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ika tako gamer: Hey, you got to the latest chapter! Congrats! Now, to answer your questions. No, I don't think Geneva has depression. She did doubt her ability to be a hero at first, but as time passed, she grew into the role, and now she's much more comfortable in it. Would she give up all her time to dedicate herself to the New Squidbeak Splatoon? Not at this point. But, she's comfortable being Agent 3. She saved the Great Zapfish once, she was able to find Cap'n Cuttlefish, and she's also dating Agent 8. She's happy. For the "deepest fears" thing, it's actually a pretty interesting question. So, I'll answer it:
For the Rainbow Squids: Roy's is the feeling of being exposed - he keeps a lot of his fears close to him, not willing them to let them out into the open. Octavia's is losing her family. Yuri's is losing his friends - which does tie into the anxiety he had over losing his friends shown in chapter 106. Alexis and Geneva have pretty similar deepest fears: their deepest fear is not being able to save someone, but the reason why is different. Alexis fears that she won't be able to save someone because of her inability to, while Geneva fears that she won't be able to save someone due to forces out of her control. Bonnie's is being trapped. Inigo and Perry have the same deepest fear - being abandoned, though they rose from different sources. Inigo's rose from breaking up with Geneva, while Perry's rose from the fact that his mother left his family when he was a baby.
For Octa Prisma: Eight's is also being trapped, thanks to her experiences down in the Deepsea Metro. Oscar's is being forced to work for something he doesn't want to work for - this almost came true when Angel attempted to drag him away to the Octarians, but thankfully Roy stepped in and stopped him. Yvonne's is being alone - she loves being surrounded by people. When she's not...she does start to worry. There's not much she actually fears, but she definitely does not want to be alone. Giovanni's is death: while he can be quite reckless, he would never put himself in a situation that would directly lead to his death. Brayden's is being caught. Iris's is the feeling of being helpless. Peyton's is losing someone forever. And that's it.
For Salmon Run... Salmon Run is fun! Despite the consequences it seems to have had on the salmonid population come Splatoon 3, I still like playing it. I do have a theory that most of the salmonids have been wiped out by Splatoon 3, and if that's the case... Then I would feel quite bad for Little Buddy. I wonder what they'll do for the PvE mode in Splatoon 3. I guess time will time. And quite interesting to see the similarities between Perry and your OC! Geneva sees Alexis as like a little sister (something Alexis doesn't really want), given her role in the New Squidbeak Splatoon as Agent 4. She feels bad that she even had to go through all that, but overall, she respects her.
Is anyone in the Rainbow Squids afraid of Roy? Not really. They know him better than what the rumors about him say. The only one I would say is kind of scared of him is Bonnie, but that's moreso because of chapter 41. Roy's working not to lash out all the time. If he does lash out at any of the Rainbow Squids again... You'll have to read to find out! Also, Bonnie has not gotten sick on-screen other than in chapter 90. She's gotten sick off-screen, but any colds she got resolved quickly. Regardless of species, anyone's susceptible to disease. Unless you're a sanitized Octarian or a robot, I guess. For the cameos in chapter 105, they have not appeared in any of my other stories as of yet. They're just OCs. I do plan to write a story about Ace (the octoling), but that will have to wait for another day. It'll probably only be on AO3, if you're curious. Finally, the last question: no one in the Rainbow Squids' really a big eater. Gluttony is Oscar's thing, not anyone else's.
Finally, on to the story.
Geneva's PoV
"You sure Harlow is in here?" Agent 3 whispered into her headset as she and Agent 8 traversed through the bare halls, hiding behind whatever they can in order to not get spotted.
"If the database is correct, yes," Marie's voice insisted.
"We check many rooms," Eight pointed out, "but no octoling match the description."
Ever since Angel had escaped back on the first day of school, the agents were forced to lay low now that the Octarians knew of what they were doing. But, Eight still wanted to save the other octolings. So, they kept checking Swimmit, and they kept doing their best to fulfill the peoples' requests.
Unfortunately, this was the second day in a row they searched for the octoling named Harlow. Still, she was nowhere in sight. Geneva began to wonder if she had been promoted, or worse, splatted, but her girlfriend had insisted otherwise. She had to admire her persistence. She persisted through eighty tests down in the Deepsea Metro, escaped, and then later returned to defeat her inner hero. Now, she persisted in her search for Harlow in this specific facility.
"You sure you don't want to go back?" Callie suggested. "It's been an hour, maybe call it quits for today."
"Hey, you know what they say. Third time's the charm," Marie added.
"Yeah! Maybe she'll show up next time!" the black-haired idol chirped.
"Not yet," Eight rejected. "There still be rooms not check."
"Well... It's your call." The grey-haired idol sighed. "Go ahead."
The octoling nodded. "Many thanks."
They checked the hallway before emerging from their hiding spots again, approaching a corner that turned into another hallway. Looking down it, they saw a singular Octarian that was oddly-shaped, standing in front of a door, staring up into it. Slowly, they crept towards some boxes located near the odd Octarian in order not to alarm them. Suddenly, the Octarian turned their head towards the duo, and in alarm, Agent 3 turned into a squid and hid behind Agent 8's leg.
"Hi," the Octarian said in their native tongue. "Why aren't you wearing the hypnoshades?"
