#might tweak the octo though

[salamispots]

dream wip

[urautismdiagnosis-wistie]

THE OIL RIG Ch.1 "Octo Alert" 3/4

click for higher quality, please enjoy and feel free to comment. A description of the events and typed out dialogue will be beneath the cut. I recommend reading it for a fuller experience as it provides additional context and corrected dislogue. Apologies if they sound out of character 🙏

Dun dun dunnnn... smugglers?? NOT friendly pirates??? Everyone has concerns 😔🙏

Part1 > part 2> part 3 >part 4

Panel 1

Usually Captain Barnacles will always make sure to listen to EVERYONES thoughts, and will often ask for second opinions. Including kwazii's! Kwazii who is NOT paying attention.

Barnacles, just wanting to include Kwazii and get some insight: "Kwazii!!"

*kwazii spins around, abruptly snapped out of his own thoughts*

Barnacles: "Well? What do you think? :] "

Panel 2 and 3

Kwazii, ready to info dump harder than he ever has in his entire life, walking around the room and gesturing dramatically:

Kwazii declaring confidently and way too casually, " Ah! Well them ships yer camera caught clearly be some sneaky pirates -"

Kwazii, softly scoffing as though barely impressed, but slightly amused: "Agh, a classic common cargo ship disguise," he rolls his eyes, " Slippery knaves be hidin all sortsa arnament doohickies in plain sight."

(Non pirate translation and details: yeah so the pictures of ships the camera caught are actually just pirate ships who disguise themselves as cargo ship. Its a pretty standard practice for pirates historically and modern in this au. Also there's certain details of the ships that look abnormal to someone who doesn't know better, but these features and designs are used to hide weaponry and illegal/stolen cargo. Kwazii also noticed the strange locations, heatpaths, and traveling behaviours of these ships and it reminded him of... pirate tactic... Especially since the kinds of ships near the "oil rig" wouldn't make sense for an "oil rig". Not to mention the "oil rig" has warehouses, which is NOT normal... very very suspicious to the pirate eye, he was raised learning this stuff. And honestly he can actually kinda realize some of the purposes of the "hehe normal not pirate" tactics they're using)

Kwazii, makes a horrible realization: " It looks like they be getting ready for a long haul..." and then the details process once hes said some of it aloud... "Only place that'd make sense is...oh no- the BLACK MARKET!"

Kwazii, mumbling heartbroken and melancholy mostly to himself: " Id bet me last life AND me tail those cuttle fishies will meet a terrible fate-"

Kwazii, now determined as a pirate and an octonaut,proclaims with full gusto :

"OCTONAUTS WE MUST SAVE THE CUTTLE FISHIEEEES!!!"

Although Kwazii does have to admit albeit a bit sheepishly, " Although uh... I dunno if they be friendly enough t' not try n' send us t' Davy Jones Locker..."

Tweak interjects, "So..." she gestures pointing in a round circle, " Yer sayin them fellers are smugglers?"

Shellington turns back to the captain, starting a bit quietly, "As sad as it is," he admits, " It WOULD make sense captain!"

Barnacles: "Well,that is an excellent point Shellington-"

Shellingtons face brightens a bit, and cant help but to remark : "Owh! :3 , They might even still be okay!" Shellie quickly keeps going, a bit more excited "We- Why we could report the smugglers-"

Barnacles face falls as he avoids Shellingtons eyes: "Well ah-" *he turns to dashi almost as if silently asking for help to re explain the main barrier for any mission they want to do at the moment-*

Dashi,lightly grimacing and understanding: "Keptain, I- I dunno how to break it to you, but well,"

Inkling gasps softly, " Oh D e a r- You don't mean?"

Dashi sort of.. despondent and sort of strained in that calm way, ready to pull the bandaid on some unshared news: We can't reach out to anyone beyond the octopods radius...

Peso (on of the few that actually understood what kwazii was talking about, having listened to many of his info dumps/tales with full atttention), very validly and reasonably points out with a little tremble to his voice that, oh you know-: "K-kwazii- You uh- Did you say that they'd be willing to hurt us??"

Womp womp womp

[brownyanyk]

OC Introduction: Brown

Name: Daniel, self-nicknamed Brown

Species: Fox

Debut: A few months before the original series starts, same day Peso joins (I hc Peso to be still be a pretty recent join when the series starts even outside of this au)

Role: No specific role when he first joins, later documents social behaviors of whatever animals they meet to the best of his ability. Generally is very adaptable to any role or task that might be needed at any moment, and frequently goes with Shellington on his field research.

Home: The Octopod, sleeping in a converted storage room that was previously not used much

Physical Appearance: From head to toe, he's covered in dark brown fur. He has large ears, and a very big tail. He has long tufts of fur on top of his head and his cheeks, and a darker brown fluffy neck that his octo-helmet collar goes over. He wears blue boots and usually wears a blue satchel similar to Shellington's when on missions

More detail design guide/me yapping about how he was made here, and clothing concept here

Personality: Quite timid and shy, though will often open up to others easily when shown some friendliness. Gets easily distracted.

Likes: Living on the Octopod, taking it easy whenever possible, kelp cakes, the underwater view, talking with any of the crew, meeting many animals/sea creatures.

Favorite Sea Creature: Manta ray

Dislikes: Being woken up at night from the Octo Alert, loud noises in general.

Fears: Being alone/abandoned, being a burden on others, any potential damage on any of the Octopod's windows.

Trivia:

He has an ask blog! @brown-the-octonaut

Brown's favorite color is Brown (Shocker, I know.)

He was originally supposed to receive a pod room on the Octopod, with Peso sleeping in the medbay instead. But for a few reasons, Brown declined, therefore Peso was placed in a pod room.

His favorite kelp cake flavors are Classic, Chocolate, and Pancake.

Secretly writes down when he catches any of his fellow Octonauts exhibiting behavior typical to their species.

Sometimes completely forgets to write notes on and/or barely recognizes certain behaviors from the creatures he meets

He's the second shortest member of the Octonauts, first being Peso. (at least of the Octonauts that stand on two legs)

Really good sense of hearing! Bit sensitive tho

Doesn't drive any of the GUPs often, and thus isn't that good of a driver, as he prefers to be a passenger.

Relationships (some might be a bit ooc sry)

Peso: Having both joined the same day, the two naturally became close. Peso often lets him come into his room anytime since he feels bad for taking the pod room, and they've even had a few sleepovers in said room.

Shellington: Brown really likes Shellington. He often hangs with him as much as possible, and likes listening to him ramble about various sea creatures. Sometimes even goes with Shellington when he does field research.

Barnacles: Brown has great respect for the captain, but never seems to refer to him by "Captain". He's not one to be professional, and just calls him "Barnacles" instead. He doesn't mind.

Kwazii: Brown enjoys his company a lot. He likes hearing about Kwazii's stories, even knowing they're probably over exaggerated, and sometimes plays along, asking questions.

Dashi: Brown enjoys looking through Dashi's photo albums, and borrows her camera occasionally to take a few pictures of his own.

Tweak: Brown's always curious about anything she builds, and will usually ask about it if he spots her building something.

Inkling: They don't interact much, but Brown frequently visits the library to look at books. (Even if he doesn't read through much of them)

Vegimals: Being friends with Shellington, Brown frequently interacts with the Vegimals. He loves their company, and couldn't imagine life on the Octopod without them. He's tried to gain a understanding of Vegimalese, but he still has a lot to learn.

(Will probably add more throughout each category as I come up with things, and change some stuff too. Might also add a brief story as well)

Feel free to ask any questions about him! (Whether it be in comments or asks)

[deerslav]

Can we hear more about your 96 silly's? (sorry If I already sent this, there was a glitch in sending it)

YES YES YES YES!!!!!!!

also dw i only got one ask 😁

capn maríposa (or just capn)

bella adonia (agent 4)

hachi ayuko (“agent” 8)

(starting with bella i hope that’s okay!)

(also i’m just going to call capn maríposa otherwise it might be confusing)

when agent 4 first joined the squidbeak splatoon there was a lot of general confusion, callie had just disappeared marie was tweaking out etc etc, but since maríposa was the only one making sure marie was okay at the time it was kind of a heavy load for her, which is why when agent 4 stepped up maríposa was really grateful (first impression was respect and admiration). as agent 4 went on to mostly clear the octarian army with ease to save callie, maríposa was like “wow”! and that’s around when her crush started. agent 4 and maríposa stayed in really close contact up until octo expansion, when marí had to go offline and then she met agent 8. after seeing 8 in battle and being defeated by her, marí started questioning if she was poly (spoiler alert), only to have agent 8 ask her out. since marí was confused about her feelings and didn’t really know what to do, she said she would think about it and get back to 8. while 8 and 4 were living together 4 started to develop a crush on 8, and since 4 was 8’s main tether to the inkling world 8 started to think that she might like 4 as well as maríposa (whaaat!!!). but before 4 could confess, marí got back to 8 and they started dating. at this 4 started feeling really jealous of 8 and contemplated a lot of wonderings, got callie’s advice, and arranged a hangout with them. 4 confessed to both of them there, it was awkward for like 1 minute, but then 8 and marí mentioned they liked her too. apparently they had talked about that outside of 4 and were cool with it. now everyone is a happy poly relationship and i probably missed some stuff but i love them a lot and yeah!

(sorry if this wasn’t exactly what you were asking 🥲 fear not though i’ll be posting lots of info about them soon)

[clover-midori]

The Octonauts Mermaid AU

MELTDOWN

"Think about it, think about it. What IS that? Thing’s gotta be endangered and I MIGHT have killed it. UGH."

Yuma was sweating a lot. Not only did they catch something they didn’t recognize, but it was starting to bleed out. After quickly sanitizing their paws, the coyote slowly put down the fishing rod and ran over to this turnip-looking creature.

