Chapter Twelve:
Beach Time with Ice Cream
Inklings squealed excitedly and Jellyfish waved their tentacles as Shantae the Half-Genie stood in front of the Turf War lobby in the Plaza with the rest of her team, consisting of two purple Inkling boys and a red-haired squid girl all wearing genie-themed T-shirts. Close by, a pair of Inklings in pirate-themed outfits were sulking in a miserable manner.
It was an incredible, actually, inkredible, moment for everyone in Inkopolis, seeing Team Genie win the Genie vs. Pirate Splatfest with the former team being led by an actual genie, even if she was half-human.
Reporters clamored for statements, and cameras were flashing, Shantae and her team's victory was all the buzz. Shantae waved with a smile and said to the excited populace, "Thank you, thank you for supporting us! Thank you so much! We couldn't have pulled this off without those who voted for Team Genie."
"You weren't too bad, Shantae."
Risky the Pirate, Shantae's well-known rival, walked up to the half-genie and shook her hand in the most polite manner possible. "I'll admit..." The pirate remarked, "That was pretty fun. And to be fair, perhaps we should battle it out Splatoon-style again sometime, you and me inking turf and splatting each other any time."
"Until next time, Shantae, until next time. Right now, I have treasure to hunt... with a new crew." Risky turned to the Inklings with a smirk, "We may have lost one battle, but how would you like to join my crew in a hunt for treasure?"
"SEEK OUT TREASURE WITH A PIRATE FOR REAL?!" A dark-haired Inkling boy exclaimed, "We may have lost, but that would be great!"
"Count us in, Captain!" A gray-haired Inkling girl nodded, "RAISE THE ANCHOR AND SAIL AWAY!"
As Shantae and many others watched, Risky departed the plaza with her Inkling team following the pirate. The half-genie couldn't help but giggle a bit, especially at the prospect that her nemesis had just recruited Inklings to her team, which meant she'd likely be facing them again the next time Shantae battled the sneaky pirate.
An Inkling reporter with red hair approached the half-genie, followed by a green-haired Inkling boy holding a camera, and the news representative held up the microphone. "Miss Shantae?" The reporter asked, "Is there anything you'd like to say about your victory and to those who supported Team Genie during this magical Splatfest?"
"Dreams can come true if you wish hard for it and work hard for it." Shantae replied, "As a half-genie, my wish was for us to do well, and making it come true was just as memorable as granting wishes. I thank you all again, and if you have any wishes, I will make it come true for you."
"You heard it from the first genie Splatfest champion in genie and Splatfest history, folks." The reporter said, "This has been Inkopolis News covering the Splatfest. Stay fresh and stay off the hook."
Shantae walked through the plaza and signed a couple autographs for elated Inklings wearing genie T-shirts, and she happily hugged a Jellyfish when it wrapped it's tentacles around her. Just then, she heard a voice call her name, and looked up to see Makerboy and Saiko coming her way, accompanied by Fishy Boopkins and Team Blue.
"We got the news." Makerboy ran up, and held Shantae's hand, "Way to go, Shantae!"
"Congratulations for your victory, Shantae, we're happy for you!" Saiko squealed as she hugged the half-genie.
"You came out to see me today." Shantae hugged Saiko back, then she hugged Makerboy, "And I'm so happy to see you, Makerboy, you and Saiko. And thank you for the kind compliments on my victory. Risky just left a few minutes ago, she was competing on Team Pirates' side, and she recruited the Inklings on her team into her pirate crew."
"Uh oh." Saiko remarked with a nervous smile as she glanced at her Inkling boyfriend, "Looks like we're gonna have to worry about a Genie vs. Pirate rematch the next time Shantae faces Risky on the high seas."
"That's pretty wild..." Makerboy quipped, "...and I'm sorry for not being there to root for you from the start, Shantae."
"It's okay, Makerboy." Shantae giggled, "At least you and the others caught the results and came here to join everyone in commending Team Genie for their victory. We can still spend some time together, to rejoice the occasion..." She leaned down and kissed Makerboy on the nose. "I was thinking of hitting the beach, would you like to join me?"
