Hey!"

"Not those kinds of questions," Pyxis shook their head, tapping the rake against the ground to free it of a clinging clump of plastic. "When Caurel asks you questions, you can tell she really cares. Well... I suppose Shera cares, too."

"She care-a's because she's Shera?" Moises asked with a wink, setting most of the group into laughter.

"That was dumb," Caasi said.

"It was SO dumb," Ecto said. "But that's what's so great about it."

"So, when's the next Splatfest going to be announced?" Pyxis asked, trying to take the subject away from themself. "They're once a month, right?"

"Yep," Rocky nodded, tying up his first full bag of garbage. "The next one should be announced a week or two from now, most likely."

"Sweet! Can't wait to wipe more floors."

"Hey now," Penny laughed. "Don't get overconfident just because your team won this time."

"Bitter Queso player," Caurel half-whispered, giving Penny a wink.

"Oh yeah," Rocky said, "I don't know if we told you, but you can't wear that shirt in battle ever again."

"WHAT? But... It's my favorite shirt!" Pyxis tugged at the red tee as if clinging to a departing friend.

"That's the rules, sorry," he shook his head.

"You'll get another one next Splatfest," Caurel explained. "It'll be for whatever team you pick next time."

"So, I can still collect them and wear them outside of battle."

"Of course! I keep mine all neatly folded in a special drawer just for Splatfest gear. Rocky's are... heaped up in his closet somewhere, I guess."

"You don't know my life!"

"I put them in shoeboxes under my bed," Ecto said.

"I pin mine to my bedroom wall," Penny said.

"Ooh, maybe I'll start a Splatfest shrine," Pyxis cheered.

"That's the spirit!"

Bit by bit, more and more people showed up with bags and gloves of their own, cleaning up other patches of the bay.

"Wow, people noticed," Rocky said. 'I think we're trendsetters!

"I think people do this all the time," Caasi said. "It would be way worse if they didn't."

"Can't you let me have anything?"

"Hey, guys," Ankyr's mother greeted as she arrived.

"Mom!" most of the group cheered.

"Care to join us, Umi?" Pyxis asked as they accepted a hug from the older woman.

"That's the plan! Ankyr told me about Rocky's idea. Got extra gloves?"

"You know it," Ecto said, showing her huge bag of gloves. "Safety first!"

"I'm so proud of my young adults, making a difference in the world," she said, giving out a round of hugs to the flock. "It makes me feel more assured I did a good job as a parent."

"You raised us well, Mom," Penny said, planting a kiss on the adult Inkling's cheek. "Along with all the rest of our parents."

"Including the professor," Caasi said, nudging her girlfriend in the side.

"Well, now you've made it weird."

"Who's the professor?" Pyxis asked.

"Penny's dad," Caasi said. "Who she needs to call more often."

"The dad that isn't Mr. Waters," Penny said. "The professor adopted me, but-"

"But she practically lived at our house until she got her apartment," Caurel cut in.

"She still lives there sometimes," Rocky pointed out.

"And sometimes at my house," Caasi added. "She kind of just floats from place to place like some fae vagabond."

"What can I say?" Penny shrugged. "I'm a mercurial spirit."

"I can think of a few other 'M' words, too," her girlfriend chuckled.

"Masterful?" the Inkling asked with a smile.

"Moronic," Ecto suggested with a grin.

"Hey!"

"Majestic?"

"Thank you, Pyxis!"

"Moody," Rocky said.

"Mischievous," Umi suggested.

"Musical," Ankyr cheered.

"Mellifluous," Caurel laughed, to which Penny ran and jumped on her back, throwing her arms around her neck. "Hey! Get off!"

"Don't call me things I don't know the meaning of!"

"It was a compliment!"

"Well, I don't know that, do I?!" This earned a round of laughter from most of the group.

"Guys, stop fooling around or we'll never clean this beach," Rocky said, ignoring his friends' antics in favor of picking up trash.

"It's so weird to see my brother care so much about something other than Turf War," Caurel said as Penny slid off and got back to work. Rocky turned around and gave her a puzzled expression.

"What are you talking about? Why do you think I'm doing this in the first place? So we won't lose Bluefin Depot!"

"We should've known," Ankyr laughed as Caurel fell down.

After about an hour of hard work, the team called a dinner break, and sat on a nice rocky outcropping in their tiny cleaned area.

"So," Umi said after consuming a sandwich in just a few seconds, "Ankyr is Pretty Harmless. Ecto is Pretty Relentless. Rocky is Pretty Reckless. And Penny is Pretty Fearless?"

"Yep," Pyxis nodded between bites of a cucumber and spinach sandwich. "And Caasi is Pretty Ruthless."

"I like it," the Crayfish said, bobbing her head up and down. "Thanks, Pyxis."

"Moises is Pretty Listless," the Octoling continued, giving Caasi a thumbs-up and winking.

"It's true," Moises nodded. "I don't know what energy is. Is it something I can eat?"

"I mean, technically yes?" Ecto shrugged. "You gain energy by eating food, so..."

"Exactly," the Jellyfish cheered. "Eat food, get energy, apply energy to designing clothes, eat food to reward myself."

"That's the way," Caurel giggled.

"It's looking better," Rocky mumbled absentmindedly when he finished his own meal, staring at the newly de-trashed sand beneath their feet. "I wonder if... we can clean more on the weekends. I want to get the plastic that's deep in the water, too."

"Are you sure you don't care about the bay?" Caurel asked with a wink. Her twin brother blushed blue and turned away from her.

"Sh... Shut up! I don't have to answer to you!" The rest of the group got a good laugh out of this.

"You young'uns have done great," Umi said, patting Rocky's blue head. "I'm so proud of you!"

"You're not so bad at saving the environment yoursef, Umi," Pyxis grinned before sipping their water.

"Saving the environment?" an older Inkling chimed in from nearby. "Pretty big claim. You've gotten maybe one percent of this part of the bay cleaned. And that's not even counting the junk in the water. Why don't you just give up?"

"What do you say, young adults?" Umi asked, glancing around the small group. "Should we give up?" Everyone exchanged glances. Rocky, raising his trash-grabber into the air, was the first to speak.

"NEVER!" And with that, he jumped off of the boulder and ran back into the fray.

"If everyone surrendered in the face of adversity, nothing would ever get done," Caurel said, giving the elderly squid a low bow before following after her brother with a fresh trash bag.

"Whatever the crap Cricket just said sounds motivating," Penny shrugged, getting up slowly and stretching before she and the rest of the group ran after the twins.

"Guess that answers that question," Umi said, dusting off her hands and picking up the net she had been using to scoop trash out of the bay.

"Are you mocking me?"

"Oh, no sir, I would never," Umi said, shaking her head. "I just think it would be wise not to underestimate our future." And with that, she went back to work.

\/\/\/\/\/

"And now, you finally get the full Killjoy experience," Rocky said as he led Pyxis and the rest of the worn-out squad through the welcoming doors of the Yellow Submarine.

"This place is nice."

"Yeah, I-Oh Great Zapfish, we've never brought you here, have we?" Caurel asked, wide-eyed.

"Um... It's okay, I'm here now."

"No, that's not the point," she shook her head. "This place is sacred to us."

"Outta the way, I got work to do," a waiter said hurriedly, pushing through the group even though she had a full tray in either hand.

"Charming," Pyxis smiled, giving an awkward thumbs-up.

"You get warmed up to it eventually," Moises said.

"This is where Penny and Abbey work?" They glanced around the diner with its checkered floors, not-so-clean tables and walls covered with photos and memorabilia.

"Not today," Penny said, doing a little dance. "I mean, yes, Abbey is working today. But they should be off soon!"

"Anyway, to the booth," Moises said.

"TO THE BOOTH!"

The group squeezed into their usual corner booth, gesturing for Pyxis to follow suit. They nodded and took a seat next to Caasi.

"This is comfy!"

"Right?" Caurel passed out the menus that were still stacked on the table.

"Move over," an exhausted Abbey said as they shoved into the booth, a lidless bottle of water in their hand, which they quickly took a few gulps from.

"Sure thing," Pyxis nodded, scooching as much as they could. They retrieved a fan from their bag and opened it as quickly as possible to fan their friend. "You look like you've been through the ringer, Abbey."

"I have, but ohhh that helps. Faster, faster."

"I've never seen you this assertive," Rocky said. "I like it."

"Shut up, Rocky."

"Yes sir!"

"Tell me about your day, honey," Penny said, grasping Abbey's hand lightly.

