After weeks to months of not playing Splatoon 2 because of classes, I had to once I saw the smash trailer on the direct. Also, Octo expansion means MORE LORE! Wooh! Do have a lovely day and enjoy!
A sunny winter morning wakes the slumbering students at the dormitories of Squid Academy, the yellow rays of illumination serving as an indicator that today would be another eventful day for the citizens of Inkopolis. In the city that never slumbers, already cars and people packed the roads and sidewalk with vary destinations in mind. Throughout the winter break, students of Squid Academy were given the choice to go home for the break or to stay on campus. Many students chose to go home, but plenty stayed back to enjoy the facilities as much as possible. One student in particular who fit with the latter was Reice, who yawns audibly with his widened mouth and outstretched arms, sitting upright and taking a glance over to his right seeing a pair of empty beds on the neighboring bunk. He hadn't seen Azule and Cobalt for quite a while, but he knew that for the past week they indeed were coming in and out-hearing them ease into the room at the middle of the night and leave before the crack of dawn. Exactly what was going on during that period of six hours? Shrugging off his thoughts and concerns, he climbs down the bed quietly since Todd slept right below him. Reice's mornings had been the same routine as usual during the winter break: He'd wake up early in the morning around an hour after sunrise, go in the fridge and get all the ingredients he'd need and make his breakfast. Thanks to his newer diet and stronger discipline in exercise, he was already showing quick results with lean-cut arms that showed the detail in his muscle tone. His biceps grew some mass thanks to the lifting he did and his breathing becoming polished and fluid thanks to his cardio workouts, already he was showing his progress early in the morning. Over the winter break, he transformed himself for the better and focused on his health and body, looking to garner more attention and improve his psyche after realizing his actions previously.
Loading different bowls and plates before him, he grabs a bunch of fruits and begins slicing them patiently, his mind lingering on his mistakes where he interfered in Azule and Violet's relationship. Like a fruit, his actions peeled away at the friendships he had with both of them and even started peeling away at his siblinghood with Sally, who was extremely disappointed. At the time, he was impulsive in what he did. He knew that much after reviewing what went wrong. Never had he accounted for the repercussions of his actions, nor did he stop to think about how they might've felt. With clips running through his mind of the cute and bubbly interactions between Azule and VIolet, he knew he really messed up something that was destiny. "Man...they both really liked each other." he muttered under his breath, feeling defeated. There was a rift in team chemistry in response to Reice's interference with the team divided into two parts: Azule's side and Reice's side. Azule's side is where essentially most of the team was, with Cobalt and Tangie believing Reice's actions to be totally out of line, Fuchsia to take Azule's side because she loved him dearly and was Violet's love rival, and Kosami to take Azule's side simply because she wanted to rekindle a lost friendship with him, Cobalt, and Tangie. On Reice's side, there was only Violet and Sally who had to stick by his side to show some sort of balance since they were also the only active members of the team who played in competitions, deserting him would only make matters worse and show a loss of confidence in a fellow comrade. Reice shook his head with disappointment, ashamed. He knew he couldn't afford to keep things the way they were, knowing that the team needed to be at their peak level of trust if they had any hopes to go far in the next Rank Wars like they did previously. Turning his mind to that event, he recalled the first Rank Wars, remembering their unique journey to the playoff semis before being struck down by Kidvel and their ferocious ace, Pastelle. The season started off with the entire school gunning for their heads after Azule challenged the entire school and declared war with the seniors. Not too far into the season and outside troubles caught up to them, and a sacrifice was made...in the form of Azule taking a bullet for the team. Literally. The rest of that season the trio dedicated to Azule, vowing to win the final with only three members in a competition meant for four. Battling with an extreme of a handicap since four members placed many crucial duties on each player. Losing one player made it near impossible to win. But somehow, they managed to pull it off and arrived at the semi final with newfound respect welcoming them. Falling short to the runner ups in Kidvel, Reice and everyone in Squidcom, and every student in Squid Academy knew...if Azule was in the match, the result might've been different. But no longer did he have time to continue with those thoughts, hearing footsteps come from down the hall. A groggy Todd appears a few moments later, his forest green hair in a mess and his eyelids half open. He groans while dragging his feet to the kitchen counter, taking a seat and watching Reice work on the stove for a few seconds.
