-"Thank you for these and the other things", Agent 3 thanked Daniel as she put the ring-shaped translator around her ear just as they were leaving the pyramid.
-"Wow, I know human words !" Cor immediately exclaimed as soon as the translator made contact with his skin.
-"Impressive", Mona said in the common human dialect.
-"Already speaking like us ? Good accent by the way", Jack complimented.
-"Our languages are not fundamentally different : not much processing is necessary on the part of the translator", Daniel explained.
-"Aw… Awesome !" Cor spluttered in the human language.
-"I'm jealous…" Pearl grumbled in her tongue.
-"Talk to citizens. I am sure all of you will speak both languages very soon", Daniel advised.
-"Let's go underground then !" Agent 4 declared joyfully.
-"You can access to the underground by using the domes to your right or left", the ambassador explained.
-"Let's go !" Agent 4 repeated with enthusiasm.
-"We will see each other again before your departure. Until then, I wish you a good visit of New Constantinople", Daniel told Squidbeak Splatoon and Cor.
-"Thanks !" Pearl replied.
The ambassador, followed by his bodyguards, went back inside the gigantic stone construction.
-"Let me explain how those things work", Jack declared as her friends followed her in front of one of the glass domes large enough for a dozen of humans to fit inside.
-"Just like our ships, those devices fold space-time inside them and send anything to a chosen location. They can send you virtually anywhere where the same technology is present. All you have to do is formulate your request aloud", she explained.
-"Why are they limited in their use ? I mean, from one to another", Agent 8 asked.
-"They rip space-time using dark matter, or sometimes dark energy, as a power source : it's not exactly a casual event, so the dome acts as an electromagnetic field should something go wrong, even though I can't remember it happening. The second reason, more important, is precision : a computer's integrated into every device, and they're all communicating permanently : it's far easier for it to send you to the desired place if it has a link to another right at that location. This way, there's zero risk to be sent to undesired or potentially hazardous locations", Jack answered.
-"It's kinda like our spawn units. Only way better and with a different application", Marina pointed out.
Everyone entered the dome – the transparent material moving on its own – before Callie asked, shivering :
-"Hey, there's no risk of getting huh… y'know… all mixed up at the end ?"
-"We're folding space-time, not teleporting by deconstructing our bodies : that kind of travel's impossible at the macroscopic level. It'd be also totally impracticable besides taking forever", Jack replied.
-"Oh. That makes sense", Callie sighed, reassured.
-"It's still sci-fi for us", Marina marveled. "Even though I know how to make rocks float, I don't understand how your physics work".
-"Physics are the same for everybody", Jack said with a smile. "It's just that what we understood about space-time and quantum physics so long ago led to unimaginable breakthroughs. Quantum technology's mundane nowadays, however, it still poses risks because of its very nature. Don't worry, we can't "break" the Universe, but we can create problems that are difficult to deal with, like dark matter leaks or time-space anomalies".
-"Time-space anomalies ?" Agent 8 interrogated.
-"Pretty horrifying things. Our understanding of what we call time allowed us to test on it. It didn't last long but it's still attempted today in some remote locations… It's widely discouraged nowadays though".
-"You traveled through time !?" Marina exclaimed, ready to explode from excitement.
-"We're not sure actually : tests of physical travel yielded no results : I mean, nobody ever moved past the countdown, when there was one anyways. The guys in lab coats were just stuck repeating their actions until forced out of the loop. However, since time's a direction – or a dimension if you prefer – within we can't physically move but forwards, it's possible to remember the future or a possible future".
-"Like having visions ?" Marie asked.
-"You can put it that way, yes. But for those who had this kind of ability, time ceased to make sense altogether… They were in constant pain. It was impossible to talk to them, and you'd remember them before you meet. That's why I said we're not sure about time-travel. You noticed I talk about them, the volunteers, in the past tense : all of them were euthanized or lost. Besides being useless, it was declared unethical to let them suffer. What's more, every time we decided or were forced to alter what they remembered, they suffered even more. I saw them on the records… f-fluctuating, disappearing and changing state all at once, their mind being split over and over at each iteration of the present, at each electron becoming a positron… T-This… this is the worst torture imaginable. I-i-it's pure agony". Jack took a deep breath before finishing the story :
-"We finally stabilized them with the only thing affecting time in a meaningful way : gravity. Then, we euthanized them. They already knew it was going to end this way… in a sense, it'd already happened for them countless times before, but they… they were grateful ; they successfully explained the nature of time – or an approximation thereof – before their execution, and pleaded for such experiments to never be conducted again. We can say that their sacrifice wasn't totally in vain, even though research hasn't totally stopped".
-"I'm sorry for them", Agent 4 said.
A brief silence followed, finally broken by Agent 8 :
-"What did they say about time ?"
-"Hmm. From their point of view, time was… madness. Literally. The time dimension was flattened, and maybe the other spatial ones, I don't know : we… we just can't understand what they experienced, or even how long it lasted for them. On the nature of time itself : to simplify, time's made up of traveling electrons or positrons in another dimension, the one which is non-physical : the present's nothing more than the inversion of these particles' symmetry".
-"Huh…" Callie interrupted her.
-"Fascinating…" Marina mused aloud.
-"Sorry if you're not familiar with all of this. Put it simply, particle symmetry means that each particle has its counterpart. In the case of time, each time an electron and a positron meet, instead of annihilating themselves as thought in the very beginning of quantum physics, each goes into two different directions in the time dimension : the past or the future : at each inversion, you have a "slice" of present. Also, time's perception by consciousness, and the way our brain has an influence on it and quantum phenomena's a totally different field of study. You should ask someone more qualified than me though", Jack answered.
-"You lied to me about gravity… That it wasn't that useful", Mona told Jack.
-"Sorry. What I meant back then is that using gravity as a power source for traveling isn't practical. But we still use it to travel : folding space-time involves gravity. Also, it serves other, very important purposes. You'll see soon", her girlfriend explained.
-"Why do we even care !? I just wanna go underground, not talking 'bout physics and stuff !" Cor exclaimed frustratingly.
