Chapter 47: Catching Up
Author's Note: Read the note at the end of this chapter, please. Also, this chapter is long but is also a filler chapter.
"So you are the new shoe shop owner?" Callie gave a smile to the spider crab known as Bisk. "Nice to meet you!"
"Nice to meet you too, dudette. In person, that is." Bisk gave her a small smile.
"Spider" Cici looked at a web in the shop's corner.
"Spider CRAB, Cici. He's a crab." Jack said before he saw where she was looking. "Oh. Nevermind. Yeah, that's a spider."
"A beautiful one, at that." Adstrum smiled and looked up at it as well.
"My friend is bigger. Poke it."
"No. You leave this lady alone." Adstrum said as he stood between the web and Cici.
"You can tell?" Jack raised an eyebrow.
"I find spiders fascinating. I did research on them a lot when I was younger. Before moving on to weapons."
"All of Cuttlegear is made with spider silk" Cici replied.
"Cuttlegear? I never heard of a brand like that. At least not for shoes." Bisk said.
"Right, because you guys aren't allowed to sell them… At least the real ones..."
"Hey, do all crustaceans wear shoes on all of their feet even though you seem to only stand on two?" Adstrum asked. "Not to sound offensive. Sorry if I am."
"None taken, dude. We don't need to wear extra shoes, but it feels weird walking around in public barefoot, even if it's not the feet we walk with." Bisk nodded.
Cici climbed on Adstrum's back.
"Oh, makes sense." He nodded as well before reaching to his back. "May I help you?" He patted Cici's head.
"Hello" She hugged him.
He smiled and looked over at Jack. "You see anything you like?"
"Huh?" Jack looked up from the shelves. "Oh, no. I'm good with my Red Hi-Tops. No, I'm looking for something Cici could wear. I just don't know what she'd like."
Cici watched Bisk bubble from his mouth. She bubbled from her tentacles.
"I don't need shoes. I have slippers" Cici giggled.
"Then why don't you wear those? You can't keep walking around barefoot." Jack sighed and gave a small smile.
"I have been… I think."
"Are you wearing them now?" He asked.
"Yes" She pointed to her very old house slippers.
"Okay, good. Well, I think at least one pair of shoes on hand would be good to have around. Just in case. Plus you should probably get new slippers." Jack kept looking through different shelves.
"How old are those things?" Marie looked down at them.
Cici just shrugged.
"Hey, guys, check it out." Adstrum walked over next to Bisk and pointed to him and Cici. "Bubble contest."
"Addie…" Callie facepalmed and giggled.
Cici giggled.
"Is the little dudette challenging me?" Bisk let out a chuckle, foaming a bit more bubbles.
"No." Cici happily hopped around making small bubbles fill the area.
"Cici forfeits! Bisk wins!" Adstrum raised his hands into the air.
"I think she deserves the win more." Bisk smiled at Cici.
"She's a happy squid." Callie patted Cici's head.
"Yes she is" Marie smiled.
"Well, if you dudes are meeting all the shop owners, then Jelfonzo would likely be your next stop."
"Oh, we know of him. We get him and Jelonzo mixed up." Callie smiled nervously.
Cici ran outside to Blue and Arisara whom both fell asleep beside each other.
"That's adorable." Jack smiled out the door before resuming looking through the shoes. He grabbed a box and brought it up to Bisk.
Cici seemed puzzled about them.
"I remember Jelonzo. How's that funny talking jellyfish been?" Adstrum asked.
"He's fine. His son took over the shop and set it up next door." Bisk replied.
"His son?"
"Jelonzo reproduced asexually." Callie said.
"Oh." Adstrum blinked. "Cool."
"Squishy" Cici poked a jellyfish who poked her back.
Jack purchased the shoes and followed after Cici with them. "Having fun?"
"Squishy" Cici hugged the jelly.
"As long as you don't get stung." Jack sighed.
"Jelfonzo runs 'Ye Olde Cloth Shoppe' right next door, if you dudes were wondering where to find him." Bisk looked at Callie, Marie, and Adstrum.
"Wait...did I hear that name correctly?" Adstrum raised an eyebrow. "His shop is called what?"
"'Ye Olde Cloth Shoppe.'" Bisk repeated.
"Oh, this I got to see." Adstrum walked out the door.
"Can I keep him?" Cici asked Jack.
