#and eiden gets a bit more control over him

[kuyaoya]

SPOILERS FOR BILLOWING WILDFIRE KUYA. ROOM 2 spoilers only.

New kuya room 2 is revolutionary for bottom kuya lovers. He is teased by Eiden. amazing.

I don't know if he'll ever get to actually bottom. But if we get more rooms like this in the future I will be satisfied.

Eiden I like this new play style more then you'll ever know.

9/10 room. -1 point for saying sack too much.

[feistyvampire]

Sponsor contracts? That’s a little over Edgar’s head but he’s not about to admit it.

“I think that’s getting a bit ahead of ourselves but I’ll try to schedule more frequent advertisements on social media if Eiden is also fine with that.” Is what he says instead, already drafting some ideas in his phone at least. Since apparently Aster doesn’t know much about social media yet from his words Edgar feels it would be best not to let him have control of the business account. “There’s just a fine balance, I have to avoid it becoming obnoxious to our followers.”

“But the product showcase would be advertisement too, and let people see the quality of our toys, accessories, clothes, and whatnot. A lot of our business is in making custom product as far as I know. I’ll have to bring out a little more stock to make an interesting display. But it it goes smoothly, is that a fair plan?”

“I think we can agree on that much, I had to convince him to take a little extra time off this summer just so he’d go out and enjoy the festivities. Running a business can be time consuming and all but it’s not a reason to work through the festival.”

“So I took over for a while, just to let him enjoy his summer for a little longer. So I’ll just try to make him take more breaks through the year, maybe?”

Edgar’s fingers tap on the table as he mulls the rest over, shrugging.

“It’s easiest to advertise on social media these days, so I can see about posting more often on the brand account. What about a product showcase?”

[coreshorts]

Idiot

The village was quiet, as it often was. After all, only two Raen called it home, thus far, following its reclamation. Buildings lay in shambles, weapons of both Garlean and Hingan make littered the ground in various places, blood stained the buildings and the earth alike, and the only light that they did not make for themselves was that from the sun or stars. That night, it was the latter, the moon shining brightly above and casting an eerie glow over the the slowly-reviving ghost-village.

In the midst of it all sat an old, rusted Reaper, many of its parts long-since made useless from structural damage, weather, and time. Next to it was a building with a massive hold blown in the side, likely from the walker’s magitek cannon. The space was cleaned up earlier and an oil-and-dirt-stained blanket, salvaged from one of the nearby houses, was laid on the ground for a heavyset Auri woman to sit with a box of tools and other gadgets in an attempt to dismantle it for its still-worthwhile components.

Hali’s mood, however, was anything but productive. The last two days had been a wild ride of emotions that had, in equal parts, exhausted and frustrated her. How many times had she cried since? Five times? Six? She didn’t want to care. Thinking about it only made her curse her own fragile mind even more.

Emotions were always difficult, even before the events of the Calamity. She didn’t know what had happened to her, then, but what she did know, not long after she woke at the Conjurer’s Guild one day, was that she had lost nearly a year of her life to some mad amnesia, and no one would tell her what had happened or why. She found herself, after, plagued by a paranoia and anxiety that made the anxious fits she experienced as a child seem trivial. She’d come a long way in the years since, but she was still damaged.

People, and the emotions they sometimes brought with them, confused and scared her. Most were dismissed easily as shapes and noise, their emotions and meaning vanishing as soon as they would leave. Some, however, remained. Kel, her best friend and teacher, remained at the very top of that number, representing stability, hope, safety, and a feeling of a bond that she didn’t quite know how to place. She had others, too: T’rahven, who was a friendly rival, giving her a reason to challenge herself, to become better, and provided a friendly shoulder on which she could steady herself, and Hanaru, a calm and decisive presence who would always offer a listening ear and helpful advice, if not a helping hand. Even her cat, Finn, whom she ached to see again, who was on his way with her cousin, Dail’a, to Hingashi to join her in their new home, was among those. Her cat was precious to her, holding feelings of happiness, love, and affection.

There were those, though, who took on negative feelings. At that time, she knew of one, and thinking of him made her want to do terrible things. Maximillian Crawford, the man, one of two of her employers, who had abused her so frequently, both psychologically and physically, but kept her under his thumb through money and job security through his brother, was one she associated with terrible emotions: hatred, malice, and pain. She wanted nothing more than to murder him. Killing him, she hoped, would one day take those feelings away again.

The worst of it, however, was when those emotions caused her to feel things for people she didn’t know, and made her hope against hope that she could create meaning in a person and make them real to her. She had, of course, no way to control the feelings; they would also work of their own accord, independent of her own wishes. Such was the case with a woman with whom she had, four times now, encountered.

A short Raen with a single horn, a little on the chubbier side, who practically shone where she stood had first caught her attention, dressed in the uniform of the Immortal Flames, at a party in the Goblet. Hali had been asked to locate another person at the time, but was distracted when she noticed the shorter Raen. When their eyes met, however, she turned and walked away in an anxious fit, her social limits already having been sorely tested that night, leaving her unable to think of what words to say or how to act properly. She encountered her, again, that night, several more times, with the last time being on her way out the door, where the radiant woman had stood right outside. With a timid wave and a quick side-step, she had run to get away from her in a panic.

She’d hated herself for that. Although Hali knew that she was in no shape to try talking to someone new that night, she had wanted to. As rare an occasion as that was, it felt important, and she had failed. It galled her, and she cursed herself for it. She reached out to those she could, even writing letters to advice columnists to ensure that she wasn’t just a pitiful fool.