"It's just been so busy. I haven't been able to take a breath, let alone a drink of water." As if the word reminded them that water existed, they stopped to down the remaining contents of their bottle.

"Oh hey, Abbey, Penny! Are these your friends?"

An Inkling with his tentacles cut to ear-length approached, dressed in the usual yellows and cream colors worn by the Yellow Submarine's staff. He held menus, but only needed to hand out two of them.

"Hey, Jude," Abbey sighed weakly. "Yep, these are my peeps. You've probably seen them around, they practically live here."

"It's true," Moises nodded. "Sad but true. Except I'm not sad about it at all."

"A few times," he smiled shyly, holding his hands together behind his back. "Man, I wish I had friends who took such great care of me on a day like this."

"Just lean in, hon," Pyxis said, aiming the fan at his face. "I've got plenty of air for everyone."

"Noooo, aim that thing back at me," Abbey whined, not removing their head from the table.

"What can I get you guys to drink?" Jude asked as Pyxis did their best to fan the both of them.

"I'll have the Day Tripper Deluxe and a coconut juice, please," Ecto said, folding up her menu and flopping it down on the table.

"I'd like a Baby, You're a Rich Man with extra garlic, please," Ankyr said. "And a creme soda."

"Can I get the Kelp! with a side of potatoes?" Moises asked, to which Jude nodded, jotting down all of their orders. "And an algae pop, please."

"A krill and pineapple pizza for my love and I," Penny said, planting a kiss below Caasi's left eye.

"Penny," Caurel gasped. "You said that sentence correctly! I'm so proud of you!"

"Get off me with your grammar," Penny scoffed. "Hey Jude, remember the 'Twin Trough' Sarge put on the off-menu?"

"Yeah...?" Penny pointed to Rocky and Caurel.

"For them. He'll probably have it hot and ready, considering it's a Monday."

"Ah, cool, I thought I remembered bringing it to those two," the male Inkling nodded as he jotted down the instructions.

"You guys gave it a name?"

"I mean, we had to, eventually," Penny laughed.

"What are you getting, Pyxis?" Abbey asked. "It's your first time here, right?"

"Yeah," Pyxis nodded. "There are a lot of options that sound great. But I think, since I've never been here, I'll start off with the classic Yellow Submarine. And a water, please."

"Excellent choice," Jude smiled. "And what can I get you, Abbey?"

"More water. Please."

"Have you eaten today?" Penny asked.

"Water, please," they repeated.

"Sure, sure," he nodded, gathering the menus into a massive stack. "I'll have your drinks out in a jiffy!"

"Thanks, Jude."

"Pyxis, where'd you get that fan?" Caurel asked. "It's a really cool design."

"You like it?" The Octoling paused in their fanning long enough to show off the firework pattern. "Someone gave it to me at Splatfest. They gave Ankyr one, too." As if in answer, their best friend reached into his backpack and retrieved a fan, which he quickly opened to reveal an image of ocean waves.

"Ooh, fireworks and the ocean," Penny said, admiring the delicately crafted fans. "The perfect combination for Summertime."

"I can't wait for Summer vacation," Rocky sighed.

"I second that," Ecto nodded as she flipped through a notepad and scribbled a few notes in a handwriting only she could read without trying too hard.

"Can we put the air back on the dying squid now?" Abbey asked.

"Of course," Pyxis said, going back to fanning the exhausted Inkling - a task Ankyr now aided in.

"Here comes the drinkage," Moises announced, happily holding a tentacle out for his algae pop, which Jude delivered before gracefully setting the rest of the drinks in front of their owners.

"Can I get you anything else while I'm here?" the waiter asked.

"Breadsticks, please," Ecto said.

"Coming right up," he said with a sparkling smile and a wink before zipping away again.

"Oh, damn," the tinkerer blinked. "I think I might be bi." Most of the crew got a good laugh out of this.

"I'll cheers to that," Abbey said, finally raising their head up and lifting their new water glass in Ecto's direction before gulping down the entire thing.

"So, what masterpiece are you designing over there?" Caurel asked.

"Oh, just making notes for future me," Ecto shrugged. "I'm sure I'll turn them into something useful eventually. Maybe"

"No, definitely. Don't sell yourself short."

"Thanks, Caurel... Hey, got any new designs lately?"

"Oh, that's right, there are a few sketches we need to go over," Caurel said, adjusting her glasses before retrieving a binder from her backpack and setting it down in front of Moises. "I need a yea or nay on the yellow-tabbed ones," she told the Jellyfish, flipping through her portfolio of sketches and paintings. "And the blue ones, if you have any notes...?"

"Got it," Moises said, peering carefully at the first sketch. "Hey, don't flip while I'm looking!" Caurel had held the previous page in place while flipping through older drawings, before opening the rings of the binder and pulling out a completed design with a green tab.

"Ecto, what do you think about this one?"

The young inventor stared intently at the drawing: a faceless model wearing black slacks and a matching open sport jacket over a dark violet shirt. The jacket and slacks had thin grey lines drawn in the shapes of gears - five or six large ones, and countless smaller ones the naked eye could barely pick up. The outfit was accompanied by a pair of black leather boots.

"I... You know I don't know anything about fashion, Kobra," she shrugged. "But. I think it looks amazing. The gears definitely make it look less boring. But they're really faint, so it doesn't look like they were just slapped on by an amateur. I mean, of course not, it's you."

"Thanks!" Caurel was blushing dark green. "Would you like to model it sometime?"

"Model?" Ecto's eyes went wide. "Caurel... I'm not the type people want to model clothes..."

"Nonsense, you'd look handsome in it! Oh, Caasi, here's one you'd like." She retrieved the next plastic-bound page from the binder. This design was a black and white closed vest with orange accents, with a pair of loose-fitting pants that spread out smoothly near the feet.

"Ooh, palazzo, I love it," Caasi said, accepting the design from her bespectacled friend. "And you even put additional sleeves in the vest. Caurel, you are truly the better sibling."

"What-now?" Rocky asked, lifting his head from the table and turning his attention to the Crayfish.

"Nothing, dear friend of mine." The group shared a round of laughter.

"I made this one with Penny in mind," Caurel said, handing another green-tabbed design to the young actor. The Inkling in question stared wide-eyed at the fluffiest, most sparkling dress she had ever seen, with a pair of loose-fitting blue jeans underneath. The outfit was accentuated with checkered wristbands, rainbow bracelets, and a denim armband below her right shoulder with many safety pins and hair accessories stuck into it.

"I love this," she gasped. "Can you make me this? I will wear it every single day!"

"Done," Caurel nodded.

'Caurel has her friends in mind when she creates,' Pyxis thought to themself, smiling at the bespectacled Inkling. 'She thinks about things they'd like to wear, and turns them into reality because she loves them... That's probably the greatest thing I've ever seen. I'd like to create something from the feelings in my heart, too...'

"Hey, Caurel?"

"What's up, Pyxis?"

"...You're pretty flawless."

"Thanks, I... Wait. Is that my 'pretty' name?"

"I think it is," the Octoling nodded.

"Oh, Pyxis! That's... That's not true, though... Everyone has flaws..."

"Just take it, Cricket," Penny said. "It suits you. People always use words like 'flawless' and 'perfect' when they really just mean 'the best I've ever known'. It fits, trust me. I just wish I'd thought of it first, considering I'm your best friend."

"Sorry, Penny," Pyxis winked. "Oh, Caurel..." Her Inkling friend had tears in her eyes, which she quickly wiped away.

"I'm fine, hon," she shook her head. "Thank you so much."

"Thank you for being such a great friend."

"Don't make me cry more," Caurel laughed. "Oh... Ankyr, I was thinking about you when I made this one." She pulled out yet another design, getting a slightly annoyed glance from Moises this time as he once again adjusted the binder.

"This is great," Ankyr smiled when he received the page. This design was a light, sleeveless jacket over a long-sleeved plaid shirt, with a pair of black jeans accented with blue swirls to match the shirt's sapphire shades.

"I really like that vest," Pyxis cleared their throat, accepting the subject change. "It looks kind of like a waistcoat."

"It's a gilet," Moises nodded.

"What about jelly?" Rocky asked, lifting his head up again.

"No, gilet, it's a kind of sleeveless jacket. They were made to look formal but casual at the same time, I think."

"Oh... Sorry, I'm hungry."

As if on cue, Jude returned with a large tray full of food, which he sat on a neighboring table before delivering the usual trouph of stew in front of the twins.