"No. He's not a pet." Jack smiled and shook his head.
She put the jelly down and signed his notebook he held up to her. She watched him gleefully run off.
"Well, it would be nice to go see Jelfonzo again. Shall we go?" Callie looked at her cousin.
"Okay."
"Hey, wait...where did Pearl and Marina go?"
"I think they went back to the studio so we can explore without being bothered too much by their fans."
"Oh..."
As Callie, Marie, and Cici walked into 'Ye Olde Cloth Shoppe,' they found Adstrum leaning against the wall in a laughing fit he was trying to contain. Jelfonzo was looking at him with a look of both confusion and annoyance.
"Squishy" Cici ran over and hugged him.
The jellyfish patted her back and shrugged. "I welcome thee to 'Ye Olde Cloth Shoppe.' Wouldst thou care to spend coin on fresh gear?"
Adstrum's laughter picked up again.
"I make gear" Cici smiled.
"Oh. Thou is not interested in buying?"
Adstrum laughed harder.
"Addie…" Callie glared at him.
"I can't help it." He giggled. "Where did he learn to speak?"
"From ancient texts, so he adapted old terminology. Doesn't mean you should laugh at his words." She sighed.
"Yeah…"
"I should probably go outside. Heh...I can't take it." Adstrum stepped out of the shop.
Cici let him go and walked back to Jack, who just entered the shop.
"What was up with Adstrum?" He asked.
"He was laughing at Jelly"
"How dost thou, cousin? Wouldst thou like to buy?" Jelfonzo greeted him.
Jack stifled a laugh and cleared his throat. "Ah, I see. Well, nice to meet you. Sorry, but not interested in new clothes."
"...Meanie…" Cici softly headbutted him.
"I wasn't expecting it. Give me a break." He softly headbutted her back.
She nuzzled him.
He nuzzled her in return.
"Hey, Jelfonzo. How have you been?" Callie walked up to the shop owner.
"Ah, the Squid Sisters. I am pleased to see thou again." He extended his tentacles toward them.
Callie happily shook his tentacle.
"It's nice to see you, too" Marie smiled.
"Dost either of you know of the young maiden over there with the boy in a Mint Tee?"
"I make their clothes" Cici replied.
"Oh. Intriguing."
"She's a squid of many talents." Jack smiled and tickled her sides.
She squirmed away and nipped his side.
"She also bites."
"Yup" Marie shrugged.
"A vicious tailor is one thoust would avoid trifling with. I think it wise to avoid upsetting her." Jelfonzo nodded.
"Yes, we can also dismantle your gears" Cici snickered looking up at Jack.
"Trust me, I know." Jack sighed then looked at Cici. "No."
"Not here you don't. Let's keep this PG" Marie sighed.
"Oh…" Jack blushed. "Yeah, no."
"Hehe" Cici nuzzled into him.
"Such a cute couple." Callie smiled. "Just get married already!" She laughed.
Cici glowed red and hid her face against Jack's side.
"And with that Cici and I are walking out." Jack held her close and walked out the door with her.
"Oh, come on. I was being funny." Callie smiled wider.
"But kinda hope that's where they end up" Marie smiled.
"Me too!"
"Dost thou require a wedding gown?" Jelfonzo asked.
"No. No, Jelfonzo. I was joking. We're fine. They're kind of young right now for marriage." Callie laughed nervously.
"We'll come back to that in a couple of years."
"If Cici doesn't make it herself." Callie muttered.
"Well next is...um…" Marie was looking for the answer.
"You heading to thee shoppe next door? Owned by lady Flow and her shrimp, Craymond?" Jelfonzo asked.
"Oh, right."
"Thanks, Jelfonzo." Callie waved to him. "See you later."
"Farewell." He waved back, his tentacle wobbling wildly.
Arisara and Blue finally woke up.
"Hey guys. How was the nap?" Jack asked as he patted Cici's back.
"Sorry. I guess we knocked out" Arisara looked at Blue who was glancing around.
"Well, you guys were exhausted."
"That's Blue's fault."
"Blue" Cici jumped into his arms. She hugged him as he sat there dazed and slightly puzzled.
"Trust me, she's random." Jack sighed.
He gently patted her back.
"Hey, Ari. Why don't you show us where you live?" Jack suggested.
"Sure. Just be careful. Sometimes they try to infect you."
"They?"
