Squid Party

Chapter 20: Goodbye Stranger

For what seemed like the umpteenth time that day, Orange found herself trudging along a sidewalk through the darkness of night. Looking over her shoulder, she could see Mahi-Mahi Resort glistening in the distance. She imagined Lucas back in his room, dozing off in a warm bed after eating a delicious 5-star dinner. She smiled fondly, knowing that, whatever he was doing, he was cozy and safe. It was a stark contrast to her plans for the evening.

Loud, aggressive voices rang out from the shadows as she traveled further away from the central part of Inkopolis and towards its outskirts. She walked through darkened alleys as someone got into an argument that quickly went from verbal to physical. The sounds of someone being thrown against garbage pails followed soon after.

Gangs of shady Inklings and Octolings were huddled around the area, their shifty gazes scoping out Orange behind her back. On she traveled until she spotted a small school of Snatchers. They giggled to themselves from behind a sewer grate, their glowing, googly eyes watching Orange from the darkness as she stepped into The Trench.

The Inkling was no stranger to this place, as it'd been her stomping grounds for years. The Trench was what everyone referred to as the bad part of Inkopolis. Here was where all the seedy civilians went every night to sell illegal goods and operate under-the-table. Situated in a series of dingy dead-end streets and passageways, shops and stoops were crammed together to form a sea of debauchery for those who dared tread. Since The Trench was off the coast of the Spawning Grounds, this was the only place in the city one could see Salmonids.

The fish were too destructive and glutinous to peacefully coexist with other urban folk, but as long as they didn't get into the heart of the city, no one seemed to mind. This didn't mean any of the species got along, though. If there was anywhere someone wanted to chow down on some raw fish meat, it'd be here. Although, if they weren't careful, Inklings and Octolings could wind up on the menu of their fishy foes instead. The food chain was still a thing and all bets were off once someone crossed the threshold into the forbidden alleyways.

Obnoxious music added to the raucous ranting of the night as Orange neared a large, dilapidated building; the wild and rowdy club that'd been rightfully dubbed as The Salty Splatoon. It was infamous for being the roughest, toughest place ever built in Inkopolis. Only the baddest of the bad and the freshest of the fresh could get in. Trailing away from the intimidating structure was a line of various scoundrels ready for a night of disorderly conduct.

The place was in shambles, cobbled together by corrugated metal panels and rusted steel siding. Corroded screws threatened to fall loose from the rickety facade, gunk and seaweed oozing from many notches in the welding. Rotten plywood was nailed across the exterior as if to hold the shanty together, crude graffiti scrawled across the two-bit repairs. The air was thick with alcohol as lights flickered from broken windows, the sounds of roughhousing echoing from within.

Guarding the kicked-in door hanging by a hinge was a gigantic Steelhead. His enormous head lulled forward like a whale as his lips curled up in an ever-present grimace. Rows of knife-like teeth were set in a powerful jaw marked with scars and gashes from past scuffles. His yellow eyes pierced the dark like lanterns, slit pupils slowly scouring the area like searchlights. A pair of stubby, muscular arms fanned out into large fins ripe for grabbing and throttling. He wore a black muscle shirt that proclaimed "BOUNCER" in bright, yellow Inklish, his reinforced steel scales visible under the skin-tight fabric. Lifting his head, he let a dodgy-looking Inkling inside as the line moved forward.

"...Next..." he commanded, voice rumbling like thunder as he spoke lethargically through his mouthpiece.

An Octoling sauntered up. He winked and clicked his lips, making finger guns as he tried to walk by. "Heya, Guppy! Lookin' good, bruh! How's tricks?"

"...Hold it." The reinforced gear strapped to the Steelhead's body clanged ominously as he grabbed the boy and hoisted him into the air by his shirt collar. "What's your ranking?"

"What?" The Octoling's ears flopped with a nervous chuckle. "Aw, Guppy, c'mon now. You know me. I'm a regular! I was just in here last week!"

Guppy lowered his head and threateningly pressed the boy to his snout. "...What's... your... ranking...?"

The self-proclaimed regular cowered. "U-uh... A-, why?"

The bouncer extended a fin. "Let me see your ID."

"Heh heh... Sure thing, pal..." He nervously fumbled around in his pockets until he produced a card and handed it over.

Guppy studded it for a second before regarding the boy with a deadpan expression. "...This says B-..."

Seeing the gig was up, the Octoling panicked. "Listen, dude! I was A- last week, I swear! You saw me! I just had a bad match of Clam Blitz and I haven't been able to get it back up yet since all the fights got cancelled!"

"You know the rules: Rank A is the only way."

"But—!"

