Squid Party

Chapter 19: Quit Playing Games (with My Heart)

Orange couldn't remember the last time she'd been so happy without the aid of alcohol. It was such a free feeling, pure and uplifting to the soul. By now, she and Lucas had left the Sunfish Studios lot, well on their way to McDonald's. She'd released the boy's arm a while back, now walking by his side as she struck up a casual conversation. She'd learned by now he'd never be the one to break the ice, so was more than happy to do it instead. It was almost as if their talk from before had picked up right where it left off.

The weather was nice and balmy, the occasional breeze carrying a gentle warmth with it. It was evening now, the sun beginning its decent after a long day in the sky. Its waning glow shimmered gently on the panes of Inkopolis' skyscrapers, bathing both the land and sky in a soothing gold. Darkened shadows followed the pair along the pavement as they strolled down the sidewalk. A few passersby would occasionally gawk at Lucas or excitedly speak to each other in hushed whispers. He tried to ignore the fact that he was technically a celebrity here and walked on.

It wasn't long before the restaurant's golden arches were seen illuminated before them, Orange still talking up a storm as they entered the parking lot. She was so preoccupied by chatting, she didn't notice they'd reached their destination until Lucas stepped ahead to open the door.

"Not to cut you off, but... Ladies first," he sweetly said.

Orange would never get used to that, nor would she ever find a proper way to react to it. This led her to stumble over her words.

"...Oh. Well, uh, sure. Thanks..."

Averting her eyes, she walked in, trying her damnedest to keep her hair from turning yellow. A tinge of the happy color tried to bleed into her tentacles' tips, but it thankfully didn't get much further.

Once inside, customers were torn away from their previous activities to gaze upon Lucas. They stopped in the middle of eating, drinking, and talking just for a chance to see him in the flesh.

Quiet gasps and shocked whispers of, "Look, it's him!" and "There he is!" crossed their lips as he walked by. One would've thought they were talking about Splat Tim or something. Seeing the attention he was gathering, Orange smugly stuck her nose up and sauntered along with Lucas as if showing off a prize.

In contrast, Lucas became bashful as dozens of new eyes fell upon him. Sure, it was no studio-sized crowd, but being the center of attention anywhere always made him uneasy.

Seeing this, Orange offered him some closure. "Hey, don't worry. We're here to eat just like they are."

Despite being such a simple statement, Lucas found it easing his nerves. "Y-yeah. When you say it like that, I guess so..."

As the two arrived at the counter, all employees stopped what they were doing at Lucas' presence. There was already a Inkling cashier there to take their orders, but her co-workers couldn't help but fawn over the Smasher from behind.

"H-hello there, Mr. Lucas!" she greeted, trembling in excitement. "What an honor to see you here! H-how many I help you today?"

"Yes, hello." Lucas squinted at the menu. "Uh..."

It was amazing how much easier it was to read after Orange's tutoring. Some words still came across as gibberish, but he was able to make an educated guess from what he'd been able to process. He looked back at the worker in time for her face to light up from being acknowledged. Lucas responded with a shy grin.

("Can I please be to having the burger of cheeses, please?") he gargled in Inklish. ("Add order of chicken bites and soda carbonate?")

Both Inklings did a double take, shocked to hear him speaking their native language. It was a little broken, but coherent enough to decipher.

"Goodness!" exclaimed the cashier. "I didn't know you could speak Inklish! You're so well-versed!"

Lucas was astonished. ("You are the understanding me?")

("Yes! Your Inklish is quite good for an outsider!") she answered in her own tongue.

("Wow, excitement! I is also understanding you!") Lucas gushed at his escort. "Look, Orange! I'm speaking Inklish!"

Another splash of yellow tinged Orange's tentacles. "Hey, good job! Not bad for your first time."

The cashier turned to her fellow Inkling. "And what can I get for you?"

"Fish-O-Fillet, large fries, Tentacola." Orange rolled her eyes. "And I'd ask for a hot fudge sundae, but I'm guessing the ice cream machine's down, amirite?"

"Surprisingly enough, ours is actually working today!" Leaning over, she added with a whisper, "I know. I'm shocked, too."

Orange threw her arms up. "Well, halle-fucking-lujah! Yeah, add on that hot fudge sundae then, thanks."

