Splatoon: The Brothers and the Others

Whine

Splin detected a pattern. A very obvious pattern. He was not exactly sure why he did not realize it sooner, but it was increasingly clear that his unfortunate cardio routine had a pattern, and not a fond one. It followed the same routine after all.

As Splin moseyed across the outside of the plaza he could only reflect on how embarrassingly obvious the routine was. "Running from something." He thought to himself as an outward sigh escaped his mouth. "What am I? 4 years old again? This is ridiculous."

A noise banged from his right. Splin gasped and turned to the side with his hands instinctively pushing in front of his face in a defensive attempt. He stopped and stared for a while. A drop of sweat dripped down his head and his eyebrows tilted down. A large green dumpster across the street shrouded in the dark recesses of an alley shook and tilted with an incredible noise that could put a Splatfest to shame.

"...Who's there?" Splin asked curiously.

The crinkling of paper and the light taps of bottles increased in volume until the black lid of the dumpster flew open. A white and black cat emerged from the garbage abyss, his yellow eyes twinkling, as he carried a few discarded, deteriorating, dirty fish bones in his maw.

"Mew. (Mm.)" Judd hummed boastfully as he leapt out of the garbage onto the cold cement of the alleyway. He took a few confident steps out from the dank lane out into the bright light on two paws with his two other paws happily swinging back and forth until he noticed Splin. "(Wha?)"

"Uh." Splin blinked back at the cat. Judd stood as if he were frozen in time with one paw daintily extended above the street with the terrible stench of a discarded fish billowing about him. "...Was that not something I should've seen?"

"Row!" Judd screeched back at him. He set himself on all fours. "(You saw nya-thing.)"

With that Judd skedaddled down the street out of sight with a cloud of dust behind him. The sound of him scratching against the pavement faded away into traffic.

"Oh." Splin chirped with a blank expression. "Okay, I think I know where this is going. So, uh, first things first, is this going to become like a gag?" He stared around at the city-scape and yelled. "Anyone else going to 'jump out' at me?"

He waited expectantly. Splin managed to spy a few small finches crowd above him on rooftops. They chirped once, twice, then flew off.

"...Well that was disappointing." Splin crossed his arms.

It was at that moment that Splin felt his tentacles stand up on end. Before he could react a strong gust of wind blew past and knocked him forward. He fell to the sidewalk with a groan. Though mildly dazed he managed to sneak a glance up. A familiar pink and green coated vehicle sped past him. His eyes caught a glimpse of black and his ears a hint of screaming. The car nearly toppled over as it rolled down the street.

Much to his amazement one of the tires exploded with a hiss and a pop. With one of its rear tires out of commission the car, seeing as though the tire was its only grip on the laws of physics, promptly flipped over and spent the rest of its trip through the air. Its trip was cut short as the vehicle paid a sudden visit to the Squid Sisters Studio's roof.

A resonating crash and the sight of smoke rising from the roof emerged. Splin gazed at the roof in horror. "Holy ship." He glanced down at himself and pat his body all over with his two hands. "Did… Was that my fault?!"

Nothing but the roof replied. Splin swore that if it could speak it might have screamed, "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGHHHHH," In response.

Quickly Splin took off. His Orange Arrows pounded against the pavement with rough squeaks as he made his way behind the studios. The sidewalk gave way to a dirt path which in turn gave way to a set of train tracks. Any fear of being stalked was quickly put to rest as the smoke above him began to collect into a black pillar.

Meanwhile Sharq gazed down from the clear light-blue observation windows of Inkopolis Tower in shock. If they stood side by side Splin and Sharq's expressions could have been mistaken for mirrors of one another. Mouth down-turned and eyes glued to the smoke he continued to stare breathlessly at the destruction. Dangling from the set of binoculars below was Ann-Gel. She was puzzled.

With a cursory glance upwards she took note of Sharq's expression. "Well…" She tilted her head. "Doesn't look like he realizes Splin passed by." She let go of the binoculars and planted herself on the clean tiles below. "Well that's a..." She pursed her lips. "Bummer."

"..." Sharq continued to stare on in horror as flames wrapped about the roof of the studio.

"...Boy." Ann-Gel blinked with pursed lips underneath her eyes. "That sure is a catastrophe."

