Chapter 37: Meeting the family
A few moments later the door opened and an inkling with magenta tentacles stood in the doorway. He had his tentacles tied up and was wearing the starting gear. "Huh? Sis?!"
"CAAAALLLLLIEEE!" Two magenta blurs jumped onto the inkling, who fell over onto Callie.
"Woah!" Adstrum stepped back a bit. "Dogpile."
"Bryan… you're squishing her!" One of them muttered.
"YAY!" The other happily hugged her.
"DOGPILE!" The oldest one yelled. "Ow! Terrence! You kicked me!"
"Seriously… can't you guys greet people normally" A young 12 year old walked up to the pile.
"Because! That's boring!" Terrence shouted.
"Who are these guys?" Adstrum laughed while looking at the three magenta inklings piled on top of Callie and the fourth who was standing in the doorway.
"Um… who are you?"
"Adstrum Tenebris." He held out his hand. "And you are?"
"Monty, sir." The 12 year old shook his hand timidly.
"Nice to meet you, Monty." He shook his hand. "I guess two of those three are named Bryan and Terrence, right?"
"Yeah, I'm Terrence. This is my brother, Bryan" The more mellow twin greeted him.
"YEAH!" Bryan pumped his tentacle/hand into the air.
"Oh, jeez. I'm seeing double." Adstrum chuckled. "And who's that?" He pointed to the last one.
"I'm Cameron!" The inkling smiled. "Nice to meet you!"
"Nice to meet you too." Adstrum smiled and stepped forward. "Callie, can you breathe?"
"...Halp…" Callie twitched.
"Are you like a security guard?"
"Um, technically yes. But only when Callie and her cousin are performing." He reached down and grabbed her hand, pulling her to her feet.
Bryan was still happily clung onto her.
"Didn't know you had brothers." Adstrum chuckled. "They seem fun."
"Yeah, they are a riot sometimes." Callie replied after gasping for air.
"Oh boys… How many times do I have to tell not to jump people?" A woman with her tentacles in a braid walked to them, the tips of her magenta tentacles still dragging on the floor slightly. Her orange summer gown flowed with the wind.
Monty shrugged, "Sorry mama…"
Adstrum's eyes widened as he looked at the woman.
"Mom, look! Callie's back!" Cameron pointed at his older sister.
"Oh Callie! Where have you been?! I'm glad you are okay. Everyone was so worried."
"Didn't I call you last week?" Callie giggled and gave her a hug. "Hi mom."
"Yes. Welcome home, Sweetpea."
"Aw, family reunion." Adstrum smiled.
Monty took a peek outside, but seemed disappointed when he did not see what he was looking for.
"I wanna be carried too…" Terrence held his arms up to Callie.
"Heh, okay." She bent down and picked him up. "Hey, is dad home?" She looked at her mother.
"Yup, watching the tournament underway" Callie's mother sighed, "He always gets glued to the couch when it's on."
"Sweet! C'mon, Addie!" Callie put Terrence on her shoulder and grabbed Adstrum's hand.
"So are you going to introduce us to your friend?"
"He's a security man" Terrence replied.
"It's more like SEEECUUURIIIITY man" Bryan laughed.
"Heh. This is Adstrum. I like to call him Addie. He's not just a friend, though." She kissed his cheek, making him turn red and pull his hood over his face more.
From the couch Callie's father looked toward the door. He had dark reddish tentacles with a combover, his gold eyes glowing in the dark.
"Hi daddy!" Callie waved at him with a smile.
"Hello, sweetie. Nice to see you again." He gave a smile to her as he walked to the front door wearing pajama bottoms and a white shirt.
Callie ran to him and gave him a hug.
He returned the hug, pulling her into a tight embrace. "I've missed you."
"I missed you too!"
Monty quietly walked away.
"Who's this you brought with you?" Callie's father asked as he let go of his daughter.
"Mister SECURITY man" The twins cheered.
"A security guard? You need that much protection?" The father joked.
