The ocean water splashed as slime spread on the ground below, The salmonids rushed from every angle possible, and within an amazing feat, pure ink sliced through their dirty scales, keeping them at bay.

Lyra rushed through Salmonid with a firm grip on her loaned Dynamo roller, swinging with so much strength, precision, and speed, she cut through the hoard with no form of hesitation.

A FlyFish launched their missiles towards her, and she immediately dodged the missiles left and right. One last missile came straight for her face, but she evaded it, then grabbed onto the missile with her hand.

After noticing a bobble flow through the water, she noticed a green ring soon appear in under her, and after already noticing what was coming, Lyra jumped up in the air just as a Maw launched from the Ink, with its mouth wide open, ready to bite through her body. Lyra glared at the Maw below, and instead of throwing a splat bomb like the grizzco manual properly states, Lyra aggressively threw the missile from the FlyFish straight into the Maw's mouth instead, making it shoot straight down its throat and splat it once it exploded, still getting the job done, but just in her own way.

She noticed 3 golden eggs fall from the Maw and she grabbed onto one, picking it up and tossing it up in the air, swinging her Dynamo like a baseball bat to knock the egg straight at the basket and land perfectly inside.

Before she could deal with the next two eggs, she heard footsteps running straight through the slime towards her, and she looked over to see a coworker Octoling boy rush towards her while holding onto a loaned sloshing machine.

Octoling boy: you're amazing Ms. Lyra! I wanted to come over and assist you but you cleared the swarm before I had the chance!

Lyra: *little smile* thank you. Considering that you intended on helping me.....here....

Lyra sat down her Dynamo and grabbed onto both of the golden eggs. She held them both in her hands and tossed one to the Octoling, which he caught with one hand, but when she tossed the second egg, the boy quickly managed to catch it within his sloshing machine.

Lyra: do you mind placing these within the basket?......

Octoling boy: of course!

Octoling girl: hey no fair! I want to take one from Ms. Lyra too!

Octoling boy:.........*runs away*..

Octoling girl: GET BACK HERE!!

Just as the boy ran off with the Octoling girl chasing him, Lyra began to smell smoke coming the wall next to her. Watching it sizzle and noticing a green circle that began to form......steam began to flow from the circle, just as Lyra noticed, she immediately jumped away just as a green laser of slime shot from the wall. A Stinger has emerged onto the shoreline......

The laser followed Lyra, and after she grabbed her dynamo she began to run and also head in the same direction to the boss salmonid, making her way past Chums, Cohocks, and kicking Small fry's out of her way.

She cut a corner of the map, ready to fight....but when she showed....she saw Rose shooting a loaned .96 Gal, knocking down the pots with ease. Once the singer was splatted, Rose jumped from a cohock that tried to hit her, kicking the salmonid in the face before grabbing onto an egg.

Lyra noticed a scrapper emerge from the shore in front of Rose, aggressively shoving her and making her lose her balance, and just as the scrapper was going to continue their onslaught, Rose was surrounded by salmonid. Lyra jumped into action with her Dynamo and immediately splatted the lesser salmon in an instant before Rose's eyes.

She jumped over Rose and slammed her dynamo straight down on the scrapper, crushing its metal and splatting it, sending slime in all directions, which included her own face slightly.

After clearing the hoard in the blink of an eye, Rose turned around to notice Lyra, who then turned around herself and gave a small smile of embarrassment while wiping the slime off of her own cheek.

Lyra: I suppose that was a bit of an overkill, huh?......*giggle* I apologize, little Octo.

Lyra leaned down and quickly hooked one golden egg within her net, then grabbed onto another egg as well, resting her dynamo over her shoulder while walking away.

Lyra: I just got a little bit worried for you......I didn't wanna see someone like yourself get shredded to bits by those salmonid. But your fighting against them prior was very impressive, you just simply slipped up by cornering yourself by the shoreline.