"We would be happy to." Makerboy held Saiko's hand, "Today's a great day for a swim and a tan in the sun, a beach party in light of your Splatfest victory sounds splat-tastic. The weather's great."
"Yeah." Boopkins agreed, "It's been a while since we visited the ocean."
"Don't leave me out of it." Goggles chimed in, "We're still hangin' out."
"We'll make sand castles, bathe in the sun, and have ice cream." Shantae said with a giggle, "And it makes for a great opportunity for us to have some girl time, Saiko."
"You know it, Ms. Splatfest Genie Champion." The anime girl winked, "Let's go. And wait until you see the new swimsuit that our handsome Inkling boy got..."
Getting out of the streets of Inkopolis took a while, mostly due to the post-Splatfest buzz of news photographers swarming Shantae and snapping pictures of her. Thankfully, the half-genie managed to get away from the overwhelming paparazzi with Makerboy, Saiko, Boopkins, and Team Blue's Goggles, and the group made it to their tropical destination.
A warm breeze was sweeping across the small sandy dunes of Squid-Wave Coast, and the rolling currents of the seas were calm, just as the weather felt nice. Many feet away, an orca whale jumped out of the ocean and dove back into the water while a pair of Jellyfish played a game of catch in the water.
The beach was occupied by humans and Toads who'd been visiting Inkopolis, and one could see a few Octarians roaming the seaside, holding clams and studying them with curiosity in their eyes.
Makerboy closed his eyes and took in the fresh seaside air, letting it flow through his nostrils, before he took his shoes off and sunk his toes into the sand. He drank in the tropical scenery, then he headed to a nearby changing tent, deciding it was time to don his new speedo.
He stepped out a short notice later, smiling and flexing his elbow, and wearing the speedo he'd selected at the mall. Makerboy held up his phone, and snapped a photo of himself at the beach while making sure the speedo was in the shot.
'Chillin' at the beach with the girls and some friends after the Splatfest, got a new bathing suit while shopping at the mall with Team Blue and my buddy Boopkins.' The green-haired squid boy texted while posting his image to social media. He put down his phone, then he fetched a bottle of sunscreen, and rubbed a bit of lotion on his shoulders.
"If I didn't know better, I'd say you're trying to impress someone."
The smooth Inkling turned, seeing Shantae standing close by, and wearing her half-blue, half-white and neatly laced bikini that Makerboy had seen her wearing on a couple occasions. His heart was thumping.
"Mind if I get a picture of you?" The Inkling asked.
"Go ahead..." Shantae struck a pose with a hand on her hip and the other held up in a peace sign-related manner, "Who wouldn't want to see Splatfest's half-genie champion modeling in a bikini on the beach?"
Makerboy snapped a photo, then he took Shantae's hand, and kissed it, making the purple-haired half-genie blush.
"Wait, wait! Can you get an extra photo of me on Ms. Shantae's shoulder?" Boopkins asked.
The lean squid chuckled and picked up the aquatic anime lover, then he placed him on Shantae's shoulder, and the half-genie sat down on her knees while Boopkins sat atop of her head. Makerboy made sure his camera was properly adjusted, then he snapped the photo, and showed it to them.
"Heyyyyyy, that looks pretty good." Boopkins commented.
"We sure look nice in this shot." Shantae nodded as she stood up.
Goggles exited another changing tent, wearing a blue speedo with the only piece of his outfit on him being his trademark goggles. The goofy squid boy chuckled, and pulled Makerboy aside with an arm around him and said, "Don't we look great in these speedos? The girls love us, and we rock. Just look at the two of us, we should be the Speedo Squids."
Makerboy snapped another selfie with him and Goggles. "I know, we're having a lot of fun today, aren't we?" The green-haired squid remarked to his friend.
"Sweetie!"
As he heard his girlfriend call out, Makerboy turned and his heart thumped as he drank the sight of Saiko sitting on a beach blanket wearing a revealing black-colored swimsuit that looked a bit like her standard outfit, complete with a strapless tube top, and a dark-colored panty-style bikini bottom.
The attractive anime girl flexed her finger, and Makerboy walked towards her. "Isn't that your outfit, but without the skirt?" He asked.