-"You're right", Jack agreed. "Destination : New Constantinople, District -55", she ordered the dome which immediately sealed shut.
There was a brief humming before the landscape around them abruptly changed.
-"WOAH !" Cor immediately shouted once his eyes adapted to the surrounding semi-obscurity.
-"Amazing !" Marina echoed.
The underground city was stunning, although very dimly lit : what was clearly visible however, were the silhouettes of the upside-down buildings hanging from the ceiling, with exactly the same ones mirrored on the ground. Mona immediately noticed the resemblance with the city of the surface ; just like it, the buildings were carved from natural stone or, more rarely, from wood. Above and below them, as far they could discern, were two identical lakes of clear blue water.
-"Wow ! It's colder here !" Callie suddenly noticed.
-"Yes, I'm sorry. All humans have adapted to most non-lethal temperatures, so we leave the underground unheated. It also preserves its fragile ecosystem which we recreated from live specimens when we terraformed this planet and its crust. Does it bother you ?" Jacked asked.
-"No, it's all right. Just… surprising", Callie replied as everyone left the dome, finding themselves on a large ledge.
Jack led the group on the wide suspended bridge that was separating in four : the far right and left straight paths were leading further into both sides the cave, plunged in total obscurity ; the left path was going downwards, ending near the bottom lake ; the right path was leading upwards, its smooth curve leading to the upper lake.
-"Everything's symmetrical !" Agent 4 realized, astonished.
-"Exactly. Just a whim from the architects though", Jack laughed. "So, up, down, right or left ?"
-"They're mirrors, right ?" Cor interrogated.
-"Architecturally speaking, yes", Jack answered.
-"So up of course, if everybody's okay ? I mean, most awesome side of the mirror, right ?" Cor argued.
-"Totally agree !", Pearl and Callie concurred simultaneously.
Jack smiled.
-"I wanted to show you this district first because it's sparsely populated and isolated ; most of these houses are secondary residences. If you want to visit denser or natural areas, just let me know", she declared before taking the upwards path.
The moment the group attained the most vertical point of the pathway, Callie broke in a cold sweat ; Cor and Marie took her hands and gently guided her until they were totally upside-down, not feeling any difference whatsoever.
-"Transition's smooth", Mona noted. "You're all right, Callie ?"
-"Y-Y-yeah. J-just no sense of b-balance, y-you know me… I-I just kinda freaked out. I-I'm all better now. S-sorry", her sister-in-law apologized.
-"You're lucky that we're more or less adapted", Agent 3 addressed Jack, showing the glowing tips of her tentacles. "Otherwise, it'd be impossible to follow you. By the way, how can you see ?"
-"We know about your adaptations, otherwise we would've given you special lenses. Humans became adaptive thanks to modest genetic modifications done even before we left Earth ; today, a large majority of humans, I'd say ninety percent at least, are like this. This enabled human diversity to explode, and us to live in a wide variety of habitats and develop new cultures. Illness doesn't exist anymore for us, but it was kept in wild animals to keep ecological balance. That's why humans, including me, can see more or less like cats. The people who live here permanently also got unique traits, but well, we're at the city, so you're going to see for yourselves", Jack answered.
Walking upside-down was not disturbing at all, which surprised the group ; in fact, if not for the other part of the city below, nobody would notice the oddity of the situation.
District -55 was a small town comprised of a few hundred, mostly scattered buildings of varying sizes and shapes ; there was no true road but large spaces between buildings, except for the town square which had some stone roads.
At first, they thought the city was empty, until the music hit their ears.
-"Wow, wow, wow !" Pearl panicked all of sudden. "Why do I have a taste of fruit in my mouth !? And images of some sea in my head !?"
-"Yummy !" Cor exclaimed.
-"Don't worry, that's feel-music", Jack reassured. "There must be a concert or a show, follow me".
-"Feel-music ?" Marie interrogated, confused.
-"A music we created some hundred years ago, it's pretty recent. It allows you to feel the music and lyrics thanks to Fuhari-Ferrier, or FF waves. They're produced at a very specific frequency and from a very specific neural pattern, which are rarely found together, or at all : sometimes you can know what to sing but not how to sing it, or have the good frequency but not the adapted brain. Fortunately, devices can help you with this, but as I said, it's specific to less than one percent of humanity. We also had devices to translate emotions through songs, but trust me, the sensations were… dull compared to this. There's also a simple way to block everything consciously or unconsciously, and just hear the music", Jack explained as they reached the crowded town square filled with people seated in a circle around a band of four musicians.
There was a lead singer in the middle, a black woman with a bright red Mohawk totally naked save for a thin golden thread wrapped around her body in mesmerizing, moving patterns that were covering and uncovering every inch of her skin, creating a fantastic contrast. She was humming joyful notes carrying a relaxing effect. The musician on the far right, apparently a tan-skinned young girl, was naked too but totally devoid of any kind of ornament except an elaborate headdress made of copper, gold and diamond ; she was playing a simple pan flute masterfully, each of her notes sending an array of different images inside the listeners' minds. On her left, an almost familiar sight to the Inklings and Octolings : a tall bald middle-aged man with glowing, jellyfish-like skin irradiating a deep, almost purplish blue hue. Just like the woman and the girl, he was naked, making him one of the brightest object of the city ; he was playing a very old-fashioned guitar. The last member was an Asian teenage girl with green hair wearing thigh high boots sporting warm, fluorescent neon-like orange-yellow arrows pointing and moving upwards ; her forearms were also covered in gloves made of the same material. The rest of her arms, along her belly and neck, were wrapped in bright red bandages ; her chest and pubic areas were bare. She was rhythmically hitting two levitating golden spheres, the size of a melon, with two rods of a crystalline substance, producing an undefinable beating sound which was sending various tastes in the mouth of the spectators.
-"Woah", Marina let out when she saw them.
-"I… huh…" Callie spluttered, at loss for words.
-"So fresh !" Pearl exclaimed. "And I need this thread stuff ! Can you wear it with clothes though ?"