Rose felt a small thump of her heart after hearing her own idol's compliment, and small bit of criticism. Since Rose already had a golden egg strapped to her within a net, she followed Lyra's lead and grabbed onto an extra egg, holding it with one hand as her .96 Gal was in her opposite hand, catching up and walking by Lyra's side.

Lyra: I see you're also skilled with other weapons too. I try to be a bit fluent myself, but I can be slightly off at times.

Rose nodded adorably as they reached the egg basket, tossing In their remaining eggs and turned to look towards the shore, noticing the salmonids retreat straight back into the water.

Lyra: I believe our work here is done....

A siren went off to signal the end of their shift, and they were all eventually greeted with the sound of Mr. Grizz.

Mr. Grizz: good work! you're definitely some of the best employees I've ever had!

Rose:.....*rolls her eyes*....

Mr. Grizz: Now get back to the boat so you can all head ho-M\/€€£+++<<{¥zz~,,€¥'......*connection lost*....

Octoling boy: h-hello!? Mr. Grizz sir!?

Octoling girl: oh no.....WE'RE GONNA DIE!!!

As the two Octolings began to scream and run in circles, Lyra reached behind herself and grabbed her Life Saver, unhooking it from her back and looked at a small black radio box that was attached to it, noticing a blinking red light, tapping it slowly with her finger.

Lyra:.....hm......that's odd.....again?....

Rose: *head tilt*

Lyra: recently our signal has been pretty harsh.........it's probably because the radios are simply getting old though.....so they're finally starting to break and wear down....

Lyra looked over to the two Octolings that ran in circles while screaming their heads off. She shook her head and walked over to the two of them while hooking her life saver on her back, then reaching both of her hands out, grabbing the Octoling boy, then soon the Octoling girl with ease.

Lyra:.....calm yourselves.......our lost signal does not interfere with our method of transportation.

Lyra let go of the two octolings after seeing that they finally calmed down, then pointed in the distance towards the boat.

Lyra: let's head back. I'll see what I can do to fix the situation for us and future employees.

Octoling boy: Ms. Lyra....I-I have a question first....if you don't mind...

Lyra: what is it?

Octoling boy: the salmonids......they've been.....a lot more aggressive.....recently....

Lyra: well considering you're a high ranked employee, it only makes sense for you to be sent out on higher hazard shifts.

Octoling boy: w-well I know that but....

Octoling girl: I noticed it too......it's just....

The Octoling girl looked towards the sea.....tensing up a little.

Octoling girl:.......more than usual....

Lyra:......

Octoling boy: it kinda feels as if they're.....not trying to splat us anymore......they're just trying to.......kill us.....

Lyra:....hm.....

Even Rose noticed the weird change within the salmonid atmosphere recently.....and when she looked at Lyra, she saw her holding her own chin and thinking to herself, but shook her head not that long later.......she let out a small sigh, walking away and in the direction of the boat.

Lyra:......again, I believe you both are overreacting a bit........but......I'll still try to look in on it......

Lyra turned into her octopus form and super jumped away towards the boat, and Rose, alongside the 2 other octolings jumped through the air together as well, with Rose flowing right next to them, hearing them talk to each other.

Octoling boy: you don't think we made Ms. Lyra mad, right?....

Octoling girl:........I-I hope not......

Rose and the 2 octolings landed on the boat together, and once their boots hit the surface, a large horn went off to signal the boat's departure from the salmon territory. The boat began to slowly drift and turn, and everyone could only feel a slight sense of relief now that they could relax during the sail back to Inkopolis.

Just then, a large crate on the deck opened up and they all respectfully placed in their weapons that were loaned to them inside. After a job well done, Rose and the Octolings parted ways on the boat as it began to sail, beginning a conversation to pass the time. Rose walked down the side of the ship, seeing Lyra leaning against the railing of the boat.

Rose walked towards Lyra and stood next to her, leaning over the railing as well, watching her take off her Grizzco cap and allow the kelp on her head to sway in the wind once more.