As they headed to the corner of the square, Callie and Marie entered the shop called 'Headspace' and found Adstrum standing there staring at an Emperor Shrimp atop a sea slug woman.
"Um...hello?" Callie spoke up first.
"YOU HAVE EYEBALLS?!" The shrimp yelled.
"YES! AND SO DO YOU!" Adstrum yelled back.
Marie looked at the storekeeper and Adstrum.
"Um...are we interrupting something?" Callie asked as she looked at Flow, the Sea Slug.
"...Wow... Sweetie, you and Craymond seem to get along great" She smiled at Adstrum.
"I speak the language of yelling." He smiled back.
"DON'T BE STRANGE!" Craymond yelled.
"TOO LATE!" Adstrum yelled back.
"Like his energy. Anyways, welcome to Headspace, Inkfish. Are you here for some shopping?"
"Oh, no. Just meeting the new shop owners. One of them twice." Callie smiled at Flow.
"Oh I see. You guys are the Squid Sisters, after all. It's wonderful to meet you both in person."
"FAMOUS SQUIDS IN THE SHOP! STOP THE PRESSES!" Craymond blurted.
"CALL THE NEWS! YELLING SHRIMP ON A SEA SLUG'S HEAD SPOTTED!" Adstrum laughed. "I like this guy a lot more than I ever did Moe. Man, I just wanted to slap that clownfish right out of Annie's tentacles so many times…"
"Oh you…" Callie giggled.
"I almost did once or twice, but Annie would flinch and it made me feel guilty, so I backed off. I was aiming for the fish, not her." He sighed.
"Aw, it's like slapping one of the twins…"
"What? Your brothers?" Adstrum raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah, I feel like they are like that. They can't really be apart, but are total opposites"
"Ah. Gotcha." Adstrum blinked.
"Heh. Annie is still around. She and Spyke are in the cafe by the subway entrance" Flow replied, "I'm sure they would love to see you guys again."
"Oh, good to know. We can go say hi to them on the way to Ari's place. Oh, is Sheldon still around?" He raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, he's next door. I wonder if Blue is with him. He loves making him test weapons."
"Well, I'm going to go say hi to the horseshoe crab. Come join whenever you want, guys." Adstrum smiled at Callie and Marie before heading for the door.
"THE EXIT'S OVER THERE!"
"PICKLE FISH LIPS!" Adstrum yelled back.
"Careful, Addie. He jumps" Callie smiled
"I know. All too well." He started heading next door.
"Well, we better go before Sheldon is whacked out through the roof."
"He is pretty sturdy. I think he'll be fine" Flow laughed, "I'm sure you wanna see your old friend. I'll see you two inkfishes later."
"Okay! See ya!" Callie and Marie walked out.
Jack kept following Cici around the square, keeping a close eye on her.
"Adventure!" Cici jumped on Blue.
"I'm serious… These sanitized Octos are dangerous" Blue crossed his arms.
"I can take care of myself" Arisara huffed at him as she entered the subway.
"Still arguing about this, Ari?" Jack asked as he grabbed Cici. "What's a 'sanitized octo?' Sounds familiar."
"Um, infected by the AI ooze. They are like zombies."
"Oh...Right… I think I remember." The orange agent nodded and followed them down. He looked at the pink squid in his arms and smiled. "I don't know why, but you remind me of a goose."
Arisara led them in and stopped in front of a door with a sticker on it.
"This it?" Jack asked as Cici swam around his shoulders and over his head.
"Yup" She was about to open the door when Cici ran down the hall.
"Hello!" Cici hugged a blue skinned and sickly looking octoling.
"Oh, crap...Cici, let go and run." Jack pulled out his hero shot.
"...Destroy…" The octoling grabbed her.
"Wow, you are strong."
Jack shot the octoling's visor, covering her vision as he ran up and kicked her away, grabbing Cici in the process.
"Look, there is a lot of them" Cici pointed at the swarm of Octolings.
"Oh, gosh dammit…" Jack sighed and started shooting as many as he could.
"What did I tell you?!"
"I. CAN. TAKE. CARE. OF. MYSELF!" Arisara backed up against Blue.
"..." Blue twitched his ear in annoyance as he took out his splattershot.
Jack kept shooting as he backed up with Cici in his arm, holding her close.
Cici took out her fan.
"Cici, please don't waste your energy. We'll be fine." Jack smiled at her.