"...You think Splin might've been down there?" Sharq asked with a hint of concern.

"Ah Cod darn it." Ann-Gel murmured in her mind. Her ogling eyes traced their way back to the overabundance of exhaust. "...Oh…I don't want to risk Sharq going into another 'brotherly tangent'. But if Splin was near there…" She shook her head. "...No."

Sharq gazed down at the smoke. "...Still...don't you think we should do something about this? It's really-"

Another explosion sounded off from the wreckage. In a blurry second, something flung itself out from the debris and wreckage and managed to lodge itself not too far from Sharq's head, a shrapnel piece suddenly embedded in the glass inches (a few more centimeters) away from Sharq's nose. Sharq blinked as the once pristine glass of Inkopolis Tower now welcomed a new addition in the form of a shard of metal.

Sirens began to wail in the background. "How about…" Ann-Gel nodded towards a firm, clean door behind them, an elevator call button stationed on the wall besides it. "We stay away from the fiery mess? Maybe get something to eat? Away from Inkopolis Plaza preferably?"

"Well…" Sharq turned back towards the intimidating fragment.

The glass made a soft sound like that of a sword being sheathed as the metal dropped from the glass and fell towards the ground below. Sharq and Ann-Gel could distinctly hear the sound of someone scream underneath as a thud sounded off.

"Yeah! Okay!" Sharq nodded rapidly as both hightailed it towards the elevator.

"...Phew." Ann-Gel wiped her plastic forehead. "Thank goodness for that explosion." She paused. "Wait that sounds wrong."

Before she could rethink her wording she and Sharq found themselves planted firmly within an elevator room going down.

Splin skidded to a halt in front of the glass doors of the studio. Though the panes were pristinely cleansed to the point where it appeared as though the doors themselves were replaced with mirror the smell of smoldering studio wafting about the area was a clean indication all was not okay. With mild panic and complete lunacy he burst through the front doors onto the fine white floor inside.

He stood up quickly and stared around. "Hey! Is anyone-" His arms drooped down to his side. "Okay?"

A soot-covered Marie stared back at him from the receptionist desk. The Squid Sister in green cleared her throat. "Oh hey. Where's the fire?"

Splin bit his lip. "...On top of the studio…?"

"Eh." Marie shrugged her shoulders and turned back to the receptionist. Lalai, posted to her chair, turned as well with a patient stare. "So I'm thinking that we add an extra number lock on the front of the car…"

"I dunno." Lalai crossed her arms. "What if you wake up earlier than Callie again?"

"Then she'll take the bus." Marie blew up towards a small white tentacle that obscured one of her eyes. "If I have to take another ride on Callie Airlines I'm going to…"

"Um, okay," Splin interrupted with a frown, "So am I missing something or do you two not realize the building is burning down?"

Lalai blinked and swiveled in her chair back to Splin. "Oh! Hi Splin!"

"...Really?" Splin's shoulders slumped.

Suddenly Lalai perked up. "Wait, are you here about the car?"

"...The one lodged in the roof." He gestured upwards with his thumb. "The one that exploded."

"Happens all the time." Lalai waved him off. "Callie's practicing for her driver's exam."

"Or a massacre." Marie spoke without a hint of concern. Her tone reverberated flatly. "Either way it's been going pretty terrible considering the car's totaled."

A random tremor shook the building with the ever familiar sound of another explosion. The three Inklings in the lobby wobbled, though both females continued to stand upright as if nothing happened, while Splin flopped down onto the floor in an instant.

"Huh." She gazed up at the ceiling. Chunks of the ceiling dropped down and smashed onto the once clean floor. "If it wasn't totally wrecked before it sure is now." She stretched her arms and began to walk off towards an open blue door labelled "Studio". "If I don't come back tell Gramps I love him."

Lalai gave a polite bow and a salute. "Yes ma'am."

"Thanks." Marie spoke in response as she turned and kicked the door behind her. It slammed shut.

With that Lalai swiveled back to face Splin as he picked himself up off the floor. "So what brings you here?" He narrowed his eyes. "Besides the whole burning thing upstairs."

Splin bit his lip. With a careful glance towards the door he attempted to peer through the glass. Regardless of his position it seemed as though the glass was just as well polished on the inside as it was on the outside.

