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pansexualseaanimals · 5 years ago

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6. Oh! You Pretty Things

(( Sorry it took so long! I'd say it won't happen again but I can't make any promises. I love you all! Mwah! ))

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Look Alive, Sunshine

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6. Oh! You Pretty Things

"Gloves? Check. Bags? Check."

"Music? CHECK!" Penny pressed a spot on her phone and unleashed a blaring song from the speakers.

"Squid Squad, yay!" Pyxis cheered, causing Penny to squeeze them with a hug.

"You've listened to more of them! I'm so happy!"

"Yeah, they're totally up my alley. They're like Tomorrow's Warning but cleaner. Sorry, Ankyr."

"No, it's true," the male Inkling smiled at them, leaning on the rake he brought. "I'm a fan of that messy, raw, garage sound, myself. But I'll listen to anything that makes me wanna jump around and dance."

"Same!" the Octoling shouted, doing a goofy dance to the Metal music blaring from Penny's phone, which was soon blaring from the tiny speaker she plugged to it. They eventually stopped and straightened up their stance. "Sorry," they cleared their throat.

"No, no, I liked it," Ankyr chuckled. "So, did everything go over okay yesterday?"

"Yeah, pretty well," Pyxis shrugged.

"Really?" the male Inkling gave them a look, worried about their sudden change in tone.

"Yeah, it was fine. One of my friends kept asking a lot of questions I wasn't sure how to answer, but she does that all the time anyway."

"Oh, like Cricket," Penny laughed.

"Somebody say my name?" Caurel approached the group, wiping her glasses off on her shirt. "I sneezed."

"Welcome to the party, dear," Penny said, hugging her best friend and getting sand and garbage residue on her already-sweaty baseball shirt.

"Yo, what did I miss?"

"Not much, just talking about someone who asks as many annoying questions as you."

"Hey!"

"Not those kinds of questions," Pyxis shook their head, tapping the rake against the ground to free it of a clinging clump of plastic. "When Caurel asks you questions, you can tell she really cares. Well... I suppose Shera cares, too."

"She care-a's because she's Shera?" Moises asked with a wink, setting most of the group into laughter.

"That was dumb," Caasi said.

"It was SO dumb," Ecto said. "But that's what's so great about it."

"So, when's the next Splatfest going to be announced?" Pyxis asked, trying to take the subject away from themself. "They're once a month, right?"

"Yep," Rocky nodded, tying up his first full bag of garbage. "The next one should be announced a week or two from now, most likely."

"Sweet! Can't wait to wipe more floors."

"Hey now," Penny laughed. "Don't get overconfident just because your team won this time."

"Bitter Queso player," Caurel half-whispered, giving Penny a wink.

"Oh yeah," Rocky said, "I don't know if we told you, but you can't wear that shirt in battle ever again."

"WHAT? But... It's my favorite shirt!" Pyxis tugged at the red tee as if clinging to a departing friend.

"That's the rules, sorry," he shook his head.

"You'll get another one next Splatfest," Caurel explained. "It'll be for whatever team you pick next time."

"So, I can still collect them and wear them outside of battle."

"Of course! I keep mine all neatly folded in a special drawer just for Splatfest gear. Rocky's are... heaped up in his closet somewhere, I guess."

"You don't know my life!"

"I put them in shoeboxes under my bed," Ecto said.

"I pin mine to my bedroom wall," Penny said.

"Ooh, maybe I'll start a Splatfest shrine," Pyxis cheered.

"That's the spirit!"

Bit by bit, more and more people showed up with bags and gloves of their own, cleaning up other patches of the bay.

"Wow, people noticed," Rocky said. 'I think we're trendsetters!

"I think people do this all the time," Caasi said. "It would be way worse if they didn't."

"Can't you let me have anything?"

"Hey, guys," Ankyr's mother greeted as she arrived.

"Mom!" most of the group cheered.

"Care to join us, Umi?" Pyxis asked as they accepted a hug from the older woman.

"That's the plan! Ankyr told me about Rocky's idea. Got extra gloves?"

"You know it," Ecto said, showing her huge bag of gloves. "Safety first!"

"I'm so proud of my young adults, making a difference in the world," she said, giving out a round of hugs to the flock. "It makes me feel more assured I did a good job as a parent."

"You raised us well, Mom," Penny said, planting a kiss on the adult Inkling's cheek. "Along with all the rest of our parents."

"Including the professor," Caasi said, nudging her girlfriend in the side.

"Well, now you've made it weird."

"Who's the professor?" Pyxis asked.

"Penny's dad," Caasi said. "Who she needs to call more often."

"The dad that isn't Mr. Waters," Penny said. "The professor adopted me, but-"

"But she practically lived at our house until she got her apartment," Caurel cut in.

"She still lives there sometimes," Rocky pointed out.

"And sometimes at my house," Caasi added. "She kind of just floats from place to place like some fae vagabond."

"What can I say?" Penny shrugged. "I'm a mercurial spirit."

"I can think of a few other 'M' words, too," her girlfriend chuckled.

"Masterful?" the Inkling asked with a smile.

"Moronic," Ecto suggested with a grin.

"Hey!"

"Majestic?"

"Thank you, Pyxis!"

"Moody," Rocky said.

"Mischievous," Umi suggested.

"Musical," Ankyr cheered.

"Mellifluous," Caurel laughed, to which Penny ran and jumped on her back, throwing her arms around her neck. "Hey! Get off!"

"Don't call me things I don't know the meaning of!"

"It was a compliment!"

"Well, I don't know that, do I?!" This earned a round of laughter from most of the group.

"Guys, stop fooling around or we'll never clean this beach," Rocky said, ignoring his friends' antics in favor of picking up trash.

"It's so weird to see my brother care so much about something other than Turf War," Caurel said as Penny slid off and got back to work. Rocky turned around and gave her a puzzled expression.

"What are you talking about? Why do you think I'm doing this in the first place? So we won't lose Bluefin Depot!"

"We should've known," Ankyr laughed as Caurel fell down.

After about an hour of hard work, the team called a dinner break, and sat on a nice rocky outcropping in their tiny cleaned area.

"So," Umi said after consuming a sandwich in just a few seconds, "Ankyr is Pretty Harmless. Ecto is Pretty Relentless. Rocky is Pretty Reckless. And Penny is Pretty Fearless?"

"Yep," Pyxis nodded between bites of a cucumber and spinach sandwich. "And Caasi is Pretty Ruthless."

"I like it," the Crayfish said, bobbing her head up and down. "Thanks, Pyxis."

"Moises is Pretty Listless," the Octoling continued, giving Caasi a thumbs-up and winking.

"It's true," Moises nodded. "I don't know what energy is. Is it something I can eat?"

"I mean, technically yes?" Ecto shrugged. "You gain energy by eating food, so..."

"Exactly," the Jellyfish cheered. "Eat food, get energy, apply energy to designing clothes, eat food to reward myself."

"That's the way," Caurel giggled.

"It's looking better," Rocky mumbled absentmindedly when he finished his own meal, staring at the newly de-trashed sand beneath their feet. "I wonder if... we can clean more on the weekends. I want to get the plastic that's deep in the water, too."

"Are you sure you don't care about the bay?" Caurel asked with a wink. Her twin brother blushed blue and turned away from her.

"Sh... Shut up! I don't have to answer to you!" The rest of the group got a good laugh out of this.

"You young'uns have done great," Umi said, patting Rocky's blue head. "I'm so proud of you!"

"You're not so bad at saving the environment yoursef, Umi," Pyxis grinned before sipping their water.

"Saving the environment?" an older Inkling chimed in from nearby. "Pretty big claim. You've gotten maybe one percent of this part of the bay cleaned. And that's not even counting the junk in the water. Why don't you just give up?"

"What do you say, young adults?" Umi asked, glancing around the small group. "Should we give up?" Everyone exchanged glances. Rocky, raising his trash-grabber into the air, was the first to speak.

"NEVER!" And with that, he jumped off of the boulder and ran back into the fray.

"If everyone surrendered in the face of adversity, nothing would ever get done," Caurel said, giving the elderly squid a low bow before following after her brother with a fresh trash bag.

"Whatever the crap Cricket just said sounds motivating," Penny shrugged, getting up slowly and stretching before she and the rest of the group ran after the twins.

"Guess that answers that question," Umi said, dusting off her hands and picking up the net she had been using to scoop trash out of the bay.

"Are you mocking me?"

"Oh, no sir, I would never," Umi said, shaking her head. "I just think it would be wise not to underestimate our future." And with that, she went back to work.

\/\/\/\/\/

"And now, you finally get the full Killjoy experience," Rocky said as he led Pyxis and the rest of the worn-out squad through the welcoming doors of the Yellow Submarine.

"This place is nice."

"Yeah, I-Oh Great Zapfish, we've never brought you here, have we?" Caurel asked, wide-eyed.

