"Finally!" Bianca stretched after the fairly long flight; "We're in Squirabia!"

Jory does a few sniffs after closing his eyes and inhaling the foreign air, "This is way different from home and Inkopolis. Even the humid setting of Arowana has no match for the dry heat here"

"That's because the climate here is fairly different from anywhere else on this continent. Even though Inkopolis has areas of terrain similar to Squirabia and the southwest and far west, this is the only region of Inkland where the concentrated climate of the arid zones are at their strongest." Leor explained, patting Jory on the head for his enthusiasm; "You'll love this place. It offers a different atmosphere from what we know over in the east."

Offered a special service by a connection of Leor's, the group takes a transit van to travel to the Villa. The villa's location is near the coast of Sojal bay in a town known as Jorda. All are windows down to take in the warm arid air and the sight of sand dancing with the wind on the streets along with the sight of locals traveling on foot in their traditional garb. Some had shop owners had stalls set up along the roadside under the shade of palm trees while others stuck to being within a shopping strip. The density of people grew the closer they got to the city center of Jorda, as well as the lively atmosphere of the town. They found a massive crowd over at an area that resembled what Leor mentioned earlier-a bazaar so large it could be considered its own little town! A little further beyond they saw different establishments from restaurants to parks-so similar to what they back home and yet so different as the scenery drove home this was a different place entirely-the dominating sight of a golden grain apparent all across the roads and sidewalk as well as absence of green. That changed once they approached the coast however, the sight of a cerulean blue mixed with turquoise and white sand along its bed occupied by visitors of all walks of life lounging either beneath or on top of the beach. Not much longer until they reach Sally's place, Reice explained as he recalled the last time he and his sisters visited their grandparents. A turn onto a long strip of fresh asphalt road, they were closing in as all the homes in the area resembled large estates and mansions with gates of their own and dozens of vehicles parked in the driveways of each home. Their heads turn left to right eagerly viewing every home in excitement hoping one of them belonged to Sally, their hype building up as each house they passed outdid the previous in looks or size. Reice points a finger forward eagerly as he spots her villa in the distance prompting everyone to turn their attention that way. The van pulls up to a gate the only has the letter "W" written on it, automatically opening and letting them through. They leave the pitch black fresh pavement and drive onto a cobblestone driveway, parking at the entrance where the front door was just a few steps away. The group halts with awe at the massive structure: A mansion that sat on the beach decorated with rows of palm trees; this is the place they would be staying in! Everyone unloads their luggage, except for Mika, who is already up the steps about to knock on the door. They felt the heat almost immediately as they clutch their bags, their skins on the border of snugly warmth and burning like a grilled squid with each step they take away from the van. An opening door reveals a salmon haired inkling with the biggest smile on her face welcoming them with an oud in her hand, proceeding to sing a song in a foreign language-likely Squirabian, the native language of this country. Mika's heart-eyes grew as she raced to her love, diving into her for a tackling love of hug; luckily Sally was able to stop her song in time to take off the instrument and avoid destruction, though her cheeks weren't safe as Mika kissed her repeatedly with tears of joy.

"I missed you so much! Did you miss me!?"

"Get off of me!" Sally blushed trying furiously to wipe the kiss marks off her cheeks, much to the other's laughter.

After being settled in with the help of some butlers and maids who attend to Grandma and Grandpa Walleye, Sally decided to give everyone a tour of the villa. A huge home that contained a large pool by the beach side, a giant courtyard that extends to the entrance of the beach, balconies for each room upstairs and the cleanest and fanciest of decor within the home, the place could be considered an oasis within the deep desert with all the modern functions found. Sally's favorite place she wanted to show her room: a studio decked out with a bed and all the essentials from a TV to home consoles and of course, a small studio to make music in. She explained that her grandparents remodeled the room after hearing about her successes in music and her contact with famous artists like Mika. Thanks to them, she could practice doing what she loves while being near them.

"So, where's gramps?" Reice asked after noticing neither of the grandparents were home.

"They went out for a bit but should be back soon." she said with a beam.

"You look happy. Are they doing well?"

"Yeah, they told me their health had been improving by leaps and bounds but I was shocked when I saw them up close-they look so much healthier than I remember. It makes me happy to know they're doing well and now we can visit them from time to time."

Azule starts twiddling his thumbs, "So, we're here for a week…"

"How about we do something fun later today."

"Sounds good, but maybe you all should unpack first and get situated."

