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"Do I really have to do this?" Riptide asked, looking at the air duct in front of him.
"You want to be apart of our group, yes?" Shiver asked.
"Yeah, but why these clothes? These stand out, I thought you guys were bandits. Don't you try to conceal yourself better?" he questioned.
"Yes, but I thought it would be funny," she said. He could hear Frye snicker in the background which did not help.
"Very funny... I look like some foreigner compared to you guys!" he hissed. "You're wearing traditional outfits, me: I'm wearing a leather jacket!"
"Ay! (Technically, you are a foreigner)," Big man chimed in.
"Not helping, Big man." he sighed.
"Don't be such a fish out of the water, you'll do fine!" Frye cheered. "All you have to do is sneak in, find whatever those drone things are, and get out! Easy!"
"Can I at least modify my outfit when I return," he rubs his hand on his forehead to soothe his pulsing ache.
"Sure, but it's not like we wear our outfits every day. But this is your debut, so get to it!" Shiver's voice echoed in his ear.
"I swear to god, I'm going to mute this earpiece," he threatened.
He opened the air duct, prying it off before crawling it inside. "Ugh, it smells awful!"
"Trust me, I can feel you're pain..." Frye mumbled in sympathy.
The dust blows around the duct as he crawls deeper, eventually stumbling across a vent cover. Grabbing a small device from his chest pocket, he places it against the wall of the cover; pressing the button, tiny lasers cut through it like butter.
"Finally in!" he sighed in relief. Now with breathing room, he looked around the room. "Are you guys getting this?"
"Yup, crystal! This night vision you added works really well, what about you?" Frye asked.
"It's alright, a little grainy on my end but from the materials you gave me, I'd say it works pretty well. I just wish I had time to make it into glasses, but one I works fine for now," he responds.
The room itself was relatively large with air vents placed strategically in the room. Looking inside, he noticed a solid block of dirt clogging it. In the front was a control panel, the screen shattered with no signs of life. His leg stumbled over a ceiling tile that fell to the floor.
"Better watch you're step there," Shiver snickered.
"You know, I thought you guys were cool," he pouted.
"Hm, we are cool; you're just delusional," she hummed.
"When you said you had a plan, I was expecting like... I don't know, an obstacle course or something?"
"Rule number one of Deep cut: expect the unexpected," Frye laughed.
"Ay! (That's right)," Big Man chimed in.
"Honnestly I think that- Oh god! That smells horrible!" the strong scent of rotted food wafts in the air. He glared at the large metal door, nose twitching at the putrid scent.
"I dare you to go in," Shiver's teasing voice came through the speaker, he could practically see the smirk on her face.
"Absolutely not!" he hissed, turning away.
"Are you scared? You know, Deep Cut isn't scared of anything!" Frye exclaimed.
"Weren't you guys panicking when you found me?" I asked.
"T-That's not really important," Shiver coughed out.
"Hm, then guess I win the argument," I said smugly.
"That's not the point! Just... Just move on," she sighed.
"Roger," I walked into an open room, broken glass lined the floor. Each footstep left an audible crunch. A half-bashed-in screen hung on the wall, tilted to one side. Ingrown plants filled the room, to the point where he had to take a pocket knife and saw his way through the dense forest.
A dusty human handprint stained a control console. Everything was unusable, the console broken in half as if someone threw a boulder on top of it.
"It's a bit... overgrown," Frye helpfully commentated.
"Ay... (No squidding Frye...)" Big Man sighed.
The deeper Riptide trudged across the rooms, the worse the foliage got. Large trees became an enclosed claustrophobic maze. Fruit and vegetables are scattered on plants, some ripe, others on the floor in a state of decay.
A solid door stood in front of him, too heavy to pry open. "Damn, it's locked. Shiver, do I have to use this bomb?" he grabbed the metal device from the bag, looking it over skeptically.
"Yeah, I packed a few just in case. It's a lot weaker than the one I used to blast your vault open, but it should do the trick."
"Are you sure this is safe? This looks like it will explode just by touching it! Who made this!?" he asked.
Shiver scoffed, "We did! We're not professionals, just set it on the platform!" Reluctantly placing the device on the ground, it clicked into place as a small LED light flickered on. He walked backward, giving it distance from the explosion. "Okay, detonating right... now!"