"Um... It's okay, I'm here now."

"No, that's not the point," she shook her head. "This place is sacred to us."

"Outta the way, I got work to do," a waiter said hurriedly, pushing through the group even though she had a full tray in either hand.

"Charming," Pyxis smiled, giving an awkward thumbs-up.

"You get warmed up to it eventually," Moises said.

"This is where Penny and Abbey work?" They glanced around the diner with its checkered floors, not-so-clean tables and walls covered with photos and memorabilia.

"Not today," Penny said, doing a little dance. "I mean, yes, Abbey is working today. But they should be off soon!"

"Anyway, to the booth," Moises said.

"TO THE BOOTH!"

The group squeezed into their usual corner booth, gesturing for Pyxis to follow suit. They nodded and took a seat next to Caasi.

"This is comfy!"

"Right?" Caurel passed out the menus that were still stacked on the table.

"Move over," an exhausted Abbey said as they shoved into the booth, a lidless bottle of water in their hand, which they quickly took a few gulps from.

"Sure thing," Pyxis nodded, scooching as much as they could. They retrieved a fan from their bag and opened it as quickly as possible to fan their friend. "You look like you've been through the ringer, Abbey."

"I have, but ohhh that helps. Faster, faster."

"I've never seen you this assertive," Rocky said. "I like it."

"Shut up, Rocky."

"Yes sir!"

"Tell me about your day, honey," Penny said, grasping Abbey's hand lightly.

"It's just been so busy. I haven't been able to take a breath, let alone a drink of water." As if the word reminded them that water existed, they stopped to down the remaining contents of their bottle.

"Oh hey, Abbey, Penny! Are these your friends?"

An Inkling with his tentacles cut to ear-length approached, dressed in the usual yellows and cream colors worn by the Yellow Submarine's staff. He held menus, but only needed to hand out two of them.

"Hey, Jude," Abbey sighed weakly. "Yep, these are my peeps. You've probably seen them around, they practically live here."

"It's true," Moises nodded. "Sad but true. Except I'm not sad about it at all."

"A few times," he smiled shyly, holding his hands together behind his back. "Man, I wish I had friends who took such great care of me on a day like this."

"Just lean in, hon," Pyxis said, aiming the fan at his face. "I've got plenty of air for everyone."

"Noooo, aim that thing back at me," Abbey whined, not removing their head from the table.

"What can I get you guys to drink?" Jude asked as Pyxis did their best to fan the both of them.

"I'll have the Day Tripper Deluxe and a coconut juice, please," Ecto said, folding up her menu and flopping it down on the table.

"I'd like a Baby, You're a Rich Man with extra garlic, please," Ankyr said. "And a creme soda."

"Can I get the Kelp! with a side of potatoes?" Moises asked, to which Jude nodded, jotting down all of their orders. "And an algae pop, please."

"A krill and pineapple pizza for my love and I," Penny said, planting a kiss below Caasi's left eye.

"Penny," Caurel gasped. "You said that sentence correctly! I'm so proud of you!"

"Get off me with your grammar," Penny scoffed. "Hey Jude, remember the 'Twin Trough' Sarge put on the off-menu?"

"Yeah...?" Penny pointed to Rocky and Caurel.

"For them. He'll probably have it hot and ready, considering it's a Monday."

"Ah, cool, I thought I remembered bringing it to those two," the male Inkling nodded as he jotted down the instructions.

"You guys gave it a name?"

"I mean, we had to, eventually," Penny laughed.

"What are you getting, Pyxis?" Abbey asked. "It's your first time here, right?"

"Yeah," Pyxis nodded. "There are a lot of options that sound great. But I think, since I've never been here, I'll start off with the classic Yellow Submarine. And a water, please."

"Excellent choice," Jude smiled. "And what can I get you, Abbey?"

"More water. Please."

"Have you eaten today?" Penny asked.

"Water, please," they repeated.

"Sure, sure," he nodded, gathering the menus into a massive stack. "I'll have your drinks out in a jiffy!"

"Thanks, Jude."

"Pyxis, where'd you get that fan?" Caurel asked. "It's a really cool design."

"You like it?" The Octoling paused in their fanning long enough to show off the firework pattern. "Someone gave it to me at Splatfest. They gave Ankyr one, too." As if in answer, their best friend reached into his backpack and retrieved a fan, which he quickly opened to reveal an image of ocean waves.

"Ooh, fireworks and the ocean," Penny said, admiring the delicately crafted fans. "The perfect combination for Summertime."

"I can't wait for Summer vacation," Rocky sighed.

"I second that," Ecto nodded as she flipped through a notepad and scribbled a few notes in a handwriting only she could read without trying too hard.

"Can we put the air back on the dying squid now?" Abbey asked.

"Of course," Pyxis said, going back to fanning the exhausted Inkling - a task Ankyr now aided in.

"Here comes the drinkage," Moises announced, happily holding a tentacle out for his algae pop, which Jude delivered before gracefully setting the rest of the drinks in front of their owners.

"Can I get you anything else while I'm here?" the waiter asked.

"Breadsticks, please," Ecto said.

"Coming right up," he said with a sparkling smile and a wink before zipping away again.

"Oh, damn," the tinkerer blinked. "I think I might be bi." Most of the crew got a good laugh out of this.

"I'll cheers to that," Abbey said, finally raising their head up and lifting their new water glass in Ecto's direction before gulping down the entire thing.

"So, what masterpiece are you designing over there?" Caurel asked.

"Oh, just making notes for future me," Ecto shrugged. "I'm sure I'll turn them into something useful eventually. Maybe"

"No, definitely. Don't sell yourself short."

"Thanks, Caurel... Hey, got any new designs lately?"

"Oh, that's right, there are a few sketches we need to go over," Caurel said, adjusting her glasses before retrieving a binder from her backpack and setting it down in front of Moises. "I need a yea or nay on the yellow-tabbed ones," she told the Jellyfish, flipping through her portfolio of sketches and paintings. "And the blue ones, if you have any notes...?"

"Got it," Moises said, peering carefully at the first sketch. "Hey, don't flip while I'm looking!" Caurel had held the previous page in place while flipping through older drawings, before opening the rings of the binder and pulling out a completed design with a green tab.

"Ecto, what do you think about this one?"

The young inventor stared intently at the drawing: a faceless model wearing black slacks and a matching open sport jacket over a dark violet shirt. The jacket and slacks had thin grey lines drawn in the shapes of gears - five or six large ones, and countless smaller ones the naked eye could barely pick up. The outfit was accompanied by a pair of black leather boots.

"I... You know I don't know anything about fashion, Kobra," she shrugged. "But. I think it looks amazing. The gears definitely make it look less boring. But they're really faint, so it doesn't look like they were just slapped on by an amateur. I mean, of course not, it's you."

"Thanks!" Caurel was blushing dark green. "Would you like to model it sometime?"

"Model?" Ecto's eyes went wide. "Caurel... I'm not the type people want to model clothes..."

"Nonsense, you'd look handsome in it! Oh, Caasi, here's one you'd like." She retrieved the next plastic-bound page from the binder. This design was a black and white closed vest with orange accents, with a pair of loose-fitting pants that spread out smoothly near the feet.

"Ooh, palazzo, I love it," Caasi said, accepting the design from her bespectacled friend. "And you even put additional sleeves in the vest. Caurel, you are truly the better sibling."

"What-now?" Rocky asked, lifting his head from the table and turning his attention to the Crayfish.

"Nothing, dear friend of mine." The group shared a round of laughter.

"I made this one with Penny in mind," Caurel said, handing another green-tabbed design to the young actor. The Inkling in question stared wide-eyed at the fluffiest, most sparkling dress she had ever seen, with a pair of loose-fitting blue jeans underneath. The outfit was accentuated with checkered wristbands, rainbow bracelets, and a denim armband below her right shoulder with many safety pins and hair accessories stuck into it.

"I love this," she gasped. "Can you make me this? I will wear it every single day!"

"Done," Caurel nodded.

'Caurel has her friends in mind when she creates,' Pyxis thought to themself, smiling at the bespectacled Inkling. 'She thinks about things they'd like to wear, and turns them into reality because she loves them... That's probably the greatest thing I've ever seen. I'd like to create something from the feelings in my heart, too...'

"Hey, Caurel?"

"What's up, Pyxis?"

"...You're pretty flawless."

"Thanks, I... Wait. Is that my 'pretty' name?"

"I think it is," the Octoling nodded.

"Oh, Pyxis! That's... That's not true, though... Everyone has flaws..."

"Just take it, Cricket," Penny said. "It suits you. People always use words like 'flawless' and 'perfect' when they really just mean 'the best I've ever known'. It fits, trust me. I just wish I'd thought of it first, considering I'm your best friend."