Three risked a glance at them. Though their coloring was the same as a standard Octotrooper, something still felt wrong with them. Two stubby tentacles stuck out from the back of their head, reminding her of a Twintacle Octotrooper's tentacles, though this Octarian's tentacles seemed to have no functionally. They seemed to have a torso, too, instead of just having a pair of legs. A tapered tentacle was attached to the left side of their body, where their shoulder would be, much like an arm, though obviously they didn't have a hand. They didn't have anything attached to the other shoulder. Perhaps the most strange feature about them, however, was their eyes. One eye was larger than the other, the smaller eye not functional as it pushed the larger eye to the left side of their head.
...Just what was this Octarian? She's never seen anything like them.
"I..." Eight trailed off, trying to think of an answer. "I...am very high-ranking!" she finally replied, bowing. "I do not need hypnoshades."
The Octarian blinked. "Really?"
"Yes..." she continued upholding the façade. "I was sent to look for Harlow Callisto."
They tilted their head. "Who?" They turned towards the door again. "Maybe ask Angel and Mila."
Angel and Mila? Their words echoed in Geneva's head. Surely they don't mean...
"Where are they?" Eight proceeded to ask them.
"In that room," the Octarian answered. "They said they wanted to be alone." They pouted. "Without me!"
The curly-haired octoling stepped towards the door, the inkling inching alongside her. She heard two people arguing from within the room. Grimacing, she moved back, with Eight soon following.
"I'm not going in there," Eight concluded, echoing Geneva's own thoughts.
The Octarian resumed staring at her. However, this time, their attention was focused on her legs. The inkling tried to make herself seem smaller. She was sharing her ink color with Eight, so she shouldn't be too suspicious, but if they were able to deduce that she was not an Octarian, it would be over. They would have to flee.
"...What?" Eight perplexed.
"I thought I saw something," the Octarian mused. "Behind you."
She looked over her shoulder, going along with their confusion. "I don't see anything," she told them, looking down at them.
"Really?"
"Really."
"Hm..." They proceeded to march around the octoling. Geneva closed her eyes, now hugging Eight's leg with her own tentacles. "See! There is something!" they cheered. "On your leg!"
Eight lifted it, observing her leg. Seeing as there was no use to staying hidden, she let go, falling to the ground and crawling away. She transformed into a kid, relaxing her jaw and stretching her arm. She did feel a little stiff after sitting there for a few minutes.
Unfortunately, the Octarian seemed to recognize her. They gasped, stumbling backwards and bumping into Eight's legs.
"Wah! You're-" they started, eyes wide with panic.
"Shhh," she hushed them. "We're not gonna splat you," she added in Inkling. After the Octarian started to stare at them in confusion, Eight proceeded to translate it into Octarian.
"'We?!'" they then fretted.
"It's a long story," the octoling confessed in Octarian. "How about...we take you on an adventure?"
"An adventure?" Marie butted in. "Agent 8, I don't think that's a good idea."
"Hey, the Octarians barely leave their domes," Callie defended. "I think they should have some fun every once in a while!"
"We still have a mission, though," the grey-haired idol exasperated. "We're looking for Harlow, remember? Not...whatever this is."
"Actually..." Geneva put a hand on her chin. "Even if they didn't know who Harlow is, if we show them a picture of her, maybe they'll remember and tell us where she is."
"I..." Eight closed her eyes, clasping her hands together. "They are a child, Marie, Three," she muttered in Inkling. "Yes, they can help us, but I feel bad if we only do that."
"A child?" the long-haired inkling puzzled. "I thought all the Octotroopers and like were adults."
"Octarian biology complicated," she explained. "You see... Though Octarians cut from our limbs seem like adults, following the orders, many are young. They still have...curiosity like a child, that go away with age." She opened her eyes and looked down at the strange Octarian. "Rarely, when emotions or desires are of the strong, an Octarian start to stretch to a form like octolings. The result varies, but...that is happening to this Octarian right now."
"I see..." she muttered.
"Oh! I've heard of that," Callie remarked. "I've just never seen it myself."
"I do not think it start in recent months for them," Eight deduced. "At least two years ago it start, I am guessing."
While the group was arguing on what to do, the Octarian looked between Agent 3 and Agent 8, still shaking. "W-What are you talking about?" they inquired in their native tongue.
"Hm..." Eight looked over at her girlfriend. "Shall we go back?"
"I guess," Three conceded with a shrug.
She kneeled down in front of the Octarian. "We're going for an adventure now," she told them. "OK?"
"But... You're friends with an inkling!" they opposed. "The Dreaded, nonetheless! She's dangerous!"
"You can trust her," she assured them. "She won't hurt you."
"Are you sure?" they continued to question her.
"Yes," Eight insisted. "I'm sure."
"Alright..." They gulped. The curly-haired girl held out her hands, and they jumped into her arms, allowing her to hold them as they retraced their steps, sneaking through the hallway, and then out of the building. They continued to hide between the buildings, staying in the dark as various Octarians passed by. Geneva kind of wished she could go down here more often. They didn't seem too bad, now that she thought about it. It was just DJ Octavio and the people that worked closest with him that perpetuated the conflict between inklings and Octarians. And in response, the New Squidbeak Splatoon would continue fighting to ensure Inkopolis's safety.