"Okay well, time to eat," Moises said, closing the binder and handing it back to Caurel. "We can talk more business later."

"Moises..."

"It's fine, it's fine," he said, waving his tentacles as a very large bowl of rice and noodles and a plate full of lettuce was placed in front of Ecto.

"He had these two almost finished when you guys got here," Jude said with a smile. "Apparently you guys hardly ever eat anything but these two items. I'll keep that in mind for your future convenience!"

"Oof," Ecto murmured to herself, lowering her gaze.

"Thank you so much," Rocky beamed after plucking a dumpling from the trough and swallowing it whole. "You brought us food! How can I ever repay you? I'll follow you to the ends of the Earth if I have to!"

"Ah, I see," Abbey scoffed. "You'll just fall in love with anyone who feeds you."

"I'm still dedicated to you, Abbey!"

"I didn't say I wanted that!"

"A Yellow Submarine," Jude announced, depositing a very long sub sandwich in front of Pyxis.

"Thank you, this looks amazing," the Octoling smiled.

"Kelp! with potatoes," the waiter continued, setting down a masterfully-made seaweed salad and a side of gravy-soaked mashed potatoes in front of Moises.

"Marvelous, encore, five stars," the Jellyfish said, digging in immediately.

"And a Baby, You're a Rich Man with extra garlic," he concluded, delivering a large plate full of spaghetti to Ankyr.

"Thanks!"

"I'll be right back with the pizza," Jude announced with a low bow before departing once more.

"Thank you, Jude," the group called together.

"That pasta reminds me of one of my favorite dishes back home," Pyxis said as Ankyr jammed a forkful of noodles and mushrooms into his mouth.

"You can try some if you want," he said after chewing and swallowing. His Octoling friend nodded and took a small sample with their own fork.

"Mmmm... Maybe this one's better..."

"Maybe I really am hungry," Abbey sighed. "Now that I smell all this... I guess I should get out of here anyway."

"We'll share our food with you," Penny said. "There'll be plenty pizza slices to go around."

"Abbey-san, have some of mine," Rocky said, jabbing a fork into another dumpling and waving it over the table.

"I will if you stop calling me that," the agender Inkling laughed, grabbing the dumpling and throwing it in their mouth immediately. "Oh... Oh gods, what is this? This isn't our usual dumpling, is it?"

"It's cooked in a special stew, so it tastes different," Caurel said.

"You mean 'tastes better'," Rocky said. "This is why it's always good to order off the menu."

"I agree," Abbey nodded after finishing off the dumpling. "I'll be ordering this from now on."

"Abbey is impressed by my food," Rocky said, wiping a tear from his eye. "I'm so happy."

"Knock it off," Caurel said, smacking her brother. "It's not like you cooked it."

"Oh! That settles it! Abbey, come over sometime and let me cook for you! You won't regret it! I'm the apprentice of a master chef!"

"Since when do I go to your house?"

"Honestly," Caurel agreed with a sigh. "You're acting as bad as Rory."

"How dare you!"

\/\/\/\/\/

\/\/\/\/\/

Two weeks passed, and Fourth Month began. Summer was soon to be in full swing, and only those who could stand the heat continued battling outside every day. The Fabulous Killjoys, and sometimes their friends, made it a habit to spend at least an hour after school every day cleaning up trash from Bluefin Bay, and though on a large scale there wasn't much of a difference, they all felt proud of their contribution.

"So, what's the current stages?" Penny asked, prompting Ecto to look at her wrist device.

"What are the current stages," Caurel corrected.

"Cricket?"

"Yes, dear?"

"Shut up."

"No, dear."

"FINALLY, Station Square!"

"STATION SQUARE!" the Killjoys, for the most part, shouted all at once.

"Wow," Pyxis laughed. "You guys must really love that stage."

"It's not all that amazing," Rocky shrugged. "As a stage, anyway. But it has sentimental value."

"Mmm, the most delicious kind of value," Moises said, prompting a lighthearted laugh from Pyxis.

"What's the other stage, Ghoul?" Ankyr asked, not taking his eyes off of his splatling, which he was cleaning with a blue liquid.

"Walleye Warehouse." Rocky let out a cheer at this, while most of the other Killjoys groaned.

"I remember that one," Pyxis said.

"I don't know why," Caurel said, sticking out her tongue. "It's not very memorable."

"You leave my stage alone!" her twin shouted.

"So, are we ready?" Ecto asked, her finger less than an inch from an icon on the tiny screen. Everyone who wanted to play confirmed they were prepared to join, and soon enough they were scheduled for a battle at Station Square due to start in less than fifteen minutes.

"Light blue versus yellow," Caurel announced after a glance at the match-up results on her phone. The battlers changed tentacle color accordingly - Pyxis, Rocky, Penny, and Ecto turned blue, and yellow for Ankyr, Caurel, and...

"Who are 'Dagger' and 'Cloak'?" Pyxis asked.

"Guess we'll find out when we get there," Rocky shrugged.

"Whoa, notifications," Ecto said when her wrist device made several pinging sounds. "Jet-Star, could you possibly stop making a post every time we join a battle?"

"Our fans want to know where they can cheer us on," the blue-tentacled Inkling argued.

"Okay, just don't tag all of us in them."

"Yay, Abbey's coming!" Penny cheered, looking at her phone.

"Moby, too," Ankyr said with a glance at his, and he and Pyxis smiled at each other.

"See?" Rocky stuck out his tongue, to which Ecto answered with her own.

"Alright then, to the train!"

"TO THE TRAIN!"

\/\/\/\/\/

"Now arriving at Station Square. We remind you that our left-side doors will remain locked. Please use the right-hand exits."

Pyxis was in the middle of wondering why the voice on the intercom would make such a request, when they heard the sounds of a shooter-type weapon, and the left-hand windows of their train car were covered in lime-green ink.

"What the-?" They couldn't resist laughing from surprise and elation. "The trains count as turf? The trains count as turf!"

"Yep," Ankyr laughed along with them. "It's all part of the experience."

"THIS is why I see trains covered in ink sometimes?" Pyxis cackled. "I love it! I thought it was just vandalism!"

"Vandalism, Turf War, same difference," Rocky shrugged.

"Oxymoron," Caurel and Ankyr shouted simultaneously.

"I know you are, but what am I?"

"Again, please use the right-hand exits," the voice repeated as the train came to a complete stop and the doors on the right-hand side of the car slid open. "The entrance to the viewing platform will then be straight ahead. If you wish to enter the lobby-"

"Come on," Penny said as she, Rocky, and Ecto jumped out of their seats. "Let's catch as much of this battle as we can!" They moved toward the nearest exit, followed by the rest of the group. Sure enough, there was a door straight ahead, which led to a stairwell. After a bit of stair-climbing, they arrived on the roof of the train station, where they could see the entire battle unfurl below.

"The cars are part of the experience, too?" Pyxis asked when they glanced down at the plaza the battle took place in. The train station, a hotel to the North, and a service reservoir and several buildings to the South boxed in a looping road, with the beach working as the fourth barrier.

"Yeah, the speed limit in the plaza is five kilometers," Caurel pointed out. "People like to drive by and have their cars inked, just for fun. It's busier some days than others."

"The're more stage over here," Ankyr said, waving Pyxis over to the Eastern side of the building, where they could see the other half of the plaza, which was a parking lot boxed in by three strips of shops and restaurants. Its Easternmost boundary was City Hall, and the entrance to the highway, which was considered out of bounds.

"This plaza is really nice," Pyxis nodded. "I like that they let us watch battles from the station's rooftop."

"Go lime-green team!" Penny shouted.

"Do you know someone on that team, Penny?"

"Nah, I just picked a color and ran with it," the young actor shrugged.

"Oh... Well, in that case, GO DARK BLUE TEAM!"

"I see how it is," she laughed.

"I thought I heard your voice!"

Pyxis turned their attention away from the battlefield and gasped when they saw two of their friends.

"Tandy! Ty! How are you guys?"

"Excellent, except we keep forgetting to give each other our details," Tyrone laughed. "Look us up on SplatNet, huh? I'm 'Cloak', Tandy's 'Dagger'."

"That's you guys?" Ankyr asked, jumping into the conversation. "So you're battling with us next!"

"Yep," Tandy grinned, giving Ankyr a high-five. "We'll be Tails, they'll be Sonic."

"Aw, you get to be on their team," Pyxis said, crossing their arms. "That's not fair."

"Hey, now that we're 'friended', we can do Friend Battles together anytime. I mean... Any time we're not busy with school."

