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With the hill just behind, there are 6 facilities scattered around the asphalt which had several sidewalks surrounding grass, trees and bushes. Behind each facility, a logo of a goods lift. Around the area, there are three identical entrances: all have a different number on a guard post, but all have a sign with the same logo as seen before.
The car was getting closer, descending a small downhill.
"Like, that's the studio?" Bars' eyes were on the road.
"Yeah! Good ol' Saltspray Productions…" Grina rose her head a bit, while smiling. "It doesn't seem to have changed much."
Mirii was bending forward, as her head was pointing down a guard post which had the number 1 on it.
"Now, I pretend concentration from both of you." The girl looks at each Inkling. "Errors are not admitted."
"Alright, girl!" He lowers a lever, located to his left side. His head turns to the right. "Grina, like are you fine?"
"Yes, yes, I'm better now…" Grina rubs her eyes, while nodding.
She turns over Mirii. "Are you going to talk with the guard?"
"Of course. Be careful, though: the guard might ask you two some questions. Remember that your goal is to obtain an apprenticeship and you still frequent normal high-school." Mirii leans on her seat, as she picks up the pile of papers.
"Well, that's like easy to remember!" He grins, as he turns the steering wheel to the left.
The car turns left, facing a vehicle barrier ahead: to the left, a guard post. The vehicle slows down, stopping right in front of the barrier. Mirii pushes a button on the left door's small panel: the window near her lowers down.
The small building's door opens, as a humanoid shark comes out of it.
"Excuse me, mister." Mirii tilts her head out of the car, as her eyes could track the guard's face. "I'm the person which you need to talk."
The shark rose his head, seeing Mirii: he moves closer, bending down almost to the window's height.
"Good evening." He smiles, as his left hand stands on the top of the car. "What can I do for you?"
"We would like to enter, sir." Her hands were grasping the papers a little.
The guard downturns his mouth.
"Unfortunately, the visiting hours are"
"We are not visitors." Mirii rose her head. "We are students from Inkopolis' Peinto High School: since the Turf War Station is closed, we are sending Curriculum Vitae profiles to numerous companies and see if they accept to hold an interview."
"An interview, huh?" The guard stands upwards, lowering his head which was still pointed over the girl. "I understand your situation though: I was looking for part-time jobs too to pay up all the taxes for high school."
"Education may be expensive, but it's a necessity." Mirii nods. "No job can properly be done, without knowing the basics."
"I agree!" His eyes closed, while smiling. "Maybe you could find a future in this place: Saltspray Productions is always interested in young talents, which is something I would describe as being very brave."
He reopens his eyes.
"It's not easy to fulfill any of those jobs, you know… especially when you have to be always the best! Although, that's also one of the great aspect of this place… well, enough chat." He shows his right palm in front of Mirii. "Pass me those Curriculum Vitae documents, please."
The girl lowers her head, as her eyes were reading "Mirii Kelpshell" and seeing a small photo of herself. Her arms moved towards the guard, with the papers smelling like wood and showing an almost bright white. The guard's hands stood on the papers, pulling them out of Mirii's hands.
His irises kept going from the right to the left, with the head pointed directly on the first paper. After three seconds, his fingers picked up the paper and completely turn it behind the other papers, as his irises resume their left-right movement.
Mirii's head turns to her right: Bars and Grina were all staring at the guard. Grina's face in particular was a little paler…
"Aaaaaah, now I see!"
Mirii immediately turns her head over the guard: he was smiling and nodding.
"So that's why you are finding a part-time job here!" His left hand pulled all the papers below the first one, back up.
The papers on his right palm had small hills and crumples. Mirii's eyes were still staring at the guard, with her mouth slightly open.
"Excuse me, sir…" Mirii lowers her eyebrows less than an inch. "Is there something in particular which made you realize an important aspect of those documents?"
"Yes, yes, there is!" He nods two times, this time with his eyes closed. "Why you didn't told me about it sooner?! I'll keep those papers and call the Squid Resources Office right away!"