Then, her second chance arrived, unknowingly given to her by the Crawford Brothers. She had been sent to investigate a new casino, as it had caught their interest, along with another Raen whom she’d met that same night before and had since joined the company, named Eiden. Eiden had been nice to her and, when Hali noticed the woman from whom she’d run away at the casino, talked her into remaining, calming her. Eventually, she’d even managed to get her a seat beside the yet-nameless Au Ra. Her nerves continued to harass her, however, and she could only manage a greeting before falling silent, afraid of disrupting the show at the time. When Eiden left, she began to panic, however, and then the other woman left. She’d frozen, and by the time Hali could make herself move again, she had gone. She had stuck around a moment longer to finish her report for the Crawfords, but then left, once again defeated by her own anxiety.

A third chance had been afforded her, right on her own doorstep, when a club across the street from the Gold and Glory had opened for a celebration. She had been, as she had taken a liking to do, sitting on the roof and casually tossing her practice knives at the training dummies in the yard, when, mid-throw, she saw her again. The shock and anxiety caused her to start, and she dropped a knife off the cliff on which the house was situated, nearly falling off, herself. In panic and utter mortification, she’d quickly clambered down off of the house and run to her room to hide in shame for the rest of the night. The next day, she awoke, cursing herself for not only having neglected to go after her to try and finally talk, but for having fallen asleep, at that, so early.

She spent the next day busying herself. It would be a matter of days until Dail’a arrived in Kugane with her belongings and with Finn. She wanted to forget about the shame of the night before, compounding on itself with that of the last two chance meetings with the unknown Au Ra. It bothered her on a very deep-seated level that she found herself so affected by the desire to simply walk up and talk to her. Even though it diminished into near-oblivion as most other feelings did when not in her presence, it only grew worse when she saw her.

She’d managed to distract herself for most of the day, and quite well. Around lunch time, she met an aspiring new member of the company, a renowned gladiatorial mage known as “Spark.” After challenging and besting her in a duel, she headed out for her daily training, accompanied by the Blue Mage Ghayaraan, Kel, and another new company member, Nhaza’ya. Afterward, she had found Kel and spoke with her at the Outriders’ house, where her confidence was given a sorely-needed boost,

“You give me hope where I have none,” she had said, causing Hali to turn nearly red and stammer bashfully, though it made her thankful all the same, that she had done such good for someone who meant so much to her.

The rest of her day had been busy: the Seabreeze Bazaar was open, and she meant to find things that could be useful to take back to their village. She secured a decent amount of potions, tools, and the like to help keep them stocked and ready with what they lacked, and, finding a bit of extra time on her hands, made her way to Ishgard. An Opera production had been held the night before, but in her panic, she had missed it, causing her even further annoyance.

The performance was superb, and was truly something the likes of which she’d never had the opportunity to attend. Though the air bit at her face, she resolved to enjoy the respite from the waning summer heat as autumn peeks over the horizon. After the show was over, she’d located a friend, Yhen’to, and spoken with him for some time, though a voice drew her attention.

The Auri woman had been there, as well. In all the bustle and chaos, she’d not seen her until then, as the crowd dispersed. She waited, however, seeing her preoccupied with a number of people. Only slightly eavesdropping, she managed to overhear a need to depart quickly for prior obligations. In all of it, however, she could still not make out her name in the din of those still remaining. By the time the crowd around her had dispersed, however, she had gone, as well in a manner of some haste. Much as Hali reminded herself that it’d have been selfish to hold her up when she was already likely late, she found herself just sitting down again to cry, overwhelmed once again by the swell of disappointment, resentment, and failure that she’d begun to feel so regularly.

It was frightening her more and more. This woman who she so badly wanted to meet, even just to make - to even have a chance to make - a new friend, was slowly taking on meaning. Fear and disappointment were things she had begun to feel even outside of her presence, and with those came a strange sense of loneliness. Despite the people already in her life that meant so much, this sense of constant failure was beginning to crush those positive feelings away from her, and it made her so afraid. She was afraid of the feelings, but also afraid of herself. Would she want to kill her? Would she want to remove her so she wouldn’t have to feel those things? She seemed so nice, and it pained her to think about it. She didn’t deserve it, and she hardly deserved having a madwoman rave to herself in her own thoughts about her so.

She must hate her, she decided. How else would a person feel about someone who has run from them or otherwise acted so inappropriately around them on multiple occasions? She probably looked like a creep, showing up as she did, only to freak out and get nowhere.

Idiot. Why can’t I just handle feelings like a normal person?

Her thoughts had turned, sitting before that rusted Reaper, a wrench slowly prising pieces from parts to dismantle the hulking thing, to angry self-deprecation again. They often did when she felt she’d failed. She never understood why the world seemed out to beat her up so often when she could do more than a good enough job on herself.

So stupid! Just get over it! So many people give a shite about me. I still have Kel. I still have Finn. I have others! What are they, nothing? Don’t they matter?

They do. No, they do. They do. But this girl. I don’t understand this feeling. It was called a crush, but I don’t get like that!

Of course I do, her thoughts turned more and more volatile as she argued internally with herself, hand shaking as she gripped her wrench, I got like that with Kel, and it was stupid. And it’s stupid again! I’m just stupid! So... just...

“STUPID!” she found herself yelling aloud in anger as thoughts became too powerful to remain in her head. Drawing the wrench back, she screamed in frustration and brought it down on one of the rusted plates with a loud clank.

“Why. Am. I. So Stupid!” she yelled, tears streaming, uncontrolled, down her face as the wrench uselessly impacted the rusted plating again and again.

Eventually, she ran out of energy to continue with her childish outburst. She cursed herself even for that. She couldn’t lie to herself. She felt emotions. She just wished she didn’t. Sometimes, they weren’t there, and she could be numb, but sometimes wasn’t enough. She was so tired of being overwhelmed so often by feelings she couldn’t comprehend, that made her want things that she had no idea how to achieve. Of course she wanted to talk to this woman, but then what? What would she do? The questions had no answer, and it made her want to scream again.

Instead, she sat on her blanket in the cold, Hingan night, in the middle of a ghost-village only recently inhabited again by her and Kel, and cried. The rusted Reaper sat before her, almost mocking in its solidity and complexity. She was in no proper state of mind to handle the thing. 

