Chapter 38: Embarrassing Memories

As Harvey got the popcorn ready and Melody rummaged around looking for the videos, Adstrum held onto Callie, keeping her from escaping.

"We are watching those videos, Callie. And you are gonna like it." He kissed her cheek.

"Noooo!" Callie squirmed.

Harvey came back with a bowl of popcorn and set it down on the coffee table. He smiled at his daughter and was about to sit down when the doorbell rang. "Hm? Who is it now?" He walked up to the door and looked through the peephole, a smile quickly spreading on his face. "Well, guess what the Judd dragged in!" He swung the door open quickly. "Sonata! Riley! So good to see you two here!"

"Oh, sorry to bother you, Harvey. Seems we made WAY too much food" Sonata bowed. She had her green tentacles tied in a bun and was wearing a light green kimono. She looked very profreshional.

"Who's fault was that? Well, it wasn't a bad thing. We thought we'd share to celebrate." Riley smiled sheepishly. His tentacles were clean cut and he wore a dark green silk kimono.

"It's always nice of you guys to come over, even without the promise of extra food." Harvey chuckled. "And is that my favorite niece!?" He smiled at Marie.

"Marie!" Monty ran up to her.

"Oh, hey kiddo" Marie smiled and knelt down to be at his level.

"You all are just in time!" Harvey invited them inside just as Melody came back with a few video tapes.

"Oh no…" Marie's smile disappeared.

"Ah, the videos?" Riley asked, "You never change…"

"Oh boy! Both Squid Sisters are going to be embarrassed!" Adstrum yelled with a smile as he held onto the squirming squid in his arms.

"The goal was to embarrass Callie considering she embarrassed her new boyfriend." Harvey said. "But would you guys like to stay and watch them with us?"

"Oh? Callie got a boyfriend? That's wonderful!" Sonata smiled.

"Oh, where are my manners? This is Adstrum." He gestured to the ink black squid on the couch holding Callie. "Adstrum, this is my sister-in-law, Sonata, and my brother, Riley."

"Nice to meet you two." Adstrum smiled at them. "I'd shake your hand, but I have to keep this one from getting away." He nuzzled the magenta squid in his arms.

"Let me go!" Callie struggled.

"We are watching the videos and YOU ARE GONNA LIKE IT!" He hugged her tighter.

"I doubt it…" Marie smiled sheepishly.

"What are we waiting for!?" Harvey sat down in a chair. "Put the tape in please, Melody."

"So you wanted to talk right, Monty? Let's go to the tree house" Marie ushered Monty away.

"Um, kay" Monty followed her out of the room.

Adstrum smiled as Melody put the tape in the player, who sat down next to him and stroked Callie's head. Sonata and Riley sat down in a chair together as the TV's screen changed.

"Aww, Marie ran away" Sonata giggled.

"Probably wants to avoid embarrassment. Coward." Adstrum chuckled. "Smart coward, but a coward nonetheless."

Marie's parents looked at each other and kept quiet.


The screen changed to show Melody holding a magenta egg close, with her sister not far holding a green egg. They were both sitting in different beds, with Riley close to Sonata. Both Captain Cuttlefish and Nana were there as well, both looking slightly younger and with smiles on their faces.

"And here we have two proud mothers holding their children. Say hi, Melody." Harvey's voice said from behind the camera.

"Capture everything. I wanna see this later maybe with my great great grand squids" Nana smiled and beamed proudly.

"You don't have to worry about that. He even recorded the eggs coming out…" Riley chuckled.

"Yeah, looking back that might have been a mistake. Melody was cursing up a storm." Harvey replied.

"Well it hurt… Let's see you lay an egg, Harvey!" Melody raised an eyebrow.

"I don't think that's possible for me."

"Well, I'm proud of my daughters." Captain Cuttlefish smiled, hugging Melody and then Sonata gently. "I'm incredibly happy for you two."

"This is the happiest day of my life" Sonata was beaming.

"So, have you kiddos thought of names for them?" Cuttlefish asked.

"Um…" The camera looked at Melody.

"Callie and Marie." Melody hugged her egg tighter, "Me and Sonata decided on this when we found out we were pregnant."

"Huh. Callie and Marie. I like them." The camera turned to face Sonata and Riley. "It sounds like...Wait." He held back a small laugh. "That's clever."

Both mother's faces became serious and looking like they were going to kill him.

"What? Did I say something wrong?"

Cuttlefish looked down and shook his head.

"Now, now. You two should rest, sweethearts" Nana tucked her daughters in alongside their eggs.

The camera was placed down on a nearby table and showed a shot of all of them, with Harvey walking up to Melody and placing a kiss on her cheek. "Have a good rest, sweetie."

Melody and Sonata fell fast asleep. The video cut soon after that.


"Heh, even your dad saw the pun in your and Marie's names." Adstrum chuckled and looked at Melody. "Was that intentional?"

"It was supposed to be a reminder of where they came from… Calamari Country…"

"Exactly. It's a slight pun and a reminder of their home. I think it was a good idea." He smiled, hugging the magenta squid in his arms.


The next video started up and started with Harvey standing in front of the camera. "Is it recording, Riley?"

"Yeah, but why are you recording this?"

"To show the world our daughters." He stepped out of the way to show a small magenta squid with a pacifier in its mouth laying down next to a small green squid. Both of them were on a round, yellow pillow with their eyes closed. "Meet Callie and Marie."

"Our wives will kill us if we wake them… They were crying almost all night..."

"We won't wake them. We're being quiet." Harvey sat down near them. "Aren't they cute? Very healthy hatchlings. They hatched just a week ago." He said toward the camera.

