Chapter 12: Unlikely Friend

"Don't find your friends. Go make some."

Akikta awoke to the delightful herbal smell of soup. He hadn't even realized he passed out until Nakji and Inka shook him from his slumber. Judging from their expressions, they had fun making the clam soup, which turned out to be delicious.

During their meal, Akikta politely asked Inka some general questions regarding Marie. Each time he did, he noticed Inka's mood decline, so he switched it up and asked about both Squid Sisters, which seemed to keep her from getting suspicious.

Unfortunately, there wasn't much of anything new he learned about the idols; aside from the unexpected fact that they were not sisters, but rather cousins.

The information helped ease the guilt spawned from his conscious decision to abduct Marie, but only by a little.

Shortly after eating, Nakji snooped through Inka's fridge out of pure curiosity, a trait she shared with Akikta. She ended up finding half a coconut.

Akikta wasn't sure why, but for most of the day, Nakji was infatuated with the coconut. She wore it like a cap and called it her pride and joy for the next few hours, which the inkling somehow allowed. He elected to call Nakji a Coconut Fiend the entire time she had it on.

Eventually, Inka offered to wash Akikta's and Nakji's clothes while they showered. Akikta jumped at the chance to finally bathe himself, though he was adamant that he and Nakji showered separately.

It was a bit difficult learning how to use the shower. They didn't function like Alterna's, and the soap bottles had unreadable labels. All Akikta could do was take a leap of faith and try a random bottle.

Aside from the familiar smell of heavily filtered water and Nakji scaring the living shit out of him by coming in with his clean clothes unannounced, the shower was nice.

Later in the day, Akikta and Nakji- especially Nakji, grew fond of Inka. She was incredibly friendly, extremely helpful, and even had an artistic side, evident with the art pieces she shared with them. They also learned she was a big fan of everything historical, including humans. Something Akikta found endearing.

The only thing he didn't like about Inka was her inability to stop talking. He quickly discovered that if you let her speak, she'll ramble until the next ice age sets in. But he couldn't blame her. She didn't have many friends. Actually, she only had one.

Inka and Astro were close. They even lived in the same apartment room for a time. But according to Inka, after Astro got his job in the Deepsea Metro two weeks ago, he thought it best to live on the train so he could stop being late for work.

She had no one else to talk to besides Astro, so she must've gotten pretty lonely ever since he came around less.

Nakji didn't seem to care about her endless info dumping, so against his better judgment, Akikta allowed Inka to speak their ears off.

This would continue until the late evening rolled around, allowing the group to gear up for bed. Inka had some spare blue pajamas for Nakji since they fit her. As for Akikta, he had to sleep with his clothes on, which he didn't mind. As long as he got to sleep on something soft, it'd be worth it.

Inka allowed Akikta and Nakji to use the room that once belonged to Astro, which would have been fine if the room had more than one bed.

Akikta opted to sleep out on the couch so Nakji could have the more comfortable piece of furniture. He removed the utility belt, placing it on the table so it wouldn't bother him in his sleep.

Unfortunately, he found his thoughtful decision to be for naught, as when he went to sleep, it was only him on the couch; but when he woke up, Nakji was using him as a bed. Akikta sighed. He couldn't tell if she was the older or younger sister at this point.

He laid still, allowing her to snore on him softly. "You're a lot less scary when you're asleep." He commented quietly, staring at the peaceful expression on her face.

Akikta's adoration for Nakji's cuteness was ruined when he realized she was drooling on his neck. "Ah, come on, man!" He mumbled in disgust.

Since it was Nakji, he didn't completely throw her off him. Instead, he shimmied from underneath her.

After freeing himself from Nakji's clutches, he took the sleeve of his jacket to wipe the excess saliva off a dozen times. Even after all that, the icky feeling remained. "Whatever. I wanted to take another shower anyway."

He walked to the bathroom, this time making sure to lock the door. Once locked, he stripped himself and started the shower.

As he cleaned himself, he thought about how to go about abducting Marie. He had the means to do it, but they needed a distraction and an escape route in case things went sour.

The more he thought about it, the more the guilt grew.