Eventually, they reached the area where people entered and left the dome they were in. She spotted a few octolings land on the pavement, proceeding to be questioned by some Octarians standing around the area. While they were distracted, they proceeded to transform into the cephalopod forms and super-jumped out of the domes, breaking into the darkness of Cephalon HQ, greatly contrasting with how sunny it seemed to be inside that dome. They waited for the glowing platform to fly by before hopping onto it, standing on the middle until they reached the central platform.
"There is a resort somewhere in here," Eight commented while they waited. "We could get disguises and relax there at some point."
"I dunno," Geneva said, looking up at the rocks that formed the ceiling of the cavern. "It's pretty dark in here."
"True...but it is...'aesthetics.'"
"I think you mean, 'atmospheric.'"
"Oh... That sounds more correct."
"It is."
Eight gave a snicker at her last words, and Geneva couldn't help but smile, blushing. She loved hearing her laugh. And she assumed it was the same for the curly-haired octoling, too.
They stepped onto the metal platform, green eyes searching for the exit. Once she spotted it, she turned into a squid again, and Eight then followed, turning into an octopus while the Octarian they picked up held onto her. They super-jumped again, light hitting her eyes as they left the cavern. They soared through the air, feeling the sunlight hit her skin. Tentakeel Outpost came into view, and they barreled towards it, turning into kids as they approached the ground. Agent 3 did a flip as she landed, while Agent 8 stumbled to regain balance in order not to drop the Octarian. After she skidded to a stop, she put her hands on her hips and looked towards the Squid Sisters, who sat on a bench in front of the Cuttlefish Cabin, watching. Callie raised her hands and clapped quickly, while Marie gave a much slower clap.
"You're back," the grey-haired idol noted, rising from her seat.
"Yayyers!" the black-haired idol exclaimed. Her starry eyes drifted over the oddly-shaped Octarian. "Oh! They're even cuter than they were on the screen!"
They stared over at her, eyes wide. "Oh! You're Callie!" they recognized. They forced themselves out of Eight's hands and waddled over to her. "I love your music!"
"Thanks," she said in Octarian, patting their head. She returned her attention to the two agents. "Well, best for you two to be off on your adventure," she bubbled, switching back to Inkling. "Oh! If you go to Wahoo World, you could buy some cotton candy for me!"
"What if I eat it before we get back?" Geneva teased, smirking.
"Hey! Don't say that!" she whined.
Marie smiled. "I'll give you some cotton candy if Three doesn't bring any."
"Alright, alright." Callie looked over at her cousin and smiled back. "Thanks, Marie."
"No prob." She returned her attention back to the Octarian. "About that octo... I think they'll need a disguise."
"Y'know! Not to cause a panic!" the black-haired inkling added.
The strange Octarian looked at the two idols in confusion. Marie sighed and entered the Cuttlefish Cabin. Eight then interjected to explain the Squid Sisters' words to them in the Octarian language. Upon hearing the last sentence, they stepped back, eyes wide.
"A panic...?" they puzzled. "Why would they panic?"
"Inkopolis thinks the Octarians are no longer a threat at best," Eight replied. "At worst..." She frowned, shaking her head. "Never mind." She kneeled down and patted their head. "Don't worry. We'll find a disguise for you."
"Hey!" the Octarian complained. "You didn't answer my question!"
"They'll think the Octarians are going to attack again, basically," Callie interjected. "So, we don't want that to happen! We need to keep the peace!"
"Oh." They blinked. "OK."
The grey-haired inkling walked out of the cabin, holding a Fresh Fish head in her hands. "Wear this," she instructed to them in Octarian. They looked down at their shoulders, waving around their singular arm. She shrugged and placed the mascot head over the Octarian's head. They stumbled due to the weight of it at first, but they then regained their balance.
"Ready!" they chirped.
"Good," Agent 3 remarked. She gestured for Eight and the strange Octarian to follow her, and they walked over to the manhole leading back to Inkopolis. She waved goodbye to the Squid Sisters before opening the manhole, letting the two Octarians climb inside the tunnel first before jumping inside herself, closing the lid behind her.
Once they reached the other end of the tunnel, Geneva emerged from the top of the manhole in the form of a squid, quickly changing forms so that she could open it to let the strange Octarian out. Eight lifted them out before climbing out herself, now back in her civilian clothes. Before the long-haired girl could close the manhole, she heard some footsteps approaching the three of them. She turned around to see the familiar figure of Alexis, walking towards them, the end of her bobble hat bobbing up and down with each step. She came to a stop as she noticed them, eyes wide.
"Oh, it's you guys," she remarked. Her eyes drifted down to the Octarian accompanying them. "...Who's that?"
"Them? That is..." Eight looked down at them, frowning. "Um... What's your name?" she asked them in Octarian.
"Emery Bimac," they replied, bowing.
"...Emery," she then answered Alexis's question, returning her pink-eyed gaze towards the short-haired inkling as she gave a nervous smile.
"'Emery,'" Alexis repeated. "...And just what are they?"
"An Octarian," Geneva interjected. "They're just wearing a disguise right now."
"What?!" she panicked immediately after she finished. "Why're you bringing one here?"
"They are the friendly," Eight defended. "And, they are child. So, we take them around Inkopolis. An adventure."
