Vai's back cried in agony as her aching fingers brushed against her final product. Pride warmed her heart and made the physical pain less noticeable by a landslide. It was a small invention, seemingly insignificant, but the power packed into this miniature device was immeasurable. It was a small watch that was black and dark gray in color, with a touch screen, a little adjustable gear on the left side, and a small button below it.
Her sharp yellow eyes glinted as she scanned her creation. Its name, AARP 279-P (atom rearrangement and replacement projector; prototype 279). Her latest invention, finally complete. A teleportation device.
She strapped it on her left wrist securely. She was more than ready to test her finely tuned prototype and hopefully also her final product despite her exhaustion. Her tentacurls flicked about in anticipation. She was anxious to find out if this project was up to par. Finally, after a deep breath, she shakily pressed the button below the gear and the watch powered on.
The gear above the power button she pressed would determine range. Twisting it forward projected a small hologram. It was a simple image of a blue rectangle with a large X in the center of it, indicating how far away the atoms in the subject's body would be transported. If the subject turned it more in front of themselves , they would be placed further ahead, and turning it backward would put less distance between the subject and the estimated location of atom placement. In English, this tells the subject how far they will teleport with the device. Vai twisted the little knob, initiating the sequence in which the hologram flickers on and the distance between herself and her future location is estimated by a projected screen. She inhaled sharply.
The touch screen was for determining the location and direction in which the subject would teleport. There was a blue three-ringed radar on the screen with a white dot in the center of it representing the subject. The eight cardinal and ordinal directions were provided in each corresponding corner or side of the touch screen; north, south, east, west, northeast, northwest, southeast, and southwest. Tapping on the respective indicator of the direction in which the subject desired to teleport to would confirm the direction setting until the final button was pressed to execute the command. Vai hesitantly tapped on the northeastern corner and gulped, her shaky finger pressing the former power button - also the button used to complete the command sequence - below the gear once more, finally executing the command in the system of the device.
In a flash, she felt her being contort into a strange form and then morph back into her original form. She reluctantly opened her clenched eyelids to see that her test run and her creation as a whole were finally a success. ARRP 279-P was her winning invention. She'll finally be promoted, and she was elated. Her exhaustion evaporated as she bolted out of her lab to wait for the closest train.
Her device seemed to sparkle proudly on her wrist as she stepped onto the train once it arrived. She took a seat toward the end, eager to get home to her friends in her duplex.
Each little building housed two girls and two boys, none of which were blood related.
Vai's roommate was Nora, a soft and emotional girl with her tentacles pulled up into a ponytail, unlike Vai's, which freely rested on her shoulders. The boys in the neighboring duplex were named Mano and Krahn. Nora liked Krahn quite a bit, and Krahn clearly had an affinity for Nora. Krahn was more of a nerd; a weapon inventor and designer. Mano was training to be in the Octarian Army, and Nora was an armor and clothing designer. Vai was more into technology and she invented all sorts of unique tools that would aid the octarians in battle.
Vai didn't really know if she felt any sort of fondness toward Mano as Nora did Krahn, and for this she felt a strange sense of guilt nipping away at her. She felt as if she should feel something for him, but she simply didn't. She liked Mano, but she didn't think of having some sort of deeper relationship with him. Although Mano was frequently on her mind, she never really took it for granted and saw him as a close friend or maybe even a brother.
Mano was an ambitious octoling, courageously fighting his way to the top. He prioritized physical strength and trampled any opponent who dared to challenge him. He didn't prefer to use his mind and he thought more with the brain between his legs rather than the brain between his shoulders.
Despite his nerve, he seemed to have a more emotional side of him, but it was heavily reserved for his closest friends. His serious demeanor keeps him away from other octolings, emotionally and physically. Despite this, he feels perfectly content with his current affiliates.
He tends to come off as overzealous and rude due to his ambitious nature and arrogant attitude. Other octolings typically steer clear of Mano for these reasons, but Mano doesn't really seem to mind.
Krahn was social and friendly, somehow optimistic and ridiculously intuitive. When we were all little octopi, school was always strict and strenuous, but Krahn was always the light of everyone else's dark little day. He retains this legacy even as an older teen now.
Vai was ripped from her thoughts as the train screeched to a violent halt in front of the station. Brutal pillars of cold white light spread harshly upon her figure. She squinted and lifted her right hand over her forehead, protecting her eyes from the overbearing columns of light. Her boots gently clicked against the concrete ground and the sound of it echoed endlessly down the corridor.