"Nah, but Cici insisted on paying him for… well something" Callie shrugged.
"You know who I am, Callie." Adstrum sighed and shook his head.
"Yeah, we know who you are too." Callie's father turned to him. "She's called and told us about you, Adstrum."
"I did!"
"So does that mean I'm an uncle now?" Terrence asked.
"NO!" Callie turned red, "THATSNOTHAPPENED!"
"And what's 'that'"? Bryan asked.
"Heheheheh." Adstrum chuckled.
"Boys, you stop that. You will get that talk when you are 14!"
"Awwww…"
"14? Huh. I remember getting that talk around 9 or 10." Adstrum muttered.
"Do you really wanna explain it to them now?" Callie raised her brow.
"Nope." He replied quickly.
"Heh, boys will be boys… Anyways, you must be tired. We cleaned up your room a bit and brought an extra futon for Adstrum to sleep. Why not make yourselves at home, sweetie?"
"Oh thanks mom!" Callie smiled and put the twins down.
"Come back down as soon as you can. We almost have dinner ready." Her father replied and watched her drag Adstrum toward her room.
"See, was it really that hard?" Callie closed the door to her room.
"No...I guess." He smiled nervously.
"It's not like that time where Cici gave me only lingerie to model… Hehe, you were like a red beacon that day."
Adstrum smiled and blushed at the memory. "Yeah, I guess I was."
"You owe Cici for letting you in that day in the one way mirror."
"Yeah, I still do." He nodded. "Wonder how to pay her back for that."
"Get her and Jack to get married. She totally deserves him. Despite her protests."
"We can try." Adstrum smiled. "They seem good for each other. Cute and adorable."
"Maybe they'll even have kids!"
"That would be awesome! What do you think they would name them?" He smiled.
"Sprinkles!"
Adstrum stifled a laugh and smiled at Callie. "Cute. But I don't think that's a real name unless it's for a pet."
"...Oh… Alright, then how's about Brownie?"
He facepalmed and laughed."It would be Jack and Cici's kid. They can name it whatever they want. Sprinkles. Brownie. Hell, name it Cookie or Cake." He laughed harder.
"Cupcake!" She laughed with him before looking out the window and noticing Monty sitting up in a treehouse staring at the sky.
"Something wrong?" Adstrum asked.
"Nah, I just wondered where Monty wandered off to. There he is."
"Huh. Okay. He looks bothered."
"He's kinda a special case… See, we aren't really related… like, at all."
"Adopted?"
"Yeah."
"Ah." Adstrum nodded. "Interesting."
"Mom said he kinda was hurt when I suddenly disappeared, since we were super close before. Marie brought him some treats and talked with him when I disappeared for two years."
"Oh. Jeez. Maybe you should go try talking to him." He shrugged.
"Geez… What can I say to him?"
"I don't know. Say that you are sorry and hope you can make it up to him somehow?" He shrugged again.
"He's kinda like you in a way. He likes to make weapons, too. He studies so hard to make them too."
"Oh. Really?" He looked out at him.
"He has a dagger made from ink that is also a pen."
"Hm, interesting. I'd like to talk to him about it." Adstrum smiled.
"Maybe when we eat dinner? Maybe he'll come down from there when we eat?"
"Maybe. But here." He pulled out his ink claws from his jacket. "Show these to him when he comes down and tell him I made them. Maybe that will help break the ice again and he'll ask you about me."
"But he may think I'm challenging him to a fight."
"The ink gloves won't be activated." Adstrum shook his head. "You just show him how they work."
"If he even talks to me…"
"I'm sure he will. And if I have to I'll talk to him if he talks to you." He shrugged. "I don't know."
"Well, there he goes. Guess dinner is ready." Callie turned to Adstrum. "Ready?"
"Sweet. Let's go see what your parents made." He smiled and opened the door. "Ladies first."
She smiled and walked ahead to the table. Everyone was talking and eating except for Monty, who was scribbling in his torn up notebook.