A simple fling from the overgrown doorman sent the Octoling flying until he landed in a splat several feet away. Orange studied the groaning splatter on the ground before getting in line. Things progressed smoothly without any other issues until she reached the front. Upon seeing her, Guppy's deadpan expression seemed to brighten.

"...I see the queen has returned."

"Yeah," said Orange with a shrug, "been busy."

"Was starting to think you'd gone soft on us."

"Well, you thought wrong." She motioned with her head. "Now, move it. Got some drinks to pound."

"Of course."

Stepping aside, the Boss Salmonid granted her entry. Orange walked in just in time to dodge an oncoming wooden chair as it shattered against a wall. A deep laugh bellowed from somewhere, possibly belonging to the thrower.

The interior was completely trashed from top to bottom. Chairs and tables were upturned with discarded beer bottles and mugs strewn about the floor. Thuggish-looking patrons spent their time playing poker, drinking themselves silly, or getting into random fist fights for fun. Those who weren't involved in some sort of activity took turns exchanging scowls at each other as grungy voices barked threats across the dimly-lit bar. This clashed harshly with the vulgar heavy metal blaring from the pub's speakers and guffawing from the darkest recesses of the bar.

Orange took a deep breath and sighed with a smile. Things were just as welcoming as she remembered them.

Walking over to the counter, dodging a scuffle between an Inkling and Octoling, Orange sat on a stool and slapped the table with a tentacle. Immediately, a Chum bartender appeared from the back room. He was dressed in the typical barista outfit with a small, black apron over his tiny, white shirt. His googly fish eyes rolled about as he cleaned a glass with a cloth, flashing Orange a sleazy, crooked grin.

"Ahhhhhhhhh," he spoke in a raspy whisper, "Look who it isss... Been a while, huh?"

"C'mon, dude. You know I ain't got as much time on my hands lately."

He shrugged. "Fair enough... Whatcha want there, girlie?"

"Whiskey on the rocks. Don't skimp. Keep 'em coming."

"Gonna drink yourssself under the table tonight?"

Folding her arms, Orange dejectedly put her head down on the table. "I'll drink myself anywhere as long as it's not here."

"Sssure thing, tootsss. Comin' right up..." The fish disappeared to the back before returning with an ice-filled shot glass and pouring in some of the alcohol.

"Thanks," said the Inkling as she heard it placed it next to her.

"No problem, girlie." He also set the whiskey down. "Sssomethin' tellsss me you'll be needin' thisss, too... Gimme a ssshout if ya be wantin' anythin' elssse..."

He slithered off to check on a plastered Goldie further down the bar as Orange heaved a deep sigh. Lifting her head, she propped her chin on her arms and studied her whiskey. The reflection in the glass and bottle showed a torn and troubled squid as she began to reminisce.

Orange was outside Inkopolis Tower, relaxing after a long session of Splat Zones. It was a scorcher that day, prompting her to visit a vending machine for a Tentacola. She'd just typed in her choice of drink when the Squid Sisters went live. This was strange, since their broadcast had come on earlier and the stages weren't due to shift for another hour. To her surprise, their sudden news flash was to announce the Great Zapfish had gone missing. She opened her soda with a fizz and chugged it down as she looked skywards to see the catfish was, indeed, gone. Orange then wondered how such a thing could happen and what knucklehead could've done it.

Her musings were cut short as a creepy old man peeked his head out from a nearby manhole. Upon seeing Orange, he panicked and returned from whence he came. Thinking that was beyond sus, Orange turned into a squid and perused the old timer down into the hole.

Within minutes, Orange found herself parkouring through the desolate Octo Valley and splatting tentacled weirdoes on a mission to rescue the Great Zapfish as the newly-dubbed Agent 3. Following Cap'n Cuttlefish there had been the best decision of her life.

As if things couldn't get any crazier, the Squid Sisters were ready with another surprise announcement the next day. Turf Wars had been going on for almost a century, and it was proposed to celebrate the event that had started it all with something they called The Great Turf War Centennial.

No one was sure who came up with the idea, but along with the celebration and festivities, there was to be a Turf War tournament. Not only that, but the grand prize was a big one: to become a mascot who would go forward to represent their campaign for outside advertising. There'd been talk about the idea of trying to get a sponsor to help fund the ever-growing aspect of turfing, but this was the first time it'd been officially approved. This would be one lucky Inkling's chance to become a star.

The entire region aptly went nuts over this and every eligible Inkling signed up. By the time registration closed, there had to've been hundreds of thousands of entrants. It was the most hyped up event ever, and a showdown the city would never forget.

