Chapter 12: Elder Knowledge

Alarms blared as Clair ran through a hall.

"STOP! THERE MUST BE ANOTHER WAY!" Clair shouted at Callie, Agent 3, and Marie.

"What are you doing!? We told you to run!" Agent 3 shouted as she tried to hold up the wall.

"It's up to you now…" Callie's voice was a bit muffled behind the glass, "We can only shield you… Run while you still can… It can't end like this for you… not like this."

"YOU OPENING THIS DOOR!" Clair pounded on the door. She began crying and desperately trying to free them.

"STOP! YOU MUST GO! WE CAN'T LET IT END! RUN RUN FAR FAR AWAY!" Marie shouted, "DON'T BE A FOOL!"

"I hate… you… why does it have to be you guys…" Clair punched the door and grinded her fangs as she ran off.

The room was engulfed in flames and the flames raced at Clair's heels. She was sent into a airbag from the sudden gust of wind.

"Ooooggg…" She slid down the airbag.

"CUT! THAT WAS PERFECT!"

"Is… she okay? I may have blasted her too hard..." The guy controlling the fan looked at the twitching Clair.

"Just splash her with water. She'll wake up." Acrilic smiled as he tossed a cup of water onto Clair's face.

She just flipped him and everyone off.

"Morning, sleeping beauty!" He laughed. "That was awesome!"

"Welp I'm dead" Pastelli giggled.

"Well, you are the sexiest ghost I've ever seen." Acrilic smirked and winked at her.

"Wait! I'm dead?!" Anita was beside herself.

"Yeah, did you not read the script?" Cuddlefish sat up.

"She never even read the dress line-up back when she was a model. I think Cici made her a Sumo fat suit once and she was forced to wear it because she approved the lists without looking at them." Callie smirked at her old rival.

"Yes…" Cici replied.

"You look green now… Weren't you kinda pink before?" Corol looked up at her.

"Don't let... bother you…" She patted his head.

"She's a cute little, tiny squid." Jack muttered as he smiled at her, but looked away when she glared at him for a moment.

"Huh… If you say so..."

Cuddlefish jumped onto Corol's head as well, launching Cici in the process. She got thrown to Jack's lap. She didn't seem to noticed.

Jack's mind started to rapidly panic, his hearts racing as he slowly placed his hands next to Cici. Deciding to get her off so she wouldn't be more upset with him, he carefully picked her up and put her on the ground. He kept a blank stare and looked straight ahead as he did this, not wanting to see her possibly glaring at him.

She looked around wondering what just happened before swimming away.

"So, are you guys done filming your parts?" Callie asked, seeing most shrug while Anita just looked peeved as she looked through her script.

"Yup that's everything since now we are dead." Cuddlefish replied from Corol's head.

"WWWHHHHYYYYY!?" Acrilic yelled as he held Pastelli in his arms, with the silliest 'Play dead' face she could make.

"HAHAHAHAHAHA! *cough cough* Hahahaha! *hack* Heheh." Adstrum choked between laughs.

"Are you two done?" Nana asked as she brought a tray of food to them, "Corol was a dear and made all the food today."

"Oh, that's so nice of him." Callie smiled over at the blue inkling.

"Heh…" Corol became sheepish, "It was nothing… I just wanted to help"

"You are an awesome cook, Corol." Acrilic smiled as he carried Pastelli over and grabbed a bun off the tray. "By the power of this bun, I revive you." He held it over her face.

"No way you made those fish buns?!" Pastelli took the bun, "That's awesome! Now I gotta get your recipe for these! I LOVE THEM!"

"You'll just fill them all with strawberry flavor. The mystery is the best part." Acrilic said as he slapped a bun to his face, splatting it all over his face. He started licking the purple jelly off as best as he could, getting a giggle from Pastelli.

"Oh and you would just argue that grape is better than strawberry when it's clearly not!" She gave him a peck on his lip.

"We all have opinions, Pastelli." He returned the kiss, getting some grape jelly on her face. "It's just yours is wrong." He smirked and raised his arm up in defense as she lightly punched him.

