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Thida's Origins - Dye the Moon Blue
The Octoling girl was still on her balcony. Thida sat in her doorway, the warm summer sunset casting a pink glow on the apartment bulding's white walls. It was faint, but the sound of last-minute preparations for tonight's big Splatfest were still going strong, and Thida knew that once the sky was pitch black, the city would light it up again.
Her first Splatfest. Her first real chance at fun since this all began.
"Don't wanna come?"
The Octoling glanced at her nervously.
"Don't gotta play. Can dance 'n stuff."
"...I'm not a good dancer," The Octoling, Phaloe, mumbled. She drew her knees up to her chest and looked out into the sky. It was as if she were trying to drink in as much of it as she possibly could. "And I don't have any other clothes."
Yeah, that - that would be a problem if she went down into the plaza in her armor, tentacles out for all to see, wouldn't it? She hadn't gone back to Octo Valley, and hadn't given a reason why, but Thida thought...well, if she was staying here, even after all that had happened, did she have anywhere else to go? Thida knew she curled up out of sight on the balcony to sleep, and only seemed to eat when the squid shared her meals with her. Was there really no one for Phaloe to go home to?
She let out a gurgly little sigh, scooting out so she could join Phaloe on the balcony proper. "Can come inside, then. If y'want. I'll be out all night."
A plane soared overhead, the sound of its engines faint.
"Is that really alright?"
"Mhm. My 'partment." Thida stood then, gesturing for Phaloe to follow. "Can sleep 'n have noodles. Watch TV, take a bath." When Phaloe didn't move, Thida tapped her on the shoulder, and those big green eyes swiveled to meet hers. "'S cool. C'mon."
~*~
The brilliant sparkle of fireworks could be seen throughout the city on a Splatfest, but no place was more brilliant than the city's plaza. Music thrummed through the pavement and signs were everywhere, Inklings urged to tag them with support for their teams. Team Cat and Team Dog danced and mingled before the Squid Sisters, who beamed as they performed atop their impromptu stages. Once, between sets, Thida could swear they winked at her as she was trying to make her way through the crowds, but...they couldn't have known who she was, right? There were so many Inklings here, it didn't matter if she had been Agent 3 in the kettles. Here, she was just one of many. Wasn't it the same to them?
She fought in a few battles before anything really interesting happened. Oddly enough, Team Dog seemed to be flooding the arenas, and adult Inklings and jellyfish were working overtime to get these hyper kids into battles, even if it was fun ones against their fellow Dogs that didn't count for Splatfest proper. Everyone overflowed with energy, eager to play in places at night, if only to see how brightly their ink could glow. It was in one battle such as this that would change Thida's life forever.
They were in the Kelp Dome. It was a great place to rack up points, especially for an Inkbrush if you worked quickly enough, and that's just what Thida was doing, leaping from puddle to puddle and pushing herself further and further into 'enemy' territory. For a while, it seemed, she hadn't run into anyone of the opposing team, and it was strange, very strange. Usually she would have been ambushed by an entire squad now, probably packing those ridiculously fast Aerosprays, but -
- Ah! There it was, the sound of spraying shooters. It didn't sound far either. Thida quickly changed directions, Inkbrush to the ground and ready to run through the goop to see just what was happening, but before she could start, she saw a squid jump high into the air, and several voices groaned in exasperation after it, shooting at the high-flyer in vain as they fell, and fell, and fell...towards Thida.
She backpedaled just as the other Inkling hit the ground, reforming in one goopy instant. It was another girl, Thida noticed, and one that she vaguely remembered entering the lobby with; tanned skin, N-Zap '85 shaking in her hands, timid pink eyes and Blueberry Casuals that hadn't been broken in yet, judging by how tenderly she seemed to step. When she saw Thida, she let out a cry of relief.
"Oh, thank goodness!" She exclaimed, "Oh thank goodness - I thought I was the only one left!"
Thida blinked. "Only one?"
"Everyone else on our side bailed for the lobby while we were inking the base," The girl said. Overhead, the timer chimed: one minute left. "Or, maybe, the spawn glitched out? I don't know how it works, I, they just - poofed into ink?"