The device beeped rapidly as the light flickered. After a moment, everything went quiet. "Uh, Shiver, I think something went wr-" the device exploded, flinging Riptide across the entire floor.
"Ay!? (Are you okay!?)" Big Man asked.
"Oops..." Frye sucked air between her teeth. "I may have set the parameters wrong."
"Frye!" Shiver uncharacteristically screeched.
Spores rushed into the room, causing Riptide to cough. "C-Clear..."
"Riptide, are you alright!?" she asked.
"A-All good, might have pulled a muscle or something," he rubbed his shoulder, standing on his two feet. As the smoke cleared, the view opened into a large greenhouse. The room was filled with an overgrowth of plants and fungi.
His stomach turned as he felt the spores enter the body. The closer he made it into it, the worse he felt. "Why didn't I bring a mask," he muttered. Trees rustled as he pushed them away, making sure to not step on anything that could spawn more spores.
He felt his eyes grow irritated as the room closed in on him. His footsteps became uneven, growing sloppy. Squeezing between two trees he saw a doorway, all he needed to do was walk past the large potato plant in the room.
"W-What, why is there a potato plant that large!? It's growing through the ceiling!" he shouted. The potato plant towered over him, running into the ground.
"Ay! (At least you won't starve though!)" Big Man laughed.
"Not helping Big Man," he grunted. He stumbled down the hall until he heard a small snap. His eyes widened at the fractured skull on the ground, plants overtaking it. His eyes widened, recoiling at the sight. Hesitantly he leaned down, and with a tug of his hand, the plant let go. A dent on the side made him shutter. Now that he had a good look at the area, it wasn't the only one, hundreds of skeleton parts scattered the floor. Looking at the potato plant, he noticed the hole in the floor.
Swallowing the lump in his throat, he made his way and peered down the hole. Everyone gasped at the sight, piles of bones layered the ground.
"No way," Frye gasped. "I'm so sorry, Riptide."
"L-Let's just get this over with," he declared, walking into the next room. Small hand-sized black orbs lined the walls inside sockets. With a click, he detached one from the wall. The ball flickered on with a pulsing green light, it hovered around his hand.
"Alterna citizen registered: new user detected. Welcome new user," the machine said. All the drones hummed before dismounting, floating around the room all looking directly at his face.
"Riptide, something's happening with you're hologram thingy," Frye informed.
"A map appeared, we can see you're location," Shiver said.
"Ooh, what does that button do?" Frye asked.
"Frye! Don't you-"
"Wow, I can see you!" she cut Shiver's scolding off. A drone hovered over his face. "Controls popped up, it's like in some game!"
"Frye, I swear to cod..." she groaned. "You could have... I don't know, accidentally labeled him as a threat?"
"Admin: Shiver, you wish to label Alterna citizen 487 as a threat?"
"What!? No!" she screeched.
"Understood," it said.
"You can do that!?" he shouted with worry. Regret filled his mind, "When I gave you admin access, I thought I was in charge!"
"When Alterna citizen 487 registered Admin: Shiver, Admin: Frye, and Admin: Big Man to the database, the subject in question did not specify any terms and conditions. Therefore, Admin: Shiver, Admin: Frye, and Admin: Big Man are granted the same authority as Alterna citizen 487."
"Of course why- wait, who are you?" I asked in shock.
"Designated name: HELIOS, your A.I. Assistant," it responded in a deep robot voice.
"Why are you now speaking!? Couldn't you speak before?" I asked.
"Forgive me, I only did this for your convenience. I will not be able to respond until you call my assistance. I will answer any questions, the only exception is Alterna and Ark Polaris."
"Why can't you?" Shiver asked disappointed.
"I have disconnected from the main Alterna network for a long time. Subjects, projects, and locations are currently unaccessible."
"Of course," she huffed. "So long for being useful..."
"New location detected, rerouting all available drones, please standby," it responded.
With a beep, all drones flew down and out of the hall, leaving Frye's drone beside him. "Alright, let's go; I don't think I want to be here any longer." As his foot stepped through the door, something cold and hard grabbed his leg.
He fell to the ground with a grunt, looking behind him to see a mechanical body, outstretched. It stared at him with its dimly lit eye, at a glance, one would mistake it for a headlight. Half of its body was buried underneath piles of rubble and debris. Moss and rust covered its body and at a closer look, he could swear he saw bloody handprints on it.