"Sorry, Penny," Pyxis winked. "Oh, Caurel..." Her Inkling friend had tears in her eyes, which she quickly wiped away.

"I'm fine, hon," she shook her head. "Thank you so much."

"Thank you for being such a great friend."

"Don't make me cry more," Caurel laughed. "Oh... Ankyr, I was thinking about you when I made this one." She pulled out yet another design, getting a slightly annoyed glance from Moises this time as he once again adjusted the binder.

"This is great," Ankyr smiled when he received the page. This design was a light, sleeveless jacket over a long-sleeved plaid shirt, with a pair of black jeans accented with blue swirls to match the shirt's sapphire shades.

"I really like that vest," Pyxis cleared their throat, accepting the subject change. "It looks kind of like a waistcoat."

"It's a gilet," Moises nodded.

"What about jelly?" Rocky asked, lifting his head up again.

"No, gilet, it's a kind of sleeveless jacket. They were made to look formal but casual at the same time, I think."

"Oh... Sorry, I'm hungry."

As if on cue, Jude returned with a large tray full of food, which he sat on a neighboring table before delivering the usual trouph of stew in front of the twins.

"Okay well, time to eat," Moises said, closing the binder and handing it back to Caurel. "We can talk more business later."

"Moises..."

"It's fine, it's fine," he said, waving his tentacles as a very large bowl of rice and noodles and a plate full of lettuce was placed in front of Ecto.

"He had these two almost finished when you guys got here," Jude said with a smile. "Apparently you guys hardly ever eat anything but these two items. I'll keep that in mind for your future convenience!"

"Oof," Ecto murmured to herself, lowering her gaze.

"Thank you so much," Rocky beamed after plucking a dumpling from the trough and swallowing it whole. "You brought us food! How can I ever repay you? I'll follow you to the ends of the Earth if I have to!"

"Ah, I see," Abbey scoffed. "You'll just fall in love with anyone who feeds you."

"I'm still dedicated to you, Abbey!"

"I didn't say I wanted that!"

"A Yellow Submarine," Jude announced, depositing a very long sub sandwich in front of Pyxis.

"Thank you, this looks amazing," the Octoling smiled.

"Kelp! with potatoes," the waiter continued, setting down a masterfully-made seaweed salad and a side of gravy-soaked mashed potatoes in front of Moises.

"Marvelous, encore, five stars," the Jellyfish said, digging in immediately.

"And a Baby, You're a Rich Man with extra garlic," he concluded, delivering a large plate full of spaghetti to Ankyr.

"Thanks!"

"I'll be right back with the pizza," Jude announced with a low bow before departing once more.

"Thank you, Jude," the group called together.

"That pasta reminds me of one of my favorite dishes back home," Pyxis said as Ankyr jammed a forkful of noodles and mushrooms into his mouth.

"You can try some if you want," he said after chewing and swallowing. His Octoling friend nodded and took a small sample with their own fork.

"Mmmm... Maybe this one's better..."

"Maybe I really am hungry," Abbey sighed. "Now that I smell all this... I guess I should get out of here anyway."

"We'll share our food with you," Penny said. "There'll be plenty pizza slices to go around."

"Abbey-san, have some of mine," Rocky said, jabbing a fork into another dumpling and waving it over the table.

"I will if you stop calling me that," the agender Inkling laughed, grabbing the dumpling and throwing it in their mouth immediately. "Oh... Oh gods, what is this? This isn't our usual dumpling, is it?"

"It's cooked in a special stew, so it tastes different," Caurel said.

"You mean 'tastes better'," Rocky said. "This is why it's always good to order off the menu."

"I agree," Abbey nodded after finishing off the dumpling. "I'll be ordering this from now on."

"Abbey is impressed by my food," Rocky said, wiping a tear from his eye. "I'm so happy."

"Knock it off," Caurel said, smacking her brother. "It's not like you cooked it."

"Oh! That settles it! Abbey, come over sometime and let me cook for you! You won't regret it! I'm the apprentice of a master chef!"

"Since when do I go to your house?"

"Honestly," Caurel agreed with a sigh. "You're acting as bad as Rory."

"How dare you!"

\/\/\/\/\/

Two weeks passed, and Fourth Month began. Summer was soon to be in full swing, and only those who could stand the heat continued battling outside every day. The Fabulous Killjoys, and sometimes their friends, made it a habit to spend at least an hour after school every day cleaning up trash from Bluefin Bay, and though on a large scale there wasn't much of a difference, they all felt proud of their contribution.

"So, what's the current stages?" Penny asked, prompting Ecto to look at her wrist device.

"What are the current stages," Caurel corrected.

"Cricket?"

"Yes, dear?"

"Shut up."

"No, dear."

"FINALLY, Station Square!"

"STATION SQUARE!" the Killjoys, for the most part, shouted all at once.

"Wow," Pyxis laughed. "You guys must really love that stage."

"It's not all that amazing," Rocky shrugged. "As a stage, anyway. But it has sentimental value."

"Mmm, the most delicious kind of value," Moises said, prompting a lighthearted laugh from Pyxis.

"What's the other stage, Ghoul?" Ankyr asked, not taking his eyes off of his splatling, which he was cleaning with a blue liquid.

"Walleye Warehouse." Rocky let out a cheer at this, while most of the other Killjoys groaned.

"I remember that one," Pyxis said.

"I don't know why," Caurel said, sticking out her tongue. "It's not very memorable."

"You leave my stage alone!" her twin shouted.

"So, are we ready?" Ecto asked, her finger less than an inch from an icon on the tiny screen. Everyone who wanted to play confirmed they were prepared to join, and soon enough they were scheduled for a battle at Station Square due to start in less than fifteen minutes.

"Light blue versus yellow," Caurel announced after a glance at the match-up results on her phone. The battlers changed tentacle color accordingly - Pyxis, Rocky, Penny, and Ecto turned blue, and yellow for Ankyr, Caurel, and...

"Who are 'Dagger' and 'Cloak'?" Pyxis asked.

"Guess we'll find out when we get there," Rocky shrugged.

"Whoa, notifications," Ecto said when her wrist device made several pinging sounds. "Jet-Star, could you possibly stop making a post every time we join a battle?"

"Our fans want to know where they can cheer us on," the blue-tentacled Inkling argued.

"Okay, just don't tag all of us in them."

"Yay, Abbey's coming!" Penny cheered, looking at her phone.

"Moby, too," Ankyr said with a glance at his, and he and Pyxis smiled at each other.

"See?" Rocky stuck out his tongue, to which Ecto answered with her own.

"Alright then, to the train!"

"TO THE TRAIN!"

\/\/\/\/\/

"Now arriving at Station Square. We remind you that our left-side doors will remain locked. Please use the right-hand exits."

Pyxis was in the middle of wondering why the voice on the intercom would make such a request, when they heard the sounds of a shooter-type weapon, and the left-hand windows of their train car were covered in lime-green ink.

"What the-?" They couldn't resist laughing from surprise and elation. "The trains count as turf? The trains count as turf!"

"Yep," Ankyr laughed along with them. "It's all part of the experience."

"THIS is why I see trains covered in ink sometimes?" Pyxis cackled. "I love it! I thought it was just vandalism!"

"Vandalism, Turf War, same difference," Rocky shrugged.

"Oxymoron," Caurel and Ankyr shouted simultaneously.

"I know you are, but what am I?"

"Again, please use the right-hand exits," the voice repeated as the train came to a complete stop and the doors on the right-hand side of the car slid open. "The entrance to the viewing platform will then be straight ahead. If you wish to enter the lobby-"

"Come on," Penny said as she, Rocky, and Ecto jumped out of their seats. "Let's catch as much of this battle as we can!" They moved toward the nearest exit, followed by the rest of the group. Sure enough, there was a door straight ahead, which led to a stairwell. After a bit of stair-climbing, they arrived on the roof of the train station, where they could see the entire battle unfurl below.

"The cars are part of the experience, too?" Pyxis asked when they glanced down at the plaza the battle took place in. The train station, a hotel to the North, and a service reservoir and several buildings to the South boxed in a looping road, with the beach working as the fourth barrier.

"Yeah, the speed limit in the plaza is five kilometers," Caurel pointed out. "People like to drive by and have their cars inked, just for fun. It's busier some days than others."

"The're more stage over here," Ankyr said, waving Pyxis over to the Eastern side of the building, where they could see the other half of the plaza, which was a parking lot boxed in by three strips of shops and restaurants. Its Easternmost boundary was City Hall, and the entrance to the highway, which was considered out of bounds.

"This plaza is really nice," Pyxis nodded. "I like that they let us watch battles from the station's rooftop."

"Go lime-green team!" Penny shouted.

"Do you know someone on that team, Penny?"

"Nah, I just picked a color and ran with it," the young actor shrugged.

"Oh... Well, in that case, GO DARK BLUE TEAM!"

