My first lengthy Splatoon fic. My one shots have been well received so I'm curious to see how this goes.
Regarding Heart of Shadows, because I keep getting messages, I'm still working on it. It's just been hard when you have a one-track mind, and right now, mine is on Splatoon. But don't worry, I'm making progress. I just want to work on some other things. I am not abandoning Heart of Shadows.
Thank you.
Dance was the universal language of movement. With no words, a dancer could narrate an entire story just by the way they moved. It was a hard phraseology to learn and even harder to decipher, requiring more than grit and determination, but also a purpose to constantly seek improvement.
But, for the hot-blooded marauder, dancing was the best way she expressed herself.
She was the greedy treasure huntress, the dancing gangster with moves so sizzling, the scorching desert of the Splatlands could not hope to compare. No one controlled the dance floor like her. No one could keep up with her lightning-fast feet or her wild, unpredictable moves. She was the queen of rhythm, and everyone knew it. Her moves were so captivating, they could mesmerize even the toughest of foes. She was a force to be reckoned with, and no one was able to claim her crown.
She wholeheartedly welcomed the challenge though.
Her name was Frye, an Inkling best known as a member of Deep Cut and a strong dancer with fire in her eyes and an unparalleled rhythm in her soul.
The eternal mission was to inspire her fellow Splatlandians to embrace the art. Along with hosting the Anarchy Splatcast, the chocolate-colored squid scoured the city to find a rival to help usher in a new wave of dancing masters, but, alas, she couldn't find anyone on the same level as her. Except for her best friends, no one possessed the same burning passion. She wanted foreign talent.
Frye craved competition. Yeah, dancing was fun, but it quickly became boring with no added challenge.
She thought to herself, 'If I can find someone as determined as me, I bet we can make Splatsville even more chaotic.'
Frye kept an eye on the denizens of Splatsville. Its residents were battle-hardened, veterans that feared nothing except the end. When they partied, no one partied harder than Splatsville, and Frye believed with every fiber of her being she would discover that perfect adversary.
However.
"Yet another soul crushed by Frye's skills," said the charming voice of her co-star, Shiver.
"Ay! (Our girl's on fire!)" Big Man commented. "Ay, ay! Ay? (It's incredible; she cannot be stopped! Can anyone beat her?)"
"Don't waste your breath, big guy," Frye muttered to herself, squatting while waiting for her next opponent.
She admonished herself for being sad during a Splatfest. It was the most vivacious time for chaos and excitement, but Frye was having a bad time. She had an unappeasable itch that couldn't be scratched. It was driving her crazy.
She had it all figured out. When she announced the dance competition, she already saw the denizens: Inklings, Octolings, and even jellyfish, practicing their moves. She gave them one goal: be the one to steal her crown and earn a day with the Deep Cut crew.
It was perfect. There was no way her plan could fail. Everyone would band together to dethrone her. Of course, she wasn't going to give up her crown without a fight, but she was happy to play the role of the villain to draw out the full dancing capabilities of her fellow Splatlandians.
Things were coming up roses.
That's what the idol assumed anyway, but during the three days of Splatfest, her spirits slowly subsided. Not to say she didn't have vibrant dances; it's just no one could set fire to her undying passion. The tightest challenge had been a small jellyfish, and even then, they were too nervous to try at first.
The bandit thought the competition would add more flare to their Splatfests. She was elated to see everyone's fresh moves, thinking her rival would show themselves and give her the dance she so desperately craved.
"Was that the last one, Shiv?"
Frye wanted the night to end, but she held on to some iota of hope. One or two more dances and she would be done. After that, she did not know. The final day of Splatfest would decide if her idea bore fruit.
Shiver checked the list. She hated seeing her best friend so disheartened by the outcome. If she was a competitive dancer like Frye, Shiver would try her luck and help her friend achieve her goals, but Shiver preferred the vocals. Her dance moves were more… invigorating than competitive.
Big Man was saddened by the development as well. He knew there had to be a soul out there capable of keeping up with Frye, or maybe Frye was just too good for the citizens of Splatsville. Either way, the big manta ray disliked seeing his friend so dispirited. If his anatomy allowed it, he would show the whole city how great a dancer he envisioned himself to be.
"We have one more challenger," Shiver stated. "They'll close out the night."
"Ay! (Let's give them a big fin!)"
