Fishy Love
Chapter 3
An older pink Inkling female in a blue dress and white apron sighed, slumping into a chair and wasting no time in kicking off her slippers. She looked tired as she reached for the steaming cup of ink tea that she had just made.
Suddenly there were a series of loud bangs from upstairs, making the ceiling shake.
Claire groaned and rubbed her face. "Girls! Knock it off will ya!? Mommy is trying to relax!"
Seconds later thundering footsteps came racing down the stairs and then… Naya and Maya appeared before their mother, both looking furious.
"She stole my dress!"
"She stole my dress!"
"No, you did!"
No, you did!"
"ENOUGH!" Claire slammed her hand on the table, spilling her tea. "You both wear the same dress for squid sake!"
"Oh yeah! We do!" The twins giggled and hugged each other, their anger now turned into joy.
Claire groaned, regretting the day she decided not to use protection on that stupid one-night stand. Curse her and her wild partying days.
Maya chuckled and jutted her hip to the side, her hand resting on it. "Well, I'm off now anyways."
Naya frowned and turned towards her twin. "You're going to see Kyle again aren't you? Without me again."
Claire glanced at her daughters as she sipped her tea. Ever since Maya meet Kyle in a Turf War match four months ago, the two have begun to date. It was the first time a boy had ever been successful with one of the twins… and Naya clearly didn't like the change.
It was weird having her sister go off and do her own thing without her. It didn't feel right.
"Of course, I'm going to see Kyle. He's going to finally introduce me to his family!" Maya giggled, looking excited at the prospect.
"And of course I'm not taking you, that's just weird. Not my fault you can't get a boyfriend."
"S-Stupid!" Naya stamped her feet before spinning around to leave. "Fine! I don't care, go see stupid Kyle!"
Claire sighed. "Shut it the pair of you, Squid… I can't wait until you both finally move out."
Naya turned and stuck her tongue out at her mother and her stupid twin before rushing out of the apartment… on her own. She hated being on her own, why couldn't Maya see that?
They were always together! They even spoke the same words together just to creep people out!
Naya headed down the stairs in a fury and came out into the busy street. Without thinking of a destination, she picked a random direction and began to walk.
The day Maya started dating and Naya went out on her own for the first time came as a huge shock, even to those who saw her. Afterall, nobody has ever seen one without the other. It just never happened.
The pink squid was so lost in thought that she failed to see a purple Octoling wave at her, until they called out her name. "Naya!"
Naya broke from her thoughts and looked up to see Tela walking over towards her while carrying her now two month old son Bic. Seeing the baby made her smile.
"You out doing a bit of shopping too?" Tela beamed as she stopped. "Sora's just been called into work, so it's just me and Bic at the moment. Isn't that right sweetie?"
Bic chirped happily and slapped his tentacles against his mother's arms, his small body bouncing slightly.
"Awwwww! You are just so cute!" Naya giggled and reached out to sweep up the baby and fuss him. Tela watched with a soft smile.
"So, I see you're on your own again."
Naya sighed and held Bic in her arms as she turned her face towards Tela. "Stupid twin… I don't see why she has to be with Kyle all the time. He's just a stupid Inkboy."
"Well… things change when you finally meet your special someone. I can't explain it really, but it's like your whole perspective just changes and you feel it in here." Tela placed her hand on her chest.
"Who knows, maybe soon it'll happen to you."
Naya scoffed as she handed Bic back to Tela. "I'm never going to date some stupid boy."
Tela gave her a knowing smirk. "Sure Naya."
Bic blew a raspberry before waving his tenacles and chirping. This caused a couple walking by to aww at the sight of such cuteness.
Naya sighed before stretching her arms, feeling down. "Ugh… I'm just gonna get some icecream and chill down at the beach. Enjoy your shopping Tela, and say hi to Sora for me later."
"Sure." Tela smiled before rubbing her son's head with affection. "See you around Naya."
With that, they parted ways. Naya headed straight to the freshest and most popular ice cream parlour in the city, ordering herself a large tub of Inkberry icecream with sweet syrup before heading down to the beach.
Teens or young adults often came down here at night to camp or to party, and watching the ocean behind safely barriers. What most people didn't know was that the most brave and adventurous Inklings would slip under this barrier and head down to a cove that was blocked from the public view.
This was where the wild partying happens. Thankfully there was no one when Naya arrived, meaning she had the whole cove to herself.
She sat down on a rock producing from the sandy floor and began to eat her icy treat, her mind going back to what her twin had said earlier.
Not my fault you can't get a boyfriend.
Stupid Maya… boys were gross and just so boring. At first she thought she might be into girls and tried kissing Alicia at that party one time. It was nice… but she didn't feel anything special.
The sun slowly dipped and began to set as time went on… but Naya didn't move from her rocky perch, her brown eyes distant as she watched the calming but dangerous waves of the ocean.