-"No, sorry. In fact, it's a pleasure net : you must feel it on your skin, or else it won't activate like this one", Jack answered.
-"A… pleasure net ?" Marie asked, confused. "I'm actually worried of what you're gonna answer…"
-"Its properties are obvious", Jack replied, restraining her laughter.
-"Ugh…" Cor winced.
-"How does it work and what does it do ?" Agent 4 interrogated with a curious tone.
-"The net's made of special extra smooth bristles sending a low electrical current through the body, exciting the brain. At most it can…" Jack interrupted herself.
-"What ?" Callie asked.
-"You may want to plug your ears at my signal, and stop touching anybody", Jack warned, snapping her fingers to show them the warning.
-"Why ?" Agent 8 asked in a confused tone.
-"The song's going to end in about twenty seconds".
-"So what ?" Pearl asked. "Hey ! Something's… buildin' up inside me !" She let out in a suggestive moan.
-"Pearl ! What was th…" Marina moaned too, unable to finish her sentence.
-"I see…" Mona understood, her voice slightly less atonal than usual.
Cuttlefish heard nothing at first, but immediately plugged his ears when he finally began to perceive the sensation.
-"It… it doesn't hurt… but…" Cor spluttered.
-"What's gonna…" Marie groaned, panting, only to see Jack snapping her fingers too late.
-"This", Jack replied with a purr in her voice as the singer hit the final note, the net converging towards her crotch.
Out of everyone, only Cuttlefish and Cor plugged their ears, even closing their eyes ; the others were forced to embrace the roaring internal explosion irradiating their body just like the singer, her band and some spectators.
-"Haaa…" Marina and Pearl gurgled, falling to their knees, their hands pressed between their legs, an expression of pure bliss plastered on their face ; Marie and Callie suffered the same reaction.
Agent 3 and 8 looked at each other briefly before ferociously kissing, their hands out of control wildly caressing and groping the other's body ; Jack, Agent 4 and Mona joined them seconds later.
The pleasure-induced craze lasted half a minute, long enough for Agent 3, 4, 8 and Mona to be rendered topless, most of their face, chest, neck, or back wet from colorful saliva. They then slowly separated themselves as they regained their senses ; Pearl, Marina, Callie and Marie feverishly got up, shook by the event.
-"Ah… sorry…" Agent 8 apologized splutteringly, hastily putting her top back on.
-"Me too… It was… unexpected", Agent 3 added as she finished buttoning back her trademark jacket.
-"Well, I'm not sorry !" Agent 4 exclaimed joyfully as she was considering staying topless before the almost cold temperature clutched her upper body, forcing her to dress again.
-"Me neither", Mona shrugged, zipping her heavy jacket. "It was nice sharing this with you, even if it was too short for my taste. To be honest, all Squidbeak Splatoon's girls always turned me on".
Jack laughed as Cuttlefish and Cor stood frozen, their cheeks harboring vivid colors.
-"D-d-did… d-did w-w-we j-just… !?" Pearl stammered.
-"Absolutely. We experienced an orgasm accompanied by brief and powerful sexual impulses. That was a love song after all. You're lucky : some of them are only made of these", Jack replied.
-"Fascinating", Agent 4 marveled. "Where can I find this song and the others you talk 'bout ?"
-"It's recorded, you can ask the band", Jack answered. "You know what ? That's the first time I see such a reaction from only a sample. Music's truly special to you, and this one makes no exception it seems".
-"My body just kinda… burned. Just like… I dunno… a volcano maybe. But not in a bad way", Pearl described her sensations.
-"Same here… That's not the first time but, well…" Marie dropped the end of her sentence.
-"Who knows what would've happened if the song had been longer…" Jack giggled.
The group approached the crowd which was standing up ; most humans looked at Earth's inhabitants with only light curiosity, having been warned by the United Council on a gigantic screen beforehand ; they stepped aside to let them meet the band, then departed towards their home.
-"Hello", Jack saluted the members.
-"Hi ! You must be Captain Jack Williams. It's a pleasure to meet you ! I'm Tsy !" The singer replied enthusiastically, vigorously shaking her hand.
She introduced the other members : the little girl was Mila, the man with jellyfish skin Hert and the teenage woman Aza.
Everyone introduced themselves.
-"So you're Earth's residents", Hert mused aloud. "How our former home's doing ?"
-"Still habitable for now", Agent 8 replied with a smile.
-"We're honored to meet you !" Aza exclaimed joyfully.
-"So, are any of you…" Mila began, only to cut off herself, giggling. "I'm stupid. Of course some of you are musicians ! I can tell from the way you're looking at our instruments. Did you enjoy the show ? We'll sing tonight too, but in District -51".
-"Well, that last note…" Agent 8 dropped the end of her vague sentence.
-"Oh, yes, this ! Neat, right ?"
-"Awesome !" Agent 4 exclaimed in human language. "Jack told me you were recording your song. Can you give me a copy ? Please !"
-"Yeah, of course", Aza agreed before picking up a silvery, pear-shaped and sized object nearby. "Do you have some storage stuff on you ?"
-"Yeah, the Council gave us this glass stuff", Agent 4 replied before giving the musician a small glass tablet.
Aza glued the objects together for three seconds before the translucent green of the tablet flashed ; she then gave back the device to its owner.
-"We're indeed musicians. Singers", Callie told Mila.
-"Well, I'm also a DJ", Marina added.
-"Cool ! It's been long since I heard that word, but DJs still exist more or less unchanged from old times", Hert said.
-"If only we had access to your music right now…" Tsy sighed.
Pearl immediately took out her phone and smiled.
-"All our songs are there !" She proudly declared.
-"Fantastic !" Tsy exclaimed joyfully. "Would you like to come to our house so we can listen to them ?"
-"I'm game !" Pearl replied in the foreign tongue.
-"Me too !" Marina, Agent 4, Agent 8, Cor, Callie and Marie concurred in the same fashion.
-"Okay then", Jack shrugged. "Does it bother you ?" She interrogated Agent 3 and Mona.