Thankfully, nothing happened, as quickly as it grabbed him, it shut off. Its body went lifeless, loosening its grip on him.
"Riptide, are you okay!?" Frye asked, illuminating him with the drone's light.
"Yeah, let's get going..." With a tug, he stood back up and started heading back. "Well, this was certainly-"
"What the shell!? Why are there so many!?" Shiver shouted, causing him to wince.
"What happened?" he asked.
"Error: no recharge station. Commencing shutdown to preserve power... Shutting down in 3... 2... 1..." the voice called out.
"Wait! Stop!" Shiver shouted before an audible crash erupted from the speaker.
"Uh oh..." Frye gulped. "You might want to come quickly!"
000
He looked at the irritated Shiver and sympathetic Frye. "Do you even realize what happened?"
"Looks like you were busy," he shrugged.
"Yeah, busy being buried! They all decided to pile right on top of me!" she hissed, glaring daggers at him.
"Sorry," he said.
"Hmph, as long as you mean it..." she crossed her arms in thought. "Nevertheless, you passed; but that doesn't mean you can slack off!"
"You mean like we're doing right... ow!"
Shiver stomps on Frye's foot, "Anyways, now that you're an official member. I believe that it's time that we show you what we've been hiding all this time."
"Hiding?" he raised his eyebrow at her smirk. She motioned him to follow her, leading him behind the shed where there was a trapdoor. Lifting it, he crawled down the hole, spotting a circular elevator. "How did you-"
She shrugged, "You never really looked around."
The quartet got in, and as the doors shut, it roared to life. When the doors opened, his eyes widened at the sheer size of the interior. "Did you build all this!?"
"Pfft, no!" she laughed. "We found this human bunker that was still functioning. You want to look?"
"You bet!" he grinned.
"This is the main hall!" Fry motioned with her hands. "This is our rooms," she pointed at three rooms labeled with their names. Her room's door was decorated with various posters while Shivered had odd trinkets and more traditional items.
Then there was Big Man, a blank cold metal door stood in front of him. He shrugged, "Ay... (I never really bothered with it. I think it adds character anyways.)"
"More like it subtracts it..." Frye pouted. She opened the next door, a room filled with various instruments and microphones. "Here is where were rock out, just make sure you don't touch anything on the left side. Shiver doesn't like it when we touch her stuff, trust me..."
"You were the one who broke the guitar," she argued.
"Don't be like that; it was only one," Frye pouted.
"A guitar, huh..." he muttered. Just like machines, he felt a spark of familiarity in the electric guitar.
Frye looked at him with interest, "Oh? Are you interested in it?"
Riptide shrugged, "I guess, just feels familiar."
"You want to give it a try?" she asked him, holding up a yellow electric guitar with a white stylized eel imprinted on the front.
"I don't mind," she points her fan at him. "Just don't touch my things if you know what's good for you."
He gulped, "S-Sure."
She nodded, "Good, as long as you understand."
Grabbing it he sat down admiring the object he held. He gave it a quick strum, the sound boomed out of the speaker. "Alright, let's see."
000
"Dad? What song are you playing?" A younger boy asked the older man who stopped his strumming.
"Oh, a song from a band I like; you want to see?" he asked the boy.
"Yeah," he sat on the man's lap.
"You see, I do the first and third downstroke on the thickest and don't do any frets, that's this thing right here, and make sure that the second I use my palm to mute the sound." He demonstrated it, as the boy sat and listened to the mechanical and chunky sound burst through the speakers. "You see?"
The boy grinned, "That sounds awsome!"
He chuckled, "That's why I like industrial metal so much, by the way; ain't it supposed to be your bedtime squirt?" He ruffled the boy's hair.
"Aw come on, can't I hear you play more? Mom isn't even home yet!" the boy pouted.
"Alright, fine; just a little bit more. I don't need your mom yellin' at me again."
000
Shiver and Frye's mouths dropped as they watched him play the guitar. With a quick tuning of the guitar using Drop D tuning, they watched him in awe play a simple yet intense riff.
"Woah, you really know your stuff! That was incredible!" Frye ran up to him with starry eyes.