Lyra:....being a symbol is definitely not easy, little Octo.....but it's quite obvious that you knew that already, huh?.........I'm just amazed on how long I've lasted with such a title....being the very first top 500 Octoling in this generation is truly an honor I must say......

Rose:......*head tilt*......

Lyra:......y-yeah......that was quite random, wasn't it?.....I apologize.....it just feels easy to talk to you.....your silence just......speaks in a weird way.....it's a bit silly, but also fascinating.

A large smile grew on Rose's face, knowing that basically her existence alone was enough to satisfy her Icon.....being a big fan of Lyra for quite some time, and trying to follow within her footsteps to become just as talented of an E-Liter as her, and even getting the chance to show her skills to Lyra last night during the splatfest.......even though it took her way too long to notice it was ACTUALLY her......

The splatfest as a whole was pretty....harsh in the eyes of society...and after the awkward performance of the squid sisters, it just felt as if everything began to fall apart from that point......and sadly it lasted, but also got worse throughout the entire weekend....which was definitely the last straw for many.....

Friday brought confusion.....Saturday brought disappointment......and Sunday brought hatred..........most would claim for it to be known as the worst splatfest in history......and even though it technically was.....with no form of contest whatsoever.....Rose deep down thought of that weekend to be a truly meaningful and happy experience for her.....but it was just simply because of the many benefits that came to her so unexpectedly......

She met the squid sisters and got so much more than simply a autograph, and not even that long later, Off the Hook greeted her with open arms as well, being able to ride within their limousine and form a bond with the two, and the cherry on top would be meeting Lyra herself. The 3 icons she loved and cherished.......but obviously the aspect she cherished the most was leagues in front of the idols.....and she dozed off a bit more as she thought specifically about it.....specifically about......her.....

The Inkling girl that she dedicated her weekend to........and even now, she's still ridiculously thankful that she even said yes to the deal in the first place.....even though they only interacted for a single weekend......it felt as if it lasted much longer.......weeks.....years even.....

She learned so much on her within that span of time.....even seeing her express emotions that she knew nobody else would ever witness from a girl like her........

No matter how hard she tried......she always felt the urge to learn more on her...........there was still so much more about her that Rose knew was locked away........she knew she barely scratched the surface of that Inkling..........and even though she told her she was not going to let Rose dig too deep into her life........she respected her decision......yet knew......that she specifically said she was "NOT" going to.......but she didn't say she was "NEVER" going to......there was still hope........

But she sadly had to give her the respect she deserves......avoiding her and using all of her strength to try and maintain a form of composure around her......the farther away she is.....the happier the inkling would be.....she stated it herself...

Just then, Rose heard a grunt of pain, and she looked towards Lyra, seeing the octoling holding onto her arm, trying to take steady breaths, concerning her.

Lyra: I-I'm alright........don't worry yourself.....

Rose got a bit confused, but soon saw Lyra take off one of her rubber gloves, then pulled up her sleeve to show Rose a scar of her own, which was corrupted with sanitized ink.

Lyra: I was sadly one of the unlucky ones when it came to my experience within the Octarian army.......my journey to the promise land alongside my divisional squadron was ambushed.........by our own kind.......they were completely infected with the sanitized ink....most of my squadron was killed......and it left my arm in this bad condition......but I'm also hurting myself at the same time...my E-Liter is very heavy....it's weight strains my arm.....and not to mention I just used a dynamo roller.

Rose: *scribble*

~~
"Why don't you just switch weapons? That's obviously a simple solution"
~~

Lyra: it's a simple solution, yes, but my pride would never allow me to replace my E-Liter. I said earlier that I've been trying different weapons, but I'm not as skilled with them.

Lyra lifted one of her hands, pointed to the kelp on her head.