Inka was undoubtedly a fan of the Squid Sisters. How would she feel knowing the two friends she made kidnapped one of them? He didn't want to out himself to Inka, but at the same time, it seemed like the better option. Far better than letting the shame eat away at his spirit.

Akikta was suddenly snapped out of his thoughts by a terrible pain surging through him. The muscles in his chest tightened, causing him to grab at it with one hand. He coughed violently, using his other hand to cover his mouth.

When the pain eventually subsided, so did his coughs. "Damn, that kind of-" he froze.

When he uncovered his mouth, he saw his hand drenched in red. Blood-red.

Akikta began hyperventilating. This never happened to him before. Was he sick? Why did he cough up blood? Why-

A loud banging noise broke him out of his panicked state. The bathroom door was getting pounded on, accompanied by a loud gargling warble coming from the other side.

Confused and frightened, Akikta quickly washed away the blood before turning the shower off. The horrid gurgling and constant pounding didn't help ease his fear.

But then a thought crossed him.

He shuffled for his clothes on the sink, his wet fingers dampening his pants pocket as he pulled out the spherical and cylinder translators. He put on the cylinder mouthpiece first before twisting on the earpieces.

The more he twisted in the earpieces, the more those terrible warbles morphed into coherent speech. It was Nakji. "Aki! Please answer me!" she called out in fear, spooking Akikta.

Believing something was happening, he hastily wrapped a dark blue towel around his waist before unlocking and swinging the bathroom door open. "What hap-"

Nakji dashed into him, knocking them both down as she wrapped her arms around his slippery body. "Are you ok?!" she shrieked, frantically looking Akikta up and down.

"What? Yeah, I'm fine! What about you? You were banging on the door like someone broke in!"

"I...I had a bad dream. And when I woke up, I heard you coughing!" Akikta softly groaned at her explanation.

He figured she must've heard his coughs, despite his efforts to muffle them. "Oh, yeah, that. It was just a cough. Nothing to-"

"No, Aki!" She put her hands on his chest, balling them up into fists. "I've heard that kind of coughing before! The kind that happens moments before death!" she looked at him intensely. Akikta had seen her worried before, but she looked like she was on the verge of tears this time.

"Have you heard the coughing before or after you fatally stabbed someone?" He queried, making her hands open slightly. "I told you, Nakji, I'm not going anywhere without you. It was just a cough." He assured her, though she didn't seem convinced. "Look, I think I might be a little sick. Whenever humans catch something, we tend to cough like that. But it doesn't mean we're...dying. Promise." Nakji's face became less fearful, though she still looked worried.

She leaned back but kept eye contact with Akikta. After a moment of awkward silence, he spoke up. "So, now that we've gotten that out the way... can you get off me?"

Nakji looked down, noticing she was sitting on him. "Oh! Sorry, I'm not crushing your third arm, am I?"

Akikta became stunned. "How- what are- it's not an arm!"

Nakji's face shifted into a neutral expression. "...Third leg?"

"GET OFF."

"Alright, alright, jeez. You don't have to shout at me..." Finally, Nakji removed herself from Akikta and left him alone in the bathroom. After drying off and redoing his hair for the second time, he got dressed.

When he exited the bathroom, he caught Nakji in her regular clothes, about to leave. She claimed she was going to do some recon, though Akikta did not want her to go alone.

Despite his wishes, Nakji would not let him come. She pointed out he wasn't exactly great at dealing with foreign environments. Hell, his first day on the surface got him swooped up by a band of pirates and put on the wrong foot of a secret group of agents.

He tried to persuade Nakji to at least bring Inka with her, but apparently, the inkling already left, leaving a note stating she was out doing school activities.

It would seem there'd be no winning in this situation. Bottom line was they needed that recon intel before tonight; he also wanted to respect her wishes.

Akikta caved in. "Just be careful. Please." He sighed.

Nakji walked up to Akikta before wrapping her arms around him, pulling the teen into a warm embrace. Without uttering a word, he returned the hug. It lasted for a few seconds before Nakji backed away. "Be back soon!" She said optimistically and left.

Akikta was left alone for the next few hours. He did not want to dwell on whatever happened in the bathroom. Besides, his body seemed fine now. So maybe what happened wasn't all that big of a deal? He hoped so, anyway.