"Morning…" he yawned; Reice responded likewise, asking him if he wanted breakfast since he was already cooking. "Thanks, I'll have an omelet with loaded veggies. Also I'll take a cup of coffee if you don't mind."
Reice nodded while diving into the fridge for ingredients, "Black coffee, right?"
"Yeah, no sugar or milk. Just black."
Reice made a face of disgust in response to Todd's request. Who could actually drink coffee that was straight black? The smell and image punctured his olfactory nerves just from thinking about it. Awkward silence filled the room as Reice placed the vegetables in the pan, both of them uncomfortable with being roommates after all these months since the rivalry between Todd and Azule was still fresh. The two never got a chance to face one another in competition, but thanks to Reice's tension with Azule, the two formed an unlikely bond in being enemies of Azule. Todd had also done a bit of some transformation since school went on break, humbling himself a bit after seeing his idols fall right before his eyes. Now, his mindest turned to overthrowing them and taking the title as King of the school.
Reice hands him a plate while he cracked open a couple of eggs and mixed them in a small bowl, "I'll have your omelet in a few minutes, so hold on till then. Here's some toast for the meantime." he said handing Todd the toast that was originally his part of breakfast, but didn't want to keep Todd hungry.
"Thanks...had a good night's rest…?" Todd asked in an unsettled tone placing his forearms on the table-crossed. A moment later he takes up a slice of the toasted bread and takes a nibble.
"Uh...yeah. The rest was fine and dandy but...I'm a little bit bored since there's nothing to do lately and our break is almost over."
Todd raised an eyebrow, "I thought you were going to the square with your teammates?"
"No, they sent a message the night of the loss saying they're not up for the usual practice. Ever since then I haven't heard from them…" he said while keeping his attention to the stove to make sure nothing got burned
Todd gave a nod in agreement, "I can't blame them. The amount of notifications I got from people about the loss was suffocating. We were even trending on all the social media platforms, and everyone has been buzzing about the upcoming Rank Wars in worry that no one will catch the Elites again."
"Makes sense...they haven't lost the Rank Wars ever since they formed." Reice said with little to no reaction.
Todd finished the first slice after tasting the full flavor of the bread, "Even so. They lost in yet another major competition. Even if they made it to the finals this time, a loss is a loss." He said while crossing his arms. "They're at their most vulnerable now…"-observing Reice handle the food with one hand and organize the freshly chopped and slice fruits with the other, he gazes at Reice-"You should join my team, Reice."
Nearly dropping everything in shock, Reice whipped his head around in pure shock, stunned by Todd's offer. Todd's eyes widened at how clumsy Reice turned, watchful of where his food was and hoping it wouldn't get dropped. They stare at each other for a solid minute with Recie having the most bewildered of expressions he ever saw. Todd, who was on the verge of laughing, had to cover his mouth and retreat-saying it was just a thought and not to think much of it.
Meanwhile, a morning at the girls dorm was much livelier than their counterpart. All four of the girls were sitting together having breakfast with Tangie paying them a visit. Tangie came to join them since she became good friends with booth Friya and Brittany, something very common for Tangie. Out of all the members of Squidcom, Tangie was the most popular one having made friends with nearly everyone in their grade and the seniors. with loads of fruits, waffles, pancakes, and other meals like eggs and potatoes, the dining area of the living room became populated as they sat together. The room looked lively with the sunlight beaming in through the windows, natural chilly breeze blowing inside as the girls enjoy the last week of their winter break.
"Ah~I always love coming by you guys!" Tangie said warmly with a smile as she nudged Brittany with her elbow.
"Well, you're always welcome to come here…"-noticing the absence of another pair of girls- "Say, why didn't Fuchsia and Kosami come along with you?" Friya asked, setting the plates of food on the table; Sally and Friya had been the main chefs with Sally doing most of the food with Friya helping as her assistant, Violet and Brittany helped set up the table before Tangie arrived, and now Violet was relaxing at the table reading her novel while Friya entertained a conversation with Tangie.