-"No problem. That's the occasion to learn more about you", Agent 3 answered.
-"I agree. But don't anyone dare to ask me to sing", Mona warned.
-"Why ? Don't tell me you can't sing !?" Callie exclaimed, dumbfounded.
Cor burst out laughing :
-"Sis' the worst singer ever ! She can't even sing half of "happy birthday" or clap her hands in rhythm ! I always say she's tone deaf !"
Everybody besides Mona tried to contain a chuckle, but she stayed impassive, only shrugging before speaking out :
-"I'm not tone deaf… I can follow a tempo, and I got a better hearing than most of you. I can enjoy music, but I don't know a damn thing about it. What I mean is I can process music, otherwise I wouldn't be able to appreciate it, but I don't understand what it is other than different sounds blended together. And I… how do you say it, Cor ?
-"It's all high or low pitched for you, no in-between. Like this", Cor replied before singing a line of a popular folk-song four times, starting from very low pitched to very high pitched.
-"You sang four times. So I guess there's four huh… variations, but I can only hear two different : the first and the last".
-"And it doesn't cause you any problems !?" Agent 8 asked, disbelieving.
-"No, why ? I mean, I can perceive emotions other ways and I'm pretty good at mimicking. Besides, my voice and yours always sounded normal to me. I don't know how to modify it, but I'm willing to learn ; where should I begin ?"
-"I'll try to teach you", Callie promised.
-"So that's why your voice's so… special", Marie realized.
-"It's probably coupled with the fact that I don't feel that much. Thanks for your help, but it's too late for me", Mona shrugged.
-"You're only twelve", Agent 8 objected.
-"Indeed. But my growth's finished since my first birthday, didn't you know ? Look, did I change over the years ?" Jack's girlfriend asked rhetorically.
-"No, but it doesn't mean anything. You can have a second growth spurt", Agent 3 countered.
-"Hospital reports are still at home if you want a proof. Mom and Dad often asked me to do check-ups, even when I was totally fine, so I got a whole folder", Mona said.
-"And what did they told you at the hospital ?" Agent 4 interrogated.
-"Sudden accelerated growth followed by total stunting".
-"You're like me ?" Pearl asked, startled. "I took a nasty shock when I was a kid. Y'know, like being huh… fried. But hey, you're still taller than me ! Just a little bit though".
-"It's different in my case. There was no accident or any external factors involved here. If you're familiar with some biology, here we go : basically, my ink interfered with my telomeres ; there was a buildup of telomerase up to my first year until the responsible ink flow regulated itself when my body became able to handle it. Then it just stopped, but not totally : actually, my telomeres aren't shortening at all anymore", Cor's sister explained.
-"You mean… !?" Marina gasped in shock.
-"Yes. I'm not aging", Mona nodded.
Although it was not that strange for the humans, the Inklings and Octolings, except Cor, stood in a stupefied silence. Mona broke it immediately, slightly annoyed :
-"I told you I was ink. It's not metaphorical. Unlike you, that stuff's fused with much more than my DNA. Hey, don't make that kind of face… I'm not immortal… I guess. Either years will catch up at some point, or my body will fail me sooner or later, that's the common lot of life after all…"
-"I'm kinda like sis'", Cor timidly spoke up. "I grew up fast and I'm still gonna grow, but not past huh… fourteen or sixteen. But I'll still age huh… inside my body, you see ? Organs and stuff. Can we go now ?"
-"You're full of surprises", Jack addressed her girlfriend.
-"I got some in reserve… but only for you", the latter replied not so cryptically.
-"Are we gonna stay here or… !?" Cor let out frustratingly and embarrassingly.
-"Let's go", Tsy said as the members of her band packed up the instruments in their respective cases save for Mila, who was wearing her pan flute as a necklace.
-"We're gonna teleport to District -51, it's much more lively ! And brighter too !" Aza declared.
-"Is it still underground ?" Mona asked.
-"Yes ! But it's very different from here. You come here to be alone and quiet in the dark, y'know ? Nothing really interesting to see. And your skin and hair turn white, your eyes pale, etc.", Aza replied.
-"Not what I had in mind, but it's your visit after all…" Jack said, shrugging.
The group headed towards the dome, already leaving the dark and quiet district.
When they lay their eyes on District -51, they thought they were on another planet altogether ; while District -55 was gloomy and dark, District -51 was melancholic and well-lit, but far from being bright ; it was also several degrees warmer.
-"That's… crystals !?" Cor exclaimed, eyes widening.
-"Yes. But they're all artificial of course", Jack replied.
The patchwork of gigantic crystals of all shapes, sizes and colors was dazzling without being blinding or overwhelming ; all colors were subdued, and no glow was brighter than the other. The cave was so large and full of gemstones that it seemed to stretch endlessly in all directions.
They stepped outside the dome and walked through the city with delight ; seeing people in the iridescent streets and hearing conversations made everyone – save for Mona – much more comfortable. In spite of the district being lively, only a few people accosted the guests from Earth before the group entered a hedgehog-like red crystal, four times the size of Mona's house, which closed behind them, immediately cutting off the sound from outside.
-"Now, let's listen to your songs !" Tsy exclaimed impatiently.
-"Don't forget the translators, Tsy", Mila intervened.
-"Oh. They're the special ones", Jack noticed when Tsy pulled out four black spherical, pea-sized earrings from an aperture in the wall.
-"Special ?" Agent 8 asked.
-"They translate the song directly into our brains with a slight delay, so that we can enjoy it in its original version while understanding the lyrics", Hert explained.
-"Otherwise, we'd hear your lyrics translated into our language. Even among human dialects, translation's… jarring sometimes. When talking, that's all right, but when singing, it's a totally different matter", Aza added.
Jack removed her translator and gave it to Tsy ; the voice lead of the band put it in contact with the earrings until both devices flashed for a split-second.
-"You can't translate without a basis though", Agent 3 observed.
-"For a song, it'd take far too much time, yes", Mila replied.
Each member put one earring on their ear, and Tsy gave back the translator to Jack.