Alexis calmed down and scrutinized the Octarian, orange eyes narrowing. "They look friendly enough," she deduced after a brief period of silence. She crossed her arms. "But where are you gonna go?"
"I was thinking Wahoo World," the long-haired inkling revealed. "Callie wanted some cotton candy, and besides." She smirked. "It's fun."
"You could spectate a match there, too," the short-haired girl suggested. "It's in the League Battle rotation right now."
"We cannot travel through Deca Tower," Eight pointed out. "Emery will not be able to."
"Oh..." She sighed. "Well, you can still take a train there. That works, too."
"A train..." The octoling frowned. "If we must."
"Don't worry," Geneva whispered to her. "It'll be fine," she assured. She returned her attention to Alexis and said in a louder voice, "And thanks." She gestured for her two companions to follow her again. "C'mon. We can't just sit here."
"I'll go see Callie and Marie," the other inkling present announced. With a nod from the long-haired girl, the agents said their goodbyes. Agent 3 and Agent 8 proceeded to traverse the streets of Inkopolis on their journey to the train station, while Agent 4 proceeded to turn into a squid and travel to Octo Canyon.
Eventually, they arrived at the train station. Geneva promptly paid for their tickets, and they climbed onto the train, taking a seat near the front. Once they sat down, she placed her hand in Eight's, squeezing it. The curly-haired octoling looked over at her, and the inkling simply nodded. They leaned back in their seat while Emery pressed the mascot head against the window, watching the scenery go by.
"Wow!" they commented. "Inkopolis is really big!"
"Mhm," Eight agreed, looking over at the Octarian. "It's not as spread out as Octo Valley and Octo Canyon."
They returned their attention to the octoling. "Do you like Inkopolis?"
Her eyes widened, surprised. "Yes... Of course. Why do you ask?"
"It's just that..." Emery let out a sigh. "Angel and Mila don't want me going to Inkopolis. They say it's too dangerous."
"Well, they're wrong."
"They're...wrong? That can't be right."
"You haven't gotten attacked. That's a good thing, right?"
"Yeah, but you put this thing on me. Would I be in danger if I took it off?"
Eight went silent, pink eyes now averting their gaze. Geneva could sympathize with her, in a way—how do you tell someone that their life was in danger for every waking moment? Especially when that someone had the mentality of a child? But at the same time, she wished she could explain why to them. Whatever happened that caused them to start to stretch, it must've had an impact on them.
But everyone had their secrets. Emery turned their head away from the octoling now, going silent for the rest of the train ride.
Eventually, it slowed to a stop, and the door opened, allowing them to exit. Eight grabbed Emery's hand and dragged them out of the seat, walking out of the vehicle with Geneva. Soon, they stepped outside of the station, the sea breeze hitting her senses, palm trees swaying gently. Roller coaster tracks stretched above them, the screams of its riders blaring as the cart sped by. An admissions booth was located just in front of the station, lines stretching out to just in front of it. Towards the center of the lines, an inkling in a Fresh Fish costume stood idly, holding balloons in one hand and waving the other as people walked by them. One young inkling skipped over to them, trying to grab a balloon. The mascot bent down and handed the kid a balloon, causing them to gurgle in delight. Their mother ushered them back in line.
"Oh, they're wearing the same mask as me!" Emery realized. "Can I have a balloon?"
Eight smiled. "When we get closer, sure."
"Yay!"
They entered the line, and the wait begun. It moved rather slowly, much to Geneva's dismay. Still, she still kept a grip on Eight's hand, not wanting to let go. If anything, the touch of her hand comforted her. If she let go, she worried getting lost in this sea of people, unable to get back home. ...Even if it was just an amusement park, the thought still lingered in the back of her mind.
They progressed through the long line, eventually reaching the mascot. Noticing the mask the Octarian was wearing, they patted their head before offering a balloon to them. Emery reached their arm up, trying to wrap it around the string, but it proved to be rather slippery. They lowered their head in dismay.
"I will take the balloon," Eight offered, holding out a hand. The inkling in the Fresh Fish costume nodded and held out the balloon towards her. She grabbed the middle of the balloon and pulled it towards her. "Thank you."
The mascot gave a thumbs up and walked away, continuing to wave their hand around. Emery cheered and tried wrapping the lower half of the string around their arm again. No matter how many times they failed, they kept on trying. Even when they finally got to the admissions booth, they still tried, with Eight's arm being tugged down as they used more and more of the string.
"Welcome to Wahoo World," the sea urchin at the counter greeted with little enthusiasm. Her hair covered half of her face, with the other half consisting of rather short spines, kind of like a side cut. "10,000G for an adult ticket, 9,000G for children ten and under, free for children three and under."
Geneva looked down at Emery. I don't think they're under three. She returned her attention to the employee and said, "Two adult tickets, one child ticket."
The sea urchin lifted an eyebrow, peering over Eight's shoulder to see the Octarian. She shrugged and outstretched her hand. "That's 29,000G. Pay up."
She pulled out her wallet, only to find that she didn't have enough to pay for all of them. She looked towards Eight. It took a few seconds, but she soon realized what the inkling meant, and she pulled out her wallet as well. With their combined cash, they paid for the tickets, exchanging the coins for three tickets.