Tangie gave a forced laugh, feeling awkward about Fuchsia's meltdown the last time and the strange atmosphere surrounding Squidcom. "U-uh about that." she said holding up her right index finger with an animated expression, "Fuchsia's spending the day with her sister in Octo Valley and Kosami went to hang out with Azule…"
Silence filled the room as the girls slowly turned their gazes from Tangie to Violet, who'd been quiet the entire time. Violet sighed, partially irritated by the sudden attention as something about Azule got mentioned. She shakes her head, her gem-like eyes shining in the sunlight as her eyebrows squint with annoyance. "Either I appear very attractive to all of you or this is still a topic of interest…"
"W-well...it's just that you haven't talked much about how you feel regarding everything that happened. And, I hear Fuchsia has been spending a lot of time with him, now. Is there anything on your mind regarding them?" Friya responded with a strain of fatigue in her tone, tired of the stagnance in the dissolving love triangle. To her, she was worried that Violet wasn't being honest with herself and forcing herself to give up on him and hand over Azule to Fuchsia.
Violet met Friya's gaze, "Change the subject...please." she said with a calm tone, yet painful look.
Tangie got flustered once she made the slip about Kosami and triggered the flashback to the controversial rant Fuchsia made a while ago, "W-wait…! It's nothing like that between them!" also remembering Kosami's behavior on her first day when she transferred. "Kosami is a childhood friend of ours. She's really not what she seemed like that day-"
"It's fine, Tangie." Sally interjected, bringing over plates of food after resting her book in the seat.
"Hasty decisions lead to a sloppy result. I'll trust in Azule to learn from his previous relationship and be wise in what he does." Sally said in a confident tone, her gaze on Violet from the corner of her eye; she was tired of the drama. Tangie quickly changed the subject to keep the mood positive, fearing for the worse if the chemistry between Violet and Sally got sour.
Around noontime at the Inkopolis Square in Downtown Inkopolis, Azule, Cobalt, and Kosami stepped into the social hotspot for Inklings observing the seasonal environment. The snowy decoration with icicles hanging from the roofs of buildings, the snowy pathways covered with invisible ice that'd make the most unsuspecting of people slip if they aren't careful, the chilly gust of wind howling through the streets of the heavily dressed winter squids. With the fog still covering the streets, the trio huddled together in their winter gear with Azule wearing a thick black sweatshirt and red beanie paired with black jogger pants and white sneakers, Kosami wearing a lime jacket with a blue shirt and a plaid skirt with black stockings, and Cobalt wearing an olive trench coat with his usual attire underneath: a white buttoned up shirt with black jeans. After arriving at Ye Olde Cloth Shoppe in the galleria, they were welcomed by Jelfonzo and his archaic speech. Soon after followed Jelonzo, who had acquired enough staff help in the plaza to come and assist Jelfonzo.
"Ah, thanks for coming! Azule, I see you took my advice and brought some friends, too." Jelonzo said while shaking Azule's hand, happy to see him once again.
Azule nodded cheerfully, "It's winter break, at least we could afford to make some extra cash before classes start!"
"Ah, the youth…Well, I'll have Jelfonzo teach you guys the basics and from there we'll see where it goes."
"Understood." Azule and Kosami said in unison, but Cobalt didn't join.
Cobalt raised his hand to interject, "Captain, if I may...I'm not really the best person for something like this."
Azule shook his head with understanding, "It's fine Cobalt. You don't have to, if you don't want to."
Cobalt bowed, "My sincere apologies, I'll take this time to explore the city and see if there is anything I can spot that might interest you or the others. Think of this as recon of sorts!" he said in tone mixed of respect and insistence, his eyes lighting up like stars as he tried to convince his captain.
Azule waved a hand, "N-no no...it's fine, really." he responded sheepishly, unsure of how to handle Cobalt whenever he acted that way. Watching Cobalt leave, he mutters under his breath that he still hasn't mastered responding to Cobalt when he gets like that.