"Or sleeping," Ty said. "I do a lot of that."

"Yeah!" Pyxis' bright smile returned. The four of us against... whoever!"

"Hey, I'll join up with my peeps in Feel Good Ink and take you guys on," Penny said. "They're one Inkling short these days, anyway."

"Oh yeah," Pyxis said, waving their arms in the air. "I can't believe I forgot! Squad, this is Tandy and Ty, two of the most terrific Turf War players."

"Are you pleased with yourself?" Penny asked with a laugh. "All that alliteration."

"Kinda, yeah," Pyxis laughed before their eyes went wide and they averted their attention to the plaza. "What was THAT?" One of the dark blue Inklings had stepped on a red and yellow panel, which sprung out of the ground and launched them up to the pizzeria's ceiling. There were boxes placed on each ceiling to mark the boundary line, but a narrow strip was left at the edge of each - not only to count as turf, but to allow a method of bypassing the super-tight bottleneck between the two halves of the plaza.

"Oh yeah, the springs," Ankyr nodded. The launching contraption had already started compressing itself back into the ground. "This and Puffer Plaza are the only two stages that really use them anymore, I think. They're not as popular as they used to be."

Unfortunately, it seemed the path ended abruptly afterward, being blocked by an out-of-place skyscraper, so one would have to drop down just past the bottleneck, which could prove dangerous.

"There's actually a tunnel," Rocky pointed out, "but you have to hit a switch on the other end of the walkway, kind of like the ones in Moonage Daydream. Then you have to swim back and jump in as fast as you can."

"Or you could just sit there and snipe everyone," Ecto suggested with a shrug. "That's what I like to do."

"I like to leave Ink Mines at the end of the tunnel, where the elevator opens up," Caurel cackled. "You can't walk past without getting splatted, and the elevator is too tiny to give you escape space."

"You are truly the more terrifying sibling," Caasi said. "Remind me never to get on your bad side."

"What's that section over there?" Pyxis asked, turning to the North. "It looks like it's accessible via the West section's hotel, but can the other side reach it, too?"

"Sure, the spring fires both ways," Penny said. "You just have to step on the right side. It'll launch you onto a passage on top of the burger shop. Then you can drop down into the entertainment area."

"There's a spring on the other side, too, though," Ecto said. "So the East team always has to watch its back."

"Yeah, just don't get distracted by the arcade games," Ankyr grinned.

"Speak for yourself," Rocky chuckled.

"I like arcade games, too," Pyxis said. "You guys probably have a lot of different ones than what I'm used to, though."

"Last thirty seconds," Ecto said after a glance at her watch. "I'm headed downstairs."

"Hey, wait up," Caurel said as she and Rocky followed after. Penny and the rest stayed to see the results of the battle - team lime green won by a landslide.

Once the battlers made it out of the station, they spread out to their respective spawn points, while Abbey, Caasi, and Moises remained on the rooftop to cheer them on from above. Ankyr, Caurel, Tandy, and Tyrone strolled down the street and through the Eastern half of the stage, to enter City Hall via its open doors. The yellow spawn point rested in the center of the lobby. Meanwhile, Pyxis followed Penny, Rocky, and Ecto into the hotel and through a side-exit that led to an in-ground pool surrounded by lounge chairs and umbrellas. The pool was currently covered by those same lightweight blocks that served as a barrier on the rooftops, and atop the blocks was the blue spawn point.

"I'm so glad we're on this side," Rocky said. "It's always harder to win if you're the East team."

"Why's that?" Pyxis asked. "There seems to be an equal amount of turf on each side."

"Yeah, but we have the station. And our alternate path doesn't require a switch. Plus, the cars don't park here. If a car is parked in the spot where the spring is on the East side, there's no way to get to the North section without going through the West team's turf. Honestly, Station Square isn't a very good stage-"

"Hey!" Penny and Ecto shouted.

"I'm just telling the truth! It gets really one-sided. Once you have the bottleneck, you have the game. Simple as that. Every now and then, the East side can take back control, but it's rare in this stage. It's just not balanced enough."

"Even so, we're still going to have to give it our all," Ecto reminded him. "Sunshine and Kobra aren't going to take it easy on us."

"And Tandy and Ty are like an unstoppable force," Pyxis nodded. "I've had them on my side a few times before, and I'm not too excited about going against them."

"Well, we'll just have to see what happens when an unstoppable force meets entropy," Rocky said, slamming his fist into his palm.

"I thought you were going to say 'an immovable object'," Pyxis laughed. "So, there's a spring on the arcade side?" They stared through the hotel lobby's open East-facing doors, which led to the entertainment area.

"Yep," Ecto nodded. "Thinking of a plan?"

"I'm thinking I've got four 'Swim Speed Up' and I'm ready to use them," Pyxis grinned, twirling their shooter. For this battle, they were trying out their newly-purchased N-Zap '89.

"Nah, I want you with me," Rocky shook his head. "I'm gonna roll my way to the bottleneck entrance, ink a little camp site at the corner, and let loose a million seekers."

"More like ten," Ecto chuckled.

"Ecto, can you get up to the roof of the burger shop?" Rocky continued.

"Of course I can," the tinkerer said, still laughing.

"No, I mean, do it, please? Penny, I want you to slosh the blue blazes out of our side, then move on to the North. If Ecto's still there, spring up and help her wreak havoc on the parking lot. If not, swim back and use the elevator."

"We'll just see what happens," Penny shrugged.

"Pyxis, after I use my Bomb Rush, I want you to swim through the streams they leave behind and throw a Sprinkler as far as you can, and swim like Mercury back this way. Then tackle the station. That should be easy, as long as the yellow team hasn't broken through to the stairs."

"What's the Sprinkler for? I mean I know what it does, but why throw one and split?"

"They'll be busy getting rid of it while I move in for the kill. By that time, everything else should be covered well enough, so I'll give a signal for everyone to converge on the East side and box them in. Easy peasy."

"Yeah, but..." Pyxis trailed off when the announcer instructed everyone to get to their stations. Rocky and Ecto made their way to the spawn point, while Penny patted their Octoling friend's back.

"Don't worry, my pet, we've done this routine a million times, there are only so many different outcomes."

"There's only two outcomes," Rocky said. "We win or we don't. Let's try for the former."

"Don't listen to him," Penny whispered. "He always thinks he's in Ranked. Just have fun, dear."

"That's the plan."

Both teams dove into their spawn pools, ensuring their ink tanks were full. When the starting announcement was made, they all rose from the ink and waited until... POW!

Ecto fired a long stream of blue ink from her charger and swam along it, repeating the process to reach the drop-off to the lower North area, where the stairs would normally be. She fired one more shot toward the spring and swam, leaping up from the ink and returning to humanoid form to descend on the spring, which launched her into the air. Unfortunately, Ty had already been waiting atop the burger shop's roof, and splatted her with his Splattershot Jr. while she was still in midair. He then went about covering the entertainment area with yellow ink.

Meanwhile, Pyxis had followed Rocky just as he had instructed; once he inked enough turf to unleash his special, they swam after the first Seeker he launched and hurled their Sprinkler into the parking lot. Unfortunately for them, Tandy had been waiting around the corner. Once they made their presence known, she threw her own sub weapon in their general direction, creating an explosion out of which several tiny yellow bits clung to the air around the Octoling, slowing down their speed, jump height, ink consumption and recovery. They did their best to swim away, but Tandy's Custom Splattershot Jr. did them in.

Pyxis respawned soon after Ecto, and saw her swimming back to the entertainment area, which was now mostly covered in yellow ink.

'She might need some help...' They glanced from the North area to the station, then back again, considering their options before finally swimming to the right. 'Well... Rocky knows the place better than I do. Might as well... Anyway, there's a staircase going that way in the station, so I can go help her after I take care of it.'

They popped out of the blue ink when they reached the station, and threw a Sprinkler onto the left staircase to the boarding area before inking the right-hand side of the ground floor with their main weapon. The next train pulled into the station just as they reached the loading station, and they made sure to fire ink at the top of every car before moving on. The stairs to the North area were already covered in blue ink, so they took the front exit and rejoined Rocky at the bottleneck.

"All good," they shouted before throwing another Sprinkler - this one destroyed immediately by splatling fire from Ankyr. Pyxis took the opportunity to splat him with the N-Zap, and Tandy - the only other yellow player still at the bottleneck - swam away as fast as she could.

