Chapter 35: Face Chatting

The darkness of the room was slowly lit up as the door to Callie and Adstrum's room opened, the former standing in it with a wide smile on her face. She walked up to the bed and began shaking the ink black inkling awake.

"Wake up, Addie! You slept in long enough!" Callie yelled with a large smile.

Adstrum just groaned back and pulled the covers over himself. This didn't last long as he was soon picked up from the bed and carried on the idol's shoulder. "Cheater…"

"I know. Now come on, time for breakfast." She laughed and carried him out to the kitchen area, where Marie and Arisara were sitting and eating breakfast.

"I'm sorry if it's not something you guys usually eat." Arisara rubbed the back of her head.

"That's okay, Ari." Callie smiled as she placed Adstrum down in a seat before going over to the fridge and getting him a soda.

"Hello Adstrum."

"Morning…" His face slammed onto the table in front of him.

Arisara's smile faded as she looked at Marie, who shrugged.

"He's just tired." Callie smiled. "This is the earliest he's been up for a while."

"What time is it?" He asked as the soda was placed in front of him, immediately opening it and taking a drink.

"Eight. Why?"

"Why so early?" Adstrum asked as he looked up with one eye half closed and putting the soda can to his lips again.

"Well, we're almost to Calamari County and I want you to be ready to get off immediately. I can't wait for you to meet my parents." Callie smiled widely.

Adstrum's eyes immediately shot open and he spit out the soda in his mouth. He sat there staring at Callie with wide eyes and a look of fear on his face.

"Well, that woke you up." She smiled wider and laughed.

"I wonder how my parents are doing too" Marie replied.

"They'll be so happy to see you, cousin. Oh, I can't wait!" Callie yelled while bouncing in excitement. "Oh, Addie. You should go get ready!" She grabbed his hand and pushed him toward the bathroom.

"Uh, okay…" He closed the door behind him.

"Make it quick, or I'll come in there and drag you out."

"NO YOU WON'T!" The sound of the door locking was heard.

Calie laughed and walked back into the kitchen. "Oh, this will be fun."

"What will you do, Arisara?" Marie asked.

"Probably snuggle my plush on the bus. Captain said his daughters would smite me, so yeah..."

"Oh, my mom would never. She's too sweet…..right?" Callie raised an eyebrow.

"Umm…" Marie thought about it, "gramps usually doesn't lie about things like that"

"Oh…" Callie looked down at the floor.

"Maybe he could be wrong? I mean Nana was pretty open to octos."

"I hope." Callie looked around nervously. "How do you guys think Jack is doing? Should we call Chives or Mr or Mrs Trench?"

"I have Chives's cell phone number."

"Should we call? Or do some face time thing? Video chat. Is that what it is?"

"Either. He can actually uses a cell phone, unlike Cici."

"Heh. Aww, Cici." Callie smiled. "Do video chat. I want to see how Jack's doing."

Marie dialed the number and Chives picked up.

"Chives speaking. How may I help you? Oh, miss Marie. How do you do?"

"...Chives, what happened to you?" Marie seemed shocked.

Callie's face popped up from behind Marie's shoulder. "HI CHIV-Oh my gosh, are you okay!?" Her face dropped to shock.

"Yes. Was shot by an agent from Octavio, it seems."

"Where is the agent?" Callie asked with concern. "They aren't still there, are they? Is Jack okay? Is Cici okay? Did anyone else get hurt?!" She started panicking.

"My lady chipped her fang, but other than that not too injured. Jack was uninjured."

"Speak of the devil, and he shall pipe up." Jack's voice was heard in the background.

Both Callie and Marie's eyes widened at the sound of his voice.

"Jack, it's evil… It will take your soul…" Cici muttered.

"My lady… It's just a phone…"

"Is that Jack!? And Cici!?" Callie yelled in excitement while a smile grew on Marie's face.

"Jack! It stole Callie and Marie!"