As Cobalt made his exit, Jelfonzo came over to teach both of the squids the basics of customer service. Cobalt headed back into the snowy weather, lowering his head and pulling his scarf up to his mouth, he breathes calmly and snowflakes fall delicately to the white sidewalk. Looking up at the many skyscrapers and street signs, the overcrowded sidewalks of people shuffling through the snow, the honking and beeping of the traffic, he was heading into the heart of Inkopolis. Walking by some buildings, he views the graffiti on the wall in the inkling language-shaking his head with disappointment in the message. Putting his hands in his pocket he kept moving forward. Passing by a number of buildings, he makes a quick stop and a vendor and grabs a bite, then checking out the numerous little shops in the strip along the road. Looking up at the sunny yet grey sky, he gave a tiny smile as the snow dropped to his face. Thinking and reflecting on his past, he feels a sudden chill down his spine. His journey from being a prodigal son of the most powerful samurai the world ever knew, to becoming a ronin who lost everything. Along this journey, he once again found bushido yet again through the friendships forged with new friends and the refinement of previous ones. Thinking about the smiles he shared with the other members of Squidcom, the tears they shed together, and the current drama that clouded over them, all of it-he valued knowing it could be much worse. Continuing into the heart of the city, he gets the keen sense that he's being followed by someone...no, something. He makes a turn into a dark alleyway where the fog would aid in his disappearance.
"You have quite the nerve to bring so many men to follow me knowing I never move without my weapon…" Cobalt said in a strict tone, his figure disappearing into the darkness as the shadows enter the alleyway.
"Young Tokugawa...your deadline day is approaching. You only have a couple of weeks left before you must depart for home."
"I'm aware of that. But what I want to know is why I have a band of ninja following me. Aren't you supposed to be enemies of ours. Your clan doesn't get along with mine." Cobalt said as his red daggers glowed, remembering the harsh history between the samurai and ninja.
"Your uncle...he's taken over influence of the eastern region."
Cobalt's eyes lowered, "I'd imagine…the Tokugawa family is the strongest of the eastern land."
"He wants the entire world to keep watch of you. He believes that you'll run again." another ninja said.
"Be aware, Tokugawa-dono. This selection of yours will broadcasted to all of the eastern world and and underworld. You will be under heavy surveillance by every single force if you try to do anything against your uncle. That is the contract we all forged with him."
Cobalt emerged from the darkness, his hand placed firmly on the hilt of his blade, his right thumb ready to unsheathe. He raised his chin, tilt his head to right, his red eyes looking down at the messengers, "Get out of my sight, before I slice you into sashimi. I don't need your empty threats as fuel for my motivation!" he said in a powerful tone, the veins on his hands popping out as he tightens the grip on the hilt.
The messengers got puzzled by his comment, sensing the pressure emanating from his aura. They all froze briefly before taking a step back, seeing the red daggers sharpen and a carbon weapon so dark it had its own shine from it, identifying Cobalt's ability, and spotting the glint of the signature blade, the messengers knew to retreat before there would be trouble. "The infamous carbon blade..."
"U-understood...we'll relay your message." the leader of the messengers said; they departed afterwards back into the shadows of the city, moving at speeds that the naked eye couldn't capture. Cobalt sighed, lowering his head at the thought of entering the family selection. He'd be leaving everyone behind to possibly participate in his last battle.
Hours had passed since Cobalt went to the city and in that time, Azule and Kosami had become well adapted to their new part-time jobs. With Jelfonzo and Jelonzo on the cash registers, it was Azule and Kosami who were doing the main job of selling the garments to curious customers, specifically marketing the winter gear to brave the cold. Both of them showed promise in becoming good salespeople, but it was Kosami who seemed the most well-versed in how she executed her pitch and her presentation. As customers came in empty handed and left filled with new wardrobes, Kosami's enthusiasm grew. Hopping from one side of the store to the other, she worked to make sure business boomed as much as possible, giving a Azule a vibrant smile once he asked how she was handling everything.
"I never realized this kind of job could be so...fun!" Kosami catches breath after taking care of another sale, crashing into a chair and sighing heavily. She worked valiantly in netting a profit for Jelfonzo.
Azule scratched his cheek, "You seemed like a natural out there…"
Kosami nods with satisfaction, "I was always so keen on staying indoors and being around technology that I guess...I found it refreshing to communicate with people in person."
"Y-yeah…" Azule thought awkwardly about their reunion where she seemed like a completely different person. Maybe she had struggles in finding her true identity?