"It’s a good thing dad knew how to get these stuck hooks out. Just gotta push down on this, and…" Yuma firmly but worryingly yanked it out of its tail. Almost immediately, where blood ran down, the flesh rebuilt itself immediately, like there was never anything there to begin with. Weird feature, but definitely came in handy in an area like this.

Yuma had to figure out what they were gonna do now. The Meomiverse was WEIRD, they got that. But even in the Meomiverse, something this simple yet so complex was beyond belief for the coyote.

There turned out to be another injury: a bruise on the back of this creature’s head. And unlike the fishhook wound, it was barely recovering.

"It’s those panels from earlier. You must’ve gotten hit," Yuma shook their head. "I can’t let you go back into the open ocean in a condition like this… Ah, fuck it."

Obviously, this coyote had the medical record of a western school nurse. They left the creature near the shore, fall flat on its face with an ice pack sitting on its head with only gravity holding it up. To them, that was good enough, but they’d never compare to Peso, that was for sure.

"It’ll find its way home eventually. I can’t even be bothered… I need rest."

Obviously again, Yuma didn’t understand the importance of that thing.

A certain otter did, though. And when he woke up tomorrow morning, it probably wasn’t gonna be pretty when he realized.

Not that he HAD to know this kind of thing. Nor would he notice.

~~~~

Tracker silently stared at Paani, slowly squirming around in the inflatable pool that the bear brought with him. Ever since he heard the word "mermaids", he had made some last-minute packing decisions, and this was one of the only good ones, even if he didn’t realize it until now.

Yeshi walked over to Tracker, munching on another one of his macarons. Of course, packing his whole messenger bag full of them was just as stupid, but at least it would keep him fed for his time here. He was more than happy to share some with Tracker as well.

Not like either knew how long they’d be here anyways. Maybe until the new year, even.

Suddenly, a ringing came from the cockpit. Everyone down here, even Orson and Ursa, knew it was Ryla calling back. As soon as they all heard it, Ranger Marsh immediately picked up in excitement.

"Well, that was certainly quicker than I expected!" The bunny waved. "How’s it going down there-"

"OI! Ranger, this is AMAZING!" Ryla exclaimed. "Everyone’s down here, and there’s NO legs but mine! Like… Say hello, everybody!"

As the wombat faced her Octo-Watch at the others, Marsh’s eyes widened greatly, now at a loss for words. It really was the others. Dashi was there, as were Pearl and Bianca, all in the launch bay. Maybe he could even see Tweak if she was awake.

"NATQUIK! Oh me, oh my, oh YES!" He ran for him immediately, excitement flowing through his veins. "IT'S REAL! REAL, I TELL YOU! LOOK! LOOK!”

The shouting from her Pa started to get Tweak's attention. She was tired from replacing the windshield on the GUP-A, but she could’ve sworn she suddenly woke up just by hearing him so… delighted.

He really had to be waiting for her. There wasn’t any reason to keep him so. As she looked back at the GUP, she knew there was no time to waste, like Barnacles said.

Natquik trudged into the cockpit, one paw on his face, the other being dragged by Marsh. He knew something was clearly up but he couldn’t figure it out.

And so, he opened his eyes, and gasped.

"Oi, Natquik! You seem groggy, sorry about that… But I’ve got some good news for you!" Ryla waved to him through the screen, feeling a little less wild than earlier. The fox, now wide awake, paid full attention, calmer than he ever was through these days.

"From what I’ve seen, everyone is, as expected, alive. And yes, like what Barnacles did say, they all DID become mermaids. It’s been about half a week since the whole thing started, but I suppose the Octonauts managed to tidy up the site rather quickly. Dashi and I have gone around the Octopod and everything seems good. What’s going on up there? Any new plans?"

Natquik slowly shook his head in shame. Ryla was being so enthusiastic, meanwhile, here he was standing like a dumb idiot with nothing to do. He had been too busy with other things which he started to realize were just wasting his time.

"Aw, shucks. I managed to get some samples of what got everyone turned, which Shellington labeled 'lesirena' or some dingus. Gotta admit, it’s a fitting name. Me and these blokes are just fixing up the GUP-A and I’ll be on my way!"

"Hang on, what was that about Shellington?" The fox’s mind went blank.

"Yeah, he was working on an experiment a month ago," Ryla explained, courtesy of Dashi. "He forgot to put it away and it spilled everywhere. I’m sure Paani told you already, seeing as he IS there with you guys."

He wasn’t listening. He was just thinking, now that he wasn’t losing his mind. He needed to figure out this… revelation he thought he just had.

"Oi, you oughta be tired… Welp, mate, I’ll see you around. ‘Scuse me as I finish up here… BYE!!!"

"Nat? You feelin’ okay?" Marsh noted the random silence, and tapped on his shoulder. "You seem scared."

"As a matter of fact… yes I am." Natquik quietly sighed, now starting to figure out WHY he was feeling so agitated. "Can we go talk on the roof?"

"Sure thing, Nat."

~~~~

As Ryla drove the now-dry GUP-A into the open ocean, Tweak felt a little embarrassed not being able to say hello, but her tail kept sparkling with electricity as she believed she still had a chance to see HIM again.

"Alright, y’all." She swam over to the others. "This thing is ready to roll! Bianca, Ryla, load the vials in the back. And BE CAREFUL."

The merbear held on tightly to the box of them, handing them over to the wombat, who set it on the seat next to her. From there, Tweak figured it would be smooth sailing. Just get the contained lesirena to shore, make sure it was put in a safe area, and leave this GUP floating on the surface for any future usage, if that was needed.

However, Ryla had other ideas after that. Ideas that would change her life. Ideas with irreversible effects.

The only obstacle she had to overcome was the fox in charge above the surface.

Natquik.

~~~~

The Americas weren’t as affected by the 3/30/21 "Ring Of Fire" earthquakes and tsunamis as the Far East was, yet the tide still ran high. The cold temperatures were completely unrelated. They bothered no one, not even Marsh who only knew the heat. He was laying on cold metal anyways.

"So, like, what’s on your mind?" He looked over at Natquik, staring at the distant lights of Guadalupe's communities before looking back at him.

"Ah, right. Well, I suppose I should explain it all," said the fox, as he took a deep breath.

It turns out, he feared not that the Octonauts were mermaids, but that they were on their own. They were almost completely uncontactable, too.

"You see, Marsh, and maybe this would make sense for you, ever since I first noticed what happened, I was sent into a silent panic. Just worrying for the safety of the Octonauts, the people who brought us together… not knowing just WHAT could’ve happened."

Well, no wonder, Marsh thought. He knew how that felt. And sadly, unlike the Octonauts, he never heard from his wife ever again.

Perhaps this was just the sign of a new beginning.

"What do you suppose we do?" The bunny’s ears drooped. "I’d imagine both of us got an idea, but I can’t think faster than you can say buncha munchy crunchy carrots… I promise we can do this, Nat. Just come up with your ideas, I’ll come up with mine.

"Thank you, Marsh… I best sleep now. I'm tired and resting helps calm me down." The fox wrapped his arms around the Ranger, before climbing down.

Marsh stayed on the rooftop, waiting for anything to show up on the shore. He felt so warm inside from that gentle fox hug.

"Eccentric severe tumors… he’s actually so sweet." He felt a little drowsy, having gone deep in thought. Staying up here wasn’t a big problem, so he could ponder all night if he wanted.

Ryla stood in front of the Octoray. She had to think this through. As much as she DID want to do this for her friends, she knew the consequences would be HUGE, especially considering how everyone up here would react. But it wasn’t exactly like she cared, because she had the other side’s problem on her mind more.

That short, sweet time she had with her best friends really meant a lot to her. To go back to the surface after just a mere 30 minutes of seeing how they turned (so wonderfully) didn't feel right. Surely everyone cared when she visited the Octopod. It wasn’t fair that she would only be a blip on the radar for them from now on.

If visiting Dashi wasn’t big enough, then getting a TAIL of her own was. She was going to be dead-set on that new plan, even if it was something only SHE knew.

The wombat looked back at the GUP-A, still with the box inside. She decided to take it out and bring it to the back of the aircraft, for the sake of making this thing quick.

As Ryla stepped inside, she took a look at the three others who were staying in the cargo bay. Yeshi was doing absolutely nothing, Tracker was quietly typing away on his laptop, and Paani was asleep.

Would any of them care if she ran away to live down there? Obviously not Paani; he was literally the thing she wanted to be, excluding the permission. Perhaps they’d pass it off as something of no concern. It wasn’t them to decide if she could go or not. Maybe they even felt the same way, but Ryla wanted the sea to herself for now, so she didn’t ask.

Natquik just couldn’t. He really wanted to get some rest, but he just didn’t feel like it. Within seconds, things could turn nasty, and that was something he had to watch for. As such, he always wore his Octo-Watch, keeping one eye open for any calls.

And that’s when the knocking came in. The fox worryingly opened up, only to let out a sigh of relief after his vision adjusted, to see Ryla standing there.

"Yeah, I’m back," the wombat blushed in embarrassment. She stood there, taking off her helmet. She knew she wasn’t gonna need that anymore.

The fox looked at Ryla, a little concerned. She had an uncertain gaze on her face, was trembling a little, and definitely had something on her mind.

She wanted to tell him the truth. But was it really worth it? Did she really want to stress this fox out, when he ALREADY was? Like Marsh waiting for Tweak, she knew Dashi was waiting for her, but…

"Professor, listen to me." Ryla sighed, drooping her ears in regret, which slowly faded in. "My mates are all happy with it… the whole mermaid thing."

Natquik knew she was about to say something in particular, and so he kept his mouth shut. Not that it was a red flag, but…

"If you’re not happy with, that’s okay. But you can’t just pressure that on others. I know this whole thing is painful, but just hear me out, mate-"

"No, it’s not that. If anything, I like how they've ended up…" The fox sighed. Of course, Ryla was away while he collected his mind, so she didn't understand yet. "It's that I don't want them getting hurt, hence why I brought Paani here."

Fair dinkum, the wombat thought. Perhaps the transformative stuff she gathered wasn’t for some kind of vaccine anymore, but rather… No, not yet. Not until she got the green light, which seemed distant beyond belief… unless she simply asked. So, here went nothing.

"Oh! Uh, mate, I brought over those samples you wanted earlier. Do you still need them?"

"I suppose not." Natquik sighed in regret, having made her work so hard. "Try to keep them for… I don’t even know what to use them for. Just don’t let anyone else touch them or my new plans will be IMPOSSIBLE."

New plans? Impossible? Seems legit. How much of an impact could one less person have anyways?

To Ryla, not much, and or none at all.

"Alright… hang on, you said not to let anyone else touch 'em!" She eagerly gasped. "Does that mean I can just go and-"

He wasn’t sure how to feel about it, but Natquik knew what the wombat wanted to do. No one ever came up to him and asked if they could go. He worried a lot, he really did. But if it was something Ryla really wanted… he wasn’t gonna stop her.

"You know what? Knock yourself out. Just don’t say a WORD about it," yawned Natquik with sincerity and a smile, slamming his eyes shut immediately after.

It was 1 in the morning, and at this very time, he HAD to sleep. Otherwise he’d only feel awful all day, which was NOT alright.

Now it was probably just Ryla who was awake at this point. For her, that was perfect. The door was open, no one was out to close it, and there wouldn't be any more waiting.

Of course, she did have to mind that the fox didn’t explicitly say she could do WHATEVER she wanted, but he DID also say not to "let anyone ELSE touch them". That didn’t include herself. Good sign. She knew what to do. At least, not to do it yet. She’d have to give it some time, and at the same time she needed to finish this before the sun rises again.

For now, she held on to one of the fifty little vials, waiting for the golden minute. It was gonna strike any moment.

Actually, no, fuck that, she wasn’t waiting. Ryla ran off after a few seconds, and stood at the edge of the water, staring at her own reflection.

"It’s okay, Ryla. Just stay close to the shore. That way, if anyone gets worried, I’ll come back immediately," The wombat told herself, before taking off her suit, now useless, leaving her with the only tank top she bothered to bring.

It was still hard to pick. She did the research. Did she really have to stay up here any longer? She WAS a cave diver. Her old friend was down there. They were more than happy to see each other again. All that was basic logic, of course, so was it enough to make her want to change?

"You just gotta SEE yourself in it! Believe you can DO this! Just close your eyes… just imagine…" Ryla convinced herself again and again, giving herself these pep talks like there was no time left for her to live.

And that’s when it finally hit her. There truly wasn’t anymore reason to stay up here. She was only 22, but she already felt complete. She’d have achieved her goals about 3 years ago, even if it ended in pain.

"It’s like… I’m going home." Ryla laughed hard, the more she thought about it. "Bonza! It’s perfect! IT'S PERFECT!"

"ALRIGHT!" She downed the vial, and ran for the water. "That’s IT! HERE I COME!"

With a big jump, she made a swan dive into the deeper waters, letting herself be swept away from the island. Within seconds, she could feel her whole lower body change, and she was LOVING it! Her legs immediately melted and morphed, taking the form of a long, silvery needlefish tail that swayed FAR from her waist!

"YEAH! That was AWESOME!" Ryla shouted, cheerfully laughing at her new form. "And crikey, that was FAST!" She dashed down, making her way all back to the Octopod.

She didn’t care about land anymore. All she wanted was to be with her friends, all as mermaids, FOREVER, much to the dismay of anyone still up there.

"Thanks for everything, Natty… All this time, I oughta just ask you~!"