Splash
Naya snapped from her thoughts and jumped. What the squid was that? She stood up and scanned the water… but she couldn't see anything.
Maybe it was nothing. She sat down again and sighed, not really wanting to leave.
Splash
There it was again, only this time Naya was sure she just saw something leap from the water before diving down again. It… looked like a person but no, that can't be true. No one could survive in there, the salt in the water would instantly kill them.
Naya gasped as she spotted a head poke up from the waves to watch her, yellow eyes… pale green skin and red hair? It looked like a salmonid! Yet… something didn't seem right.
The head vanished within the waves, then resurfaced again much closer. Naya watched transfixed, then cried out in fear as the creature leaped out from the water and landed in front of her.
It was impossible but… this thing looked just like a humanoid Salmonid. It was even wearing the typical overalls while clutching a frying pan in its hand. Its shiny yellow eyes stared at her with curiosity before slowly reaching out.
Naya screamed and bolted, running as fast as she could for her life. When she reached the entrance that lead out of the cove, she risked a chance to glance back. The Salmonid was watching her with a tilt of its head, having not moved an inch.
It… didn't chase her?
Naya came to a stop and watched as it eventually turned and dived back into the salty waters. What was that about?
After a few minutes of staring, she turned and began to head back home. Yet strangely enough all thoughts of her sister dating have been driven out of her mind, now replaced by the image of that male salmonid. Or should she say Salmonling?
After two days of going back and forth with her thoughts, Naya decided to throw caution to the wind and return back to the cove. This time with a bag full of food that she swiped from her mother's fridge.
Luck was in her favour once more as the cove seemed to be deserted again. It was defiantly colder today as Naya sat down, the wind blowing her tentacles around and making the waves choppier.
"Ok… I'm really stupid for doing this…" The pink squid muttered to herself as she watched the ocean. Why was she doing this again? Squid sake… there was a chance that Salmonling might not even be here.
She reached into her bag and grabbed some bread, before tossing it as far as she could. It barely landed in the water with a weak splash, before being caught by the rolling waves and dragged out.
Naya watched as the bread was dragged further and further out. Just as she was starting to think this was pointless and a waste of good food, the bread disappeared with a sudden plop!
She gasped before hastily reaching in her bag again, this time pulling out a cupcake and lobbing it as hard as she could into the sea. Seconds later and it too disappeared with a plop.
Then… yes! There he was!
Naya held her breath as a head popped up. It was him, definitely him again. He was watching her with that same curious expression while chewing.
Throwing caution to the wind, the pink Inkling stood up with her bag and walked closer. "H-Hi there. I have more food if you want it."
The boy watched her before disappearing into the waves. Did she scare him off?
No, seconds later he jumped from the ocean and landed right in front of her. His body dripping with seawater as he began to sniff.
Naya gulped and held out her bag with shaking hands. "H-Here."
The salmonling sniffed the bag then took it with a wide grin. He sat down suddenly and began to reach in, pulling out different food items and devouring them.
Naya sat down too and just watched him with fascination. He looked the same age as her, maybe even older.
The Salmonling munched away happily until the bag was empty, which he sniffed before dropping it onto the sandy floor with a whine.
Naya giggled, which attracted his attention. He suddenly leaned in and began to sniff her.
"A-Ah… not so close!" Naya blushed as the boy got really close to her face. He sniffed a few more times before smiling happily at her. "Friend… friend bring more food?"
She blinked in shock at hearing the salmonid speak. He… he actually spoke! Then Naya smiled softly at the fact she was called his friend. "Yes, I'll bring more food next time."
He beamed before leaning in lick her cheek, making the skin tingle. "Nice friend! Nice squid!"
"A-Ah! I'm Naya. Naya."
The boy blinked and tilted his head, before reaching out to touch the Inkgirl on the chest. "Naya? Naya! Me Kelpy. Kelpy happy, Naya is friend!"
Naya giggled and raised a hand to her mouth. "I'm happy we're friends too.
From that moment onwards, she returned to the cove every day to bring food and other treats to Kelpy.
Turned out the cove was always empty because Kelpy kept scaring the others away when they saw him, thinking he was a danger. He explain to Naya that he was on his own and was just trying to make friends, but his appearance always seem to scare people away.
She asked if there were any other Salmonids like him, but he wouldn't say and just merely shook his head.
Naya's sudden good mood didn't go unnoticed by her twin, who decided to follow her one day. Maya grinned, thinking that finally her sister had gotten herself a boyfriend or girlfriend. I mean… why else would she suddenly be in a good mood all the time and not to mention more secretive?
Maya was surprised however as she saw her twin slip through the safety barriers at the beach and head down to the cove. No one went down there anymore after the Salmonid sightings; it was deemed too dangerous now.
She began to worry as she followed her sister in secret. If Naya really was sneaking down here to see some boy, or girl, she had to stop it.