-"When you're ready", Hert addressed Pearl.
Pearl took out her phone and navigated lengthily through the folders before finally finding the music one.
-"Which song ?" She asked to the band in human language, much to her surprise.
-"How about letting your phone decide ?" Aza replied.
-"Okay", Pearl agreed.
As soon as the first notes played, Marina and Pearl instinctively clapped in rhythm, followed by everyone except Mona, unable to discern the tempo anymore when the instruments kicked in.
-"It's called "Ebb & flow" ! It's one of our first songs !" Pearl exclaimed proudly before immediately beginning to sing along Marina.
"Nasta !
Riva !
Heire !
Terakonide !
Dibon !
Tamaiska !
Stimi !
Wiraonnyasa !
Raizonnei
Nyurazastei
Dismisaidon gyaro gyaro
Wastireimyun
Minakeijyun
Kozozawaden joriruni
Raizonnei
Nyurazastei
Dismisaidon gyaro gyaro
Wastireimyun
Minakeijyun
Tojyuranahabete zeriru bitinnu WOW !
Heinasa !
Dyuwatsa !
Zeimina !
Saponnaryo !
Kanfide !
Stapinize !
Yodontorize !
Bitinnu WOW !"
The duo was soon joined by Marie and Callie ad-libbing some lines, then by the humans, whose voices of lower pitch were beautifully contrasting with the duos' ones.
-"That was amazing !" Cor exclaimed in perfect human language.
-"I have an idea !" Mila suddenly exclaimed. "Why don't you sing with us tonight ?" She asked Off the Hook and the Squid Sisters, much to their surprise.
-"B-but w-we can't rehearse o-or…" Marina spluttered.
-"As long as you know your songs, it's gonna be fine", Aza assured.
-"And we can memorize the lyrics and melody after some listening", Hert added.
-"Let's try", Tsy decided. "Can you play that song again ?" She asked Pearl.
-"Sure", Pearl replied.
-"You're not afraid to play in front of humans ?" Mila interrogated half-jokingly.
-"We'll give our best like always !" Callie answered enthusiastically.
Working on the songs took a few hours ; the bands wrapped up the rehearsals just in time. Thanks to their long conversations, the Inklings and Octolings noticed they were now fluent in the human language ; imitating Jack, they disconnected their translators.
-"Thanks for your help", Jack addressed Marina and Agent 8 in their native Octarian.
-"You're welcome", they replied in the same manner.
-"I was thinking… how will everyone understand the songs ?" Cuttlefish asked Tsy.
-"There'll be a special speaker above our heads", Tsy explained. "All I have to do is merge it with one of our translators : everybody will understand them effortlessly without losing a bit of meaning".
-"Such wonderful technology !" Marina exclaimed.
-"You sure people won't be disappointed ?" Marie asked for the umpteenth time.
-"Two words : mind blown. That what's gonna happen", Aza asserted.
-"And it's fairly rare these times", Mila concurred.
-"Back home, organizing concerts' much more annoying…" Pearl grumbled.
-"… and costly ! All those effects, technicians and planners, ouch ! Weren't for Pearlie's relations and money, our producer would've ditched us for being too expensive", Marina added.
Callie and Marie gave an approving nod.
-"You won't find yourself in debt here. If somebody wants to sing, they just have to", Hert said.
-"So amazing !" Cor exclaimed. "Well, that wouldn't help you sis'", he added teasingly to his sister, making everyone chuckle.
-"If by miracle I learn how to sing, I'll definitely put all of you to shame…" Mona replied, half serious.
-"It's time to go", Mila declared.
The giant, needle-like crystal opened its door and windows, letting the noise in once again.
-"Do you expect many people ?" Agent 4 asked.
-"It's a very small concert for the district's residents, so probably a few thousands", Tsy replied as the band packed their instruments.
-"Here's your protection against feel-music that we talked about. Put it behind your ears", Aza addressed the Inklings and Octolings, giving them a minuscule black triangular sticker ; Mona and Agent 4 politely refused, and Aza did not bother to ask Jack.
-"I'll resist this time, don't worry. I know what to expect", Mona explained.
-"I wanna embrace it, but if there's no one to share it with me, that's no fun…" Agent 4 pouted.
Hearing this, Agent 8 suddenly removed her protection.
-"I guess I owe you one, so…" She addressed Agent 4.
-"B-but why ?" Her fellow agent asked, confused.
-"You let me stay at your home, you taught me Inkling ways, you gave me so much friendship and affection… I can at least huh… let you huh… show me some again", Agent 8 replied, a warm smile on her face.
-"Bah, it was nothin'", her friend tried to dismiss.
-"Not for me. So I'll let you kiss me if you want. That's not the first time after all", the Octoling added with a wink.
-"If you're sure…" Agent 4 finally surrendered.
Everyone left the crystal and headed towards the large town square, filled with thousands of humans.
-"Is that our stage !?" Callie let out once she saw the large circular raised area in the middle of the plaza ; in contrast to the general subdued lightning, the spiky crystals making up the platform were shining brightly in disco-like patterns of vivid colors.
-"Yes. Not bad, right ?" Aza said.
-"And you haven't seen the best part : don't freak out when we'll be on it", Mila added mysteriously.
The crowd, while stepping aside to create a path for the bands, cheered on them as they got up on stage ; Mona, her brother, Jack, Cuttlefish, Agent 3, 4 and 8 stayed in front of the first rank of spectators. Tsy reached for a grey cubic device slightly bigger than her head in a corner of the platform, immediately putting the translator in contact with it before picking it up and tossing it above her : instead of falling back, the machine hovered in the air, three meters above everyone, in the middle of the stage.
-"Can you hear me, everyone ?" She asked normally, her voice greatly amplified by the device.
The crowd cheered to answer.
-"We're so happy to play for you tonight ! Thank you for welcoming us in District -51 !" She shouted.