"Enjoy your stay," the sea urchin proclaimed as the gate before them opened. "The park closes at ten o'clock."
"Thank you," Geneva muttered. They stepped through the gate to be met with a jingle, signifying their successful entrance into Wahoo World. Various signs pointed in different directions, all leading towards different destination. Some shops were lined up near the entrance, but none of them were interested in shopping at the moment. All they wanted to do was have fun!
They followed the sign to the boardwalk, which soon split off into branching paths. One led to the arena where ink battles were held, allowing visitors to spectate them, while the other led to the rides present at the park. Geneva lifted her head. A ferris wheel spun around in the distance, unobstructed by any other ride. She spotted the Death Drop that Pearl and Marina often talked about in their commentary, stretching high into the sky. To the left of the Death Drop was the same roller coaster from earlier, though now they had a closer view of it. A ride shaped like a rocket circled around near them, screams heard from within. On the boardwalk itself, various booths were set up, venders advertising various things.
Eight tugged Geneva's hand towards the direction of the arena, and the inkling obliged, following her towards it. On their way to the arena, however, Emery suddenly stopped in their tracks, letting go of the balloon at last.
"Emery?" the curly-haired octoling puzzled, speaking in Octarian. "Is something wrong?"
"Is that..." They tilted their head past the couple, and Geneva followed their gaze to the object they were looking at. Towards the railing were three boys, backs turned as they talked to a prawn selling cotton candy. She was quick to recognize the group—they were the boys from Octa Prisma, though they were all wearing costumes. To the left was Brayden, wearing a samurai costume. To the right was Giovanni, wearing a Power Gear costume, though he wasn't wearing the mask at the moment, instead holding it under his arm. The middlemost octoling she assumed to be Oscar, judging by the orange afro that stuck out from underneath the helmet of his knight costume.
"Is that what?" she repeated, raising an eyebrow.
Emery waddled past them, getting a closer look at the octolings. "...Giovanni!" they exclaimed.
Giovanni turned around, his eyes wide, followed by Oscar, and then Brayden. "Huh?" He looked down at his feet to see the Octarian running up to the group. "...Emery?"
"Yeah! It's me!" they exclaimed, jumping up and down. "I haven't seen you in forever!"
Geneva and Eight quickly caught up with them. "You know them?" the long-haired inkling perplexed, bewildered at his recognition of them.
"Yes, but..." the green-haired octoling replied in Inkling. "...They were a Tentakook last time I saw them." He repeated what he said in Octarian for Emery's sake, though the comment was directed towards them this time.
"Yeah, but I'm growing now," they pointed out. They waved their arm around. "See? You look different too!"
"Not as different as you!" he countered.
"Reunions aside," Brayden interjected, speaking in Inkling, "why did you bring them here?"
"And how did you find them?" Gio added.
"Well, we were looking for someone named Harlow Callisto down in Octo Canyon," Geneva explained, "but we found them instead. So, we decided to take them on an 'adventure,' as Eight put it."
"The adventure is of the fun so far, I think," Eight commented. "Emery seems to be happy."
"What are you guys talking about?" Emery puzzled.
"Don't worry about it," she told them in Octarian. She returned her attention to the octoling boys, speaking in Inkling again. "How did you and Emery be meeting?"
"We were in DJ Octavio's wasabi supply unit together," Giovanni answered. His green eyes drifted over towards Oscar. "They were Oscar's friend. They came to that unit with him."
"Oscar?" Emery butted in. "The last time I saw him was with you! Ooh, did you end up dating him?"
"I said no," he pointed out in Octarian. He let out a groan. "That was three years ago. Why bring it up now?"
"Because it's been three years since I've seen you...!" Emery defended. Geneva couldn't make out the last word, but judging by Eight's face, it didn't seem like a nice word. She figured she shouldn't ask her what word it was.
"Are you going to take your cotton candy?" the prawn behind the group asked. "It's ready."
"Finally," Brayden remarked, turning around to grab it. He swiped a cotton candy out of the prawn's pincers, chomping down on it. Oscar let out a sigh and grabbed two more cotton candies from the prawn, offering one to Giovanni. The boy with the mohawk took the cotton candy, taking a bite out of it.
"Wow!" Emery gasped. "It looks like a cloud!"
Oscar angled his cone down towards the Octarian. "Want some?"
"Yes, please!"
They walked over to the cotton candy, planting themself face-first into the sugary floss. They tried pushing the mask off their head until Eight did it for them, causing them to nearly fall through it and take a chunk out. Afterwards, they took a bite out of the treat, chewing on it before Oscar lifted the cone, lifting his helmet and taking a bite out of it himself. Eight wiped the candy off of the Fresh Fish head before placing it back on Emery, disguising them once more.
"Mmm..." they muttered. "It's so good!"
"Maybe we should get you more cotton candy, then," Brayden suggested in the Octarian language, snickering.
"No, they'll be running over the place," Eight rejected, furrowing her brows. "Plus, that's unhealthy."
"He doesn't seem to have a problem with eating a ton of cotton candy," he countered, pointing over to Oscar.
"I can eat all the cotton candy I want," the octoling in the knight costume huffed.
"Yeah, because you're not like, five," Gio sneered. Eight groaned, shaking her head.
"So... No more?" Emery spoke up.