Competitors were given two weeks to prepare and train. All weapons, subs, specials, and gear were allowed. People could join solo or with a team and would stay in the competition depending on their performance. Everyone would start off with 100 points and some would either be added or subtracted with each win or loss, respectively. Scoring started out meager, like one point per match, but would grow over time. Once someone reached zero, they were eliminated. This meant even those who'd been on a losing streak could make a comeback in the end.

Of course, Orange had little to worry about. The competition was fierce, but so was she. On top of being unbelievably scrappy, Orange's time in Octo Valley had helped in honing her skills and heightening her predatory senses. She spent nearly all her two weeks there training during missions and sparring with Agents 1 and 2 under the watchful eye of Cap'n Cuttlefish. While the three claimed they weren't playing favorites, they really wanted Orange to win because she was such an amazing agent.

...So, in other words, they were playing favorites.

Soon enough, The Great Turf War Centennial was upon them, and with it, the biggest celebration in Inkopolis history. For the next seven days, an ongoing party rocked the whole city that put even the biggest Splatfest to shame. Inklings came from near and far to participate in the tournament, and those who couldn't battle cheered the competitors on from the sidelines. There were so many people in the tourney, Orange actually had to wait until nightfall for her first battle, even though the Centennial started that morning.

Her patience was rewarded as her first fight had her team completely dominate the field, leaving their opponents in danger for nearly the whole match. This wasn't that uncommon to see in the starting matches, but as time went on, it seemed any team put up against Orange had no hope of making a comeback. Slowly but surely, she rose through the ranks, going from a face in the crowd to everyone's favorite. It even got to a point where, if Orange was fighting, the amount of spectators would nearly double in size. Even if Orange somehow lost the tourney, she'd won the hearts of thousands along the way.

As the Centennial went on, the countless combatants began to thin out, leaving Orange to see who else dared try to be the best of the best. This was the first time she encountered Blue.

She'd seen him floating around in the sea of entrees, but figured he was a newbie who wouldn't last long. To her and many others' surprise, he'd been able to hang in there by and scrape by on the skills of others. Somehow, he always seemed to be paired up with much better teammates who would unknowingly carry him to victory.

To put it bluntly, Blue was terrible. He always inked the least, his splatting ratio was abysmal, and he never seemed to know how to use his subs and specials. Watching the advanced crowd battle was like poetry in motion, but watching Blue was like a fly repeatedly smacking into a window. He lost tons of matches in the beginning, since most of his teams were also newbies, but just when it looked like his score would reach zero, he got a lucky win and boosted it back up.

The two continued rising through the ranks until the finals were eventually upon them. In the last battle, Blue was placed on the opposing team, something Orange was shamefully grateful for. Some of Blue's teammates even tried getting Judd to switch him with literally anyone else from the other team, but the cat's decision was absolute and he refused.

Honestly, Orange felt a little sorry for Blue. In the hours leading up to the final fight, he was ignored and ridiculed by his so-called "teammates". While she got a good reputation and was lauded, Blue got a bad one and was shunned. It was downright petty. Orange's score was so high by now, it was practically guaranteed she'd win, so taking it out on him was bad sportsmanship. Even her own team knew this, and they were just excited to be fighting with someone so skilled.

Finally, came the big showdown on Kelp Dome. Orange found it funny the ink colors of the last fight were hers and Blue's for each team, respectively. As expected, Orange's team took control of the field within seconds. It was laughable, really. They may as well've been fighting a 3 vs. 4. Everything was all good and fun until they had about 30 seconds left.

She'd just taken out an enemy near her team's Spawn Point when a marker appeared where he'd been splatted. Submerging into her ink, Orange remained hidden until the clueless prey landed. As luck would have it, said prey was Blue.

He looked terrified, like cannon fodder on his last mission. He skittishly threw a Burst Bomb at nothing and began nervously inking the area. Orange was horrified to see not only was he inking every nook and cranny, but even made an effort to completely coat the walls. It physically hurt her to watch.

Unable to take it anymore, she emerged from hiding and aimed her Splattershot at him. Blue panicked, but instead of attacking or even retreating, he responded by flinching and cowering. Seeing this, Orange slowly lowered her weapon and sighed.

She couldn't do it. She may've been competitive, but she wasn't heartless.

Instead, she ignored him and Super Jumped off to continue turfing elsewhere. Blue was still rooted to his spot as she left, stunned that he'd been spared. That was the last she saw of him until time was up. An overview of the battlefield after the match showed he went on inking around the area until then.

Immediately after, Judd stood before the crowd in Inkopolis Plaza to give the results. He thoroughly scanned the battlefield on a giant monitor behind him as his tail wagged back and forth. Then, in what might've been the most shocking moment in Turf War history, he faced the crowd and raised a blue flag.