"Ay! (No kidding!)" Big Man nodded.
Shiver snapped out of her thoughts, "Look at that, so you know how to play after all."
"Oh come on, just admit you were impressed," Frye nudged her shoulder much to her annoyance.
Handing Frye her guitar, he stood up with a stretch. "I guess... I remember something; my father used to play electric guitar."
"So, you really are remembering..." Shiver pointed out.
"With that skill, maybe you could join our band!" Frye enthusiastically proposed.
"Absolutely not!" Riptide and Shiver both shouted. Shiver looked at him with surprise and then offense. "And why not? Just so you know, we're a big deal. Anyone would be begging for a chance to perform with us."
"Huh? I've never even heard your music," he pointed out.
Frye made an exaggerated gasp, "Oh, we totally should show him our songs!"
"That sounds like a good idea, maybe you'll understand our genius," Shiver sighed.
Frye grabbed her phone, scrolling through a list of apps before opening one. She typed something on her phone before handing it to me. "Here is one of our classics, 'Hide and Sleek.' Just talking about it brings memories."
Energetic pop music burst through speakers followed by Shiver singing. Shiver smirked with satisfaction when watching him nod and tap his feet to the song. After the song finished, he whistled, "Damn Frye, I didn't know you could rap."
"You know it!" she grinned. "So, what do you think now? You want to join?"
"Yeah, no thanks," he turned her down.
"Wha- What!? Why not?" she pouted, her shoulders slunking.
"Don't get me wrong, your music is fire. It's just... it ain't my style," he rubbed the back of my style.
"Fire? I've never heard that saying before. It's not an insult is it?" Shiver narrowed her eyes.
"Wha- no! No no no no no! I meant that as a compliment! Some humans call songs they like fire. Y'know they'll be like, 'yo, that songs fire!' and then other person is like, 'oh thanks, man!' Y'know?" He stared at Shiver who stared back at him in awkward silence.
"I don't get it..." she concluded before walking away.
"Wait, you humans also use that phrase?" Frye asked, looking at him with curious eyes.
"Yeah? You also?" he asked, surprised.
"Some do, I've heard it before. It's not really popular though, just here and there on the internet."
Shiver coughed, interrupting us, "So, are we going to sit here or are we finishing this tour?"
"Oh, right!" Frye jumped up, "I can't wait to show you your room!"
Riptide stood up, following the group into a large room decorated with furniture and gaming consoles. "Here's our gaming room, where I can plummet everyone to the ground!"
"Yeah right," Shiver scoffed. "You want to bet?"
"Oh, you're on!"
"A-Ay? (G-Guy's? We're doing the tour, right?)" Big Man interrupted.
"Y-Yes, of c-course," Shiver coughed. "Follow me, it's time to show you your real workspace."
After walking through a space, he entered a large open room filled with tools and other supplies. "No... way... You got this for me?" his eyes sparkled.
"Of course not; the tools came with the place," she explained.
Frye made a subtle "Finally," that did not go unnoticed by Riptide.
"What's that room?" he pointed to the large door. Red and yellow warning signs plastered the door.
Shiver looked over, "That's where we keep the good stuff," she smirks.
"Ay, (she means our treasure)," Big Man sighed.
"And my precious eels and Master Mega!" Frye added.
"He wasn't supposed to know that yet!" Shiver hissed, smacking her with her fan.
"Right... So, I guess it's my room next?" Riptide changed the subject, not bothering to ask about why Frye has eels and whoever this Master Mega is. Shiver led him to the new room, which was empty with a simple bed and television.
"You better get rest, because you're gonna be busy tommorow!" Frye said.
"Why?"
"Someone has to figure out the drone situation," Shiver glared at him.
"It's not like I could control it!" he argued.
"Welcome to Deep Cut," she smirked before heading out the door. He watched as the others followed her with Frye giving a small wave before shutting the door. He collapsed onto his bed, staring at the ceiling in thought.
"Helios?" he asked.
"Yes?" the autonomous voice responded.
"What do you suggest for the drones?" he asked.
"Based on the previous location of the drones. The optimal solution would be to recreate the entire room. One issue would be that an extra additional room is required," it suggested.
He groaned, "I need a nap..."