-"Today is a very special day ! Humanity has made contact with Earth, our former home, after such a long time ! Give a warm welcome to its new inhabitants !" Hert exclaimed as spotlights of different colors appeared under the feet of Callie, Marie, Pearl and Marina ; their tentacles immediately changed hues to adapt to the light : the crowd roared with pleasure.
-"For you, in exclusivity, not one, but two famous bands from there are here to sing along us : on my right, Marie and Callie from the Squid Sisters !" Mila let a moment for the spectators to applause. "On my left, Pearl and Marina from Off the Hook !"
After another round of applause, Aza continued :
-"Off the Hook and the Squid Sisters will interpret their most famous songs, "Nasty Majesty", "Ebb & Flow", "Fresh Start" and "Spicy Calamari Inkantation", in their beautiful language ! Now, our guests are going to introduce themselves !"
Pearl immediately spoke up, briefly surprised to hear her voice resonating far better than if she was using a mic ; she remembered everyone's advice to keep her volume to bearable levels :
-"AYO HUMANS ! I'M PEARL ! HOPE YOU'RE ON FIRE TONIGHT !"
Since the crowd cheered on her instead of plugging their ears, she deduced that she was reasonable.
-"And I'm Marina ! Nice to meet you, everybody !", Marina shyly addressed the spectators.
-"Callie here ! I just wanted to say so much thanks to THAM for lettin' us play with them !" Callie exclaimed.
-"And thank you for your welcome !" Marie concluded.
The concert began with a simple ballad from THAM mixed with Inkling vocals, receiving the first large acclaim ; it was followed by an instrumental song, then by a poem with almost no instrument, and then by dozens of diverse songs incorporating feel-music and rapping or choirs by the two duos, with everything spanning more than two hours and half.
-"We saved the best for last ! Now, Off the Hook and the Squid Sisters are going to interpret their songs !" Mila declared.
-"Here it comes !" Marina sang, beginning her vocals.
-"NASTY MAJESTY !" Pearl shouted ; her co-singer immediately started the song.
"Prasti prasti
Jangasobyu fasti
Fasti yakrasmi
Winin dachufrai
Testya sharinhei
Gestina wastinmansei
Sotiki rupinsan
Waizana frorinjan
Endana prastifei
Fasti yakrasmi
Dubachusana haistei
Tekenas wikirasyutai
Mekewasteke prasti
Jizakyaskuna wichugai
Nigirigina bachuwa sekinafai
Tekenas wikirasyutaiseke
Bais baisradera chaisbaiteza
Waikaza heistana maijigi dorestin
Baispizakena prasti tai !
Pikidas tekenaswiki rasyutai
Mekewasteketuda prasti
Jizakyaskuna winida
Watktsukdabai diwau
Wawawawa wannochai"
The verses repeated, this time with every singer adding lines in either language, forming an entrancing patchwork of voices and sounds, earning a roar of applause and cheers from the spectators. "Fresh Start" and "Ebb & Flow" followed, the ecstatic crowd shaking the cave with their enthusiasm.
-"Now, our last song, Spicy Calamari Inkantation, is a remix of a magical tune in our world ! I can't believe I'm saying this, but THAM and Off the Hook really helped us to make this song even better than before !" Callie explained.
-"It's exceptionally coupled with feel-music ! Thanks to THAM for allowing us to borrow their amazing instruments and wonderful voices !" Marie added.
The unmistakable tempo immediately resonated through the Inklings and Octolings' body, sending wave after wave of powerful feelings ; as soon as the singers showed the choreography, the whole crowd danced in perfect synch without bumping into each other : even though she did not show it, it impressed Mona : for her part, she was simply tapping her foot in rhythm, content to feel the beat.
"Ya weni marei mirekyarahire
Juri yu mirekerason"
Jack interrupted her dancing and came back next to her.
-"Want to dance ?" She asked.
-"You don't wanna see me dance, trust me", Mona declined with a smile. "But there's somebody who can keep up with you", she said, eyeing her brother.
-"Cor ! Wanna try dancing with your sister-in-law ?" She shouted over the noise.
-"Sister-in-law sounds cute on me", Jack laughed with Mona.
-"Yeah, sure ! It can't be worse than you after all…" Cor replied, approaching Jack.
-"You little… !" Mona falsely reprimanded him.
As soon as Cor took Jack's hand, he was twirled through the air like a weightless puppet ; he soon adapted to Jack's speed and strength however, and, using his boneless body and squid form, easily contorted to create moves impossible for humans ; both him and Jack dancing caught the eye of their side of the crowd and of the bands, with Callie blowing him a kiss.
Mona approached Cuttlefish, dancing as wildly as his age was allowing him to.
-"Sorry, but did you see where your three agents went ?" She interrogated.
-"Last time I saw them, Four was dragging Eight by the hand somewhere else, and Three just followed them", Cuttlefish answered, without ceasing to dance.
-"Oh. I see. Feel-music, huh ? It's affecting me, you know… I wanna do stuff with everybody here, but it's manageable for now. I'll let it all out tonight, probably…" Mona shrugged while Cuttlefish imperceptibly blushed.
-"I wonder why you don't try this music. Who cares about your age ? Just look at the crowd, there are kids, elderly and everything in-between" she told him.
-"I don't wanna feel this right now, I just wanna go along with the flow !" He replied.
-"Rapping again ? Old habits die hard it seems. Sorry to have disturbed you".
-"No problem. But I'll try it later, hope there's nothing greater !"
Mona smiled :
-"You'd have a hard time feeling better".
-"Just like good old times, eh ?" Agent 4 whispered in Agent 8's neck, all the while kissing it almost bestially.
-"Yes… It feels so good to… love you again. Just like before", her fellow agent replied, panting ; she removed her friend's jacket and top, eager to caress and taste the sweet skin again so much that she interrupted her partner with a long kiss ; when they both separated, they were naked.
-"Oh ? You still have that mark", Agent 4 noticed, caressing a small greenish scar on Agent 8's inner right thigh with her index.
-"I don't think it can go away".
-"It doesn't matter".