"You got 'em on the run," Rocky cheered, sending out the "Booyah!" signal before swimming down the street and rolling into the yellow team's side. The entire blue team covered the parking lot, cars and all, in a matter of seconds. It was Ecto who first realized what was wrong.

"They're not here," she said, spinning around to face the North side. She was sure it didn't have a speck of yellow ink on it... except for one large spot on the wall, under the dropoff. "They hid on the wall!" There was now a thin stream of yellow ink winding to and fro amid the blue on the curving stairs into the train station. "Kobra..." She fired a charged shot at the blot on the wall, in case any others were hiding. Nothing. The others had to be somewhere else... "Double back, everyone!"

"Let's split up," Pyxis said, jumping on the parking lot's spring just as someone tried to turn into the space. The driver honked their horn, but they paid it no mind.

"Wait, Pyxis!" Rocky called, but they were already inking the rooftops, and soon swimming through the tunnel that passed through the skyscraper. "Alright then, Penny, come with me through the bottleneck. If they aren't running around over on our side, can you go check the hotel?"

"Sure thing," Penny said, giving him a quick salute before swimming through the ink back toward their side. The two of them resurfaced in the bottleneck to see that the yellow team had completely taken over the Western side.

"Oh sweet blue abyss," Rocky grumbled. "Penny, please tell me you've been saving an Inkstrike."

"I don't 'save' Inkstrikes," she laughed. "But I'm almost at full gauge again." She threw a Splat Bomb across the bottleneck, then swam down the road to refill her ink tank before jumping up, switching to human form, throwing one more toward the entrance to the train station, and diving back into the ink to swim away. As luck would have it, Caurel was still in the station, and emerged just enough to cover the bomb's blue ink with yellow. Rocky took the opportunity to bring his roller down on her, sending her back to the yellow spawn point. Ankyr then popped out of the ink behind one of the passing cars and unleashed splatling charge, splatting first Rocky, then Penny... but not before the latter sent off an Inkstrike, aimed right for the middle of the triangle-shaped medium. Ankyr swam as fast as he could, and got away from the Inkstrike... but didn't escape a barrage of blue ink from Pyxis, who had just exited the cylindrical elevator at the corner of the stage.

'One minute left,' the Octoling noted, breathing hard and fast. Now with a blue circle amid a field of pure yellow, they had only to recover the road and sidewalks of their team's side, which they made quick work of with their rapid-firing shooter. Ecto, who had already reclaimed the train station with several long charged shots of yellow, swam outside to help, while Rocky and Penny respawned. Once their turf was blue again, all four moved as one toward the bottleneck, and then...

SPLAT!

All four of them were taken down at once from above- Tandy and Ty had been stationed on the rooftop path, right in front of the tunnel entrance. As the entire blue team floated back to the spawn point, they could see that Caurel and Ankyr had been hard at work reclaiming the East side.

"Thirty seconds, guys!" Ankyr shouted as Tandy and Ty dropped down to the street. He covered the sparse amounts of blue still remaining in the parking lot before bouncing on the spring with Tyrone, and the two of them inked the North area from above as fast as they could. Tandy and Caurel took the bottleneck, turning blue to yellow in no time flat, but the blue team rushed out of the hotel to meet them in battle. Caurel activated her special - the Bubbler - and shared it with Tandy. The two protected Inklings boldly attacked the blue team, who all ran for it for the time being. Ecto fired a long stream of blue ink that reached into the mouth of the train station, and she and the other three swam along it to take refuge inside. Much to their disappointment, Ty and Ankyr emerged from the stairs and pressed the attack, now sharing Tyrone's own Bubbler special.

Once the girls' Bubblers timed out, Pyxis splatted Tandy and they, Penny, and Ecto fled from the station, chased by Caurel. Rocky evaded Ty and Ankyr as long as he could, pushing his roller upstairs, then jumping back to the ground floor when they followed him. He made a swift exit, just to be splatted by his twin sister's Ink Mine.

Ankyr and Ty covered whatever blue remained in the station before splitting up, Ty using the front exit and Ankyr taking the curving stairs. Rocky soon respawned and gave Ty a roadside battle for a moment before time ran out and the whistle blew.

Pyxis, Ecto, and Penny had done what they could to reclaim the bottleneck and the East side, but Caurel had followed them with her brush every step of the way. Meanwhile the North and West, including the station, were almost entirely yellow. The yellow team won 82.70 percent to 14.50 percent.

\/\/\/\/\/

"I've never been beaten that badly before," Pyxis said, gulping down the entirety of their soda before walking to the counter for another. The battlers and their friends and fans had all piled into the burger shop after the battle, making it a very cramped space.

"You've never been beaten before at all," Penny laughed, "what are you talking about?" Pyxis gave her a side-eyed glare, but carried on getting their refill.

"That was definitely an intense battle," Ecto said. "Jet-Star, what was that you were saying about owning the bottleneck?"

"Shut up," the male Inkling panted, letting out a short laugh despite himself.

"So, what's the sentimental value to Station Square?" Pyxis asked when they returned to take their seat between Ankyr and Tandy.

"Ah, story time, story time!" Penny drummed her palms on the table.

"So, about four years ago," Caurel began, "I was shopping here with Penny. I mean, not here-here, but in Station Square's shops."

"Caurel was inside 'Modern Life' while I stayed outside to get some fresh air," Penny picked the story up. "That shop's not here anymore, they moved, the traitors! Anyway... Some random Jellyfish came up to me..." Here she poked her right elbow into Moises' gelatinous body. "And was like 'I love your shirt!' - I was wearing a Bare Your Reef shirt. I used to be into them. Anyway-"

"'Used to be', Caasi scoffed. "You still have their records in your apartment."

"Who's Bare Your Reef?" Pyxis asked with a short laugh.

"Oh, a Classic Rock band from like before our parents were born. Well, maybe not the professor, he's kinda old. Anyway, Moises was like 'I love your shirt! Let's start a band!'" Here everyone laughed, and Moises rubbed the back of his head.

"It's true," he shrugged.

"So I said 'I don't know how to play any instruments.' And he said..."

"'That's okay, you can be the good-looking lead singer!'" Moises recited. "Or something like that."

"Nah, that was exactly it," Penny nodded. "I remember because that was when I punched you."

"You punched him?" Pyxis asked, wide-eyed.

"Yep," Moises laughed. "And you said 'I don't sing, neither', just like that."

"Her grammar was even worse in those days," Caurel winked.

"Shut it, Cricket," Penny said, sticking out her tongue at her best friend, who was sitting on the opposite side of the booth. "So then Moises, never one to give up, said 'Okay then, let's start a squad instead! What weapons do you use? Do you have any friends who battle?' And after a lot of back and forth, we eventually brought Ecto and Caurel into the mix. Moises brought Ecto, I mean. That was the day we met those two. Then we introduced them to everyone else, picked out names for ourselves, and the rest is history."

"So if it wasn't for Station Square, you guys would have never met?" Pyxis asked. Penny nodded.

"Ecto and Moises go to a different school than the rest of us. They live uptown. Or, they used to. Ecto's dads moved closer to us. And when Moises graduated last year, he got a midtown apartment."

"Just to be closer to my homies," Moises said.

"Aww!" The group moved and stretched as one to collectively give him a hug.

"So, why do you...?" Pyxis cut their next question short when they saw a familiar adult Inkling walking into the restaurant, holding a large mail parcel in both hands. They waved him over excitedly. "Hey! Mr. Waters! It's nice to see you again!"

"Thank you, dear," the adult smiled, making his way through the crowd to the table. "How have you all been? It's been a while since I've had the pleasant sound of a whole flock of young adults in my house."

"We're a flock," Moises said happily. "I wish I could fly."

"Well, we are birds of a feather," Ecto laughed.

"We've been prepping for mid-terms," Ankyr explained to Mr. Waters. "Penny's got two jobs now. And Caasi and Moises are just..."

"Listless," Moises cheered, raising his plastic cup of soda in Pyxis' direction before gulping it down. Pyxis couldn't help but smile, ecstatic that all the nicknames they'd given were loved by their recipients.

"Excuse you, I have a job," Caasi said.

"Is it really considered a job when you run your own business?" Moises asked.

"Yes, because I don't have people working for me," the Crayfish scoffed.

"Who are your new friends?" Mr. Waters asked. "These guys have never been over."

"Cloak and Dagger," Rocky said. "Our newest battle friends. And maybe potentially squadmates...?" He asked hopefully.

"Sorry, we're in a squad already," Tandy shook her head. "The Runaways. You've probably never heard of us, though, because we never get time to battle together. It's usually just me and Ty. But when Summer break comes..."