"I see how it is," she laughed.

"I thought I heard your voice!"

Pyxis turned their attention away from the battlefield and gasped when they saw two of their friends.

"Tandy! Ty! How are you guys?"

"Excellent, except we keep forgetting to give each other our details," Tyrone laughed. "Look us up on SplatNet, huh? I'm 'Cloak', Tandy's 'Dagger'."

"That's you guys?" Ankyr asked, jumping into the conversation. "So you're battling with us next!"

"Yep," Tandy grinned, giving Ankyr a high-five. "We'll be Tails, they'll be Sonic."

"Aw, you get to be on their team," Pyxis said, crossing their arms. "That's not fair."

"Hey, now that we're 'friended', we can do Friend Battles together anytime. I mean... Any time we're not busy with school."

"Or sleeping," Ty said. "I do a lot of that."

"Yeah!" Pyxis' bright smile returned. The four of us against... whoever!"

"Hey, I'll join up with my peeps in Feel Good Ink and take you guys on," Penny said. "They're one Inkling short these days, anyway."

"Oh yeah," Pyxis said, waving their arms in the air. "I can't believe I forgot! Squad, this is Tandy and Ty, two of the most terrific Turf War players."

"Are you pleased with yourself?" Penny asked with a laugh. "All that alliteration."

"Kinda, yeah," Pyxis laughed before their eyes went wide and they averted their attention to the plaza. "What was THAT?" One of the dark blue Inklings had stepped on a red and yellow panel, which sprung out of the ground and launched them up to the pizzeria's ceiling. There were boxes placed on each ceiling to mark the boundary line, but a narrow strip was left at the edge of each - not only to count as turf, but to allow a method of bypassing the super-tight bottleneck between the two halves of the plaza.

"Oh yeah, the springs," Ankyr nodded. The launching contraption had already started compressing itself back into the ground. "This and Puffer Plaza are the only two stages that really use them anymore, I think. They're not as popular as they used to be."

Unfortunately, it seemed the path ended abruptly afterward, being blocked by an out-of-place skyscraper, so one would have to drop down just past the bottleneck, which could prove dangerous.

"There's actually a tunnel," Rocky pointed out, "but you have to hit a switch on the other end of the walkway, kind of like the ones in Moonage Daydream. Then you have to swim back and jump in as fast as you can."

"Or you could just sit there and snipe everyone," Ecto suggested with a shrug. "That's what I like to do."

"I like to leave Ink Mines at the end of the tunnel, where the elevator opens up," Caurel cackled. "You can't walk past without getting splatted, and the elevator is too tiny to give you escape space."

"You are truly the more terrifying sibling," Caasi said. "Remind me never to get on your bad side."

"What's that section over there?" Pyxis asked, turning to the North. "It looks like it's accessible via the West section's hotel, but can the other side reach it, too?"

"Sure, the spring fires both ways," Penny said. "You just have to step on the right side. It'll launch you onto a passage on top of the burger shop. Then you can drop down into the entertainment area."

"There's a spring on the other side, too, though," Ecto said. "So the East team always has to watch its back."

"Yeah, just don't get distracted by the arcade games," Ankyr grinned.

"Speak for yourself," Rocky chuckled.

"I like arcade games, too," Pyxis said. "You guys probably have a lot of different ones than what I'm used to, though."

"Last thirty seconds," Ecto said after a glance at her watch. "I'm headed downstairs."

"Hey, wait up," Caurel said as she and Rocky followed after. Penny and the rest stayed to see the results of the battle - team lime green won by a landslide.

Once the battlers made it out of the station, they spread out to their respective spawn points, while Abbey, Caasi, and Moises remained on the rooftop to cheer them on from above. Ankyr, Caurel, Tandy, and Tyrone strolled down the street and through the Eastern half of the stage, to enter City Hall via its open doors. The yellow spawn point rested in the center of the lobby. Meanwhile, Pyxis followed Penny, Rocky, and Ecto into the hotel and through a side-exit that led to an in-ground pool surrounded by lounge chairs and umbrellas. The pool was currently covered by those same lightweight blocks that served as a barrier on the rooftops, and atop the blocks was the blue spawn point.

"I'm so glad we're on this side," Rocky said. "It's always harder to win if you're the East team."

"Why's that?" Pyxis asked. "There seems to be an equal amount of turf on each side."

"Yeah, but we have the station. And our alternate path doesn't require a switch. Plus, the cars don't park here. If a car is parked in the spot where the spring is on the East side, there's no way to get to the North section without going through the West team's turf. Honestly, Station Square isn't a very good stage-"

"Hey!" Penny and Ecto shouted.

"I'm just telling the truth! It gets really one-sided. Once you have the bottleneck, you have the game. Simple as that. Every now and then, the East side can take back control, but it's rare in this stage. It's just not balanced enough."

"Even so, we're still going to have to give it our all," Ecto reminded him. "Sunshine and Kobra aren't going to take it easy on us."

"And Tandy and Ty are like an unstoppable force," Pyxis nodded. "I've had them on my side a few times before, and I'm not too excited about going against them."

"Well, we'll just have to see what happens when an unstoppable force meets entropy," Rocky said, slamming his fist into his palm.

"I thought you were going to say 'an immovable object'," Pyxis laughed. "So, there's a spring on the arcade side?" They stared through the hotel lobby's open East-facing doors, which led to the entertainment area.

"Yep," Ecto nodded. "Thinking of a plan?"

"I'm thinking I've got four 'Swim Speed Up' and I'm ready to use them," Pyxis grinned, twirling their shooter. For this battle, they were trying out their newly-purchased N-Zap '89.

"Nah, I want you with me," Rocky shook his head. "I'm gonna roll my way to the bottleneck entrance, ink a little camp site at the corner, and let loose a million seekers."

"More like ten," Ecto chuckled.

"Ecto, can you get up to the roof of the burger shop?" Rocky continued.

"Of course I can," the tinkerer said, still laughing.

"No, I mean, do it, please? Penny, I want you to slosh the blue blazes out of our side, then move on to the North. If Ecto's still there, spring up and help her wreak havoc on the parking lot. If not, swim back and use the elevator."

"We'll just see what happens," Penny shrugged.

"Pyxis, after I use my Bomb Rush, I want you to swim through the streams they leave behind and throw a Sprinkler as far as you can, and swim like Mercury back this way. Then tackle the station. That should be easy, as long as the yellow team hasn't broken through to the stairs."

"What's the Sprinkler for? I mean I know what it does, but why throw one and split?"

"They'll be busy getting rid of it while I move in for the kill. By that time, everything else should be covered well enough, so I'll give a signal for everyone to converge on the East side and box them in. Easy peasy."

"Yeah, but..." Pyxis trailed off when the announcer instructed everyone to get to their stations. Rocky and Ecto made their way to the spawn point, while Penny patted their Octoling friend's back.

"Don't worry, my pet, we've done this routine a million times, there are only so many different outcomes."

"There's only two outcomes," Rocky said. "We win or we don't. Let's try for the former."

"Don't listen to him," Penny whispered. "He always thinks he's in Ranked. Just have fun, dear."

"That's the plan."

Both teams dove into their spawn pools, ensuring their ink tanks were full. When the starting announcement was made, they all rose from the ink and waited until... POW!

Ecto fired a long stream of blue ink from her charger and swam along it, repeating the process to reach the drop-off to the lower North area, where the stairs would normally be. She fired one more shot toward the spring and swam, leaping up from the ink and returning to humanoid form to descend on the spring, which launched her into the air. Unfortunately, Ty had already been waiting atop the burger shop's roof, and splatted her with his Splattershot Jr. while she was still in midair. He then went about covering the entertainment area with yellow ink.

Meanwhile, Pyxis had followed Rocky just as he had instructed; once he inked enough turf to unleash his special, they swam after the first Seeker he launched and hurled their Sprinkler into the parking lot. Unfortunately for them, Tandy had been waiting around the corner. Once they made their presence known, she threw her own sub weapon in their general direction, creating an explosion out of which several tiny yellow bits clung to the air around the Octoling, slowing down their speed, jump height, ink consumption and recovery. They did their best to swim away, but Tandy's Custom Splattershot Jr. did them in.

Pyxis respawned soon after Ecto, and saw her swimming back to the entertainment area, which was now mostly covered in yellow ink.

'She might need some help...' They glanced from the North area to the station, then back again, considering their options before finally swimming to the right. 'Well... Rocky knows the place better than I do. Might as well... Anyway, there's a staircase going that way in the station, so I can go help her after I take care of it.'

They popped out of the blue ink when they reached the station, and threw a Sprinkler onto the left staircase to the boarding area before inking the right-hand side of the ground floor with their main weapon. The next train pulled into the station just as they reached the loading station, and they made sure to fire ink at the top of every car before moving on. The stairs to the North area were already covered in blue ink, so they took the front exit and rejoined Rocky at the bottleneck.