Oh. Oh, yeah, that was a spawn glitch. Not surprising. Hadn't they been working on getting all the spawn points back up and running once the Great Zapfish returned? Granted, a glitch didn't mean anyone would be hurt, it just kicked squids out of a battle. But if they were the only two left on their side...
The sound of one, two, three - four shooters closing in made Thida bristle. Augh, what the splat was this? Did the spawn really cut their team in half and leave the other intact?
"...They took a lot of map?"
"Huh?" The girl looked at her, surprised by such a tone, and then looked behind her. "Uh, yeah, I think so. S-Sorry, I don't like to...I, I don't like to splat people, and I don't have great aim, I..."She ducked her head, blushing. "Oh, we're going to lose, aren't we?"
Well, yes, of course they were going to lose. A team of two didn't have much of a chance against a team of four, no matter what kind of skill you were packing - and perhaps, if it had been another Inkling this girl had jumped to, she would've been laughed at for not wanting to splat anyone. But Thida couldn't help the warm feeling in her chest when she looked at this girl, how honestly timid she was, how positively green she was to Turf Wars...it reminded her of another encounter in the dome, of another girl, and much more dire circumstances.
Thida smiled and took the girl's hand, winking as she slapped her Inkbrush to the ground. "'S okay!" She said, and with what few seconds they had left, they ran.
~*~
Thida and the girl left the lobby after that battle, both agreed that they needed a rest. They had lost, of course, and terribly, but the opposing team hadn't caught up to them, and that was what was important. Suffering a splat when the timer ran out was like a slap in the face to one's pride, and it felt pretty awful too, so it was better to avoid it. Laughing in relief, the two girls got bottles of milk tea from the vending machine by the sewer grate and leaned against the wall, watching their dancing peers.
"Thanks for saving me," The girl said, and she let out a sigh. "Man, what was I thinking when I said I wanted to go to Splatfest? I didn't know it got so seriously scary..."
"...Not used t'battles?" Thida asked. The girl shook her head.
"No, not at all! I'd never done it before today. But, there were so many advertisements on TV, and my grandma's been telling me, 'Rini, you need to get out and make some friends before school starts', so I thought...maybe I could try this..." She sighed. "She even went and bought gear and this gun for me, but...aw, who am I kidding? This was an awful idea."
Thida hummed, taking a sip of tea. She wanted to gulp the whole bottle down - Turf War is thirsty work! - but she thought better of it. "...We can be friends."
The girl - Rini, Thida supposed - looked surprised. Her eyes widened, and her mouth hung open. "Wh...really? But, we've just met! And I-I'm not cool or good at this, and you...you're really strong, aren't you?"
"Strong?"
"Yeah!" Rini pointed to the lobby doors. "I saw that score you got - and you're using a brush! I've heard brushes are super hard to get high scores with, but you were over one-thousand points by the time the match ended!"
Thida couldn't help but grin, but it was a bashful gesture. "Other guys did better."
"Yeah, but they had those fast cheater guns! You had to work for your points! That matters more, right?"
Did it? Thida couldn't say. But she laughed anyway, a spark of joy rising from her heart like the lights that floated up into the air from the plaza. She liked this Rini - liked her sweetness and her honesty. "You gotta practice," Thida said, "At fightin'. But...we're friends. No takin' it back!"
At that moment, Rini's face was brighter than any firework in the sky.
~*~
Thida came home early in the morning, tired bags under her eyes, legs too wobbly and tired to keep going much further than she needed to, but that was alright. She stuck with Rini for the rest of the night and talked with her whenever they took a break. By luck, it seemed, they lived in the same apartment building, Rini just one floor above, and they parted in the stairwell, both girls with paper bags full of sweets and treats from the street vendors - it had all been on sale, and neither of them could find it within themselves to pass up snacks and meals they didn't have to cook. When Thida entered her apartment, she found Phaloe curled up on her bed, under the covers. The television had been left on, the sound low, as highlight clips of the night's Splatfest battles played. For a brief moment, Thida swore she could see herself and Rini in one, leaping into the middle of Urchin Underpass together with big, eager grins, and for the first time in a long while, Thida felt so very, very content - and not alone.