"Bolero, come take your position! It's your time to shine!" Shiver clapped.
Frye looked at the commentators, both of whom merely shrugged, most likely thinking the same thing.
'Who is Bolero?' she asked herself. Frye didn't recognize that name. 'Sounds exotic though.'
The crowd parted, and a figure emerged. They jumped onto the vacant platform and acknowledged Frye with a curt nod.
Deep Cut had no words.
"You're Bolero?" Frye asked.
They nodded again.
Bolero stood a little taller than Frye, wearing a shawl that covered their head, obstructing any facial features. Not even the eyes were noticeable. They sported a white dress shirt with long-tiered sleeves, yellow high-waist pants with three buttons, and black high-heeled boots with orange laces and fire graphics.
Frye studied their body language. Stature and clothing said male, but it was hard to say. They did have some pretty good muscles, but a lot of females in Splatsville did as well. She was one of them.
Nary a word was spoken by Bolero. Instead, they tapped the floor with a rhythmic arrangement of footsteps and opened their arms as a form of "ta-da."
Shiver had no idea what was going on.
'Okay.'
Big Man had no idea what was going on.
'Ay. (That was really good.)'
No one understood what was going on, evident by the long period of silence.
Frye, on the other hand, became wide-eyed.
'For real? Are they for real?'
"Uhh, a-are our performers ready?" Shiver was greatly confused but maintained her professionalism.
"Wait!" Frye interjected. "I want to see something first," she looked at Bolero with a curious glint in her eye. "Do that again."
Obligingly, Bolero performed a different sequence of movements and added a quick spin to finish.
Snide whispers traveled through the crowd, but, to everyone's stupefaction, Frye retorted with a rhythmic arrangement of footsteps as well, and judging by Bolero's change in posture, Frye knew she left the enigmatic dancer speechless. She grinned from ear to ear as she stood with her chest out.
"You think I dance just for show? Nuh-uh, this sizzling gangster breathes the language."
Bolero's body relaxed. They applauded Frye's demonstration and adopted a more challenging stance.
Frye copied, and together, they engaged in a secret conversation. To the untrained masses, it was just a light sparring session meant to get a feel for their level of expertise, but to the more experienced dancers, Frye and Bolero were having a full-blown discussion that only they could fathom.
The two stopped and walked to the edge of their respective platforms so they were closer.
"Who are you?" Frye asked. "I searched the entire city and didn't find anyone with moves like yours. How did you pull one over me?"
However, the mysterious dancer refused to speak.
"Can you at least show us your face?"
Again, no response, but this did not anger the idol. It made her more excited. Mysteries sometimes had big rewards, and Frye couldn't say no to a good mystery.
"If you're self-conscious about something, take a look at this," Frye gestured to her visible forehead. "You think I haven't heard any bad jokes about this billboard I got?"
Bolero tilted their head to the side.
"You're an Octoling," Frye stated with a toothy grin. "I know for a fact that's mainly an Octarian thing. Inklings just look at you weird, but Octolings cock their heads to the side like you just did."
Frye was unable to learn Bolero's identity during their exchange, but she observed any small kinks. She already deduced the species. Hopefully, their battle will reveal more about them.
Her gyrating spirit was flaring up.
"We have to do this the fun way then. Think you can handle some heat in the third degree?"
Bolero's response made Frye explode with laughter.
Shiver and Big Man traded confused looks but rolled with it.
"I like you," Frye stated. "Your ocean will be dried out when I'm done with you."
Frye snapped her fingers, and the Splatfest melody started playing.
"Let's see whatchu got, then! Show me whatchu working with!"
"Ay? Ay! (Ready, guys? Here we go!)"
Shiver tapped her table with her fan. "In three… two… one… GO!"
Frye started them off strong with a backflip to the center of her platform. She wasn't messing around. It was the final dance of the final day of Splatfest, and she couldn't afford to hold back.
"The crowd wants to see who you are, so when I thrash you and unmask that cute face, don't feel bad. It's nothing personal."
Bolero bounced on their feet and returned the idol's fever with a side somersault back to center stage. They held a hand up to the heavens and snapped their fingers. Their body wiggled as if the vibration traveled from their fingertips, down the body, and to the soles of their boots.
The platforms lit up and flashed as the dancers moved to the beat. Frye's moves were tenacious and precise while Bolero displayed a more creative style, flowing fluidly like water and as ever-changing as the wind.