~~~~

As the sun started to rise, approximately 7 AM, Shellington was terrified. He woke up only 5 minutes ago and he could’ve SWORN Tunip was here, with him and Kwazii last night, but now he had just vanished from thin air.

Sure, he could’ve probably just went back to the Octopod, but in an area like this that would be near impossible for someone like him. Could be in HUGE danger as well, which, for Shellington, was NOT GOOD AT ALL. He loved that little guy with ALL his tail.

"C’mon! Tunip’s gotta be somewhere!" He circled around his resting spot, trying to see if he could identify him from a distance, while keeping Kwazii safe as well.

The sea otter’s worry started to actually wake up the kitten. He even lifted his eyepatch up, trying to make sure he wasn’t hallucinating, up until the merotter was right in front of him.

"Shellington? What’s wrong? Ye seem shaken," asked Kwazii, trying to comfort him like last time.

"Oh! Uh, well… Tunip’s missing." He said in an uneasy tone, still looking around, just hoping the Vegimal would show up completely fine. "Know anything about where he is?"

Kwazii shook his head, having been in a sleep just as deep as the otter’s. Maybe Tunip was just playing with the two, but even that couldn’t just be true.

And just when matters couldn’t get worse, right in front of the two little mermaids was one big tiger shark. They had infiltrated on his territory, and he was NOT happy.

"What are ye staring at?!" Came a little confrontation from the kitten. "Can’t handle two mermaids enjoying themselves?" He leaned over and looked the shark right in the snout.

"Nuh-uh," the shark quietly whispered before preparing to charge at Kwazii.

At that, Shellington already wasn’t taking any chances. He grabbed the cat’s arm and tried to swim away as fast as he could, trying to outrun this angry thing, which was STILL catching up even after a minute. Even worse, he didn’t know where he was going and could be headed for another territory of ANOTHER shark. The only upside would be if that distracted the one chasing them right now.

"Ye can give up now! Me boyfriend is hauling me and he’s still going a tad faster than ye ever will," teased Kwazii with a swish of his fin, still holding onto the otter’s paw.

"Lemon, you haven’t seen my TRUE POWER," the tiger shark bitched. "If anything, I’m merely having mercy for you two. In fact, you know what? I think I’ll just… AMBUSH YOU TWO IN A MATTER OF SECONDS I SWEAR TO-"

And that’s when it came outta nowhere. A hefty fluke slammed against the shark’s snout, causing him to flip over like a water bottle in 2017, and retreat almost immediately after.

Shellington rapidly stopped, and looked behind him, watching the sore loser turn around, piss, and make a swim for it. Neither him nor Kwazii hit him, so who did?

"You two okay?"

It was Bianca, just floating there like nothing happened. She managed to stop that fucking shark with a single swing of her TAIL.

Kwazii… awkwardly nodded. He was quite impressed by how fast this issue was resolved. Bianca was just as strong as ever, and that, Pearl definitely liked.

"Yeah, it’s not best to go far out there…" the polar bear giggled. "…especially when you’re ALSO a shark."

"Fair point, fair point," Shellington said, still worried. "Have you seen Tunip by any chance?"

Just by the mentioning of his name, the vegimal showed up RIGHT behind Kwazii, announcing his return with a loud

"Bree!"

"Yeow! There ye are!" The kitten thrashed his tail in surprise. "We DID doubt ye would make it back here, but aye, it’s good to be back!"

Shellington started to think. Everyone was safe again, all thanks to Bianca, which DID make sense, but why didn’t something feel right about… Tunip? That little guy didn’t know this part of the sea, and he would’ve been toast already. After all, tiger sharks WERE mostly nocturnal, and if Tunip was in that one’s territory as well while he and Kwazii were asleep, then probably managed to get back to the Octopod early, then how did he not get hurt?

Unless… it then dawned on him. Something, or someone, must’ve led him back to home base. But it’s not like anyone else had been out of the area THAT far. Someone must’ve gone and tracked Tunip down. If anyone were to know, it was probably Bianca. So, the otter simply asked.

“Well, I did meet Ryla… this one wombat that Dashi is REALLY good friends with. They go far back. I could have sworn I saw her again today. Couldn’t get enough, it seems…”

Now THAT made sense. Shellington HAD went to sleep a little nearer to the coast, so if Ryla made it here, it’s probable that Tunip followed her.

But enough stressing over that. At least he WAS safe, again. And he WAS holding Kwazii’s paw earlier.