"All good," they shouted before throwing another Sprinkler - this one destroyed immediately by splatling fire from Ankyr. Pyxis took the opportunity to splat him with the N-Zap, and Tandy - the only other yellow player still at the bottleneck - swam away as fast as she could.

"You got 'em on the run," Rocky cheered, sending out the "Booyah!" signal before swimming down the street and rolling into the yellow team's side. The entire blue team covered the parking lot, cars and all, in a matter of seconds. It was Ecto who first realized what was wrong.

"They're not here," she said, spinning around to face the North side. She was sure it didn't have a speck of yellow ink on it... except for one large spot on the wall, under the dropoff. "They hid on the wall!" There was now a thin stream of yellow ink winding to and fro amid the blue on the curving stairs into the train station. "Kobra..." She fired a charged shot at the blot on the wall, in case any others were hiding. Nothing. The others had to be somewhere else... "Double back, everyone!"

"Let's split up," Pyxis said, jumping on the parking lot's spring just as someone tried to turn into the space. The driver honked their horn, but they paid it no mind.

"Wait, Pyxis!" Rocky called, but they were already inking the rooftops, and soon swimming through the tunnel that passed through the skyscraper. "Alright then, Penny, come with me through the bottleneck. If they aren't running around over on our side, can you go check the hotel?"

"Sure thing," Penny said, giving him a quick salute before swimming through the ink back toward their side. The two of them resurfaced in the bottleneck to see that the yellow team had completely taken over the Western side.

"Oh sweet blue abyss," Rocky grumbled. "Penny, please tell me you've been saving an Inkstrike."

"I don't 'save' Inkstrikes," she laughed. "But I'm almost at full gauge again." She threw a Splat Bomb across the bottleneck, then swam down the road to refill her ink tank before jumping up, switching to human form, throwing one more toward the entrance to the train station, and diving back into the ink to swim away. As luck would have it, Caurel was still in the station, and emerged just enough to cover the bomb's blue ink with yellow. Rocky took the opportunity to bring his roller down on her, sending her back to the yellow spawn point. Ankyr then popped out of the ink behind one of the passing cars and unleashed splatling charge, splatting first Rocky, then Penny... but not before the latter sent off an Inkstrike, aimed right for the middle of the triangle-shaped medium. Ankyr swam as fast as he could, and got away from the Inkstrike... but didn't escape a barrage of blue ink from Pyxis, who had just exited the cylindrical elevator at the corner of the stage.

'One minute left,' the Octoling noted, breathing hard and fast. Now with a blue circle amid a field of pure yellow, they had only to recover the road and sidewalks of their team's side, which they made quick work of with their rapid-firing shooter. Ecto, who had already reclaimed the train station with several long charged shots of yellow, swam outside to help, while Rocky and Penny respawned. Once their turf was blue again, all four moved as one toward the bottleneck, and then...

SPLAT!

All four of them were taken down at once from above- Tandy and Ty had been stationed on the rooftop path, right in front of the tunnel entrance. As the entire blue team floated back to the spawn point, they could see that Caurel and Ankyr had been hard at work reclaiming the East side.

"Thirty seconds, guys!" Ankyr shouted as Tandy and Ty dropped down to the street. He covered the sparse amounts of blue still remaining in the parking lot before bouncing on the spring with Tyrone, and the two of them inked the North area from above as fast as they could. Tandy and Caurel took the bottleneck, turning blue to yellow in no time flat, but the blue team rushed out of the hotel to meet them in battle. Caurel activated her special - the Bubbler - and shared it with Tandy. The two protected Inklings boldly attacked the blue team, who all ran for it for the time being. Ecto fired a long stream of blue ink that reached into the mouth of the train station, and she and the other three swam along it to take refuge inside. Much to their disappointment, Ty and Ankyr emerged from the stairs and pressed the attack, now sharing Tyrone's own Bubbler special.

Once the girls' Bubblers timed out, Pyxis splatted Tandy and they, Penny, and Ecto fled from the station, chased by Caurel. Rocky evaded Ty and Ankyr as long as he could, pushing his roller upstairs, then jumping back to the ground floor when they followed him. He made a swift exit, just to be splatted by his twin sister's Ink Mine.

Ankyr and Ty covered whatever blue remained in the station before splitting up, Ty using the front exit and Ankyr taking the curving stairs. Rocky soon respawned and gave Ty a roadside battle for a moment before time ran out and the whistle blew.

Pyxis, Ecto, and Penny had done what they could to reclaim the bottleneck and the East side, but Caurel had followed them with her brush every step of the way. Meanwhile the North and West, including the station, were almost entirely yellow. The yellow team won 82.70 percent to 14.50 percent.

\/\/\/\/\/

"I've never been beaten that badly before," Pyxis said, gulping down the entirety of their soda before walking to the counter for another. The battlers and their friends and fans had all piled into the burger shop after the battle, making it a very cramped space.

"You've never been beaten before at all," Penny laughed, "what are you talking about?" Pyxis gave her a side-eyed glare, but carried on getting their refill.

"That was definitely an intense battle," Ecto said. "Jet-Star, what was that you were saying about owning the bottleneck?"

"Shut up," the male Inkling panted, letting out a short laugh despite himself.

"So, what's the sentimental value to Station Square?" Pyxis asked when they returned to take their seat between Ankyr and Tandy.

"Ah, story time, story time!" Penny drummed her palms on the table.

"So, about four years ago," Caurel began, "I was shopping here with Penny. I mean, not here-here, but in Station Square's shops."

"Caurel was inside 'Modern Life' while I stayed outside to get some fresh air," Penny picked the story up. "That shop's not here anymore, they moved, the traitors! Anyway... Some random Jellyfish came up to me..." Here she poked her right elbow into Moises' gelatinous body. "And was like 'I love your shirt!' - I was wearing a Bare Your Reef shirt. I used to be into them. Anyway-"

"'Used to be', Caasi scoffed. "You still have their records in your apartment."

"Who's Bare Your Reef?" Pyxis asked with a short laugh.

"Oh, a Classic Rock band from like before our parents were born. Well, maybe not the professor, he's kinda old. Anyway, Moises was like 'I love your shirt! Let's start a band!'" Here everyone laughed, and Moises rubbed the back of his head.

"It's true," he shrugged.

"So I said 'I don't know how to play any instruments.' And he said..."

"'That's okay, you can be the good-looking lead singer!'" Moises recited. "Or something like that."

"Nah, that was exactly it," Penny nodded. "I remember because that was when I punched you."

"You punched him?" Pyxis asked, wide-eyed.

"Yep," Moises laughed. "And you said 'I don't sing, neither', just like that."

"Her grammar was even worse in those days," Caurel winked.

"Shut it, Cricket," Penny said, sticking out her tongue at her best friend, who was sitting on the opposite side of the booth. "So then Moises, never one to give up, said 'Okay then, let's start a squad instead! What weapons do you use? Do you have any friends who battle?' And after a lot of back and forth, we eventually brought Ecto and Caurel into the mix. Moises brought Ecto, I mean. That was the day we met those two. Then we introduced them to everyone else, picked out names for ourselves, and the rest is history."

"So if it wasn't for Station Square, you guys would have never met?" Pyxis asked. Penny nodded.

"Ecto and Moises go to a different school than the rest of us. They live uptown. Or, they used to. Ecto's dads moved closer to us. And when Moises graduated last year, he got a midtown apartment."

"Just to be closer to my homies," Moises said.

"Aww!" The group moved and stretched as one to collectively give him a hug.

"So, why do you...?" Pyxis cut their next question short when they saw a familiar adult Inkling walking into the restaurant, holding a large mail parcel in both hands. They waved him over excitedly. "Hey! Mr. Waters! It's nice to see you again!"

"Thank you, dear," the adult smiled, making his way through the crowd to the table. "How have you all been? It's been a while since I've had the pleasant sound of a whole flock of young adults in my house."

"We're a flock," Moises said happily. "I wish I could fly."

"Well, we are birds of a feather," Ecto laughed.

"We've been prepping for mid-terms," Ankyr explained to Mr. Waters. "Penny's got two jobs now. And Caasi and Moises are just..."

"Listless," Moises cheered, raising his plastic cup of soda in Pyxis' direction before gulping it down. Pyxis couldn't help but smile, ecstatic that all the nicknames they'd given were loved by their recipients.

"Excuse you, I have a job," Caasi said.

"Is it really considered a job when you run your own business?" Moises asked.

"Yes, because I don't have people working for me," the Crayfish scoffed.

"Who are your new friends?" Mr. Waters asked. "These guys have never been over."

"Cloak and Dagger," Rocky said. "Our newest battle friends. And maybe potentially squadmates...?" He asked hopefully.