It always happened. When she was sad, she’d cry. When she was angry, happy, scared, surprised, or even when she didn’t know how she felt, she’d cry. It always came, and it was always there. The tide of tears just waiting to be unleashed. The smallest emotion always overwhelmed and frustrated her. Every time she thought about it, it’d only get worse, because it would further serve to frustrate her with herself, overwhelming her even further. She sat for nearly an hour and just cried like that, the sobbing coming in waves as the thoughts and feeling assaulted her. She hated it. She hated feeling. It was terrible, and it hurt.

Eventually, however, she calmed herself, using a handkerchief to wipe her face. It was nearly four in the morning, and she was getting tired. She didn’t know how she knew the time, but it was there, in her head.The late hours and her exhaustion from running all over creation, popping from aetheryte to aetheryte in Eorzea, jogging the rest of the time, and then coming back to Hingashi, made everything feel that much worse.

She began packing up, when she noticed something just behind her: a small, origami frog, just at the edge of her work blanket, peering featurelessly up at her, as if a reminder. No matter how worthless or stupid she felt she was, she did have people who cared. The only person who could have left it was Kel, who didn’t quite handle her outbursts well, but always seemed to want to try to help regardless. She recalled her words earlier and started to cry again, though it was short-lived and on a slightly more positive influx of emotions.

She decided, then, that it was time to sleep. She would only get worse at that rate. Gathering her things, she scooped up the little paper frog, as well. With a pen she’d been using to mark bits of a schematic, she drew a small heart on its head. Its destination was the small table next to the cot she’d secured for a temporary bed. Her thoughts wandered through most of the night, however, perplexed and frustrated at herself and her uncontrollable, incomprehensible emotions.

She had people who cared about her, and she knew it, so why did she feel like such an idiot?

[tako-kola]

Plot: Canyon Conquest - Prologue Part 2

((This story takes place during the Squid Sister Stories. Which is 9 months, after the Final Splatfest. Fynn was feeling melancholy since the new year had started. Just what made him down in the dumps?))

Fynn and Dawn belongs to me

Eimie and Eika (mentioned) @eiden-squid | @marchant-girls

Lee (mentioned) belongs to @inklingleesquidly

After breakfast, Fynn and Dawn decided to go shopping at Arowana Mall while Eimie is visiting Eika at her place. It's kinda odd to see them, hang out after what Eika wrote on her deleted fanfiction. He shrugged the thought away and proceed to stroll down the hallway of different stores.

"And then, I splatted this nerd who he thinks he can get me with his 96. Gal. It's not even bedazzled, but still.." Dawn must be referring to his close friend and rival, Lee. She must've encountered him during a turf war. "We won the match until Hanzo was flirting with one of his teammates." She chuckled. "Let's just say that he's walking home with a swolen eye."

Fynn shook his head in response. "Oh boy.. He just never gives up after that. I hope, Hanzo's alright."

They've been chatting about life for the past several minutes. Angie's apply for beauty school, next year. Maye's enrolling at Inkblot Art Academy for 4 years and Dewey's moving to Swordfish University for the fall semester. He knows that Team Pinkogito are separating. He still has a dream to follow. He's planning on making his own photography business. Once he quits his dishwasher job at Aqua's diner.

Dawn looked up at Fynn and said: "I'll be right back. I need to go to restroom." She regretted finishing up a large cup of green tea at the food court. And with that, his sister hurried over to the ladies room while is waiting by the bench.

He sat there for a while until he heard a few chanting, coming from the tv monitor. On the tv screen was 8 inklings on each side, covering turf to claim control. He's forgotten that today's match happens to be Arowana Mall. Fynn stood up and watched the battle. It brings back good memories when he first registered as a turf battler.

Suddenly, he noticed the player on the ally's side of the map. The inkling male was equipped with the hero suit and hero roller replica. That's when Fynn's heart went cold...

Fynn's dark memories are coming back to him.. It happened when a friend of his who works for the Octarians, shot him in the abdomen area and left him for dead. Luckily, Fynn survived by an ink-proof vest that the military developed. After it was over, Fynn silently escaped to home where he treat his slight bruise. Fynn's days as an agent are over.. He felt betrayed and fooled and he couldn't bare the thought of failing.

He clenched onto his stomach and shivered. He would look away, but he couldn't. He felt so weak, unable to protect the ones he loved. Before he had a chance to look away, Fynn felt a hand on his right shoulder. He turned his head to see who did it.

"Hey, man. You feelin' alright?" A teal-tentacled girl who is a bit taller than Fynn spoke. She must've saw him from afar and she couldn't just ignore the pink squid. In her appearance, she has dark stripes on her tentacles and her right eye is patched up, followed by a scar over her eye.

Fynn stared at her for short period of time until he smiled, slightly. "I'm alright.. Thanks for asking, ma'am." He stopped clenching his gut. He's still not feeling like himself.

The mysterious inkling's not use to formalities but she'll give him props for it. "Judging by how you talk, you're not alright." She saw through his lie. "Th'name's Tundra." Tundra introduced to herself. "What's your name, Gloomy?" She said, removing her hand off of Fynn's shoulder

"Fynn.." He introduced, as well. He's not that gloomy, just a little melancholy after another nightmare and his own concious in the mirror.

"Whatever your damage is, Fynn.. Somthin's bringing you down. I'm not that good with therapy, but when there's a stranger who is feeling down, I'd ask what's wrong. Otherwise, it's none of my concern." Tundra shrugged.

"If you wanna know, then it wouldn't hurt to tell you." And so, Fynn explained the whole situation about his past. He quits his role as a Squidbeak Splatoon Agent. He doesn't want to get himself killed more than once. That's why he got a new job as a dishwasher at a family-oriented diner. He was happy with himself.. For a short while..