"I'm being chased by a GameShark employee." He thought to himself. "...That sounds stupid."

A scream rang out from above. "...fire on the windshield?! How did you set that on fire?!"

"...Okay maybe not that stupid." Splin thought to himself. He turned back towards Lalai and cleared his throat. "I'm-"

There came a rapping on the door. "Pizza delivery!"

Splin froze in his tracks. "You've gotta be kidding me!"

"Whoa. Jeez." Came a small voice behind him.

Splin blinked and turned around. He was greeted by a guppy on two legs wearing a white cap with a pizza logo stitched on. He lifted a small white box with the same logo. "Sorry we can't all adhere to your taste."

"...Sorry?" Splin frowned.

"Your pizza miss." The guppy spoke up and lifted the small box onto the counter with his small fins. "Thirteen coins."

While Lalai dropped coins into his fins Splin rubbed his chin and continued to gaze at the door. As it slowly closed itself with the remaining momentum it had he gazed out the door cautiously.

"Want a slice?" The receptionist offered, though to no avail, as Splin continued to frown at the doors. Lalai stared at him curiously. "...Is that a no?"

"Hmm? Sorry. Sure." Splin turned about and managed a small, yet reluctant, smile. "Thanks."

Lalai nodded. "Of course. Anything for a fellow agent." As Splin walked closer she leaned one elbow on the counter. "Help yourself." He stopped in place as her elbow landed then took another step forward. "Because we're friends."

"...Do you want something from me?" Splin asked with a placating tone.

"..." Lalai tapped her fingers together. "Do you have any other...stories you could share? About you. And maybe Agent A."

"...Huh?" Splin shook his head in bewilderment.

"Like," She gestured upwards, "Any interesting ones?"

Splin frowned in incertitude. Before he could ask another tap came from the shiny glass doors behind them.

"...I'll get it." Splin offered and scuttled back towards the door.

"Oh." Lalai's shoulders slumped.

He walked over towards the glass. A voice from the outside called. "Pizza delivery!"

"Another one?" Splin asked nonchalantly.

"That's funny." Lalai hummed in curiosity.

"...How's it…" Splin muttered slowly. His eyes widened.

He pulled on the handles and swung the door open. A tired set of eyes and a familiar sagging mop of green tentacles dressed in a yellow and red uniform greeted him.

"Oh no way!" Splin groaned at the sight of him.

"I ain't stopping until we start talking." Prothe shrugged as he leaned one arm on the glass. He held a pizza box under the other.

"Um, I think there's been a mistake. I don't think we ordered a second pizza!" Lalai called from the receptionist desk.

Splin turned back. "Yeah, uh, it's for me."

"...When did you get the time to order one?" Lalai frowned and tilted her head.

"...Earlier?" Splin blinked. "Sorry, I think I'll need to leave.

"Oh…" Lalai pursed her lips and stared down at the ground. "Well...if you don't mind, later, maybe we can swap agent stories?"

"...Alright." Splin nodded back as he left the building. Lalai managed a small wave as he left. Immediately he turned back about and glared at Prothe. "Stop it."

"Hmm?" Prothe hummed absentmindedly.

"Whatever you're doing right now, stop it." Splin demanded with one hand firmly planted on his headphones under his chin. "I don't want your help."

"Yeah." Prothe whistled and glanced back towards the doors. "That you girlfriend?"

"What? No!" Splin frowned indignantly as he stared up at the taller Inkling. "Why do people assume that?"

"You look like the type of 'generic main character'." Prothe pointed out.

"Gee thanks!" Splin shook his head and began to walk away. "Really appreciate your input! Really! I think you're a real friend!"

"Hey." Prothe frowned back at him. "I resent that."

"And I resent you stalking me!" Splin shot back and stood forward.

"It's not stalking if it's stalking out of love." Prothe spoke back with his hands on his hips.

"What the sh- Okay." Splin shook his head and started to scuttle away yet again.

"It was a joke!" Prothe threw his hands up in the air in irritation. "I'm trying to help you for Cod's sake!"

Splin placed his headphones on his head. "Jokes are supposed to be funny."

