Hey all, been a while! You know how life is.
Playing a lot of Splatoon 3 with my buddies recently and it led to this idea, so luckily my work schedule has cleared up enough that I was able to work on a little something. Whether that means I'll be swinging by more often remains to be seen, but who knows. I've still got ideas kicking around the ol' brainpan and I imagine Pokémon Scarlet and Violet will generate some more. Regardless, I hope you enjoy squid kids :)
An array of pitch-black skyscrapers breaks through a sanguine haze, shimmering as windows flicker to life and cryptic runes on neon signs slice through the abyssal malaise. Those starry abodes shine from all directions as a nearly identical city runs above the other, upside down like a cruel trick of the mist – or that director Fishtopher Nolan. However, this was all just a well-rendered illusion on a crystalline dome hundreds of miles beneath the planet's surface.
The dome protects a Brutalist concrete fortification floating among a concentric obstacle course of mismatched road segments and street signs. Only bright, artificial colors could stand out among the haze's dulling atmosphere, like three streaks of saturated yellow, cobalt, and teal running different routes around the course.
A single Octotrooper patrols outside the entrance of the fort, his hover device sputtering and scraping against the pavement as it struggles to maintain a few millimeters' height. The Octarian soldier grumbles incoherent, bubbling sounds while banging his foot against the ramshackle device until it steadies.
He paces between a pair of highway dividing barriers until a cobalt-colored Curling Bomb slides across his path. The autonomous device lets out a high-pitched wail, and the Octotrooper drags his joystick with the furry tip of his tentacle to keep up. Soon after passing him, the Curling Bomb explodes, leaving a small pile of shrapnel as its inky payload bursts in all directions. Some splatters against the Octotrooper's face, and he tries rubbing it clean with exacerbated cries.
Unbeknownst to him, this distraction covers a rippling disruption in the cobalt trail. It's already too late.
His predator springs the trap.
A humanoid figure bursts halfway out of the ink; barely solidify its slimy form before bringing down its raised Splat Roller like a gnashing maw. The Octarian's body and hover device burst, splattering another round of cobalt ink over the pavement. His cut-off scream suggests it was not a painless death.
As the air settles, the figure reemerges like Venus from the brine, an abstracted octopus morphing into an Octoling on their knees. The residual slime sheds by the time they're upright, but Shiver flicks off a little more when brushing out the flayed edges of a hair tentacle that settles over their left eye.
After admiring their handiwork, Shiver saunters toward the concrete fort, dragging their Splat Roller so it trails color. They cover their right ear with a ruby-red finger.
"Boss. Come in, Agent 2." Their even-keel tone betrays a hint of boredom. "This is Big Shark. I've reached checkpoint one."
It was a sunny afternoon on the surface, hundreds of miles above the misty cavern. Fans of James Bass movies would expect the proverbial guy-in-the-chair to be stationed in some elaborate mission control with analog screens displaying drone footage and body cams. Instead, Shiver's signal goes to a Sea-B Radio tucked within a closet at the top floor of Flounder Heights' priciest condominium. The radio transmitted from a battered, fading TV dinner tray that was once advertising the Inkopolis News Network. It took up about half of the total closet space, leaving its owner Marie to sit with her legs pulled to her chest.
Shiver's voice jolts the Inkling starlet to attention, dropping her Sea-Cucumber Phone and almost succumbing to an itchy holiday sweater that refused to stay against the closet wall. Marie fumbles with the speaker before answering in a completely cool, collected manner.
"Agent 2 here." She squints at the device. "What did you just call yourself?"
"It's not like the Captain is handing out Agent designations," Shiver replies in a tone embracing their rolled eyes. "But I figured we couldn't just walk around announcing ourselves as Deep Cut."
"So you went with Big Shark?"
Underground, Shiver leans the handle of their Roller again the fort wall.
"Big Eel and Big Man also agreed to the plan."
Marie feels an urge to break out her grandfather's vintage. Instead, she reluctantly hits the talk button again; her free hand thumbing a mole under her right eye.
"Isn't 'Big Man' just his name?"
A much deeper, masculine voice responds: "Ay! (As far as you know!)"
"Fair enough." Marie sighs. "Good to hear you've made progress… Big Shark."