"I'll cheers to that," Rocky said, downing the rest of his pink lemonade.

"It's nice to meet you, sir," Ty said, shaking the adult Inkling's hand once he set down the package.

"What's that, dad?" Caurel asked.

"I think I'll let Rocky do the honors," Mr. Waters said, pushing the parcel across the table. "He's been waiting for this longer than anyone."

"Oh!" Penny exclaimed. "Is that...?"

Rocky carefully tore open the parcel and pulled out an issue of "Ink Weekly" magazine with a photo of himself, Caurel, Penny, Ecto, Ankyr, and Moises on the front cover.

"It is! Killjoys, I present to you our media debut!" Everyone cheered, Tandy and Ty applauding.

"I'm so proud of you guys," Tandy cheered.

"I remember when we were in a magazine," Ty said. "It was so long ago..."

"Don't talk like an old man," his partner laughed.

Rocky opened the magazine and checked the contents before flipping excitedly to the cover feature to read out loud. "'Squad of the Week: The Fabulous Killjoys are truly a sight to behold on the battlefield. They've been in our queue-to-call for a while now, and it's a pleasure to finally have them on board. Here's the low-down...' And then it has their usual 'squad block'." Rocky slid the magazine to the center of the table for everyone to see before reading his own small blurb aloud.

"'Rocky Waters, aka Jet-Star. 17, M, Squad captain. Main: Carbon Roller Deco. Fav. Weapon Type: Rollers! Everything else is meh. Least Fav.: Sloshers, brushes, chargers. Fav. Stage: Walleye Warehouse, Urchin Underpass, Station Square'."

"Aw, you do really love this stage," Pyxis said with a wink.

"Shut it, Velocity," Rocky said with a wink.

"Velocity?" Ankyr echoed, glancing from Rocky to Pyxis and back.

"Like from that 'Planetary' song?" Pyxis beamed.

"You like it?"

"I love it!"

"'Least Fav.: Blackbelly Skatepark, Arowana Mall'," Rocky continued. 'Fav. Brand: Whichever decides to sponsor me'." Mr. Waters laughed at this.

"Nice marketing strategy, son." Rocky shrugged.

"'Fav. Game: Anything Ranked. Powerhouse type: Rocky focuses on splatting opponents, inking as much as possible on the way and never bothering about the details'."

"Sounds like Jet-Star," Penny said before reading the next box. "'Penny Lane, aka Party Poison. 19, F, co-founder of the squad. Main: Slosher. Fav. Weapon Type: Whatever works. Least Fav.: Chargers and Splatlings. Fav. Stage: Station Square, Blackbelly Skatepark, Moonage Daydream. Least Fav.: I can rock anything, as long as I've got my squad!' I really said that, huh?" Everyone laughed as she blushed blue.

"It's sweet," Caurel said. "I like it."

"'Fav. Brand: Whatever I'm wearing at any given moment! Fav. Game: Turf War for the win. Glass Cannon type: Penny generally sacrifices defense for devastating attack power. While her teammates are duking it out on the front lines, she'll bring down the rain of pain from the back row. Make sure to check out Penny's performance in the upcoming movie, Town With No Name, next month!' I definitely didn't write that! Thank you, 'Ink Weekly'!"

"Publicity," Moises cheered.

"Yes, publicity I need if I'm gonna land any other gigs! Cricket, you're next." She flipped the magazine so it could be better read by those on the other side of the table.

"'Caurel Waters'," the bespectacled Inkling read, "'aka Kobra Kid. 17, F, the glue that holds the team together'. Aww... Who told them to put that in there?" Pyxis, Ankyr, Rocky, Ecto, Moises, and Caasi all raised their hands, and Caurel blushed yellow before clearing her throat and continuing. "'Main: Inkbrush Noveau. Fav. Weapon Type: Brushes, shooters. Least Fav.: Chargers, splatlings. Fav. Stage: Urchin Underpass, Moonage Daydream, Station Square. Least Fav.: I don't dislike any stages. Fav. Brand: I love Firefin's shirts!' Oh, and there's a heart symbol because I asked them to put it in there," she laughed. "'Fav. Game: Turf War. Ninja Squid type: Caurel is an expert at hiding and sneaking around. She'll pop out of the ink to splat you when you least expect it. That is, if her strategically placed Ink Mines don't get you first.' It's true," she nodded.

"Well, it was nice to see you kids," Mr. Waters said. "I'd love to hang out more, but I should get back home and start up dinner. Have fun, enjoy the magazine, and behave yourselves."

"Always, Mr. Waters," Pyxis smiled.

"Bye, Dad," most of the group waved as the adult Inkling exited the burger shop.

"Ecto, you're up." Caurel pushed the magazine closer to the inventor.

"'Ecto Plasma, aka Fun Ghoul. 18, F, brains of the outfit'. Well, I wouldn't say that... 'Main: Kelp Splatterscope and Kelp Splat Charger. Fav. Weapon Type: Everything. Fav. Stage: Blackbelly Skatepark, Arowana Mall, Station Square. Least Fav.: Moonage Daydream, Walleye Warehouse, Puffer Plaza. Fav. Brand: SquidForce and Zekko. Fav. Game: Turf War, Tower Control. Sniper type: Ecto knows all the best camping sites in each stage, and her aim is superb. She'll splat you out of nowhere and you won't even know what's going on.'

"You read so monotonously," Moises said as Ecto passed the magazine to Ankyr.

"Bite me, I'm tired."

"I can't, I don't exactly have a mouth in the traditional sense."

"'Ankyr Moreta, aka Sunshine'," Ankyr read. "'18, M, Support and morale.' Well, it's not wrong. 'Main: Heavy Splatling Remix. Fav. Weapon Type: Splatlings, rollers. Least Fav.: Sloshers, anything with a scope. Fav. Stage: Moonage Daydream, Station Square, Bluefin Depot'. Hah, they put my 'Hometown shout-out' in parentheses!"

"We lost it," Rocky spoke up. Everyone stared at him. "We lost Puffer Plaza, too. But then again, that one was probably a corporate decision rather than an environmental one."

"So now there are only seven left?" Penny asked.

"Eight," Ecto said. "Walleye Warehouse, Saltspray Rig, Urchin Underpass, Station Square, Arowana Mall, Blackbelly Skatepark, Moonage Daydream, and Great White Park."

"Oh yeah, I always forget about the park," the actor nodded. "I feel like it's never available except when I'm at work."

"And when we're in school," Caurel nodded.

"It's okay," Ecto said, "Summer break starts next month."

"One more month," Rocky breathed weakly, as if he were dying of thirst without a single drop of water around.

"Guys, let's let Pyxis read their blurb," Ankyr said, sliding the magazine toward the Octoling.

"Well... I still remember what I texted Rocky when he blew up my phone," Pyxis shrugged. "But I guess it's still really awesome to see yourself mentioned in media."

"Go ahead," Moises nodded.

"Let's see... Pyxis Arcturo, aka... Velocity'." They smiled at Rocky before continuing. "20, NB... Fierce warrior deity'?" They looked up from the magazine again. "Who told them to say that?" Penny and Rocky raised their hands, followed slowly by Ecto, who let out a nervous chuckle.

"I guess it's not a big deal," they said, blushing yellow. Their wide smile faded when they heard a familiar voice, carrying its usual hint of arrogant derision.

"So, the Killjoys finally got picked up by the press?"

"Hello, Ziggy," most of the group said in the usual tired tone, while Pyxis simply spun around to stare at him, hoping in vain that he'd somehow turn and flee just from their gaze.

"Of course, 'Ink Weakly' doesn't really give you a lot of space. Just a few quick bios, eh?"

"It's enough for me," Caurel said, lacing her fingers together. "I don't need a lot of attention. Besides, we didn't do it for fame, we just wanted to give our small fanbase something special."

"'Small fanbase'?" Ziggy chortled. "Well, honey, you said it, not me."

"Don't try to reason with him, sis," Rocky said, staring at the table as if to ignore Ziggy's existence. "He doesn't understand things like loyalty or-"

"Loyalty?" The tattooed Inkling threw his head back and laughed before returning his attention to Rocky with a cold stare. "I don't want to hear words like that from you."

"Ziggy, be nice," Caurel said.

"Anyway, it's not like you could get featured by 'Splat!' or anyone else important," Ziggy said, now gazing through the window and peeling at his red nail polish with his thumb to appear nonchalant. "But I'm happy for your tiny victory. Bravo, bravo."

