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The Sun was directly over the four Inklings' heads. Grina's grin was wide, her fists were on her hips, her head was turning left and right while watching shop windows, which were exposing either shoes or shirts or even different types of hats.
"It totally feels like watching an alternate dimension of Inkopolis!" She giggles a bit. "Those pixels are just begging us to be discovered… and we sure can't let them down on that, right?!"
"Speak for yourself." Mirii's head rose, while staring down the girl. "Getting invested so much on a digital world is not only a waste of resources, but it's also unforgivable in front of the perfection rules."
"It's not unforgivable in front of the fun rules, though!" She turns behind, while smiling. "As long as you can get to laugh, where is the harm in that?"
"The harm would obviously involve seeing Squids getting lost in a world of pure lies." Mirii lowered her head, while frowning. "I thought to have explicitly ordered you and Bars to deactivate the virtual world…"
"Shucks! So much for helping friends, huh…" Grina's eyelids lowered to the middle, as her mouth shrunk and downturned. "… but what's the point of that, if the clues are inside the game?"
"Because right now, we must discuss the strategy of finding those clues… and second, I refuse to talk with people belonging to the imperfect world." Mirii rose her head, while folding her arms.
"Really?" Grina's right hand went in front of her mouth, which was smiling. "But you dived right into it too… and you wanted to interact with Hunry, since he was still on the perfect world."
"Nnnggghhh!" Mirii bended forward, as her irises shrunk and her forehead was covered in sweat. "Th-that situation doesn't count! I"
"Also, you are interacting with me now…" Grina opened her arms, while shaking her head. "… I don't see you refusing your talk to me."
"Grrrrr…!" Mirii's left wrist drenched her forehead. "I-I was getting to the part… if you would stop interrupting me!"
Grina turned behind, with her hands up and her arms bended 90°.
"Tsk, tsk… I was just letting you avoid unnecessary speeches! You do seem to drag on and on about your logical paths… but isn't it kind of annoying?" She turns behind, while smiling a bit and closing her eyes. "Isn't it more rewarding to just not overthink about stuff and… enjoy this world?"
"You are in the digital world…" Mirii's left hand took her left tentacle, petting it. "… which is nothing."
"Naaaah, I'm in this world right now, Mirii!" Her eyes opened. "It's just I'm seeing this world under a digital skin… that's all!"
"It's still an unforgivable trade of perfection with imperfection!" Mirii's right foot slides forward, while lowering her head and frowning. "You are not enjoying this world… you are enjoying an utopian idea of this world!"
Grina sighs loudly.
"Look… let's just agree to disagree, mkay?" She shrugs. "I'm getting sick of talking and talking…"
Mirii squeezed her eyes a bit.
"… cowardice will never bring you to the top ranks…" She sniffs loudly. "… but if you choose to give up, that's only your fault."
"Whatever!" Grina looks left and right, seeing Bars on her right side. "Shall we start hunting down some clues?"
"Like, I was thinkin' about what those clues might be…" Bars looks up, as his left hand scratched the back of his head. "… and I think I got an idea about it."
"Yay for Barsy!" Grina's eyes shined, as she claps quickly and jumped a bit. "Oh please… tell us the first step we must take in order to start this adventure!"
Bars chuckles.
"Well… recalling what the dude said…" His arms folded. "… he never mentioned anything about clues… so that means those are not important in the main game."
"Obviously those aren't important…" Mirii rose her head. "… because he might not even know about them."
"Uhm… actually… nah, it's not it." Bars shakes his head.
"WHAT?!" Mirii's irises shrunk, while frowning a lot. "How can you claim such statement?!"
"Eh eh… that dude was a geek." He turns his head towards Mirii. "Like, those people are so crazy ship about their games, that they literally go all out to explore it for years!"
"… absurd…" A sweat drop appeared on Mirii's left side of her head. "… how I was supposed to know the idiotic nature of those fools?!"
"If you were a gamer, like you would"
"Don't you even imply the remote possibility that I'm that kind of unworthy Squid!" Suddenly, Mirii's left forefinger was pointing at Bars' chin as she stands right in front of him, in tiptoes, while frowning a lot. "A theory like that shouldn't even be said out loud, from how outright incorrect and ridiculous it is!"
"Whooooa, whoa! Like, I'm sorry for that, girl!" His hands were still, near his body, as his forehead was covered in sweat. "I'm rewinding all the words I said earlier, ok?!"
"… hmpf." Mirii walks backwards. "What you really need is a book… a book about the Great Turf War…"
"Ehm… Bars is kinda needed for gettin' the clues, now…" He chuckles a bit.
"And how are you suppose to reach that conclusion…?" Mirii rose her head, folding her arms and tapping her right foot on the floor.