Wait, since when was Ryla here?

~~~~

Natquik just sat on the floor of the cockpit. His mind had run off elsewhere some time ago, but at least he had a… somewhat good rest. He wasn’t sure how everyone would react when they found out he let Ryla go. He, like everyone else, didn’t want things to go bad again. After all, it had happened so much and that was NOT happening again, for the sake of everyone’s safety up HERE as well.

“It can’t be that hard. We’ll just have to haul everyone into here, and send them to a safer area,” he sighed. “I just don’t know when we’ll TRULY get this done. And besides, what about the Octopod? Of course, we could leave it here, leave it to be an artificial reef… yes yes, that makes complete sense… Well, unless Barnacles wants something else. I know he’s proud of being captain for 13 years now.”

“Blin, if only I could see him right now.”

As the fox kept thinking out loud, Ranger Marsh was already awake and got down from the roof. He slowly walked inside, not having suspected anything from earlier.

“I heard you musing from the cargo bay. Something wrong, Nat?” He called out to the fox. Natquik moved his head and saw him. That distinctive hat. That fabulous mustache. That beautifully gruff voice.

All packed into one man. One man who was working with him on this whole idea. And now, the more Natquik thought of it…

“Nat?”

Oh shit, he thought. This was a little embarrassing. Big fox was thinking a lot about the big bunny, meanwhile he was standing right over him.

“Oh! Ranger!” Natquik immediately pulled his hood over his head. “I am very sorry… Just thinking about my ideas for helping out the Octonauts through and through.”

Marsh nodded. That made sense. You should never forget the important things. And luckily, for himself, he remembered things VERY well, even after a good night’s sleep on a roof. He had the knowledge. The knowledge of a… Ranger Marsh.

“You seemed a bit flustered when I walked in,” the bunny admitted. “Wanna talk about it again?”

With his feelings becoming more prevalent, Natquik knew this would be a little more difficult than usual.

He had more than his plans to explain.

“Weather’s great today, isn’t it?” Marsh stretched his arms, as he approached the coast. “Good thing I’ve got this towel. Don’t wanna get those pants dirty, huh?”

The Ranger and the Professor sat down, looking towards the blue sky. Natquik still felt a little shook, but knew he was ready to tell his plans.

“Well, I figured it doesn't have to be that hard after all,” the fox blushed. “It’s how we get them into the Octoray is what I need to figure out. But making sure they’re all, or mostly all, safely contained, and brought safely to an area off the coast of Vancouver Island, is the bare minimum I’m looking for.”

Clearly, Natquik thought faster and better when he wasn’t really stressed. Of course, there was the typical little (bit) stutter every few 8 words or so, but even that went out the window when he started speaking right now.

That confidence was something he only had when around people he knew and cared for, like Barnacles, for instance.

But now, Natquik was out of words. It worried him a lot. Realizing that he was so enthusiastic, like he should be, but he just couldn’t say anything.

It wasn’t that he was out of ideas, though. No, he still had many more things on his mind.

And all of them pointed to Marsh.

“Natquik?” The bunny looked at him, having gone all timid. His hood was up again, and he was visibly shaking.

“Natquik?”

“I just have… so many personal thoughts. I’m sorry.” Natquik looked back at him, the fur on his face gone pink. “I don’t mean to act like this, but I just have so many confessions. Promise this won’t impact you in any way?”

Marsh nodded. He didn’t mind at all. After all, he was a single man, one who had to leave his wife after a few years with Tweak. No, his wife wasn’t bad in a way, no, it was actually a good marriage in those 5 years. Yet, she had to leave. There were things in Boston waiting for her, but Marsh had to keep working down here. So, they decided to just… move on, divorce, and stay friends.

It’s been 16 years since. They still talked every now and then, but apart from that it was radio silence. So now, Marsh was practically on his own.

“I’ve been so worried about it. I’m just looking back at… you know, all the work you and I have done before. Even before this.” Natquik continued his explanation.

“Yeah, it’s all been wild and fun. Little scary, too.” The bunny laughed. “Good times, all in all. What about ‘em, Nat?”

“Do you think this is a sign? Like, I don’t think we’ve ever been this close before. Something about you, something about me…” The fox looked at Marsh, slowly inching closer to his face. “In fact, I had been thinking about you on the way to Florida.”

“Aw, so I see…” The bunny smiled. “You know, you’ve been feeling much calmer lately. Yeshi did tell me how things were going, and I just hope all is well. And I mean that truly.”

“T-thank you.”

“Hey,” Marsh looked to his left. “Ryla left the GUP-A here. Think we can head over there ourselves?”

“Absolutely.”

~~~~

Ryla silently floated in the engine room, eyes closed in bliss knowing that she REALLY was here, now a mermaid like those she loved.

She wondered if anyone was aware she came back. She DID make her way down here at a late time and DID get the attention of Tunip. A bunch of sleep schedules were definitely fucked up beyong recognition, so there HAD to be a night owl down here.

Barnacles? No, not at all. Kwazii? Was nowhere to be seen at this time. Peso? Chilean medics needed to sleep as well. Ryla couldn’t think of anyone. But someone apart from Tunip HAD to be awake, Octonaut or Octo-NOT.

It was almost 9 now. Surely this was when at least 2 other folks were awake. Maybe Dashi. Probably not.

There was no reason to just wait here. As much of a nice home it made for Ryla, she knew she’d have to look around more. Maybe revisit Min, and all that jazz.

She opened the door, eagerly swishing her tail fin as her eyes were exposed to the seas in wonderful daylight. Surely, when everyone saw her, they’d be delighted.

It definitely felt weird swimming down here without her suit. Clad in nothing but this tank top was certainly an experience she last had about… oh, just a few 11 years ago, a little while before she joined the Wombat Divers Association-

“Ryla? I thought you were back on the-”

The wombat immediately recognized Tweak’s voice and rapidly turned around, giving a pose, a peace sign, and a blep on her face.

Probably not a common way to greet someone, but Ryla HAD to make an entrance somehow, and needless to say, it… kinda worked. Needless to say, this would’ve worked better with Dashi.

“I never did realize just howwww… uh, nevermind,” The bunny awkwardly blushed, just looking at the wombat with all her might. “You decided to come back, huh?”

Ryla proudly nodded. “All for you blokes. And, like, MATE, look at this thing! It’s LONG! It’s SHINY! It’s GOOOOOD!” She swam down to Tweak, and hugged her tightly. “Now, you’d know where every other dingus is, hm~?”

The bunny shrugged and laughed. “Well, obviously! We are floating RIGHT behind it~! But if you wanna narrow it down… Dashi’s in the launch bay and she’s in a pretty good mood like me, so-”

ZOOM!

Ryla immediately darted towards the Octo-Hatch, with literally nothing else on her mind but her favorite dachshund. Tweak caught up, and was a little exhausted when she finally made it to the outer wall.

“Well, at least Shellington isn’t crashing the GUP-D again and again.” She caught her breath, sparks flying off her tail, before using the last of her energy to get inside.

Needless to say, Dashi would be one happy doggo with both of her favorite folks.

Meanwhile, the GUP-A continued to descend through the Pacific, making little noise. The two crew, Natquik and Marsh, kept their focus ahead of them, enjoying the ride while it lasted.

The Arctic fox still felt a bit flustered, not only because of these feelings he had for Marsh, but also because of Ryla. If the bunny found out about her transformation, Natquik could potentially lose his chances with him.

It wasn’t like he had to explicitly tell the Ranger. Would he even believe him? Probably not. It would take the wombat herself, if anything.

His thoughts were interrupted by a penguin swimming past them, and,

“NAT! Nat! Did you see that?! That’s PESO!” Marsh excitedly shouted, paws and face against the windshield. “Oh me, oh my, it’s even better in person!”

His happiness was becoming infectious, as Natquik realized. And was that a good thing? Actually, yes. No reason to be so down when his crush was enjoying all of this.

So, he decided to lighten up for once in his life, speeding up with the bunny, as they prepared to make a circle around the site. For all they knew, they were gonna see the coolest shit in their life. EVER.

~~~~

This was getting old. Yeshi wasn’t sugarcoating it anymore. He, Tracker and Paani had been waiting here for too long. Periwinkle too, but it wasn’t like he was being affected as much. Was there even any reason to keep track on the time? It’s not like anything would happen. Natquik and Marsh had left, having taken the GUP-A to wherever.

“I think we should just… get you guys home,” the dachshund sighed. “Our ‘leader’ has officially lost it. Are either of you even alive?”

Paani could barely say a word. This little pool was a big change from the sea and he wanted to GET OUT at this point. He missed Kwazii and Shellington. He missed playing with all those creatures. He missed the salty smell, too.

“Well, that’s my answer. We’re dead, mate. Beyond dead if anything. Go to your graves, gentlemen.” Yeshi looked around, feeling just as lost. He was running out of macarons, too. What a nightmare.

Tracker sighed, knowing they couldn’t just leave Natquik behind. He also watched from the cockpit earlier when the fox and Marsh took control of the GUP, and from that, he seemed to be doing better than earlier, actually. And besides, he had always been his best, if not, one of his best friends.

The least that could be done now was to just… let Paani back into the water, and maybe enjoy what this island had to offer… like they had anything.

The two others remembered that the macaque would have to slowly be reimmersed in seawater, because just dumping him in all of it outta nowhere would be probably lethal for him. He couldn't handle a sudden change like that, even if he desired water of all sorts.

Tracker rushed out and scooped up as much as he could, getting it into his Hydro Flask (which was decked out in tens of stickers) AND his ushanka JUST like he did back in 2021 or whatever. He then passed it over to Yeshi, who carefully poured some of the hat’s contents into the temporary residence of Paani: the same inflatable pool from last night.

This felt a big dystopian. It was like feeding an orca in a tank just mere inches its size. Something commonplace OUTSIDE of the Meomiverse. Yet, it was helping the manta ray, little by little. As the saltiness started to come back, he could feel himself becoming slowly rejuvenated, feeling a little more alive. Still not enough to move any limb, but his breathing was more audible, and he COULD talk quietly now.

“Thanks, you two…” Paani moaned as his vision grew clearer again. He could’ve sworn he was ACTUALLY dead, but even that was a load of rubbish. He knew things were totally fine now, and so did Tracker, as he was now preparing to tidy the place before Natquik returned.

Yeshi would also stay and help, but lately he was questioning the whereabouts of his little sister. It wasn’t like she went far, but this island WAS quite big, so his worry was justified.

What if she actually took to the sea? What if SHE was a mermaid right now? She WAS probably old enough for it. Periwinkle obviously wasn’t, but Orson and Ursa… give it a few months and they’d be eligible for it.

Nah, that was wack. Koshi would NEVER do that, right? Right, that was something out of his nightmares. Maybe she just went with Natquik.

~~~~

“Shit. You’re actually back?”

The dachshund puppy nodded, looking up at Yuma. She had remembered last night and was genuinely enjoying having this coyote around.

Now, it wasn’t TERRIBLE having Koshi around, but Yuma didn’t think she’d be around for THIS long. She was no local, so there was that, but… the coyote just preferred their parents and no one else. Perhaps it was because they never had a REAL friend since 2016, not after that one embarrassing Pine they got themselves into.