000
"Are you kidding me!? This is Splatsville!?" Riptide shouts at the top of his lungs. He spun in a circle, taking in the sight.
"Yup, our pride and joy!" Frye grinned.
"Our city of chaos, you could say," Shiver smirked.
City buildings surrounded him while railways went upward. The sounds of chatter filled the city with Inklings and Octolings conversing with each other. Shiver, Frye, and Big Man hid in less than convincing disguises. However, Shiver explained that both their species can't recognize people if they're in disguises, similar to a baby's object permanence. The only exception is if you take long enough or know them, and even then, it would take them a second.
A sense of overwhelmedness flooded him as he stared up at the towering buildings. After weeks of isolation and a millennium of sleep, the sensation of people walking around made his heartbeat skyrocket. "S-So, what are we gonna do?"
Discovering my discomfort, Frye gave me a reassuring pat on my back. "Well, I was thinking-" her stomach growled loudly. "Change of plan: let's get some grub!"
"I suppose we have time," Shiver sighed. "Let's get something with some heat."
"Ay, (I don't understand your love for spicy foods...)" Big Man sighed.
"Whatever it is, I just need some food in me!" Frye grinned, rushing toward the food stands.
"Frye, come on!" Shiver grunted. She motioned for me to follow her to an attractive yellow truck. Hip-hop music echoed through speakers and in front was... a shrimp? He wore a hair net, despite a clear lack of hair and sunglasses.
"What's Kraken? What can I do to you on this- Oh! if it isn't my most esteemed customer!" His eyes widened in familiarity. "I see you brought Shiver and Big Man too! And- I don't recognize you- are you new here?"
"Oh, uh-" he thinks for a moment, the pressure to talk to someone that isn't Deepcut now forced upon him. With a cough, he responds, "Y-Yeah, you could say that."
"That's pretty fresh, yo! I've never seen another person hangin' out with Deep Cut so casually! You seem more tense with me than them!" he laughs.
Riptide awkwardly joins in, much to Shiver's amusement. "Speaking of which, you're not an inkling or octoling? Are you a sea urchin; no, you're shorter than those folks. 'Scuse my theorizing, that mask you have on makes you pretty mysterious yo! I dig it!"
In response, he traces the mask's engravings with his fingers. Shiver helped carve the mask itself, much to his surprise; it wasn't the first she made. Apparently, every member of Deep Cut had a mask per her family tradition. He thinks back to the conversation when she handed him the mask.
000
Walking down the hall to the dorms, he heard the sounds of hammering in Shiver's room. He knocked on the metal door and waited, after no response he tried again. After three times, he opened the door with a click. Shiver sat on the floor crossed-legged with a pencil in her mouth, her eyes narrowed at the mask holding it to the light. A hammer and a variety of chisels and brushes lay beside her in various states of use.
"Shiver? What are you doing?" he asked.
"Oh, just working on your- OH CARP!" she jumped, the mask shot out of her hands. "What the shell are you doing!?"
"Oh, I'm so sorry! I just heard a lot of hammering coming from your room, I tried knocking a bunch but you never responded," he explains.
After a moment, she calms down, "This was supposed to be a surprise, you know?" She frowned at him which forced him to look another direction.
"Wait you were making a mask for me, why?" he asked.
"Family tradition and by extension, Deep Cut. I've made many, including ones for Frye and Big Man." She motions with her head to the wall where a white stylized shark mask with red accents is mounted to the wall. Other masks of lined beside it with various fish designs.
"I can leave and-" a hand interrupted me.
"Now that you have spoiled my surprise, I'm making you watch me finish this. Every. Second. Of. It," she grins.
With a sigh, he reluctantly sat beside her. She picked up the mask once more, admiring the work she spent. "Here, what do you think?" she hands the mask to him, which he grabs. He noticed the large crescent-shaped mouth with a set of jaws and needle-like teeth. A wooden stick is attached to the top of the mask with a small wooden piece carved into the shape of a teardrop.
"Wow... this is incredible! Uh... Why an angler fish?" he timidly asks.
She gives me a look before sighing, "That's the thing, you're human. Frye and Big Man were pretty easy. Frye wanted her to represent her love for eels and Big Man is well, a manta ray. Instead of thinking literally, I had to get creative. I wanted to challenge myself with these masks, so I went with an angler fish. From the few weeks I've seen, you certainly reflect an anglerfish's ability to adapt to its surroundings, Learning to adapt in a world that lacks humanity, I can't imagine what that's like..."