("The winner of this match is... the Blue Team with a score of 49.6%!")

It was unfathomable, almost impossible. At first, no one could believe it. The spectators, the teams, and even idols were all aghast at the results. It was right then and there Orange knew that sparing Blue had to've been the key to their victory.

Everyone was in such an upset, they were hardly paying attention to Judd as he explained he'd be tallying the final scores. There'd be no point if Orange's team won—since her score was practically untouchable—but because Blue's team won, he was obligated to calculate.

They didn't have to wait long. In what had to be the second-most shocking moment in Turf War history, because Orange's loss and Blue's win were so substantial, her crazy-high score and his crazy-low score evened out to be the exact same number. Orange couldn't recall the exact amount, but she knew it was well over 9000.

This made everyone go ballistic. It was the last thing anyone expected to happen. Even Judd was left in a standstill from the outcome. There was only one grand prize, but what were they to do now that two people had technically won it?

Looking over the astonished Blue and the mildly-amused Orange from both teams, Judd rubbed his chin as he pondered his options. A boy and a girl, contrasting colors, passive and aggressive, a greenhorn and a profreshional. They were opposites in every way imaginable, much like the very sport they'd been competing in...

A decision reached, Judd thrust his paws to the sky. ("It is decided! Ladies and gentlesquids! Please put your paws together for your two new mascots! Mrrow!")

The flabbergasted crowd accepted Judd's choice and cheered wildly for the Centennial's winners. Coming between them, the cat told both Inklings to hold hands and raise their weapons with the opposite hands. Still clutching their Splattershots, they obeyed as all three faced the spectators and Judd continued his monologue.

("On this day, we will start forth down a bright and inky path to fame, fortune, and glory! Together, we will stand hand-in-hand with friends and family, idols and rivals to make the world our canvas!")

Orange felt like she was on top of the world as confetti showered everywhere. She glanced at Blue to her side as he stared at her. The two looked each other over with unreadable expressions as the excitement went on around them.

Effective immediately, everyone got to work on advertising the campaign. Now that they had their mascots, it was time to build around them. Sunfish Studios spent hours recording Orange, Blue, and any willing extras battling at various sites. The entire city pooled together to help with making trailers, commercials, and other promotional products.

Any talent, no matter how big or small, was welcome. The more hands-on types helped with art, music, and weapon engineering. Those who couldn't contribute physically did so financially. It was beautiful, really; a bunch of ragtag squids coming together to make something bigger than they could ever imagine.

After a long month of hard work, everything was finally set. All of their best promotions were sent off to the bigwigs for a proper assessment. If everything went well, they'd be properly funded and be able to bring their history and society to new heights.

About a week later, they received a response with exciting news: Mario—the Super Mario—had seen everything and was overjoyed by the concept of Turf Wars. When Orange heard they'd be submitting their stuff to the "bigwigs", she didn't really know who they were, but that didn't matter anymore; Mario was, without a doubt, the biggest wig of them all.

He sent back a message not only praising their creativity, but willing to support their cause. To show his appreciation, he and the other "bigwigs" sent them a buttload of cash, materials, and best of all, an official licensing to keep their campaign. This meant they'd forever be endorsed, funded, and supported by Mario and his "bigwigs".

Despite her newfound fame, Orange always tried keeping it on the downlow. Her schedule was often packed with the campaign, interviews, agent work, and turfing, but she always made sure to keep a slot open for some late night fun with some good friends. Even with the Great Zapfish still missing, things couldn't get any better.

It was a hot afternoon when Orange was scheduled for a match at Bluefin Depot. She was actually supposed to join a team for Ranked Battle, but one of the combatants from another Turf War called out, leaving his teammates down a member. If they didn't find a replacement soon, they'd have to fight a 3-on-4. Orange figured a quick warm up in a causal battle wouldn't hurt and volunteered.

She recalled the surprise on the team's faces as she walked into the lobby. While she didn't know one of the boys, the other had been a teammate and finalist in the Centennial. They reconvened with a manshake, as the other teammate gazed upon her in awe. The pair reveled in her presence like a celebrity, due to her mascot status. Orange soaked up every bit of it, immediately taking command of the team.

And then, he showed up.

In the midst of their fawning, the boys went from ecstatic to disgusted at something behind her.

"Oh, you gotta be fucking squidding me..." one muttered.

Turning around, Orange saw Blue, the source of their disappointment. This couldn't have been a coincidence. Judd must've moved him from another fight to partake in this one. Orange should've known she'd be lumped together with him at some point. The new campaign was a huge undertaking for not only the city, but their entire way of life. They needed as much exposure as possible.