After unpacking and selecting their rooms, the guests of the villa put their memorization of the tour to the test and dispersed like rolling marbles. Reice and Azule went on a walk through the neighborhood checking out the other homes, Jory decided to get to know the staff better and learn about hospitality as a form of learning for health care, the trio of Violet, Fuchsia, and Kosami took to relaxing in the living room and watch some television only to be joined by Bianca a little later, and the musical trio of Sally, Mika, and Leor all did a few practice songs to the delight of Marigold and Canary who were amazed by Mika's live vocals. A while later, Sally called everyone together after having received a phone call from one of the butlers driving her grandparents that they were pulling into the driveway; a good chance to welcome the hosts, everyone gathered at the front door to welcome the elder Walleyes. As they arrived, they're met by passionate hugs from Marigold and Canary-the first time in a while that they were able to do so, and a loving hug from Reice-a little shy about showing his softer side especially with the others around to witness. Going by the names Gramps and Granny, they welcomed everyone to an early dinner where everyone could discuss their travels and share more about themselves over the breaking of bread. A fun first night for Squidcom and others, they shared and learned plenty about the Walleye family and of Sally's origins as a prodigal talent. The next day is a loaded day for Squidcom and friends with a big beach day planned by Sally. To kick things off, she wanted to have a game of beach volleyball followed by watermelon smashing and cave exploration while at night they could set off some fireworks and sing songs around a bonfire. Already gathered on the beach wearing comfortable outfits for being under the sun, Hatsunika Mika and Leor didn't waste time setting up umbrellas with Violet to relax under the shade. Canary and Bianca team up and play a game of volleyball against Marigold and Azule, all while under the alluring aroma of the grill firing up in the distance thanks to the efforts of Reice, who wanted to show off his grilling skills and Jory, who stayed inside helping the butlers and maids prepare meals for everyone. Fuchsia and Kosami were also indoors soaking in all the stories told by Gramps and Granny Walleye all with some commentary from an excited Sally who adored them to a fault.

"Whoo! That's our fifth point in a row!" Bianca said giving Canary a high five after spiking another ball out of the reach of Azule, who struggled to keep up with her pace in the sand.

"Are you sure you're the captain of the team...Big Sister Sally wouldn't let us fall so far behind."

Azule's irritation grew as he heard the giggles under the umbrella and from the opposite side of the net, "We're only down by five points!" he said wiping the sand off his elbows after a failed attempt to keep the ball in play.

"You should just step it up, captain!" Sally taunted while leading the way with her grandparents and friends following behind her to catch a look at the game; "I got next! Hey Fuchsia, wanna be my partner?"

"Huh? Me? Why?" she said while pointing her finger at herself.

Devil horns grew out for Sally with an evil snicker, "Azule will surely pull through in the latter half and steal the win with you watching, so let's throw him off his game with your appearance in the next match! You're like a weakness for him-well, you and Violet. And Kosami. Well, everyone is now that I think about it."

"You're a little too evil at times…"

Down by a score of 19-15 in favor of Bianca and Canary, Azule looks over to Marigold and gives her a confident nod. They swap positions-previously Marigold played close to the net and served as a setter but now with Azule in her position, they were preparing to make tougher stops. Sally teases them off their game though she couldn't resist the temptation of watching a comeback win, that wouldn't be easy however with the way Marigold was looking-her sparkling gleam intensified now that her sister graced her presence. Likewise, Marigold looked like she was about to turn her play up a notch; neither sister wanted to lose in front of their proud big sister. Over by the grill watching the game from a distance, Reice chuckles since he felt their intense auras from where he stood. It's Marigold's turn to serve as she takes her stance, measuring the distance between her sister and Bianca she launches the ball with a forceful slap in mid air and gives it a sip with a strong zip in the wind-so powerful the ball creates wrinkles on impact before cutting through the air; Canary's eyes sparkle as her body moves on its own to receive the attack from her sister. Bianca shifts her position to get into a spot ready to set up Canary once she saw the middle schooler's determination. Canary receives the powerful serve and sends it with enough trajectory to gently fall into the hands of Bianca, who gives a cloudy lift with enough float for Canary to send a rocket spike. As Canary winds her arm up for a powerful downward spike with her legs kicking in the back in mid air, her attack is denied by a crucial block by Azule, who extended his arms at the right moment to cut her off. Even with her impressive speed, Bianca is unable to save the ball in time-marking the point for Azule and Marigold. Everyone watching had to give an applause for the sequence of events that unfolded in no less than half a minute, from Marigold's powerful serve to Canary's bold receive followed by a perfect set from Bianca only to be denied by an emphatic block from Azule, it was only under a minute but the scene could be replayed several times in their mind. Azule flexed his arms and put up his hand for a high five, but Marigold only scoffed and looked at him with a side eye while muttering something under her breath and Canary and Bianca were struggling to contain their snickering.

"You only got a point back, Azule. You still have to bring more than that!" Sally teased, wanting to root against her captain.

"Come on, Sally. Give him a chance." Fuchsia giggled, entertained by the efforts of both sides.

"Yeah, they managed to stop them from getting to game point. Marigold and Canary will be a fun matchup since they are so even. That girl on Canary's side is also incredible with her pace-a little too late on that last attempt but other than that she's got all the makings of a great athlete." Granny Walleye said.

"This captain of yours has some good pace of his own, and his leaping ability is wonderful. I can see how he would be your teammate." Gramps said with nodding approval.

