Squid Party

Chapter 2: Better Eight Than Never


As the first few stars began to dot the dusky sky over Inkopolis, a familiar jingle rang through the city, catching the attention of all within earshot. Everyone crowded around any available monitors as Pearl and Marina, everyone's favorite Inkling/Octoling duo, started their show.

"Y'all know what time it is!" exclaimed Pearl.

"It's Off the Hook, coming at you LIVE from Inkopolis Square!" giggled Marina.

Pearl pointed at the camera. "Before we get to the stages, we have a special announcement to make, so all you fresh folks out there, listen up!"

Marina was intrigued. "Really? Ooh, I love announcements! What is it?"

"Well..." Pearl shrugged with a laugh. "All fights are cancelled!"

"Well, that's just nice! As for Ranked Battles, we-" Marina did a double take. "...Excuse me?"

"Yeah! All fights, Turf War, Ranked, and League are closed until further notice!"

"Uh, Pearl? We can't just... cancel battles like that. Aren't we going to get in trouble?"

"Nope! Because we got some special guests visiting us from Super Smash Brothers!" She fistpumped the air. "They'll be here evaluating us for an entire week to see if we're fresh enough to settle it in Smash!"

"Oh!" Marina gasped. "Really? Amazing!"

Pearl scoffed. "You mean you didn't know that? Where have you been?"

Marina rolled her eyes. "I knew they were coming, Pearl, I just didn't know when they'd-"

"That's nice." Pearl resumed her spunky facade. "Anyway, all you squids and kids out there make sure to give them a nice, inky welcome! And don't say anything stupid, either! It'll make us look bad!"

"...Would you care to announce the guests' names, Pearl? Do we have any footage or pictures to give them a proper introduction?" Marina asked, slightly embarrassed at her co-star's curtness.

"Eh, who cares?" Pearl hunched over in her seat, hands on her knees in disinterest. "Just look for some kids who aren't squids. Shouldn't be too hard to find."

The Octoling glowered at her. "..."

Pearl ignored it, deciding to freestyle instead. "Yo, we be throwin' down tonight, son! So if you wanna have some fun and see some action, get your rears in gear, let my words be clear, whether far or near, we gonna rock it up in here! YEAH!"

"In other words, we'll be performing at the Mahi-Mahi Resort and you should totally come. Free food and drinks for everybody," flatly added Marina.

"And that's all the time we've got! Until next time..."

Both stood up to perform their trademark pose. "Don't get cooked... Stay off the hook!"

A jellyfish waved at them from behind a camera, signaling the broadcast had ended.

"Pearl, that was extremely unprofessional..." scolded Marina. "You can't be so flippant when dealing with something this important! What if those guys saw the broadcast and got offended?"

Pearl gawked. "Offended by what?! We made that announcement and axed all fights today just for them! They should be honored!"

Marina shook her head. "You don't even know their names or what they look like. If I were them, I'd be pretty offended..."

"IF I wErE tHeM, I'D Be PrEtTy OfFeNdEd!" mocked Pearl.

The DJ sighed. This was going to be a long week...


Lucas was amazed how fast a squadron of squids could go. In almost no time at all, they'd reached their destination. ...Although, he didn't know exactly what it was. Stopping in front of a large building, the Inklings set him and Ness down, all charging through a revolving door as if preparing for the next act of a play. He watched the door pinwheel around rapidly, some Inklings eagerly turning into squids and slipping underneath the frenzied glass.

Ness gazed up at the towering structure as Lucas inspected the entryway. A pair of golden seahorses were embroidered on a latticed blue-and-gold facade, a bright yellow sign below it that probably displayed the facility's name. Unfortunately, it was in the Inkling's language, so there was no telling what it said. Rows of exotic palm trees made a tropical pathway to the door, the exterior's countless windows lighting up in anticipation of its visitors. Combined with the twilight, it gave off the warm and soothing atmosphere of paradise.

"This is where you'll be staying for the duration of your visit," said Green, walking up to the pair. "The Mahi-Mahi Resort."

"They have cake!" eagerly whispered Magenta to Lucas, confusing him.

"They sure do..." Green smiled uneasily, gently pushing her to the door. "Why don't we check in and see what kind it is?"

"Ooh! Yeah, yeah! I wanna see!"

The excited Inkling sprinted ahead of the others, only to trip and fall on her face upon entering. Without a word, Green picked her up and led her through the foyer. Several bellhop jellyfish greeted the four by tipping their hats as other Inklings busied themselves with more preparations.