"Don't you throw that card around!" Prothe pointed back at him. "Especially here of all places!"

"Whatever!" Splin shouted back. He kept his eyes forward and his feet following the same path straight ahead.

"You don't even know where you're going!" Prothe protested from behind him.

"I don't need to!" Splin cried back. His shouts exploded into outcries. "Wherever I need to go to stop YOU from following me!"

"I meant your life path!" Prothe shouted back with his hands cupped about his mouth. "...Ugh. Stubborn kid."

"Creep." Splin thought with a glare back. He walked outwards past streets and through alleyways.

His journey took him throughout a small stretch of the city. Several small brown sparrows continually chirped among the rooftops and street signs. The familiar blare of traffic died down as he ventured further and further through the cracks and alleys of towers and apartment buildings. As he crossed through the darkened gray passages he glanced from side to side and back behind him.

"...I don't see him." He said aloud as if challenging fate. Splin's eyes narrowed.

He continued to walk ahead until he planted his face into something.

"Oop!" Splin blubbered and pushed off. "What the-"

"Hey hey! Mitts off the glass there pal!" Pela yelled back.

"Whoa!" Splin backed away in an instant.

Her chef hat lopsided on her head, Pela examined the pane of glass Splin had rammed into, and huffed impatiently. "Great. As if getting these out in the first place wasn't a problem."

From within the restaurant, armed with a large green rag and clean white gloves, Pela furiously wiped at a glass pane. The glass had remained dislodged from its resting place in the window. Her legs stayed tucked inside the restaurant while hands worked relentlessly on scrubbing the glass.

"Cod." Pela groaned and wiped her forehead with the back of her arm. She glanced upwards with a scowl. "Are you just going to stand around?"

"...Why?" Splin arched an eyebrow. He pivoted in a circle suspiciously around the enclosure. "Is there like a standing fee?"

"...Cod that's a smart idea." She muttered and rubbed her chin. "I can see why Lalai's already taken a liking to you. Friends with benefits."

"What?" Splin tilted his head.

"Well Splin?" Pela cleared her throat and glared up at him. "You going to order something or what? Trying to get me on my good side?"

"No?" Splin shook his head. "I have no idea what you're talking about. What are you even doing?"

She scowled and glared back down at the window pane. "That flipping lightning." She tilted her head back up at Splin. "Splin, do you know how much of a smudge lightning leaves on surfaces?"

"Wait." Splin pointed towards her slowly. "You just said my-"

She continued. "Why the shell does lightning have to leave smudges on every surface it hits?"

"I could probably pay for the damages!" Splin frowned and stared down at her. "What is going on today?! Why does everyone keep- How do you know my name?!"

Pela's eyes narrowed and her eyebrows shifted down. She glowered upwards towards Splin. "...Kid. I work with two of the same employees each day." She stood up and placed her gloved hands on Splin's shoulders. "They are fawning over each other constantly. I have to check on them to make sure they don't smother each others' faces."

Splin swallowed a bullet and felt it crash down somewhere between his three hearts and his stomach.

"I ran a restaurant by myself for years." She went on and glared down. "My only sister went off to who knows where to 'save the Zapfish' and left me to do all the work."

"Um." He raised a finger sheepishly.

Pela gasped for breath, pushed down his finger, the black flower-print spots on her tentacles shook back and forth, and leaned in close. "And now she's back but she won't stop talking about the same guy my employees won't stop chatting about instead of WORKING OR VISITING TO SAY HELLO. I know your name alright. And I'm getting SICK of it! I just want- Can you not- URGH!"

Pela tossed her cleaning rag up into the air. It landed just above them on the Oahu sign just out of reach. The chef's pupils shrunk considerably and her fingers began to squish Splin's shoulders.

"..." Splin blinked and glanced behind him. He stared through towards the many alleys as if he considered his options. Splin instantly turned back quickly. "I'll pay for food. If that's what you're asking."

Her grip loosened on his shoulders. "...Just...take care of Lalai. Alright? ...Tell her, her sister misses her, please?"

"...Is this another 'relationship' misunderstanding?" Splin asked, hardly directed at her, but outwards up towards the air.

"...Ugh." Pela shook her head and leaned back down to the glass and began to wipe her glove back and and forth on the near spotless glass.