"So, what is there to eat, um...Callie's parents." He looked at them.
"Just call me Harvey, boy." Callie's father replied. "Harvey Symphony. And the beautiful woman next to me is my wife...drumroll, please." He started patting the table.
"I'm Melody. " Callie's mother smiled "We have crab cakes, spaghetti and meatballs, and some pound cake for dessert dear. Eat up. You must be starving."
"SPAGHETTI!" Adstrum pumped his fists into the air. He noticed that there were two empty seats, one next to Monty. He pulled Callie close and whispered into her ear "Put on the ink claws. I have an idea."
"Um, kay" Callie put them on.
"Alright." Adstrum sat down at the table, leaving the empty seat next to Monty for Callie. He placed a lot of spaghetti on his plate and started digging in.
Callie sat down next to Monty. He glanced at her and went back to scribbling.
"Hehe, I'm glad he likes the food" Melody smiled.
"Spaghetti is good." Adstrum smiled with a meatball in his mouth.
"Heh, he loves eating. He has an interesting way of eating pizza too!" Callie giggled.
He turned a bit red and looked at Callie with a slight glare.
"First the toppings go, then the cheese, after that he licks the sauce and finally eats the bread."
"You like your pizza naked?" Harvey asked with a chuckle.
"Hehe nudey pizza" The twins snickered.
Adstrum facepalmed and turned more red.
"That's okay… everyone enjoys pizza in their own way…" Monty muttered, not looking up from his notebook.
"Thank you, Monty." Adstrum replied.
"So, Adstrum. What is it you do?" Harvey asked the cliche question.
"Oh, I'm glad you asked." Adstrum smiled. "I am the owner of the Turf Wars in Carti Ridge."
"He makes… their weapons and stuff too. He's quite a rare find." Monty sounded a bit cold.
"Oh, you know, huh? Do you know which weapons I make?" Adstrum looked at the young squid.
"No…" He replied quietly, looking up at him.
"Well, Callie is currently wearing one of the weapons. Would you like to see them?"
"N-no…"
"It's the gloves." He gestured to the leather gloves on Callie's hands. "What did you think I meant?"
"Excuse him. He got into a fight before. He can be quite timid if you say that" Melody petted him.
"Say what?"
"If you wanna see something. Monty kicked his butt though! It was AWESOME!" Bryan beamed.
"Um… but the police were called and mom got mad…" Terrence replied.
"Nicely done, Monty. Glad you won." Adstrum smiled. "And I was just asking if he wanted to see what happens when the weapons are turned on. Nothing bad. Just what they look like."
"... Kay." Monty looked up and clutched his pen, tensing up a bit.
Adstrum noticed and put his hand into his jacket. "Okay. Does anyone have an ink tank we can use real quick?"
Everyone looked at Cameron.
"...Okay." He got up and left the dining room. A few minutes later he came back with an ink tank.
Monty seemed uneasy.
Callie hooked up the ink tank to her back and turned on the gloves, the tubes connected to the back of them filling with her ink.
"And now, the claws form." Adstrum gestured as magenta ink started dripping from the gloves' fingertips, the ink hardening into claws very quickly.
"I-I see… C-cool.." Monty nervously smiled.
"Very interesting, Adstrum. Are they dangerous, though?" Harvey asked.
"They will not harm any squid with the same ink color. So teammates are perfectly fine." Adstrum smiled.
"See? That's how you make a weapon Monty… You can't just make one without a safety mechanism…"
"Oh, really?" Adstrum raised an eyebrow. "Well, I'd like to see the weapons he's made." He smiled at the young squid. "If that's okay with him."
He shakily shook his head.
"Okay. Fair enough." He smiled and gave a thumbs up.
Monty didn't seem to know how to respond and stuck his face back into his notebook.
"It's okay champ." Callie reach to pet him, but he gently swatted her hand away, "Oh…"
Adstrum flinched and glared for a split second before smiling again. "You know, the safety mechanism isn't that hard of a thing to include. You just gotta make sure enough ink flows from the weapon that it splats the enemy you are fighting. They will respawn at a pad safe and sound." He looked at the quiet squid. "You feeling okay?"