The last vestiges of her soul float into the holiday sweater as all three of her charges struggle to hold in their giggling. How did she wind up with this team again?
"Well Big Man is also in place," Marie continues with restrained breath. "Once everyone is ready we'll move on phase two."
"Sorry Boss, going as fast as I can!" This third voice from underground is lighter and cheery than the others, her Splatlands accent shining through each syllable. "I found a bowling alley down here? It doesn't look like it's connected to anything, and there's nobody- OH jeez!"
Frye's comm goes out, and this time Marie offers a dainty chuckle.
"Those Octarians do love their idle entertainment," she says under her breath. Then the Agent commands more of a presence. "Look out for the Octoballers, just charge your Tri-Stringer and fire when they come up for air."
"Ay! (You got this, Big Eel!)"
"Tear out their hearts! Bare your teeth like I showed you!"
Marie stares at her radio again. Third time's the charm - she definitely needed a break.
"Right. While she's having a ball, you two stay alive."
"Ay. (On it Boss.)"
"Boss?" Shiver chimes in a moment after. "Can you stay on the line? Wanna chat about something."
"Mmhm, one sec."
The Squid Sister sets her radio speaker aside to open the closet door, letting in fresh air and daylight that casts sheen on the naturally lime-green edges of her tentacles. She swings her legs out toward the open doorway with a relieved sigh, and then pulls a red candy box out from the pocket of her light grey terry shorts. After opening the box, she tosses it onto the tray beside her radio; a few chocolate-coated cookie sticks slip out. She flicks down switches on the radio's chassis.
Marie takes one of the snack sticks to conduct as she leans her head against the back of the closet. Her free hand brings the speaker back to her mouth.
"Alright, just us on the line Shiver. What's up?"
Lighting in this urban dreamscape was perfectly moody, and Shiver had to make sure their footing was perfect for Deep Cut's coming Splatfest – it seemed as good a time as any for some impromptu dance practice. Unfortunately, they don't get far into "Anarchy Rainbow" before the boss' return makes them to miss a step. Shiver snarls as they shut their hand-fan blades with a sharp clack. They straighten out their posture and pull their semi-sheer purple shawl back into a comfortable wrap around their sarashi. Trust falling until their back presses against the concrete wall beside the Splat Roller, Shiver hits the comm device again.
"'preciate it, Boss. Just had a couple questions I wanted to sink your teeth into."
"Shoot." Marie twirls her snack between her sharp teeth, serrating the chocolate coating.
Tapping their closed fan against the wall, Shiver folds over the fingers of their right hand to mindlessly examine them.
"Why aren't you down on this little journey with us? Not that I don't appreciate the autonomy, but the op would go faster with a full task force."
Marie's golden eyes drift along her droopy mask-like Inkling markings, settling on a nice white coat at the far end of her closet that covered a grey kimono.
"I've done my time recruit. Besides, someone's gotta oversee this grunt work to make sure you newbies aren't stealing too much treasure."
Shiver scoffs at the notion. "C'mon Boss, Agent 1 tells me you're a crack shot with a Squiffer. Don't you miss being out in the field?"
It's hard for Marie to exude anything but smugness at the compliment, regardless how she felt about Callie's gossiping after that incident with Agent 4.
"Well..." She rolls the word around on her tongue. "It is pretty satisfying to pop an Octobomber."
Shiver emotes in a breathy manner that Marie recognizes. She knows the Octoling had their tongue out, satisfied with the inch their boss gave them.
"Like chum in the water, really gets your blood boiling."
Marie twirls the elastic coil connecting her radio to the speaker before hitting its talk button again. "Guess you could put it that way."
"I usually like a good Splatana to quench that bloodlust, get up-close and personal with my kill. But I'm not half-bad with a Roller for stealthy takedowns."
"Agent 1 is a big fan of Rollers, but her idea of 'stealth' is running headlong into danger with a smile on her face." Marie mimics her cousin's expression to nobody.
"Frye's like that too! Give that girl anything bigger than a pop gun and she'll try squeezing as much power out of that sucker as she can."
"Mmm." Marie closes her eyes and nods.
"Still, guess there's nothing more satisfying than a heavy Roller drop. It's like…"
"Like a shark's bite?"
