"Do...do the folks in Splatsville not know how to avoid a charger's laser? Are they all cats?"
"O-Oh my! Splatsville is very...unruly. Definitely not what I'm used to. Though I suppose a princess wouldn't be used to such things..."
"Eh? I was joking about the whole ink thing. Was NOT expecting a sweep." Theo raised an eyebrow.
His phone rang in his pocket, but he ignored it.
"By the way, what are you doing all the way here in Splatsville Fi?" Theo tilted his head. "I didn't think of you as the traveling type."
"I could ask you the same thing, Agent 4." She hissed. "I thought you were busy with the cabin."
"Hey! Look, Emmy and Octa snuck out last Splatfest and left me all alone to watch Inkopolis by my lonesome, so I'm just getting payback. Coming here for the weekend." He stuck his tongue out.
"Tch. Whatever. I'm only here for the weekend for some shopping."
"Hey! Let's hang out then! Maybe go on a date...?"
"Don't even think about it."
"Worth shooting my shot..."
"Haha...white ink..." Theo chuckled.
"Have I told you that you're completely insufferable?" Fiona scoffed, rolling her eyes.
Have some doodles of futuristic squids and kids (and octos and sharks)
"Well....not to break the fourth wall or anything, but it looks like we might be in the limelight for DLC." Emmy hummed. "I know Theo isn't shown there but they had to have brought up where you live for some reason."
"....Why do I feel like that's a thinly veiled diss?" Theo sighed.
"AM I GOING TO HELL AGAIN. NO. I CAN'T DO ANYMORE OF THIS I'M TRAUMATIZED FROM THE METRO ENOUGH." Octa cried.
"Wow, Splatsville is way more fun than I thought! Maybe I should've came along on the expedition with Jesse first time around..." Emmy commented.
"For eel! I got to experience what the Salmon Run shifts in Splatsville are like. SO many quality of life changes! Why hasn't the building in the Square updated to be like that?! They've got this cool special called the Wave Breaker, and something called egg throw...." Octa whined.
...Meanwhile...
"Wha.....EMMMYYYYYYY!!" Theo exclaimed, just had read the note left behind that Agent Four would now be in charge of Cuttlefish Cabin for the next few days.
"Emmy? Come in, Emmy!"
The pink squid picked up the radio, holding down the button to respond. "Jesse? Is everything alright over there?"
"Yeah, things have been hectic. Long story short, we had a surprise trip back to Inkopolis. Wahoo World to be exact. We're defending against the horde of rebel Salmonids."
"Oh! You're back in town then! That's nice....but the Salmonids...what are you calling me for?"
"Listen Emmy....we may have some Splatlandians here on the defense, but this is our home they're coming for. We gotta defend it with all we have." Jesse nodded. "We're going to do our best to keep them contained to Wahoo World, but in case that fails...."
"Right. Count on me. I'm good at being the last line of defense." She chuckled. "I'll have my friends stay with me in the city. I'll send Theo and Octa over."
"O-Octa...." Jesse gulped, sounding nervous, almost....embarrassed. "R-Right! Thank you so much, you have no idea what this means to us..."
"You want me to what?"
"Fix this program, if you can. I know you have experience in doing so since you programmed TARTAR..."
Greg rubbed his temple with his index finger. "It might take me a while to figure it out, especially if it's fried. Plus, this ORCA thing was made by a completely different set of humans you know. How they programmed it could possibly be beyond my capabilities."
"Can you please try...? You are the only person I know that can at least figure this out."
"Why's this thing so important to you, Trev?"
"It holds the last of the human knowledge from Alterna. This is so incredibly crucial, we have to do anything we can to preserve it-"
"Is it really that important? The human race is doomed to die off anyway."
"You shouldn't talk like that. Especially what I found out."
"....You say that like there's a surviving colony of humans."
"If you want me to tell you, fix ORCA for me. Then we'll talk."
"Hhhh- fine. I'll do it. JUST KEEP IN MIND....my last project, TARTAR....well, it gained sentience."
"Really..." He had expected the other professor to be shocked, but he didn't sound like that at all. Maybe he encountered a similar instance elsewhere?
