Rain poured from the heavens, attacking hell, but blocked by Earth. A dreary day indeed in Inkopolis. The inklings, drudging on, competing in battles, hanging about. One inkling, however, merely sat in a chair, head in hand, scrolling through her phone. Beside her were broken inkgun pieces, dirtied pairs of clothes, and a phone number written on a piece of paper, of which she never used. The wallet on the table as thin as her patience. The meal she ate as terrible as her day. Her life. The options she once had now washed down the drain of fate. Her next step, invisible.
After she finished texting her so-called friends that barely ever answered, she turned her phone off and placed it face-down. She looked around, looking at everyone in their own groups, having a better life than she has. In the past, she'd have laughed at the thought of being afraid of being alone. In the present, her loneliness and problems attacked her in her weakest moments. She clenched her phone angrily, and then irritatedly, and then sadly. She crossed her arms and laid her head upon them. She had no one to care about nor for her and her issues. Most of her friends don't comfort her, nor spend any time with her. Some of them even ridiculed her for her venting. She got by off of her battles and nothing more. With her broken weapon, she has to either get it fixed for Sheldon's obscene prices, attempt to fix it herself, or get some other job that would surely pay less than she could work for.
She banged a fist on the table, generating some reactions from those briefly near her. She silently shed tears, covered by her shirt's fabric. The stress took its toll and then some. Just then, an inkling boy approached her. It was him. A friend. She wiped her tears and turned away from him.
"What do you want, Savier?" She said.
"Lucille, what's wrong?" Savier asked.
"Nothing. I'm fine." Lucille answered.
Savier grabbed her chin and turned her head towards him.
"This is fine? This is why I catch you with your head down?"
"Get off me." She whined.
"Tell me what's wrong. You know you don't have to pretend for me." He stated.
"Everything's alright. Just a shitty day. Nothing new."
"Your usual shit days don't end up making you cry, Lucy."
"Can you stop prying?! Every time something goes wrong, you're just all up in my damn business. Let me handle my business. I don't need help. I don't need support."
"I pry because I care. Because you're worth something to me. Because I'm a real friend."
Lucille scoffed.
"Did I say something sketchy, Lucy? Just because you're sad doesn't mean you have to stay sad. I'm here for you."
"Don't you have your own problems to attend to?" Lucille asked.
Savier frowned and grabbed Lucille by her shoulders.
"My problems can wait for a friend. Why can't you understand that I'm not going to leave when things get bad?"
Lucille stood up.
"I don't need your help, Savier." She said.
"No, you don't want my help, but you definitely need it. What's bothering you?" Savier urged.
"Fine! If it'll get you to leave me alone, fine! Too much shit's going on in my life. I'm gonna lose my job cause my goddamn gun's broken, I lost all but a several pairs of clothes in that fire, I have no means to get another house after what happened to the last god-awful one, and to top if off, no one actually gives a damn. There. Happy?!"
Savier walked closer to her.
"No you fucking don't! Don't hug me. Ya know, usually, I'd be able to handle shit like this, but after all I've gone through...after all I held dear...after all I fought for...I can't take anymore of this bullshit!"
"Listen, Lucy-"
"And another thing! Stop calling me Lucy! Why are you so familiar with me? Why are you still here?! Still bothering me. Still saying you 'get it' or 'understand.' Just leave like the rest of them!"
"Lucy..."
"I said to stop. Calling. Me! LUCY!"
Lucille jumped towards Savier with a balled fist. Savier jumped back and dodged as Lucille threw wild punches. After dodging Lucille's 6th punch, Savier swooped in and hugged her. Lucille punched Savier's arms, ribs, and tried to knee his groin over and over again. Her punches got severely weaker and she started to break down.
"Shh, shhh. Lucy, it's gonna get better. Please, just believe me." Savier tried to calm Lucille.
"Let me go...Just leave me alone..." Lucille whined.
"I'm not one of your pretend friends, Lucy. I actually care about you. I've actually helped you and I'll keep helping you."
"..."
"This isn't for affection or for my morals. I'm going to help you because you helped me."
"...How...How did I help you?"
"You've helped me countless of times, but the time you helped me the most?..."
Savier held her tighter.
"You gave me something to live for. To die for. To exist against all odds for. You brought me up when I was down, so I'm returning the favor."
"..."
"I know you remember what happened in Squidville..."
Lucille remembered Savier on his knees, over two lumpy piles of dirt and a single flower between his balled hands.
"As long as I can do something about it..."
Savier released Lucille. He grabbed his journal, opened it, flipped to the first page, and showed Lucille. Her hands stopped their trembling and her mouth, loosened. Through her tears, she smiled slightly. She looked at him and nodded.
"Now come on. You can bunk at my place until you can figure out your living situation. I'll get the inkgun fixed and take you shopping tomorrow. Don't ever feel like you don't have any friends ever again, no matter what anyone says. You have the crew back in Squidville and you have me." Savier assured Lucille.
Side by Side, they walked from the plaza for half a mile until they reached his home. Lucille, before entering Savier's home, looked up at the skies. Her smiled warmed the heavens and the heavens warmed her back with a glorious, rain-free sunset.
This foggy conclusion to Savier and Lucille's story opened two doors. One to the future, and one to the past. The constant trio of structure's tales tell in full their adventures, as well as those they meet, in the Squidville Homebound Tales...
.
Shifting rivers, a bay
Shifting tensions, today
Stormy nights, here they stay
But tomorrow's sunny day
Brightens the gloomy thick
.
Harsh winds, long delays
Short enough, she says
Blurry view, a haze
And hope trapped in a maze
Not frightened a tick
.
But one night, one night
Can't see the light, the light
Sunny days aren't bright
And tears above the height
More than she could take, could take
And sanity is at stake, at stake
One bad day, one rough night
And I'll heed the plight
Cloudy eyes clear away
There'll be no more dark days
So brighten up your day
There's a reason the night went away
Things will go your way
Give it time, that's what I say
Leave your worries, your dismay
Because here, I'll stay
.
It's been hard, you say
Don't let it stop you
It's been a bad, dark day
But the stars shined through
This is a gloomy night
Then I'll help make it right
Buried in some hole
But you still have your soul
The stress has taken its toll
So that you could reach your goal
.
You cry, you cry
Not I, not I
I know it hurts to be alone
Your pain becomes your home
But there are brighter days
Softer winds, calmer bays
No stormy nights, no dark days
Tension starts to melt away
And when it comes, that day
When the sun shines its rays
On the perfect, perfect day
You will hear me say
.
Cloudy eyes clear away
There'll be no more dark days
So brighten up your day
There's a reason the night went away
Things will go your way
Give it time, that's what I say
Leave your worries, your dismay
Because here, I'll stay
.
Calm rivers, a calm bay
There's no tension today
Starry nights, here they stay
The sun of the next day
Will be better than last
Soft winds, no delays
You were right, she says
Clear view, zero haze
Saved hope from the maze
Your tears are in the past
.
Cloudy eyes clear away
There'll be no more dark days
So brighten up your day
There's a reason the night went away
Things will go your way
Give it time, that's what I say
Leave your worries, your dismay
Because here, I'll stay
Here, I'll stay
Let your fears fly away
Your travels won't be bland
Your troubles buried in sand
I promise you have a friend
And you'll never be alone again