Cozy and modest, the room had a simplistic interior invoking an aquatic theme. Pictures of various sea creatures were hung on the cerulean walls with the Inklings' trademark weaponry displayed on plaques with pride. Brightly-colored seashells and coral decorated the lining of all doorways and windows, seaweed skillfully woven into the available chairs and tables. A large ukiyo-e painting depicting a squid thrashing in the waves hung on the wall behind a vacant counter, commanding attention. Its boldness really brought the place together.

Trying to look as suave as possible, Green approached the counter and politely rung a service bell. Instantly, an Inkling in a black tuxedo popped up. Or at least, it looked like an Inkling...

While similar in appearance, Ness and Lucas noticed his tentacled hair had many more suckers on it than the average Inkling. A single, red coif dangled between his golden pupils, his long ears rounded and floppy. He smiled as he flipped his hair to the side, revealing the dark markings around his eyes didn't connect like the other Inklings. Was he a possible subspecies?

Green saw the psychic's confusion and explained. "Oh, I'm sorry. I don't think we've properly introduced you. This here's, uh..." He trailed off, remembering the language barrier surrounding their names.

"Octavian! Just call me Octavian! That's what it loosely translates to in English, anyway!"

"He's an Octoling. They're kind of like us, but they're octopuses instead of squids," continued Green. "We're deeper into the city now, so you'll start seeing a lot of them around. Don't worry, they're just as fresh as we are."

"If not more," joked Octavian.

"Well, hey there! 'Sup?" Ness raised a hand, to which Octavian eagerly answered with a high five. "Name's Ness, that's Lucas, and we're here to see if you nerds got what it takes to smash things up!"

"Oh! Well, that's fantastic!" He shook Lucas' hand. "Pleased to meetcha! We'll do all we can to make your stay a pleasant one! Speaking of which..." He handed him some keys. "Here you are! Best room in the resort, Room 197!"

Some bellhop jellyfish walked up, some carrying the two's luggage from earlier. They bowed and motioned for the pair to follow them.

"Those guys are gonna take you to your room!" said Magenta. "We still got some things to finish up, so just get comfy for now! Feel free to tour the place if you want!"

"Sounds good." Ness playfully nudged the blonde. "C'mon, Luke! I'll race you there!"

"But aren't we riding an elevator?"

"Yeah!" He ran and darted into an elevator as a jellyfish opened the doors. Laughing, he pushed a random assortment of buttons. "First one to our room wins, okay? Ready set, go!"

Lucas would usually be embarrassed from Ness' shenanigans, but he couldn't help but join in this time. Something about the atmosphere made him feel more playful and at ease. Maybe because the resort made him feel at home, like he was back in Smash Mansion. Besides, no one around there cared, right? It was all fun and games, right? ...Right.

Mirroring Ness in a rare show of spontaneousness, Lucas ducked into another jellyfish-run elevator and madly pushed buttons, snickering as the doors closed and the race began.

Octavian grinned. "I like those guys. They're all right for a species with only two arms."

"How do you even live like that, though?" Magenta shuddered. "Must be a horrible existence..."

"Yeah..." Green changed the subject. "Anyway, how're the arrangements going?"

"Arrangements are going great!" Octavian walked them towards a large double door. "Food's being prepared, we're filling up the drinks, lounge is almost done, and Off the Hook's getting ready in the penthouse suite right now!"

"That's good. Where's Octavia? She's still going to be MC, right?"

"She's around here somewhere. You know how punctual she is, so I doubt she went far."

Green pushed open the doors. "Well, we need to find her before the show starts. We can't-"

He was interrupted by a barrage of party poppers going off, flinging confetti everywhere. The shock was enough to make Magenta squeal and turn into a squid.

"Sorry!" shouted an Octoling. Situated on ladders above the doorway, he and a female counterpart were putting up a banner proclaiming, 'WELCOME, SMASHERS!', but it was in Inklish, so it was almost pointless.

"...Well, that definitely got the ink pumping."

Octavian walked around, arms extended. "So? Whaddya think? Pretty boss, huh?"

Green surveyed the decorations. Balloons were situated around the room as streamers dangled from the ceiling, a colorful barrage of ink splattered on the walls for added atmosphere. Confetti and glitter had been scattered around the floor with a myriad of stylish tables and chairs set up to house at least 100 people. Bartender jellyfish were stationed behind a bar, mixing drinks and cleaning glass in preparation. At the far end of the room, a vast layout of stereos and musical instruments were piled around a large, metallic platform in front of several high-definition screens. At the ready were keyboards, guitars, synthesizers, mics, and effects racks. Several Inklings and Octolings practiced chill electronic music, their tunes giving the lounge a relaxed vibe.