Funnily enough, Blue was just as awestruck with her as the other boys, possibly forgetting he himself was also a mascot. They hadn't spoken since the Centennial, and it didn't look like Blue had much to say now. Even if he did, the other boys immediately began heckling him. They warned him to not screw things up, stay out of their way, and if they lost, it'd be all his fault for being such a shitty teammate.

Orange wanted to defend him, but for his sake, Blue had to learn to fight his own battles. Sadly, that wasn't going to be today. The novice just smiled and took it.

Not long after, both teams gathered together on their Spawn Points, ready to get their splat on. Orange and her team donned green ink, while their opponents sported purple ink. As Judd gave the signal, everyone excitedly charged into battle, their various weapons making a mess of everything. ...Or at least, that's what Orange thought.

She was about to jump down from the platform they started on when she noticed her team wasn't turfing with her. Whipping around, she looked back to see the two boys in squid form and flopping around like idiots. Orange's ink boiled with rage as she realized what they were doing.

The masses called it "Squid Partying". And she hated it. With a burning passion.

From what she'd heard, it all began when some salty asshat on a team with Blue started joking around to mock him. Since Blue was probably going to make them lose anyway, he decided to throw the match out of spite. It wasn't long before the other three teammates joined in, costing them the match.

Basically, if someone had Blue on their team, they were to initiate a Squid Party. Sometimes, even the other team would join in. After a while, it grew to be a raging epidemic. Eventually, it didn't even matter if Blue was on a team or not; parties would happen without warning. It was just simpleminded fun for simpleminded people.

Orange wasn't the only one who despised it, but she and the other naysayers were in the minority. Not much could be done about partiers, since they technically weren't breaking the rules. Turf Wars were seen as a collective effort, so anyone not pulling their weight just meant the team lacked synergy. This was the first time she'd seen one with her own eyes and the first time it'd happened on her team.

Blue looked down at the hopping squids as if they'd lost their minds. Looking back at Orange, he shrugged. The poor guy was so used to it by now, he didn't even know he was being made fun of.

This was the last straw for Orange.

The boys guffawed as they spun around like idiots on the ground until Orange stomped over and grabbed them their mantles, slamming them into a chain-link wall. Their eyes widened in horror as she got in their faces, teeth barred into a vicious snarl.

"LISTEN HERE, YOU LITTLE SHITS!" she roared. "IF I CATCH YOU DOING THAT AROUND ME OR HIM AGAIN, THE NEXT SQUID PARTY WE HAVE'S GONNA BE AT YOUR FUNERAL!"

The look of shock on the boys' faces was pure gold. Behind her, Blue was just as surprised.

"Now, stop messing around... AND FUCKING INK!"

With that final command, Orange threw the pair to the ground, their bodies splattering across the floor. Quickly reforming, the terrified two ran off, turfing like they'd never turfed before. Orange snorted and prepared to join them when she noticed Blue frozen in a mix of fear and awe.

"Well? What're you waiting for?!" she snapped. "Move it!"

Her order seemed to wake him up from his apparent trance. "...Oh! Y-yeah! S-sure!"

Rolling her eyes with a groan, Orange charged into battle and never looked back. In-team fighting was a punishable offense, so barking at her teammates was all she could do to prove a point. If they still screwed around after this, she and her fists would have a little word with them after the fight.

It was close, but her team managed to win in the end, with her giving the best performance. Despite her hostility during the battle, both at friend and foe, everyone still praised her skills afterwards. Even the boys she yelled at earlier still showered her with admiration. It was most likely due to fear, but still. Though no one would say it, they all knew her aggression was just a form of tough love.

It was dusk when Orange exited the Battle Lobby after her last fight of the day. Flopping down on a bench just outside Inkopolis Tower, she was messing around on her phone when she heard footsteps approach. Glancing up, she saw a timid Blue standing there and twiddling his thumbs. He flashed a nervous smile as he was silently acknowledged. She knew his fights ended hours ago, so he must've been waiting for her. ...But why?

Seeing she wasn't going to speak anytime soon, Blue finally gave a meek, "...Hi."

"Hi," responded Orange.

"...Nice splatting out there today."

"Thanks." She smirked. "Wish I could say the same for you."

Blue's face fell. "Oh. Well—"

"You really shouldn't stand for what those morons were doing back there earlier. You're a mascot now, so you should act like it."

"Uh—"

"Go get some practice at Sheldon's Shooting Range. You need it, lots of it."

