An Inkling of Sympathy Ch. 12
Author's Note: Alright, we're starting to get into the meat and potatoes of the story now. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter, I know I promised it a few days ago, but here it is in all its glory. For those of you who are unaware, I also write League of Legends fanfiction, so feel free to check that out as well. Please feel free to leave a review, I love reading those things, they're just so much fun. Best of luck in life and literature. -Kiba
We found ourselves staring into eachother's eyes before with a nervous clearing of the throats, we turned our backs to one another, unable to hide our mutual chagrin. "S-sorry. I didn't want you to fall."
"It's alright. Thank you for catching me." She replied, though I could sense a slight excitement in her tone. I was glad her IV didn't get ripped from her arm. Behind me, I could hear the rustling of fabric before Callie whimpered slightly. "Erm...Mr. Octoling...could you help me for a second?"
Turning around, I had to cover my mouth to stifle a laugh. She'd managed to slip her dress half-way on before realizing that her IV was hindering her from putting her arm through her sleeve. The result was a strange image of the dark tentacled Inkling's forehead just barely sticking out of the dress' collar, one arm in the sleeve, the other pinned behind her back. "I'm sorry, I swear I'm not laughing." I chuckled, trying hard to keep a straight face.
"Please help me!" She whined, squirming uncomfortably.
"Alright, give me a second." I promised, carefully removing the tube from her needle so that she could navigate her arm again. Reaching through her sleeve, I felt my hand brush against her exposed flesh, causing us to both blush again. Finally, I managed to find her hand and pull it through, assisting her into it. "Here." I whispered, grateful that our embarrassment for the time being was at an end. I carefully stood behind her, zipping up the dress before helping her back into the bed. "Better?"
"Y-yeah." She stuttered, taking the tube and reattaching it to the kit. "Sorry, I know that must have been gross."
"Gross?" I asked confused. "How was that gross?"
"Well...I mean...you kind of touched me...on my chest."
So much for the end of our shared shame. "It was an accident." I assured her. "But either way, gross isn't the word I'd use to describe it." She grinned sheepishly as our hands sought out one another. "I know you probably want to talk about this morning, right?"
"Y-yes please."
I sighed softly, her fingers slipping between mine as I thought about how to explain. "Your cousin is a strange one, to be sure. She seems to think that we're in some sort of soap opera. She made me breakfast this morning, so she told me that I was supposed to kiss her." As soon as the words left my lips, I felt Callie's grip tighten on my hand. "I didn't want to." I quickly added, causing her to once more calm down. I had to be careful not to upset her too greatly. "But...your cousin has been very sad lately. She thought that I hated her, which I don't. So, I decided to kiss her, just so I could comfort her, I guess." Saying it out loud made it sound so stupid, and I prayed Callie wouldn't be angry.
"I see." She murmured. "Did it work?"
"Well, considering how excited she was to tell you, I'd say so." I weakly chuckled. "I made sure she knew it didn't mean anything before hand, and I made her promise not to tell you...at least until you were feeling better, I mean. She uhh...didn't do too well with that."
"You wanted her to keep it from me? Why?" Callie asked in surprise.
"Well, I know you have feelings for me." I quietly explained. "And with your injuries, I didn't want you to feel any sort of anxiety or stress, because I was worried it may make you worse. I also didn't want you to think that it meant something that it didn't, because I thought you may expect it to mean that I'd decided that I was interested in Marie, even though I'm not, but…" I caught myself rambling just as Callie squeezed my hand once more to stop me. Looking into her eyes, I gave a slight huff. "Sorry." I finally apologized.
"Well, if it made her happy, then I'm happy." She promised me with a grin. "I think you were Marie's first kiss, actually."
"So she kept telling me."
"Yeah, as much as tries to stay aloof, Marie's actually pretty boy crazy."
"Funny, that's what she says about you." I teased.
"M-me? N-n-no! I mean...I've dated like...twice...maybe." Her words continued to grow softer as she tried to cover up her timid nature. "I mean, it's not like I have a boyfriend or anything. Work's been so busy lately."
"Hey, it's alright." I promised. "I don't judge."
"Well...so what now?" She wondered.
I scratched the back of my nub like tentacles nervously. "Well, we kind of talked about that. She suggested that...umm…" I found myself struggling to get the words out. Even still, she waited patiently me for to finish. "Marie suggested that I kiss you. Just to make things even between everyone."