"We also have that recorded. Captain took it… and is probably never gonna return it" Riley sighed and yawned.

"We'll get it back from him one day. Might be a while, but we'll get it back." Harvey nodded at the camera, but his eyes widened when a small yawn was heard.

Even the camera tensed up as the magenta squid moved her tentacles and relaxed again.

"Oh gosh, that was close." Harvey let out a quiet sigh of relief.

"My hearts… Come on, let's stop before they wake up for reals."

"Okay." Harvey nodded before the camera cut off again.


"OH! You were so cute, Callie!" Adstrum hugged the now red faced idol.

"..." She hid her face in his shirt.

"Heh, we've still got a lot more videos left, sweetheart." Harvey said with a smile. "Buckle up." He looked at Melody. "What's up next?"

"Callie's first word" Melody smiled.

Adstrum smiled widely. "Oh, this will be fun." He looked at the screen as the next video started.


It began with the camera pointed at a toddler Callie, her arms and legs little tentacle-shaped stumps on her squid shaped body.

"C'mon, Callie. Look at the camera. Give your daddy a smile."

Marie was napping nearby on a blanket.

"C'mon, sweetheart. Look at daddy and mommy." Harvey's voice said again.

"Oh, dear. Marie wore herself out today, huh?" Melody petted the toddler.

"Yep, she did." The camera panned to look at the green toddler, who opened her eyes very slightly. "Hi, Marie. How's my favorite niece doing?" Harvey asked. Marie just closed her eyes again. "Tired. Understood."

"Poor Marie…"

"M...M…" Callie started babbling "Ma…"

"Oh! I think she said 'ma'!" Melody got excited.

"My daughter is talking!" The camera shook slightly before focusing back on Callie, who started crawling over to Marie.

"Ma...Mmaa…" The magenta toddler placed a stubby arm against the green one's cheek.

Marie woke again and looked at her.

"Mawee." Callie gurgled, a smile on her face.

Silence fell for a moment as no one spoke a word. The camera panned to look at Sonata and Riley, who were sitting on the edge of the blanket and had their jaws to the floor.

"Her first word was 'Marie.' How cute!"

The camera panned back to the small squids, Callie's stubby hand still resting on Marie's cheek. She looked at the camera with a smile on her face as she bobbed up and down.

"She seems very happy." Harvey's voice spoke up. "World knows I am. She's talking now!"

"Hehe, it's nap time for you, huh kiddo?" Riley gently picked up Marie, "You are all tuckered out from playing with Callie, huh?"

"Come on, Callie." Harvey handed the camera to Melody and picked his daughter up. "Let's get you a nap as well." He gently kissed her.

"Mawee! Maaawwwee!" She squirmed and fussed.

"Uh, sweetie?" Harvey looked at the camera with a slightly scared look on his face. "A little help?"

Melody took Callie and gave him back his camera. She and Sonata sung their children to sleep with what sounded like a lullaby version of Calamari Inkantation.

"You two have golden voices." Harvey said to the two mothers.

"Aw. You are sweet" Sonata smiled as the video cut.


"My hearts...they've melted." Adstrum said. "That was the most precious thing I've ever seen."

Callie seemed to fallen asleep from getting too warm.

Adstrum shook her awake. "Callie, you were so precious!"

Callie bonked him lightly with her tentacle.

"I love you too." He kissed her.


The next video started and showed Callie playing in a large but shallow bucket of water in the tub.

"NOOOOOO!" Present day Callie screamed.

"Callie seems to be having fun." Harvey said as he looked at the camera, which was being held by Melody.

Callie splashed around and stopped for bit before bubbles came from the bottom of the bucket.

"Oh, you farted Callie" Melody teased her.

Callie giggled from her mother's happy tone.

"PFFT!" Adstrum struggled to hold back a laugh.

"Splat me…" Callie headbutted into his chest.

"Callie…" The Harvey in the video spoke up. "Guess who we're going to go see today."

She was nibbling her own foot.

"Silly little squid." He reached over and petted her head. "We're going to go see your cousin today."

"MAWEEE!" Callie beamed, excitedly splashing around everywhere.

"Woah!" Harvey got soaked from Callie's splashing, looking at the camera with a nervous smile. "Well, she's excited."

"I don't remember this being waterproof…" Melody looked into the camera.

"Oh, crap." Harvey's voice was heard before the video was cut off.


"We got a better one after."

"Which was good, because we wouldn't have been able to record the rest of these." Harvey smiled. "I think some of them may be of Marie, though. You guys borrowed this camera, right?" He looked at Sonata and Riley.

"Only her proud moments since it wasn't our camera." Sonata replied, "Like when they won first place in that singing competition."

"Oh, yeah! I wish I had recorded that myself as well, but we only have the one camera." Harvey shrugged. "And you guys were using it."

"Harvey lost the card game so we got the camera for that day."

"Dangit…" He muttered.

"Well, this I'm looking forward to seeing as well." Adstrum replied. "Should be less embarrassing for you, right?" He nudged Callie.

Author's Note: Here's the next chapter, everyone. And yeah, it might be a filler chapter. Or it might have something related to something in it. What is is? I won't tell.

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

Glad you found it funny, Ashanti. And what if we all talk in our sleep, but we just don't know it?

Yeah, that moment was actually one of Adstrum's favorites, Devil Dude. He's wanted to hit her for years and got it out of his system. He won't do it again unless he has a VERY good reason.

I'd also like to thank a person on Twitter named gomipomi for making art that inspired two of the videos in this chapter. They are a fantastic artist and I recommend checking their stuff out.

See you all again next week with the next chapter! Have a great week everyone!