"Wow," I stared at her awestruck. "I don't know what I'm more impressed with, how much thought you put into this or the fact that was the longest I've heard you talk."
Shiver's cheeks flashed red before quickly grabbing her fan and smacking me on the side of my head. "This doesn't leave this room, got it?"
"G-Got it!" He quickly nodded.
"Good," she closed her fan, taking back the mask. Watching her work on the mask, he couldn't help but be in awe at her work as she meticulously refines it with more detail.
After she was satisfied she started to prepare the coating. Hours of coating and painting later, she smiled at her work. "Finally, alright; you can-" she frowned as she noticed his eyes were closed. She slowly reached for her fan before she stopped herself. Standing up, she made her way over to him and with a smirk, stomped on his foot as hard as she could.
Riptide shot forward, eyes bulging out in shock. "OW! What was that- Shiver!?"
"That's what you get for sleeping on me. Be thankful that I let you sleep at all," she huffed.
"Yeah right, you were probably too focused on your work," he mumbled, rubbing his eyes.
"What was that?" she raised her eyebrow, pointing her fan at him as a threat.
"Er, nothing! I just-"
"Is it done!?" Frye's voice called out as the door slid open. She ran into the room followed by an exhausted Big Man. "When do we get to surprise- eh? Riptide!? What's he doing here!?"
"Someone decided to enter my room without permission," Shiver glared at him.
"Hey, it's not my fault you were so distracted," he shot back, arms crossed.
"Aww, I wanted to see the look on his face," Frye pouted.
"Ay? (Can we at least see it?)" Big Man asked.
She handed it to Riptide which he hastily put on. After some fumbling with the string, he managed to put it on. Frye grinned, her eyes shining with excitement, "It looks so official! You're finally a member of Deep Cut! Do a pose!" She grabbed her phone, aiming it at him.
He crossed his arms, leaning against a nonexistent wall causing him to stumble. Awkwardly, he walks to the nearest wall, striking the same pose.
"Ay! (Wow, you're right! He really is official!)" Big Man nods.
"The gold accents really fit the mask," Frye nods sagely.
"Now all we need are clothes... as much as it fits him, it doesn't fit Deep Cut," Shiver closes her eyes in thought.
"Ay... (But it wouldn't sit well... dressing up as something he's not.)" Big Man sighed.
"Why don't you just combine both?" Frye asked causing the two to freeze, turning toward her.
"For once, you might not have a bad idea..." Shiver grinned behind her fan.
"That's right, I- Wait, what do you mean for once!? Are you asking for a fight or something!?"
"Well, this conversation can wait another day, lets get to the REAL reason why I made this mask," Shiver turned to Riptide. "We're taking you outside."
"Oh..." he responded before leaning forward, "WAIT WHAT!?" he screeched.
"Yep! We're taking you out to see our home for the first time!" Frye grins.
"Wait, won't I stand out with this one, walking with you guys?" he asked, moving the mask to the right side of his head.
Shiver shrugged off his concern, "Don't worry, you'll just look like some tryhard fan who wants to replicate us but doesn't have the dedication to do so."
000
"You okay there?" the shrimp or prawn's voice pulled him out of his thoughts.
"O-Oh, yes."
"So, what will you order?" he asked.
"Uh, what would you recommend?" he asked.
"Well, you're in luck! We have a new item on the menu, the freshest you can get," he exclaimed with his pincers on his hips.
"Really!? I'll order that as well!" Frye shot forward with a grin.
"Yep! Inspired by the Splatlands itself!" he turned around to grab the fryer.
"So, how's your little traveling going?" Shiver asked, resting her arm on the stand.
"Oh, so many new things to see, I've been sizzling with excitement! Truly frying up some memories, yo!" he tossed the fries. "You guys were lucky, I'm takin' a break for a week to do more sightseeing."
"What!? You can't cut my food supply like that!" Frye whined.
"There's more than just junk food, you know," Shiver gave her a look.
"No, I'm not eating spicy meals for a weak! As much as I'll eat anything, that's too much, even for me!" she pleaded.
"Oh please, I'm not that bad!" Shiver covered her fan.