"Um, actually...!" Blue bit his lip as she finished roasting him, twiddling his thumbs again. "Since you suggested Sheldon's, I could totally check it out! ...M-maybe we could even check it out... together...?"

Orange squinted. "You trying to say I need some training?"

Blue waved his hands in defense. "N-no, no! I-it's just that... Y'know, I can barely get a decent fight going before something like what those guys did happens, and you're the first person to stand up for me like that, so..."

"So?" urged Orange.

"...You maybe... wanna be... friends?" He cowered. "...Please?"

The girl studied him for a moment before she chuckled. "Heh. That all you wanted? Sure. Why not? Us mascots gotta stick together, y'know? Besides, you could learn a thing or two about teamwork, and you may as well learn from the best."

Try as he might to hide it, Blue was giddy with excitement. "Oh! O-okay! Great! How about I meet you at Sheldon's this time tomorrow?"

"Sounds good," said the smiling Orange. "Nothing like a good practice session to get the ink flowing."

The next day, right on schedule, Orange entered the Shooting Range to see an eager Blue waiting for her. She knew it was gonna be a long evening when she saw he was holding an Inkzooka backwards. Apparently, he started practicing early, the walls behind him already splashed with several failed shots.

"Looks like you started the party without me, huh?" teased Orange, crossing her arms.

Blue looked at the weapon cluelessly. "I... I think this one's broke. It keeps shooting behind me."

"That's 'cuz you got it backwards, genius."

The gradual realization of his mistake was priceless as Blue slowly turned the Inkzooka around to its correct position. Excited by this new knowledge, he tried to unleash a shot, but his grip slipped at the last moment, causing the barrel to aim at the floor. Before he could right himself, the special's would-be ink tornado exploded into a torrential disaster, drenching Blue in his own ink. Orange looked on flatly as the goopy boy slowly turned to face her.

She heaved a deep sigh. "Maybe we should start with weaponry first. What's your main?"

"Splattershot."

"Any secondaries?"

"Splattershot Jr."

"What other weapon classifications do you have?"

"I've only used shooters."

That didn't sound good, but Orange tried to give him the benefit of the doubt. "What's your Rank?"

"I, uh, don't have one yet."

That really didn't sound good, leading to the concerned question of, "...What's your Freshness Level?"

Blue winced. "...Four."

That confirmed it. Blue wasn't just a lovable knucklehead with some battling flaws; he was a legit, bona fide noob with next to no experience. If the Centennial hadn't been his first foray into Turf Wars, he couldn't have been in them for more than a few days before it started. He probably hadn't even been qualified to turf at all in the two weeks before the competition began.

It was at this moment that Orange knew... she fucked up. By showing Blue mercy in the finals, she'd inadvertently cast a novice into the campaigning spotlight. And there was no going back.

Blue could tell by her expression she wasn't happy about this and panicked. "Look, I know I'm not that good, okay? I'm sorry! I didn't even think I'd win! I just entered 'cuz everyone else was doing it! I can get better, though, I promise! ...Maybe I could get better a little faster if you wouldn't mind, uh... taking me under your wing?"

While initially dubious of his idea, Orange was also mildly intrigued. Now that she was a mascot with the skills to boot, she was one of the most respected squids in the city. Even some of the other top battlers were humbled by her presence. Anyone who dared address her with such a casual suggestion had to've had some real guts. She'd gotten them into this mess, and it was up to her to get them out.

"...Welp," Orange sighed with a hint of finality, "what's done is done, I suppose. If you're willing to put in the extra work, I'm willing to help you out."

Shaking off his ink, Blue grinned. "Aw, thanks so much! I—!"

"Enemy at 2 'o clock with a Splattershot just threw a Burst Bomb," interrupted Orange. "How many more can they throw before they run outta ink and can you take them out before they refill?"

Blue pondered this. "Uh... Well—"

In the blink of an eye, Orange brandished her Splattershot and threw a Burst Bomb. The flabbergasted Blue was struck right in the face as Orange inked the ground in front of her. Diving into the puddle, she swam around the hapless boy like a shark closing in on its prey, emerging from behind and splatting him in the back. He collapsed into an inky, orange heap of defeat.

Orange shook her head. "Cod give me strength..."

With that, Blue officially became Orange's protégé. She began tutoring him in Private Battles, teaching him all the tricks of the trade. After a week or so, the two could see a vast improvement from both sides. Orange learned from Blue's humbleness to try and be less assertive during sparring, while Blue learned from Orange's combativeness to be more decisive in the heat of battle. He still wasn't that good compared to the average turfer, but slow progress was still progress.

Not long after, Blue started hinting that he wanted to be more than friends. Coaching him became a daily affair and, because he didn't have a clique of his own, it was only a matter of time before he developed a crush on Orange. If she was going through all this trouble to tutor him, there had to be something there, right?