"But… there's so many."
He sighed and set her down. "One wave."
She jumped up and down happily and whipped a huge wave that wiped out most of the octolings.
"Good job." Jack hugged the bouncy squid.
"I TOLD YOU, I'M FINE!" Arisara being held by Blue
"..." He headbutted her.
"Ow!"
"Are you back to your senses?"
She bit him.
"This looks familiar." Jack chuckled as he watched Arisara and Blue argue.
"Nom" Cici nipped his side.
"I hate you…" Arisara rubbed her forehead.
"Let just go inside, before we get mobbed again."
"This is definitely you and me right there." Jack smiled at Cici and rubbed her head.
"Woomy!" Cici hugged him.
Arisara opened the door to a small closet. A pile of old tattered clothes lay in the corner. There was a shelf of small little eraser like toys. There was a moldy smell inside.
"Um...this is very small. How are you comfortable here?" Jack asked, hugging Cici back.
"Um, that keeps me warm" Arisara turned into an octopus and jumped into the pile of old clothes.
"Wee!" Cici jumped into the pile too.
"It smells bad in here. Ari, this can't be good for your health." Jack said and sighed. "Cici, really?"
"Hehe."
Arisara changed back and the pink squid was hugging her.
"I know, that's what I said." Blue replied.
"Stubborn. Reminds me of another squid." Jack glanced at Cici.
"So you should pack up your things, eight" Blue crossed his arms, "I still won, after all."
"I'll keep fighting you."
"...Really?"
"Cici, I'll make you all the cookies I can if you help me."
"..." Blue raised his brow.
"Cici, please don't." Jack looked at her nervously. "Ari, come on. Why are you so stubborn on this?"
"This is my home, I don't think I belong up there…" Arisara petted Cici.
"Of course you belong up there. You are a great person. And there are many other Octolings up there as well." Jack pointed out. "You don't belong down here."
"I will fight you too if you help her."
When the Squid Sisters walked into the Ammo Knights they found Adstrum looking down at Sheldon, who was hiding in his helmet.
"Um… long time, no see." Adstrum muttered. "You alive in there?"
The helmet began to shake before the weapon dealer popped up, a wide smile on his face. "I can't believe it."
"Um...believe what?"
"You said you would make weapons yourself and change the way Turf Wars were played forever. Well, it may not be Inkopolis, but you did change the Turf Wars in a different city. I thought you were just bluffing, but I see you have proven me wrong." Sheldon smirked and folded his arms.
"And I still see that you are the same goggle eyed weapon weirdo. Heh. Guess I'm in the same club minus the goggles." Adstrum chuckled.
"Wow, this place hasn't changed much" Marie glanced around.
"Nope. Same old Sheldon. Same old Ammo Knights." Callie smiled and looked around. "Hi Sheldon!"
"Callie! Marie! So nice to see you two again!" The shop owner ran up and pulled them both into a hug.
"Heh, I didn't think you'd miss us that much" Marie chuckled.
"Of course I would. You two are awesome!"
"Heh. Thanks, Sheldon. You are awesome, too. I remember when we first walked into your store." Callie smiled. "Funny how the first time we met you called us un-fresh, and now look at us."
"Hey, everyone starts out as an un-fresh newbie in Turf Wars. You two were no exception." The horseshoe crab smiled.
"Really? What about fashion designers? Cici could make her own clothes after all… She also made ours..."
"She could make her own CLOTHES. Not weapons." Sheldon pointed out.
"She… does she even turf war? Is that allowed?"
He gave a shrug.
"I think Jack would be uncomfortable with her turfing until we know she is healthy enough for it." Callie replied.
"But she can make clothes that are overpowered."
"She'd likely be forced to wear clothing in line with the Turf War laws." Sheldon said.
"Ew. Rules." Adstrum muttered.
"Or not wear clothes. She only wore a piece of cloth for a loooong time before."
"She wore that thing for years. I don't remember a time not seeing her wearing it until Jack broke through to her." Adstrum nodded.
"Jack?" Sheldon raised an eyebrow. "Agent 3?"
"He knows?" Adstrum looked at Callie and Marie.
"Yup, he works with us agents…. So, is Blue an agent? He did say he works with you, Sheldon."
"Um...a few times, yeah. But he works more with Pearl and Marina. I don't know much about him."