The masses were intrigued, some slacked jawed in awe. The whispers that taunted the mysterious dancer fell silent.
"A force that burns hot like an intense inferno vs the force that crashes down like a tidal wave," Shiver commentated. "Who will be the victor?"
"I am an eternal flame!" Frye proclaimed, spinning rapidly on the balls of her feet. "And you!" She stopped and pointed to Bolero. "I wanna see the fire – I wanna see the passions! You must dance with me on this course of destiny!"
She kicked it up a notch, switching to a breakdancing style, and furthering her enthusiasm towards the taciturn dancer. Her inviting gesture told Bolero to try and keep up.
Refusing to be bested, Bolero showed off some impressive agility, performing a backflip that transitioned into a split and then back to their feet and ending with a quick twirl.
"Woo! That's what I'm talking 'bout!"
Frye wouldn't be outdone. She jumped around her platform, landing perfectly on her feet, and egging the crowd on to cheer louder. The excitement was so intense that the idol pulled out her pungi flute and played in tune with the song for extra zest. Her Moray Eels swam through the sky, fireworks of different colored ink lighting up the night canvas.
The crowd was eating it up. Not even Shiver and Big Man could comprehend the spectacle on display. They were so enamored by the show that no commentary could be given. No one wanted to intrude on the dance, to ruin the glorious ritual both competitors put their hearts, soul, ink, sweat, and tears into.
Shiver thought to herself. 'Incredible, I haven't seen Frye smile like that in a while. When was the last time she danced that hard?'
The cold-blooded bandit couldn't answer, but the longer she watched the two, the deeper she fell into the hypnosis. Her body started dancing.
No one could avert their eyes away from the show. Inklings, Octolings, Jellyfishes, vendors, shopkeepers, and Deep Cut were slaves to the rhythm and the alluring enchantment of the performers.
Bolero, too, fell into a reverie. The world around them dissipated, and they found themselves in a black void with only Frye as their companion. They couldn't take their eyes off her, beguiled by the power of her lithe body. The connectedness of her movements generated a fervent spark that ignited something within their soul.
They wanted to see more of Frye's passion, to dance closer to her, to share the world with her, and in a bold attempt, executed a side cartwheel into a backward somersault and launched themself across the stage and onto Frye's platform.
"What are you doing?" The idol inquired as Bolero reached for her hand.
Everyone, especially Frye, was surprised when they pulled the eel tamer into an embrace and turned the competition into a duet.
"Oh my," Shiver fanned herself. "Talk about unexpected."
They moved back and forth, somehow keeping their feet from getting entangled, and separated while keeping one another at arm's length.
Frye's face was aglow with euphoria.
"Getting bold, aren't we?"
She followed Bolero's every move. Every step and gesture seemed to be a form of communication, a call and response, between them. The two were like magnets that were pulled closer with every second that passed.
The populace was in awe, too, as they watched the two of them move in perfect harmony. It was like they were two sides of a coin, two forces of nature, blending and creating something beautiful.
"Ay! (Go, Bolero!)"
"Frye, Frye, Frye!"
"My gosh, it's like they're one unit," Shiver commented.
Frye enjoyed every second. She gazed into the window that concealed Bolero's face. The flashing lights scarcely helped, but she identified piercing red eyes hidden within the shawl, and the way they stared back at her begat an ethereal warmth that she never felt before.
Bolero released her after a while and retreated to their platform, seemingly satisfied, but Frye followed and landed beside them.
"We ain't done yet," she smirked, full of energy, and grabbed their hand again. "Let's keep going."
They spun around one another and connected their arms. Magic circulated through the air as the pair danced hand in hand, feeling the electricity course through their veins.
Frye and Bolero spun around their platform and kept dancing, the stage lights giving them a celestial ambiance. Inklings, Octolings, Jellyfishes, vendors, shopkeepers, and Deep Cut all smiled in unison, watching the two as they moved in harmony.
The song was nearing its end, but Frye and Bolero felt like time was on their side. They moved faster and faster, as if their feet were burning the ground beneath them.
Frye looked up to the night sky and thanked the stars for this special moment. This was what she yearned for, someone willing to take risks.