Lyra: I am a Octarian soldier by heart, all of us octolings take a form of dedication to our weapons we once used down below. Im obviously a part of that connection.....but the only aspect that I have over others is my kelp......most remove theirs when they start a new life on the surface.....but not me.....I'm just.....different I guess....

~~
"It seems like all of us are bonded in any way, shape, or form....because of our pasts as soldiers, but this corruption of ink is something we just have to suffer from for the rest of our lives"
~~

Lyra: exactly.....I've noticed the same, little octo.......it's just.......

Lyra let out a long sigh while pulling her sleeve back down to cover her scar.

Lyra: I hate that we all just wanted freedom......and even though we did achieve that goal........everyone had to witness and give a sacrifice.........

~~
"It truly is heartbreaking......my sacrifice was the main cause of me and my lack of communication"
~~

Lyra: lack of communication?....wait.....little Octo.....you....can speak, right?.....

Just as she did to everyone else prior, Rose pulled down her scarf and showed Lyra her own sanitized scar on her neck.

Lyra:.............so that's why you write those notes....I was going to ask you eventually about that because I just assumed u were a quiet girl who had the ability to speak, but chose not to, and you also wear a scarf around your neck with your uniform..........which looks very weird......

Rose:...*blush*...

Lyra looked at the sanitized ink on Rose's neck, and soon her own scar began to glow on her arm, being visible through her shirt.......

Lyra:....it's out of your control......now I understand....we're......connected...

Rose: *head tilt*....

Lyra:.........I've been feeling this.....weird form of sensation within my arm........as if it was trying to tell me something........when I entered Inkopolis.....this feeling only got stronger.......and when I saw you........it skyrocketed........

Rose:......

Lyra:.........little Octo.....during the massacre to my squadron.......only two of my comrades actually survived.......and......we all wanted to climb together to reach the high ranks of top 500....it wasn't just my dream.....it was theirs too....I assume you know who they are, correct?

~~
"of course I do! Their names are Cade and Akari! You three are still undefeated to this day! Winning over 50 matches in a row! You won the splat cup championships with beautiful synergy between your E-Liter, Cade's sloshing machine, and Akari's N-Zap! I watched all of your battles!"
~~

Lyra: wow........you really are a big fan, huh?....

Rose: *B L U S H*

~~
"Sorry.....I got too excited....."
~~

Lyra: *giggle* there's no reason to apologize, it's adorable........but.....speaking of "syncing"......I'm sure that you would simply fit in with ease....

~~
Fit in?
~~

Lyra: We have all been looking for a 4th team member for quite some time now....but we had no luck.....until now that Is.........

Rose began to catch on with Lyra's words , and once she realized what she was talking about, uncontrollable whimpers began to slip from her mouth.

Lyra: *ahem*...Rose........

Lyra extended her hand out towards Rose, giving her a prideful smile.

Lyra: do you want to join my team as our fourth and final member? Knowing from your skills, your synergy would be amazing on my team. Even though we both use E-Liters, I see it as a good training opportunity for me, and you could teach me how to be more flexible such as yourself.....not to mention training from you will ease my pain within my arm, we will share the role of Backlines, with both of us swapping around quite often.....

Rose stood completely still as if her connection was unstable, but she soon began to shake uncontrollably as her face beamed in a glowing red from her blush......steam slowly flowed off of her as her Inky tentacles began to boil.........she looked at Lyra's hand, then straight up towards her not too long later.

Lyra: well?.......don't keep me waiting now, silly~

Rose: *whimper*.....

Lyra:....hm.....ah, wait actually....I apologize for not asking this beforehand....but...

Lyra slowly curled up her hand as she pulled it back and away from Rose.

Lyra: are you already in a team? I don't want to take you away from the ones you already assigned yourself to.

Rose shook her head towards Lyra, with her question finally bringing her back down to earth.

Lyra: is that so?.........huh.......I'm surprised honestly.....I thought you would at least have that inkling girl as your partner.......Dawn......considering that she also has a connection with the both of us due to the Sanitized ink......