"You think you're better than us because you get into bigger-budget magazines?" Caasi asked, her whiskers moving upward in a dubious gesture. "If my eyes were in my head, I'd roll them."

"I think I'm better than you because I play better than you," Ziggy said, resting his attention on the Crayfish. "Rather, I play better than the team you root for. This is battler's talk, honey, why don't you go jump in a saucepan with some butter?"

Upon hearing this, Pyxis jumped up from their seat, prepared to lunge at him, but Penny and Ankyr got up and pulled them back down.

"ZIGGY!" Caurel shouted. "Be nice. Please."

"Only for you," Ziggy sighed, backing away from the booth and readjusting the collar of his denim jacket. "Anyway, I've been wanting to put your little group in its place for a while now. Why don't we battle it out in Turf War?"

"I'd love to have an excuse to rearrange your face," Pyxis said, attempting to jump up once more, but their friends' hold on their arms was secure.

"Save it for the battlefield, honey," Penny said in the best soothing voice she could conjure.

"Or better yet, if we really want to decide who's the best..."

"What?" Rocky asked. "A triathlon? Tug of war? Mahjong?"

"Why not a tournament? Every squad can compete! Anyone who believes they're the best!"

"That's dumb," Ankyr said.

"We don't have anything to prove," Caurel added.

"No, I actually like this idea," Rocky said.

"What?" Ankyr stared at his male best friend. "Why?"

"It would be a lot of fun. Besides, we could meet great battlers a lot easier if we're all fighting in the same tournament. And make more fans!"

"Ridiculous," his sister sighed.

"I think we should do it," Ecto said.

"Ecto, you too?!"

"Think about it. If every squad is allowed to join, there's unlimited potential to who could be the winner. There's no telling what kind of great talents we might discover. Do you have any idea how much data that would give me to work on new weapons and strategies?"

"We should've known," Pyxis laughed. "Pretty Relentless, I fully support your creative mind and its endless pursuit of inspiration for your masterpieces."

"Aww, shucks."

"But I don't support the idea of making a big deal out of this just because you have a fragile ego." Here they glared at Ziggy, who crossed his arms, his eye twitching.

"Well said," Penny nodded. When the liquid muscles within Pyxis' arms had released their tension, she had released the Octoling in favor of wrapping her arms around her girlfriend, who refused to say anything else at this point. Meanwhile, Pyxis was holding tightly to Ankyr's hand. "But I guess I wouldn't mind being in a tournament. As long as we can all make it."

"We'll start it after the semester ends," Ziggy said after clearing his throat. "Then all we have to worry about is your day job."

"And my night job," Penny winked.

"So we seem to be tied," Rocky said. "Three of us want it, and three are opposed. Caasi...?" The Crayfish kept her gaze fixed on her girlfriend, saying nothing. "Moises...?"

"Well, I don't want to dismiss the feelings of any of my friends," Moises said. "But I'm also the squad's manager. I have to think like one in times like this. So, how about this... Pyxis?" The Octoling turned around to give him their attention. "If I vote yes, can we still be friends?"

"Of course," Pyxis laughed. "What a silly thing to lose a friend over. I understand your reasoning, Pretty Listless."

"Ankyr?"

"We're bros, bro," Ankyr laughed, giving the Jellyfish a wink. "You can't get rid of me that easily."

"Caurel?"

"I'll always be your friend," Caurel sighed. "Do what you must."

"Then it's time for the second question," Moises said. "Even though you all think it's a stupid idea, will you still battle if we enter this tournament?" The three glanced at each other.

"I can't let Jet-Star battle without Kobra Kid," Caurel shrugged.

"I'll battle if they need a back-up," Ankyr nodded.

"Like I said, I've been wanting an excuse to wreck this scrub," Pyxis said.

"I guess it's official, then," Moises said with a slow nod. "Ziggy, have your manager get with me. I'll help plan it out."

"Sure," Ziggy grinned. "Make sure you notify all your followers. We'll hold a single-elimination Turf War tournament open to all squads."

"Double elimination," Pyxis said. "It wouldn't be fair for a team to get completely knocked out of the game in the first round."

"Okay then," the tattoed Inkling said, rolling his eyes. "We'll have a preliminary round on the first day of Summer break. All the losing teams will drop down to the losers' bracket-"

"Call it something other than that," Pyxis said. "Losing one battle doesn't make anyone a loser. It's Turf War. They last three minutes and there are far too many factors to make it a sure thing."

"Spoken like a C-ranker," Ziggy scoffed.

"We really can just settle this right here if you want," the Octoling said, glaring at him once again as their grip on Ankyr's hand tightened.

"Wouldn't dream of it," he laughed. "Don't want to ruin the suspense."

\/\/\/\/\/

Moises, along with the Spiders From Mars manager Lady Stardust, had the whole event almost fully planned within the week - barring exactly how many squads would actually be playing, which was still up in the air, though there was no shortage of young Inklings and Octolings signing up for the event once it was announced on the internet. Cephalopods from anywhere between fourteen to their late twenties were aiming for the top. Pyxis told themself they shouldn't regret their decision to go along with the madness, but they definitely needed to take their mind away from it.

[12:39]Velocity: Hey, who wants to go swimming?

[12:39]PartyPoisn: Meee!

[12:40]PartyPoisn: Oh noooo I have plans!

[12:40]PartyPoisn: I'm so sad. :((

[12:40]Velocity: Aww. D:

[12:42]PartyPoisn: Caasi says she might swing by for a dip, though.

[12:42]Velocity: Yaaay! :D

[12:47]Jet-Star: I can't swim owo

[12:47]Jet-Star: Most squids can't swim, yo.

[12:48]Jet-Star: Water is OoB in Turf War anyway so what's the point?

[12:48]PartyPoisn: There are other sports than Turf War.

[12:48]Jet-Star: LIES!

[12:50]KobraKid™: We have family business today anyway.

[12:51]Sunshine: I'm down to swim! What time? Do you want to go to Mahi-Mahi?

[12:51]Velocity: Yaaay!

[12:52]Fun Ghoul: Getting some much needed work done in the shop, sorry.

[12:52]Velocity: Whenever you can! :D Sure, I've never been but I'm down to swim anywhere.

[12:52]Velocity: Woo! Can't wait to see what magic you whip up, Ecto!

[12:52]Fun Ghoul: :D TYTYTY

[12:53]Sunshine: I'll meet you at the bay soon. Anyone else want to tag along?

[12:55]DrDthDfyng: You're going to Mahi-Mahi? I am SO THERE! Like, literally, I'm a few blocks away from it! I'll wait for you guys in the first pool.

[12:55]Velocity: Yay, we got a Moises! 3

[12:56]Sunshine: Woot! I knew he couldn't resist the call of waterparks.

[12:56]PartyPoisn: Isn't that a band?

[12:56]KobraKid™: Not from this era.

[12:58]Velocity: What about Rory and Abbey?

[12:59]KobraKid™: Family business for Rory. And Abbey's working today.

[12:59]Jet-Star: Abbey's working every day. x_x

[13:00]PartyPoisn: You know where we work!

[13:01]Jet-Star: Yeah, but if I just keep going there all the time it's creepy!

[13:01]PartyPoisn: You're creepy regardless!

[13:01]Jet-Star: FIGHT ME!

[13:02]PartyPoisn: I WILL, BRAH!

[13:02]Jet-Star: YOU'RE GOING DOWN!

[13:02]Velocity: So, Ankyr, see you at Skipjack Bay? :D

[13:03]Sunshine: On my way!

[13:03]PartyPoisn: Have fun, guys!

[13:03]PartyPoisn: NOT IF I DROPKICK YOU FIRST!

[13:03]Jet-Star: I'D LIKE TO SEE YOU TRY!

\/\/\/\/\/

"Do you come here often?"

"Only once so far," Ankyr said as the two exchanged money with the clerk. "It's a long way from the house, but not so much from Skipjack."

The two had just recently arrived at Mahi-Mahi Resort, Inkopolis' freshest new summer getaway, which had only recently been completed and opened for business.

"Oh yeah, we gotta put all our stuff in one of these boxes," Ankyr said, shoving his outer clothes into an open locker.

"Sure thing," they said, following Ankyr's example. When they closed the locker door, a key popped out of a tiny slot. "Oh, cool!"

"You give that to the attendant. Oh yeah, can't forget this." He began taking off the black mask on his face.

"AAAAHH!"