"Is this really just part-time? I feel like I could work full-time, similar to Sally at her job." Kosami sat forward tilting her head with curiosity; Azule shrugged.
"I came to help him out but if you want to work here full-time, you should go for i-"
Cut off by the arrival of a familiar face, Azule skipped over to the entrance where he saw a girl with sea anemone hair pushing a sea urchin in a wheelchair. Immediately, he welcomes them into the store-motioning to Kosami to stay in her chair and get some more rest. Turning his attention to the couple, he immediately asked how they'd been. After a few minutes passed in small talk, Spyke decides to move the conversation to the nearby cafe over by the battle tower. After letting Kosami, and Jelonzo know he'd be stepping out for a few minutes, he went on his merrily way with Spyke and Annie. Taking the backstreets to reach the entrance, the trio sit at a table near the wall facing the window-seeing Spyke's friend Murch just outside dealing with his own customers. Azule couldn't erase the huge smile on his face after seeing Spyke and Annie together after all these years. Apparently the history between them was that many years ago back before Spyke got involved in the Black Urchin gang, he used to be a street urchin who'd sell gear to customers and sometimes the transactions would involve super sea snails. Annie and Spyke's species apparently were bitter enemies, but they surprisingly got along well right before the 2nd Great Turf War. After the war, the stopped contacting each other for unknown reasons and that's when Spyke got with the Black Urchins while Annie continued to run her small business before expanding to other regions.
"I still haven't seen that clown fish you eerily reference, Annie." Azule said with a chuckle, coffee in hand.
Annie blushed, "O-oh...him? He's doing...fine?"
Spyke waved his hand to change the conversation, "Azule, my mind has been clouded by plenty of thoughts. Thinking about what happened in the past, putting you up to do my own deeds for me, and even refusing the surgery you offered. Time for change, at least that's what I'm thinking about."
Azule laughed, "I didn't think of you as the kind to do deep thinking!"
"Oi, Azule. I'm being serious here."
Azule's smile faded once concentrated on the intentions of the conversation. "What are you implying, Spyke?" he asked with genuine curiosity and concern.
Spyke holds his hand out, Annie gently places her hand in his palm. The two of them exchange a warm glance and smile at one another before turning their attention to the confused boy sitting across from them. "Azule, I'm thinking about retiring from the business. This life ain't cut out for me anymore, and I can't put you at risk any, longer...you're too good of a person to be out there doing deeds like this for me."
Shock and despair wrote all over the boy's face, "Y-you're done!? Surely that isn't the only reason!" He said standing up, slamming the table; the atmosphere in cafe changed immediately as workers and patrons alike turned their attention to the trio.
"Calm down, bruv." Spyke said patiently holding his hand up, "Indeed there is more to it, but I care for your well being."
Azule's eyebrows raised as a cynical smile appeared, "You…? Care about my well being?" he laughs hysterically.
Spyke's expression didn't change, "You're hurting. That much I could tell when you accepted my proposition and took up being a transporter. I've heard of what you've been doing on those missions and although you've been successful in your deliveries, I can't allow you to put yourself in any more mortal danger than I already have."
Azule stopped laughing and held up his hand, "Stop. Just stop."- Azule looks up, his expression changing completely-"Don't go there with me.I have my reasons and I can handle myself."
Spyke sighs helplessly, "Tell me somefin I don't know already."
Annie interjects trying to speed up the conversation, "We're getting married Azule. We're travelling to the far west and plan to settle in Rhaval of the nation of Squirabia. We're looking to open our own fashion strip thanks to the money I saved up from my years of labor."
"And it is because of that, Azule, that I'm entrusting all money earned through my underground work to you and Murch." Spyke added.
The combination of confusion and surprise had Azule lost for a moment, but after giving it some thought, it made sense. If Spyke was looking to say goodbye to this rocky chapter in his life and start fresh, he'd have to clear any debts he owed to anybody. Realizing the growth of Spyke's character, Azule couldn't help but grin. "Didn't think you had it in you..."
"As you said earlier, I haven't been a good man. My ties to the Black Urchins, abusive with my power, and even refusing your generosity. Because of all of that, I want to show you my gratitude for everything you've done. Extending your kindness to me in my darkest of moments...It allowed me to find the light I'd been missing for years."