Azule's head swelled hearing the praise from Sally's grandparents, to which she warned that she'd clobber him if he let their praise go to his head. The game continues to gain more intensity with each play-Azule and Marigold fighting hard to get back in the game despite the great chemistry of Bianca and Canary. The score is 19-16 in favor of Bianca and Canary, Azule and Marigold were caught in a rally thanks to a wonderful save by Bianca that allowed Canary to position herself in a great spot for a set; Azule and Marigold swapped spots quickly once they saw the attack would be Bianca. The sand resembles smoke as she kicks it up in the air and leaps like a spring, hanging in the air as her hand cuts through the air and smacks the ball. Azule is on the other end to receive bracing himself for impact-in a split second he deduced the spin on the ball and predicted its trajectory as well as the impact; he knew taking this one would sting, but his pride wouldn't let him allow the game to go to match point now that his ace was spoiling for a fight. Closing his arms together and bending his knees, he receives the ball with a hard slap on the skin that leaves a ringing red mark on his forearms. The ball pops up in the air and creates a shadow over the sun, all eyes turned to how Marigold would capitalize off her partner's efforts and without fail, she followed his orders and placed a ball in the right spot for him to target. Just like Bianca was able to recover and sprint for a powerful spike, Azule answers back with the ball resembling a projectile. Unable to answer his challenge, Bianca and Canary concede another point with the score 19-17. The next few points went to Azule and Marigold, able to force the game into overtime by getting a deuce at the last moment to extend play. With the score even at 22, both sides needed to win by two in order to get the overall victory in the match. Both sides were drenched in sweat holding their knees and hips gasping for air to the cheers of their friends and family watching on while the aroma of food clouded their conscious; after this hellish match, the winner had to endure another game with a fired up Sally and a wild card Fuchsia.

Azule removes his hat and wipes his forehead, "We...just need...a double…"

"Easier said...than done…!" Marigold struggled, huffing and puffing furiously trying to keep up with the tempo of the match. Up until now, she'd been relying on her strong Galloway genetics, but now she was feeling the burn that already occupied the lungs of Azule and sister on the other side of the net.

Play is about to start up again, and this time it's Azule's turn to serve. He takes the ball and gets into position, watching the back of Marigold as she gives signals from behind. Form there, Azule decides how to go on the attack and launches the ball in the air. When he connects, there's no force and no pressure-instead floating like a balloon. With enough concentration, Azule sent a floater of a serve to throw the pair off their balance after expecting a power serve instead. That misinterpretation worked against the duo and Azule and Marigold found themselves finally in the lead after trailing the entire match. After serving again and this time being met by a receive, the battle for the next point went on several turns as neither side allowed the ball to touch the sand, triggering a big rally as everyone watching wondered who would fault first. At one moment it looked like Azule ran out of gas only to be bailed out by Marigold and on the other end it was Bianca having to be saved by Canary. Soon, it became a contest of which sister wanted the win more. As Azule launches the ball in the air with a set after catching Bianca and Canary off guard and off to a distance away expecting a spike, instead she dumps the ball just behind the net to secure the game winning point; 22-24. A round of applause is in store for both sides after a hard fought match and following afterwards were orders from Reice and Jory to get some food since it was ready, though Sally insisted they play their match next. Even though Sally had just gotten out of rehab and was ruled unable to participate in any strenuous physical activity, she reasoned that she would be performed very carefully and leave most of the work to Fuchsia since she can't risk injury; Azule and Fuchsia especially didn't seem too thrilled about how dodgy she was sitting out and letting someone else play for her, though they understood that at the moment, she must've been lonely watching everyone do their best when she was immobile. After food was served and everyone had their fill and time to digest, the second match went on to a surprising length. Despite being exhausted from the previous battle, Azule and Marigold were firing on all cylinders and getting the jump on Sally and Fuchsia with a considerable lead. Luckily the octoling princess pulled the game back into a competitive contest but at the end, the teamwork of Azule and Marigold simply looked unstoppable, that was-until Sally got serious. Despite all the limitations placed on her and the concerns of injury, the competitive drive of Sally was no match for the pain she endured. More than anything, she wanted to play and have fun without any regrets-even in a meaningless game of beach volleyball. Down 12-18, Sally began scoring her share of points as Fuchsia showed fatigue-battling all the way to a tied game at 21. With the overtime rules in effect and Azule and Marigold out of gas after having already played an overtime game, Sally and Fuchsia were able to claw back for a victory with final score: 25-23.

Soon following after the volleyball bonanza of Marigold and Canary challenging Reice and Sally to a game, next was a round of watermelon smashing that saw poor Reice get drenched in the fruit by Azule's messy swing, and then get whacked repeatedly by Violet, who was fully aware she was beating up Reice despite his cries for help. When evening arrived, everyone grabbed some sparklers and lit up the area around them: Sally and Mika danced with theirs, Violet and Leor stood to a side talking while holding theirs, Marigold and Canary studied the colors of their beside their brother, and Jory sat with Fuchsia and Kosami laughing together; Azule was the only one who didn't participate, but he was too busy enjoying the full moon displayed up above to pay attention to the glow on the darkening beach. That night, they sang songs together by a bonfire with Mika and Leor leading the way with vocals and Sally supporting them with a catchy tune she played all until they fell asleep by the bonfire. The following morning, everyone woke up groggy and to the surprise of being in their own rooms, only to learn that the butlers and maids helped bring them in from a joking pair of Walleyes who found it adorable that they fell asleep outside in the cold.