Rose: *scribble*....

~~
"I wish it was longer......but It was only during the splatfest"
~~

Lyra:.......you "wish" huh?....

Rose:.......*nod nod*.....

Lyra:......I see...............so....let me put aside my offer for a second.......I want to ask you something different just to get a clear understanding of your goals. Is that alright with you?

Rose:....*nod nod*...

Lyra:.....do you mind describing exactly how you feel about Dawn?..........your thoughts?......

Lyra saw Rose blush a little more than usual....and her pen pressed onto the clean paper........Lyra waited patiently for her response, with Rose obviously writing much more than usual......but when she was finished, she handed the note over to Lyra, who immediately noticed her words covering the small slip of paper so much that she clearly had to write in a much more smaller text to fit everything on that small page.

~~
"She makes me feel......very warm inside.....she was the second employee that Shade hired after me. I can tell that she's hurt......I want to help her.....but it's very difficult. Despite her own statements towards herself......I think that she's really beautiful in my eyes, and skilled, and even supportive. Even though she seems very...negative......I just have a feeling that.....that's not her true self......."
~~

Lyra:....mm....alright.....

Rose: *scribble scribble*

Lyra: oh goodness, you're still going....

~~
"I know I'm getting somewhere with her....she still got mad at me a lot.......but she apologized to me multiple times because of it.........even now....I also want to apologize myself......i was too much for her to handle over the splatfest, and I didn't respect her boundaries like she told me to....."
~~

Lyra: there's.....no need to blame yourself, little Octo.....

Lyra looked at the second note as Rose continued her rant, and under her breath, Lyra let out a small scoff when she finished reading.....

~~
"But it is my fault. I made her cry when I pushed my curiosity too far.....i saw tears in her eyes at that moment......She expressed emotions other than anger and hatred during the splatfest."
~~

Lyra:......*mumble* I find that hard to believe.....

Lyra looked away and slightly clenched the railing of the boat....she sighed and was about to tell Rose to stop, but before she had the chance, Rose gave her yet another, and hopefully her last note......and Lyra took the note from her....holding it a bit more tighter than before.

~~
" I love her, Ms. Lyra.........i really....do..."
~~

Lyra:..........No you don't......

Rose was taken aback by Lyra's..........very cold tone.....seeing her crumble up all of the notes she gave her before, then toss the ball of paper into the ocean.......Rose couldn't see Lyra's face because she was looking away from her, but she heard her breathe in and out roughly, even making her veins visible from her hand......it was ridiculously awkward with the silence.....Lyra calmed herself, and when she turned her head, She didn't completely face Rose, but instead look at the water, seeing her paper ball slowly get more and more soaked before it finally sank down into the ocean.....

Lyra:...........I........I'm terribly sorry.........sometimes the sanitized ink can strengthen my emotions.......also I...didn't mean to litter....that was extremely disrespectful and immature of me.....

~~
"Are you okay?"
~~

Lyra: y-yes yes......I'm fine.......I just got a bit......concerned for you.......that's all.....since you suffer from the same condition as me.....

Rose:......

Lyra:.....you're....sanitized, Rose......one of the infected.........and I don't really think you're......aware how this curse truly works.......

~~
"What do you mean?"
~~

Lyra:........we're blank.......this infection strips us from who we once were..........who we were remembered by........we have no form of emotions towards others outside of our sanitized atmosphere..........we only care for each other.....it's as if we're just........Zombies.....in a way....

Rose:....

Lyra: you don't love that Inkling, Rose......not at the state you're in......it's the ink....the sanitized infection you both suffer from is the real reason why you two are drawn towards each other in such a mindless manner......."Love".......doesn't exist for us.......its a form of manipulation that the Commander himself implanted in us.......hoping that we will one day reunite as one and destroy everything in our path to rebuild his dream world......his death did erase him from this plain.....but his motives......and evil aspects still live on inside of our minds..........