"If I don't cope with this problem, I won't be able to compete the 2nd annual Splat Tournament. I'm afraid to let my teammates down. No.. Afraid to let everyone down.." There was a hint of bitterness in his eyes.

"Yikes.. That's pretty harsh, dude.." She felt sorry for Fynn. She's just like him, years ago. She had an accident with her eye, but she kept pushing through in battling. Since Fynn mentioned the tournament, she has no choice but to escort him to Octo Valley to train him up there. "Hmm... this could work.." Tundra stroked her chin. "Fynn, look at me. Do you want to become even more strong?" She asked.

Fynn stared into Tundra's eye. He hasn't been practicing with his team in a while. If he shows his face to his team, they'll think he's lost his way. Not to mention, Dewey sassing him. "Yes... I need to leave my past, behind. Most of all, I need to change my fate.." He needs to come back, a better inkling. He needs to prepare himself for next month for Inkopolis Square.

"Then, I'll train you for the tournement. But remember this.. You won't be able to survive this one. It's more intense than your usual training. Are you sure, you can do this?" This time, it's personal.

Fynn shook his head, enthusiastically. "It doesn't matter! I'll do it, no matter how hard the training will be!"

Tundra grinned. "I'm startin' to like you, bud. Meet me by the entrance to Octo Valley tonight and bring your weapon of choice and gear. Remember, no one knows you're here.." Sometimes it's hard to say goodbyes to friends and family but Fynn will soon come back, revitalized and skilled than ever. "I must be off.. I got some shopping to do." Tundra waved at him as she dashed off into the crowd of people.

After a few seconds, Dawn came back from the bathroom. She was feeling relieved after drinking a large cup at the food court. "Sorry to keep you waiting, big bro. Shall we walk around some more or that's it?" She dusts herself off, approaching to him. The match that Fynn was watching ending when Tundra came in.

"I guess, we'll look around some more. I heard, there's gonna be some new and fresh clothing here. Let's check it out." Fynn was back to his usual self. His sister can't know about Fynn's bitterness and about his new training with Tundra.

"Oh yeah, those brands! Scorpia wanted to get her hands on that new mask from Annaki! I'll surprise her, once her birthday comes!" Dawn grabbed her brother's hand and escorted his to a nearby clothing store.

"Dawn, slow down! It's not going anywhere!" He protested, but his sister wasn't listening. Fynn sighed, deeply and let her tug his arm to the store.

Meanwhile, Tundra was standing in a deserted parking lot. She closed her eyes and change back to her Octoling form. "Ah.. Much better." She sighed. "Now to contact Mr. Sparks.." She dialed the number to Ray Sparks, Fynn's dad. She was sent by him to look after his son during his experiences as an agent. Tundra is a spy, working for the Squidbeak Splatoon. She's still a wanted fugitive in Octo Valley. Once Tundra heard that Ray was unable to answer, she left a message after the beep. BEEEEP~♪

"Hey, cheif. If you're listening, I'm taking your son under my wing in my home land. Hope you don't mind, if he's away for a while. I'm going to train him like an elite octoling soldier. That's all for now." And with that, Tundra hung up the call. She just hoped this is the right thing to train him in Octo Valley. With the other Octarians tracking her down in the domes, she needs to find a secret place to lay low and keep Fynn safe.

To be continued...

[agent-7-at-your-service]

Future Plot: Project Titanomachy - Epilogue - Part 1

(( Camille belongs to @inklingleesquidly

Nebula belongs to @myzzy and @agenttwo

Agent 7, Telemachus, and Chaodis belong to me

Those not mentioned or used belong to @alpinesquid @son-of-joy @twelvetailedkitsune @a-demo-of-a-hero @askvincent / @asktheseastars @evora-flux @alphadeathsquad @splat-tendency @eiden-squid @petit-blu-inkling and others))

Hermes was guiding Camille, Nebula, Agent 7, and Telemachus into deeper chambers below the chambers that Hephaestus. The chambers lead to a boat on a river called Styx which Hermes offered to row, escorting them more deeper into the earth to the point where it leads to another world. Charon the ferryman was supposed to be there to help them cross, but something has happened to him. Cerberus was there, but Hermes managed to distract the canine with offerings.

Hermes gave some speculation about Eris:

“I see Heracles’s warning back in Mount Othrys, I think I understand now. Eris must’ve been using Achilles's bloodline to manipulate and pull a string of events that lead to the Titanomachy. She took this time to actually manipulate a descendant to Achilles to help her steal gold and silver from the Underworld. That much gold is enough to both control Greece and rebuild Mount Olympus... Therefore..... She was going to rebuild Mount Olympus under her rule.”

They soon arrived at the Underworld where the undead were living in six sectors: a field for the ordinary, a bathing grounds for those that want to forget, a bathing grounds for those that want to remember, a torture infested fields for those that should be punished, and a collection of orchards for those that deserve praise. There is a seventh sector where it houses the gods of the Underworlds including Hades, the Fates, and others; But since Hades is dead and Hecate, Charon, and the Fates were the only one living there, Hecate had to do all the work. That seventh sector was in ruins.

Hermes leaves Camille’s party as he’s got things to do on the surface. They arrived in their Olympian forms. Camille had her mother’s gift around her neck: the racer’s scarf.

Underworld - 8:00 PM

Telemachus, as a Champion of Hades, has access through all the sectors thanks to the Key to the Underworld. With this, Camille’s Party manages to get to the seventh sector to find the whole area in near ruins. The elderly octolings were Fates and they were alright, but the aging dark blue inkling that’s Magic Goddess Hecate was half wounded.

“What happened here?” Nebula asked.

“They did it-- Eris and her son-- has stolen all the riches in the Underworld.” The Morai explained.

“I never knew Eris was alive...” Hecate had undead clerics come and heal her wounds. “And his son bribed Charon..... that fool.”

“Where are they now?” Telemachus asked.