"Oh, that's great!" chimed in Lucas. "If that's the case, could I get a vanilla milkshake, too?"

"Sure thing, coming right up!" Turning back towards the kitchen, the cashier and other employees excitedly convened over serving a celebrity before scrambling off to prepare the meal.

Their orders placed, Orange and Lucas went to go find a seat. Less people were ogling Lucas now, many choosing to quietly gush in peace and take pictures of him with their phones instead. It was still a little embarrassing, but at least less distracting.

Choosing a random table, Orange sat down as Lucas joined her with a heavy sigh. "Whew... That was scary. Glad I didn't totally mess things up."

"What're you talking about? You did great!" praised Orange.

"Really?" Lucas sounded surprised. "...I didn't sound dumb or anything, did I?"

The Inkling scoffed. "Of course not! You spoke very clear and very well. Really! What made you wanna do that, anyway?"

The boy shrugged. "I don't know. I could read it decent enough, but I wanted to see if I could speak it decent enough. Heh, I can only imagine what Claus would say about something like this..."

His laughing gradually waned, ending with a quiet, empty mutter. Orange stalled, unsure of how to respond. She must've looked worried, prompting Lucas to look away in shame.

"Sorry. I shouldn't have brought that up. I just—"

"What made you think of him?" gently asked Orange.

Lucas shuffled uneasily. "...I guess after everything that's happened, it kind of made me wonder what Claus would do if he were here... Him and I couldn't be more different, so I think about it sometimes."

"What kinda guy was he?" The Inkling's voice was soft as she continued to prod, a strange contrast to her normal, rough tone.

The blonde seemed to pick up on this, slowly lifting his head. "If I'm perfectly honest? He was a lot like you."

"Really?" Orange smirked. "Heh... Well, if he was anything like me, I bet he was the life of the party."

A tiny smile grew on Lucas' face. "He was..."

Seeing she'd eased the tension, Orange titled her head quizzically. "Hey, uh... While we're on the subject... You got a pic of him? ...I mean, if you wanna share, anyway..."

Lucas responded with an equally-puzzled expression, as if he thought Orange was joking. Seeing her persist with her eyes, he grabbed his phone. A few taps and swipes later, he gingerly handed it across the table.

"Here."

Taking the phone, Orange was greeted by an image of an old photograph. In it, was a young boy in a cyan-and-yellow shirt. He was wildly sprawled out on the ground with a wide, hearty grin. It looked like he'd just fallen or jumped off of something, landing in a discombobulated heap of amusement. His fiery, red hair gave off a wild playfulness about him, while his verdant, green eyes showed compassion and warmth. It was amazing how much he looked like Lucas, yet how differently he acted.

"Aww, what a little scamp," chuckled Orange. "Looks like my kinda guy."

"...Would you like to see my mom, too?"

The girl slowly raised her head to see Lucas looking at her wistfully. Something told her he really wanted her to say "yes".

Orange answered a warm smile. "Sure. I'd love to."

"...Okay." Lucas' lips curved into a coy grin as he took back his phone. Again, he tapped and swiped it a few times before returning it.

On the screen now was a photograph of a lovely, young woman in a flowing, red dress. She was sitting on the stairs of what looked like a log cabin, smiling sweetly. Her kind, brown eyes gazed dreamily into the camera with luscious, brunette hair draped over her shoulders. Her hands were neatly folded together in her lap, holding onto a bouquet of sunflowers.

"Wow, she's beautiful," commented Orange. "You've got her smile."

"Ah, um..." Lucas blushed, trying to keep his grin from spreading. "T-thank you..."

"She got a thing for sunflowers?"

"Yes. They were her favorite flowers, so we grew to love them as much as we loved her. ...I know it's kind of dumb for a boy to like flowers, but they complete me. Just like Mom and Claus used to..."

Orange sighed deeply, already starting to get choked up. Nodding solemnly, she returned the phone before she could get emotional again.

"Order's ready!" chirped the cashier from before. She happily sauntered over with two trays of food and various packets of condiments, placing them on the table with a giggle. "Here you are! Fresh from the kitchen, just for you!"

"Wow, that was fast. Thank you so much," said Lucas.

"Yeah, thanks for the grub," added Orange.