"Ooh, you guys cleaned up pretty good in here!" said Magenta, still in squid form. "Orange and Blue couldn't have done it better themselves, especially since they'd probably be arguing the whole time!"

Upon hearing that, Green's pupils shrank in horror. Whipping around, he felt his ink run cold as he noticed Orange and Blue were nowhere to be found. He knew the two were running behind back at the station, but they should've been here by now! Where were they?!

"'Orange'? 'Blue'?" Octavian looked at Green in bemusement. "...The Smashers are calling you guys by the color of your hair? That's pretty demeaning, isn't it?"

"Oh, I'm sorry we don't have names that translate as well as yours do," he sarcastically spat.

The Octoling shrugged. "Then why didn't you make one up? If they can't understand your real name, it wouldn't have mattered anyway."

"Not a good a time, Octavian..."

He persisted. "I bet 'Orange' flipped her lid when she heard that, though! Did she smack anybody?"

Green was ready to pull his hair out. "No, but I'm about to, because I don't know where they are!"

"Weren't they with you at the train station?"

"Orange doesn't like the Smashers, so she got mad and stayed behind..." Saddened, Magenta became human again. "We haven't seen them since..."

"Well, if some dudes I'd never heard of showed up and started calling me stupid names, I wouldn't like them too much, either."

"Dammit..." Green took out his phone and quickly dialed Orange. The line only rang once before going to voice mail.

"Yo. You know who it is, you know what to do," was her prerecorded message. A beep sounded.

"Orange! Stop being a baby and get over here! This is ridiculous! If you don't show up within the next hour, don't bother showing up at all! This is the last straw, I'm warning you!" Furious, he hung up.

Magenta got on her phone and rapidly texted Blue. "bloo were r u? :( we cant find orange & ur not here either! plz get here soon we have cake! :'("

"Well, that didn't work..." Green grabbed the Octoling's shoulders. "Octavian, you need to get Octavia, like now. We cannot do this on our own, and if anyone can find anyone in this city, it's her. She'll bring them here for sure."

Octavian hung his head back and groaned. "Why do I have to do it?"

"She's your sister!"

"So?"

Green gnashed his teeth. "Call her! You know how secretive she is, and she probably won't pick up if we do it!"

"Oh!" He took his cellphone out. "Guess I could do that..."


Hugging her knees to her chest, Orange sat on top of a rusted platform, overlooking the evening sky. From here, she felt like a queen gazing down upon a broken and decayed empire. When she needed to be alone or blow off some steam, there was no better place than Octo Valley. The decrepit and ruined landscape made for a great hideout, especially since most Inklings were too spooked to venture out there. Inkopolis could be seen in the distance against the hazy sunset, a constant and annoying reminder of what happened earlier. Green even had the gall to call and bark at her over the phone, but his message was promptly deleted. No one told her what to do.

Ever since the Octolings moved to the city, the Octarians' armies and weaponry had drastically dropped and they'd been forced into hiding. She remembered a time when they'd roam the area in droves, but finally got sick of living in the slums and gradually integrated into the city. Marina taking the plunge and moving to Inkopolis to make it big inspired them to do the same. They just packed up and left, almost overnight, all for fortune and fame. There were still a few stragglers out here, but their numbers dwindled every day. Everyone seemed to have dollar signs in their eyes these days...

She was surprised Blue didn't bother coming after her. Octo Valley was pretty much a ghost town now; it was off-limits, but not super dangerous or anything. ...Then again, he was probably too busy making nice with the Smashers to care. She furrowed her brow.

...Fine then. He could be that way. He could cater to those losers for the whole week and go to Smash without her for all she cared. She didn't need him, she didn't need them, and she didn't need this.

Frustrated, she stood and shouted to the sky, picking up a rock and flinging it at nothing in particular. She watched it bounce off several metallic contraptions until it tumbled down into the canyon. Even after it was out of sight, the echoes of its pinging could still be heard. She sighed and sat back down, looking into the dusty ravine.

"You know, you really shouldn't be doing that out here. You could attract Octarians."

Still looking into the chasm, Orange smiled sadly. "Hey, Agent 8. Figured I'd run into you out here."

"Can't say the same about you, Agent 3."

Shuffling was heard as a sunkissed Octoling stepped out from the shadow of a gnarled telephone pole. Her golden eyes shimmered from the glow of the setting sun, studying the Inkling intensely. Quiet as the night, she ambled up to Orange's back and adjusted her two-piece leather outfit with purpose. The heels of her thick, black boots clacked on the iron surface as she approached and abruptly stopped. Brushing aside some of her red, tentacled hair, she crossed her arms. Orange couldn't see her, but the aura she emitted was enough to make her feel tense.