"You are so silly, Cici." Jack laughed.

The phone's camera moved to reveal Jack laying in a bed, hugging Cici in one arm while waving at the phone with his other. "Hi guys!"

Cici was hiding from the phone.

"Cici, no need to be afraid. It's just a phone. Look, Callie and Marie just wanted to see us." He patted her head.

"..." Cici held her ram plush tighter.

"So cute." Jack hugged her closer and looked at the phone. "How are you guys doing?"

"Oh my gosh, you guys are okay!" Marie seemed so relieved.

"They're okay they're okay they're okay they're okay!" Callie ran around in cheering.

"Heh, yeah. I've never felt better. And Cici is starting to get better too." Jack smiled.

"Yes, as long as she doesn't put on any more binds. She should return to her normal self soon" Chives petted Cici.

"Well, as normal as Cici can be." Jack chuckled. "But we wouldn't have her any other way."

"But they get in the way…" Cici muttered.

"I know, but the bind gets in the way of your breathing." He gently rubbed her back and brushed away her tentacles.

"Ooooooo…" Callie smiled at the two of them. "You two are so cute together!"

"..." Cici turned red.

"Aren't they, Marie?"

"I always thought so" Marie grinned widely

"… This is all your fault..." Cici smacked Jack with a pillow, "You keep being stupid."

"Duh...I no is stupid." Jack crossed his eyes and stuck out his tongue.

"Staapp…" She lightly headbutted into him and hid her face there.

"Never." He kissed her forehead.

"Ari, come look and say hi. Oh, this is so cute." Callie gestured toward her to come over.

"Oh, thank goodness. They are okay" Arisara smiled and walked to them.

"Cici, look." Jack pointed at the screen. "It's Ari."

"They caught her too… I told you they were evil."

"It's just...a phone…" Jack facepalmed and chuckled. "You are so silly."

"Phones don't do that!"

"It did not catch anyone." He shook his head. "Nice to see you, Ari."

"Hello Cici and Jack. You look kinda different, Cici."

"She's not wearing a bind anymore. It was making it hard for her to breathe." Jack replied.

"Wait, so those… are not the blanket?" Marie froze.

Jack shook his head. "Nope."

"...Good thing Addie's not here right now, or he'd be pointing those out loudly." Callie looked toward the hall and saw said squid walk out of the bathroom with a towel around him.

"They are huge…" Marie muttered.

"Go put on something nice!" Callie yelled at him.

"I am NOT wearing a Sea-monkey suit!" He replied as he entered their room.

"So how is the trip going, guys?" Jack asked, changing the subject. "You get to Calamari County yet?"

"Hi Addie. You want a suit? Why? Are you getting married?" Cici peeked from the corner of the screen.

"Addie's getting dressed right now. He's going to meet my parents." Callie smiled widely. "That's going to be so fun!"

"They are really nice."

"Isn't stopping Addie from being nervous as heck." She giggled.

"I see… Welp" Cici shrugged.

Callie smiled wider. "So, how are you two doing?"

"Watching TV."

Jack smiled and patted Cici's head. "We're doing just fine. Cici's getting healthier. I've mostly recovered. I feel fantastic but the doctors said I should stick around at least a few more days."

"I see. That's wonderful. How long for you, Cici?" Arisara asked

"Um, I dunno. I can barely walk around the room without passing out."

"Chives and I are helping her." Jack replied while rubbing Cici's back. "She's getting better, but don't be surprised if she's using a cane or walker when we see you guys again." He joked and chuckled.

"Heh, well, glad you are helping her out, Jack." Callie nervously laughed with him.

"I'm not using that…. I'm not a granny" Cici puffed her cheeks.

"Wheelchair then." Jack smiled at her and kissed her forehead.

"No." She stuck her tentacle's suction cup to his forehead.

He just smiled wider.

"Hey guys. Who ya talking to?" Adstrum walked up to the group in his usual attire. Red shirt, blue jeans, black tennis shoes, and his usual heavy jacket.