“They heading to the ports at Styx,” Hecate answered, “They’re leaving with the gold and silver.”

“Then we better hurry.” Agent 7 turned around and took out his blazing ink sword Surtr and the crossbow. “.....I wonder what Eris wants to do with all the gold and silver that Hades’s had in the Underworld.”

“Beats me, it seems stupid for Eris to just distract everyone with the Titans and Typhon while she’s here with Chaodis, stealing gold and silver.” Camille then grumbles after mentioning Chaodis. “Let’s get this over with.”

At the piers near Styx, Camille, Nebula, Agent 7, and Telemachus were running at full speed with Camille in front. They were going after a trireme ship that was departing to who-knows-where.

“Is that the ship?” Agent 7 asked.

“I don’t think Hades would allow any ship to leave, so no!” Telemachus picks up speed so that he’s beside Camille as they run.

“Then that’s the ship--!” Camille is cut off, stopped by a ball of black fire thrown from the ship. Camille’s party all got out of the way. “..... Oh, those two are so gonna get it!”

The trireme ship then fires silver stars and it attracted a few undead adversaries that stood in the way, armed with swords, spears, and shields.

Camille had no time to fight them, so she tried out a power from Zeus’s thunderbolt that’s within Athena’s blade. She turns into a strand of lightning and passes through the undead battalion. When she was on the other side, she quickly turned realizing she left Nebula, Agent 7 and Telemachus behind to fighting.

“Nebby! Uncle Sev! Telemachus!” Camille didn’t want to leave them behind.

“Just go after the ship! We’ll deal with them!” Nebula knew that if Camille stayed to fight, the ship would escape.

“But Nebby...” Camille didn’t want to see her cousin in danger.

“There’s no time, Camille, the ship is getting away!” Telemachus agree with Nebula.

“Camille, just keep going!” Agent 7 also agreed.

Camille stepped back slowly and look at the ship that was getting away. She then looked back at the fight going on. She finally nods.

“Alright.... just don’t die!” Camille then runs off.

The ship was opening it sails and Camille can see Chaodis and Eris with tons of gold and silver piled on the decks. An elderly man in a black cloak and two weaponized oars was under a pile, unconscious. Camille picked up speed and noticed the waters ahead of her. She closed her eyes as she kept running, and then she heard the Princess’s voice.

“Champion of Zeus and Athena, I grant you my spirit. Once I bestow my spirit into you, you will be so fast that you can run a crop field without breaking the top of the plants, and over the ocean without wetting your feet. And you will have a heart of an Amazon: fierce, courageous, prideful, and equal of men.” Camilla giggled. “But I believe you have most of those traits.”

Camille smiled and kept running, and once she jumps off the docks and continued running, her feet only meet the surface of the water. It was as if the water’s surface has frozen solid for her to walk on, but it didn’t. Camille continues speeding her way to the ship that’s escaping. Once she was close enough she turns into a squid and super jumps her way to the ship.

Ship of the Myrmidons - River of Styx, Path Between the Underworld and surface - 9:10 PM

Chaodis, the white inkling with red and silver speckles and yellow cockeyed eye, was at the hull of the ship, holding Eris’s Golden Apple of Chaos close while flipping a coin. He stood up walked close to the massive pile of gold and silver that his mother and he have stolen from the Underworld.

In Chaodis’s Olympian form he's still wearing a black-ashy tunic adorned in tarnished silver that makes up his tiara, a lead hair clip, lead earrings, and leather belt. His hair still formed into a ponytail that's over his left shoulder. His sandals were still tarnished silver with two gray feathers of a raven; the rivets were still lead and the leather was still from a black bull. His wings were still the wings of a crow and his hands were still violet dragon-like claws with a feeling that’s still cold to the touch. His innocent smile wasn’t the same as it was after what Camille has said to him.

Someone walks over and stood beside him. It was Eris Discordia, Goddess of Chaos, Strife, and Discord. She the still the inkling woman with octopi black ink, wearing a black linen dress adorned in black feathers and tarnished gold. Her still were still as dark as the ashes of war; her eyes were still as somber as the new moon; her lips are still a decaying violet.

Eris pats her “son” and laughs. “See how much we can spend to rebuild your ancestor’s kingdom?”

“Yes..... I just wish Achilles and Neoptolemus can see me now...” Chaodis soon took out the Omphalos Stone. “And once I rebuild it, I’ll honor you, mother.”

Eris looked at him. “That’s my boy.”

In seconds Camille arrived on the boat in one lightning bolt. She gets up and points Athena’s spear at Eris and Chaodis.

“Chaodis! Eris!” Camille glared at them. “I’m here to kick your asses!”

Chaodis and Eris turned to face her, alarmed. They did not expect her to come in to fight them.

“Now, now, Champion of Zeus and Athena,” Eris reasoned innocently, “ This gold and silver are for the good of my son’s kingdom.”

“This gold and silver are for your bullshit goals from what Hermes told me!” Camille argued. “Eris you crow-feathered squid hag!!!”

“Now why would you trust a trickster like him, pathetic girl?” Eris slightly lost her temper when Camille called her that.

“Because I he saved me from exile when Chaodis betrayed me, and Hermes knew he was up to no good!” Camille points at Chaodis accusingly.

“And I told you I’m doing good deeds with this gold and silver.” Eris is gritting her teeth a bit.

“Cut the bull, Eris! Admit that you're just pulling strings to make yourself ruler!” Camille steps closer, and Eris slaps her across the face, making Camille fall to the ground.

“Ruler? Ruler!?! The only ruler I see is this gullible boy here!” Eris pointed at Chaodis.

Chaodis looked shocked to hear his mother say that. “You... you were using me?”

Eris looks down at Camille. “Hmph.” She points to two preserved corpses on the ship. “Children do you know who those are?”

The two preserved corpse were lying on the ground, holding hands. It was the same place they were buried. One corpse is an Aegean blue inkling in Greek armor; the other corpse is an Amazon inkling with beige ink hair and tan skin.