Mirii's irises shrunk, almost standing up.
"Wh-what?!"
He turns his back. "In the meantime, why don't you have a nice little tour"
"Sir!" Mirii's hands are on the car door, while she was bending forward with her head turned over the guard. "Would you please explain the situation?! Why are you"
"MIRII, NO!"
The girl turns over the car: Grina had her eyes expanded, as sweat was jumping out from her forehead.
"Don't question anything! Just let him raise the vehicle barrier and don't complain!" Her teeth were gritted.
Mirii kept looking at the girl: her knees bended, as she sits on the seat with her hands on it, while her tentacles covered each hand. The vehicle barrier rose a bit jerkily. The girl's eyes were seeing the open door and the small building's walls which had a yellowish tone.
The car's engine roars, as the wheels starts spinning forward. Mirii's eyes kept following the guard post, until her sight drastically moves to the right while the car turns in the same direction.
"I don't understand…" Mirii returns forward, with her eyes watching the black board. "What just happened?"
"Who cares!" Grina shrugs. "The important thing is that we are inside!" She grins, while turning over Bars.
"You said it, girl!" He nods, as his eyes tracked two white signs.
The sign pointing to the left had the word "Parking Lot - 1" written on it. The sign pointing to the right had the word "Facility - 1" written on it.
"But we must know the element which let the guard believing us!" Mirii's hands stood each on one of the front seat, as the girl moves closer to the little gap between the two seats. "Otherwise, we would be seen as suspicious!"
"Well, explain your plan to know that little detail, genius." Grina's right leg stands on her left knee. "Because the guard would start suspecting on you, like a Squid inside the Ink."
"Th-there has to be a way…" Mirii's eyebrows rose, as her lips were bitten. "He took a look at our Curriculum Vitae documents…"
"Like, I saw him staring at Grina's document!" His eyes were staring multiple cars staying each between two white lines on the road.
Mirii turns over Grina, as her mouth opened: the other girl almost lifts herself, with her jaw dropped.
"Grina's document…" Mirii blinks both her eyes three times: she starts frowning a bit. "Grina…"
"Yes…?" Grina jerkily turns over Mirii.
"What's the meaning of this…?" Her eyes squeezed a little.
"I-I'm asking the same thing!" Sweat jumps out of her forehead. "Wh-what's going on here?!"
Mirii sealed her mouth, as her frown increased: her left hand sunk inside her jacket's left pocket.
"W-wait, Mirii…" Grina's irises rest on Mirii's left hand. "What are you doing?!"
From the pocket, a pair of glasses shows up: Mirii opens them, wearing them as her nose moves upwards a bit.
"Now…" Mirii rose her head. "Grina, do you have any idea why that guard believed those documents…?"
"Eeeeeehhhhhmmmm…" Grina's irises bounced left and right, as her right wrist was drenching her forehead. "Well… because… ehm… I… I-I don't know?" Her eyes closed, while grinning.
Mirii folds her arms.
"… you are lying, Grina."
"NOOOOOO, W-WAIT A DARN MINUTE!" Grina's hands moved left and right, as her eyes almost popped out. "THOSE GLASSES YOU ARE WEARING ARE A FAKE! A FAKE, I SAY! WHY I WOULD LIE LIKE THAT?!"
"… why are you shouting, then?" Mirii lowers her head, frowning even more.
Grina's hands quickly covered her mouth.
"… ah… I-I guess I'm getting really nervous…" Her right forefinger, pulled the top of her shirt as she swallows lightly.
"Hmpf. That's true…" Mirii was squeezing her eyes. "Because your lies couldn't protect the truth you are hiding from us."
Grina's hands were grasping her shirt, as her teeth were almost eating her lips. Mirii turns over Bars.
"Bars, close the windows and the car." Mirii returns over Grina. "Grina has the truth to reveal…"
The boy sighs, as his irises were seeing the girl: his left forefinger pushed a button which rose the bottom-left window all the way to the top. The forefinger moved upwards, pressing a round stick: a clicking sound was heard.