With that Splin stepped around her as she scrubbed at the invisible remnants of lightning still stubbornly attached to the glass. He leaned past through the windowsill into the restaurant and blinked considerably about the place. The rest of the decor remained spot on though the body count within was hardly anything to write home about. He spotted a few jellyfish bobble about and a congregation of Inklings huddled in the center at a booth.

"Hey Splin." A calm hail beckoned for him.

Splin turned to the side. Zip stood with a black apron wrapped about her white modern waitress uniform with a yawn and a clipboard at the ready.

"There's always a door you can go through you know." She pointed out behind him.

"I'm just not having the greatest of days today." He sighed in defeat.

"...Alright." Zip sighed, placed her hands by her hips, and shook her head. "Everyone seems to be in slow daze y'know?"

"Mostly everyone." Splin thought while he shot a cursory look backwards. Zip followed his gaze curiously. "I'd like a bite to eat if you don't mind."

"'Course." She hummed and flipped over a page on the clipboard.

Splin walked to the left and took a seat at a lonesome table for two. "A cheeseburger please."

"Nah." Zip hummed in a disappointed manner.

"What?!" Splin tilted his head in confusion.

Zip placed one hand on her hip. "Uh, not going to lie to you, I bet money on you Splin." She reached into her pants pocket and retrieved a wallet. From that wallet she picked out ten golden coins.

"See?" A laugh escaped from behind her. "Told you! They only order the same two things each time!" Willie's brown face and cheery smile popped up from behind her. He scooped the coins from her hand and pecked her on the cheek lightly. "Nice try Zip. But I know our regulars' orders."

"Yeah. You sure showed me." She replied with hardly a grain of genuine quality to her voice. Zip brushed back one of her long yellow tentacles by her ear.

Willie glanced over at Splin and saluted him. "Thank you for being so predictable Music Man!"

Splin was not sure whether or not he should have felt offended. "…You're welcome?"

"Get back in the kitchen lover boy." Pela called back from both the inside and outside.

"Pshaw." Willie 'pshawed' with a wave back towards his boss. He waltzed back towards the counters in the back of the restaurant. "But seriously thanks man." He winked at Zip. "I'll buy you something with this. I promise."

"He's gonna get us fired…" She sighed dreamily.

"…So I guess I'm not allowed to order." Splin muttered in annoyance as he placed one hand on his cheek.

"I wasn't aware you two could eat anything other than junk food." Zip sighed and placed her hands on the table. "C'mon Splin. Something different? You aren't really challenging Willie by ordering the same thing each time."

"Alright, fine." Splin frowned and placed one hand on his cheek. "What do you-"

"Well," Zip's accent turned posh, "We have plenty of marvelous dishes my good sir."

"Could you please just hand me a menu?" Splin asked impatiently.

"Certainly." She sung complacently.

"Would you mind lending me one too?" A voice-

Splin clutched his head and glowered down at the table. "Please don't be Prothe. Please don't be Prothe. I've had enough."

"Pff." Prothe scowled down at the younger Inkling. "Nice to see you again too."

"You a friend?" Zip questioned with a point of her thumb towards the younger Inkling.

Splin's ears slowly and slowly grew deaf as an impromptu conversation began to start. His brown pupils dilated considerably and the grip on his head began to tighten. His vision blurred and his world began to shake as if in a tremor. Colors began to mesh together terribly. Voices became incomprehensible mumbles.

"How many…" He inquired mentally. "How many times… How many times is he going to-"

"-just this morning." Splin heard Prothe mention.

Zip acknowledged with a nod of her head. "Huh. You meet all sorts of people in the strangest places Splin."

Splin's response was to vibrate intensely. The table shook along with him against its will.

Zip blinked and peered over at Splin. "Uh…"

A sickly sweet smile crossed his face. "...Zip? Is it alright if I leave…?"

"...Um?" Zip tilted her head in curiousity. "I was joking about the burger thing."

"I'd like to talk to Prothe alone." Splin spoke as his arms went slack at his sides. His smile persevered despite the multiple twitches in his eyes.

"Sure go right ahead." Zip backed away.