Agent 8 embraced her friend, overjoyed to feel her body against her again ; even though they were kissing each other all over their bodies, Agent 8 addressed her fellow Agent. :
-"I miss you", she admitted. "I… I really didn't want to leave. I regret. I just… wanted to avoid becoming a burden".
-"You'd never be a burden… I never wanted you to leave either. It so was awesome being with you".
Agent 4 gently kissed her friend's scar, letting the tip of her tongue caress it.
-"It still tastes like her", she said.
-"Does it turn you on ? I mean, more than you already are…" Agent 8 asked her, spreading her legs.
-"You have no idea. The thought of you two…" Agent 4 abruptly ended her sentence in a coo of pleasure.
-"Sorry about that scar", a third voice resonated in the quiet street, briefly startling the couple.
-"Three !" Agent 4 exclaimed in an aroused voice, standing up. "Please…" She implored.
When she wrapped her arms around Agent 4's chest, Agent 3 was already naked.
-"So… Do I turn you on that much ?" She purred, sliding her hand down to her fellow agent's belly, teasing her by not going lower ; Four immediately seized the hand and slapped it where she wanted it to be, while licking the other hand's fingers.
-"Right now, I've never wanted you so bad. You and your damn addicting taste…"
Sandwiched between her two friends caressing and kissing her, Agent 4 let out a very loud moan of pleasure, thankfully covered by the music.
-"So, which one of us do you prefer ?" Agent 8 asked, separating from her to embrace Agent 3, which was soon squeezed between her fellow Agents.
-"You know what ?" Agent 4 said, nibbling Agent 3's ear. "I think… I dunno if it's the music, but… I think I love both of you the same. And not just for sex. I mean, sure, we're making out and all, but there are tons of other things I like to do with you. And… I… I just love you. I can play with pretty much anyone, but you… you're special to me… You always were and you'll always be. I dunno I… I just wanna live my life with you two by my side".
-"Even while doing what you're doing, you still manage to confess to both of us. You're so cute", Agent 3 smiled before moaning. "Well, I never felt anything this powerful for anybody else, so I guess it's reciprocated".
-"I love you too, you already know… But still… I want to apologize to you. We… I didn't tell you what I did in the shower with Three back at Mona's home…" Agent 8 addressed Agent 4.
-"We were afraid it'd have… not broken your heart, but made you feel sad. And we hate to see you sad Four. You bring joy wherever you go. You're everything we can't be. You're our sun, our light in the dark of our lives. Without you, none of us would endure our job. So yes, you're our little sun", Agent 3 added.
-"Awww !" Agent 4 cooed, gently peppering her friend's face with kisses, tears of joy in her eyes.
-"Well… It certainly would've been unbearable knowing what you did, but just 'cause I wasn't there with you… And… Three, Eight… I don't think I'd be able to continue without you either…" She replied. "Hey, girls… I just got an idea… Why don't we live together when we'll be back ? I'm sure we can manage it".
-"I'd be so happy to come back with you !" Agent 8 replied, switching position with Agent 3 so it was her turn to be squeezed between her girlfriends. "Let us be together !"
-"No problem with me either. We'll get to work later though. Right now, we have other things to do right ?" Agent 3 said, pressing her body harder against her Octoling partner, with Agent 4 doing the same.
-"Yes", the latter concurred. "Many things to do".
The three members of Squidbeak Splatoon looked on from a crystal roof, hand in hand, as the concert was largely stretching out its duration ; it has been more than an hour since Spicy Calamari Inkantation has finished, but the recordings of the songs were still playing for people to dance and sing along.
Agent 3 and Agent 8 put their head on Agent 4's shoulders ; all were worn out by their hour of intense love.
-"Say Four… How long it has been ? I mean, your love for us", Agent 3 interrogated Agent 4.
-"When Eight came to live with me, she quickly became… someone special in my eyes. And you… when we first met actually. Y'know, we're close 'cause we lived through more or less the same stuff, but if I'd met you in the street, I would've still chased you", she replied.
-"I fell in love a lot as a kid : first there was a girl, then a jellyfish, then a boy, then a girl and a boy, then a girl who was a boy and a boy who was a girl, and phew… many more before and after I met you two. Oh, and of course, there were these two human women ! I'll never forget it !" She added, smiling.
-"Wow ! And huh… what did your parents say about it ?" Agent 8 interrogated.
-"Mom and Dad didn't care as long as I was happy ! Sure, I got the bit 'bout health and consent, but that's all".
-"You're lucky. I have two mothers, so there's no problem with that stuff, but the town where I grew up… A bunch of retarded bigots. We, I mean, my mothers and me, fought against them so many times, in every sense of the word. The mayor, that hopeless little shit, was a pain in the ass, harassing us and trying to make our lives miserable with the help of most of the council… One day, we three just beat out the shit out of him, and he let us alone afterwards ; there was no witness after all, and he couldn't call the cops 'cause it would've drawn attention to his cesspool of a village. Then, not long before I left for Inkopolis, there was a well-known incident there, in this little shitty town : the mayor, a good portion of the council and some citizens were killed : a total of fifteen victims", Agent 3 said.
-"The Inkika murders !" Agent 4 exclaimed. "You're from there !?"
Agent 3 nodded.
-"I've never heard of this, can you explain ?" Agent 8 asked.
-"The Inkika murders happened nine years ago or something. Some people at Inkika town were slaughtered in a single night for no apparent reason. Nobody was ever arrested", Agent 4 explained.
-"So there's a murderer out there !?" Agent 8 panicked.
-"Yes. And I wouldn't like to meet them…" Her girlfriend replied, shivering. "No wonder why you left that damn town…" She told Agent 3.
-"I didn't leave because of that. It actually solved everything. But I was drawn to Inkopolis like so many kids at the time… There were still questionings even before I left. But the cops never asked me what I saw".
-"You… you saw something !? The assassin !?" Agent 4 exclaimed. "No, you're squidding…"
-"I saw who did it, and later, I learned why she did it".
-"She !?" Agent 8 shouted.