Saiko rolled her eyes. "This is my bathing suit, Makerboy-kun." She told him, "And can you be a dear and rub sunscreen on me?"
Makerboy held up the bottle of lotion he had. "Sure thing." The tan-skinned Inkling replied.
He opened up the bottle, and Saiko sat back comfortably on the blanket. She closed her eyes a little as Makerboy poured some lotion onto his hands, and gently smoothed it out. Once he'd gotten the appropriate amount, he began rubbing sunscreen across the back of his girlfriend's shoulders and her neck as delicately as he could.
A sigh left Saiko's mouth, and she lay on her stomach with her hands resting under her chin. Saiko instructed her boyfriend to rub the sunscreen on her back, and Makerboy nodded. He poured a slight ounce onto Saiko's lower back and rubbed it on, then he put some sunscreen in the spot between her shoulder blades on her upper back.
"Is that good enough, my love?" Makerboy asked.
"Enough for me to avoid getting sunburned, yes." Saiko replied, "Good work, my handsome, charismatic package of Inkling handsomeness."
"Anyone want ice cream?" Shantae offered.
Makerboy looked up to see the bikini-clad half genie standing by an ice cream stand, which was selling free ice cream. She waved to the Inkling and his pink-haired girlfriend, and Makerboy stood up as he licked his lips. He made sure his hands were clean, and he put aside the sunscreen bottle, then he walked over to the parlor to get his hands on some tasty treats.
"What ice cream would you like?" Shantae asked.
"Whatever is available and whatever we get." Makerboy replied.
Shantae took up a pink-flavored ice cream, then she handed off a cone with an orange topping to the Inkling boy. Makerboy licked his lips, and began to eat his treat. After a few licks, he gave Shantae a thumbs up, and they sat down near the sunbathing Saiko while enjoying their very savory treats.
The speedo-clad Inkling felt a tap on his leg, and he turned his head to look at Saiko, who was staring at him with a slight smile on her face. She tilted her head towards the ice cream in her boyfriend's hand, and Makerboy realized that perhaps it was a good idea to let Saiko have some ice cream too.
He stood up, carefully holding his cone, and walked back to the ice cream stand. He looked at all of the very tasty treats until Makerboy decided upon strawberry-flavored ice cream, it was perfect enough for Saiko.
Makerboy headed back to where the girls were relaxing, and he offered Saiko her treat. The anime girl sat up and accepted the cone, then she pecked him on the cheek, and began licking the ice cream that her boyfriend had selected for her. Makerboy sat with her and Shantae, enjoying his treat, while the half-genie gobbled up and finished her meal.
The green Inkling boy licked every inch of his scoop and smiled with content, Makerboy listened to the sound of seagulls flying high above, and he heard the sound of Inkling kids giggling as they chased each other around the beach.
A yelp perked his ears, and Makerboy saw Boopkins playing with Goggles. The blue-haired Inkling was foot deep in the water, and he was splashing the little weeb in a playful manner, then Boopkins tossed a crab onto Goggles and the speedo-clad squid shivered.
"C'mon, they pinch!" The goofball protested.
"He's not gonna hurt you, Goggles, this is a friendly crab." Boopkins told him.
"ACK, he's pinching my ear!"
"Mr. Sand Hermit, please don't pinch the nice Inkling..."
"Heh-heh, boys." Shantae chuckled.
"They just love having fun in the silliest ways ever." Saiko commented.
Makerboy snapped a photo of Boopkins and Goggles crab-related antic, and posted it on Twitter. The green-haired Inkling then started to text some people, starting with his parents, and told them that he was just chilling at the beach with his girlfriend and Boopkins. He often texted his mom and dad every week, and he never forgot to talk to them.
'Don't get too much sun.' Makerboy's mom texted, 'Hope you're enjoying yourself, and make sure you get a good tan there.'
'Love you, mom.' Makerboy texted back, 'See you later, dad.'
'Hi, son.' His dad texted, 'I hear you're at the beach, we also saw the picture you posted. That's a nice speedo you're wearing.'
'Thanks, dad.'
The green-haired Inkling then started to text some friends, with Alexsey being one of the first. He asked him how he was doing, then he told him he and Saiko were hanging out at the beach with Shantae after the big Splatfest.