Now it was her turn to fall silent as she tried to find her words. Her lips moved silently, trying to come up with something, though no sound would escape from them. Despite my vocalized reluctance, I found myself leaning closer to her.
Her lips fell still now as I shifted to sit beside her on the bed. My free hand reached across her to gently massage her long jet black tentacle. My fingers traced over the pink speckles that rested at its tip before slowly sliding up the smooth flesh to cup her cheek.
"M-mr. O-octoling?" She asked, her shy stammer getting worse as I leaned closer without a word. Oddly, I found myself wanting this, as though her desires were being channeled through me as well. "Well...I suppose…" She murmured, her eyes beginning to close. "Fair's fair...right?" Her words were barely a gasp at this point.
Following suit, my eyes slowly closed as well and after a brief moment of darkness, our lips found one another's. This felt so right, somehow. I still stuck by my original thought. There was no way we could be together. I was an Octoling, she was an Inkling, and yet...somehow, I found myself realizing that if I was forced to make a choice, this was the one I'd make.
Marie was cute, and inside I did feel for her. But it paled in comparison to the way that Callie's lips made me feel right now. My hearts raced, and I could hear her monitor moving more rapidly too. I thought about pulling away; I didn't want to put too much strain on her hearts, but before I could move, her other hand wrapped around my head. Her fingers slid through my tentacles, pulling me closer as she kissed me even deeper, an action I gladly reciprocated.
Her mouth opened slyly, serving as a doorway for her tongue to slip through to dance with mine. I sighed happily, surrendering myself to the feelings that'd overcome me. Releasing her hand, I slid my arm beneath her waist to pull her against me as I lay down beside her.
In turn, her now freed arm pressed her palm against my chest, seeking out the vibrations of my heart. She managed to find them easily, our deep kiss seeming to last for so long, and yet, ended almost too quickly. One of us, I'm still not sure who, gave a reluctant whimper as our lips parted, my thumb caressing her soft cheek as we lay there in our embrace.
"I-is that how you kissed Marie?" She panted, her hazy eyes staying locked into mine.
I shook my head. "No...not even close…" I replied.
The older popstar pressed herself against me further, nuzzling under my chin. I could tell that she was just as confused about this as I was. For a long while, no words were shared between us. "Why?" She finally asked.
"Why?" I repeated.
"Why did you kiss me differently than Marie?"
"I'm not sure." I admitted, knowing that even if I'd tried to lie, she'd be able to tell through my heart beats. Though at this point, I could still feel it racing fiercely, and yet, with Callie beside me it didn't hardly hurt at all. After a moment, I muttered. "Though you know...I did technically kiss Marie twice. So...for the sake of fairness…"
I didn't even get to finish the sentiment before Callie eagerly threw herself against me. Once again, I found myself transported into a higher state of consciousness, brought on by the loving and tender feeling of our bodies against one another. This time, my mind began to make notes of the things that I hadn't noticed before.
The sweet taste of her lips, the surprising warmth of her body against mine, the feeling of her breath slowly rolling over my face as she exhaled through her nose. Her monitor began to beep even more excitedly now, to the point where I was becoming concerned that if we continued she may overstrain herself.
It took every ounce of will I had to pull away from her again and as we stared into one another's hearts and soul, I could see her confusion deep inside. "Please tell me you kissed her a third time." Callie pleaded, causing us both to smile and giggle with one another.
When at last, our laughter subsided, I averted my eyes from hers. "I'm so sorry, Callie. I never meant to hurt you."
"I know." She replied, not budging an inch. "You'd never purposely hurt me, would you Mr. Octoling?" Her question was less of an inquiry and more of a rhetorical purr. It was a side of Callie I'd never seen before. Oddly enough, while she still looked beautiful, when I'd entered she seemed so frail. But after our kiss, now her body was glowing with joy. "You take wonderful care of us."
"Yeah?" I mused, nuzzling my nose against hers as we cuddled closer to one another. "I'm glad you think so."
"So...is Marie here with you?"
"No. She said she didn't get much sleep last night, so I left her napping on her couch. I don't know how, she was asleep when I had to carry her home."
Callie beamed, once again running her fingers through my tentacles. "Once I'm better, you'll have to carry me home, too. Okay?"
"Alright. It's a promise."