It was just day 2 seeing her, but Koshi actually seemed like a perfect friend to Yuma. Like, yeah, they still had to keep that secrecy, but they knew they could actually TRUST the dachshund. After all, she was of rather high status. Quite above Yuma, but neither minded the difference.

“Yuma? Is your head in the CLOUDS again?” Koshi looked at the coyote, who indeed was thinking through all of the factors in this… new friendship. It was foreign to them; an interaction like this was something that hadn’t happened in so long for them.

“…yes.” The coyote embarrassingly nodded, before holding the puppy’s paw and softly smiling at her. “You’re a great friend, you know… I never really had one until now.”

Ironic for a coyote to say to a little weenie dog, but Yuma really meant what they said. They couldn’t even remember the last time they really spoke to someone apart from the usual “hi, bye” and generic small talk, until they saw Koshi on that beach.

Now, you might ask: why was Yuma headed to that very beach anyways? Did they know about her to begin with? No, but first off…

Yuma did travel to this part of the island a lot. It was a spot no one gave a damn about, which was perfect. Whilst it felt like getting baked in summer, that was the whole point. The coyote hated hiking through inclined spots, and this little spot where the Octoray had landed? Oh, bestie, it was A FUCKING BLESSING for them.

Now, with the big slightly damaged ship being in the way, you’d think Yuma would be quite upset. But that’s also why they were at their favorite spot. It was flying past their community and descending towards the other side, which definitely intrigued the coyote. And so, they hopped into the Daihatsu, floored it, and from there, what could’ve been a SUPER heated argument, which Yuma never wanted to get into, ended up just questioning Koshi’s existence on those very grains of sand.

And that, my besties, is why these two are now standing next to each other. Koshi was like an insider for the coyote, and would explain some basics like the Vegimals and leaked flavors of kelp cakes, all talked about over a bag of seaweed chips.

Yuma never did mention catching what turned out to be Tunip. That would be awful. This was a new beginning. They didn’t want it to end already.

~~~~

"Wow," Tracker’s voice echoed through the cargo bay. “We… really left a mess. I’m only about 5 minutes in and that’s in THIS one corner.” He continued to sweep around the territory he called his own for some time, making sure little to no dust was left, all in the name of Natquik.

“We?” Periwinkle looked at the polar bear and shook his head. “More like you three. I just sat here… waiting for mom to come back.” He looked around, knowing he was more alone… than ever before.

Tracker was a little confused. Surely he’d have known about the news. Sure, Periwinkle was nothing more than a little kid, but you’d think he’d be aware that his mother was alive, well, and snuggling the big, warm, squishy, furry chest of Captain Barnacles’ twin sister, which even Ryla couldn’t top. Which didn’t bother HER, as Dashi found that wombat’s to still be nicely big and just as cushy, and good enough for her and Tweak. One happy love triangle under the sea.

And yes, that wombat’s Tim Tams were EXACTLY what the angry Floridian bunny girl was awkward over earlier. That’s what happens when you’ve worn nothing but a tight suit for every time you were around the Octonauts. But now you’re a mermaid and you don’t need it anymore. So now you just have that tank top with an unspecified design on it. The HHgregg logo? A frame from one of the HHgregg commercials? HH himself? Maybe. I dunno, I haven’t drawn Ryla yet.

Right, that’s enough. I’m getting bored.

“O-okay then, uwu…” Tracker shook his head, “You just hold tight, and…” proceeded to point the broom at the otter, “…maybe go upstairs so you don’t get…” approached him slowly with a squinted look, “…in my way.”

Periwinkle was totally innocent. He was scared during those arguments on the Octoray. Yet, he DID have a bit of beef with some folks for how young he was. Which was kinda typical, in all honesty. His brain wasn’t fully developed, for one thing. Regardless, he managed to get up and slowly walked upstairs with slight difficulty, which Tracker paid no attention to.

Paani still felt half-dead, waiting for the next dose of salt water which he didn’t exactly need just yet. He definitely had a lot to say now, fortunately.

“So,” he looked over at Tracker, “what’s the plan after you clean this whole area? Has Natquik said anything about… you know?”

The bear shook his head. Sure, Natquik did tell him NOW that he was out at sea, but even he himself didn’t know when he’d be back. No ETA, nothing. But he definitely would be back before 8 or something.

“Knowing him, he’s probably looking through every nook and cranny in that place,” Tracker told himself, as he made sure there was no dust in this very corner, “but so am I, so no debating on that… Hey, I just remembered something. Why did Ryla leave last night?”

That was a GOOD question. Where DID that wombat go? Last night, she just left through the ramp here and never came back. Did SHE get turned? Yeshi would question that if he was here… he WAS outside but that wasn’t the point. What was HE doing anyways?

“Tracker, look at me in the eyes when I’m talking to you.”

Coming back inside, that’s what.

The polar twink was a little surprised, the dachshund having just come out of nowhere even though he spent a solid 25 minutes on the sand. Was that motorcycle he modified even useful? Yeah, it was a ride of his own, but did it even have a point other than being fast transportation to band practice? Probably not.

But then, Tracker caught sight of what Yeshi was HOLDING. That being Ryla’s suit and helmet. And THAT really confused him. It made him worried as well.

“N-no way! And you found that… where?” He shuddered, knowing the possibilities of just what could’ve happened, good OR bad..

“On the beach, poking out of the sand like she tried to bury it,” Yeshi replied. “It’s strange. Ryla NEVER takes off her suit, does she? So why did I just find it there?”

Tracker shrugged, obviously not knowing that either. He was still more focused on cleaning up this whole area.

“You know what? I’ll go set this in the cockpit. If anyone’s to figure it out, it’s Natquik,” the dachshund told him, as he was starting to head upstairs before stopping for a moment. “You know what I’m also concerned over? The fact that you took 30 minutes deep cleaning ONE corner of this area. I appreciate the dedication, Tracker, but I’d hate for you to tire yourself out.” He ran up, left the wombat’s gear there, and rushed back downstairs. “Extra paws never hurt anyone.”

What a coincidence. Tracker DID need some assistance. ACTUAL assistance, as Paani was just emotional support. Not that it was bad, no, it was great, but having another critter sweeping with him was a big boost. Unfortunately, the macaque couldn’t do that, because, well, he was a mermaid. And mermaids don’t have legs. So they can’t sweep. Duh.

So, while the polar bear worked on one side, the dachshund worked on the other. Paani was in the center, watching as this went on for a little while. It was almost like watching figure skating on TV, as the two other Octo-Agents worked in such synchronization. Which was pretty funny, but still… splashing.

Because Tracker was already heavy at work, he was definitely starting to slow down. He had about 85 percent of his half done, and as much as he wanted to keep going, his arms were tired, and at this point, he was slowly losing his grip on the stick of the mop.

“Tracker, I think you need a break,” Paani called over to him. “Yeshi has a point and you’re probably going to make yourself sick if you don’t stop for even a minute-

And at that very moment, as the polar bear looked at the monkey, he bumped into the wall, and fell back… right where Ryla left those vials earlier. Fortunately, none of them shattered, but hitting the ground definitely hurt regardless.

“…That wouldn’t happen if I could still walk.” Paani shook his head. “At least I AM a mermaid…”

Tracker looked at him again, now a little discouraged by his own mishap. The contents of the crate he fell onto were scattered around him. And just when he thought he was close to finishing.

Yeshi stopped working, and rushed over to help the polar bear get up. However, he stopped almost immediately, noticing all the vials on the ground. The glass was definitely weakened, and even a single tap could actually break them, so the dachshund had to watch his step.

“Get away from there, you two!” Paani then shouted, trying to reach his arms at theirs. “If they break, you’re going to get turned into a-“

Alas, poor Tracker having realized he DID break one vial, right on his back. It was all over his jacket, and by the time Yeshi managed to get to him, it was already too late.

“Are you kidding me,” the dachshund grumbled under his breath. “Tracker, DON’T move… I can’t believe I actually have to do this… I’m getting Natquik.”

As the polar bear readjusted his glasses, he tried to figure out whatever the vocalist said and looked around. His eyes went to him, then Paani, and then himself. Don’t move? Or what? Now what happened? He checked himself, and… well, this was not what he expected.

The thick, gray and white tail of a narwhal.

~~~~~~

At the time, the professor and ranger, donning helmets like the ones the Octonauts had, were down where the garden pod ended up. It was only a bit recognizable at this point, now looking like a flattened can of nacho cheese. Surely it all wasn’t lost, though. At least, that’s what the vegimals were hoping.

“Right… this place looks like a MESS,” Marsh announced. “If we’re gonna help you little guys salvage any supplies left in here, then we gotta move all this metal and glass first…” the bunny paused, looking over at the Octopod, “…which I could get done easily if I knew where Tweak was. She’d find a way faster than I can say… good cloud, I hope she’s okay.”

Tunip definitely understood the bunny’s worry. Like him, he knew nothing about Shellington’s whereabouts shortly after the Octopod crashed. And whilst he DID want to help, he was nothing but some fishy vegetable thing “voiced” by a Michigander mouse with a “pooter”.

Surely the other mermaids here would show themselves. Tunip did know Tweak was working on the other GUPs for… preservation purposes, and also for repairs after what happened on 3/30/21. He did NOT want to think of THAT, so he went back to looking for where to start moving all this junk out of the way.

“Yes, yes… first, we’ll have to move the roof off,” Natquik spoke up, still surveying the wreckage. “If it doesn’t bother all of us to do so, of course.”

Convinced almost immediately, the Vegimals went to the sides of the pod, slowly and carefully lifting it, just enough to not scrape any other wreckage off. This was definitely heavy, but at least they had some assistance from these two strong folks.