"He looks a lot like Jack… with more of a backbone… Thought squids don't have bones"
"I know. I thought he was him for a second." Sheldon nodded.
"I'm sure Jack used to have balls, but then he met Cici." Adstrum chuckled.
"How are you so sure?" Marie seemed curious, "He was always a marshmallow."
"Well, he became Agent 3 for a reason, right?" Adstrum asked.
"Gramps kind of dragged him into something he wasn't ready for. But yeah, Jack's brave. Remember he went up against Octavio all by himself?" Callie said.
"Yeah… That's being strong… I'm talking about him with other people. Like how he kept checking up on me when I had my episode."
"I think that's called 'being concerned.'" Adstrum replied.
"Yeah must be nice to have someone to be concerned about, huh?" Marie became cold.
"And moving on!" Adstrum blurted out loud before heading to the door. "Let's go see Spike and Annie, you two." He waved to Sheldon. "Nice to see you again, Sheldon."
"Stay fresh, Sheldon!" Marie smiled and walked out.
"Stay fresh!" Callie smiled and followed her cousin.
"Stay fresh, you two." The horseshoe crab waved before walking behind the counter.
"Ari! Come on! Get out of the supply closet!" Jack yelled while trying to pull her out. He had his arms wrapped around Blue's torso as they both tried to pull her out.
"No! I live here!" Arisara held onto the floor with her suction cups.
"Damn, she's got a good grip…"
"I found a friend!" Cici held up a mem cake.
"That's nice, Cici. It's a cute friend." Jack smiled at her.
"Oh, there are more."
"Cici please be careful with those…" Arisara looked at her.
"Okay" She carefully put them back.
"I'm tempted to go get Adstrum. He could really help."
"He can't change my mind!"
"I'm more scared of the harm he would do. He'd likely throw a bomb and blow you out of this supply closet."
"Why are you so effing stubborn?" Blue's veins were popping.
"My! House!" Arisara crawled inward dragging Blue and Jack towards the closet.
"Cici, do you know of any way to help?" Jack looked at the pink squid.
"9-1-1?"
"No." He sighed.
"Bubble?" Cici foamed up.
"Um...sure, why not?" He shrugged and smiled at her.
Bubbles quickly filled the supply closet. Everyone was slipping and sliding everywhere and covered in foam.
"Probably should have had you put some on the floor instead." Jack sighed. "But thank you, Cici!"
"Weee!" Cici ran around with small bubbles flying behind her.
"Blue? You have Ari?"
"I guess?" Blue was holding an angry octopus as she nipped his belly. He had trouble standing on the slippery floor.
"Ow. Ari's pissed." Jack winced before slipping as well, falling on his back. "Ow."
"Heheh" Cici jumped onto him, "Squish!"
"Ah! She's got me!" His muffled voice said as he wrapped his arms around her.
"Yay" She gave him a kiss on his nose.
He kissed her back on her forehead.
She snuggled into him. Her bubbles popped painting the floor light pink.
"That's better, I think?" Blue stood up and collected Arisara's things.
"Thank you, Cici." Jack smiled.
"No problem" She nuzzled him.
"I heard you like dolls…. So, um… I'll buy you whatever you want… Just come with me, okay?" Blue petted Arisara.
Arisara calmed down a bit and headbutted his chest in defeat, "Fine…"
"Let's go meet up with the others, okay guys?" Jack carried Cici toward the exit stairs.
"Let's just go before we get swarmed again" Blue carried Arisara out.
Cici turned into a squid and swam onto Jack's head.
"So you went from living in the alleyway next to our studio to being too rich to have to work anymore?" Callie sat across from Spyke in the small cafe next to the tower. Next to her was Marie, who sat across from Annie and Moe.
"Well… We just do an online gig now" Annie smiled.
"That's right! Apps are where it's at, YO!" Moe replied.
"Well, they do that now. I made enough to live the rest of my life relaxin', love." Spyke nodded.
"Oh, yeah. Cici should try that… but I doubt she can even count how much money she actually has already…" Marie shrugged.
"That cute little pain in the rear." Adstrum let out a laugh as he sat at a different table, looking at a menu. He heard a faint tapping and looked up to see Cici tapping the window with her tentacle as she sat on Jack's head. "Heh. Speak of the devil."
She happily waved at them.
Jack waved as well and looked around for an entrance. Adstrum pointed toward the tower's entrance and shrugged.