"Yeah, no more," she confirmed. "Sorry."
"Aw..."
"Since we are all gathered here," Brayden then started, switching back over to Inkling, "how about we watch a battle together?"
"Sure," Geneva accepted. "I think Emery would like watching it."
"It is then he will get a taste of life in Inkopolis," Giovanni agreed, walking towards the direction of the arena. "Wahoo World is in the current rotation, I believe. Therefore, we will be able to watch a live match."
"For which of the modes?" Eight asked.
"I think the app said League Battles," the blue-haired octoling replied. "I do know that the ranked mode is Splat Zones, though."
The green-haired boy grumbled. "I was just going to answer that..." Brayden stuck out a tongue in response.
Eventually, they reached the arena, just in time for a match to start. A neon border rose from the perimeter of the central platform. The spawn point nearest to them was colored a deep violet, almost indigo in color. Four octopi sat in the center of the spawn point, much to Geneva's curiosity. She then noticed some binoculars, situated in front of the metal railing separating the arena from the spectators. She popped a coin into the slot and used them to observe the other side of the arena. The other spawn point was colored green. Just as she was looking, four figures emerged from that spawn point, all inklings.
Two of the inklings were holding E-liter 4Ks, though one seemed to be scoped version of the charger. The first inkling had the ends of her hair cut off and grey eyes, wearing a cycling cap on top of her head. The second inkling had wavy hair and red eyes, one of them covered with an eyepatch. She wore a Squiddor polo, too.
That's Lori and Deadeye, right? she thought. She found Perry hanging out with them once, in which he promptly introduced them to her. She took another look at them, nodding to confirm that it was indeed them.
Interestingly, the third inkling was Perry himself, holding a Kensa Sloshing Machine instead of the normal Sloshing Machine. Must be trying something new, she guessed, a chuckle escaping her lips. Though he did like Splashdown, she doubted that he would ever change main weapons.
Upon seeing the fourth inkling, however, Geneva found her heart skipping a beat.
Inigo.
Her anger from the Splatfest started to bubble up again, threatening to burst out of her mouth in the form of several curses. His words repeated in her head, mocking her.
Asher probably wouldn't even be alive right now if you hadn't shown up sooner.
There were some truth in those words, in a way. Asher would probably be dead had she not escaped the Deepsea Metro and returned to Inkopolis that fateful day. Yet...her brother had nothing to do with any of this. This problem was between them alone. All because he was foolish enough to side with Tiffany and ignore every warning thrown his way.
She could not forgive him for that. Despite everything, despite turning against her at the very end, in her mind, he was someone who sided with her worst enemy. And if she was able to have her influence seep into Inigo, then that might as well make him just as bad as her. Even if she was no longer in the picture, who's to say a new villain would arise from her accomplice?
Still, she must keep her composure. She already acted out once back during the Splatfest, and she had no plans to do it again. Biting her tongue, she lifted her head away from the binoculars. Her eyes drifted over to the purple spawn point. There Octa Prisma was, holding their respective weapons. Elyse was with them, wearing a paisley bandana, a basic tee, and wooden sandals. She wielded a standard Blaster at the moment.
The match started, and the octoling girls began to ink the area them, spreading purple ink everywhere. Iris started to make her way towards the center of the arena, Elyse trailing behind her. Peyton was inking her team's side of the stage, allowing her to ink enough area to activate her special. As Yvonne swam behind Iris and Elyse, a purple mist began to circle all four octolings before hardening into solid ink, their eyes shining brightly. Ink Armor.
"Ooh," Emery said. "This is a 'turf war,' right?"
"Close," Giovanni corrected. "It's a ranked match."
"This is Splat Zones specifically," Brayden interrupted him.
The green-haired octoling glared at him. "Again?"
"Does this happen a lot?" Geneva asked them in Inkling.
They turned to face her, surprised. Gio quickly lost his bewildered expression, though, transitioning into a smile, closing his eyes.
"Obviously, you know Octarian," he commented, once again speaking in the Inkling language. "You work with them." He opened his eyes, looking over at the blue-haired boy. "Yes, this happens a lot. Though, it is not usually when you or anyone else in the Rainbow Squids are around."
"So... What do you do in Splat Zones?" Emery then inquired in Octarian.
"The goal is to claim the splat zone in the center of the stage," Brayden explained to them. "Whoever holds it for the longest wins the battle."
"Not exactly," Eight pointed out. "There's a penalty if you lose control of the splat zone and the other team takes it. So, if you get the zone again, you have to wait for the penalty to expire in order for the actual timer to start counting down again."
Emery merely stared at them. "...That's confusing," they deduced. They strode over to the railing, trying to fit the Fresh Fish head between them. "I'm just gonna watch."
Geneva returned her attention to the match. The splat zone flashed purple, signifying that Octa Prisma had taken control of it. Trails of green ink crossed paths over the splat zone, coming from the two inklings wielding chargers. Iris noticed Lori standing on the glass bridge and proceeded to run over towards her, slamming down her Krak-On Splat Roller and splatting the grey-eyed girl. Deadeye, who was located on a platform that was currently not connected to the central area, backed up a few feet in response, firing another shot from her E-liter 4K Scope. Her hair glowed, and she summoned an Ink Storm, a green cloud of ink shooting up into the air. The cloud rained down on the splat zone, causing Octa Prisma to lose control of it.