Looking over at Big Man, Riptide could see visible sweat run down his skin as he held his breath.
"Alright, two Splatastic Seanwhich deluxe comin' up!" he grabbed the two sandwiches on the plate. From the looks of it, it was less of a sandwich and more of deep-fried seafood with ketchup, mustard, and other ingredients in between.
Frye hastily grabbed it, scarfing it down in moments. He lifted his mask enough to show his mouth. Without a second to waste, he took a bite, eyes widened in reaction to the taste. He could taste a slight kick in the sauce, he hummed before swallowing. "Wow, this really is good!"
"Right!?" Frye nodded enthusiastically.
"Here's yours miss," he placed one filled with red sauce that he could swear was bubbling. His face scrunched up as the spice went into his nose. Shaking his head, he took another bite in the hopes of forgetting what he saw.
000
"So, what's next?" he asked.
"Tableturf?" Frye looked at Shiver.
She paused before grinning, "Tableturf."
"Yes!" Frye pumped her fist before running ahead. Shiver shook her head before following behind while mumbling about her being the leader. "I don't think you can participate in this, at least not in official matches.
"Oh, um... yeah, sure," he scratched his neck.
"You look like you want to say something," Shiver eyed me.
"Oh, it's just... when that guy mentioned me being taller than an Inkling but shorter than a sea urchin. Are they really that tall?" he asked.
"Yeah? Why wouldn't they be? Weren't they that tall for you guys?" she tilted her head in thought.
"No! They were... well they were like little spikey balls!" he cupped his hands together to appear like a ball.
Shiver laughed, "Spikey is right, a ball? Not so much."
"Hell, they weren't even intelligent at the point!" he sighed. "I guess the world really has changed..."
Shiver pursed her mouth before closing it with a frown. Looking up, she noticed Frye waving at them, "We're here."
Walking up to Shiver, Frye made a challenging gesture with her hands, "Don't think I forgot about that score we need to settle."
"You're on! But, a plain match would be boring. We need to up the ante, otherwise, this match is pointless..." she tapped her hands in thought.
Frye crossed her arms, "Challenge accepted; this time I won't lose! If I win, I get half the treasure you find for the next month!"
Shiver gasped, "You wouldn't- then if I win, you'll be eating nothing but spicy food for a month! And not the tame kind," she grinned, pointing her fan at her in challenge.
Frye recoiled but stood her ground, "F-Fine! I'll just need to win then, that's all!"
"Ay? (You don't mind if we have him watch the match, do you?)" Big Man asked the large goldfish standing beside the table, catching Riptide off guard.
"Of course, dearie, just take a seat over there," she pointed at a nearby chair which Riptide pulled up. Trying to take his mind off the fact that there was a talking goldfish, he decided to focus on the game.
Frye and Shiver sat down, facing each other with a card deck to the side. Shiver grabbed one of the selected of what Riptide assumed to be the game board. "I'll go first!" Frye announced, grabbing four of the cards. Shiver grabbed four of hers, and on the count of three, they both placed one card each on the table. Shiver's card was labeled 'Splat Duallies' with a cartoonish Inkling holding two guns with a cartridge of ink with the number 8 next to it. On the side was a shape made of blue cubes with a light blue square. Frye's card was in a similar fashion, except with yellow and labeled with Tri-Stinger with a number of 11.
Shiver smirks, placing blue cubes in the shape of the card next to the default light blue cube. Frye did the same with a sigh, "don't get cocky!" Shiver reached out to a small flip note that had the number 12, flipping it to 11. Riptide watched the two play as both colors filled the map.
"Three, two, one!" Frye counted down, flipping her card. 'Squid Beakon' with the size of 9 versus Shiver's 'Tenta Missiles' with the size of 12.
Shiver placed her pieces first, and with a smirk, Frye set her pieces. Parts overlapped Fryes due to her smaller number causing Shiver to click her tongue.
The game continued in Frye's favor until Shiver filled her spaces around the light blue pieces. Placing a chard down labeled 'Gnarly Eddie' which covered a large portion of Frye's pieces.
"That isn't fare! I won't lose to you!" Frye huffs, yanking another set of four cards from her deck.
"We'll see," she fanned the cards, covering her smirk.