She buried her face in my neck as we just lay there, indulging in the warmth of one another. My hands traveled along the curves of her body to rest on her hips, just as her arms wove around me for the same purpose. We didn't want either of us to pull away. "I know this is going to hurt eventually." She whispered to me. Despite her melancholic words, she was still smiling at me.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, this doesn't mean anything. Right?"
The disappointment in her voice was palpable, but even still I just drew her closer to me. "No." I admitted finally. Her eyes lit up as they met with mine. "It does mean something. It means a lot, actually. I know we haven't known each other long Callie, but every time I'm with you I feel so…" I desperately tried to find the right words to use.
"It's like a spinning in your chest." She finished. My look of bewilderment must have been enough for her to read because she just giggled. "I've heard it explained a lot of ways. Butterflies, like your hearts are doing backflips, but for me it's more like I've got one of those toy pinwheels in my chest. I used to love them as a kid, because no matter how sad I was, looking at them always made me smile. I loved the way the colors spun and blended together."
The image of a tiny Callie running around with a pinwheel, her trademark giggle trailing behind her was adorable. "Those weren't nearly as popular when I was a kid." I replied. "Underground, there's no wind, so we'd just have to blow on them to make them spin." My eyes gleamed as I realized the feeling I had. "That's it…"
"Hmm?"
"The feeling I have...it's like something is blowing through me. If I close my eyes when I'm near you, I can almost feel it rustling through my tentacles."
"I guess we make a pretty good match then. I'm the pinwheel and you're the wind that makes my hearts spin." Her face became a bright red as she once more burrowed into my throat. "Oh, that was so lame." She whined. "I can't believe I just said that."
I just gave a slight chuckle, my hand grasping her long black tentacle so I could rub it affectionately. She quieted quickly, her eyes going to my hands as I massaged it for her.
"That feels nice." She commented as I slowly ran my fingers along her suction cups. The pink at the ends of her dark tentacles seemed especially sensitive, most likely because of the nerve endings. "You're going to be at it all night if you're not careful."
"I wouldn't mind."
"So that's how this is going to be?" She asked flirtatiously. "My new boyfriend is going to spoil me rotten?"
My fingers stopped, causing it to slip from my grasp. "Callie…I'm not your boyfriend."
She looked at me confused. "But you said that it meant something." She protested. "I just thought…"
"You thought wrong." I corrected her. "It did mean something Callie, but I can't be your boyfriend."
She fell silent, and I could tell that I'd ruined the once cheerful mood. I went to detangle myself from her, so she could be alone. I imagined that was what she wanted, but instead her grip on me tightened so I couldn't leave. "Please." Her one-word plea was scarcely a whimper, but somehow it managed to stop me as if it were a barked command. Her eyes were watering as she gently leaned forward to place a gentle kiss briefly on my lips. "Please," she repeated, "don't take my wind away."
A searing guilt ran through my entire being as I looked away from her. I couldn't stand to see the hurt in those enchanting golden eyes. "I told you...Octolings don't have wind." Her tears were leaving tiny rivers down her cheeks now.
"Why are you doing this?"
I remained silent. What could I possibly tell her that would make this better? "It hurts me too, alright?" I tried. "Believe me, I want to be your boyfriend, really I do. But I can't."
"Can you at least explain why?"
I absently played with her tentacle, trying to work up the courage to say what I needed to. "Because, I know you can do better." I whispered finally. "Because I'm an Octoling and you're an Inkling. Because I could never ask you to leave Squid Sisters for me. Because I'm an imperfect, bloodthirsty, killer who should have died a long time ago. Deep inside, I think you know that I'm not good enough."
"How can you even say that?" She asked. "I don't care that you're an Octoling. I don't care if I am in Squid Sisters, I'm not going to hide you away like a pet. Nobody's perfect and if you think you're bloodthirsty for killing one man, imagine how many Octarians I've wiped out and then tell me you're bloodthirsty." The fierceness of her argument shook me. Was she really that serious about all of this? "If you don't want to be my boyfriend Mr. Octoling, I understand. But...just promise me something." I nodded my head carefully. "Promise me that you won't leave us."
My hearts began to pound fiercely against my chest. The pain that had been suppressed came rushing back as I turned from her, coughing in a fit. She frowned, stroking my back gently as I struggled to regain my air. When at last my body had stopped trying to eject the blood and bile, I wiped my mouth, sitting on the edge of the bed.
"I'm sorry." She whimpered. "I didn't mean to upset you, it's just...I don't want you to go away. You are the wind in my pinwheel, even if you don't think so."