"So it's easier for you to interact with customers online, Annie?" Callie looked at her.
"Yeah… I don't have to talk face to face. That was always a challenge for me" Annie replied.
"Yeah, you always looked like you just wanted to crawl under something and hide." Adstrum nodded and smiled. "You seem to be doing better now, though."
"So much better."
"Spiky! Can I poke it?" Cici jumped up and down on Jack.
"No. I don't want you getting hurt, Cici." Jack sighed. "But I doubt that will stop you…"
"Maybe I should get you tranquilizer darts" Blue looked at Jack.
"No. I just need a leash."
"I assume these are your mates?" Spyke asked, his eye focused on the small group that just walked in.
"Yep. Jack, Cici, Arisara, and Blue." Callie answered.
"Blue, those darts have no effect on Cici…" Arisara replied.
"...What?..." Blue seemed puzzled.
"Yeah, they might knock her out, but she's capable of doing things in her sleep. It's...both incredible and disturbing." Adstrum chuckled.
"I kinda wanna see that… Only because that sounds… impossible."
"Um, I can put her to sleep… but she may be 'asleep' for a few hours" Arisara had quoted 'asleep' with her fingers.
"Only if I can keep an eye on her. I don't want her wandering off." Jack replied.
"She may be more calm… and hopefully not climb towers."
"Oh, yeah! She climbed to the top of Inkopolis Tower when she first arrived. Made Jack panic like crazy." Adstrum snickered.
"Fucking bitch cray cray!" Moe shouted
"I see his mouth has gotten worse…" The ink black inkling glared at the clownfish.
"Cici, look! Gummies! Catch!" Arisara tossed some above Jack.
Cici jumped and caught them.
"I did it!" Cici seemed happy but after a bit she stood still and her tentacles gently glowed with her breathing.
"Yay, Cici!" Jack smiled widely.
Callie started clapping her hands with a smile on her face.
"...Hehe…I'm tired…" Cici muttered.
"And after a few more moments, we shall see a sleeping squid walk or swim around doing who knows what." Adstrum said.
"She's glowing so she's pretty much out now" Arisara lifted Cici's tentacles out of her face, showing her eyes were closed.
"Ta-da!" Adstrum held his hand out towards Cici.
"So she sleeps standing up? That's… weird..." Annie raised her brow.
"Sometimes." Jack replied. "She'll wander in a bit. Then do...something." He shrugged and stuck close to her.
"Something… smells nice… I want some…" Cici started walking towards Crusty Sean's.
"Oh, not again!" Jack ran and gently took her hand. "Don't bite him again."
"Jack." She nuzzled into him.
He blushed and patted her head.
"Yeah, she bit Sean's tail earlier." Adstrum let out a laugh.
"Yeah, I heard this wasn't the first time" Marie giggled.
Callie giggled as well.
"First time?" He raised an eyebrow.
"She wandered Wnkopolis when she came to see us… and she bit him because he smelled like food."
"Ah."
"Oh, that's why she seemed familiar. I remember an inkling walkin' around my alley with her eyes closed. Must've been her." Spyke smiled. "She once tried to crawl into an empty Super Sea Snail shell I had next to me."
Cici walked back into the cafe with Jack. She rested on him.
"Yeah, that sounds like her." Callie snickered.
"She likes going into small spaces. Isn't that an octarian thing?... No offense."
"None taken."
"She annoyed me at first, but then she started buyin' the empty shells off me."
"Did not… I just gave you money" Cici muttered.
"Then why did you take an empty shell each time, love?" Spyke looked over at her, blinking before his eye widened. "She can reply in her sleep?"
"I made them into a dress… for a client…"
"I'm tempted to see if she can dodge if I did something" Blue seemed impressed.
Jack glared at him.
"Have to get past her 'bodyguard' boyfriend first." Adstrum smirked.
"Hmm?" Cici tilted her head and rested on Jack more.
He kissed her cheek and hugged her gently.
"She's… um, interesting… Is she really asleep?" Annie asked.
"I'm not sure myself. She once crawled into a milkshake glass back in Carti Ridge." Adstrum replied, "With a milkshake in it."
"I almost drowned… I forgot it wasn't ink… but it was tasty."
"Are you trying to give me a panic attack?" Jack sighed.
"So, Spyke. Um...what's with the mini-you outside?" Adstrum pointed to the urchin kid sitting next to a briefcase.