"Sorry, we're in a squad already," Tandy shook her head. "The Runaways. You've probably never heard of us, though, because we never get time to battle together. It's usually just me and Ty. But when Summer break comes..."

"I'll cheers to that," Rocky said, downing the rest of his pink lemonade.

"It's nice to meet you, sir," Ty said, shaking the adult Inkling's hand once he set down the package.

"What's that, dad?" Caurel asked.

"I think I'll let Rocky do the honors," Mr. Waters said, pushing the parcel across the table. "He's been waiting for this longer than anyone."

"Oh!" Penny exclaimed. "Is that...?"

Rocky carefully tore open the parcel and pulled out an issue of "Ink Weekly" magazine with a photo of himself, Caurel, Penny, Ecto, Ankyr, and Moises on the front cover.

"It is! Killjoys, I present to you our media debut!" Everyone cheered, Tandy and Ty applauding.

"I'm so proud of you guys," Tandy cheered.

"I remember when we were in a magazine," Ty said. "It was so long ago..."

"Don't talk like an old man," his partner laughed.

Rocky opened the magazine and checked the contents before flipping excitedly to the cover feature to read out loud. "'Squad of the Week: The Fabulous Killjoys are truly a sight to behold on the battlefield. They've been in our queue-to-call for a while now, and it's a pleasure to finally have them on board. Here's the low-down...' And then it has their usual 'squad block'." Rocky slid the magazine to the center of the table for everyone to see before reading his own small blurb aloud.

"'Rocky Waters, aka Jet-Star. 17, M, Squad captain. Main: Carbon Roller Deco. Fav. Weapon Type: Rollers! Everything else is meh. Least Fav.: Sloshers, brushes, chargers. Fav. Stage: Walleye Warehouse, Urchin Underpass, Station Square'."

"Aw, you do really love this stage," Pyxis said with a wink.

"Shut it, Velocity," Rocky said with a wink.

"Velocity?" Ankyr echoed, glancing from Rocky to Pyxis and back.

"Like from that 'Planetary' song?" Pyxis beamed.

"You like it?"

"I love it!"

"'Least Fav.: Blackbelly Skatepark, Arowana Mall'," Rocky continued. 'Fav. Brand: Whichever decides to sponsor me'." Mr. Waters laughed at this.

"Nice marketing strategy, son." Rocky shrugged.

"'Fav. Game: Anything Ranked. Powerhouse type: Rocky focuses on splatting opponents, inking as much as possible on the way and never bothering about the details'."

"Sounds like Jet-Star," Penny said before reading the next box. "'Penny Lane, aka Party Poison. 19, F, co-founder of the squad. Main: Slosher. Fav. Weapon Type: Whatever works. Least Fav.: Chargers and Splatlings. Fav. Stage: Station Square, Blackbelly Skatepark, Moonage Daydream. Least Fav.: I can rock anything, as long as I've got my squad!' I really said that, huh?" Everyone laughed as she blushed blue.

"It's sweet," Caurel said. "I like it."

"'Fav. Brand: Whatever I'm wearing at any given moment! Fav. Game: Turf War for the win. Glass Cannon type: Penny generally sacrifices defense for devastating attack power. While her teammates are duking it out on the front lines, she'll bring down the rain of pain from the back row. Make sure to check out Penny's performance in the upcoming movie, Town With No Name, next month!' I definitely didn't write that! Thank you, 'Ink Weekly'!"

"Publicity," Moises cheered.

"Yes, publicity I need if I'm gonna land any other gigs! Cricket, you're next." She flipped the magazine so it could be better read by those on the other side of the table.

"'Caurel Waters'," the bespectacled Inkling read, "'aka Kobra Kid. 17, F, the glue that holds the team together'. Aww... Who told them to put that in there?" Pyxis, Ankyr, Rocky, Ecto, Moises, and Caasi all raised their hands, and Caurel blushed yellow before clearing her throat and continuing. "'Main: Inkbrush Noveau. Fav. Weapon Type: Brushes, shooters. Least Fav.: Chargers, splatlings. Fav. Stage: Urchin Underpass, Moonage Daydream, Station Square. Least Fav.: I don't dislike any stages. Fav. Brand: I love Firefin's shirts!' Oh, and there's a heart symbol because I asked them to put it in there," she laughed. "'Fav. Game: Turf War. Ninja Squid type: Caurel is an expert at hiding and sneaking around. She'll pop out of the ink to splat you when you least expect it. That is, if her strategically placed Ink Mines don't get you first.' It's true," she nodded.

"Well, it was nice to see you kids," Mr. Waters said. "I'd love to hang out more, but I should get back home and start up dinner. Have fun, enjoy the magazine, and behave yourselves."

"Always, Mr. Waters," Pyxis smiled.

"Bye, Dad," most of the group waved as the adult Inkling exited the burger shop.

"Ecto, you're up." Caurel pushed the magazine closer to the inventor.

"'Ecto Plasma, aka Fun Ghoul. 18, F, brains of the outfit'. Well, I wouldn't say that... 'Main: Kelp Splatterscope and Kelp Splat Charger. Fav. Weapon Type: Everything. Fav. Stage: Blackbelly Skatepark, Arowana Mall, Station Square. Least Fav.: Moonage Daydream, Walleye Warehouse, Puffer Plaza. Fav. Brand: SquidForce and Zekko. Fav. Game: Turf War, Tower Control. Sniper type: Ecto knows all the best camping sites in each stage, and her aim is superb. She'll splat you out of nowhere and you won't even know what's going on.'

"You read so monotonously," Moises said as Ecto passed the magazine to Ankyr.

"Bite me, I'm tired."

"I can't, I don't exactly have a mouth in the traditional sense."

"'Ankyr Moreta, aka Sunshine'," Ankyr read. "'18, M, Support and morale.' Well, it's not wrong. 'Main: Heavy Splatling Remix. Fav. Weapon Type: Splatlings, rollers. Least Fav.: Sloshers, anything with a scope. Fav. Stage: Moonage Daydream, Station Square, Bluefin Depot'. Hah, they put my 'Hometown shout-out' in parentheses!"

"We lost it," Rocky spoke up. Everyone stared at him. "We lost Puffer Plaza, too. But then again, that one was probably a corporate decision rather than an environmental one."

"So now there are only seven left?" Penny asked.

"Eight," Ecto said. "Walleye Warehouse, Saltspray Rig, Urchin Underpass, Station Square, Arowana Mall, Blackbelly Skatepark, Moonage Daydream, and Great White Park."

"Oh yeah, I always forget about the park," the actor nodded. "I feel like it's never available except when I'm at work."

"And when we're in school," Caurel nodded.

"It's okay," Ecto said, "Summer break starts next month."

"One more month," Rocky breathed weakly, as if he were dying of thirst without a single drop of water around.

"Guys, let's let Pyxis read their blurb," Ankyr said, sliding the magazine toward the Octoling.

"Well... I still remember what I texted Rocky when he blew up my phone," Pyxis shrugged. "But I guess it's still really awesome to see yourself mentioned in media."

"Go ahead," Moises nodded.

"Let's see... Pyxis Arcturo, aka... Velocity'." They smiled at Rocky before continuing. "20, NB... Fierce warrior deity'?" They looked up from the magazine again. "Who told them to say that?" Penny and Rocky raised their hands, followed slowly by Ecto, who let out a nervous chuckle.

"I guess it's not a big deal," they said, blushing yellow. Their wide smile faded when they heard a familiar voice, carrying its usual hint of arrogant derision.

"So, the Killjoys finally got picked up by the press?"

"Hello, Ziggy," most of the group said in the usual tired tone, while Pyxis simply spun around to stare at him, hoping in vain that he'd somehow turn and flee just from their gaze.

"Of course, 'Ink Weakly' doesn't really give you a lot of space. Just a few quick bios, eh?"

"It's enough for me," Caurel said, lacing her fingers together. "I don't need a lot of attention. Besides, we didn't do it for fame, we just wanted to give our small fanbase something special."

"'Small fanbase'?" Ziggy chortled. "Well, honey, you said it, not me."

"Don't try to reason with him, sis," Rocky said, staring at the table as if to ignore Ziggy's existence. "He doesn't understand things like loyalty or-"

"Loyalty?" The tattooed Inkling threw his head back and laughed before returning his attention to Rocky with a cold stare. "I don't want to hear words like that from you."

"Ziggy, be nice," Caurel said.

"Anyway, it's not like you could get featured by 'Splat!' or anyone else important," Ziggy said, now gazing through the window and peeling at his red nail polish with his thumb to appear nonchalant. "But I'm happy for your tiny victory. Bravo, bravo."

"You think you're better than us because you get into bigger-budget magazines?" Caasi asked, her whiskers moving upward in a dubious gesture. "If my eyes were in my head, I'd roll them."