Maya stayed by the entrance, hiding behind the rocky wall from which she peeked out to watch Naya.
She saw her sister set up a picnic blanket and setting out food… yet no one else seem to be here yet. Wait… what was that!?
Kelpy dived from the ocean and landed on the sandy floor, then began to shake himself vigorously. Naya laughed and threw a towel towards him which he caught, using it to dry himself just like his friend had showed him.
"I bought your favourite snacks again Kelpy." Naya giggled.
Maya was gobsmacked as this… humanoid Salmonid skipped over and hugged her twin before sitting down with her.
She couldn't believe it… a salmonid who looked like them? That was impossible… yet here he was eating with his sister and having a good time.
Maya continued to watch, unable to tear herself away as eventually the two finished eating and began to play fight on the floor. Both of them were laughing as they rolled over the sandy beach until…
The rolling stopped with Kelpy on top, grinning down at Naya who grinned back. Then he did something that surprised both twins, he leaned down and captured Naya's lips with closed eyes.
"W-What!?" Maya gasped, then gasped again as Naya closed her eyes and kissed back.
Her sister… was making out… with a salmonid. Her sister!
Kelpy broke the kiss and licked Naya's forehead. "Kelpy likes Naya, think Naya is pretty and suitable mate."
Naya blushed hard as she looked up. "Y-Yeah? Naya likes Kelpy too."
Click!
Both looked up, spotting Maya standing with her hand on her hip. In her hand was a phone which she had used to take a picture.
"Wait until I show the others this."
Kelpy tilted his head in confusion. "Another Naya?"
"M-Maya!" Naya yelped and tried to push the Salmonling off her, shocked that her twin was here. "Delete that picture! Now!"
"Nope!" She stuck out her tongue before turning to run, laughing manically as her sister began to chase her while cursing.
After a month of dating, Naya finally moved out of her mother's apartment to go live at the cove with Kelpy. Just a week after Maya herself moved in with Kyle after he proposed to her.
Claire celebrated at finally having the apartment to herself once more.
There were concerns and worry for Naya at first from her friends, after all it wasn't really that safe to live so close to the sea. Yet they wished her good luck for the future, especially seeing how happy the girl was with Kelpy.
With money earned from her skills at Turf Wars, Naya was able to buy a second-hand mobile home to live in. Sora and Haru helped to get the vehicle into the cove… by which I mean they forced the barrier open at night and drove it down there when no one was looking.
It was hard getting use to this new lifestyle, but waking up every morning to the peaceful sounds of the ocean… and spending time with Kelpy made it all worth it to Naya.
Then three months into the relationship, something happened that shocked everyone. Something everyone thought would be impossible.
"She's late." Maya huffed as she crossed her arms.
Tela and Sora was having a party to celebrate Tela's birthday, and had invited everyone to their apartment.
"She'll be here soon." Tela smiled. "Poor Kelpy though… I wish he could have come."
Sora walked over to the girl, a drink in one hand and Bic in the other who was playing with a toy airplane. "I mean he could have, if we wanted half the city to panic at seeing a salmonid causally walking through the streets."
"Ah… never thought I'll see the day an Inkling would hook up with a salmonid." Inka grinned as he joined the conversation. "Mind you, people use to say the same thing about Inklings and Octolings."
Bic looked up and reached out for Inka. "Granpa!"
Inka beamed and took the boy off Sora.
Eventually there was a knock at the door before it swung open. "Sorry I'm late!"
Naya was beaming happily as she walked in, clearly brimming with excitement. "Kelpy has been clingy all day, but I managed to convince him to let me go."
People turned and waved at the pink squid, happy that she was here to join the party.
"Cocktail Naya? I have your favourite here." Tela smiled as she gestured to the countertops in the kitchen that was lined with bottles.
"No thanks." Naya beamed as she bounced on over. "I can't drink now."
Maya raised an eyebrow. Her sister, refusing to have a drink?
"Ok… you never turn down your favourite drinks, and look at you. You're almost hitting the ceiling."
Tela turned away from watching her great grandfather playing with Bic and his toys to face Naya. "Something exciting happened? Or are you this happy that it's my birthday?" She laughed.
"Nope, because of this." Naya grinned and pulled open her coat, revealing a rounded stomach.
"Me and Kelpy are going to have a kid!"
Silence.
Then a sound of shattering glass as Maya dropped her drink.
Naya glanced around at everyone staring at her and frowned. "W-What? Is something wrong?"
More silence… before suddenly she was pulled into a hug by Maya. "No fair! You beat me to it!"
Everyone started talking at once and began to congratulate the pink squid, especially Tela who was positively excited at the prospect of Bic having a play mate.
"Woah… so we can breed with Salmonids? Nice. I might have to start working for ." Haru smirked, before being hit around the back of his head by Sora.
Naya beamed and hugged her twin tightly, happy that their family was just about to get that little bit bigger.