"No, thank you for dining with us!" The cashier bowed respectfully. "It was a pleasure serving you. Please enjoy your meal!"

As she walked away, Lucas inspected the food. "Aw, this looks great. Smells even better!"

Orange unwrapped her sandwich. "Well? Whatcha waiting for? Dig in!"

Something about the girl wildly tearing into her food made Lucas pretty excited to try his own. Gently unwrapping his burger, he bit into it. The meat was thick, hot, and juicy, carefully crafted with fluffy buns, melted cheese, and a delicious assortment of seasonings. Even though he'd had this exact same burger yesterday, something about this one tasted special. Maybe because he was eating it with a new friend.

The two talked like old acquaintances over their meal. Occasionally, Orange would offer Lucas a bit of her food so he could get a taste of what she was eating. It brought her nothing but joy as he reacted positively to every morsel he was given.

Once done, they kept up the table talk as Orange offered to keep tutoring Lucas in Inklish. He took out his trusty notepad like an eager student and they continued their session. This time, Orange focused more on the verbal aspects so he could incorporate it into conversations. He still had a long way to go both in speaking and writing the language, but considering she'd only been collectively teaching him for about an hour, he was progressing very well. She would've gladly spent the rest of the week in that McDonald's if it meant they could stay together.

"Lucas!"

The pair turned at the sound of the voice, Lucas in surprise and Orange in disgust. Briskly walking in through the doors was Ness, bringing another wave of gasps from the astonished eaters. The blonde stood as he reached their table.

"Dude, where've you been?!" fearfully exclaimed the capped boy. "You weren't in the green room when we came back! Thought you got abducted or something!"

Lucas blinked in confusion. "What? But I thought you'd call me when you were done..."

"I did!" Ness held up his phone, showing three unanswered calls to Lucas.

Wincing, Lucas took out his own phone to see the missed calls. He forgot he'd put it on silent before the interview.

"Sorry... I, uh, guess I turned the ringer off..."

Ness sighed. "...Well, it's all right. Happens to all of us from time to time. It's a good thing some folks saw you headed this way." He shot a glare at Orange. "...Although, it woulda been nice if someone let us know she'd be taking you somewhere..."

Orange scowled. It was then Lucas finally noticed the friction between them. He knew they weren't too fond of each other, but seeing it firsthand showed their respective grudges still lingered from the lounge. Always the mediator, he stepped between them.

"Please don't get mad at Orange. It was my fault. I'm the one who wanted to come here."

Ness eased up. "Huh?"

Behind Lucas, Orange looked on in awe. ...Was he actually standing up for her?

"The stuff we got from here yesterday was really good and I wanted to try some more, so I asked if we could come back," explained the blonde. "Maybe she should've let someone know, but I should've, too. I'm so, so sorry. I didn't mean to cause so much trouble..."

Ness backed off as Lucas hung his head in remorse. He still looked agitated, but it was impossible to stay mad at the timid boy.

Sighing, Ness finally relented and pat Lucas' shoulder. "All right, Luke. It's okay. You're fine, and that's all that matters."

"Okay..." Glancing up, Lucas added a meek, "Sorry, again."

Ness playfully slapped his back. "Tsk! Dude, I already said it's okay! C'mon now, don't make me feel like the bad guy here... Y'know what? Just to show you there's no hard feelings, I got a surprise for you."

Lucas perked up. "A surprise?"

"Yeah, it's right outside! C'mon! You're gonna love it!"

Using the hand already on his back, Ness gently guided Lucas towards the door. Once out of the blonde's sight, the capped boy snapped his head back towards Orange. Using his free hand, he pointed two fingers at his eyes and then at her as he gestured, 'I'm watching you'. The Inkling responded by flattening her ears and bearing her fangs at him like a snarling animal.

Ness was unfazed as he scoffed before turning back around to follow Lucas out the door. More chatter emitted from the excited customers as they crowed around the exit, eager for recognition. Complying, the Smashers smiled and waved to their fans as they left, causing them to cheer.

Orange stayed rooted to her spot as she watched the boys go. She lingered among the squealing horde, annoyed at Ness' intrusion and uncertain on what to do next. Glancing down at the table, she noticed Lucas had been whisked away so fast, he'd left his Inklish notepad behind. It was the perfect excuse to bid the blonde a proper farewell. Grabbing it, she dashed out the door after him.