I shook my head. "You didn't." I wheezed, my voice dry and raspy. "I…" Another string of coughs interrupted me, "...promise." I finished at last. Just as I felt myself about to start hacking up a lung again, I felt Callie's arms wrap around me, hugging me tightly. I could feel her warmth surrounding me like a protective blanket.
"Thank you."
My hand went to hers where it rested on my chest, nuzzling back against her. Somehow, her very touch seemed to soothe my ails. I could only hope that I had the same effect on her as the two of us sat there in silence. "I'm sorry if you're angry with me." I finally spoke up.
"I'm not angry. Just...disappointed."
"In me?"
"In the situation."
"I'm sorry."
"Me too."
There was another awkward pause between us as we struggled to adjust to our quickly forming predicament.
"Mr. Octoling?"
"Yes?"
"Do you want to leave?"
I turned to face her, looking her square on. There was apprehension, the fear that my answer would be the one that broke her hearts. "No." I answered truthfully. "I can't go back."
Despite my answer, her expression didn't change. "Can't?" She asked.
"I'm a wanted man now." I explained. "If I try to return to Octo Valley, they'll keep looking for me. Even if I did go back, it'd be putting my family in danger."
"But do you want to go back?" She repeated, emphasizing her point. "If you could go back, would you?"
"No."
Callie felt incredibly conflicted. On one hand, she was happy that I'd chosen to stay, but at the same time, she knew it must be sad to be forced from one's home. Trying hard to hide her smile, she wanted to stay supportive. "Are you okay?"
"I'm not sure." I admitted. "My life there is gone, I know that now. But...there's not much of a life for me here, either."
She seemed to ponder it for a moment before an idea came to her head. "Hey. What did you do before you were a soldier?"
"I worked in an electronics shop. Why?"
"Well…" she began, her eyes shimmering excitedly, "we don't have very many electronic shops here in Inkopolis. What if we helped you open your own?"
"Callie…"
"Seriously, just think about it!"
"No one would shop there!" I argued. "In case you forgot, the last time they even found a piece of me they threw the two of you in prison! They were going to torture you and charge you for treason!"
She sank. "I'm just trying to help." She muttered.
"I know." I replied, this time more calmly. "I appreciate you trying to help me, but right now I don't think there is anything anyone can do."
She frowned, nuzzling against me again. Just as I was about to try to comfort her again, the door opened, revealing a surprised Captain. "Oh...sorry, didn't mean to interrupt." He quickly apoligzed, but Callie just smiled weakly at him.
"It's okay, Gramps. What's wrong?"
"Nothing. I just need to change your IV." He explained, walking to the now almost empty bag. Disconnecting everything, I smiled sheepishly, working to get up, but she gripped me tighter, refusing to let me go. Was she really not bothered by us being in the same bed in front of her grandpa? "Now, you know the drill squiddo." He explained, reattaching a new bag.
"I'm ready." She assured him. As he plugged in the new bag, she let out an agonizing hiss of pain, squeezing tightly onto my shirt. What was in that bag that would hurt her so much? After a moment, her breathing began to steady as her grip loosened. "Sorry." She whispered. "It always hurts when a new one is introduced."
"What is it?" I asked.
"A special medicine." Cuttlefish explained, squeezing the bag to ensure it was flowing properly. "I discovered it a long time ago. It can heal almost any wound so long as the person stays off their feet for a while. Unfortunately, it's very difficult to come by. I don't have much left in stock. Looks like this will be the last of it, so don't go getting shot up again." He lectured Callie, shaking his finger at her.
"Don't worry. I'll be fine so long as Mr. Octoling is around." She giggled, causing his eyes to narrow at me. He didn't have to say anything for me to know that he was concerned. I simply nodded to him, indicating that I understood. "Gramps, what did you say it's name was again?"
Returning his gaze to his granddaughter, he grinned. "R'lyeh Ink."
A grasp of dread overcame me as my blood seemed to freeze in my veins. I began to shudder uncontrollably, the visions that I had managed to keep off returning with a vengeance. I don't remember much, but when I came to I found myself screaming my hands gripping my mantle. Callie and Cuttlefish were hovering over me.
"Lusca? Are you alright?" He asked.
"I've got to go." I responded, moving to leave quickly. Something was going on, were these two the source of my visions? I could feel paranoia setting in. I was out for a long time when he treated me for my Ick. Was that when he drugged me? Maybe the handcuffs…
Before I could leave, he grasped my chest, restraining me as I flailed madly. "Calm yourself." He instructed.