“…Oh me, oh my,” Marsh gasped, looking at what was below. Not only was it an absolute mess in here, but clearly TONS of other creatures were making their homes here, and they had been rudely interrupted.

Seeing all of this made the Ranger quite sad, even if this was a good use for… what was left of the Octopod. To think this was really the end, even if the Octonauts were alive and well.

He didn’t even bother to slide back on the roof. He just sulked, floating over the “apartment complex” of little creatures like shrimp that found their way into this artificial reef. They all looked up at him, as he winced a little.

Before he could really break down, however, a voice rang out. “Ey! Ranger!” It was Natquik. He’d have gone back into the GUP-A, trying to warn him of this distress call he was getting. “What are you doing?!”

The bunny snapped out of his daze, and haphazardly swam back into the ship. Natquik asked him why he wasn’t making a noise or a move earlier, but all his friend could give was a sad look in the eyes.

“What’s wrong? What did you see there?” The fox tried again, tilting his head a bit. That seemed to have ended up in vain, up until Marsh took a small breath, and smiled.

“…we can talk about it later. Pick up the call.”

Almost immediately, the two were met with the sound of Tracker panting, worried as could be. Now, this guy wasn’t taken seriously every time, but there was no Top Gear in the background, so you KNEW this was bad.

“Professor, please come back here NOW! It’s SERIOUS! PLEASE! I can’t even explain how terrible this is, I CAN’T!”

Albeit the lack of specification in what was wrong, the fox did as he was asked, even in utter repulse. He sped up the GUP, making sure it was at its fastest, to get to the surface ASAP. Of course, he was always concerned about Tracker, but…