With another forced nod Splin got up to his feet and reached for Prothe's pizza uniform. He gripped the main collar and jerked him towards the outside. Just as they walked past her through the door outside Pela wiped the sweat off of her forehead and hopped inside. She reached over through the open window and pulled the glass back into its rightful place with a satisfied sigh.

"Phew." Pela took off her toque and used it to wipe her forehead. "Took forever. But look at that! Spotless."

Through the spotless glass on the other side Zip could see Splin. He pointed, gestured, and shouted things, presumably not suitable for a "T"-rated stories. She could hardly hear him from the other side but from the way he flailed about like a ragdoll while Prothe just gazed back with bug-eyes as he abused the taller Inkling with lingual bashing.

She whistled a sharp clean whistle. The Inklings and jellyfish previously sat at tables none the wiser now realized their front row seats to the silent verbal bash of a lifetime. "Oh boy." Zip shook her head. "...That window sure is spotless alright."

"I jumped off of the second story to get away from you!" Splin proclaimed with offense.

"That's your fault." Prothe pointed out with crossed arms. "Not my fault you're so impulsive and quick to assume."

Splin vibrated with rage. "URGH! You are one of the most insufferable squids I've met and that says something!"

Ari sneezed as he walked alone.

"This is my thanks?!" Prothe protested. "I put off like three jobs-"

"...Why am I getting angry over you?" Splin scowled and turned his head away. "I should just go home!"

"I could say the same for you." Prothe's eyes narrowed. "But until I help you-"

"Okay!" Splin shouted as his face began to glow blue. "Fine! Yeah! You can help me! Whatever!"

"...Huh." Prothe commented with a cough. "Really?

"Yes, fine, whatever!" Splin's right eye practically burst out of the black lining about his face. "What is it now?!"

"...There go all my other gags." Prothe muttered with a tinge of disappointment. "Might as well get this over with."

Before Splin could react Prothe removed his uniform. Instinctively Splin switched into a squid and reeled back with his eyes shut. He heard the sound of zippers and began to cringe with each passing moments.

"Ugh." Splin thought to himself in disgust.

Slowly and extremely reluctantly he lifted one tentacle. Splin's fears deflated into foolishness. One after another, a new layer of clothing dropped onto the ground, uniforms of several different brands and companies of Inkopolis stripped and dropped on the ground. Splin glanced back up at Prothe.

With a dandy simple black hoodie a pants on Prothe stretched and yawned. "Ah. So refreshing." Glancing back at Splin, still staring with a reluctant expression, he stretched his arms behind his head and started walking off into the distance. "You coming?"

"Fine." Splin groaned and switched back into Inkling form. He adjusted his headphones around his neck. "Where are we going?"

"..." Splin wanted to be furious. The boy wanted to explode. Like. A volcano. He just could not muster the steam for anything. He felt as though he had wasted all his steam on his overreaction.

"Comfy?" Prothe asked in an earnest voice.

The waves that crashed against the cement dock beneath them sprayed water up towards Splin's Orange Arrows shoes. They fell short, but close enough to cause him to shift back. He cleared his throat. "...Alright. Why did you bring me here?"

Prothe gazed up ahead. To their left an ice cream parlor sat with a large "Closed" sign spotted inside facing outwards at the glass. Ahead of them laid a boardwalk devoid of activity in the slightest. The previously crowded wooden pier that stretched out into the ocean blue laid dormant.

"...This used to be one of my favorite spots to relax." Prothe leaned back on the dock.

Splin shot one eye down towards the waves as they crashed into the stone foundation below. "...Cozy."

"...Back before I had all of these jobs anyways." He coughed in irritation.

"So why did you bring me here?" Splin asked with a rising tone. "Why stalk me? Shrug off all those jobs?"

Prothe sighed and reached into one of his pockets. He retrieved a gray stone that covered his palm and glanced at Splin with a tired expression.

Splin moved to the left a little. "...What?"

"I'm not going to bash you with this." Prothe reassured him. "I just want to provide an example. ...You remind me of someone."

He lifted the stone and, with a flick of his wrist, chucked the rock through the air down at the water. Splin watched as the stone collided with the ocean and sank.

"...That's me." Prothe stated calmly. "To an extent that's also you."

"I don't understand." Splin argued as his eyes gazed at the waves.