Chaodis and Camille knew who those two were as they took one look. Chaodis didn’t know those corpses were there.

“That’s right, it’s Achilles and Princess Camilla. This ship was the one they were placed on during their burial.” Eris walks around Camille. “The way those lovers fought each other..... how tragic that Achilles was in love with an enemy. If they were to keep fighting......... I’m willing to sacrifice myself to make that happen.”

Camille looked at Chaodis who was backing away, shaking his head. Camille then glared at Eris.

“I won’t let you do that!” Camille thrusts Athena’s spear at Eris, but Eris jumps back and took out her Apple of Chaos.

Chaodis quickly checked his inventory and found the apple no longer to be in his possession.

“Maybe I should do such things.” Eris giggles. “This should be fun.” She bit the apple and she turns into several feathers carried by the wind. The feathers were sent flying towards Chaodis; Eris is passing her powers and being into him. “Now, my Champion... KILL!”

Chaodis was struggling to get Eris out of his body and his mind. “No! I will not be used!”

“Don’t resist, child,” Eris commanded, “KILL!!”

“I..... won’t.....!” Chaodis gets on his knees with his hands on his head.

Camille backed away, pointing Athena’s spear.

“For the last time child...” Eris forced him. “KILL!!!”

Chaodis makes louds painful squid noise and he collapses to the ground. There was black fire engulfing him now; Eris has finally possessed him. He carefully gets back up on his feet, and he gazed into Camille’s eyes.

“Eris wills it...” Chaodis quickly plucks a black feather from his wings and creates a razor feather-shaped sword. In his other hand was Eris’s Golden Apple of Discord. “I must kill you!”

To be continued...

[agent-7-at-your-service]

Future Plot: Project Titanomachy - Chapter 14

(( Camille, Pac-man, Depiction of Callie, and Lee belong to @inklingleesquidly

Nebula belongs to @myzzy and @agenttwo

Blueshift belongs to @myzzy

Depiction of Agent 2 / Marie belongs to @agenttwo

Sapphire (mentioned) and Emerald belongs to @son-of-joy and @twelvetailedkitsune

Celeste and Willow belong to @alpinesquid

Arsenic belongs to @a-demo-of-a-hero

Nova Sparks (mentioned) belongs to @inkstriker-fynn and @eiden-squid

Chaodis, Telemachus, Justinian, Hera of the Motherly Moon, Sea Angel Splatoon, Agent M, Agent C, and a few others belong to me ))

Spring came to Inkopolis and so did spring break, and Nebula and others planned to visit Kepler again at night. And it seems a certain reverse jewel squid from Alexandria district has told my parents something about another date he wants to invite me on.

Kitchen/Dining Room, Squidly Residence - Shee-Booyah - 7:30 AM

Camille was sitting in the kitchen, enjoying a bowl of cereal, five slices of tangerine, a cup of orange juice, and two strips of bacon.

Pac-man was enjoying a baby cup of chocolate milk and a plate of two waffles. Callie was next to Camille's baby-brother, feeding him small slices. Even though he doesn't have his teeth, Pac-man is nibbling on each of the slices before swallowing it.

"So I hear that Chaodis is inviting you to another date." Callie sounded proud.

"Well, I thought it was going be just once in a lifetime," Camille replied.

"Well, he left an invitation for you." Callie points to a letter on the kitchen counter. She then mentioned something. "You know, before you and Pac-man were born, and your father and I were just friends, we hung out occasionally... close to a date, but we were just friends back then."

"Yummy!" Pac-man was asking for another tiny slice of waffle.

"Alright, Pac-man, dear." Camille cuts another slice and plays around. "Here comes the train~ Chew-chew!"

Pac-man giggled.

Camille rolls her eyes and looked at the letter. She decided to take a look at it. She began reading it while she ate her breakfast:

Dear Camille Squidly,

That date about a week ago was great and I hope you enjoyed it. And of course, there was the fight and you came back home late, but I was glad to take the blame even if it was a bit of a lie. I can make it up to you with another date on Kepler if that's okay.

It's just our way of taking a break from the Olympian adventure and prophecy thing. Instead, we can talk about other things and do something else -- you know, like race car driving and stuff. Speaking of that, I really want to train with you once this is all over. I'm just like you when I took possession of that Golden Apple. And I know this might be cliche and lame, but I will always put my life on the line for you. I rather see you return home to continue your dreams. I know you might dismiss it and just move on, but I hope you will remember me and how much I loved you.

Sorry, I'm getting off topic.  If you don't want our date on Kepler, we can hang out somewhere else. Just give me the call.

Sincerely, Chaodis 

Camille notices a postscript of a phone number at the end. It's most likely Chaodis's.

Camille quickly closes up the letter after finishing it. She finishes up her breakfast, washes dishes and gets ready for the day. She puts on her usual white shirt with sports jacket and jeans, and sneakers. She tells her parents that she'll be back soon; she wanted to meet Chaodis again.

She takes out her cell phone and texts Chaodis.

"Hey, Chaodis, I think you might want to move the date," Camille began.

"Are you sure?" Chaodis replied.

"I don't want our date to be around the time our friends are going to Kepler. I rather keep it separate." Camille decided to go for a jog. "Would a morning date at the piers sound nice?"

"That would be great," Chaodis texted back.

Camille sighed, puts on headphones and played music on her phone. She began jogging her way to the piers.

((Insert jogging music: https://youtu.be/HyHNuVaZJ-k ))

Before she jogs, Callie and Lee come out to wave goodbye. Again, they ask Camille to stay safe. She waves back and assured them she'll be fine, and she goes off on her jogging routine.

I jog from Shee-booyah to the plaza on the weekend since my mom usually tells me I don't exercise much. I actually enjoy this weekend routine my mom made for me; Everyone doesn't call me the Fastest Squid Alive just for race-car driving.