To get his mind off the shower incident, he casually browsed through various channels and news outlets. While cruising through the television, he learned about plenty of bands. Ink Theory, Chirpy Chirps, Off the Hook, Bottom Feeders, the list goes on. They all had one thing in common; they made pretty damn good music.

Of course, Akikta could only understand the lyrics if he had his translators in, but shockingly, he found each bands' music more pleasant when he couldn't understand what they were singing.

An abrupt knock at the door made Akikta tune into his surroundings. He didn't even realize how much time had passed. "Must be Inka," he said to himself.

As he approached the door, he put in his translators, covered his face with his mask, then concealed his hair with his hood. Once everything was in place, he reached out to the doorknob, only to stop.

Wait, Inka would have a key to her apartment, wouldn't she? He thought before bending down to look through the peephole. It wasn't Inka, but instead Nakji. That explains it.

He unlocked the door for her, who smiled at him with a toothy grin. It was now that he realized Nakji's teeth were also sharp like Inka's, except Nakji only had two large canines, one to the left at the top and the other to the right at the bottom.

"Told you I'd be back soon!" She walked in, allowing Akikta to close the door behind her.

"Everything go alright?"

"Yep. Reconnaissance here was easier than I expected! I've got a pretty good idea of how we'll be able to move around the area. Though the place is pretty big, so there might be a lot of people."

Akikta mumbled. "I thought so. Inka did say this was a special event."

"Speaking of, did she come in yet?" The question made Akikta wonder exactly how long Inka would be out. It was getting late. She should've been back before Nakji.

"She hasn't..." A knot of worry tied itself in the pits of his stomach. Even Nakji's expression saddened at his response.

Nakji's mood going down made up Akikta's mind. "I'm gonna go look for her."

Nakji looked up at Akikta, looking even more worried. "Aki-"

"Nuh-uh, don't try to stop me. I let you go, so let me do this."

Nakji pouted. "How will you even find her?"

"Well, you said she was out doing school activities, right? I know where she may be," Akikta said confidently, remembering she mentioned what school she went to during her long ramble yesterday. "Inkblot Art Academy."

"You don't even know where that is."

"I can find it the same way we found Flounder Heights."

"Fine then. I'll go with you."

"No, Nakji." He said firmly, causing her to wince at his words. She seemed pained at the thought of him leaving out alone, just like he was with her.

"Don't worry. I'll be extra careful. Promise." Akikta placed a hand on her shoulder. "You staying here would be better anyway. You need to rest before the big event tonight. And Inka might come back, so as long as one of us is here, she won't think we ditched her." He brought up many valid points; each one made Nakji's eyebrows curl. "Besides, we need at least one of us here to lock the door." He added, making Nakji sigh in defeat. "I trusted you. Now trust me, please."

Nakji looked at Akikta one last time before giving him a big hug. "Be careful." She pleaded softly.

"I will." He pulled away from Nakji and went back to the table.

After retrieving and securing the belt around his waist, he walked back to the front door and lifted his mask slightly so Nakji could see his lips, which curled into a smile. "Be back soon."

Before Nakji could change her mind and protest further, Akikta exited the apartment to find Inka.

He asked around for directions to Inkblot Art Academy. Although he eventually got them, he never made it to the academy.

"Stop it!" A shrill voice barked during his trek. He knew that voice. It was Inka! Akikta dashed toward where the sound came from, running into an alleyway littered with trash. No one was there.

Just when he thought he was hearing things, a few boisterous laughs came from further down. "Look at the freak protecting another freak! How poetic." Said a masculine voice.

Akikta cautiously approached the noises and came across a turn in the alley. Peeking over the corner, he witnessed three yellow-colored inklings corner Inka against a wall.

"Oh hey, I know! You two freaks should get together. You'd make a sick couple." The middle inkling teased.

Inka spread her arms out to block their path, despite there being nothing but a wall behind her. "Just leave him alone, guys! He didn't do anything to you!"

Akikta had some difficulty following what was happening until something moved behind Inka. A small creature with big lips and large eyes huddled behind her for protection. It looked like a tentacle with tiny legs... actually, that's literally what it was.