Azule shook his head trying to process everything, "How much of this generosity are we talking?" he said while making a gesture with his fingers.
Spyke smirked, "Nuff for a kid your age to not worry about the major stuff for quite a while."
Azule raised an eyebrow with a grin, "I appreciate it. Thank You Spyke…"
Exchanging a firm handshake, the brief collaboration between the two would be coming to an end. Spyke had relief course through his veins, feeling the chill sensation of a budding relationship come to an end once the grip loosened. For Spyke, albeit things could have gone much differently for him-Azule gave him a second chance to correct his mistakes. During the times Azule would spend running his transporter duties, he had been doing extensive research in preparation for this day. Although Azule's sister was responsible for his current condition, Spyke saw something different about Azule after doing business with him. He was a friend, one that Spyke had very few of. As their grip weakened and their fingers come apart from the other, Spyke felt the lingering feelings of regret thicken while seeing the youth in Azule's eyes.
Maybe one day we'll meet again...friend.
Minutes pass by as Azule sat in the cafe at a table all alone, staring at a massive paycheck before him that laid on the brown table. The indistinct chatter of other patrons at the cafe, the smell of deliciously brewed coffee and other beverages. The chocolate exterior of the coffee and the creamy vanilla hue of the cushion chairs, the checkerboard wall of brown and creamy white with trims of green. Looking around, he turns his attention to the paycheck, reading all the zeros on the slip of paper. In a state of disbelief, his partnership with Spyke was over and he'd made a fortune thanks to working for him. But, the feeling in his heart was different from the one in his thoughts. That sense of mischievousness and comradery with an enemy, and making money at the same time. And yet, the empty feeling in his chest sunk further and further the more he thought about about Spyke's departure...
At the royal domain of the Octavio family in Octo Valley, the two sisters relax in the backyard soaking in the sun in bikini swimsuits. The beaming sun beats down on their caramel skin as they sunbathe in the winter, the black and gold design of Shiva's suit bulging as they struggle to do their job in conciliation, Fuchsia on the other hand had also down some growing since the last time they sun bathed together, sporting an inverse color combination to Shiva with a gold primary and black secondary. Fuchsia is a bit self conscious about their actions since it was supposed to be cold in the region, but surprisingly Octo Valley didn't get the same cold air and instead got an usual forecast of warmer weather. Shiva turned over to let her sun get the same about of rays, lowering her black shades and glancing over at her overly conscious younger sister who was struggling to lay down.
"You've been looking around the place for the last couple of minutes. Don't worry, no one is watching us." Shiva said, taking a sip of her specially blended smoothie with the finest fruits in the region.
Fuchsia shook her head, "Isn't it strange that we're sunbathing in late december...?" she said while embarrassingly covering her chest and holding her shoulders, she hated to flaunt her body unlike her sister who did so proudly.
Shiva shrugged her arms, "It isn't usual that we get this kind of cool weather here in Octo Valley since it's always hot. I'll take any weather to enjoy flaunting this body rather than keeping it covered by those traditional garments.
Fuchsia blushed with envy after taking a quick glance at her older sister's figure, "You always have pride in your body."
Shiva put her shades back on, lying sideways and turning to her sister, "Of course, I've crafted this body through nearly the hardest of work. It's rewarding to admire the craftsmanship."
Fuchsia sighed, amazed at how quickly her sister had moved on from her recent defeat in the winter tournament semis. "Hey sis, can I talk to you about something…?"
Shiva smirked as she brought her leg up to an acute angle, "Something on your mind?" Fuchsia nods with a red face. Shiva knew immediately what the subject was about, smirking devilishly as she leaned closer to get a better look at her blushing beauty of a sister, "Oh my...Is this about who I think it is?"
Fuchsia nodded, "I'm confused about some things going on."
"Like what?"
Fuchsia twiddled her thumbs, "I've been spending a lot of time around him and I did some thinking during the tournament…"
Shiva took off her shades to show her sister her eyes, "Well, lay it on me. What's going through that brilliant mind of yours?"
