Importance

Don't cry, love.
No one can ever be loved by everyone,
And popularity is fleeting at best.
If you have one real, true friend,
Who will be with you no matter what,
You've already won
No matter what the contest says.

Results. Results, results, results.

Marie is fine. Marie will be fine. She's known, since Callie VS Marie was announced, that Callie would win. There will be no surprises. And she's not going to be jealous.

"Let's see who won the popularity vote!" Callie says, bouncing on her toes, and Marie nods along. There's a green screen between them; they don't know the results yet. Their producers want their reactions live. So they can't see the popular vote results, even as they do their typical reactions.

Then they do the battle results, and Marie wishes she could look. It has to be at least somewhat close, right? But...

"And now, the final results."

Marie can look at these, she can see them, and she and Callie both stare at the screen as it flashes up. Not that it matters. Marie knows what she's going to say, she already practiced being a gracious loser.

POPULARITY: Callie 46% Marie 54%

What?

Wins Callie 49% Marie 51%

But—

MARIE WINS

Marie's jaw drops open. "HOLY CARP." She rubs her eyes and checks again, but no, it stays the same. "I... won? I WON!

Callie starts laughing. That snaps Marie out of it—they're live, she just lost her cool in front of everyone. That's completely unfresh, her fans expect better from her—her fans.

Marie has fans, not just her splatfest team, not just Squid Sisters fans, not people who like her because of Callie and are only there for her second even as they call themselves her fans, but real, true, fans. Marie can't believe it; she rubs her eyes and checks again. She actually... she catches sight of her reflection in the glass, her inked cheeks sharp in the glass between her and the watching inklings, and presses her hands against her cheeks. "Thanks for believing in me, Team Marie."

Marie closes her eyes and fights back—why does she want to cry? She's Marie, she doesn't cry, not where people can see her. Callie clears her throat and steps forward, taking the attention off Marie. "I'd also like to thank Judd, Gramps, and most of all..." Callie turns to Marie and smiles, and in that moment, Marie can see there are no hard feelings. "Congrats, Marie. You earned it."

Marie can't stop her smile, now. "Thank you, Callie, for being my best friend."

Callie springs forward and wraps her arms around Marie, hugging her so hard she squeaks and has no choice but to hug back. "SQUID SISTERS FOREVER!"

It takes a long time for Marie to want to let go, but when she pulls back, the camera jelly's aren't rushing them. "Well, I guess that's it," Marie says, shrugging and stepping back. She wipes her eyes with one finger. "I'm really going to miss this." Splatfests, not so much. But this is it, isn't it? They'll start looking for the next group to host in a few days.

"Me too, Marie," Callie says, and in her eyes Marie can see everything they've never spoken. Splatfest—doesn't matter. She was being silly, both of them were. Nothing, NOTHING, can come between them. "Me too."

Behind the cameras, their director steps forward. He holds up a sign with the word STAGES on it in bold.

Oh. Right. They still have to do that.

The two of them spring apart. Marie smooths down her dress and Callie straightens her tentacles, then the two of them launch into their spiel. They've done it so many times, now, Marie doesn't even have to think about it. Which is good.

Because she really, really is not paying any attention. Her fans... she has fans, her, not just of The Squid Sisters, not just people who share her opinion. Hers. People who like her, or at least who she pretends to be on screen—and really, take away a little sarcasm, add some affection, and what's the difference? People like her, and somehow, she's won this farce of a popularity contest.

And Callie is okay with it.