-"I shouldn't tell you. But being together involves sharing secrets, right ? First, you must know that Inkika's quiet. Like, really quiet, even in the day, so you can imagine how empty it is at night. The damn mayor had the electricity cut after midnight to spare money, or so he said. I was on the way back home from one of my rare friends, and I remember texting my parents to tell them exactly that. So I was a little girl on the street in the dark in a small town ; yeah, that's creepy, but when you know the kind of town it is and the decent district I was living in, you got nothing to fear. I was like… ten houses from my home when I glimpsed something at… my right I think, sliding from under a door… It was one of these council guys' house, you know, a small pavilion with some kind of tasteless garden. No time to blink, and something's in front of me : a girl's silhouette, fourteen or sixteen, 'cause she was taller than me but smaller than adults. Something about her is odd though : she's totally black with some glow in place of eyes ; it's an ink armor, a special kind for covert operations. She put her index on her mouth ; I don't remember pissing myself, but I wouldn't be surprised to learn that I did. I'm sure this girl's gonna kill me for just seeing her, so I just… close my eyes and wait. When I open them after I don't know how long, she's gone. Vanished. I didn't tell anything to my mothers, and the day after, fifteen assholes were dead and cops were everywhere".
-"Why didn't you tell anyone !?" Agent 4 exclaimed, shocked.
-"Back then, I was sure I'd be in trouble if I spoke about it, and I was right : she told me when I met her she'd had come for me and my family. Even at my age, I was aware that there was something more than just murders, and I was right about that too : all the victims were part of some cult worshipping a kind of sea goddess, really weird shit : they threw squidnapped people into the sea, cut their own body as a ritual and even soaked themselves 'til almost dissolving. They believed our species was fated to return to the sea someday, and they were trying to prepare for it : totally messed up. Someone somewhere finally decided they deserved to die and sent an assassin".
-"The Children of the Sea ! That's their name ! I reckon they're still active today, but not in Inkopolis thanks to the mayor", Agent 4 remembered.
-"Return to the sea !? This is plain nonsense !" Agent 8 exclaimed.
-"Yes. Utter shit. Let them be. They'll kill themselves eventually", Agent 3 shrugged.
-"So who was the girl ?" Agent 4 asked impatiently, back to the story.
-"If I tell you the glow was red…" Agent 3 answered.
-"Red ? Red… red… red… Who's red…" Agent 4 mumbled.
-"You're squidding, right ?" Agent 3 addressed her, confused.
-"It was Mona !?" Agent 8 exclaimed, stopping Agent 4's mindless thinking.
-"Yes. Operative Omega as she was called back then : she was on a mission for the SIS".
-"B-b-but she was three years old at most !" Agent 8 spluttered.
-"Yes. And she killed fifteen people in a single night, without being seen or heard. Except for me. When I joined Squidbeak Splatoon and met her, I immediately recognized her from that night, and she did too. I was afraid, to be honest, but when I talked to her and her parents, I began to kinda like her ; sure, we didn't share that much besides training, but it was relaxing to talk to her. And her parents were really nice and her brother was cute and smart. She told me about Inkika months after I joined, and I told her it was a good riddance… I remember her cracking a smile. That's all".
-"Well, I can't say I'm really surprised… And huh… it's got absolutely nothing to do with it but… do you still see your moms ? Are they okay ?" Agent 4 asked.
-"Yeah. I saw them two weeks ago. Inkika's much better now, and they work as shopkeepers. What about yours ?"
-"Still in my lost village running the family's drugstore ! Seen them last month".
-"So… that's what it means to have a family…" Agent 8 wondered aloud.
Both of her friends immediately took her in their arms.
-"You have a family : it's called Squidbeak Splatoon. And we're here. Y'know, the two girls you love and who love you more than anything", Agent 4 told her, kissing her on the cheek.
-"Yes. I know. Thank you. But even then, it's too late for me to experience family like a child", Agent 8 replied.
-"Then build your experience from scratch as an adult. We'll help you", Agent 3 countered.
-"Well, it's not totally from scratch but… there are still holes you know… in my memory. Sure, Iso and everyone helped a lot, but… some pieces are still missing. I know for sure I didn't have a family back then though… So maybe… it's better left as an incomplete puzzle. Sometimes, I even wish I could forget about everything but you and Squidbeak Splatoon…" Agent 8 declared.
-"What you lived through made you who you are today. I wouldn't have fallen in love with you otherwise", Agent 3 said.
-"Same for me. And it goes for everybody else ! But… don't let your past entirely define who you are : you're a ton of other marvelous things !" Agent 4 concurred.
Agent 8 reached for a kiss which her friend happily gave her ; she did the same with Agent 3 :
-"You're the best things that ever happened to me".
Author's notes :
So... what is canon/real and what is not ?
Canon/real :
-Pearl's stunted growth because of an electric shock (second artbook).
-The songs' lyrics : they're the official lyrics, I don't own them. No official translation exists, it's pure gibberish.
-The theory about the nature of time is a serious one ; bits about trapped humans and consciousness influencing it is of course made up.
-There is a real life jellyfish that can reverse its aging.
-Agent 8 may or may not stay at 4's house following Octo Expansion's events (second artbook or official art, can't remember which).
Not canon/real :
-I think the two battles between Agent 3 and Agent 8 would at least leave some scars, given their respective strength.
-I like to picture Agent 4 as an upbeat, positive and overall cheerful girl in contrast to 3 and 8.
-Maybe Agent Eight still have some minor memories missing ?
-Fuhari-Ferrier waves SHOULD exist.
Other stuff :
-I HATE love triangles in stories (plot devices that often fall flat in my opinion), so I went for a polyamorous relationship between 3, 4 and 8 : I sacrifice eventual fake tension for more character growth. And those relationships exist in real life too, so why not include them ?
-In my headcanon, Inklings/Octolings as a whole are far less concerned by gender and sexual attraction than our actual societies, although prejudice still exists : the fact that girls, boys and everything in-between/outside are strictly equal in terms of physical prowess helps a lot. Also, fashion must play a role too (in-game, all clothes can be worn by either sex after all).