Frantic, Peyton tried her best to cover it back up, but she was hit with a shot from Deadeye's charger, causing her to explode into green ink, her weapon shooting up into the air before falling to the ground and disappearing along with her gear. Another Ink Storm then appeared, raining down on the splat zone as well. It flashed green, and before she knew it, the team of inklings had taken control of the zone. Her eyes glanced over at the glass bridge once more. While Iris returned to the zone in an attempt to take control of it again, a Carbon Roller smashed her, splatting her. In her place was Inigo. He turned into a squid and jumped into the splat zone, now hiding within it.
"Go, Octa Prisma!" Gio cheered, dropping the helmet that went with his costume and cupping his hands around his mouth. "You must win!"
"Go Octa Prisma!" Eight chorused, pumping a fist.
"'Octa Prisma?'" Emery perplexed.
"That's the name of my team," the boy with the mohawk explained. "Quite cool, isn't it?"
"Woah..." they breathed. Then, they started jumping up-and-down again. "Giovanni's on a team! Giovanni's on a team!"
"I can't believe Oscar was friends with this guy," Geneva whispered to Brayden.
"Neither can I," he agreed.
The battle raged on, the green team still having control of the splat zone. Lori had returned, resuming her post on the area across from the glass bridge. Elyse attempted to cover the zone up again, but she was splatted almost immediately upon stepping into it, Lori's shot piercing through her body. Back at the spawn point, Iris began to scold the younger octoling, Elyse merely dipping her head as the poufy-haired girl explained what to do. Meanwhile, Perry had pushed into the purple team's territory, tossing a fizzy bomb to create a path for him to swim in. Yvonne peeked out from behind a wall that was located on a platform next to an ink rail, firing her Hydra Splatling at him. The pale-skinned boy jumped out of the way, gripping the brim of his hat. He adjusted it before grabbing his Kensa Sloshing Machine again, swinging projectiles towards her. The girl with the pigtails snickered as she hid behind the wall once more, turning into an octopus to refill her ink tank. Perry ran over to where she was situated, only to find her gone as she super-jumped back to the spawn point. While he was distracted, Peyton threw a burst bomb at his back, splatting him with one more swing of her Tri-Slosher.
Emery started to cheer for Octa Prisma this time, now that they knew what they were. Hearing their cheers, Yvonne lifted her head, looking over at the group spectating them. She waved before swimming off to where she was before, covering up more ink with her Hydra Splatling. Geneva returned her focus to the splat zone. Still, it remained green, no one daring to challenge it. At this rate, the green team was going to get a knockout, and the purple team would not gain anything out of this match. Not unless Octa Prisma changed up their strategy.
Did she want the purple team to win? She wasn't sure. On one hand, Perry was on the other team, and unlike with Inigo, she was good terms with him. They even made plans to go to the next Off the Hook concert together with Yuri and Octavia! On the other hand, she would consider herself friends with everyone on the purple team, even if Octa Prisma was the Rainbow Squids' rival team. Even Iris would be better to hang out with than Inigo at this point. At least she wouldn't be stopping her from doing anything.
Not that it mattered, anyways. A whistle blew, marking the end of the match. The zone was still green, presumably marking the victory of the green team. Everyone stopped inking, lowering their weapons. Judd and Li'l Judd arrived a minute later, standing on the pink fence surrounding the splat zone. They danced, and Li'l Judd struck out a green flag, causing the larger cat to fall to a straight part of the fence, donning a shocked impression.
"Aw..." Emery muttered. "Octa Prisma lost."
"They...just had a fluke, that's all," Gio tried to defend them. "The match only lasted for less than two minutes. They'll do better next time."
"Yeah!" they agreed, sticking their head out of the railing and puffing up their chest. "The Octarians are great, after all!"
"Of course they would say that..." Geneva sighed, rubbing the back of her head.
"Yvonne! Iris! Peyton!" Oscar then called to Octa Prisma, leaning over the railing. "Come up here!" he requested in Octarian.
"Oh!" the octoling with the ponytail exclaimed, turning around to face the group. "So this is where you went."
"May I come?" Elyse asked the girls, clasping her hands.
"Of course!" Yvonne agreed.
The four octolings changed forms, super-jumping up to them while the green team super-jumped back to the Deca Tower. The girls reformed on the boardwalk, still holding their weapons. Iris, throwing her roller over her shoulder, walked over to Brayden and gave him a kiss on the cheek, now standing next to him. The other three remained where they landed, facing the group.
"Ooh, an Octarian!" the dark-skinned octoling realized. She put her Hydra Splatling away and walked over to Emery, observing them. "Strange to see one here!"
"An Octarian?" Elyse puzzled. Her blue eyes rested on the strange Octarian, staring over at them. "...Do I know you?"
"Maybe..." They managed to lift the Fresh Fish head off of them this time, revealing their face. "You look familiar."
Elyse gasped. "Oh, I do know you!" She took a few steps closer to them. "You were with that technician that fixed my Octo Shot before I set out on my first mission."
"That technician being...?" Gio interjected.
"I think her name was...Defili?"
"Oh, Mila!" Emery recognized. "Yeah, Mila Defili. That's her."