"That's Murch. I think he's followin' my 'get rich quick' guide." Spyke replied.
Cici turned into a squid and swam around the table before going into a flower pot.
"Look, she's Arisara." Callie giggled.
"Heh, it's so cozy when you go into a jar or pot" Arisara replied.
"How is that cozy?" Adstrum raised an eyebrow in confusion.
"It's feels safe and warm."
"As long as you can still breathe, right?" He asked.
Jack's eyes widened and he looked at Cici, breathing a sigh of relief when he saw she was breathing fine with the opening in the top.
Blue watched her go on her sleep swim.
"You satisfied with that performance?" Jack asked him.
When she swam towards him he poked her and she jolted.
"No…" She moved away from him.
Jack held his hands down at the edge of the table, ready to catch Cici as she swam towards him.
Blue tried to poke her again and she jumped onto Adstrum.
"Hey!" He quickly caught her in his arms.
"Addie… Jack is teasing me..."
"That's not...Jack…" Adstrum facepalmed.
"I wasn't gonna say anyfing, but the blue and orange mates look like twins." Spyke looked between them.
"Interesting…" Blue muttered, "Cici, come here… I'm sorry."
Cici jumped back to him, "... Oh, wait. You aren't him..."
"Yeah, your mistake" He tied a ribbon around her eyes.
"What are you doing to her?" Jack glared at him.
"Guess who" He tossed her to Marie.
"BLUE!" Marie caught her.
"Marie." Cici replied.
"Okay. Can you come back to me?"
"I don't think I wanna…"
"Fine. Go find Jack then."
"Okay" Cici swam to Jack's feet.
"Is she finding her way around via smell?" Adstrum asked.
"She might." Jack replied and gently picked her up.
"Hello."
"Hi." He smiled widely.
"How's she doing that?" Blue replied.
Jack just shrugged.
"Hm, maybe if we spray some perfume on everyone…"
"What are you trying to do, Blue?" Adstrum asked.
"You guys aren't curious if she's faking?"
"She spent most of her life sleeping after…" Adstrum stopped himself and coughed. "After something happened."
"My boyfriend died…."
"...Oh…" Blue seemed guilty now.
"May he rest in peace." Jack hugged Cici closer.
"Can you tell me how many fingers I'm holding?" Arisara asked not holding any fingers up.
"...Three?..." Cici asked.
"Close enough." Jack snickered and removed the ribbon.
"...One?"
"Add an 'N' to the beginning of that word." He replied.
"Aw…"
"Well, I guess she's not using her eyes" Blue took back his ribbon.
A knock was heard on the window and everyone looked outside to see Pearl in her hoodie waving at them, gesturing to Callie and Marie to follow her.
"Oh, guess we should meet up with them, huh?" Callie stood up.
"Hey…. Can we do more tests?" Blue held up Cici.
"... Will you throw me again?" Cici asked.
"Sure?"
"Yay."
Jack sighed and waved at Callie and Marie. "Have fun, you two."
"We will." Callie smiled and gently hugged Annie. "It was nice to see you again."
"Yeah! I hope to see you guys again soon" Annie hugged her back.
"MUTHA FUCKIN SQUID SISTERS BACK, YALL!" Moe chirped.
"Been a pleasure catchin' up, love." Spyke pulled Marie into a hug.
"Thanks, you guys" Marie smiled.
Callie let go of Annie and headed for the door. "See ya later, guys!"
Author's Note: Yeah, I know it's been about four months since the last update. I would like to apologize for that, but I am kind of happy for taking the break. I got to focus on schoolwork better and even get two chapters written. And as a Christmas gift, I will update the fic again tomorrow, on Christmas! I hope you all enjoy this chapter!
Thank you SpikedFruitPunch, The Bowser Monster, Pink Hedgie 74, Lilikeith, Lukas Sparrow, Ashanti, and Berry Cherry for leaving reviews. Thank you guys so much!
A weird twin, Hedgie. A weird and serious one.
That's okay, Lukas Sparrow, or Agent Cherry. You didn't review in a while and I didn't update in a while. It's okay.
Thank you for your patience, Ashanti. Here's the next chapter. I hope you enjoy it.
Glad you love the fic, Berry.
Thank you all for your patience and I apologize for taking so long. Enjoy this chapter and I will see you all tomorrow!