She laughed sourly. "What, you want me gone now, too? Guess all my friends are turning on me today..."

"Shouldn't you be at the resort by now? The Smashers are here, you know."

"Oh, I know, but if they're such big hot shots, the rest of the city can handle them. I'm staying here 'til they leave. Can I crash at your old place for the next few days?"

"What for?"

"8, you know me. I don't play second fiddle to nobody, and those two show-offs are playing everyone else in the city like a damned fool right now. I can only offer so much hospitality to someone, and I ain't gonna be jumping through any hoops to do it."

"I think you're looking a bit too hard into this."

"Ah, what do you know?" she spat. "You guys're used to being on the bottom, anyway."

The Octoling narrowed her eyes, resenting that remark. "...Started from the bottom, now we're here."

"..."

The silence between them was broken by a familiar tune echoing throughout the area. Orange recognized it as the Squid Sister's hit song, "Calamari Inkantation", and rolled her eyes. Couldn't she go anywhere without being reminded about Inkopolis? The Octoling pulled out her phone, the source of the music being her ringtone.

"Wait a sec, hold on. That's Octavian." She put it on speaker. "Hello?"

"Hi, Octavia," came her sibling's voice. "Where are you?"

"Scouting around Octo Valley. Looks good here. No threats to speak of."

"Oh, that's good. Well listen, could you do us a favor and find Orange and Blue for us?"

"...Who's that?" She made a face, partially at the names, but mostly at Orange hissing upon their mentioning.

"Oh, sorry. I meant-" He gargled the Inkling's real names to her. "We tried calling them, but they're not answering and we're getting worried."

"...You mean Agent 3?"

"Look, can we just call them Orange and Blue until the Smashers leave? Having a nickname is one thing, but when you start throwing around different aliases, things're gonna get confusing."

"Why are we calling them that, anyway? Seems a bit redundant..." Orange was about to Super Jump off when Octavia grabbed her arm.

"I'll explain later. Right now, we really need them at the resort, like pronto."

"All right. See you then." She hung up and put the phone back in her pocket, looking at Orange accusingly.

"Guess you already found me," she huffed. "Don't bother with 'Blue'. He's probably on his way there now if he's not looking for me."

"Great, that was the easiest mission I've had yet."

Orange yanked away from her. "...I'm not going with you, y'know."

"I know, so I have a proposition for you."

"No."

"Perhaps things started off on the wrong foot. The Super Smash Brothers are a noble and reputable organization and would never send anyone who didn't fit the credentials of their destination."

"There's a first time for everything."

"I feel like the pressure might've gotten to you. The pressure to put on a fake smile and say fake words and do fake things, all to make everyone but yourself happy. Does that sound true?"

Orange inhaled deeply. She hated it when people were right about her. "...Yeah."

"I figured as much." Crossing her arms again, Octavia titled her head in thought and closed her eyes. "My advice to you, then, is to stop it with the fake mannerisms. You are Agent 3 of the New Squidbeak Splatoon, born and bred in the depths of Inkopolis, and no matter where you go or what you do or who you meet, that'll never change. So why bother trying to be something you're not? Don't be Orange for everyone else, be-" She gargled her real name, "for you."

The Inkling looked at her hair blowing in the slight wind as she said this. It was almost poetic. She had to give her props for being honest, though.

"So." Octavia opened her eyes and looked at her. "How about a trip to that resort?"


Marina fiddled around with her synthesizer and sighed. "Now, are you sure they'll like this kind of music?"

"Marina, it doesn't matter what kinda music they like!" Pearl angrily strummed a rock guitar, the riff reverberating loudly throughout their suite. "As long as it's good and loud, they'll be happy!"

"But what if they're more into house or dubstep?" She fished out several records from a box. "What if they prefer grunge over metal?"

Pearl strummed again. "Look, we'll just play 'Color Pulse' and if they don't like it, I can freestyle for about five minutes while you find something else to play."

She sadly pouted. "You're rapping's very explicit, though..."

"So what?! You never had a problem with it before!"

"But what if they don't like it?"

She strummed once more. "Sorry, Marina! Can't hear you! Your insecurity's making me go deaf!"

They were interrupted by a knock at the door, an Inkling with a purple bowlcut peeking in. He smiled coyly. "Ma'ams, the guests're checked in and the party's going to start soon. No rush, but are you almost ready?"

Pearl rolled her eyes. "I guess. If Little Miss Indecisiveness over here can get her shit together."