Piers, Inkopolis - 9:30 AM

Camille arrived at the piers early and took a deep breath. She felt the sea breeze touch her face, she let the gentle tradewinds play with her hair. With her hands on the rails and her body leaning forward a bit, she took this time to relax.

((Jogging music ends here))

She closed her eyes at the moment and daydreams. She wanted to dream about her race-car career, but instead, it was just scenes of her and Athena hanging out together around Greece as the Trojan war draws near.

One of those scenes was a chariot race.

She can see herself with an Aegean blue inkling named Achilles, and they were with Athena, preparing to race with other Greek figures including those from Troy. The wise goddess was feeding the horses carrots while Achilles was teaching Camille about chariot racing which included a turf-war based battle. The goal was to take out all racers with their ink weapon; However, the only weapons were clay pots to represent the ink-sloshers and sacks of paint to represent splat bombs. The ammunition was limited to prevent the weight from slowing the chariots.

During the race, Camille was in charge of driving while Achilles did the combat. Emerald was for some reason there, personifying Paris of Troy again, and she was the only opposition left during the last three laps. Camille left Achilles to man the chariot, and she improvised by grabbing a spear, a cloth from Achilles’ inventory, and a pot of ink. As a result, she makes a custom-made inkbrush with limited ink ammunition.

She used it to splat Emerald during the chariot race and bring sports victory to Athens.The dream ends with Athena, Emerald, and Apollo congratulating them.

Camille smiled. Someone covers Camille's eyes, snapping her out of the daydreaming trance.

"Did get much sleep last night, Princess?" Chaodis teased.

Chaodis was wearing a white shirt, black jeans, red converse, and a greaser jacket.

Camille smirked. "Nah, I was just daydreaming. Besides, I came here early."

"I see." Chaodis leans back and looks at the view of the sea. "Why did you pick this spot at our date?"

"Sometimes I go here to clear my mind," Camille continued leaning in front of the rails. "It's sort of a rest stop."

"I see..." Chaodis sighs. "Do you think about your future here?"

"Not really, but with you in my life..." Camille hesitated. "...With you in my life, it's making me think more. It really bothers me."

"It's just life's way of telling you that path will not be the same." Chaodis was getting a bit deep. "You think you can control it, but you aren't." He then smiled at her. "But you know the only way to control it is to work through it."

Camille laughed a bit. "I'm not the only one doing that."

"Dang straight, Princess." Chaodis gets up. "Mind if I take you to a cafe?" He leads Camille a hand. "I can treat you to brunch."

"I'm not hungry, but whatever." Camille takes Chaodis's hand.

I don't know how to bike, but now I know someone that's glad to take me for a ride on his motorbike.

Inkopolis Cafe, Plaza, Inkopolis - 10:50 AM

Chaodis treated her to some common meals made respectively for both breakfast and lunch. It was something Camille deserves for all the work she's doing fighting the Titans. Since she wasn't hungry, she ordered a bottle of soda and grilled cheese. Chaodis got himself a blueberry pancake with butter and syrup along with fries and a fruit smoothie.

They chatted for a bit about friends and family until getting to the topic of their love life. Camille heart sunk a bit when Sapphire's mentioned, but she stayed strong.

"You aren't the only racer I thought I would call 'my special'," Camille started, "Do you know Nova Sparks?"

"I think I raced him before," Chaodis answered.

"Well, you should know that I was almost going to ask him out." Camille then shook her head. "But my love was for the racing. I thought I had no time for love."

"As for Sapphire-- Oh, wait...sorry." Chaodis felt guilty to bringing her up on their last date.

"No, it's alright." Camille took a sip of her cola. "She was a really cute squid to meet from the Inktrans. I never felt so connected to her the first time we hung out."

"So she was your first?" Chaodis asked.

Camille, for the first time, flustered and giggled. "Well... you can say that. We did get even closer during the winter. We got a bit fluffy under the mason jar lanterns and then got cozy by the fire."

"...You two didn't... you know, did you?" Chaodis didn't mean to ask.

It took a while for Camille to realize what he's asking. She blushes deeply and her tone in voice changed.

"No!" Camille quickly responded. "No! No! No! We're too young to do that! Are you crazy???"

"I'm sorry, I was just curious because of the way you recall your winter romance with Sapphire." Chaodis looked concerned.

"Well, Sapphy and I didn't do what you think we did." Camille looked disappointed. "Get your mind out of the gutter. I hit Anteros in the face with Aegis so hard, I became Cupid." She was now joking around even though it's sort of true.

Chaodis chuckled. "Seriously?"

"Well he stood right next to me, trying to make the rest of my night a musical number, and I joined in at the last minute to tell him to leave us alone." Camille sounded proud.

"You did that by hitting him right in the face?" Chaodis was smiling again.

"What else should I do?" Camille smirked.

The large little owl, Nyctimene, hits the window and falls. Camille and Chaodis were startled and went outside the cafe after paying for their brunch.

"Nicky, what's is wrong with you?" Camille kneeled down to pet the owl.

"Who..." Nyctimene got up and looked dizzy.

Camille somehow understood what the owl's saying. "Cassandra? What about her?

Nyctimene turns her around and stops looking dizzy. "Who."

"She wants to speak with us?" Camille felt like the date is ending immediately. She's not sure if she should be relieved or annoyed.

Nyctimene turns around and once again offers a ride to Alexandria District. Once there, the large little owl sits down and rests while Camille and Chaodis head straight to the Olympus Meeting Room to meet with the Callie clone from Leviathan. Cassandra was sitting in a formal manner with two Atlantean Droids by her side with tridents.

Cassandra gestured the love-couple to sit down, and the two inklings did so. Camille can still see her mother's face on the clone.

"What is it now?" Camille asked.

"I'm here with a warning," Cassandra answered, "Kepler will fall to the Titans."