"So...if I tinker with it, there is a high probability that it will begin taking a mind of its own. Be prepared for that, because it can be an interesting experience."
"Got it."
"Wha-?! Wait, we got forty eggs that round! I counted!" Octa puffed her cheeks out. "That human must've done something to those eggs, I'm sure of it! I should pen this info to Jesse..."
"Uhhh.........did I miss something over in the desert...?"
“[For your sanity and for mine, don’t pry too much ,ok?]”
"Oh! I have no idea what you're saying!!! Don't worry, we'll get you out of here!!!!!! It's the way of the Squidbeak Splatoon!!!!!!!!!!!!"
The gremlin is then dragged off by others before an attempted rescue can take place.
......
"EEEEEHHHH?! AND YOU WAITED TO TELL US THIS FOR THIS LONG?!"
"E-Emmy?! What's the matter?!" Octa gasped, running over.
"UGH, Jesse just let me know what went down in Splatsville. THEY FOUGHT IN SPACE!!!"
"Wha-?!" Theo fell over on his chair. "Aw man, we missed all that?! Bummer...."
"Good to know I miss ALLL the good stuff..."
"Uhhh.........did I miss something over in the desert...?"
"LULU." Tave ran into the room, Veronica tagging close behind. "I HEARD THERE WAS TALK OF A BABY??? WHAT'S THE MEANING OF THIS."
Collin blinked as Lulu began to whine.
"Not so loud!!! I'm trying to keep it on the low tide. Yes, we're expecting. Just found out a few weeks ago," Lulu huffed, "It's mine and my fiance's."
"S-So mean...." Octavio whined.
"It's the hormones. She might be a little moody as a result." Veronica punched him in the arm, making him rub it to soothe the pain. "Here, sweetie, I've gotten some swaddling blankets and older baby clothes from Mikoto and Octa for the little one."
"Waaah..... WAIT, FIANCE?!"
"Shuuuuush!!"
@manysquidsandoctos moved from here!
“It’s all good! Me and Aqua have been talking all friendly again, and now I’m in charge of Cuttlefish Cabin~ I’m like, a big responsible adult now!”
“I’m glad you’re all good, Sabi. I know it can be hard to talk to others sometimes - Tay?!?! OMC!!! Mr. Tay, it’s me, Emmy! I wanna say hi!!! I wanna catch up it’s been such a long time!!! Come back!!!”
“I’m so relieved to hear that.” Sabi relaxes his shoulders—he hadn’t even realised he’d been tensing them. “I’m getting better at going out, but um yes, it can be very exhausting.” Turning to look at Tay, he’s surprised how much distance he’s made already. But the emperor isn’t looking where he’s going.
“I know who it is!! You’ll never catch me alive!!” Tay yells behind him, right before tumbling over a cooling box.
“Watch out…” Sabi warns him far too late.
"That's good! You should really try making some friends, too! I can always help out if you'd like. It's not like I have anything better to do given half the Splatoon is off in the desert..."
Emmy giggles at the emperor's pitiful attempt at running away from her. She skips merrily over to him, crouches over and jabs his side with her index finger. "Mr. Tay, you can't get away from me~ I'll always catch up to you! How've you been? Heard you got the stuffing beat out of you by Lil' ol' Ribbon! That must take a toll on your reputation. How's your love life? You got a girlfriend yet? Any new scars from raging battles?" The babbling prattles on, and the poking keeps occuring....
"Sabiiiiii! Where have you been it's been ages!!!!" Emmy whined. "Also, where's Mr. Tay? I want to say hello!!"
"Em! I'm so glad to see you! I've been worried." Sabi puts his left hand down, only to clasp it with his right. "You're okay? Been safe? Made any new friends? ... I'm sorry, I've been at home. You're welcome any time. But I've also been helping Tay out, and he's—oh, he's right over..."
"...Tay? Where are you going?!"
"It's all good! Me and Aqua have been talking all friendly again, and now I'm in charge of Cuttlefish Cabin~ I'm like, a big responsible adult now!"
"I'm glad you're all good, Sabi. I know it can be hard to talk to others sometimes - Tay?!?! OMC!!! Mr. Tay, it's me, Emmy! I wanna say hi!!! I wanna catch up it's been such a long time!!! Come back!!!"