"Fine!" snapped Marina in a huff. "We'll go with your idea, but if it doesn't work-"

Pearl drowned her out with a fourth strum. "That's nice, Marina! Less talking, more record-scratching, please!"


By the time Blue reached the resort, the moon was already looming over the building. A quick search for Orange ended in failure, and he didn't have time to look for her all night. Magenta's urgent text was what finally made him give up. Wherever she was, he hoped she was okay...

With a heavy heart, he walked through the front door and into the festive foyer. Inklings and Octolings were still hard at work wheeling around trays of food, drinks, and party favors back and forth through various rooms. Invisible amidst a sea of excited cephalopods, he entered through its doors.

Immediately, he was greeted by several party poppers going off, scaring him half to death.

"Sorry!" shouted the same Octoling from before.

"Blue!" The Inkling looked up as a cross Green ran over. "Where were you? We've been worried sick!"

"Orange went AWOL after you left..." he shamefully admitted. "I tried to find her, but..."

Green cut him off. "Forget her. You're here, and that's better than nothing. The party's going to start in 20 minutes and we need you to do one last rundown with us."

"But..."

Octavian ran up, grinning ear-to-ear. "Ooh, Blue! Glad you're here! Check this out!"

He gestured to a giddy Magenta who flipped a switch on a wall, cutting the lights and starting a pink-and-green strobe feature. It was so dark and the lights so bright, Blue could only distinguish people in the room from their wildly-flashing, neon silhouettes. A loud, obnoxious bass sample looped endlessly as spotlights haphazardly wheeled around the room. The music was so loud, plates and cups vibrated enough to fall off tables. The random disco ball descending from the ceiling to reflect even more light didn't help.

"Pretty cool, huh?!" Octavian yelled over the music.

"It's a bit much, don'tcha think?!" yelled back Blue.

"We're still tinkering with it!" shouted Magenta. "It's a work in progress! Don't worry!"

Blue's shoulders slumped. He wished Orange were here. She had more finesse when it came to things like this. The setup was nice, but the effects were way too much. Octavian and Magenta didn't understand the term 'quality over quantity', while Green was too meticulous and probably would've taken another week to set things up.

As if answering an unspoken call, the double doors slammed open, making everyone look at the entrance. While they could barely tell who the figures were, the florescent pink-and-blue sneakers on one of them were a dead giveaway. Blue's face lit up, and not just from the strobes.

Orange squinted at all the noise and lights. "The hell's going on in here?! Turn all this crap off! You're gonna give somebody a seizure, damn!"

Obediently, Magenta stopped the music and lights, plunging the room into a dark silence. The only light source came from the bioluminescent hair of its inhabitants.

After a few awkward seconds, Green spoke. "...Magenta, you might want to turn the lights back on. We can't see anything."

Immediately, the strobes and spotlights resumed.

"Not those lights!" screeched Orange.

Magenta yelped and quickly shut them back off, Octavian turning on the normal room lights. Upon doing so, he realized the second figure was his sister.

He smiled. "Octavia! You made it!"

She smiled back, arms crossed. "Was there ever any doubt?"

"Orange!" Blue ran over to her. "Thank cod you're here! Did you have a change of heart? Are you gonna help us out?"

"No and yes."

Blue shrugged in confusion. "...Is that a 'maybe'?

Orange blew a loud, tired sigh and looked to Octavia, who gave her a knowing smirk. She fought the urge to roll her eyes. Getting in Blue's face, she spoke as slowly and calmly as she could. He smiled nervously as her gaze pierced his very being.

"...I'm gonna give those two one more chance," she quietly warned. "If I help you finish this tonight, I better start seeing some respect tomorrow. And if either one of them pisses me off one more time... I. Am. Done."

Blue grabbed her hands in earnest. "Thank you, I swear I'll make things right. You won't regret it, I promise."

"Good." She faced Octavian. "What'd they end up calling you? Ocho, or something?"

He laughed. "That would've been a great alias, but nah, they just went with Octavian."

She shot a look at Blue. "Oh, okay! So he gets to keep his name, but not us. I see, I get it now. Makes a whole lotta sense."

"Orange, you know how hard it is to pronounce our names in another language..." he whined.

"Whatever."

She walked to the middle of the room and studied the ceiling. It was ridiculous how many stereos and spotlights were crammed up there. If all this crap was on during the whole party, everyone would either be deaf or dead by the time it ended. Blue followed her, also gazing skywards.

"The party's gonna start soon," he said. "I don't think you have time to fix this."

Orange smirked, the first genuine sign of joy from her that day. "Give me room, boys."