"They don't belong here. You know that!" The inkling to the left shouted.

"Y-yes, they do!" Inka protested.

"Shut up, freak! You're practically the same as that octarian. Maybe you should go live with them!" The middle inkling declared, their tone growing aggressive.

Akikta couldn't help but wonder how that was an octarian. Nakji, nor any other octolings, looked anything like that tentacle creature. Then again, O.R.C.A did say there were plenty of octarian subspecies. Perhaps this was one of them.

"If you just give them a chance, you'll see-" A quick punch from the middle inkling interrupted Inka, shutting her up immediately; She yelped as she fell.

"I said shut up, freak!"

At that point, Akikta had seen enough. "Hey!" He shouted angrily, stepping out and announcing his presence. Everyone in the alley stopped in their tracks to stare at him. "She said stop. So stop." He demanded, causing the two inklings beside the main inkling to snicker.

The middle inkling stood up straight to appear intimidating. "And who are you?"

"Instead of worrying about that, you should be worried about what I'll do to you if you don't leave her alone." Akikta seethed, his agitation getting the better of him. He's no better than them when it came to hitting girls, but seeing them gang up on Inka like this made his blood boil.

"Chum, there's one of you and three of us. What're you gonna do?" The center inkling backed up before crouching down to Inka's level. "'Sides, if you're with her, I bet you're just as much of a-"

Akikta slammed his fist into a nearby trashcan. Surprisingly, the trashcan dented from the punch, making a loud popping noise. It fell over and rolled away, causing the inklings to stare at him.

The faces of the inklings on either side morphed into a fearful look, whereas the inkling crouched down took on a more serious expression.

It looked like Akikta was intimidating them, but really, he needed to punch something to control his anger. His hand painfully throbbed, but he ignored it and kept both hands balled up. "Try me." He dared.

The middle inkling stood and crossed his arms. He must've finally noticed Akikta's larger stature, as he repeatedly looked him up and down.

Akikta figured he was gonna have a fight on his hands, only for the inkling to scoff. "Whatever, she ain't worth all this trouble. Let's go." With that, the trio of inklings maneuvered around Akikta to leave.

He waited until they were fully gone before rushing to check on Inka. "Are you alright, Inka?"

"I'm fine..." she whimpered, obviously lying. The side of her face swelled with a nasty red, contrasting with her fair skin.

"Those bastards. I'm gonna-" Inka gently grabbed his arm, stopping him from getting up.

"No, no! It's alright. Really, I'm fine." Inka assured with a pleading look in her eyes. She clearly didn't want him to pursue them, so he stayed with her and calmed down.

A sigh escaped his lips, wondering what could've led three people to bully her and the small octarian. "What was all that about?"

"Those were my classmates... they're usually like this," Inka responded casually.

"Wait, what do you mean usually? Do they always get on you like this?!"

Inka didn't answer him. She simply frowned.

Before Akikta could get mad, the octarian wrapped the tip of their tentacle around his hand. "Thank you." It said before doing the same with Inka's hand.

"You're quite welcome!" Inka responded happily before the octarian left.

Akikta helped her up before both left the alley onto the darkening streets. Bright, flashy lights started turning on as the sky grew darker.

"Was that the school activity you were talking about?" Akikta said, referring to the note she had left.

Inka shook her head. "They invited me so we could all work together on our upcoming school project. I thought it'd be my chance to get to know them and maybe be friends... but then they started picking on that little guy! He wasn't even doing anything!" She explained, which confused Akikta.

"Wait, if they think you're a freak, why'd they invite you?" Inka shrugged her shoulders in response. "Why do they even think you're a freak?"

"Oh." She chuckled nervously. "Well, you see... intelligence isn't really a common thing among my people. At least, not around here."

"You mean y'all are dumb?"

Inka sheepishly nodded.

He connected the thoughts. Those inklings only invited Inka so they could have her do their project. They were probably too stupid to do it themselves. Bastards.

"Why would they be mad about you being smart?" Akikta thought out loud, figuring if Inka was smart, people could use her intelligence to better the world and the livelihood of everyone in it.