"Addie. Jack's being stupid. Can you do something?" Cici looked at him.

"Being stupid about what?" He smiled at Cici.

"Everything…" Cici released him, leaving a suction cup mark on his forehead.

"If being stupid means loving you, then I will gladly wear the dunce cap." Jack rested his head on her head.

"You dummy…" She glowed pink.

"Heh. Cute couple." Adstrum chuckled. "And glad to see you feeling better, sleepy. How ya doing?"

"The doctors cut off my bindings… Now I'll have to make new ones… So it-"

"No bindings…" Jack had a serious face for a second. "You can't breathe well with them."

"They get in the way… And now I have no clothes… My cloth will keep falling off..."

"You can borrow some of my shirts if you need to. And I will happily help you with making new clothes for yourself." He smiled at her.

"I'm pretty sure boys clothes wouldn't fit me…"

"Then cut them up and sew them together if you need to. Use my shirts as materials if you wish."

"What are they talking about?" Adstrum looked at the girls next to himself.

Cici crawled out of bed and off camera for a bit. Jack's red tomato face explained it all when Cici returned with her cloth wrapped around herself again.

"...Cici, did the doctors give you-MMF!" Adstrum was cut off as Callie wrapped her tentacles around his head, covering his mouth.

"Hmm?" Cici seemed confused.

"Nothing, Cici." Jack smiled nervously. "Don't worry about it."

"But I wanna know…"

"Um…" He looked back at the phone at Callie, Marie, and Arisara, with Adstrum struggling to remove Callie's tentacles from his face. He mouthed the word 'Help.'

Marie and Arisara looked at each other and shrugged. Cici twirled around and looked at her cloth.

"Guess it holds onto me pretty okay. Maybe I was wrong. It covers them somewhat anyways..." She pulled the cloth to adjust it.

"Yeah. It does. But making some bigger clothes just in case wouldn't hurt." Jack smiled at her. "Hey, maybe Chives can bring in some of your equipment and we can work on making you some clothes while we are here?"

"I don't have any clothes. Not even undergarments."

"Too much info, Cici." Jack chuckled nervously and pulled her into a hug.

"We are going shopping when I see you" Marie pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Yeah. Hopefully we see you guys soon." Jack waved at them.

Cici saw a sticker on the back of her cloth and kept turning around to get it. She fell over from getting tired.

Jack caught her and pulled her back into the bed. "Maybe you should lay down, okay?"

Cici was already fast asleep.

Jack smiled. "Guess that's the end of the chat." He looked back at the phone. "It was great to see you guys again."

"Yeah, we'll see you guys again soon" Marie smiled at him.

"Bye Jack!" Callie waved with a big smile.

"See ya, buddy!" Adstrum replied, finally pulling Callie's tentacles off his head. "Sleep well, Cici!"

Cici's tentacle waved goodbye and fell back.

"I'll make you guys cookies when you come back."

"Bye guys. Thanks for calling. And thank you, Chives, for holding the phone." Jack gave a thumbs up.

Chives hung up the phone.

"I'm so glad they are getting better" Arisara seemed relieved.

"Me too." Callie smiled.

"I'm glad they are getting better, but what was up with Cici's-MMMMM!" Adstrum was cut off again as Callie covered his mouth with her hand.

"We'll talk about it later, okay? For now, go brush your fangs. Your breath smells bad." She turned him around and started pushing him toward the bathroom. "Go go go! You got parents to meet!"

Marie and Arisara shrugged at each other and got ready since they would be arriving soon.

Author's Note: Hello everyone. Back with another chapter. Hope you all enjoy this one! :D

Thank you The Bowser Monster, GajeSteel, and Devil Dude 42 for leaving reviews. I greatly appreciate them guys!

Curse as much as you want, Devil Dude. And Rubert deserves more than a bitch slap.

See you all next Saturday with another chapter!