"I'ma go…" Monty quickly took his plate to the sink and ran away.
"Oh…. Geez, what happened to him?" Callie asked.
"I'm not entirely sure." Melody replied.
"Anyone know of ways to lighten the mood?" Adstrum asked.
"Food fight?" Terrence asked.
"No." Harvey gave him a serious look.
"Aww…"
"Look at these baby pictures, Adstrum!" Melody brought out a book.
"NOOOOOO!" All the kids, including Callie, screamed.
"Heh, why not?" Adstrum smiled and looked into the book. "Aw, cute. Who's this little one?"
"Callie, look at her trying to eat the pillow."
"STTAAAAAPPPP…." Callie turned red.
"I've actually caught her doing that once in her sleep." Adstrum smirked at her. "You are so cute!"
"You do things in your sleep too!" Callie showed a picture of Adstrum faceplanted with his butt in the air in his sleep.
"AH!" He tried to grab her phone but she pulled her arm away as she scrolled for more pics.
"Nope" Callie moved away, "He's doing the snail."
"Doesn't that hurt you neck?"Melody asked.
"I don't even remember sleeping like that."
"He talks in his sleep too" Callie showed them a video of Adstrum declaring himself the president of cream puff candy town.
"I have rules that will make this town...great again…" The sleeping Adstrum in the video said.
"That is?" Callie giggled.
"Taco Tuesdays!" He pointed his finger into the air. "Now give me corn."
"And if we say no?"
"Dungeon! Or maybe just bake the town cookies." He rolled over in his sleep.
"That will make Cici happy huh?"
"Cici is a good little squid. She deserves a statue. Let's make a statue of Cici, please. Heck, make a statue of Callie!...I'm glad you all agree!" He rolled over again.
Everyone snickered. Adstrum just turned red and pulled his hood over his face.
In the video the sleeping Adstrum rolled over once more before falling out of the bed, landing on the floor with a thud. His head shot up and he looked around. "Where am I?"
"On the bus. It's night time, remember?"
He just swayed back and forth before the side of his face rested against the wall, his eyes shutting again.
The video ended.
"I had to help him back into bed" Callie rested her head on him.
He turned even more red.
She gave him a peck on his chin.
"You know, maybe we should show you some videos of Callie that we have." Harvey smiled widely. "Would you like to see, Adstrum?"
"NOOOOOO!" Callie hugged Adstrum's face.
"YES!" Adstrum replied loud enough to be heard.
"Alright! Melody, could you please go get Callie's baby videos, please?" Harvey asked.
"If you can get the popcorn" Melody giggled and walked to get the tapes.
"Can do!" He ran to the kitchen. "Meet us in the living room, you two." He pointed to Callie and Adstrum.
Callie turned into a squid and tried to swim away.
"Oh, no you don't." Adstrum grabbed her and carried her. "You embarrassed me, now it's your turn to be embarrassed."
"NO!" She squealed and tried to escape his grasp.
Adstrum cuddled her as they sat on the couch waiting for Harvey and Melody.
Author's Note: I hate when laziness kicks in. Sorry for the late update, guys. But here it is now.
Thank you The Bowser Monster, Lil Judd, Guest, Agent Cherry, Ashanti, and Nintendo 46 for leaving reviews. I greatly appreciate them guys!
The temptation to kick chickens is high when they glare at you. And yes, Cici is getting better, Lil Judd. I'm happy about that too.
It's okay, Guest. It's just Marie was depressed (and still sort of is, I think) in my last fic and she suffered enough. That, and my co-author would get pissed if I had something bad happen to Marie again.
Chives won't do a bad thing, Cherry. He's a good octo.
The chicken just liked Adstrum's head, Ashanti.
The chicken was brave, Nintendo 46.
Thank you all for reading! See you all next weekend with another chapter!
