Splatoon: Number's Game
Chapter 4
"Here we are." Alex said, unlocking the door to his apartment and opening it up for 8 to step inside. He entered behind her and turned on the lights.
His apartment was smaller than she expected, considering the type of car he owned. The kitchen was to her immediate left, the living room was right in front of her with a distant view of the ocean, and she saw two doors to her right: one to Alex's bedroom and another to a bathroom.
"It's not a whole lot, but it'll do until we get your situation figured out. There's a fold-out bed in my couch that you can use." Alex offered.
8 looked around and nodded with a smile, going into Alex's living room and starting to look around curiously. Alex watched her for a bit before clearing his throat.
"Um, I'm gonna hit the shower. You get comfy." Alex said before leaving the room.
8 sat down on the couch, bouncing on it a little bit before sitting back comfortably. She looked to her right and saw some pictures framed on a little nightstand. She reached over and took both of them in her hands.
The picture in her left hand depicted Alex with three other inklings: two girls and one other boy. The boy was the same one that she saw Alex leaving the lobby area with. The two girls she didn't recognize, but they both were very pretty with matching outfits; one had white hair and the other had black hair.
The picture in her right hand depicted Alex leaning against his car in front of a warehouse. He had on a nice red and white jacket; the same one he was wearing today. He also wore shades and matching sneakers. It looked like the cover of a magazine.
8 set down the pictures and stood up, walking over to Alex's TV. She began to rummage through the doors of his TV stand. She found some idle cables, some video game cases, and some blankets. She took the blankets out and set them down on the couch.
8 took notice of the TV remote and picked it up, running her thumb over the rubbery power button. She turned towards the TV and turned it on. She sat down as the picture came to life, and started to flip through different channels.
"In other Inkopolis News today, an unexpected collision on Interstate 41 when straying salmonids somehow made their way onto the road. Four cars were involved in the collision. Thankfully, no one suffered any major injuries." 8 changed the channel.
"Can't you see that this isn't going to work out? You're an inkling and I'm an octoling! What would your mother say?" "It doesn't matter to me. I love you…" 8 took a mental note of this channel and moved on to the next one.
"A surprise scene in the shopping district. Yesterday, Callie of the Squid Sisters duo was spotted there buying some special, of course fabulous gear. Of course, this comes just a few weeks after her partner, Marie, released her new line of glitter gear."
8's eyebrows furrowed strangely. The news itself was boring to her, but the inklings being discussed looked familiar. She looked at their pictures closely. Her eyes widened in recognition, and she again reached for the two pictures on the nightstand.
Yes, the 'Squid Sisters' on the TV were the same girls with Alex in the picture! This new piece of information combined with the picture of Alex and his car now allowed 8 to come to the conclusion that he was more prominent than he first appeared.
Alex came back out just then now wearing a black baggy T-shirt and dark blue pajama pants. He saw her looking at his pictures and turned his head slightly. 8 looked up at him and turned the pictures to face him, nodding in approval.
"Oh, you like them? Thanks. That one there was taken for a car magazine. I just asked for the printed photo. And this one here, these are my friends: this is Callie, Marie, and Evan." Alex explained the pictures before taking them from 8 and placing them back in their spots.
8 pointed to Callie and Marie and then to the TV. Alex glanced at the TV and saw that she had it on a gossip channel.
"Oh, you saw them?" Alex asked, pointing towards the TV.
8 nodded.
"Oh yeah, they're super popular. I don't think they really do music a whole lot anymore, or maybe they do. I don't actually know. But they're my friends. I just saw them the other day as a matter of fact. I could introduce you at some point if you want." Alex offered.
8 thought about this for a moment before nodding with a smile.
"Cool. Do you want a change of clothes?" Alex asked.
8 shook her head.
"Okay. Do you need to use my shower or anything? There's one right there." Alex asked, pointing down the hall.
8 shook her head again.
"Okay…? Uh, let me just get your bed ready then." Alex said, moving the blankets 8 had gathered out of the way. 8 stood up and watched him set the bed up.
Alex ran a hand back through his hair as he began to move couch cushions out of the way. 8 watched curiously as he pulled the bed out of the couch and unfolded it. He then set the blankets down on top of it and adjusted a pillow already inside.
"There you are." Alex said, gesturing the bed and nodding.
8 smiled a bit and nodded appreciatively, stepping past him and sitting on the edge of the bed. Before Alex could say anything else, his phone began to ring. He took it out of his pocket and answered the call.
"Hey, 3. What's up?" Alex asked.
"Hey, Alex! Um, okay, so I kinda have an emergency here. I saw a friend of mine in Inkopolis Square today and she was supposed to stay with me tonight, but I came by the Square to pick her up a while ago and she wasn't there." 3 explained in a bit of a panic.
"Do I know this friend?" Alex asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Uh, no. No you don't. We call her 8, Agent 8." 3 said.
"8, huh? You don't say." Alex chuckled a bit, turning and looking down at 8.
"You wouldn't by chance have seen an octoling girl with darker skin and black clothes, would you?" 3 asked.
"Actually, yeah, I saw one in the Square this evening. She's here with me in my living room. Funny, she also goes by the name 8." Alex said.
"You took her home with you?" 3 asked.
"Yeah, I gave her my couch bed for the night. If you want, we can meet you tomorrow in the Square." Alex offered her.
"Yeah. Yeah, sounds good. Thank you, Alex."
"No problem. See ya tomorrow." Alex said before hanging up the phone.
8 tilted her head curiously. Alex looked down at her.
"That was your friend, 3. We'll be meeting her tomorrow at Inkopolis Square." Alex informed her.
8's eyes widened, knowing that Alex and 3 knew and each other. However, she again nodded appreciatively…