Once outside, Lucas was surprised to see another crowd nearly double the size of the one inside. This time, instead of gathering around the Smashers, they were surrounding a large, black tour bus in the parking lot.

"BAM!" exclaimed Ness, gesturing to the bus. "Take a look at that! We're heading back to the resort to get some R & R, and we're gonna be doing it in style!"

Lucas looked on in awe. "Ooooh..."

The vehicle's sleek, dark exterior was accentuated with neon splatters of all shapes and sizes, customary of the cephalopods' culture. Scattered around those were tiny emblems of pink squids with crowns and aqua octopuses wearing headphones. In the bus' middle was a large Inklish logo mixing the opposing hues of pink and aqua together around primarily white lettering. Thanks to his tutoring, Lucas was able to decipher what it said: Hoof fOe khet.

...That didn't sound right.

The bus door slid open to reveal a smug Pearl, hands on her hips. Behind her, the taller Marina happily waved.

"PARTY PEOOOOOPLEEEEE!" bellowed the Inkling, thrusting her arms upwards as she pointed to the sky. "Let's take it from the top! DON'T GET COOKED?"

"OFF THE HOOK!" cried the mob.

"DON'T GET COOKED?"

"OFF THE HOOK!"

"DON'T GET COOKED?!"

"OFF! THE! HOOOOOK!"

With everyone now riled up, those inside McDonald's heard the commotion and came charging out. The unsuspecting Orange had just cleared the door when this happened, swept up in the confusion as the Smashers, bus, and idols were quickly swarmed by rabid fans. Thankfully, they left a wide circle around the stars, allowing Orange a good view of Lucas while sandwiched in the crowd. Again, she found herself hesitant to approach, suddenly overcome with a sense of doubt.

...Maybe she shouldn't. Lucas had probably had enough of her for now. She'd see him tomorrow, and could give him the notepad then. It wasn't that big of a deal, so why bother him for the umpteenth time today?

As Ness and Lucas neared the bus door, Orange immediately changed her mind. Tearing away from the masses, she frantically pushed her way through until she reached the clearing. It happened so fast, she didn't even realize what she was doing until she, almost instinctively, called out for Lucas.

"Hey! Yo, Squirt! W-wait up!"

She feared her words would be drowned out by the locals' incessant chattering, but was proven wrong as Lucas turned around searchingly. In contrast, Ness didn't hear her at all and boarded the bus with Pearl, the two bumping fists as Marina giggled at them. Orange was so eager to catch up with Lucas, she overestimated her speed and his distance, flying out from the crowd at full-force.

Fortunately, Lucas' quick reflexes allowed him to stop her before she collided with him. The Inkling was entranced as he seized her upper arms, freezing up as they locked eyes. He looked so concerned and confused while all she wanted to do was turn into a squid and be held like a valuable pet.

They stayed like this until Orange feebly offered Lucas his pad. "...You forgot this."

He gasped and took it. "Oh, I did! I'm sorry. I didn't mean to dine and dash like that."

"No big. Just wanted to make sure you got it."

"Thank you. I wish I could stay and learn a little more, but we're going back to the resort for now. We could really use the rest after our battle."

"Yeah. Don't worry, I get it..." Orange shuffled uncomfortably, trying to hide her disappointment at this news. "Uh, thanks for hanging out with me today. It was a lot of fun getting to know you."

"I had a lot of fun hanging out with you, too! Thank you for the Inklish lessons, by the way. I really think I'm starting to get the hang of it."

"Sure, no prob." She nibbled her lip. "...If you want, maybe we can go somewhere else tomorrow? Like, there's Pizza Hut. Or maybe Taco Bell? Or even combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell?"

Lucas laughed. "I don't know what either of those are, but I'd love to try them out."

"Cool. Cool..." She nodded hopefully. "That sounds real cool..."

There was a tense pause.

"Anyway, guess I'll be seeing you," finally said Lucas. "Thanks again for the help back onstage, and tell the others it was a blast! Can't wait to see what you've got planned for us tomorrow!"

Orange smiled. "Oh, you're gonna love it. Trust me."

"Sounds like a date!" happily chirped the boy, adorably tilting his head.