"RELEASE ME!" I barked, my eyes feeling as if they were on fire.
Callie looked between the two of us confused. "Gramps, what's wrong with him?"
"Get the handcuffs!" He demanded, which she quickly did, hobbling past me with a concerned glance. I still struggled, but the old man's strength was surprisingly resilient. When she returned, he managed to grab one end and before I could get away he slapped it on my wrist before connecting it to the bed frame. I tugged hard at it, snarling like some sort of animal. "Callie, don't get near him."
"Gramps…" Her voice was trembling now.
I bared my fangs at him as he came closer, dipping his finger in a bit of the ink. I tried to pull away with a hiss as he began to mutter something in the language I'd heard in my dreams. I knew it! He was the one responsible. I tried to snap at him with my teeth and legs, but he easily just avoided my flailings.
It was then that the fiery sensation overtook my body and darkness blocked out my vision. I could hear a mad cackling, before everything went silent. As light began to return to my sight, something was different. I felt more at ease now than I had before. "You alright son?"
"Y-yeah...I think so. What did you just do to me?"
He held up a mirror, revealing a strange lopsided five point star with an eye painted in the center. It was the symbol he'd drawn on my forehead and examining it, I was unsure of what to make of it. "It's called the Elder Sign." He explained. "It's a ward against evil of all kinds. I don't know how you managed it, but it seems like the sins of the past are catching up with you."
"What the hell are you talking about?" I demanded.
Callie rushed to my side, despite her Gramps holding out his arm in caution. Throwing her arms around me, she began to tear up. "Mr. Octoling, I was so scared...you were acting like some sort of wild animal. You kept accusing us of terrible things. I thought I'd lost you."
"I did?"
"Don't worry. You weren't under your own control." The old soldier explained, unlocking the handcuffs to release me.
Rubbing my wrist, I looked up at him. "What is happening to me?" I asked. "Am I dangerous?"
"Very." He stated bluntly. "Callie...go call your cousin. She needs to be here on the double." She looked at me hesitantly, as if she didn't want to get up. "Go." He repeated, causing her to begrudgingly stand and leave. "Listen closely to me son...I know it's hard, but that seal won't hold forever. If you smudge it or damage it even a little, you'll go back to how you were."
"Then I have to leave, right? I don't want to hurt anyone."
"Oh no. You're too dangerous to be released to the public."
"This again?"
"Shut yer trap!" He ordered, cutting me off. "This hasn't anything to do with your people, squiddo. This is an evil far greater than even you could expect. You've already felt the first effects: paranoia. Let me guess, you've been seeing awful visions in your dreams. Have you started seeing hallucinations yet?"
"Hallucinations? I'm going to start to hallucinate?"
"Good. Then you've got some time still." He muttered to himself, going to the shelf to peruse the books. Reaching behind a particularly thick tome, he dropped a small book, seemingly bound in some unknown material. "This," he explained, "is the Necronomicon."
"The what? Please, just tell me what's happening."
"She's on her way." Callie informed him, returning to see the book on the ground. She too seemed as confused by this as I was.
"Good. I'm sorry to pull you back into active duty so quickly Agent 1, but I'm afraid we have an emergency with this new development." HIs eyes focused on me. "And you, Agent 4, are going to help these two. I'll explain everything once Marie gets here."
The three of us ended up sitting around a table waiting patiently. Callie's hand took mine under the table. I could tell she was really afraid. "Gramps?"
"I told you I'll explain when she gets here."
"You called Lusca, Agent 4."
"Yes."
"Who is Agent 3?"
He gave a sly grin. "Don't worry about that now, sweetheart. You'll meet her soon enough."
"I'm here!" Marie gasped, bursting through the front door. "What's happened? What's the emergency?"
"Sit down, Marie." He calmly instructed her.
She complied, taking a seat beside me to repeat the same gesture as Callie. "Gramps?"
He took a deep breath, looking intently at the three of us. "I'd prayed that this day would never come." He began. "It's time, squiddos, for me to tell you the true story of the Great Turf Wars. The fall of the Octolings was no mere whim. I'm sorry to say that this is something I've kept from you all your lives, to protect you. But now, that's no longer an option. Allow me to tell you the story of a being that goes simply by Cthulhu."
To be continued...