"I think I'm better than you because I play better than you," Ziggy said, resting his attention on the Crayfish. "Rather, I play better than the team you root for. This is battler's talk, honey, why don't you go jump in a saucepan with some butter?"

Upon hearing this, Pyxis jumped up from their seat, prepared to lunge at him, but Penny and Ankyr got up and pulled them back down.

"ZIGGY!" Caurel shouted. "Be nice. Please."

"Only for you," Ziggy sighed, backing away from the booth and readjusting the collar of his denim jacket. "Anyway, I've been wanting to put your little group in its place for a while now. Why don't we battle it out in Turf War?"

"I'd love to have an excuse to rearrange your face," Pyxis said, attempting to jump up once more, but their friends' hold on their arms was secure.

"Save it for the battlefield, honey," Penny said in the best soothing voice she could conjure.

"Or better yet, if we really want to decide who's the best..."

"What?" Rocky asked. "A triathlon? Tug of war? Mahjong?"

"Why not a tournament? Every squad can compete! Anyone who believes they're the best!"

"That's dumb," Ankyr said.

"We don't have anything to prove," Caurel added.

"No, I actually like this idea," Rocky said.

"What?" Ankyr stared at his male best friend. "Why?"

"It would be a lot of fun. Besides, we could meet great battlers a lot easier if we're all fighting in the same tournament. And make more fans!"

"Ridiculous," his sister sighed.

"I think we should do it," Ecto said.

"Ecto, you too?!"

"Think about it. If every squad is allowed to join, there's unlimited potential to who could be the winner. There's no telling what kind of great talents we might discover. Do you have any idea how much data that would give me to work on new weapons and strategies?"

"We should've known," Pyxis laughed. "Pretty Relentless, I fully support your creative mind and its endless pursuit of inspiration for your masterpieces."

"Aww, shucks."

"But I don't support the idea of making a big deal out of this just because you have a fragile ego." Here they glared at Ziggy, who crossed his arms, his eye twitching.

"Well said," Penny nodded. When the liquid muscles within Pyxis' arms had released their tension, she had released the Octoling in favor of wrapping her arms around her girlfriend, who refused to say anything else at this point. Meanwhile, Pyxis was holding tightly to Ankyr's hand. "But I guess I wouldn't mind being in a tournament. As long as we can all make it."

"We'll start it after the semester ends," Ziggy said after clearing his throat. "Then all we have to worry about is your day job."

"And my night job," Penny winked.

"So we seem to be tied," Rocky said. "Three of us want it, and three are opposed. Caasi...?" The Crayfish kept her gaze fixed on her girlfriend, saying nothing. "Moises...?"

"Well, I don't want to dismiss the feelings of any of my friends," Moises said. "But I'm also the squad's manager. I have to think like one in times like this. So, how about this... Pyxis?" The Octoling turned around to give him their attention. "If I vote yes, can we still be friends?"

"Of course," Pyxis laughed. "What a silly thing to lose a friend over. I understand your reasoning, Pretty Listless."

"Ankyr?"

"We're bros, bro," Ankyr laughed, giving the Jellyfish a wink. "You can't get rid of me that easily."

"Caurel?"

"I'll always be your friend," Caurel sighed. "Do what you must."

"Then it's time for the second question," Moises said. "Even though you all think it's a stupid idea, will you still battle if we enter this tournament?" The three glanced at each other.

"I can't let Jet-Star battle without Kobra Kid," Caurel shrugged.

"I'll battle if they need a back-up," Ankyr nodded.

"Like I said, I've been wanting an excuse to wreck this scrub," Pyxis said.

"I guess it's official, then," Moises said with a slow nod. "Ziggy, have your manager get with me. I'll help plan it out."

"Sure," Ziggy grinned. "Make sure you notify all your followers. We'll hold a single-elimination Turf War tournament open to all squads."

"Double elimination," Pyxis said. "It wouldn't be fair for a team to get completely knocked out of the game in the first round."

"Okay then," the tattoed Inkling said, rolling his eyes. "We'll have a preliminary round on the first day of Summer break. All the losing teams will drop down to the losers' bracket-"

"Call it something other than that," Pyxis said. "Losing one battle doesn't make anyone a loser. It's Turf War. They last three minutes and there are far too many factors to make it a sure thing."

"Spoken like a C-ranker," Ziggy scoffed.

"We really can just settle this right here if you want," the Octoling said, glaring at him once again as their grip on Ankyr's hand tightened.

"Wouldn't dream of it," he laughed. "Don't want to ruin the suspense."

\/\/\/\/\/

Moises, along with the Spiders From Mars manager Lady Stardust, had the whole event almost fully planned within the week - barring exactly how many squads would actually be playing, which was still up in the air, though there was no shortage of young Inklings and Octolings signing up for the event once it was announced on the internet. Cephalopods from anywhere between fourteen to their late twenties were aiming for the top. Pyxis told themself they shouldn't regret their decision to go along with the madness, but they definitely needed to take their mind away from it.

[12:39]Velocity: Hey, who wants to go swimming?

[12:39]PartyPoisn: Meee!

[12:40]PartyPoisn: Oh noooo I have plans!

[12:40]PartyPoisn: I'm so sad. :((

[12:40]Velocity: Aww. D:

[12:42]PartyPoisn: Caasi says she might swing by for a dip, though.

[12:42]Velocity: Yaaay! :D

[12:47]Jet-Star: I can't swim owo

[12:47]Jet-Star: Most squids can't swim, yo.

[12:48]Jet-Star: Water is OoB in Turf War anyway so what's the point?

[12:48]PartyPoisn: There are other sports than Turf War.

[12:48]Jet-Star: LIES!

[12:50]KobraKid™: We have family business today anyway.

[12:51]Sunshine: I'm down to swim! What time? Do you want to go to Mahi-Mahi?

[12:51]Velocity: Yaaay!

[12:52]Fun Ghoul: Getting some much needed work done in the shop, sorry.

[12:52]Velocity: Whenever you can! :D Sure, I've never been but I'm down to swim anywhere.

[12:52]Velocity: Woo! Can't wait to see what magic you whip up, Ecto!

[12:52]Fun Ghoul: :D TYTYTY

[12:53]Sunshine: I'll meet you at the bay soon. Anyone else want to tag along?

[12:55]DrDthDfyng: You're going to Mahi-Mahi? I am SO THERE! Like, literally, I'm a few blocks away from it! I'll wait for you guys in the first pool.

[12:55]Velocity: Yay, we got a Moises! 3

[12:56]Sunshine: Woot! I knew he couldn't resist the call of waterparks.

[12:56]PartyPoisn: Isn't that a band?

[12:56]KobraKid™: Not from this era.

[12:58]Velocity: What about Rory and Abbey?

[12:59]KobraKid™: Family business for Rory. And Abbey's working today.

[12:59]Jet-Star: Abbey's working every day. x_x

[13:00]PartyPoisn: You know where we work!

[13:01]Jet-Star: Yeah, but if I just keep going there all the time it's creepy!

[13:01]PartyPoisn: You're creepy regardless!

[13:01]Jet-Star: FIGHT ME!

[13:02]PartyPoisn: I WILL, BRAH!

[13:02]Jet-Star: YOU'RE GOING DOWN!

[13:02]Velocity: So, Ankyr, see you at Skipjack Bay? :D

[13:03]Sunshine: On my way!

[13:03]PartyPoisn: Have fun, guys!

[13:03]PartyPoisn: NOT IF I DROPKICK YOU FIRST!

[13:03]Jet-Star: I'D LIKE TO SEE YOU TRY!

\/\/\/\/\/

"Do you come here often?"

"Only once so far," Ankyr said as the two exchanged money with the clerk. "It's a long way from the house, but not so much from Skipjack."

The two had just recently arrived at Mahi-Mahi Resort, Inkopolis' freshest new summer getaway, which had only recently been completed and opened for business.

"Oh yeah, we gotta put all our stuff in one of these boxes," Ankyr said, shoving his outer clothes into an open locker.

"Sure thing," they said, following Ankyr's example. When they closed the locker door, a key popped out of a tiny slot. "Oh, cool!"

"You give that to the attendant. Oh yeah, can't forget this." He began taking off the black mask on his face.

"AAAAHH!"

"AAH! What? What's wrong?" Ankyr looked around, the little bit of the mask he had removed flopping around from side to side.

"That... Thing? That's a mask?! I thought it was part of your face!"

"Oh no, it's just a squideye," he said, peeling the black mask the rest of the way off of his face, leaving behind a smooth, untextured area of skin around his eyes. "See?" He held out the mask, and they took it hesitantly.

"Wow, you look... different. You look more like your mom, actually."

"Yeah, Inklings our age usually keep them on. They're not great with water, though."

"What is it for?"

"It helps keep ink out of your eyes, and pushes it out faster when you revert to your two-legged form. Saves a few seconds in a battle. But, in a three-minute battle..."