"Thank you." Mirii was seeing another car with only seats inside, between the lines.
Grina was trembling.
"Very well, Grina." The girl points her right forefinger at Grina. "There is no escaping now! Tell us the reason why that guard rose the barrier!"
Grina's fists were on her legs: her head was down.
"Grina, please…" Mirii retreats her right arm. "You know us… we three are members of the Inkinators." She rose her head a bit. "Revealing the truth may be hard for you… but it must be done. If you are not brave in your life, you'll never be brave enough to survive."
Grina kept seeing her legs.
"… I knew that day would come…" She sighs, while closing her eyes. "I knew that bringing you here would meant to throw the truth out of the window… even though, at that point I didn't care much." She turns over Mirii, while smiling and opening her eyes. "I wanted to see Hunry too, Mirii… and I also wanted to help you." She nods.
Mirii's mouth was left open, as she sat on the seat.
"Well…" Grina lowers her head. "I could tell you the truth… but I think it would be best to let you do the work." She grins. "I'm sure that in your childhood, you heard about Ink, Turf, Splat. Would you mind to talk about it for a bit, Bars?"
"You can bet that, girl!" Bars rose his right thumb, while his right eye winked. "Like, that show was the hit back then! Cartoons mixed with live-action episodes used as an interlude, which it was like miles better than some of cartoons! Like, me and my friends talked about that show for a long time! Even my little sister loves that old show!"
"I do remember that show as well…" Mirii smiled. "My brother always called me to watch all the episodes... and I heard children talking about it in school."
"There were little kids doing adventures together, during the live-action! Do you remember their names, Mirii?" Bars scratches the top of his head.
"Uhm…" Mirii's right forefinger stood on her right cheek. "I remember Metor, which was the boy sidekick."
"I remember Isanta, that crazy little girl!" Bars rose his right forefinger.
"Hmm…" Mirii taps her right cheek. "I don't remember the others…"
"What about Greta Inkolina?" He grins, while closing his eyes. "She was the female protagonist of those live-action segments!"
"Well, that name was obviously the most memorable." She nods. "Before reaching that name, I wanted to remember all the others."
"That girl was named a prodigy so many times!" The boy opens his arms. "She had charisma, talent and even a passion for improvisation: in fact, some of her best lines came up with just that!"
"She was indeed a talented person." Mirii smiles. "She was calm and gentle… always smiling, never complaining in front of the camera. She appeared in 2 sitcoms as part of the main cast and even debuted theatrically with a minor role, as the male protagonist's daughter."
"Yeah… the boys at the school were so interested about that little girl! They even wished to have her in the same class as theirs." His eyes were looking up. "But then, if I remember correctly… that girl, kinda disappeared from the scenes."
"Correct." Mirii rose her head. "News reported that Greta went to another studio, taking an important role for an upcoming movie. Ever since that event, no one asked a thing about her… sometimes she's mentioned in some talk shows."
"What the turf, girl!" Bars shakes his head, while his mouth downturned. "Like, where is she now?! I would so love to meet her in person… like, I'd pay with my house to even get a photo of her as a grown-up!"
"Greta Inkolina…" Mirii sighs. "The icon of a truly fantastic show… …"
Suddenly, Mirii's eyes expanded as she lets out a loud gasp and her hands covered her mouth.
"Whoa, whoa!" Bars turns behind. "Like, what's going on girl?!"
Mirii was trembling.
"No… n-no, it can't be…!" Her irises stood on Grina.
She was smiling.
"Bars…" Mirii's irises were pointed at the boy, while her hands stood down. "I noticed something about Greta's full name."
"What about it?" He shrugs.
"Think about it…" She took a deep breath. "Greta… Inkolina… Grina's surname is Inkol." She bends forward, frowning a bit. "Took away Inkol from Inkolina, so you have just ina…"
"Huh?! W-wait, what?" Bars shook his head, while squeezing his eyes a bit.
Mirii's mouth was open: she sealed it, as her right forefinger stood on her right cheek.