Rose saw Lyra shamelessly look away......and even she thought long and deep about herself......her thoughts.....her feelings.....and her kindness and love she displayed towards Dawn........it was a painful and disgusting form of realization.........but instead of her body tensing up and starting to feel cold............or a negative form of shock inflict her and throw her brain into a scrabbled mess.......or even feeling her ink flow slower and cause a depressing form of questioning towards the truth......it was the opposite.....

She felt more loose.....more warm.....more courageous........and she began to scribble into her notepad.....with her emotional strength pushing her to write faster and faster.....and Lyra was silently shocked towards Rose......she huffed....then ripped the paper and handed it to her.....

~~
"I understand where you're coming from, Ms. Lyra....and even if it's true....I wouldn't be involved in that side effect whatsoever....I know it"
~~

Lyra:......really now?.........what makes you say that?....

Rose: *S C R I B B L E*

~~
"You stated that we act like zombies in a way, and this ink is just an evil corruption of our minds. Even though I do have this evil essence flowing through my body, I know that it would never allow me to feel this deeply about Dawn in the first place. I would only feel pain, but when I'm with her...I feel nothing but confidence to help her, and happiness whenever I see her walk through the Café doors to start her work alongside me....those are my real emotions....not the commander's corruption. Zombies are mindless monsters, but just as you stated with your Kelp, I'm not like the others, and I'd never allow myself to associate and merge with a crowd like that"
~~

Lyra:.........*flips the note*.....you're even writing on the back of the paper.....

~~
"If I wasn't in love with her, my heart would've never began to beat faster whenever she was near me, the ink within me would've never boiled so hot, a smile would've never formed on my face, and I would've never attempted to hold her hand or even persistently try to help her....those were true emotions on the inside....but...I do have a question to you then, Ms. Lyra".....
~~

Lyra: A....question?....

~~
"Considering that we're both sanitized.....this curse applies to you too........I look up to you and admire you..............I like you..........but.......do you really like me?...........or.....is this the Commander's doing?.....did you offer me a spot on your team because you truly wanted me to Turf by your side? Or was it to rebuild the commanders army like you stated earlier"
~~

Lyra:...............R-Rose...........I-

Just then, a phone began to ring and break the two out of their conversation. Rose looked at Lyra and saw her patting her own uniform, eventually reaching inside and pulling out her phone, accepting the call after noticing that it was simply her squad-mate Octoling boy, Cade.

L: Yes?

C: Lyra, Where the heck are ya!? Me and Akari are waiting for you in Albacore!

L: oh....I'm.....still here in Inkopolis.....kinda....

C: you're STILL there!? The splatfest ended yesterday though!? You said you'd be back here in time for the Post Fest Parade!

L: I know...I deeply apologize, Cade...I just got a little side tracked.....that's all....

A: is that Lyra on the phone!?

C: yeah, she got sidetracked and she's STILL at Inkopolis!

A: Uuuuuugh! Lyraaaaaa, hurry uuuup!! I wanna grab something to eat! I don't know how much longer I can hold out for!

C: yeah, same here!

L:....u-uh....you two shouldn't have....waited for me like that.....I still have some unfinished business that I need to do here.......so.....you two should go grab a meal without me.....

C: what!? c'mon Lyra, what the hell!? This is the 3rd time you turned us down when we wanted to hang out.

A: why have you been canceling your plans with us so much recently? It seems as if you don't wanna be around us anymore......

C: yeah, you've been very distant......are you alright?....

A: are you still mad that Cade ate your crusty seanwich out of the fridge the other day? He said he was sorry.

C: yeah! I said I was sorr-.....wait a minute.....YOU WERE THE ONE WHO ATE IT, AKARI!! DON'T BLAME THAT ON ME!!!

A: once again.....he said he was sorry.....

L: g-guys....