"Every second counts," Pyxis finished, nodding. "Definitely. Can I get one?"

"You didn't already get one in the mail? They should've sent you a starter one for free when you joined SplatNet."

"Hm... Maybe it got delayed."

"We should check on that."

"Let's just swim first," they said, placing the squideye in the locker.

"Sure thing," Ankyr said, closing the door and taking his own key. The two handed the keys over to the clerk, and headed into the pool area.

"Oh hey, I think I can see Blackbelly Skatepark from here! I wonder who's battling."

"Always got battling on the mind," Moises said as he approached, waving his tentacles at the two.

"Moises!" Ankyr greeted the Jellyfish with a hug.

"Of course," Pyxis winked. "Hey, I thought Caasi was joining us too?"

"Nah, she has unforeseen affairs."

"Molting?" Ankyr asked.

"Yeah. She'll be back on her feet in a few days."

"Huh," Pyxis thought out loud. "I wonder what it's like to have a skeleton."

"Sounds like too much of a hassle, if you ask me," Moises said. "So anyway, water!"

The Jellyfish dove into the nearest pool, and his mollusc friends followed suit soon enough. They splashed around wildly for a while, before relaxing and floating about calmly.

"So, how are you guys feeling about this tournament business?"

"Uuugh," Pyxis groaned from where they were floating on their back. "Do we have to talk about that? Can't we just relax?" Without waiting for an answer, they dove to the bottom of the pool.

"Same," Ankyr said with a hissing laugh, though he remained on the surface, treading water.

"I'm just saying, it's a lot to think about," Moises shrugged. "No one's tried a huge tournament like this for a long time. It's bound to get us publicity, especially considering we're the reason."

"Hey, we are not the reason, man. The only reason is Ziggy. And his dumb inferiority complex."

"Oh, so it's because of you, then," Moises cackled.

"Don't even go there." Ankyr shifted from treading water to floating on his back. Suddenly, he felt something tickling the back of his neck, and flailed around in surprise, losing his balance and splashing before righting himself.

"Sorry," Pyxis laughed upon surfacing. "I just couldn't resist. Next time I'll ask first, I promise. Please don't be mad."

"All forgiven, bestie," he laughed once he was treading water with confidence again. "But yeah, definitely warn me next time. Maybe not immediately before, but it's less jarring if I know it's coming at some point."

"Sure thing! So, what were you guys talking about?"

"That it's all Ankyr's fault," Moises cackled again.

"What is?"

"Nothing," Ankyr shook his head. "Moises is one shrimp short of a picnic."

"That's a tragedy," Moises said. "Then again, I'm a vegetarian, so I'll get over it."

When the trio had enjoyed the water to their fill, they retrieved their belongings and set about to lounge on the lawn outside.

"We should do this more often," Pyxis said, flopping down on the grass and unzipping their bag. "I feel so much better."

"Nothing like a good swim to renew yourself," Moises agreed. "What's been eating you, bro?"

"Ah, just the usual," they laughed. "Seriously, though, I'm not sure if I can stand taking part in this stupid tournament. You guys should've just let me punch him in the face. Just one time."

"That's now how we do things here," Moises shook his head. "If you have a problem with someone else, you challenge them to a Turf War. That way you can let out all that angry energy with fast movement."

"And lots of yelling," Ankyr added.

"And nothing gets violent," Moises continued. "Well, not too violent. I'm not gonna say violence is never the answer, but it's definitely the last thing anyone wants to resort to."

"I like that idea," Pyxis nodded. "The more time I spend here, and the more I learn about Inkopolis, the more it sounds like a utopia."

"Nah," Ankyr shook his head. "Utopias are fictional. Usually not well-thought-out or sustainable. This city got as far as it did by lots of generations of people caring about people and making important changes. It's not perfect, but it's better than it was. And that's the important thing. To always work toward being better."

"Yeah," the Octoling smiled. "That's how it should be."

"Yep," Ankyr sighed happily, laying on his back on the grass with his head resting in his palms. His friends followed suit.

"Yeppers," Moises agreed. The three lay in content silence for a while, listening to the birds chirping nearby and the sounds of splashing and laughter from the pools.

"I still wanna punch him, though," Pyxis said. Ankyr and Moises couldn't help but laugh, and the contagious laughter spread to their Octoling friend, who had to wipe tears of mirth from their eyes.

\/\/\/\/\/

"Hey babe, I'm back! And I got you a surprise."

"Unless it's caffeine, I don't want it," Caasi said, her submerged voice reverberating all around her.

"I think you'll be proven wrong," Penny said in a sing-song voice, closing and locking her girlfriend's front door and dropping her bag next to her kicked-off shoes. Caasi was lying on her side in a large water tank that took up half of the living room. "Oh yeah, price of postage went down a little, so I just sent an extra charm to your customers. I'll pay you back."

"Did you send any specific ones?"

"Just the standard gold stars," she shook her head.

"Good girl. I should hire you on full-time. Er... Part-time."

"No, thanks," she laughed as she dragged Caasi's televison, coffee table and all, toward the transparent tank.

"What are we watching?"

"You'll see!" Penny slid a disc into the "hardware" slot on the contraption. After a few seconds, a colorful display appeared on the screen, accompanied by a loud and cheerful theme song.

"Oh gods!" Caasi gasped, wriggling her partially-molted limbs. "I love you!"

"Your favorite when you were a kid, right?" Penny asked with a wide smile. Caasi was too busy singing along to the song to reply.

"We'll always be together, as long as we remember the secret of the staaaars!"

"I'm so glad you're happy," Penny said, holding her hand against the tank.

"Me too, press play, press play!"

"Babe! I'm trying to have a soft moment with you."

"I'm sorry, Penny," Caasi said. "You really are the best girlfriend. Better than I deserve. You're the apple of my eye. The queen of my colony. The shrimp in my salad."

"You're just saying things now, so I no longer believe you," Penny said jokingly, sticking out her tongue.

"No, for real, I adore you. Thank you so much. I'd hug you if I could, but I'm kind of submerged."

"That's not a problem, if I get in there with you."

"And now you've made it weird."

"I see how it is," Penny laughed, pressing "PLAY". "You know, I could-"

"Shh, shh, Star Seekers is on!"

"I love you," she laughed, scooting back to lean against the glass.

"The wonder of the universe, the secret of the stars..." Penny sang along for a while before returning her attention to her girlfriend.

"Psst, I love you, too."

"Thank you, babe."

"This isn't so bad, having someone here while I go through this stupidity. Let's do this again next time." Penny gasped at this and turned back around.

"You mean it?"

"Yeah... Why not? As long as it's you, I'll feel safe and won't hide behind a rock the whole time."

"That's... probably the sweetest thing you've ever said to me? I think?"

"It's the sweetest thing a Crayfish can say to someone, I guess. In regards to being a Crayfish."

"Yes. Let's do it."

"Let's fall in love," Caasi sang on cue.

"Romantic sponges, they say, do it," Penny joined in with a smile. "Oysters down in Oyster Bay do it."

"That's true, I've seen them," Caasi said, her girlfriend shushing her immediately.

"Let's do it - let's fall in love~"

"Okay, now rewind the tape," the Crayfish pleaded. Penny laughed.

"As you wish."

"The wonder of the universe, the secret of the stars..."

__________________________________

[ 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Chapter 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 ]

(( Hope you guys got a lot of enjoyment out of that! I really am sorry it’s taken so long, it really shouldn’t have. My brain has not been kind to me and I’ve basically been a useless Sukamon for a while now. But please be assured that I am going to do my all to get the next chapters out faster.

Anyway some people had requested backstory so I threw some of that in here, but there is definitely more to come. ore character background and development!. Waaaay back when this was just me making characters with no story in mind yet, I had a few quick blurbs about the characters I had thought up. Those blurbs eventually evolved into a planned magazine scene where the Killjoys finally get press. You’re all welcome. XD

(Rocky was named Swammy in those earliest of early days, Caasi was changing from Shrimp to Jellyfish to Shark to finally Crayfish if I recall correctly, Ecto was a boy, and it was Ecto who had glasses instead of Caurel. Also, I hadn’t thought of Penny, Abbey, Rory, Noodle and her peeps, or any of the side characters yet. Look how far we’ve come! The only concrete ideas I had at first were that Ankyr would be trans, the opposite main character would be an Octoling, Caurel would be the glue of the team, Ecto would make weapons, Caasi would be a smartass, and “Swammy” would be a roller main and probably the only straight cis character.).

#Look Alive Sunshine #Splatoon #Splatoon fanfiction #Inklings #Octolings #Turf War #also references to Sonic and Tails so that's nice #also you FINALLY GET TO SEE THE STAGE I'VE WORKED SO HARD ON AHHHH!!!#original characters #original stages #fanfiction #mine

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