Dumbstruck, Orange's face fell. Lucas was in the process of turning around to board the bus, missing out on her shocked expression. She stayed like this as the crowd completely enveloped the vehicle's side, swallowing her up in the chaos.

Up in the bus, the idols and Smashers let down some windows to give their audience one last show of appreciation. Pearl flashed gang signs, Marina blew kisses, Ness pointed finger guns, and Lucas simply waved.

There was nothing in the world that could've convinced Orange he wasn't waving at her.

With two honks of its horn, the bus shifted into gear and drove off, leaving its raving fans behind. Despite being in the midst of the frenzied group, to Orange, their cries sounded like they were miles away.

She didn't know how long she stood there, stupefied by Lucas' choice of words. She knew he didn't actually mean he wanted to go on an actual date, but at the same time...

...They'd basically just had one.

Bathed in the soothing, purple glow cast by twilight, Orange made her way back to Flounder Heights. She could've Super Jumped, but honestly, wasn't in much of a rush to get there.

Hands in her pockets, her eyes trailed along the street as she walked. After spending all day surrounded by so many people, she now felt... empty. So much had happened in such a short amount of time, leaving her head swimming with emotions.

Joy, frustration, and uncertainty were only some of the feelings currently assaulting her psyche. There was another there, too; one she refused to acknowledge as the source of her inner turmoil. She knew it was true, but felt like admitting it would finally cause her to lose any remaining control she had left of the situation. Slowly but surely, it'd been slipping away from her over the past few days, and Orange feared she'd never be able to reclaim it.

Eventually, the apartments came into view as she neared the entrance gate. She typed in her unique code at the entry system and waited for the metal fence to creak open, granting her passage. Already, she could see various windows illuminated across the complex as she strolled through the parking lot. Reaching her desired building, she climbed the stairs to her floor and was about to round a corner to her apartment when she noticed something. She only saw it for a split second, but its dominant color was enough to let her know who it was.

Blue.

Ducking back behind the wall, she cursed under her breath. Of course he'd be here! Why wouldn't he be here?! She hoped he'd finally take a hint and leave her alone after their earlier fallout, but deep down, she knew he'd try and find some way to get back onto her good side.

Except there was no good side. Not for him.

Slowly, she peered out to assess the situation as Blue dejectedly knocked on her door. From the looks of it, he'd been here for a while, doing the same thing to no avail.

Heaving a sigh that seemed like the recent of many, he took out his phone and called someone. Orange had a good feeling it was her. Fortunately, her phone was still turned off from before, causing his call to go straight to voicemail.

"Yo. You know who it is, you know what to do," spat her message. Once the beep sounded, Blue spoke.

"Orange, listen... Whatever I said earlier to upset you, I'm sorry, all right? I swear I didn't mean to. Please call me back or text me or whatever as soon as you can. Thanks. I love you. Bye."

Orange frowned as he hung up. With a quiet growl, she Super Jumped off, the sound of her ascent alerting Blue. He ran over to the corner where she'd been hiding, but nothing remained except a puddle of orange ink.

He studied the area in confusion before worry set in. As his gaze slowly trailed back to Orange's apartment, realization struck.

Moments later, Orange landed elsewhere in the city. She didn't have a particular landing in mind, but anywhere was better than being with Blue. Sighing as she reformed, she returned her hands to her pockets and continued aimlessly strolling. With going home no longer an option, she let her mind and feet wander as they led her on a path to nowhere.

For what seemed like the umpteenth time, her mind drifted back to Lucas. It'd gotten to the point where any time she felt troubled or upset, the thought of his sweet, little face cheered her right up. She wouldn't call it obsession, just... immersion. There was nothing wrong with that; Lucas' kindness warranted it. He made her happy, so she liked him. What was wrong with liking something that made you happy?

Orange stopped walking as she bit her lip. Even now, try as she might to deny it, it was becoming increasingly obvious what was going on here. She lowered her head in defeat as she finally gave in and lost control of the situation.

She didn't just like Lucas. She was in love with him.

This made her cringe. "Love". She hated that word. There were so many things it could correlate to, but here and now, where its strongest meaning rang true, she hated it.