She would still be fast asleep by the time Phaloe woke up to find two cream taiyaki on the table for her, still warm, with a note next to them:
For breakfast.
You don't got to sleep outside anymore.
- Thida
Her first Splatfest. Her first real chance at fun since this all began.
"Don't wanna come?"
The Octoling glanced at her nervously.
"Don't gotta play. Can dance 'n stuff."
"...I'm not a good dancer," The Octoling, Phaloe, mumbled. She drew her knees up to her chest and looked out into the sky. It was as if she were trying to drink in as much of it as she possibly could. "And I don't have any other clothes."
Yeah, that - that would be a problem if she went down into the plaza in her armor, tentacles out for all to see, wouldn't it? She hadn't gone back to Octo Valley, and hadn't given a reason why, but Thida thought...well, if she was staying here, even after all that had happened, did she have anywhere else to go? Thida knew she curled up out of sight on the balcony to sleep, and only seemed to eat when the squid shared her meals with her. Was there really no one for Phaloe to go home to?
She let out a gurgly little sigh, scooting out so she could join Phaloe on the balcony proper. "Can come inside, then. If y'want. I'll be out all night."
A plane soared overhead, the sound of its engines faint.
"Is that really alright?"
"Mhm. My 'partment." Thida stood then, gesturing for Phaloe to follow. "Can sleep 'n have noodles. Watch TV, take a bath." When Phaloe didn't move, Thida tapped her on the shoulder, and those big green eyes swiveled to meet hers. "'S cool. C'mon."
The brilliant sparkle of fireworks could be seen throughout the city on a Splatfest, but no place was more brilliant than the city's plaza. Music thrummed through the pavement and signs were everywhere, Inklings urged to tag them with support for their teams. Team Cat and Team Dog danced and mingled before the Squid Sisters, who beamed as they performed atop their impromptu stages. Once, between sets, Thida could swear they winked at her as she was trying to make her way through the crowds, but...they couldn't have known who she was, right? There were so many Inklings here, it didn't matter if she had been Agent 3 in the kettles. Here, she was just one of many. Wasn't it the same to them?
She fought in a few battles before anything really interesting happened. Oddly enough, Team Dog seemed to be flooding the arenas, and adult Inklings and jellyfish were working overtime to get these hyper kids into battles, even if it was fun ones against their fellow Dogs that didn't count for Splatfest proper. Everyone overflowed with energy, eager to play in places at night, if only to see how brightly their ink could glow. It was in one battle such as this that would change Thida's life forever.
They were in the Kelp Dome. It was a great place to rack up points, especially for an Inkbrush if you worked quickly enough, and that's just what Thida was doing, leaping from puddle to puddle and pushing herself further and further into 'enemy' territory. For a while, it seemed, she hadn't run into anyone of the opposing team, and it was strange, very strange. Usually she would have been ambushed by an entire squad now, probably packing those ridiculously fast Aerosprays, but -
- Ah! There it was, the sound of spraying shooters. It didn't sound far either. Thida quickly changed directions, Inkbrush to the ground and ready to run through the goop to see just what was happening, but before she could start, she saw a squid jump high into the air, and several voices groaned in exasperation after it, shooting at the high-flyer in vain as they fell, and fell, and fell...towards Thida.
She backpedaled just as the other Inkling hit the ground, reforming in one goopy instant. It was another girl, Thida noticed, and one that she vaguely remembered entering the lobby with; tanned skin, N-Zap '85 shaking in her hands, timid pink eyes and Blueberry Casuals that hadn't been broken in yet, judging by how tenderly she seemed to step. When she saw Thida, she let out a cry of relief.
"Oh, thank goodness!" She exclaimed, "Oh thank goodness - I thought I was the only one left!"
Thida blinked. "Only one?"
"Everyone else on our side bailed for the lobby while we were inking the base," The girl said. Overhead, the timer chimed: one minute left. "Or, maybe, the spawn glitched out? I don't know how it works, I, they just - poofed into ink?"
Oh. Oh, yeah, that was a spawn glitch. Not surprising. Hadn't they been working on getting all the spawn points back up and running once the Great Zapfish returned? Granted, a glitch didn't mean anyone would be hurt, it just kicked squids out of a battle. But if they were the only two left on their side...