Rose heard the ongoing screaming from Cade and Akari blast through Lyra's phone, and she simply smiled once she directed her attention back up to Lyra, seeing a very small blush form.....and even she let out a small smile herself, going against her own words to her earlier and proving herself wrong about love......but suddenly......Rose noticed a struggle coming from her......then....her blush and smile left as fast as they appeared.......which sadly dimmed down her own expression as well.....

L: I uh.......told you guys that I felt a strong sensation....remember?......

A: yeah. That's the only reason why you wanted to participate in the splatfest.....from what you told us at least....

L: yes, I came here for another reason as well....I.....believe I found.....the perfect one......

C:....perfect one?.....wait.....you don't mean-

A: *GASP* OH MY COD, OUR 4th AND FINAL SQUADMATE!!?

C: heh....i guess they must be the real deal if you said "the perfect one" instead of "a new one"....

L:.......her name is Rose......and she hasn't completely made up her mind with this......but I do.....have a plan of my own to help her figure out her answer.....

Lyra looked at Rose and saw her completely zoning out during the conversation, and Lyra raised her hand and gently tapped Rose on the shoulder.

Lyra:.....are you alright?.....you looked a little....upset for a second.....

Rose shook her head quickly as a lie, giving Lyra a small, yet fake smile for not answering her question prior about her feelings towards her.

Lyra:.....if you....uh....say so......I had a small request for you regarding your invitation to my squad with Akari and Cade.......

Rose: *head tilt*...

Lyra: how does a trip to the Albacore District sound? I can pay for your access, and once you're in, you could spend a nice amount of time with Cade and Akari while I'm finishing my business down here in Inkopolis-

Rose: *shakes her head*

Lyra:........oh......y-you don't want to go?....but you were so on board with this not too long ag-....uh......Little Octo.........what are you doing?.......

Lyra stared at Rose and saw her sit down on the hard ground of the boat, grabbing onto her boot with a long grunt, pulling it as hard she could, eventually slipping her foot out and flipping the boot around, patting it, which made a bunch of small materials fall out.....and even another notepad for no fucking reason.

Lyra:........you walked around and fought against the salmonids with.....all of that stuff in your boot?........even an extra notepad?.....

Rose: *nod nod*...

Lyra:.........do you.....have stuff in the other boot as well?......

Rose lifted her other foot that was still covered by her boot and shook it awkwardly in the air. Lyra walked closer and kneeled down a little, hearing a small shift and a jingle of metal clashing together.....

Lyra:...........are those.....keys that I'm hearing?......

Rose: *Nod Nod Nod*

Lyra:.........

C: damn.......she's a trooper.....I can tell I'm instantly gonna love her. We already have something in common.

A: wait, you....put your stuff in your boots too?....

C: when we're off wrecking Salmonids, definitely.

A: why!? Mr. Grizz gave us lockers for a reason!

C: do you really think I would trust those Rusty, dented, scratched, and bent up lockers to hold my stuff? C'mon Akari.......

A:...............noted.......

C: eeeeeeeexactly!

A:..........maybe I should start doing that too.....

C: welcome to the club.

Lyra saw Rose pick up her wallet that was dropped onto the floor, opening it and pulling out her ticket to Albacore that she received from Pearl earlier on within the day.

Lyra: oh......it looks like Off The Hook beat us to it.......so that explains why they were at the Café when I stepped inside....since you're already going to Albacore anyway, this is much more in your favor if you want to simply meet up with Akari and Cade. When I return, that's when we'll all decide....

C: Yo Rose! Have you ever been to the Post Fest Parade?

Rose shook her head towards Lyra, obviously not being able to respond with actual words in the call.

C:........Rose?...

L: the post fest parade is an event that happens in the Albacore district.

C: awe c'mon! I wanna expl-

L: After every splatfest, a Parade will form and stroll its way through the district. It's a form of celebration that gifts the talented individuals who truly worked hard and played at their best during the weekend. The theme of the parade will take after the winning team, so for this upcoming parade, it will be themed after Octo Buns. The individuals on team Octo buns who had a perfect performance will be given a Medal of Honor.