"No, forget about my previous statement: I just found an easier way to solve this mystery. Grina's name… the origins are coming exactly from Greta's full name! Especially from the initial and the final part of it… Greta Inkolina. Gr… ina! Grina!"
Bars' irises shrunk: suddenly, his forehead was covered in sweat.
"… girl… like, no way…" He turns over Grina. "You… you are really…"
Grina sighs, while smiling: her left hand took her left tentacle behind her left ear.
"I knew that you would end up, saying that name… I mean, that little girl is the icon of the show, as Mirii just said." She grins, chuckling a bit.
"Wh-wh…" Bars' face became extremely red.
"Heh… well, time for some true presentation!" Grina closes her eyes, while smiling and lowering her head.
She rose her head, only opening her left eye as her forefingers pointed at her face.
"My name is Greta! Greta Inkolina!" She grins. "But I'm usually called Grina from my family and parents!"
"GR-GR-GREETTTAAAAA?!" Bars lifts his posture, as his head hit the car's roof.
"YOU ARE TRULY GRETA?!" Mirii's eyes almost pop out.
A sweat drop appears on Grina's left head.
"Ehm… gang"
Bars pressed a button from the car door's panel: he instantly opens the door, as his head looks at the orange sky with his arms up.
"I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS! I'M FRIEND WITH GRETA!" He smiles. "I'M FRIEND WITH GRETA!"
The door opens, as Grina quickly stands up turning over Bars.
"Stop it, Bars!" She was frowning, with her fists down. "Are you crazy?!"
The car's back door located to the right opens, as Mirii quickly jumps out with her eyebrows up.
"How could I treat a talented celebrity with such disregard?!" Her teeth were biting her lips. "Daring to call you an idiot multiple times!"
"Not you too, Mirii!" Her eyebrows rose. "Knock it off, already!"
Bars runs around the car, stopping in between Mirii and Grina.
"Greta! Like, I-I don't have the words…!" His hands were on his heart.
Mirii tilts to her right.
"Forgive me about that quarrel happened some days ago!" Her hands were grabbing her tentacles. "I-I let my rage succumb me… I-I'm truly sorry for punching you in the face!"
"Actually, Greta…!" His right forefinger rose. "You were so cool saving me that time against the bullies!"
"Greta, I'd never stop thanking you for letting me stay with Hunley…" She smiles, as her hands released her tentacles. "He's the only person I would stay with, forever!"
"Greta, like" He stretches his right arm.
"ALRIGHT, TIME OUT!" Grina's right fingers stood under her left hand, as her face was frowning a lot. "Would you stop treating me like a celebrity?!"
"Why?" Mirii rose her head. "I don't understand… you are a celebrity, Greta."
"MY NAME IS GRINA!" She bends forward, as her teeth were gritted.
Mirii jumped backwards.
"Whoa, girl... I-I mean, Greta!" He shakes his head quickly. "Not to complain with a great girl like you, but"
Grina roared loudly.
"Darn it! Darn it, darn it, darn it!" She jumps up and down, stomping the road. "I knew it! I knew I shouldn't come here! I KNEW I SHOULDN'T LET YOU KNOW MY REAL NAME!"
She shows her face, which was frowning a lot.
"And now… I'm treated just like the other fans did back then!" She bends down, sighing loudly. "I guess dad was right… even grandpa said that… ah, speaking of grandpa, the story I told you about him wasn't completely a lie: I mean, he left us a lot of money and my parents decided to change their house with the additional money, moving just to the next one which was indeed better."
Grina lifts her posture: Bars and Mirii's mouths were sealed, with their eyebrows up. She turns behind, facing some bushes.
"Well, I was pretending to cry too… even though, it makes me really sad thinking about it." She rose her head. "He was the only one who wasn't looking at me just as an actress… he never judged anyone from their status, which is something admirable."
Her eyes got slightly watery.
"I hope you don't mind… if I can tell you something about my past."
Bars gradually smiles a bit: he starts walking over Grina, hugging the girl from her back while blushing a lot.