She loved Turf Wars, she loved fighting, she loved Crusty Seanwiches, and she loved booze. For a while, she even thought she loved Blue... She started walking again as a kaleidoscope of memories began to play in the back of her mind.

There was a time when she and Blue were practically inseparable, but it happened so long ago, Orange sometimes wondered if it'd all been a dream. She wasn't sure what happened or when things started going wrong, but the couple eventually went from being soulmates to bitter enemies.

Out of nowhere, they just started getting into arguments over the dumbest things. This happened occasionally at first, but their bickering soon became weekly, then daily, and now, even hourly. It gave off the impression that Orange was hostile and abusive, while Blue was naive and victimized. Anger always brought out the worst in people, but because fighting had become the norm for them, most just assumed these were their true colors. This led their spats to worsen over the years as they became so common, their peers stopped intervening.

And Orange was tired of it. Truly, deeply sick and tired of it.

Sure, she was aggressive, but not in a necessarily bad way. It wasn't until she and Blue's relationship went south did she start taking out her frustration on others. There was only so much she could yell at Blue about, so when she was done making him feel like shit, she went off to make other people feel like shit.

Meanwhile, Blue was optimistic to the point of obliviousness. To him, Orange was always overreacting. He was like a negligent doctor, with her as his exasperated patient. He never focused on her ailments, instead, trying to see if he could fix the symptoms. This made Orange feel like her emotions were being stifled, which—among other things—often made them butt heads. Blue was so set on doing what he thought was right, he was blind to what actually was right.

This nonsense had been going on for so long, Orange eventually become numb to it. She did something, Blue said something, fight, sulk, make up. Blue did something, she did something, fight, sulk, make up. Repeat, day in and day out.

While short, her time with Lucas had made Orange happier than the past few years with Blue. Her budding friendship with the Smasher finally opened her eyes to how detrimental her current relationship was. For once, it was nice to have a conversation without the chance of someone leaving in a huff.

Blue was a good guy, but he wasn't the guy for her. She still saw him as a friend, rival, and partner in the ongoing battle against Octarians, but he wasn't the Inkling she thought he was anymore. ...Then again, she wasn't the Inkling she thought she was anymore.

Orange came back to her senses as she found herself further downtown. This was the section of Inkopolis that connected to the ocean, containing canals, boardwalks, and harbors for its seafaring crowd. By now, the moon was peeking over the horizon, its silver glow reflecting off the shimmering waves. With nightfall came the city's luminous night lights, with Hammerhead Bridge shining the brightest.

Dotted along one of the boardwalks was a humble shopping area. Tiny stores and vendors lined the walkway as people shopped and loitered about, creating a lively and festive atmosphere. Despite being in the company of others again, Orange felt more alone than ever.

She continued to amble on, still internally wrestling with herself when something caught her eye. Sandwiched between other, flashier businesses was a humble, little flower shop. There was a warm coziness about it, its wooden stalls overflowing with various plants lining the brick exterior. The green-and-striped overhang was adorned with ivy naturally woven around it with a verdant sign placed above. "Fugu Flower Shop," read the golden lettering.

Orange remembered this place. Blue bought her flowers from here after they got into one of their first fights. She appreciated the gesture, but secretly hated the gift. This was back when he didn't know just how much of a tomboy she was.

The shop's green door opened as a jellyfish employee walked outside with a watering can. He dutifully watered the stalls' flowers before extending an arm to water some planters hanging from the awning. His job done, he returned inside. Through the display window, he was seen tending to the plants within.

The Inkling stared at the storefront for a moment as an idea began to form, her face slowly changing from perplexed to hopeful. Cautiously, she neared the entrance and outstretched a hand to grip its handle. With a quick glance to make sure no one familiar was around, she pulled the door open and swiftly walked inside.

Lucas sighed deeply as he sank into the hot, bubbling water. The aches and pains of his battle melted into nothing as the pool enveloped his weary body. Jets of pressurized water welcomed him warmly as he settled in and reclined, closing his eyes. Nearby, Ness was leaned over on the rim, resting his chin on crossed arms.

The pair had discarded their clothes for the staff to wash, cleaning themselves in the meantime. Placed in the VIP section, their quarters were at the pinnacle of luxury. The lavish spa was not only enormous, but comforting. It was clear no expense had been spared to give the boys the absolute best of the best.