"Mystery?" Cuddlefish asked.

"Uh-huh. I put different fillings in them. There is orange, lemon, grape, blueberry, kiwi, raspberry, blackberry, chocolate, matcha green tea, whipped cream-"

"Whoa… too many…" Cuddlefish bonked his head.

"That's mean." Callie looked at Cuddlefish and picked up a bun, gently rubbing Corol's head.

"He should have been studying!"

"YOU should be studying… I know I can ace this test." Corol blushed a bit when Callie petted him.

"Humph" Cuddlefish took a bun and nibbled on it.

"Well, good luck with your tests." Callie smiled as she brought a bun over and offered it to Marie.

"Oh thank you" Marie smiled and took it.

"You're welcome." Callie patted her cousin's back before walking over to Adstrum. "You gonna try them?"

"No...It sounds interesting, but the chance of me getting a flavor I wouldn't like makes it seem unappetizing to me." He shrugged. "Besides, someone's gotta keep an eye on Sleepy here." He pointed next to himself at the small squid laying on a camera.

"Oh I made sandwiches and other things too." Corol held up a ham sandwich with green tentacles sticking out of it.

Adstrum's eyes opened wide as he looked at the sandwich and then back at the camera, noticing the squid on it was just a plush. "How the hell-?"

"I asked for turkey and ham, not a squid and ham." Callie joked as she took the sandwich.

"Neep." The green squid peeked out.

"..." Corol froze, "did I…. almost kill someone?..."

"No. Trust me, she's been in worse situations than this and survived." Callie gave him a reassuring pat on the head. "Cici is just...Cici."

"She's a GOD of freshness!" Cuddlefish cheered

"Well, then here." Callie placed the sandwich in her hands. "You keep an eye on her. Just give her a comfy and secluded thing to sleep in...like this sandwich, apparently...and she'll be easy to watch...I hope." She laughed nervously.

"Huh? Where?" Cuddlefish looked at the now empty ham sandwich.

"She'll turn up again." Callie rolled her eyes. "She always does."

"Hey, Corol, do you have any-?" Acrilic's question was answered when he had a tuna sandwich tossed at his face. "Thank you." He tore into it with Pastelli smiling at him.

"I didn't throw it…" Corol looked at him.

"Ghost sandwich thrower!" Acrilic yelled with his mouth full.

"Gh-ghost?!" Cuddlefish jumped into Corol's arms.

Corol glowed pink.

"Zoinks!" Adstrum yelled before laughing.

Callie just giggled as she walked closer to Pastelli. "How do you do it?"

"Do what?" Pastelli asked

"Handle him?" She pointed at Acrilic, who shoved the last bite of his sandwich in his mouth, but got his fist stuck in his mouth in the process. "He seems like a handful. How do you keep him under control?"

"It's a long story but he does it out of love. I think"

"Aw, that's so sweet." Callie awed and smiled widely. "It's just like Adstrum. He does stuff out of love too." She looked over at said squid, who punched Acrilic in the gut and got him to cough up his own fist. "Boys will be boys. I'm glad they are able to get along so well."

"Hehe yeah. I thought Cuddlefish and Corol were the only ones to be able to befriend him. But I'm glad he can get new friends"

"Me too. I'm glad Adstrum is able to get along with him well." She looked over at her 'doppelganger.' "You able to get him to do almost anything you want?"

"I can, but that's wrong so I usually let him do whatever he wants"

"True, but I mean like getting him to agree with your choice on...say, a date location or a movie to see."

"Oh he usually goes everywhere I go. So I guess he never minds too much"

"That is true devotion right there." Callie nodded. "You are lucky to have found him."

"Yeah…" She smiled as she blushed.

"What do you and him do in...um...the Octarian place?" Callie asked, changing the subject.

"Oh well… um he's a...an… experiment sorta…."

"Experiment?"

"There are a couple more tests." She glanced at Corol and back at Acrilic, "Since he's a rare cross between a vampire squid and an inkling. They wanted to play with his glow-in-the -dark ink."