“…I didn’t even get to see Barnacles.”

~~~~

Within minutes of the call, despite the short delay, Nat came real close to running the GUP aground, having gotten a full grasp of the true fear this invoked. He wasted no time just RUNNING out of there and looking for how to open the cargo bay in fits of hesitation.

“Tracker, are you able to let us in?”

Marsh caught up with the fox, who calmly replied to the polar bear above on his near-obsolete Octo-Watch. Even if he still had the Octopod in his mind, he had to stay strong. Time wasn’t running out any time soon, anyways!

“You came back fast…” Yeshi spoke up, as he opened the door. “I really do hate to stop your work out of nowhere, but this IS pretty bad. Watch your step.”

As the professor composed himself, he and the ranger stepped on board, and now they were looking at the aftermath of Tracker’s accident. Yeshi had barricaded Tracker to avoid getting anyone else transformed, so the polar bear was left soaking up the mess he made, not moving a muscle like the beached whale he was.

“What’s that behind you?” Natquik asked, noticing the worried expression on the dachshund’s face which didn’t change at the fox’s question.

“Are you hiding something?” The professor twitched an ear, now growing suspicious. He tilted to the sides of the vocalist, but he mimicked his movements without a hitch or a sound, which frustrated him.

Yeshi wanted to warn him about what he was hiding, but it was pretty much too late for that. Natquik was getting pretty annoyed, so he decided not to intervene any further and just let the fox find out for himself, stepping aside.

Natquik sighed, as he walked past the dachshund. Not sure what that thing was about, but oh well. This fox had worse to deal with right now. Was it something upstairs, or was it…

And then, he saw what this was about. The moment he looked at Tracker—who quietly sobbed under the fin of Paani—his mind went blank.

This kind of thing was beyond sobering. Knowing it was merely irreversible. Knowing everything in their lives had led them to this. All Natquik could do now was look back on every year he spent working with Tracker on his side before today.

When he'd first joined in 2007, none of the other Polar Scouts expected much out of him, but it only took 4 months for him to show just how important he was, especially after one troop went missing near Greenland, and because he was the first to get their distress signal, they returned to their base without injury within 12 hours.

2014 was when his career as an Emergency Post Operator really took off. After Barnacles and his sister were nearly lost, as were a few other residents of Melville Island, Tracker was just as fast to respond. And that kept going! He was slowly, but steadily becoming a role model for nearly every Polar Scout…

And then? There came his PEAK in 2021, after a near-death experience during the Ring of Fire disaster, when he was swept away in Alaska and ended up with Yeshi for the first time, the two which had to make their way all the way back to Canada… he made the greatest decision in his life. The MOMENT he became an Octo-Agent… Straight up, he threw a SICK-ASS PARTY AT THE BUNKER NEAR HIS POST. NATQUIK WAS THERE, mind you. And he was PROUD.

All those days, all those years… all those moments, those memories, good and bad… Even though Natquik had met Tracker at 8, he had wondered about his life before, from the night he was born in 1999. Everything began from something, that was for sure.

24 years of life, and they all led to him becoming half narwhal. How messed up was that?

Enough to make the professor go “блять.”

And then, he passed out in his own tears.

“Nat!” Marsh ran over to him, shocked. “C’mon, get up… Oh me, oh my… Tracker, what have you gotten yourself into?”

The polar bear was a whale, so of course he could breathe a little easier. Yet, he felt like he was drying out. And so did Yeshi, who could only watch and wait for Koshi to return.

Periwinkle slowly watched his step as he walked downstairs to see the commotion. Needless to say, the beef he had with Tracker was cooked medium, just how I like it. This time, he said no words, only looking at everyone as to say “congrats, we all fucked up.”

“Ranger,” Paani looked up, with his tired eyes. “Get us to the H2O. NOW.”

“SILENCE,” the bunny said in the most gruff voice he’d ever done. “Can’t you see what’s happened to… NAT?!”

Natquik groaned as he slowly opened his eyes to see the bunny. He shook his head in disbelief over what had happened, which he remembered quite well.

“Ah, ranger,” he sighed. “That was terrible… Help me up.”

Reaching for the fox’s paw, Marsh looked over at Paani and Tracker, making sure they understood what this was about. They were going to RESPECT this.

“It’s just unfathomable to see you in such pain,” the bunny said. “I know that feeling. I really do… I’ve been where you’ve been. I’ve witnessed terrible, terrible things… and while my family lives in happiness… I can never forget getting caught in Cristobal ‘96, for instance. Thought THAT was it for me…”

Yes, yes, Natquik thought. He and Marsh, like Tracker, went through so much to lead to all of this as well. For so much love he had for him, he wanted to shower this bunny with all of it. There really was no denying it anymore. With each other, the fox knew they had a chance of getting through this whole thing… even if it once seemed impossible.

“…Yes, yes…” the professor took a deep breath, his voice gone confident. “I think I’m ready to do this… are you~?”

“Absolutely!”

It took a little bit of time to get the two mermaids out of the Octoray, but with the area safe by the time the fox recovered, the pace took off and now everyone was staring at the coast.

“Well, folks, we made it… despite your directions,” Ranger Marsh chuckled. “How do you feel, My Melody and Kuromi?”

"We’re alright!" Paani replied in enthusiasm. "I mean, none of us are perfect… nobody is. But hey, we’ve all had those moments! Me, for instance!" He laughed, even if his comment did come off as a little rude.

"That gives me an idea,” The bunny’s ears perked up. “Let’s all watch the stars and talk about it. Let off some steam. I’m sure I could list more than you!"

"Oh, no! I’m in first place when it comes to that!" The macaque jokingly argued, posing like he wanted every sailor on the Pacific Ocean.

"Okay, ARIEL,” the ranger laughed, making sure Natquik was doing alright like he deserved. He was purring a bit, so that was good. Hopefully that would stay that way.

As time went by, the sun was completely down, and nearly everyone was giggling and laughing over each other’s little mishaps, like that time Yeshi mixed nattō into his soup, which left him in a food coma. Or maybe the time Tracker was trying to watch Neon Genesis Evangelion and ended up playing The Cruel Angel’s Thesis over the entire PA system of Mackenzie King Island at 2 in the morning. Maybe even the time Paani cut up all of his ties on purpose. No one even knew he wore ties before.

Professor Natquik, however, didn’t say a single word. He was in the same sitting position from when he first reached the coast, and… he’d have stopped purring now. Could be trouble, so Marsh tugged his arm making sure he was fine.

“What happened?” He calmly asked, so as to not startle him. “Now what’s on your mind?”

“I don’t know,” Natquik shook his head in recurring worry. It wasn’t Tracker or Paani, though. No, it was something definitely more obvious. This had been the case earlier, and while he was feeling better over it, he was falling into depression again.

“I’m thinking of Barnacles. That’s all.” He put his head down in regret, knowing this wasn’t good for him. It would leave him feeling unwell again. Right now wasn’t a time to stress out, so why was he?

Of course, Barnacles WAS practically his son, so he did have a reason to worry, even if he was away from him most of the time.

But with what happened, the polar bear was of his greatest concern. And now, he didn’t feel like waiting any longer.

“I’m sorry, Marsh. I still don’t understand it… It’s like I’ll never see him again. He’s down there… probably better without me, but… You know what, I suppose that’s normal. Take Tracker, for example… He’s growing up, and I’m more than proud of him. Gone so far, above and below the surface…”

“I’ve always wanted to tell him that.”

And then, came another voice. One that lived in Natquik’s heart ever since the day he called it his son’s. One that had grown up so broken, yet so proud. One that deserved so much love, so much care, so much joy… just like who he himself had found.

“I’m right here.”

The fox looked up, and there he was.

Barnacles. It was BARNACLES.

[asexual-spongebob]

The waves that lap the shore - chapter 6 - vegimals to the rescue

(dividers are by cafekitsune) chapter notes : I decided to look up all the vegimals for this. I completely forgot about halibeet’s existence but I wanted to include him here :3 I got inspired by the episode urchin invasion but I wrote it to be kinda different

“Where is dad and Peso?” Barrot mumbled as he put the fish biscuits in the oven, he was making some for Inkling to snack on.

Codish and Halibeet gave each other questioning glances, “I don’t know..” Halibeet finally answered, starting to become concerned.

Tunip bursted into the kitchen, clearly excited “Tunip, where’s dad?!” Halibeet asked, hoping Tunip had answers.

“I don’t know… I’ve looked everywhere in the Octopod… no sign of them…” Tunip replied “let’s go find him!” Codish squeaked “okay! I’ll get the Gup-V!” Tunip proclaimed as he went down the Octo-Chute .

Tunip came running into the launch bay, “why in such a hurry Tunip?” Tweak questioned as she played some super mario brothers “I gotta do something important. Can you get the Gup-V out of storage please?” Tunip panted “sure thing pal!” Tweak exclaimed, dropping her controller and rushing to the storage unit.

Tunip thanked Tweak as the other vegimals followed in his lead. 

“Vegimals, into the gup-v!” Tunip ordered, Tweak opening the Octo-Hatch.

The vegimals started singing in typical Vegimal fashion “I hope we’ll find them… what if they run out of air!?” Halibeet began to tear up “dad’s a fish… maybe he’ll be fine… Peso likely needs help though..” Tunip mentioned.

“What do you mean by “dad’s a fish?” Groubert questioned “oh he’s a merman!” Tunip explained Groubert gave Tunip a “no he isn’t you idiot” stare. Tunip turning his attention to driving the gup-v.

Halibeet had dragged Tominnow out of bed and into the Gup-V, Tominnow woke up very confused.

“huh? what are we doing?” Tominnow blurted “we’re rescuing dad and Peso from the horrors!” Tunip explained “what happened to them?!” Tominnow demanded, becoming concerned “i don’t know, however I looked everywhere in the Octopod and didn’t find them so I thought they might me out here.” Tunip answered.

••••

Peso began to panic, they had drifted far away ! “Shellington! Shellington?” Peso shook Shellington awake “huh? Where are we?” Shellington said, very confused. 

“We drifted away! I think a current swept us out!” Peso clarified “jumping jellyfish!” Shellington exclaimed “flappity flippers! we’re to far out!” Peso hollered after it had tried to use its helmet radio

“wait! maybe we can send a message in a bottle?” Peso suggested “yeah that could work I guess!” Shellington verified.

Shellington then took a deep dive to look for a bottle until he came across something strange a bottle with a message inside? “Kwazii would like this.” Shellington mumbled, then finding some shells “oo Peso would like these!” Shellington remarked as he headed up to the surface. 

“I found these!” Shellington said as he gasped for breath  “are you okay?” Peso concerned “yeah I’m fine.” Shellington assured.

Shellington then took another dive, to search for a bottle him and Peso could use to send a message.

However as he resurfaced, Shellington heard some familiar noises. The vegimals!, Shellington could see them more clearly now “over here!” Shellington called, signaling to the vegimals.

Peso smiled as it climbed into the Gup-V, Shellington joining it.

Groubert let out a gasp 

“See I told you I wasn’t joking!” Tunip giggled 

Groubert fainted “Cheepa Cheepa..” Tunip sighed. 

•••

Captain Barnacles was standing at the launch bay, looking worried until the Gup-V arrived “hi uncle Barnacles! We rescued dad and Peso from the horrors!” Tunip cheered.

“Great job! Captain Barnacles commented “where were you guys anyway?” Captain Barnacles questioned, glancing over to Peso and Shellington.

“We wanted to sleep sea otter style. But we drifted away..” Shellington sighed with a frown “Oh okay! Glad you’re safe though!” Captain Barnacles replied “yeah me to.” Peso breathed as he headed upstairs to the sick bay. 

Captain Barnacles walked away. 

No tail. Shellington thought to himself, his scales disappearing before his eyes as he climbed out of the launch bay tank.

Shellington went upstairs to his lab, the vegimals following his lead. 

[adrianasunderworld]

Considering how popular they can be in the fandom i wonder what Headmistress Rosehearts would do with a child Yuu

Since they got isekaid there at 8-12 yrs old and didn't have any guardians the school staff just kept them with Grim and looked after child Yuu collectively while Yuu and Grim still went through the story chapters just with some changes (because they might be cunning but i don't think Azul would leave a child homeless nor Jamil would force them to do the Scarabia training)

I feel like she'd either try to make them and educate them like Riddle or send them to the orphanage so they'd probably never see the cast again

I mean if she sends them to an orphanage, there isn't really much of a plot. Maybe because Yuu is a ward of the school with various caretakers, the staff collectively has to agree to give them up, or else she legally can't. Idk how that would work, but for the sake of the au let's pretend that's how their guardian ship works. Idk maybe that's what was decided, so if anything happened, Yuu would always have a legal guardian available to take them to avoid them going into the system. So Mrs. Rosehearts can't just get rid of them.

Also I don't think Yuu would live in Ramshackle. I can't logic out a reason for a child to live by themselves in a run down house. So they have their own room in the staff quarters. But they like to play in Ramshackle, despite everyone telling them not to. They sort of claim it as their club house and the ghosts are very fond of them. Anyone who sneaks into Ramshackle will find children's toys and books scattered everywhere and the kitchen pantry with snacks and candy. Everyone knows that's where Yuu runs off to play.

Mrs. Rosehearts decides, if she has to look after this child's needs, she will. But her way. She sees how Yuu is being raised and finds fault in everything. Yuu goes to school in town, using the mirror to teleport down, because seven knows the commute down the mountain will be hell. Mrs. Rosehearts decides the schools available on the isle of sages aren't good enough. The place is small, there are only a couple of schools and none of them are prestigious private schools. So she pulls Yuu out and will have them be homeschooled with the curriculum she had for Riddle. Tweaked only to exclude magic lessons. Next she took every toy of Yuus that she did not approve of. "These dolls clothes are inappropriate. The show these action figures are from promotes violence. These video games are not good for your development. These posters are a distraction as well." Yuu keeps sobbing. Half their stuff is gone and they can't even see their friends. Headmistress was not done yet though. Yuu was not to interact with certain students she deemed a "bad influence". So no Trey. No Ace and Deuce. No Octo trio. Yuu was to study with Riddle so he could set a good example. Vil was one of the ones who were allowed. He was after all an excellent student. (And her bias towards his father.)