"Well, as I was saying… those clues are not important in the main game… but I'm sure that people still know them!" He turns his head to the left, while smiling, closing his eyes and lowering his eyebrows. "Like, I can bet my videogame collection, that we are dealing with… Easter Eggs." He chuckles.
Mirii's irises shrunk.
"… what did you just said?"
"Easter Eggs!" He opens his arms. "Like, little secrets hidden in the game! Whenever it's a nod to a movie or another videogame… or a compilation of tasks you have to do, in order to unlock a funny secret!" His eyes went on fire, while grinning. "Ooooh man… talk about going to the next level… finding an Easter Egg IS the next level!"
"That name… sounds incredibly childish…" Mirii sighs loudly. "This wasn't really a surprise for me… being childish is one of the main traits of imperfection."
"But finding one could be the most mature thing you could ever do!" Bars bends forward, with his eyes still on fire. "Totally S+, girl! Like, you have to be extremely precise with the tasks…"
"That excuse is laughable in the very least…" Mirii shook her head. "… but I'll never lower my reputation for that."
"I guess this Easter Egg in particular is one of those who are more like treasure hunts." He chuckles.
"TREASURE HUNTS?!" Grina grins widely, as her eyes expanded. "That means… … aahhhoooooooyyyyy!"
Her mind was seeing herself standing with her right foot on a small crate, wearing captain-like clothes and pointing her forefinger towards the sea.
"Are you ready for a new adventure?!" Her eyes expanded. "Don't push around, get that map!" Her right fist moves up and down. "Once the Sun is set, we will do the Pirate Dance!"
"Whoa…" Bars' mouth opened wide, while staring at Grina.
"… those are the catchphrases for Ink, Turf, Splat!" Mirii opened her mouth a bit, watching the girl.
"What are we waitin' for?!" Her head turns over Bars and Mirii. "The adventure is right ahead!"
Her left arm stretched, as her left hand was pointing down.
"All together… as the true Pirate team we are…" Her eyes were sparkling.
"… Grina, cut that interpretation out." Mirii frowns. "This is not a real treasure… nor true adventure." She sighs loudly. "This is just an imperfect navigation through imagination…"
Grina's mouth opened wide, as she lifts her posture.
"We are not kids, anymore… we have an adult reputation to keep." Her head rose. "Let's not underestimate our mission… otherwise our progress will get nowhere."
… Grina's face frowned a little. Her right hand rose, as her eyes were seeing the smartphone's touch screen: her right thumb pressed on it. Her head stood lowered.
"… you are saying… to not believe in Ink, Turf, Splat?"
"Hmm?" Mirii's right eyebrow rose. "Would you please express your question more clearly?"
"… my question is clear…" She sniffs loudly. "You… don't believe in that show, anymore…?"
"What that question has to do with anything?!" Mirii's right foot slides forward, while lowering her head and frowning. "There is no connection between the show and the situation at hand!"
"But… bu-but what you just said"
Her left hand took off the clear glasses, as her head rose: her eyes were getting watery. Mirii's irises shrunk a bit.
"Th-that this was an imperfect navigation through imagination…!" Grina's mouth was wavy.
"… why are you letting this emotion get the best of you…?" Mirii's mouth opened a bit.
"BECAUSE I BELIEVE IN THAT SHOW!" Some tears fell from her eyes, while bending forward.
Bars hugged the girl, as she starts sobbing a bit. Mirii frowns a bit.
"Grina… I see no reason to cry over such miniscule fact… yet, you choose to gave up just like"
"Girl, like I think to know why she's crying like this…" Bars' left hand was petting the top of her head.
The girl twisted, as she sunk her head on Bars' left shoulder, sobbing loudly.
"… you may explain this… but no matter the justification, that act is"
"Do you remember the events happenin' in that park…?" Bars' eyebrows were up and his mouth downturned.
"Yes… you failed your task." Her head rose.
"No, girl…" The boy's head shook left and right, slowly. "Grina… well… she couldn't really get over the fact that… well…" His irises went down-right, while sighing. "… people didn't believe in her."
"They were full of prejudges… and thus, they failed to be worthy fans…" Mirii's eyes closed. "… but I still don't see the reason to let this emotion get the best of someone."
"Ehm… you know, Greta was famous because of that show… and she said to believe in that with her very soul. It's like Greta IS Ink, Turf, Splat…"
"And you are implying that my answer in front of that situation…" Mirii quickly shook her head, while snorting. "Nonsense! I told you that Ink, Turf, Splat's worth and this situation have nothing in"
"Mirii, wait a second…"
Quickly, the girl twists behind: Hun's eyebrows were up, his mouth downturned, his neck a bit down…
"… don't you see that Grina is sad…?"
"Of course I would!" Mirii's irises shrunk. "I-I was just trying to"
Hun was shaking his head, while closing his eyes.
"… Mirii, Grina is our friend… right?" His head tilted a bit to his left. "Would you really leave her out like this…?"