"That doesn't sound good...." Camille wants to take this chance to avenge Sapphire; that's all she wants right now.

"And I can tell that you and the Olympians will want to be there to stop the advances." Cassandra sighs. "You will not win. Erikka's people will have to retreat and you must protect the evacuation..... but there will be a cost to the success."

"A cost?" Camille knew that doesn't sound good.

"You will lose another champion, and it will be of the sun instead of the moon." Cassandra leaves her seat. "I wish my sister, Calypso, can help you, but she has been trouble lately with Seven being with another woman now."

Camille knew who it will be and stared at Cassandra. "Cassandra... what are you... No! I can't believe that!"

"Sadly, it's inevitable no matter how much you want to prevent it. But no one is stopping you." Cassandra soon leaves with her droids following.

Once she left, Chaodis was staring at Camille with concerned.

"You think Rhea will be there?" Chaodis asked.

"Yes... but if it's a different titan, I'll still kill it." Camille was looking at her hands, she's picturing the time she held the lifeless Sapphire in her hands. "We'll go with our friends to Kepler, tell them about Cassandra's warning, and face the Titans."

"....." Chaodis offered a handshake. "Here's looking at you, squid. Let's try to save Kepler..... Don't you need to wear--?"

"Yeah, I have to wear the centinel suit they made me." Camille gave a smirk and rolled her eyes.

The more I go out, the more my parents worry about me. Still, I can't let this chance slip away, so I notified my parents that I'm going out with my friends somewhere in Calamari County. Again, I was lying.

Dance Festival, Ogetsu Square, Kepler-542B - Time Unspecified (Sunset)

The massive marketplace on Kepler was where a special dance festival was being held. Justinian, Hera, and Sea Angel Splatoon were there with Neo Squid-Beak Splatoon, Arsenic, Emerald, Willow, and Chaodis. Agent M and Agent C accompanied them along with Blueshift and Agent 2 by the request of both the Argus Initiative and the Inkopolis Government respectively.

Camille, Nebula, Celeste, Willow, Justinian, Hera, Telemachus, Emerald, and Arsenic had Hephaestus come to the planet in disguise. He arrived as a hunchback elderly man with a donkey. Their reaction was mostly laughter, but Agents Blueshift, 2, M, and C have their eyebrows raised.

"Oh, ha-ha-ha, kids, laugh at an old man." The disguised Hephaestus grabs a bag that the donkey is carrying on it's back. "I didn't see the point of giving the treasures to me and coming all the way here."

"Me neither," Telemachus agreed.

Once everyone got their Olympian treasures, Hephaestus and his donkey continue moving along and disappear into the forests.

The paleozoic civilians on Kepler welcomed the visitors with everything a festival has: Food activities, music, and dances. The sounds of taiko drums, the Kane bell, the Shinobu flute, and the shamisen lute played through the streets along with dancers and entertainers. The people wore kimonos and dance costumes fitting for their festival.

Justinian began taking Nebula out for a date. Blueshift and Agent 2 did the same, holding hands and remembering the good old days. Celeste and Willow did the same, trying out the games. Marcus and Theodora of Sea Angel Splatoon went off to check out the herbs, medicine, and spices being sold. Arsenic went off alone to see the forge and workshops to try out the activities there.

Camille, Chaodis, Emerald, Telemachus, Hera of the Motherly Moon,  Agent M, and Agent C were the only ones now in the festival.

"So.... what now?" Camille doesn't know anything about the festival.

"Maybe I can show you guys around," Hera offered, "I know a lot about the Tsukuyomi Celebration." She bows slightly.

Camille looked at the ammonite and just couldn't take her seriously with the shell on her head. Chaodis, though, didn't mind Hera's appearance and gesture her to show them around.

Emerald looked at Agent M and Agent C. "Aren't you guys coming?"

"Cecil and I will just hang out at a sake den," Agent M replied, "We'll keep an eye out for Titan activity."

"Alright." Emerald follows Camille, Chaodis and Emerald.

Hera showed them around the festival, explaining to them how their religion is the same as a human religion called Shinto. The stands in the festival offered the same thing back on Earth, but the cuisines and snacks were alien-like. The rest was just like the traditional festival from Earth with the dance, the music, and the fireworks.

Camille, Chaodis, and Emerald tried the traditional dance that's being performed with Nebula and Justinian. Hera was teaching them how to dance to the rhythm.

Hera ended this little tour at a dock. It was night.

"That's all I can show, sorry." Hera bowed slightly with a frown.

"Oh it's alright, Hera." Emerald pats her shoulder. "At least it's nice of you to show us around your mother's home ."

"And your mother is awesome for treating us to this." Camille was eating a Mochi rice cake in the shape of a squid. It had a sweet green tea ice cream filling.

"Shouldn't we be keeping watch for titans, Alpha?" Hera asked.

"Oh, yeah, that's right." Camille prepares her bronze spear.

"Should've we also brought our ink weapons," Hera added.

"Well these can shoot ink too, you know... just in different ways," Camille respond.

"Didn't Agent M and Agent C mention something about using the Olympian artifacts only when you need to?" Telemachus pointed out.

Soon there was a roar coming from another part of the coast; a blue light can quickly be seen locating the source. Telemachus brought his magi-tech shield and gave a command.

"Xenia, Heimdallr." Telemachus's computer entity pops out of the shield and forms into blue binoculars. He takes a closer look. ".....It's Nebula and Justinian." He then looks slightly to the left. "Nebula's parents are following after them."

"Please don't tell me she's using the chariot again." Camille was alarmed now.

"She is," Telemachus confirmed while having Xenia hide in his shield again. He then takes out Hades's Helmet. "That means she's already in her Olympian form."

Hera takes out her her Hebe's Grail and the Olympic Goddess's Sceptre. "Then we better hurry and see what it is."

And we had to hurry.

"Titan?" Camille was pumped up for a fight.

"Titan," Emerald answered.