Prothe sniffled and reached into his pocket. "I wasn't always like this. Had an alright life. Had a school…"

He retrieved another stone from his pocket. Just like the previous stone he tossed it as if it were a Splat Bomb with expert precision down into the water. Splin could have sworn it splashed in the same location as the other stone.

"It was supposed to be a great school." Prothe spoke without even a nod to Splin. "Beautiful campus. Grass and trees practically littered the place. Even had a Turf War program. My friend and I attended."

He pulled out another gray rock. As he held the ordinary gray stone in his right hand he lifted a smoother orange pebble in his left.

"...How many of those do you carry around? Splin asked nervously.

"I aced every exam." Prothe spoke monotone. "She did too. Shell. It looked like we were going places."

With low growl he let go of the gray rock and let it sink in the water all the way down to the sand. A flock of seagulls called overhead. Prothe hurled the orange rock forward where it aimed down for the surface.

"All of a sudden," He spoke glumly, "Something changed. Things started to beat down on the two of us."

Splin listened with a gulp and focused on the pebble. Much to his surprise it skipped up across the surface of a wave.

"Why…" Prothe's eyes narrowed. "She welcomed me. Never really got annoyed. Always patient with me. Wasn't bothered by anything."

The stone bounced up across the water again. Splin watched the rock carefully.

"Then she changed." Prothe scowled while they watched the stone.

The stone's skips grew gradually smaller. The pebble eventually let itself drown.

Prothe rubbed his eyes. "Cod…" He sniffled. "So young...! Just let her go down that path huh?!"

"...I…" Splin frowned, as his legs dangled off the side, down at the spot where the final stone sank. "I still don't understand."

"You don't?" He shouted out towards the water. "Neither do I! I don't understand!" He spun around and gripped Splin by the shoulders. "The world's against us, Whirl!"

"...Who?" Splin asked and backed away.

Before Prothe could speak any further a loud thunk sounded through the air. Splin and Prothe stared up in shock for different reasons. Prothe was completely taken by surprise while Splin just gawked at the new bruise on his forehead. He began to drop off the side of the doc, let go of his grip, and tilted over towards the water below until Splin gripped him by his collar. Splin slowly realized that his feeble strength was not enough to support an adolescent and a whiny employee.

"Sorry!" A familiar voice called from behind him. The resounding noise of something going 'sploosh' in the drink behind him sounded off just as the voice called. "I thought he was going to- Oh jeez."

Splin felt a new set of hands drag him back further onto dry land. In front of him he watched as Prothe dragged along with him, only, now face down in the cement.

"...Was that really necessary…?" Splin asked the assailant as he looked behind him.

He glanced up at a set of cherry tentacles and blue eyes. "...I panicked. Alright?" Lalai rubbed her right arm as it released its grip on Splin. "Whenever someone does that in Octo Valley they…"

"Wait a minute." Splin said as he ignored the unconscious man behind him. "What are you doing here?"

Lalai crossed her arms. "Pela told me about your breakdown outside Oahu."

Splin blushed and looked away. "That. Right." He stared up at her and gestured his hand back towards Prothe, still laid down, out like a light. "But how did you find us here?"

"..." Lalai gazed back innocently. "Maybe you could tell me how this guy was bothering you over a story?"

"...That's why you-" Splin bit his lip and shot a glance back towards Prothe still sprawled out. "...You know what?" He stood up. "I'm okay with that. ...As long as it's away from here."

Lalai sprung up and beamed. "Alright! I mean, thanks."

The duo began to walk off from the scene of the crime rather rapidly into the modern expanse of the city. The waves as they crashed into the shore and the caws of seagulls continued in the distance and faded from the two's hearing. Prothe continued to lay there on the cement floor. One green tongue flopped out of his mouth in a daze.

"...Why?" He asked in his barely conscious state. Prothe's appendages shrunk and switched into green tentacles. "...Whirl..?"

He shut his squid eyes and

"...Cod." A sigh. "I don't understand this at all. I just-"

"Really?" Came a scoff. "It's not rocket science."

"Who are you to talk?" Another sigh.

"You're pale." Commented the scoff yet again. "Your shoulders are slumped. How tired are you?"