She sighed. "They don't like that I'm different." Akikta eyed Inka, who frowned heavily. "I want friends. I really do. But everyone thinks I'm weird or a freak of nature. At this point, I feel like I need to be friends with actual monsters just to fit in."

Sounds of the city abruptly replaced their conversation.

They walked in silence for a good bit. Akikta wasn't sure what to say to her. He didn't like that she felt lonely. He knew how that felt all too well...

Before he could think of something comforting to say, a fragrant scent stopped him in his tracks. This smell...

Akikta turned his head to see a nearby park. It was mundane at best. But blooming flowers glowed in the dark, grabbing his attention. "Whoa..." He absentmindedly walked up to them, Inka following close behind.

"Oh wow! I forgot these were going to bloom tonight." She commented with a smile.

The flowers were a fluorescent purple, their outer rim a majestic blue. On their own, they were pretty. But when they bloomed, they were otherworldly beautiful.

They were so distinct from ordinary flowers, Akikta recognized them immediately. They were what his grandfather called the Purple Death. The flower itself wasn't dangerous. However, when turned into tea, it gained toxic properties, which is how it earned its sinister nickname. "I didn't know this place had Purple Death flowers." He was shocked to find something from twelve thousand years ago still alive and well today.

"Purple Death? Those are Old Lillies." Inka corrected.

Akikta should've known the flowers would go by a different name, but they were identical in appearance and function.

"No one really likes them, but I do. They smell pleasant." She turned to Akikta, who stared directly at the patch of flowers. "You couldn't have picked a better time to come visit Inkopolis. These flowers only bloom once a night in an entire year!"

I know. Is what Akikta wanted to say. He was familiar with the Purple Death, or according to Inka, the Old Lilly.

It held a special place in his heart for a few reasons. One being it was his grandfather's favorite flower. Another being they looked mystical when they bloomed. But the biggest reason was because the Old Lilly always bloomed on a special day for Akikta.

His birthday.

Memories of a year ago, or more accurately, over twelve thousand years ago, manifested as vivid hallucinations. Akikta's father, grandfather, brother, and himself were all gathered around the flowers.

He remembered this day well; His family talked about the dreams and goals they'd accomplish once they reached the surface. His father wanted to open the fanciest seafood restaurant on Earth. Chaska wanted to become a great inventor, like their grandfather. And Father Axe... well, he was already living his dream. The elder simply wanted to be with his family.

Back then, on this day, they were happy... and together.

"Are you ok, Akikta?" Inka interrupted. The hallucination quickly faded, bringing him back to reality.

And now, on this day, Akikta was reminded those dreams they had were dead, along with them.

There was no stopping the floodgates now. Before he knew it, Akikta suddenly broke down into a wet sobbing mess, which startled Inka. "No... I'm not." He choked out through the tears, falling onto his knees with both hands over his mask.

The reminder of what happened to his family was unbearable. Maybe if he hadn't been so naïve, he could've helped his grandfather convince his dad that the rocket was a bad idea. Maybe everyone would still be alive, and his brother wouldn't have gotten turned into an abomination.

If he weren't so fucking stupid, he'd still have his life! The people he knew and loved would still be alive! If he weren't so-

"H-hey... It's... It's ok, Akikta." Inka kneeled down, softly rubbing his shoulder.

"IT'S NOT! NOTHING IS OK!" He cried, snatching himself away from her touch. "I-I got my friends killed! I got my family killed!" He stammered.

Inka had a concerned look, but she didn't back away from him. "You did?" She asked calmly.

Akikta realized what words left his mouth. "I..." He continued to sob, unable to muster a response. His hands lowered as he stared at the ground. "I've been using you..." He confessed.

Akikta couldn't bring himself to continue lying to Inka. Especially after she's been so hospitable to him and Nakji. "We didn't come here for any type of business. We came here to abduct Marie." He sniffled.

A frightful look overcame Inka, but only for a moment. "W-why?" Her expression eased.

"Because I have to! That's why! I- I allowed something terrible to happen to my brother. If it weren't for me, he wouldn't be a monster! And now the only way I can fix him is if I get her! I NEED MARIE." He yelled, though not as loudly as he would've liked. Akikta reeled himself back to his senses enough to understand that openly screaming he was going to kidnap Marie was a bad idea.