"Vampire Squid? Glowing ink?!" Callie's eyes lit up. "Can I see?"

"If he'll let you or if you get him to ink you, but that may… not be a good idea…"

"Why?" She asked curious.

"He will only ink when he fights… His fights can get out of hand too..."

"Oh...well, can I at least see his squid form? His tentacles look different so I wonder what his squid form looks like. Unless...that's one of those new hairstyles?"

"Acrilic? Can you show Callie your squid form?"

Acrilic smiled and winked before turning into a squid and launching himself at both of them.

"EEPP!" Pastelli tried to run.

He tackled Pastelli, his tentacles wrapping around her before he spread himself out, revealing webbing between his limbs.

She turned into a squid too and played with him.

"Oh, he's got umbrella tentacles." Callie gently touched the webbing.

"Hehe" Pastelli held up his tentacles and they showed spiky tentacles under the webs.

"That's so cool!" Adstrum ran up and poked one of the spikes, surprised to find it squishy.

"Pretty harmless but they really tickle." Pastelli wiggled her mantle.

"Harmless, huh?" Acrilic smirked before clamping his limbs around her, trapping her between his tentacles. "Gotcha!"

"Hehe" She moved her beak to his and kissed him

He flashed red for a moment before returning the kiss.

"I win." She giggled, "Because now you can't escape without releasing me"

"It seems we have reached an impasse." Acrilic replied.

"They are such a cute couple." Callie smiled and looked at Adstrum. "We should do this one day."

Adstrum immediately turned pink and he looked away in embarrassment.

Cuddlefish looked at Corol watching the couple play. She moved closer to him. Corol blushed and looked away.

Callie laid her head on Adstrum's shoulder, letting out a quiet pur. Adstrum just blushed more and patted her head.

"...must be nice…" Marie muttered to herself.

"Until it ends…." Cici coldly replied.

Jack rubbed his arm with a guilty look on his face.

"Come let's go get some tea Cici." Marie led her away.

Jack watched Marie walk off with Cici, placing a hand on his chest in the process. "I'm sorry…" He muttered before looking down.

Callie lifted her head up from Adstrum's shoulder and looked around. "I just remembered something."

Pastelli peeked out from an opening in Acrilic's grip, "What's up?"

"Where's Granny?" Callie asked.

"She's watching the scene we just shot." Corol pointed to the elderly lady watching the video.

"Thank you, Corol." She let go of Adstrum and walked over to the old inkling.

Adstrum stood there and looked at Acrilic and Pastelli. "You are a freaky squid. I like you." He chuckled.

"No talking while the warden has a prisoner." Acrilic replied, tickling Pastelli.

Pastelli squirmed inside laughing.

"Granny?" Callie said as she approached the old inkling.

"Oh Callie dear. What's wrong?" She looked at her.

"Um...well, some things. But...how have you been?" She sat down next to her.

"I've been good. It's been a while since I have seen you. When that old coot finally married me." She sighed, "46 years… I still can't believe him… getting married with wrinkles..."

"Speaking of Gramps, how's he been? You talk to him lately?"

"I call him every day. Yet he insists on watching over the Octarian border."

"I'm sure Marie and I can convince him to retire and give the job to someone else."

"Maybe that agent of yours."

"Jack? Maybe. Or maybe start a new SquidBeak Splatoon. The Inkopolis Splatoon and Gramps can come with us to Carti Ridge and set up a Splatoon there."

"Hm? That sounds lovely dear. But I'll have to kick your gramps into gear. He is stubborn as always. Now he even raps about it…"

"Nothing a plate of crabby cakes and his two favorite grandsquids can't convince him of changing."

"I see teaching you that recipe serves you well." She laughed.

"He loves them!"

"Yes, he did back then and he still does now." She blushed and looked away.

"He always loved your cooking." Callie smiled. "And so did me and Marie."

"Heh, I love my family. Speaking of your agent... He seems conflicted. Is he okay?"