"Are the feelings I harbor for him...wrong? I'm an Octoling, and he's an Inkling. I'm royalty, and he's got familial ties to an icon of both their culture and the wars. The more I think about it, the more it seems like I'm doing the wrong thing…"
Shiva chuckles, "There's nothing wrong about loving someone, dear. Love is like a pure feeling, it makes your heart skip a beat and makes all of your thoughts seem irrational at times, too. Absolutely beautiful."
"B-but…"-Fuchsia's tomato red face melts from the thoughts in her head, steam puffing from the hotness and suggestiveness of the activities, visualizing them clearly-"I had this vivid dream the other night about him and I woke with this strange sen-"
"Whooooa there...I don't need to know everything. You can save those thoughts for when you get older, thank you very much." Shiva responded quickly, not wanting to have that type of conversation with her younger sister. In Shiva's eyes, she still saw Fuchsia as her kid sister who wasn't ready for the adult world. And she rather keep it that way.
"S-sorry… I didn't mean to go there." Fuchsia apologizes with embarrassment, forgetting that this is her sister of all people. She shouldn't bring up anything of that nature around a classic seductress like her, especially premium unripened fruit like Azule, who she was waiting to pick from the vine. Fuchsia had the strange feeling her sister was also after Azule, though she never asked.
"On the subject of Azule, follow your heart. Your mind will play games on you at times. So I find it best to follow your feelings than your logic."
"But couldn't the same be said about our feelings, too? I always thought our feelings were more susceptible to being untrustworthy since they're just our impulses."
Shiva's shocked expression could be taken the same as being impressed at her sister's train of thought, "Fair enough. I guess I never thought too carefully about my decisions, and maybe that's the reason why Sky's not mine anymore."
"Azule's sister?"
"Yeah. We had a thing back in the past. So maybe I'm just pushing for a relationship that couldn't work previously. Y'know..Octoling and Inkling..."
"W-wow…"
"Hmm? What's up?"
"I didn't think Sky was so adventurous…"
"Hehehe, let's just say that pasta is straight until it gets wet, right?" Shiva winked before returning back to her relaxed position; it took a few minutes for Fuchsia to pick up on what Shiva was implying, but once she did she had to cover her mouth and contain herself-feeling herself heat up with embarrassment that her mind wandered there. Her image of Sky would never be the same. Shiva smirked and shook her head, "There can only be one spoiled fruit between us, so leave all that stuff to me. Hahaha."
Behind the mask of her laughter, Shiva genuinely still cared about Sky in more ways than one. As she closed her eyes behind the shades to fully soak in the rays that sapped away her energy, her mind wandered to what Sky might be doing. Knowing Sky wasn't the type to do anything like what she'd wanted-a reason why things didn't work out. Back in the metropolitan Inkopolis at the apartment where Sky resides, music plays from the TV on an app that streams. Playing the latest hits on her playlist, the only light in the living quarters comes from the sunlight outside and a single light coming from the bathroom. On the bathroom floor and counter sat a decoration of sky blue hair scattered across the sink and counter. Cold silver scissors snip away at the ends of her now short hair, the length only slightly passing her head and extending to the middle of her neck. Giving a sneeze, she comments that someone must be talking behind her back.
Giving an exhausted sigh while looking at her gloomy reflection, she puts down the scissors. After the many things that transpired, she decided the only way to cope with everything was to cut her long hair that'd been a highlight of her beauty. She looked down at the dead ends of her old self, giving a gentle smile and saying goodbye to everything of the past. A new future awaits her. "From here on out, this is a new chapter…"-she inspects how she did with her hair, satisfied with her job on it and even admiring the new beauty seen from having shorter hair-"Not bad, Sky. Not bad..."
As the day went along, the atmosphere around Inkopolis was much brighter than an average day. Winter break was coming to a close, so the streets and parks were filled with kids enjoying the snow before it'd melt. Many people crowded department stores and malls in preparation for the spring fashion releases that'd get special sale since it was on the horizon in a few more months. Cars had icicles and snow packed in any opening and on the bumpers. As for Squidcom, this year was unique in many ways. Starting with the formation of originally four members that soon jumped to six, and then seven, and now a whopping total of eight. The team managed to grow in many ways since forming just five months, and now as the new year reared its head the real challenges would soon arrive. Would any of them be ready for what lied ahead of them? The rise would have to wait until the new year...