The sound of one, two, three - four shooters closing in made Thida bristle. Augh, what the splat was this? Did the spawn really cut their team in half and leave the other intact?
"...They took a lot of map?"
"Huh?" The girl looked at her, surprised by such a tone, and then looked behind her. "Uh, yeah, I think so. S-Sorry, I don't like to...I, I don't like to splat people, and I don't have great aim, I..."She ducked her head, blushing. "Oh, we're going to lose, aren't we?"
Well, yes, of course they were going to lose. A team of two didn't have much of a chance against a team of four, no matter what kind of skill you were packing - and perhaps, if it had been another Inkling this girl had jumped to, she would've been laughed at for not wanting to splat anyone. But Thida couldn't help the warm feeling in her chest when she looked at this girl, how honestly timid she was, how positively green she was to Turf Wars...it reminded her of another encounter in the dome, of another girl, and much more dire circumstances.
Thida smiled and took the girl's hand, winking as she slapped her Inkbrush to the ground. "'S okay!" She said, and with what few seconds they had left, they ran.
Thida and the girl left the lobby after that battle, both agreed that they needed a rest. They had lost, of course, and terribly, but the opposing team hadn't caught up to them, and that was what was important. Suffering a splat when the timer ran out was like a slap in the face to one's pride, and it felt pretty awful too, so it was better to avoid it. Laughing in relief, the two girls got bottles of milk tea from the vending machine by the sewer grate and leaned against the wall, watching their dancing peers.
"Thanks for saving me," The girl said, and she let out a sigh. "Man, what was I thinking when I said I wanted to go to Splatfest? I didn't know it got so seriously scary..."
"...Not used t'battles?" Thida asked. The girl shook her head.
"No, not at all! I'd never done it before today. But, there were so many advertisements on TV, and my grandma's been telling me, 'Rini, you need to get out and make some friends before school starts', so I thought...maybe I could try this..." She sighed. "She even went and bought gear and this gun for me, but...aw, who am I kidding? This was an awful idea."
Thida hummed, taking a sip of tea. She wanted to gulp the whole bottle down - Turf War is thirsty work! - but she thought better of it. "...We can be friends."
The girl - Rini, Thida supposed - looked surprised. Her eyes widened, and her mouth hung open. "Wh...really? But, we've just met! And I-I'm not cool or good at this, and you...you're really strong, aren't you?"
"Strong?"
"Yeah!" Rini pointed to the lobby doors. "I saw that score you got - and you're using a brush! I've heard brushes are super hard to get high scores with, but you were over one-thousand points by the time the match ended!"
Thida couldn't help but grin, but it was a bashful gesture. "Other guys did better."
"Yeah, but they had those fast cheater guns! You had to work for your points! That matters more, right?"
Did it? Thida couldn't say. But she laughed anyway, a spark of joy rising from her heart like the lights that floated up into the air from the plaza. She liked this Rini - liked her sweetness and her honesty. "You gotta practice," Thida said, "At fightin'. But...we're friends. No takin' it back!"
At that moment, Rini's face was brighter than any firework in the sky.
Thida came home early in the morning, tired bags under her eyes, legs too wobbly and tired to keep going much further than she needed to, but that was alright. She stuck with Rini for the rest of the night and talked with her whenever they took a break. By luck, it seemed, they lived in the same apartment building, Rini just one floor above, and they parted in the stairwell, both girls with paper bags full of sweets and treats from the street vendors - it had all been on sale, and neither of them could find it within themselves to pass up snacks and meals they didn't have to cook. When Thida entered her apartment, she found Phaloe curled up on her bed, under the covers. The television had been left on, the sound low, as highlight clips of the night's Splatfest battles played. For a brief moment, Thida swore she could see herself and Rini in one, leaping into the middle of Urchin Underpass together with big, eager grins, and for the first time in a long while, Thida felt so very, very content - and not alone.
She would still be fast asleep by the time Phaloe woke up to find two cream taiyaki on the table for her, still warm, with a note next to them:
For breakfast.
You don't got to sleep outside anymore.
- Thida