"Oh, Jack? Well...he sort of messed up and ticked off Cici...by looking at something private of her's." Callie rubbed the back of her head. "It upset her so much that she ran out in the rain. And I think Jack feels guilty."

"Oh, is that so young man?"

Jack looked up and over at the elder. "Huh?"

"Did you do something to upset your friend?"

His face sank as he looked down, nodding in shame as he clutched his chest.

"Oh, come here sweetheart" She held out her arms to him.

He got up and slowly walked over. "I'm sorry…"

"Shh it's okay…" She hugged him, "It was a mistake. You didn't mean to. I'm sure you wanted to help them."

"I should have kept my nose out of it…" A few tears ran down his face.

"Oh, but it's not too late to fix it, sweetheart. It may make you even closer."

"But she won't let me talk to her or get close…She keeps avoiding me and giving me cold stares."

"Don't give up. She will come around. I know it. She is in pain, but if she can't lay it to rest then only misery awaits her. She can't see it so you must guide her"

"I want to. I'm just worried that misery will consume her and she'll do something drastic…"

"She looks at you when you aren't looking. It's of fear."

"Fear? What? I'm confused now."

"Maybe she's scared you would replace something or someone. She sees it as a threat, but I know you can prove it otherwise."

"She doesn't want the hole in her heart to heal…" He sobbed.

"Maybe deep down she does. She hasn't died yet. If she gave up she would have already been gone"

"Oh…" Jack clutched his chest again. "I don't want her to die…"

"Don't worry. You are a hero. I'm sure you'll save her too" she petted his hands.

Jack looked at Nana and gave her a small smile. "Thanks."

"Keep at her boy" She smiled.

"I'll try." He stood up and walked back over to where he was sitting.

"Wow, you have a way with words." Callie smiled.

"In times of war… sometimes we must rally our friend's sunken hearts"

"Maybe you can talk to him about Marie." Callie pointed over at Adstrum, who was messing with a stagelight and suddenly turned it on, shining his eyes.

"AH! Fuck! Hahahahaha!" He laughed as he rubbed his eyes.

"What? why?"

"Well...he keeps harassing her. Well, more like bullying. He just picks on her all the time and he says he has a reason...but he won't tell me. Marie will leave if he keeps it up, but he says he'll stop when she does something about it."

"Marie has been through a lot. Sometimes I wonder if she is now just a shell of who she once was. Her pride and joy seemed to have been sapped nearly dry."

"You think you can talk to Marie? Maybe you can help her get some joy back. She must be happy to see you again."

"I have been. Though…. I find her friend… fishy. Arisara, was it? She has been getting along great with her."

"Arisara. Yes. She's Marie's therapist." Callie thought a moment.

"There is something off about her… She refuses to show her face and tentacles… but Marie and Gramps seem to like her…"

"Well, I'm glad to have seen you again, Granny." She hugged the elderly inkling.

"Oh it's always lovely to see my grandsquids, dear" She hugged her back and kissed her forehead.

Callie smiled and let go of the hug. "I'll miss you."

"I'll be waiting for you, dear. I need to bring your grandfather to your concerts someday. I'll drag him if I have to"

"Eh, Marie and I can drag him along ourselves. He loves our music."

"Maybe I can bring my agent too"

"You have an agent?"

"She wrecked the city once out of rage, but she's quite the hero" She glanced at Cuddlefish.

"She wrecked the city?" Callie raised an eyebrow. "What ticked her off?"

"Yes… those poor octarians never saw it coming"

"When did this happen?"

"After you and Marie left. They kidnapped Corol there. She lost all control and rampaged. The inkopolis outskirts are still in ruins…"

Callie looked over, seeing said squid continuously scooching closer to Corol, who in turn kept scooching away slightly to make room. "Wow...All because he got kidnapped."

"She's more of a wild card…. Not like your agent there."

"Jack's skilled and calculating. I wonder how he'd react if Cici got kidnapped."

Cuddlefish nuzzled Corol and he blushed.

"I think she would be too fast to catch."