C: uh....yeah, what she said!....even though I wanted to say it!

L: Hush Cade......*ahem*....so.....are you on board with the arrangements, Little Octo?....

A: if you wanna hang with us and bring one of your other pals to tag along so you don't feel too overwhelmed, that's cool too!

C: yeah! Whatever's comfortable with you, Rose!

Rose: *blush*....*nod nod*....

Lyra: alright then....*sigh* we're reaching the shoreline to Inkopolis.......I'll try to keep you two updated.....I apologize for not doing so prior....to this.

C: yeah yeah whateves! We'll catch you after the Parade!

A: please stay safe, Lyra! We love you Blueberry!

Rose saw Lyra end the call, in a slightly awkward and embarrassed state.....

Lyra:......I slipped on a blueberry once...t-that's why she said that....they tease me on it from time to time.....

Rose:...*snicker*..

Lyra: you're on their side too, huh?....ugh....I'm never gonna live that down...

Lyra leaned over the railing of the boat, Rose walked over to her after putting back on her boots and grabbing all of her belongings.

Lyra:........as you already could tell....Cade and Akari are both extremely kind and generous Octolings........most of the new cephalopods who get around to knowing my name would assume that my other two members were just as....stern and serious as myself......but it's rather the opposite.

~~
"They seem to really adore you though. It's nice to hear a conversation with you and them in person like this. You guys barely talk within actual battles that I've watched"
~~

Lyra: well....because we have to focus on the actual goal on our mind, Little Octo.....we all sync together rather well.......Cade and Akari are just as skilled as me.....and they can definitely keep up with me, even in dire situations....

~~
"Well they're your friends too, and they already seem so supportive"
~~

Lyra:.........Friends..........y-yes.......

Once again, Lyra's hesitation was heard, and she slowly let go of the railing as the boat's horn blew just as it reached the boardwalk behind the building of Grizzco Industries. Rose fixed herself up and Lyra watched her walk past her, waiting for the Jellies to tie the line from the boat onto the chocks of the pier....and Lyra gently grabbed Rose's shoulder......

Lyra:........hey.....

Rose: *looks at Lyra*

Lyra: if you......ever went through a traumatic experience within your past years..........an experience that changed your name.....your lifestyle.....your reputation.......who you are as an Octoling...........walking around aimlessly for years with no form of happiness to fill the void left within your heart..........what would you even do?.......

Lyra waited for Rose to start writing within her notepad, but the Octoling never began to write anyway.......she instead responded to her by giving her a heartwarming and meaningful smile as her message.......and Lyra could understand everything from that one smile.....no words needed whatsoever......

The path from the boat to the pier was finally lowered and available, and Lyra watched Rose walk own to the pier......slipping away from her hand....then suddenly the two Octoling co workers prior immediately dashed past Lyra, making her slightly stumble.

Octoling boy: it was a pleasure to fight by your side, Ms. Lyra!

Octoling girl: oh, also Mr. Grizz wants to speak with you in private! Is he gonna give you extra rewards or something!? If so, can you get me some too!?

Lyra:.....uh.....

Octoling boy: ME TOO!!

Lyra: I'll.....see what I can do?......

Octoling girl: YES! You're the best, Ms. Lyra!

Lyra:.....t-thank you......

The two joyful Octos headed within the Grizzco building to obviously change their gear to go out and continue on with their day. Even though Rose was inside of the building as well in front of the two Octolings, Lyra could still feel her presence within her hand that she touched........

Lyra thought long and hard about the look Rose gave her, and even though she understood what Rose was expressing towards her.......something still just.....felt bad for her in her mind........

She wanted to embrace the advice........she truly did........but she couldn't shake the uneasy feeling within herself............a feeling of........Disgust.......

Lyra:.........(your kindness is truly beautiful, Little Octo.........but........I don't believe you understand the true torture of real trauma......)