Mirii's mouth flattened.
"She wants to believe, you know…" He sniffed loudly. "She really cares about that thing she mentioned…" His head lowered. "I can understand that… I really care for the farms, you know… and not even believing to ever return there… well… it's just one of the worst things ever!" His head rose back. "That's all… sniff! That's all…"
"… Hunley…" Her eyes closed. "… I must apologize for my moment of imperfection, there…"
"Hmm?" His eyebrows went up, forming arcs.
"Yes, you heard me right…" Her eyes opened, as her eyebrows went up. "I admit the terrible crime of underestimating the very important situation… because of that, I'll wait an official, self judgment which will decide what to do to my beloved perfect rank."
"Huh?!" Hun's mouth opened wide. "Wh-what are you talking about…?"
"I'm punishing myself, Hunley." She smiles a bit. "Because you showed me the correct way of dealing with this situation… that's only natural, since you are indeed the smartest of all perfection students."
"R-really?!" His hands pointed down himself. "I-I didn't know that I was a student in the first place!"
Mirii giggles a bit.
"Aaaah, Hunley… your intelligent deductions are a pleasure for my curious mind…" Mirii's eyes closed. "Whenever you say… it's always correct…"
Bars and Grina were staring at the girl: their heads turned over each other for a moment, then returned staring down the girl.
"… Miss Perfection… don't you think you"
"Greta Inkolina!" Mirii turns behind, then bowed down for a moment. "I must apologize for my rude, imprecise ways to solve the situation… alas, I was too closed in my own, subjective way of thinking…"
Mirii smiled, while bending a bit forward.
"But thanks to Hunley's perfect intuition, I'm now able to see the truth in front of my eyes!" She nodded. "The solution has never been about logic… instead, it was a mere act of support!"
"An act of support…?" Grina's left wrist drenched her eyes. "Look, I-I'm sorry about that outburst… wh-when you said to not believe"
"What are my ears hearing?!" Mirii frowns, as she squeezes her eyes a bit. "You… are DARING to imply that Hunley's solution was utterly wrong?!"
"Wrong?!" Grina's eyes expanded. "What are you talking"
"HOLD ON!" Mirii's left forefinger points at Grina. "You can't hide the fact that your desperation brought you to be seen as an imperfect Squid… as such, you can't hide your support needs from your friends!"
"But"
"You even explicitly said so! In other words… as Hunley smartly guessed… us Inkinators will banish the imperfect dominating your mind!" Mirii rose her head. "In order for you to be free from those mindless emotions… we will play along your little game." Mirii smiles, while lowering her eyebrows and smiling.
"Wow, for real?!" Grina opened her smiling, while bending down and thrusting her arms backwards.
Mirii nodded.
"You want us to find the treasure? I'm perfect for finding clues and reaching conclusions." Her eyes closed. "If the clues are hidden in player's memories… let me have the honor to interrogate them." Her eyes opened. "Once I received the information, you are free to perform the tasks needed to reach this Squid King."
Mirii's left hand took her left tentacle, petting it.
"This is my role: Perfect Information Seeker. Hunley's role would be… … Perfect Genius Adviser." She blushes a bit for a moment. "And your roles… Grina would be Imperfection-cursed Captain Greta and Bars would be Guide of the imperfect world."
"Imperfection-cursed?!" Grina opened her mouth.
"Unfortunately… yes." She sighs loudly. "Because Greta Inkolina disappeared for so long… you need to find her, once and for all."
Grina gasped.
"Wow… for once… I actually liked your idea!" Her eyes grew, same for her smile, as her left hand rested on her chest. "I'm da captain, witch!"
Mirii smiles.
"One more thing…" Her head rose. "Since my role is nothing more than gathering information… I'll stay out of that videogame and see the person with my own eyes: it's better to trust the rules of perfection, instead of assuming this videogame is as clear as it sounds…"
"Heh, nothing wrong for me!" Bars chuckles. "Like, being the guide of the imperfect worlds… sounds so fresh, it's like I'm the only one who can dominate the darn madness unfold!" He laughs loudly. "Oooooh, man! Get ready to hide in your ink… Bars' coming through like a Roller!"
"Yes, yes, perfect response." Mirii nodded. "Then, I declare our briefing concluded… I'll stay in this perfect world, helping the imperfect world becoming… more perfect."
Grina runs past Hun and Mirii, jumping on the sidewalk and turning.
"Come on, crew! The treasure is waitin'!" Her left fist moves up and down. "Ahhooooooooyyyyyy!"
Ahhoooooyyyy!
Bars rushed towards the girl, while Hun was just walking forward. Mirii kept smiling, watching the three Inklings.
"… Mirii Hanache… top one perfectionist… honored to be considered worthy again." She inhales silently, while closing her eyes.
The girl starts walking forward, putting her smartphone away.