"I wonder how Adstrum would react if I got kidnapped. I doubt it would ever happen, though." She smiled widely and looked over at said squid, who was taping a 'Kick Me' sign to Anita. "Heh, so immature. But I won't say anything."

"You be careful… Octavio has been quiet lately…. At least his daughter is more peaceful…"

"That's good to hear. Speaking of Octarians a future location on our list is an Octarian city. Oh, I can't wait. Sounds interesting."

"Yes, the water 's his daughter's… She's quite the octopus."

"Can't wait to meet her. I wish we could stay and chat more, but we weren't really meant to stop in this town. Guess me getting sick was a good thing. I'm feeling much fresher now, though."

"Yes. I heard. Agent Alpha, Beta. Let's go."

"Come on Corol!" Cuddlefish dragged him away.

"I'm going, I'm going" Corol tried to keep up.

"Hehe" She nuzzled him and he whined as his tentacles glowed red.

"They are so cute together." Callie awed. "Marie! We gotta get going soon!"

"Oh, right. I'll get Jim" Marie walked in with Cici on her head.

Callie grabbed her cousin's arm before turning back to Nana and hugging her. "Bye Granny. Love you."

"Goodbye girls," Nana hugged them both and kissed their foreheads.

"Love you too, Grandma" Marie smiled and hugged her back.

"..." Cici hugged Nana's shell on her bun.

"That's cute, Cici." Callie smiled. When the hug ended she turned toward the other two inklings in the group. "Adstrum! Jack! We gotta go!"

Pastelli slipped out and ran, "We'll see you!"

"At the Water Palace!" Acrilic added as he ran after her.

"You won't catch me!" Pastelli superjumped away.

"Try me!" He turned into a Kraken like form and swam after her.

"Coming, Callie!" Adstrum ran up toward her, but tapped Clair's shoulder and pointed to the 'Kick Me' sign he left on Anita. "I'm such a kid. Have fun."

"Nice…" She ran and kicked her at full force.

"HAHAHAHAHAHA!" Adstrum laughed loudly. "Nice kick!"

"Peace out nerd!" Clair ran off.

"See ya!" He waved at her before walking toward Callie. "I like her. She's fun."

"CLAIR!" Anita screamed.

"Anyone that can piss Anita off that much is a friend to me. Nice job, Adstrum." Callie laughed.

"Remember what I told you Cici…" Marie put Cici on Jack's head.

"...fine…" Cici deflated on his head.

"You don't have to be on my head if you don't want to, Cici." Jack said.

She nipped his tentacle.

"Ow."

"...humph."

As everyone started getting onto the bus Jim turned to them all. "We'll have to drive all night to make up for lost time. Good thing the next concert wasn't planned until tomorrow evening, so we should get there on time."

"Okay!" Marie nodded.

"So buckle up and be ready for a long drive." Jim put the bus into gear and began driving off.

"Alright. So…" Callie clasped her hands together. "What to do…?" She wondered aloud.

Cici started braiding Jack's tentacles out of boredom.

Jack just smiled with relief and let her continue, sitting down in a booth and pulled out his phone.

Marie started cooking seaweed stew for everyone.

Callie looked over at Adstrum, seeing him heading for their room. "Perfect." She followed behind him, closing the door to their room when they were in.

"Adstrum...We need to talk."

Author's Note: Sorry this one is late everyone. I was very tired after class last night and had to get to bed early for work. Why I didn't update earlier yesterday? Well, youtube is distracting. Anyway, thank you The Bowser Monster, SpikedFruitPunch, Tapu Uwu, QwertyMcThirty, Ashanit, and Agent 7 for leaving reviews.

Thanks, Tapu Uwu.

Thanks, QwertyMcThirty.

Don't be sorry, Ashanti. And Cici will get better...eventually.

Yes, I am Adstrum, Agent 7. And I don't care about the sea snails. I never rerolled the gear I always wore back in Splatoon 1. I got my wins from pure skill alone. And that's all you need. And I also ship Jack and Cici.

Well, see you all next week with another chapter! Thanks for reading and I'll see you next time.