Shiver rolls their head back to stare up at the inverted city with a satisfied squint, humming gleefully.
"Exactly how Master Mega put it."
Can Shiver talk to that megalodon? Is he their teacher? This seemed like a can of worms Marie wasn't ready to unpack.
"That's why you should be down here with us, Boss." Marie looks over at her crackling radio again, drawn to the Octoling's singsong tone. "I'm sure you Squid Sisters got into plenty of trouble over the years, but I'd be way more fun as a co-pilot."
The candy stick snaps when Marie clenches her jaw, half of it landing on her tee and scattering beige crumbs across the black fabric. Her curse is garbled as she brushes the mess away.
Shiver is ready to pounce on any response, but their shoulders lighten once Marie leaves them hanging. With a huff, the Octoling slides down the cool wall and sits as though they were recording with Frye and Big Man. Their exposed eye narrows as its infinity-shaped pupil darts back and forth, wondering what might have gone wrong there.
Luckily, it wouldn't be long until Marie chimes in again. Shiver perks up.
"You're awfully chatty today, huh Shiver?" Marie takes her thumb off the talk button for a second. "Shouldn't you be a little more focused on the mission at hand?"
"If you think I'm chatty now, you should listen to the Splatcast. I basically carry our show, you know?"
"Yeah, I know. I always tune in."
Shive's stomach does a 180, their eyes widening like dinner plates and breath stopping for a brief moment.
"You do?"
Marie offers a coy half-smile toward the radio, hearing that change in Shiver's voice.
"Sure. We've been stationed all around the Splatlands since the Alterna incident, and who knows when we'll finish sweeping up these Grizzco strongholds. Never hurts to keep up with the local news."
Shiver's gaze drifts into the mirror city again, and they trace their red fingers in cobalt ink while mulling over this new information.
"You okay over there, Big Shark?"
Clearly they'd been silent a little too long.
"So you only watch for the news then?" Shiver is softer, their delivery showing this was a pointed question.
"Well, I guess it's pretty entertaining too. Certainly better than that little gremlin who took over Inkopolis News for us." Marie chuckles before she tosses back the last bite of her chocolate-coated snack stick. "But I think the Squid Sisters put on a better show."
Shiver's hand clenches into a fist, squishing some ink between her fingers.
"I agree."
The Inkling girl almost chokes on her candy, but manages to swallow it down with a few pounds of her fist against her chest.
"Wait, really?" She leans into the device a bit. "Really?!"
"Mmhm."
Shiver closes their eyes with idly gyrating shoulders, causing the metal charm over their chest to chime. They open the fan up to cover their lips.
"Inkopolis News means a lot to me, honestly." Their voice sounds sincere, even vulnerable. Not at all what Marie expected. "After you and Agent 1 busted out that 'Calamari Inkantation,' it made a lot of us realize there was so much more to experience. So much more to be."
The thought drifts off in a wistful note. Marie sits up, curling her legs toward the radio again.
"Uh huh?"
"When I decided to visit the Splatlands, I watched your entire back catalog, like, at least three times. Almost four, but my train stopped mid-way through episode 138. I met Frye later that day, so I never really had the chance to pick it back up." Shiver chortles, a kind of laugh just on the verge of snorting like some extinct curly-tailed mammal. "But I don't think I would have connected with her if I hadn't picked up some Inkling culture first."
Marie feels that tightness in her chest as she absorbs Shiver's story, her sarcastic facade melting away.
"It's like you changed my life twice-over, Marie."
The international pop idol was truthfully an introverted person, so this conversation made Marie long for some kind of shell she could withdraw into.
"Wow."
That's all Marie can manage for a few minutes. Shiver seems content to let her think over a response.
"I don't know what to say, Shiver." Marie clears her throat, rolling her eyes back to try and dry up that burning in her tear ducts. "Honestly, I don't think about that day too often. The gravity of it gets a bit… Overwhelming. But it's nice to be reminded how important it was for people."
She offers another one of those half-smiles to the radio. Shiver returns it as best they can into the misty void.
"Sure, sure. I'm the one who should be flattered though, I mean how many of those people get to actually meet the Squid Sisters - let alone work with them!"
Marie shrugs. A couple others at least, though Marina and Agent 8 were usually off doing their own thing.