It was subtle at first, with Blue asking if they could exchange phone numbers and wanting to learn more about her. Then he started inviting Orange out to things like dinner, the movies, or just to hang out. Finally, came the flirting. He complimented her every chance he got, would send silly texts, and became much more playful.

Orange was puzzled, but equally amused by these advances. No boy had ever tried to woo her before, making his interest in her seem almost like it was a joke. She carried herself in such a masculine way, the only thing feminine about her was that she was a girl. She was too tomboyish to appeal to any males, so was treated as an "honorary dude" instead. Blue seemed completely unfazed by this, and only became more smitten with her as time went on. It was actually kind of cute. He was playing with fire and didn't even know it.

He wouldn't give up until she gave him a definite "yes" or "no", so she decided to relent. As much as she hated admit it, he'd slowly grown on her, too. It was a nice, warm evening after they left the movies when she invited him over to stay the night at her place. To say Blue was ecstatic was an understatement.

From that night on, the two officially became lovers. With Blue, Orange shared her first kiss, her first cuddle, and her first make out session. News of their relationship eventually spread through hearsay, only for Orange to confirm it in one of her many interviews. This was not only great for the couple, but also the campaign. Business was booming as more events, stages, and weaponry were being added, so having the surprise pair of mascots become surprise lovers was icing on the cake.

It wasn't long before the Cap'n caught wind of Orange's new love interest and, like the doting grandfather he was, urged her to introduce him. He may've not been her grandpa by relation, but that didn't stop him from treating all future agents like they were his beloved grandsquids.

Orange was hesitant at first, but couldn't bear to let the old man down, so she reluctantly brought Blue to their quarters. On the way, she filled him in on what was going on, the trio's roles as agents, and their plan on getting the Great Zapfish back. Because Octo Valley was off-limits and dangerous to travel to, Blue figured she was playing a prank on him. It wasn't until they reached the shack and Cuttlefish hobbled out did he realize it was all true.

The Cap'n was overjoyed at the sight of Blue, stating that even the original Squidbeak Splatoon had a pair of male and female Inkling soldiers. Along with Judd, Ammoses Shellendorf, and the captain himself, they were an unbeatable force. He would spin yarn after yarn about the old gang to any agent who would listen, and even those who preferred not to.

Despite having his paws full with judging Turf Wars, Judd was still with them in spirit—as was Shellendorf, through the aid of Sheldon. Cuttlefish's own legacy remained strong with Callie and Marie carrying on the fight, and now, Orange and Blue could serve as stand-ins for the long-lost soldier pair.

To Orange's surprise, Cuttlefish was so bent on reliving the glory days, he welcomed Blue into the New Squidbeak Splatoon as... also Agent 3, but not really. It was a strange move, but the idea of having Blue round out their team almost brought the old man to tears.

Blue's performance in the heat of battle was about as bad as it was in Turf Wars, but Cuttlefish gave him an "A" for effort. Plus, he felt bad having Orange go it alone for so long. Having not only a partner, but her boyfriend tag along was sure to ease the missions ahead.

...It didn't, but Orange was skilled enough to pick up Blue's slack and then some. Saving the Great Zapfish was only slightly more annoying had she done it alone, so it was overall still a good time.

...But over the coming months and years, the magic began to fade.

It started out simple at first, with Blue sometimes lecturing her about her moves in battle. His suggestions didn't come off as rude, but unnecessary. Blue was nowhere near her level, but would occasionally chime in with an idea of what she should've done, or what he would've done, or how the turnout affected the team. It was never about what she'd done right, just what he thought she'd done wrong. Orange was stubborn, so she mostly ignored this with the occasional snippy comeback, but it only went downhill from there.

On top of these unwelcome criticisms, Blue also started becoming overprotective, clingy, and somewhat of a worrywart. Orange was always one to throw caution to the wind, so having Blue suddenly start acting so fussy was a real downer. Going on missions with him became damn near impossible, as he worried and fretted over everything little thing that could go wrong. His meticulous nature almost even got them killed a few times during Octo Valley patrols, further estranging their relationship.

This led to their occasional spats becoming more frequent and petty. They eventually stopped arguing over just the campaign and more about everything in general. The worst part was Blue always tried being humble about it, acting as if his advice was absolute and Orange was being difficult by choosing to do things her way. It was then Orange had an epiphany, a reason to believe she knew why Blue had this sudden change of heart all those years ago...