"I didn't want to use you, Inka. I really didn't, but we had nowhere else to go. And this... it means too much to me. So I'm sorry!" He bowed his head, pleading for forgiveness. "You're too good for this world. You helped two strangers in need without knowing a thing about them! You put us before your own safety, and we used you!"

Akikta abruptly stopped sobbing. "You're not a freak. You're an angel. The only freak here... is me." It took him a moment to fully recognize this, but Akikta was truly a sick person.

How long did it take for him to see Nakji, let alone the new life, as people? Too long. Did he plan to exploit Inka's kindness? Yes. Was he going to steal Marie from her cousin, potentially making said cousin feel just as terrible as him? Also yes. Did he understand all of this was bad? Of course he did. And the worse part? He's still willing to do it. "I just want my brother back..."

If Inka chose to report him to whatever authorities Inkopolis had, Akikta was sure he didn't have the strength to fight back. He was done. He couldn't go on anymore. There was no way he could-

Inka wrapped her arms around Akikta, giving him a tight but soft hug. "I'll help."

Akikta paused, thinking he misheard her. "What?" He pulled away from the hug, expecting to find a disturbed or furious face on Inka. Instead, she stared at him calmly.

"I said I'll help," she repeated, confirming that he was not hearing or seeing things.

Suddenly, her gray eyes didn't look so cold anymore.

"I've been called a lot of things: freak, nerd, outcast. But not once an angel..." she said. "You and Nakji didn't question my hobbies or intelligence. Not once. In fact, you praised me for them!" Inka rubbed the side of her shoulder and looked away. "You also saved me from getting beat up."

There was a moment of peaceful silence. The cool breeze of the wind gently blew past the two, making the Old Lillies sway.

"You know, it's funny." Said Inka, breaking the silence. "When Astro left, I knew I wouldn't see him much anymore. I thought my social life was over, but then you guys came along." Her eyes avoided looking at Akikta, instead choosing to monitor the nearby flowers. "Yesterday was one of the few times I felt... accepted."

Inka turned, locking eyes with Akikta. "I don't want to be alone again..." she admitted shamefully as they gazed into each other's eyes.

Her words made Akikta realize something. His old life may have been gone, but he still had a life. He had Nakji and Sal, too. And although he lost a lot, he didn't lose everything; His brother was still here.

He wasn't alone. He never has been. Not like Inka.

There was another moment of silence, though oddly enough, this one didn't feel uncomfortable to Akikta.

When Inka caught herself staring intently at him, a deep blue tint formed around her cheeks. He would've thought she was blushing, but he knew better. Blushes don't come in that color.

She cleared her throat to once again break the quiet atmosphere. "You guys are nice. So, if it's all good with you, I'd like to tag along."

While Akikta was not opposed to Inka joining him and Nakji, he worried for Inka's wellbeing. "I... I don't know. You do realize we'll most likely be branded as criminals, right? You won't be able to live a normal life in Inkopolis anymore."

"Akikta, I've never had a normal life." She waved him off. "Besides, I have no one here that'll miss me anyway. Not anymore, at least."

"But you like the Squid Sisters, don't you?"

"Of course I do. But as much as I admire them, they'll never notice me in a million years. Not like you and Nakji have." She scooted a little closer. "And you said it was to help your brother, right? No one can blame you for wanting to save the one you love."

Inka made a good point; she seemed willing to throw away her life to aid them. Then again, if she's willing to do this, her life must not be that great to begin with.

The more Akikta thought about it, the more he saw the pros outweighed the cons. Inka wasn't a fighter, but that's it. Aside from that, she was brilliant, and having an extra pair of hands would help. Besides, Nakji seemed to love her.

He isn't sure how Sal will feel about bringing these cephalopods into their domain, but Akikta would feel bad if he left Inka now.

"Well, you and Nakji do get along well. So, if you're really ok with ruining your life here, I wouldn't mind the extra help. Though, we haven't actually devised a plan yet..." Akikta rubbed the back of his head, keeping his hood up.

Inka lightly tapped her chin with a finger. Then, a sly grin took shape on her face. "I might have a few ideas."