The floor and walls were made of white marble, lounging chairs padded with cozy cushions surrounding the tub. Wicker baskets with fluffy, warm towels sat on end tables near the seats, neatly folded and ready for use. Potted plants of various types and sizes offered the decor a touch of tranquility and escapism. Peaceful music complete with atmospheric sounds set the mood to coincide with the dimmed lights.

The best feature by far was a large window pane positioned in front of the pool. Situated on one of the top floors, the Smashers were treated to a fantastic view of not only the resort's glowing squid-shaped pool, but the sparkling stars above and the glittering metropolis below.

Rolling over onto his back, Ness sank into the hot tub with a sleepy smile. Reemerging, he let himself lazily float around. "Ah... Good stuff, eh, Luke?"

Lucas nodded. "Yeah... The privacy is nice, too. It was always a little tricky to get some back at Smash's spa."

"And I'm totes gonna get that jellyfish massage later on. Care to join me?"

"Oh, yeah. Might even see if I can get my hair done, too. Maybe ask if they can squeeze in a manicure with it. A pedicure sounds nice, too..."

"Hey, that's the spirit. Go on with your bad self, gurl," teased Ness with a sassy neck roll.

"Thanks, I—" Lucas' eyes snapped open as he sat up. His cheeks turned red, but not from the heat. "H-hey!"

Also sitting up, Ness waved him off. "Aw, c'mon now. You know I'm kidding. You're usually so modest with these kinds of things, so it's nice to see you cut loose for once. Besides, you kicked my ass fair and square. If that ain't a reason to treat yourself, I dunno know what is."

"Well..." Lucas' pout melted into a smile. "When you say it like that..."

The two shared a laugh that eased into a relaxed sigh as they fell silent to listen to the spa's ambiance. This was interrupted by a faint knock at the door.

Lucas turned towards the noise. "Who do you think that is?"

"Probably that bellhop from earlier with our drinks," replied Ness.

"Really? That fast? Seems like he was just here a minute ago..."

"Exactly. We're Smashers, so we get the Smasher treatment. Best food, best care, best service."

"Makes sense." Lucas stood. "I'll get it. Was starting to get a little overheated, anyway."

"Sure, no prob." Ness reclined against a water jet, propping his arms up on the outer rim. "Heh, I sure ain't going anywhere."

Lucas chuckled as he stepped out from the tub. Grabbing a towel from one of the baskets, he dried his face as he walked to the door. On top of being roomy, their spa came complete with a private hallway leading there from a personalized dressing room. Once there, he grabbed a bathrobe off the wall and covered himself before answering the door.

"Hello?" he greeted.

Instead of a bellhop, Lucas was only greeted by the sound of someone running down the hallway.

"H-hey!" he called. "Wait!"

Hearing him, the footsteps only accelerated until they faded into the distance. Lucas wanted to pursue them, but running around a resort in a bathrobe probably wasn't a good idea.

Puzzled, he was about to shut the door when he noticed the stranger had left something behind. Looking down, a quiet gasp escaped him as he covered his mouth in awe. At his feet was a bouquet of sunflowers neatly arranged together in a white vase. They were bright, gorgeous, and bursting with life.

Gently retrieving the gift, Lucas lovingly hugged the flowers before nestling his face into them, letting their petals tickle his cheeks. Upon doing so, he noticed a small, folded note attached to one of the stems. Hoping it would reveal the kind stranger, he opened it up only to be met with disappointment: the letter was written in Inklish.

Not only that, but the penmanship was atrocious and rushed, with some words crossed out as if even the writer didn't know what to write. Whoever did this was both impatient and indecisive; even if it'd been in English, Lucas wasn't sure if he'd be able to read it.

Despite the note's chicken scratch, Lucas was still grateful. He looked around one last time to see if anyone would come forward, only to be answered with unending silence. Gushing, he hugged the flowers to his chest again.

"Um, t-thank you!" he called out. "They're very beautiful! I-I love them!"

The blonde felt silly talking to no one like this, but still wanted to express his gratitude somehow. Laughing to himself as he happily nuzzled the sunflowers again, he returned inside and closed the door.

The hallways remained silent for a moment before, slowly and stealthily, a smiling Orange eased out from behind a corner.

"You're welcome, Squirt."