"Take this! You think you outsmarted me but as the Tableturf Queen, I know you're every move!" she slammed her card down, revealing a card with her face on it.
"She has a card with her own face on it?" Riptide whispered to Big Man.
"Ay... (Yeah, we kinda of all do; some are even store owners)," He rubbed the back of his head with his fin.
"I'm guessing Deep Cut's cards go for the highest amount of spaces?" Riptide asked.
"A-Ay... (Y-Yeah, Shiver may or may not have paid the company for our cards to get the highest value. She even tried to bargain with them to make her the highest out of all of us... Luckily they rejected that offer)," he sighed.
Frye's hope of making a comeback was instantly squished with a strategically placed 'Wave Breaker' card. "And game," she grinned.
'Wha- This isn't fair!? I was so close!" Frye pointed at Shiver, "Don't think this is over! Next time, I will win!"
"Ha! Take that! I- er... it was a good game, but alas; this victory is mine," she coughs.
"I want a rematch!"
"No, a loss is a loss, now you have to do the punishment," Shiver gets up from the table.
"P-Punishment?" She flinches.
"Didn't you hear, you're the one that agreed to eat spicy food for a month."
"Wha- I... Oh, I did say that, didn't I?" she shrunk.
000
Stepping inside the store, a rush of cool air blew in between the group. "What's goin' on! Come on in, ya' new here or what?" a rough female voice called over. An octoling sat on the edge with torn clothes, her red tentacles pulled to one side of her face while a pair of headphones wrapped around her neck.
"Yeah, we need to get this guy a guitar," Frye bumped Riptide on the shoulder.
"Oh? That's sick, aighty; take a look 'round 'n see what 'cha come up with," she points to the side where a row of guitars mounted to the walls.
"We'll wait here, just don't take too long," Shiver said.
Now alone, he felt overwhelmed; this was his first time being alone without someone with him, and the pressure he felt was immense. He strolled blindly, focusing on the instruments and floor so that he didn't notice someone walking toward him.
"Hey, don't ya know where yer goin'?" the inkling girl said with a huff.
"O-Oh, sorry about that... I was distracted," holds out a hand.
"I can get up my- woah, what's up with that mask? You ain't some weirdo, right?" she backpedaled.
"No, I'm not; I was just looking for a guitar!" he explains.
"A guitar, wait; those masks are similar to Deep Cuts. Are you tryin' to impersonate Deep Cut or somethin'?" she tilts her head.
"No! I- Look, I just need to buy an electric guitar."
"Oh? Well, follow me; I'll show you the good ones," she grabs his hand, pulling him toward a wall filled with electronic instruments. Picking one off the wall, she looked it over before handing it to him. "Here's one I like; though you can request custom ones too."
He looked it over, placing his hand over the black surface with red jagged lines similar to the copper lines on a circuit board. "It looks... interesting. It's been a while since I held a guitar, sorry."
She looked at me, "'s fine, You trying to get back into music or somethin'?"
"Something like that, Fry- a friend recommended that I should get an electric guitar after she saw me play hers. At least something to keep myself occupied when I'm not working with... projects." Looking at the time, he sighed, "I think I'll pick this one..."
"Ya know, you don't have to pick that one just 'cause I said so," she pointed out.
"R-Right, it's just... I have a feeling I shouldn't wait longer," he shuttered at the thought of Shiver growing impatient.
"Whatever mystery dude, just go with your gut. Just take it to sis when you done," she motioned with her head toward the octoling.
"Sister, she's your sister?" he asked, looking between the two. Her tentacles were pure black, pulled to the side of her face, almost touching the floor. She wore an unzipped black leather jacket with pockets and chains lining her entire outfit. Black fingerless gloves covered her hands, sliding them in one of her many pockets. Multiple ear piercings decorated her long ear like an abstract art piece. Hauntingly beautiful purple irises looked up at him through her sunglasses.
"Nah, but might as well be. Grew up together, we ain't 'round here if ya couldn't tell," she closed her eyes while folding her arms. "Moved out 'fore she did. Been 'ere around two years, she just arrived a few months ago. I had time to adopt some of your accents," she explained. "So, that all?"
"Uh, no; that's all. Thank you... err-"
"Charys, and 's nice to meet 'cha too," she held out her hand with a grin.