She threw her head back as Bolero dipped her. The upside-down perspective of her friends' shock was tantalizing, and when she was pulled up, she caught the enigmatic dancer by surprise by wrapping her leg around their thigh as both extended their other legs outward and she pressed herself more against them. She was into the rhythm.
"Don't get sloppy now," she stated, her face inches away from the window where she saw Bolero's eyes amazed by her willingness to comply. "We're almost at the finale. I don't know how you mastered the ancient dances of tango and salsa, but I'm not letting this end without a bang."
Bolero understood and nodded. They wrapped an arm around Frye's back and launched her into the air, watching her spin with the utmost grace and poise before she descended with her arms and legs spread wide. As easily as they tossed her, Bolero caught the idol and embraced her tightly.
The end of the song approached, but Frye and Bolero were unaware of the time. They were oblivious to the world, only aware of each other.
"Ay! (Look at them go!)"
"They're defying gravity!"
"Oh my gosh!"
"This is amazing!"
The two struck one final pose, with Bolero and Frye's clasped hands held above their heads, their foreheads touching, and the idol's leg finding its way back around Bolero's thigh.
The song died and the lights faded, but the two stayed in their pose.
The entire audience was silent. No immediate noise was made until a few moments passed, and the rising applause of the masses grew louder and louder.
"That was…" Frye started. Bolero gently released her and stepped away.
"…incredible." Frye finished.
Shiver and Big Man cheered as well.
"What a stunning performance!" the blue haired Octoling proclaimed. "Let's hear it one more time for all our incredible dancers!"
The crowd's applause of "Frye! Bolero! Frye! Bolero!" echoed through the plaza.
Both dancers panted as they gave the other some space.
Bolero weakly tapped out a message that made Frye chuckle.
"You ain't bad yourself," she complimented. "You got some guts."
"That was beautiful!" Shiver spoke up.
"Ay! (I'm crying!)" Big Man sobbed.
Many in the audience agreed with the big lug. They were brought to tears by such beauty, unable to fathom the wondrous story the two conceived.
"Now, it's time to announce the winner! Glow sticks out, everyone! Choose your champion!" Shiver raised a yellow stick for Frye while Big Man, apologetically, raised a red one for Bolero.
A collection of red and yellow lights spread out across Splatsville. After that performance, picking a winner would be difficult.
"Alright, we had our dance," Frye turned to her competitor as they waited for the results. "We deserve some answers. Spill it. Who are you?"
Bolero remained taciturn.
"You can't show a girl that great a time and leave her hanging. At least let me see your face. I know you're an Octoling with red eyes, but that ain't enough for me."
Bolero raised a finger and wagged it left and right while shaking their head, and Frye was positive she felt a hint of a smirk under that shawl of theirs.
They were teasing her.
"You want to play it that way, huh? You know, when I set my eye on something, I don't let it go."
Frye, despite finishing the toughest and greatest dance of her life, lunged forward, aiming to tear off the shawl, but her attack was evaded.
Bolero leaped to the opposite platform and kneeled, both to catch their breath and leave behind a present. They bowed to Deep Cut before waving goodbye to the ebony idol.
"Stop them!" Frye shouted as Bolero fell backward off the platform and into the sea of Splatlandians.
She tried to catch a glimpse of them, but it was too late. They had vanished without a trace, and not even the crowd's superior numbers could apprehend them.
"Slippery little cephalopod," Frye smiled and investigated Bolero's gift.
"Aww, isn't that sweet?" Shiver giggled as multiple girls voiced their approval.
The message was very clear.
Frye picked up the black and red desert rose Bolero left behind.
"Meh, I'm not one for flowery stuff, but I'll take it."
Regardless, the yellow-haired inkling was over the moon. It was a spectacular end to a wonderful Splatfest.
She faced the direction of Bolero's retreat.
"Don't think you can hide from me! I'll unmask you eventually! But thanks for the dance!"
"The results are still coming in," Shiver spoke up. "How do you feel, Frye?"
She didn't have the words. Her body was still filled with adrenaline. Its itch was satisfied, but now, her three hearts craved more.
"I told you this was a good idea!" she grinned.
The bandit looked at the audience and waved her hands.
"Give it up one more time for our anonymous dancer!"
The crowd roared and clapped in admiration.
'I'm going to find out who's under that hood. You better watch out, Bolero. This dancing gangster is on your tail.'
Let me know what you think!