Because he'd spent so much time with her, Blue became more confident of his abilities over time. Unfortunately, since he had little knowledge to back up this new confidence, it was more harmful than helpful. It wasn't in a condescending way; Blue just thought he was better and smarter than he was—like Orange, who actually was better and smarter than he was. Imitation may've been the sincerest form of flattery, but after the umpteenth time of Blue trying to explain how following the tower in Tower Control was better than actually riding it, Orange just wanted to jam a Slosher over his head.

He was a nice guy overall and she harbored no ill will to him, but enough was enough. Orange knew this and suspected others knew this, but only after meeting Lucas did she see just how far apart they'd grown. While Blue always tried keeping her in check, Lucas was accepting of her wild unpredictability. Despite being similar in personality, their treatments of her were like night and day. The path for Orange had finally cleared, and she knew right then and there what had to be done.

She had to break up with Blue.

Orange was all out of choices and he was all out of chances. The thought of them breaking up crossed her mind a few times before, but nothing ever came of it. Whether it was due to guilt, pity, or procrastination, she could never get around to doing the deed. She tried to hang in there, hoping things would get better...

But it never did, it never would, and it was time to stop kidding herself.

"Orange?"

The Inkling came back to reality as she turned her head to face Green, the voice's owner. The boy gauged her curiously as he sat in an empty stool next to her. Orange's arms were still crossed on the counter as she rested her head on them in defeat. To Green's surprise, her nearby glass and bottle of whiskey remained untouched.

"You all right over there?" he asked.

She snorted. "Define 'all right'."

"You and Blue get into it again?" A shot glass was handed to Green by the bartender from earlier. Apparently, he just ordered what Orange had.

"Yeah. He been making a scene?"

"Kind of." Green swirled the ice in his glass. "Been asking around for you."

Orange sighed and shook her head. "Figures."

"It's all right. No one knew where you were, so he probably gave up and went home." He took a sip of his drink. "Got to be honest, I was starting to get a little worried myself."

"Oh, really now?" She sounded skeptical.

"Yeah. Tried calling to ask if you wanted to go out for drinks, but your phone was off. If I didn't run into you here, then I'd know for sure something was wrong."

Orange gave a sour laugh. "And what makes you think everything's okay?"

Green studied her for a moment. "...Want to talk about it?"

"There's nothing to talk about." She flatly glanced at her drink. "My mind's made up."

"About what?"

"…I'm gonna break up with Blue."

Green was in the middle of another sip when his eyes widened, sputtering in surprise. Recomposing himself, he looked over Orange incredulously.

Feeling his gaze, she turned back to him with a scoff. "…What? You think I'm lying?"

"No, but... Geez, what the fuck did he even do?"

"Nothing. I've just been doing some thinking and..." Orange sat up with a sigh. "I say it's high time we split up. I'm not who I was anymore, and I don't think Blue is, either. And since we're different people now, we should start seeing different people, too."

"Wow... Color me impressed," mused Green. "No offense, but that's probably the most mature thing I've ever heard you say."

"Heh, none taken. Being insightful's more your shtick, so I guess I should take it as a compliment."

"Have you told anyone else?"

"No. Wasn't even gonna tell you, but figured I'd give it a shot. Besides, if I had to tell someone, I guess it'd be you. You're the most level-headed agent, and probably the only one who wouldn't flip out over this."

Green chuckled. "Guilty as charged. Although, I think Octavia would be a good candidate, too."

Orange's shoulders tensed. The last thing she wanted was to think about was the Octoling. She already had her suspicions about her affection towards Lucas. Coupled with the sudden decision to dump Blue, she could easily blackmail her and ruin everything.

"...If you don't mind, I think I'm done moping for tonight," muttered Orange. "Thanks for hearing me out, though. I feel a bit better getting that off my chest."

"Sure thing. We're friends, and friends look out for each other."

Orange glanced back up to see Green smiling. Her normally rebellious nature often led him to chastise her actions, but the stern demeanor he usually wore around her was now an encouraging one. He could see Orange was conflicted and vulnerable, two feelings she rarely had to deal with, so he was ready to offer some solace.

Ever since her public apology to the staff back at the studios, Green had slowly been warming up to this new side of her. No matter how she acted, they'd always be friends and agents, but this was the most agreeable she'd been in years. It was amazing—and even a little freeing—to be able to comfort her when she wasn't being so violent and angry at everything.

"It's been a long day of hard work, so how about we enjoy a long night of fun? What's a good time at The Salty Splatoon without a drinking buddy?" Green raised his glass in an offer. "Night's still young, after all. Right?"

For the first time since she entered the bar, Orange cracked a smile as she raised her own glass. "Right."

The two clinked their drinks together and simultaneously guzzled them down.