"AAH! What? What's wrong?" Ankyr looked around, the little bit of the mask he had removed flopping around from side to side.

"That... Thing? That's a mask?! I thought it was part of your face!"

"Oh no, it's just a squideye," he said, peeling the black mask the rest of the way off of his face, leaving behind a smooth, untextured area of skin around his eyes. "See?" He held out the mask, and they took it hesitantly.

"Wow, you look... different. You look more like your mom, actually."

"Yeah, Inklings our age usually keep them on. They're not great with water, though."

"What is it for?"

"It helps keep ink out of your eyes, and pushes it out faster when you revert to your two-legged form. Saves a few seconds in a battle. But, in a three-minute battle..."

"Every second counts," Pyxis finished, nodding. "Definitely. Can I get one?"

"You didn't already get one in the mail? They should've sent you a starter one for free when you joined SplatNet."

"Hm... Maybe it got delayed."

"We should check on that."

"Let's just swim first," they said, placing the squideye in the locker.

"Sure thing," Ankyr said, closing the door and taking his own key. The two handed the keys over to the clerk, and headed into the pool area.

"Oh hey, I think I can see Blackbelly Skatepark from here! I wonder who's battling."

"Always got battling on the mind," Moises said as he approached, waving his tentacles at the two.

"Moises!" Ankyr greeted the Jellyfish with a hug.

"Of course," Pyxis winked. "Hey, I thought Caasi was joining us too?"

"Nah, she has unforeseen affairs."

"Molting?" Ankyr asked.

"Yeah. She'll be back on her feet in a few days."

"Huh," Pyxis thought out loud. "I wonder what it's like to have a skeleton."

"Sounds like too much of a hassle, if you ask me," Moises said. "So anyway, water!"

The Jellyfish dove into the nearest pool, and his mollusc friends followed suit soon enough. They splashed around wildly for a while, before relaxing and floating about calmly.

"So, how are you guys feeling about this tournament business?"

"Uuugh," Pyxis groaned from where they were floating on their back. "Do we have to talk about that? Can't we just relax?" Without waiting for an answer, they dove to the bottom of the pool.

"Same," Ankyr said with a hissing laugh, though he remained on the surface, treading water.

"I'm just saying, it's a lot to think about," Moises shrugged. "No one's tried a huge tournament like this for a long time. It's bound to get us publicity, especially considering we're the reason."

"Hey, we are not the reason, man. The only reason is Ziggy. And his dumb inferiority complex."

"Oh, so it's because of you, then," Moises cackled.

"Don't even go there." Ankyr shifted from treading water to floating on his back. Suddenly, he felt something tickling the back of his neck, and flailed around in surprise, losing his balance and splashing before righting himself.

"Sorry," Pyxis laughed upon surfacing. "I just couldn't resist. Next time I'll ask first, I promise. Please don't be mad."

"All forgiven, bestie," he laughed once he was treading water with confidence again. "But yeah, definitely warn me next time. Maybe not immediately before, but it's less jarring if I know it's coming at some point."

"Sure thing! So, what were you guys talking about?"

"That it's all Ankyr's fault," Moises cackled again.

"What is?"

"Nothing," Ankyr shook his head. "Moises is one shrimp short of a picnic."

"That's a tragedy," Moises said. "Then again, I'm a vegetarian, so I'll get over it."

When the trio had enjoyed the water to their fill, they retrieved their belongings and set about to lounge on the lawn outside.

"We should do this more often," Pyxis said, flopping down on the grass and unzipping their bag. "I feel so much better."

"Nothing like a good swim to renew yourself," Moises agreed. "What's been eating you, bro?"

"Ah, just the usual," they laughed. "Seriously, though, I'm not sure if I can stand taking part in this stupid tournament. You guys should've just let me punch him in the face. Just one time."

"That's now how we do things here," Moises shook his head. "If you have a problem with someone else, you challenge them to a Turf War. That way you can let out all that angry energy with fast movement."

"And lots of yelling," Ankyr added.

"And nothing gets violent," Moises continued. "Well, not too violent. I'm not gonna say violence is never the answer, but it's definitely the last thing anyone wants to resort to."

"I like that idea," Pyxis nodded. "The more time I spend here, and the more I learn about Inkopolis, the more it sounds like a utopia."

"Nah," Ankyr shook his head. "Utopias are fictional. Usually not well-thought-out or sustainable. This city got as far as it did by lots of generations of people caring about people and making important changes. It's not perfect, but it's better than it was. And that's the important thing. To always work toward being better."

"Yeah," the Octoling smiled. "That's how it should be."

"Yep," Ankyr sighed happily, laying on his back on the grass with his head resting in his palms. His friends followed suit.

"Yeppers," Moises agreed. The three lay in content silence for a while, listening to the birds chirping nearby and the sounds of splashing and laughter from the pools.

"I still wanna punch him, though," Pyxis said. Ankyr and Moises couldn't help but laugh, and the contagious laughter spread to their Octoling friend, who had to wipe tears of mirth from their eyes.

\/\/\/\/\/

"Hey babe, I'm back! And I got you a surprise."

"Unless it's caffeine, I don't want it," Caasi said, her submerged voice reverberating all around her.

"I think you'll be proven wrong," Penny said in a sing-song voice, closing and locking her girlfriend's front door and dropping her bag next to her kicked-off shoes. Caasi was lying on her side in a large water tank that took up half of the living room. "Oh yeah, price of postage went down a little, so I just sent an extra charm to your customers. I'll pay you back."

"Did you send any specific ones?"

"Just the standard gold stars," she shook her head.

"Good girl. I should hire you on full-time. Er... Part-time."

"No, thanks," she laughed as she dragged Caasi's televison, coffee table and all, toward the transparent tank.

"What are we watching?"

"You'll see!" Penny slid a disc into the "hardware" slot on the contraption. After a few seconds, a colorful display appeared on the screen, accompanied by a loud and cheerful theme song.

"Oh gods!" Caasi gasped, wriggling her partially-molted limbs. "I love you!"

"Your favorite when you were a kid, right?" Penny asked with a wide smile. Caasi was too busy singing along to the song to reply.

"We'll always be together, as long as we remember the secret of the staaaars!"

"I'm so glad you're happy," Penny said, holding her hand against the tank.

"Me too, press play, press play!"

"Babe! I'm trying to have a soft moment with you."

"I'm sorry, Penny," Caasi said. "You really are the best girlfriend. Better than I deserve. You're the apple of my eye. The queen of my colony. The shrimp in my salad."

"You're just saying things now, so I no longer believe you," Penny said jokingly, sticking out her tongue.

"No, for real, I adore you. Thank you so much. I'd hug you if I could, but I'm kind of submerged."

"That's not a problem, if I get in there with you."

"And now you've made it weird."

"I see how it is," Penny laughed, pressing "PLAY". "You know, I could-"

"Shh, shh, Star Seekers is on!"

"I love you," she laughed, scooting back to lean against the glass.

"The wonder of the universe, the secret of the stars..." Penny sang along for a while before returning her attention to her girlfriend.

"Psst, I love you, too."

"Thank you, babe."

"This isn't so bad, having someone here while I go through this stupidity. Let's do this again next time." Penny gasped at this and turned back around.

"You mean it?"

"Yeah... Why not? As long as it's you, I'll feel safe and won't hide behind a rock the whole time."

"That's... probably the sweetest thing you've ever said to me? I think?"

"It's the sweetest thing a Crayfish can say to someone, I guess. In regards to being a Crayfish."

"Yes. Let's do it."

"Let's fall in love," Caasi sang on cue.

"Romantic sponges, they say, do it," Penny joined in with a smile. "Oysters down in Oyster Bay do it."

"That's true, I've seen them," Caasi said, her girlfriend shushing her immediately.

"Let's do it - let's fall in love~"

"Okay, now rewind the tape," the Crayfish pleaded. Penny laughed.

"As you wish."

"The wonder of the universe, the secret of the stars..."

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(( Hope you guys got a lot of enjoyment out of that! I really am sorry it’s taken so long, it really shouldn’t have. My brain has not been kind to me and I’ve basically been a useless Sukamon for a while now. But please be assured that I am going to do my all to get the next chapters out faster. 

Anyway some people had requested backstory so I threw some of that in here, but there is definitely more to come. ore character background and development!. Waaaay back when this was just me making characters with no story in mind yet, I had a few quick blurbs about the characters I had thought up.  Those blurbs eventually evolved into a planned magazine scene where the Killjoys finally get press. You’re all welcome. XD