"...Very." Admitted the sigh. "You're really something. You know that? Really something."

"Just looking out for you." A smirk peeked out. "I can't imagine what I would do without you."

"Sappy." Laughter echoed. "...Still. As annoying as you can be thanks for sticking with me Prothe."

"Of course." Prothe hummed back at her with an air of confidence. "Right back at you Whirl." He glanced towards a clock stamped to a wall. "I think I've got a match soon."

"Aw. Really?" Whirl asked with a tilt of her head. Her blue tentacles glistened.

"Is that disappointment I hear?" Prothe teased back. "I'll ace the losers and I'll be back soon."

"...Okay." She sighed and returned to the book in her lap.

Prothe managed a small hopeful smile. "I'll see you later."

"...Okay." Whirl repeated.

He walked away from her. After a few agonizing seconds he reluctantly he managed to turn away.

Sharq had just about given up his quest. His binoculars tiredly strapped about his neck and his Banana Basics slowly pounding against the pavement he continued forward. His eyes hardly moved up from the ground.

His hat wriggled for a moment. Ann-Gel lifted it and blinked. "How you feeling."

"Mm…" Sharq sighed somewhat miserably.

"Aw, Sharq." Ann-Gel frowned down at him. She pet his blue head. "Let's just head home. The day's almost over...I'm sure Splin's over it."

Sharq stared upwards. "You really think so?"

"No I'm just shooting the breeze I have absolutely no idea whether or not you two will get along after a day apart." Ann-Gel blinked. "Of course."

Sharq began to smile until he heard a slight squish noise. He narrowed his eyes and peeked all around him at the sea ahead of him and the boardwalk to his left. "Hm?"

"What is it?" Ann-Gel inquired from underneath his cap.

Sharq felt something underneath his left shoe. He dragged it across the pavement until he no longer felt it. "Nothing. I think I just stepped in something."

"Eww." Ann-Gel scowled and shuffled back into the hat.

"No, it's fine." Sharq chuckled and glanced down at the sole of his shoe. "It's just green ink."

The two continued on their merry way as the sun began to set. The sky dyed itself purple as the sun began its descent over the horizon.

Prothe woke up and stared upwards at the fading violet of the night sky. The calls of seagulls had vanished with the cover of night as it obscured the day. He felt the weight of his arms slump back on the ground and the throbbing sensation as it pounded in his head. The familiar feeling of a rock slammed into his head hurt but he felt something else all over. It clutched at his chest.

Prothe sat up slowly with the painful beat that echoed in his noggin and buried his face in his hands. "Ohhghhh Cod…" He shouted at the sky. "This is how you reward me for trying to do something nice for once?!"

The moon rose over his head and invited in the stars for a diddly above him. With the stars the cover of night followed and shrouded the area in darkness.

"...Fine." Prothe shook his head and got to his feet unsteadily. "I'm not giving up on the kid though." He slouched over and shambled off. "If I've ever gotten a second chance…Then this is it."

He gazed up at the stars as if for approval. Across his eyes, a twinkle lit up, and a shooting star shot past the stratosphere, briefly lighting up the path ahead and cast a light blue sheen on his dark green tentacles.

"...Alright." He sighed and continued on while his self ached from all over. "Yeah, yeah. I'll be sure to work harder this time around."

AN: This week on "Pizza Procrastinates"... Eh. I don't even know anymore.

Thanks Arrekusu, Rynowm, write n wrong, and sebastian G for reviewing.

Arrekusu, I appreciate your support, but really, I'll take any criticism that ranges from sugarcoated to no sugar in the slightest. Thanks for the motivation regardless.

Rynowm, I assure you, a toaster was probably the best bet for the Tele-Cube. Who knows what could've happened if it turned into something else…? Like a washing machine.

write n wrong, I agree wholeheartedly, I am excited for Splatoon 2 and Mario Kart Deluxe. I'm not sure about the price ranges but they do look enticing.

Last but not least, sebastian G, I'm grateful, but going religious on me with that is going a little far. Pretty sure God would shun me from existence for adding a chapter of any of my stories to the Bible. Heh. Well, depending on beliefs and all, keeping all that in mind.

Thanks for reading. This is ThePizzaLovingTurtle. Remind me to check on Chi.