It took a while, but the Russian Inkling soon answered.
'Hey, Makerboy.' Alexsey texted, 'Nona and I were having a pretty good day, we just got tickets for a cruise to the Ink Tide Island resort. It's been a while since we went on a tropical vacation, and we're really looking forward to it. What else is happening on your end?'
'You're going on a cruise to a tropical island resort? Cool! Can I come too? I don't have anything else to do right now.' Makerboy replied to Alexsey.
'We wouldn't mind. If you think about it, this is an opportunity for a get-together.'
'See you soon.'
"Makerboy?"
He looked up, seeing Shantae and Saiko standing over him with curious smiles. Makerboy put down his phone and waved to his pink-haired girlfriend along with his occasional half-genie girlfriend.
"Saiko and I were about to take a swim. You want to join?" Shantae asked.
Makerboy stood up with a grin. "That sounds fun, girls." He said, "Who in their right mind would skip an opportunity for a swim during a day at the beach?"
Saiko kissed the Inkling on the cheek and she walked towards the water. Shantae blew a kiss to Makerboy, then she floated a few feet off the ground and hovered towards the ocean with her ponytail flowing in the breeze. Makerboy stood still with a dreamy smile, then he followed after the girls before a ball bonked him on the head.
"Heh-heh, sorry, buddy!" Goggles said with a laugh, he picked up the rubber ball and the speedo-clad blue Inkling pat Makerboy on the head to check and see if he was okay.
"Did I interrupt your game?" Makerboy asked Boopkins, noticing that the former Spike and Goggles had been in the middle of playing.
"We barely even started." Boopkins quipped with a smile.
"Okay, I'll try not to get in the way." Makerboy quipped, he pat his fellow anime fan on the head before a thought occurred in his mind, "Say, Boopkins. What are your plans for the next week or the next few days? I was just texting Alexsey, and he's going on a cruise to Ink Tide Island with Nona."
Boopkins' face brightened up. "Oh!" He exclaimed, "Now that you mention that, I got an invitation to the Ink Tide Island resort, and I got tickets for the cruise there. In fact, I'm going to be co-hosting for an anime waifu party on the island."
"No way!" Makerboy laughed, "You're co-hosting an anime party on Ink Tide Island?"
"I sure am." Boopkins winked, "After all, you wouldn't believe the anime-related events I've helped organize in the past year. Plus, I get to spend time with all sorts of well-known anime women. And I'm taking the cruise too."
The enthused anime-loving sea creature pulled out a flier that depicted Ink Tide Island along with a cruise ship, and Makerboy looked at it, then he looked at Boopkins with a chuckle, "The ship sails tomorrow? And it takes a day and a half to get there?! Count me in, and wait until Saiko hears about that..."
"Oh, Makerboy!"
He turned in the direction from which Saiko called, and took in the sight of her and Shantae splashing each other. The anime girl waved to Makerboy, beckoning for him to join the fun, and the green-haired squid's heart was pulsating quickly.
"I'm coming, girls!" He called back.
"Hey, don't leave me out on the fun." Goggles moved to the spot where he was knee-deep in the sea, then he splashed Makerboy. The green-haired, speedo-wearing squid grinned, and kicked some water in his buddy's direction, splashing him right back, then he headed into the ocean to join him and swim with the girls.
On the beach, Bobble Hat, Headphones and Specs were enjoying themselves while glimpsing a couple of the antics that their speedo-clad buddy had gotten himself into. Bobble Hat, wearing shorts and a tank top, sat on her knees as she built a sand castle.
"The flag goes here..." The ever-happy Inkling sang, "...and the trench goes down here, now we have a sand castle and it makes me happy."
"Here comes the ball!" Headphones called to Specs, throwing him a beach ball.
"Got it!" Specs jumped and caught the ball as it came towards him.
Bobble Hat saw a hermit crab waddling along, and she giggled. Then, she held out her hand, and the crab crawled onto her palm. The smiling squid girl gently pat the crustacean on its head and playfully fiddled with one of it's claws. The crab crawled up her arm, and pinched Bobble Hat's cheek. In response, she giggled, and pat it on the head...