She reached the end and walked through the automatic doors, her lab coat drifting effortlessly on the breeze only brought into existence by Vai's brisk walking pace.
The armor she wore under her coat was quite skimpy and didn't cover much skin, which wasn't exactly ideal to wear at the constantly freezing cold train station.
She shivered as she trudged to her duplex, a warm yellow glow attempting to pierce through the thick red curtains draped over the window on the inside. She walked up to the little building, admiring the graffiti sprinkled sparsely on the gray brick walls. Although it's been there for years, Vai looks at it every single day. What else was there to look at anyway?
She brought her gloved hand up to the deep violet door and knocked feebly, her other hand clenching her thin plastic coat to keep it enclosed around her shivering body. The door flew open and Nora flung herself around Vai, her arms wrapping tightly around her.
"Vai! You're back! How was the nerd lab? Did everything go well?" "Uh, well," "Oh goodness, what happened? Are you alright? You-" Nora's incessant interrogating came to a temporary close as Krahn sleepily opened his green door, where Mano was presumably asleep.
"Nora, if you don't shut up, you're gonna wake the beast- Oh, Vai! Why are you back from the lab so late? And why do you still have your equipment?" Krahn asked drowsily, his light blue gown floating lazily in the strange breeze. It took Vai a minute to actually acknowledge that she hadn't returned her glasses, coat and mask like she should have, but she didn't really care at the moment. She would return them the following day.
"Oh shut up about 'lateness' Krahn, you know we're underground. You've been reading too many of those magazines!" Nora growled, still holding onto Vai. "Or you could just call me an avid reader," Krahn responded, leaning against the wall with his legs crossed and an elbow supporting him. He smirked slightly as Nora rolled her eyes and gave him a look.
"Well, excuse Mister Big-fro-small-brain here, but really, how did it all go?" Nora asked Vai curiously, excitement lining her voice. Vai felt fatigue consuming her being as she strained to give them the exciting news. "Well, I finally finished what I've been working on for these past few months and it was a success," Vai stated matter-of-factly, trying to prevent the lethargy from slurring her words.
"That's great, Vai!" Nora said cheerfully, finally letting go of Vai and resting her hands on her shoulders. "Thank you, Nora," Vai said gratefully, forcing her facial muscles to shift into something that slightly - hopefully - resembled a smile.
"Pretty cool, squiddo. Keep up that good work!" Krahn said obnoxiously, throwing up a weird symbol with his free hand that was previously draped by his side. "Krahn, we're not squids. What are you even doing with your hand?" Nora asked, borderline accusingly. Her annoyance was painted clearly on her face as Krahn grinned excitedly at her. "It's a peace sign! Get with the times, Nora," he teased, grinning cheekily. Nora huffed, but she didn't say anything else.
"Vai, you really need to get some sleep. Everyone else is sleeping," Nora remarked, wanting to get her exhausted roommate to bed. "Well, I mean, you're not asleep," Krahn mumbled, standing up straight and turning back to his shared room with Mano. Nora only glared at him.
"Thanks again, Nora," Vai repeated drowsily, finally submitting to the overpowering feeling of exhaustion "Thanks Nora, for being oh so loving and affectionate and totally not a lesbian," Krahn said mockingly, opening his door. "Go to bed Krahn!" Nora yelled, slightly flustered. "Okay mom," Krahn replied defiantly, closing the door behind him as he left to go back to the warmth of his room.
"Vai, just so you know, I'm not a lesb-" "I know," Vai interrupted, a smirk creeping onto her face from underneath her mask. "You like Krahn, Krahn likes you. I can see it pretty well. We all can," she said calmly, her smirk growing wider as Nora's face reddened.
"W-well, don't you like Mano?" Nora retorted, trying to get back at Vai. "Do you think this is like that 'high school' that is always in those Inkopolis magazines?" Vai shot back, still smirking. "N-no, I don't even read those! Krahn tells me about this high school, and of 'proms' and friends and nice squids.. Ah, well it does sound lovely!" Nora beamed, smiling joyously now. She quickly caught herself and regained control of herself.
"You need to go to bed," Nora then said sternly, changing the subject. "Alright," Vai chuckled, stretching as Nora ushered her into their room. Vai's eyes didn't take note of the surroundings as she stumbled toward her bed, her eyelids fluttering. Without a second thought, she flopped onto the bed and passed out and left her rectangle glasses, face mask, and lab coat all still on her person.