"Mila Defili is right here."
At the new voice, Geneva turned around to see two octolings standing in front of her, both wearing the employee uniform for Wahoo World and the hypnoshades. Angel and Mila.
"Oh!" the Octarian gasped. "Angel! Mila! Hi!" They skipped over to the two octolings, taking their place between them.
"H-How did you find us?" Eight puzzled, eyes wide.
"After we noticed Emery was gone, we checked the cameras," Mila explained. "We found you and the Dreaded taking them away, so Angel directed me to your base. DJ Octavio told us you were going to Wahoo World, so we snuck in and looked around."
"And finally, we found you," Angel finished, smirking as he adjusted the hat he wore. "I'm not going to cause a commotion out here; it would draw too much attention. But, next time for sure, we will fight." He narrowed his eyes. "I promise."
"Hold on," Geneva said, stepping up. Speaking in whatever Octarian she could manage, she continued, "We...are not...giving...you...Emery...now." She hoped he got the message.
The bronze-skinned octoling raised his eyebrows in surprise. "You can... Nevermind. The point is that Emery came back to us willingly." He pressed on their back, and the Octarian turned around.
"Wait," she demanded. Angel looked back at Geneva, confused. "Tell me... Where is Harlow Callisto?"
"Harlow Callisto?" Mila repeated. "Why do you want her?"
"I think I know why," he growled. He returned his attention to the group. "Well, first of all, she's pregnant. There's no way you're getting her out." At the revelation, everyone's eyes grew wide.
"Pregnant?!" Eight cried. "I didn't know that!"
"Me neither," she corroborated.
"Now you realize your mistake?" he jeered.
"Truly despicable," Mila commented.
"I have a question myself," Giovanni declared. "Who is your brother?"
At that question, Angel laughed. "Why would I tell you about my brother to a traitor like you?"
"Angel's brother is a traitor himself," the olive-skinned octoling explained. "Three years ago, he came within range of the Calamari Inkantation. It was there he deserted the Octarians, leaving his best friend behind." She lowered her head, looking down at the strange-looking Octarian. "...Emery."
Emery looked up at him. "But you'll find him, right? You promised you would!"
"I will," he affirmed. The octoling with the curtain cut narrowed his eyes. "But the inklings keep getting in my way." In response, the group simply stared at the trio. With nothing else to say, Angel turned around and raised a hand, now walking away. "Good day."
"Bye!" Emery waved. "It was fun!"
After Mila and Emery treaded a few feet, Angel stopped, looking over his shoulder and dipping his glasses, revealing orange eyes. "I'll be back." After that, he caught up with them, the three Octarians disappearing into the crowd once more.
As soon as they were out of sight, everyone turned to face Oscar, who had remained tense the entire time, his whole body shaking. His lips were sealed shut, and he took off the knight helmet, sweat dripping down his face.
"So..." Giovanni started, putting his hands on his hips. "About the whole 'Angel's brother' thing."
"That date you didn't want to talk about," Yvonne continued, yellow eyes staring into Oscar's own eyes. "That's where Roy met Angel, right? Not the whole 'he just saw him in a random match' thing I was thinking."
"And the fact that Mila called Emery the best friend of Angel's brother," Brayden added, "with you also being Emery's friend."
"Do you have something to say?" Eight asked him.
Oscar gulped, finally facing the group. "Y-Yes," he replied. "Yes, Angel is my brother."
The blue-haired octoling crossed his arms. "I suspected as much."
"You never mentioned him," Peyton noted. "If you were in the same unit at one point, then I reckon you were his twin, right? And aren't the bonds of twins very strong?"
"He's not my twin," he corrected. "He's older than me. I just happened to be put in the same unit as him. It was a coincidence."
"My point still stands," she insisted. "You never mentioned him."
"Not even to me," Gio agreed. "And I've known him the longest."
"Can we stop talking about this?" the boy with the afro requested. "I don't want to talk about it."
"Huh?" Iris blurted. "This is important!"
He shook his head, frowning. "...I'm going home." Before anyone could try to change his mind, he ran off, disappearing into the crowd.
"Geez," Geneva commented. "I've never seen anyone that determined to hide things."
"Without a good reason, too," Brayden agreed, switching back to Inkling to match the language the long-haired girl was speaking.
"Everyone has secrets," Eight remarked. "It is the choice they are having to share them or not share them."
They looked out towards the blue sky, the sun still shining. Roller coasters still flew by, screams fading in-and-out as the carts neared them. The palm trees still swayed, as if nothing had occurred in this amusement park. And still, somewhere out there, Angel and Mila were taking Emery back to Octo Canyon, while Oscar was retreating back to...wherever he lived. Even if they weren't able to save Harlow now, the New Squidbeak Splatoon could always set their sights on a new octoling to try to rescue in the meantime.
Yes, everyone had their secrets, Geneva agreed, and everyone had their reasons for keeping them. She just had to hope Inigo would see that some day.
A/N: Well, it's here. Hope you like it! I've been wanting to write this chapter for quite a while. Ever since Bonus Story 5, in fact. And now, it's finally here. The next chapter will shift away from the whole Geneva-Inigo drama for a bit, but just for a chapter. We'll focus on a side character instead, though it'll still be in Bonnie's perspective as usual. Branchwing, out.