She doesn't have time to break that news to Shiver.
"Seriously, when we performed together to save the world? Top-three moments of my life." A pause. "Minus the whole end-of-civilization thing."
The Squid Sister scoffs in lieu of laughter, and takes another chocolate-coated snack to gnaw on.
"Just top three, huh?"
Shiver bites their lip and takes a deep breath.
"Well…" Their voice trails again, sounding noncommittal. "There was a moment. Frye and Big Man jumped in immediately, but I froze up. Star-struck, I guess. Then you gave me a little nod, gestured for me to come join you guys."
Shiver closes their eyes, living up to their name as the emotion coursing through their veins dispels this cave's dank, dead smell in favor of recalling spicy gasoline that burned their nostrils atop the rocket launch pad's service structure.
"Might have been a perfect day if I with my gut and... Kissed you."
As soon as the word 'kiss' leaves Shiver's lips, Marie starts choking on her snack again. This time it's a rough coughing and hacking fit, doubled over their arm on the scratched-up trey. She takes a few deep breaths like drags on a cigarette, waiting to hear her heartbeat slow before she feels confident enough to hit that speaker again.
"Man, uh. Shiver, I… Erm…"
Marie's voice sounds hoarse from coughing, and Shiver picks up on this. They bite their tongue, exposing it with a smile.
"Wassa'matter Boss?" They ask cheekily. "Shark got your tongue?"
"I just..." Marie takes a moment to collect herself, folding her legs crisscross to take a zen yoga pose. "Wasn't expecting that is all. I kind of figured you and Frye..."
Shiver waggles their head side-to-side, humming thoughtfully.
"I guess we don't have that familial excuse to diffuse speculators, huh?"
"Not that that ever stopped weirdos on forums," Marie mutters.
"That aside. I don't know." Shiver's eyes catch a neon green sign in the skyline above them. "I love Frye, of course. Big Man too. I just don't think I'd want to risk wrecking what we've got like some wannabe band-ending horror story."
"Well you could've fooled me," Marie scoffs, thumbing her mole more aggressively while focusing on an old Squid Sisters poster in her apartment proper. "I've seen those live 'Till Depth' performances where you dip Frye like my Gramps coming home from the Great Turf War during that bridge into the chorus."
"Oh?" Shiver sounds ever more intrigued. "So you like that move, hm?"
Marie's cheeks run hotter, and Shiver's adrenaline amps up their shark-toothed grin.
A third crackling voice cuts into the call.
"Big Eel here. Sorry, but I've been waiting like 10 minutes to cut in, and I don't think a good spot is coming soon."
Both Marie and Shiver are frozen in fearful silence, Marie staring at her poster self with the same energy as Shiver solemnly glancing upward in the hopes one of those buildings would remember gravity exists.
"I'm in position though!" Frye's often-sharp tone was a bit more muted with regret. "Whenever we wanted to get moving on that.
Eventually, Marie finds the courage to bring the speaker to her mouth, maintaining her calm, collected leader voice.
"Roger that, Big Eel. Apologies for the delay." She pauses. "Also for… That. I thought I opened a private channel."
"Ay, ay. (Not sure that's possible with the radio you're using, Boss.)"
"Oh good, the manta also heard." Marie grumbles, bashing the speaker against her forehead. Then she hits the talk button again.
"Well, let's move on phase two. Infiltrate the base, eliminate any hostiles, and collect whatever weird stuff they've got. Let me know once you're secure."
"Roger!"
"Ay. (Aye-aye, Boss.)"
"We'll show those fuzzy freaks what's what."
"Ay, ay! (Yeah, we've got to get you out alive for your date Big Shark!)"
A chill runs through the transceiver.
"I will leave you here to rot, Big Man."
"You'll have to leave me too if you think I'm not going to be your best eel at the wedding!"
"Ay ay ay, ay ay ay- (Shiver and the Boss, sittin' in a tree-)"
Marie turns the radio dial until it cuts to static. She needed a minute to let her brain melt into a fuzzy mush. The Inkling leans her chair back until it bumps against the wall. She covers her face with both hands, groaning into them - doing everything in her power not to scream.
"Why did it have to be the cute Octoling."