But the thing that broke Yuu was when they finally managed to sneak off to Ramshackle. Only to find it boarded up. The doors were locked and all the windows nailed shut. "This place is dangerous." Said a voice behind them. It was Headmistress Rosehearts. "It's old and dirty, and you're likely to be hurt. You are not to play here ever again. Understand?"

Yuu looked down at their shoes and sniffled. Int he smallest voice they replied. "Yes, ma'am."

[octoagentmiles]

i love ur octonauts safe foods post but that also brings the question: what are the octo-agents safe foods?

wonderful question my anonymous friend- apologies for the delay, please enjoy post 🤲:

Paani’s patties have nuts, seeds, and bugs in them, which all have kind of similar tastes—hear me out—they all taste nutty (yes, bugs have a nutty flavour, if you didn’t know), and possibly a little roasty or smokey depending on how they’re prepared. Paani’s safe foods probably consist of a lot of other grains, nuts, or butters (peanut butter, sunflower butter, almond/cashew butter, etc). He probably unironically enjoys pistachio ice cream. Can’t go wrong with a giant jug of straight up rainwater, either.

Tracker grew up the same way Barnacles did: In the Arctic with very little variety. So, their tastes are probably the same, or very similar. He enjoys simple flavours, and dishes with non-complicated seasoning. I also imagine he’s an extremely picky eater, despite being taught in the Polar Scouts to be prepared to “eat what you have to” in an emergency. He might like a couple obscure or odd things here and there, but other than that his palate is pretty limited. He likes knowing what to expect when he eats something (and in general), so he basically just eats the same foods over and over. He’s an EXPERT at cooking these foods.

Googled native Russian and Siberian cuisines for Natquik, and I’m seeing a lot of dough, pastry, soup, and salt (and a lot of other things, but they’re mostly meat and I’m going to pretend he’s vegetarian and so is everyone else, with the exceptions of Mr. Paani “The Bug Eater”, and Ms. Pearl “Eats Living Urchins Whole”). He loves savoury foods, as well as “earthy” flavours (below-ground vegetables, such as beets, potatoes, carrots (he might bond with Tweak over that one), or mushrooms) but can NOT tolerate spiciness at all; he’s worse than Barnacles in this regard. If he eats something too hot he will spit it out instantly, and be very dramatic about it. He also enjoys a cup of tea now and then, and he’s not picky about what kind; if it’s warm and got leaves in it, he’ll drink it.

I like to think that Calico Jack and Kwazii are alike in more ways than one thousand—and they probably have IDENTICAL tastes/safe foods. So, Jack loves sweets and sugars, but hates bitters. He hates citrus too (because he’s a cat), but has learned to tolerate it in all his years as a pirate. He chugs lemon juice like it’s milk, and he just ate a whole ghost pepper. You won’t catch him anywhere near a tangerine, though. (Disclaimer: Citrus is actually poisonous to cats in real life, which is why they hate it so much. This cat however, is fictional, and just thinks they’re icky.) CJ also canonically loves to cook and bake his own food, based on how many recipes he invented and passed down to Kwazii; such as pirate pie (real pie, see GBR for ingredients), pirate stew (main ingredient = kelp), and “pirate pie” (kelp and lima beans on toast), to name a few.

Ranger Marsh LOVES the Octonauts’ hot cocoa specifically, I don’t know if it’s the way the Vegimals make it, or what, but I’m taking this to mean the man is fan of chocolate. Dark chocolate. Meaning, he probably enjoys bitter things. Do not let him cook for Kwazii or Jack. I bet most of what he eats is foraged directly out of the Everglades’ thicket, so that would likely include weird and bitter berries, plants, and wild vegetables. I also headcanon that he taught Tweak how to make her famous chili, she just perfected it. Chili can taste like pretty much anything depending on how you season it, so you can bet he likes his extra bitter as well.

Okay now Pearl is probably the opposite of Shellington. I said that Shellington would enjoy intense or odd flavours (like extra hot sauce on cake), but dislike salty-anything because it reminds him of red urchin. He learned to like strange foods, as a result of being allergic to his species’ main source of nourishment (shellfish). Since Pearl didn’t have this problem, she didn’t need to branch out her plate; and thus would love salty things because it’s what she’s used to. She might dislike overly sour or sweet things, or generally “unnatural” or artificial foods. She’s probably not much of a chef, considering most of what she eats is stuff she literally picks off the seafloor.

Apparently a red panda’s diet is 95% bamboo, soooooooooooooooo... I guess that answers Min. She probably eats a ton of those bamboo biscuits, and that might literally be all. Bamboo tastes earthy, nutty, and slightly sweet, so if she were to expand her menu, she’d probably eat foods with similar tastes, or anything that has a good crunch to it. Y’know what? I bet she’d love a Paani Patty.

Ryla literally ate bat droppings covered in moss. Granted, the “droppings” were berries, but still. I don’t think she’s very picky. She doesn’t have any “safe foods”, because she’s a hardcore survivalist—she’ll eat ANYTHING (unless it’s poisonous then she’ll only eat it once). Wombats are strict herbivores, so she probably enjoys a good salad when she's not fighting for her life in a cave.

I think Koshi and Pinto are both stereotypical kids, who'll gladly inhale anything with sugar in it. Pinto specifically might have similar tastes to Peso, in which he'll also just eat... literally anything. Especially if it's weird looking. Koshi is a bit more sensitive to strong smells, so she'll only eat what she likes the smell of. She doesn't seem like someone who likes trying new foods, either. She likes sweet, or bland simple tastes.

[mrauthor3ds]

Crazy Echo Fighter ideas (of known fighters)

- Ninten (of Ness): His moves could be like Ness’s for the most part, as they get their gear from the most similar settings in the Mother series. Maybe change PK Flash to Lucas’s PK Freeze, though, since EarthBound Beginnings doesn’t have PK Flash at all. Final Smash could be PK Beam Gamma (or Omega), with Ana and Loid’s assistance.

- Black Shadow (of Captain Falcon): It may be tough to differentiate him enough from Ganondorf, but perhaps making him more like Melee Ganondorf could do the trick.

- Impa (of Sheik): Could be Skyward Sword-based, if they really are going with series variety this time. Likewise, she may make her tools (needles, Burst Grenade, etc.) from that ancient blue energy - fighting like a genuine Sheikah.

- Azura (of Ike): Probably the wildest idea here, but the way Ike wields his long Ragnell sword could easily be translated to a lance user’s fighting style. Obviously, Azura would have to be on the light, mobile side, and use water instead of fire for things like the standard special. Would be cool if half her costumes were the Dark Songstress disguise.

- Shadow (of Sonic): Seems to be the most popular choice right now. Even with Sonic’s attacks, he could enhance the range and power with Chaos energy, even for Spin Dash moves. Up special might be substituted, though (maybe Mewtwo’s Teleport). Could use more “modern” sound effects instead of Sonic’s classic sounds.

- Tetra (of Toon Link): Use a dagger, but no shield, probably stronger than Toon Link, but also lighter. Maybe change the bow to the Bow of Light (longer max charge time, but more strength and distance in return). Final Smash could use Triforce of Wisdom, transforming into Toon Zelda during it.

- Celica (of Robin): Basically, a similar sword-and-magic style, but without breakable weapons. Instead, Celica could have just the one sword (Beloved Zofia, hoping) that’s between the Bronze Sword and Levin Sword in power, and her magic-based attacks could draw from her own health. Down special might be different...She doesn’t use Nosferatu in any form, but she could repurpose Marth’s Counter with Plenitude, focusing more on being a healing punish instead of a high-damage punish.

- Malos (of Shulk): Probably the least likely, but fun to think about, as Malos’s true weapon as an Aegis is STRIKINGLY similar to Shulk’s Monado (and he even uses Monado-based Arts). He could use the popular custom special Hyper Monado Arts instead, and his counter could use his dark ether powers instead of Visions. Either Monado Eater or an Artifice would be a must for a Final Smash.

- Ken (of Ryu): Him or Akuma, whichever. But anyway, Ken would obviously have his moveset tweaked to encourage more in-your-face combat and multiple hits, especially with his specialized Shoryuken. His Final Smashes may be different, too. Probably Shiryuken for up-close, and Guren Senpukyaku for ranged.

- Octoling (of Inkling): Only difference I can see would be in weapons (like with Dark Pit). Octo Shot wouldn’t be any different from Splattershot, but there are options to substitute the other weapons with. One idea I had for the smash attacks at least were Octobrush, Range Blaster, and Bloblobber, which would improve their attack range.

[the-vid-squids]

A more in-depth look at the Vid-Squids’ story

What a week for Splatoon!! Now that we know a lot more about the world of Splatoon 2, I feel more comfortable “finalizing” the environment in my story. As Splatoon 1 will inevitably be phased out soon (sadly), I figured now would be a good time to talk about my story’s environment, since it has a lot to do with 1. 

This gets pretty long, so I’ve put my rambling under the cut! However, I’d highly recommend anyone who’s been curious about the story or just my squids in general to read it, it’ll give you an idea of my intent as I move forward with them! 

I’ve sort-of mentioned the Vid-Squids’ story takes place long before the events of Splatoon 1... about 10 years in fact! As seen with Splatoon 2, we know that inkling society advances quickly, so I imagined the change in culture and technology would be quite drastic even within a decade, making the environment of my story something like a 1980s-equivalent of Inkopolis. (which explains why I’ve been drawing a lot of inspiration from that era haha) 

Since this story was built around how things were in Splatoon 1, it will mostly resemble the environment featured there as opposed to Splatoon 2′s. Specifically, I’ll be keeping 1′s weapons/specials, Inkopolis Plaza as the hub, and most importantly, the original two boy/girl hairstyles (a significant part in the story! I explained the reason a while back in this post on my main blog). Splatoon 2 describes the new hairstyles as “customized”, so I’ll be assuming that the ability to change an inkling’s “hair” was something that became more accessible between 1 and 2, and that their “natural” hairstyles are the ones we had in the first game. I know custom hairstyles were hinted at in the first game since some of the band squids had unique “hair”, but I’ll say it was rare to have overall (especially in the past where my story takes place), and that it was only something that celebrities or wealthy squids could do.

However, to not completely make this irrelevant, Splatoon 2 elements will still be incorporated into the story! This includes things like gear and locations/stages, since I figured those things could have existed before even though they weren’t seen in the first game (bringing back old trends anyone??). Maybe a few other things too, I’m looking forward to what more we’ll find out once it’s released.

So you might be asking, if the environment is that close to Splatoon 1′s, why not make the story happen around that time? Why 10 years before? Well, certain aspects of the story are reliant on it being further in the past, but it also gives myself a time frame in between to work in before Splatoon 1′s events happen. I’ll admit, it’s been a little weird trying to figure out how things would work in Inkopolis without all it’s modern technology, but it's been a fun exercise haha. But! I am also aware that I don’t want this to become a distraction either, so I’m striving to maintain the same feel of the actual game(s) at the same time. 

To elaborate a bit on what the environment of my story is like, inkling society is still like how we’ve always seen it, at the forefront of modernization for its time, and enamored with materialistic pursuits. But here’s where I added in a few details!: 

Though inkling culture is progressing as trends begin to develop, it still maintains a strong sense of tradition, particularly in terms of their image and themselves as a species. The Great Turf War between the squids and octopi had occurred several decades before, but animosity against the Octarians has only increased, with a growing fear that they will some day strike back. As a result, any octopi that may have remained on the surface after the war were gradually chased out, or removed by force. Since then, the squids have kept a vigilant eye to make sure no Octarians are present in society, so none have been seen on the surface for several years. Though the threat of the Octarians isn’t as “real” to younger inklings, it has become ingrained in their society that they are the enemy. But despite this tension, inkling society is thriving more than ever, and there is a sense of comfort and peace with what they have. 

I know that me elaborating on this might come off as strange, as I’ve only shown team shenanigans here and not much about octos (...or anything serious for that matter haha), but this actually plays a large role in the story. Maybe some attentive squids are already making connections with all this! (But just something I wanted to add: With all the octo negativity described here, it makes me super happy that we have an octo popstar in Splatoon 2! What a change!)

Sorry this ended up being really long, but I felt I should explain things before I keep going! Hopefully this all made sense, I wrote most of it in the middle of the night. lol

Keep in mind, none of this is meant to be my opinion on what the Splatoon environment should be seen as, it’s just meant to provide background on how I interpreted it in my story, and what to expect from it moving forward. Though the main storyline is mostly set, there are aspects of it that can change! I expect to still make some tweaks here and there.

[fynntales]

Plot: Canyon Conquest - Prologue Part 1

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

Fynn and Dawn belongs to me

Eimie belongs to @eiden-squid

Aqua and Blush (mentioned) belongs to @askthesquidfamily

9 months had passed after the 16th and final Splatfest. Every battler in Inkopolis Plaza were either shocked or sad. For Fynn, he felt no emotion after what happened. Nothing at all.

Fynn was in the bed with his girlfriend, Eimie. It was a quiet spring evening and they were both sleeping together. He was having a good rest, until he started to mumble and shifted his body. “N-No.. please…” He murmered, quietly in his sleep.

In his dream, Fynn was in his Hero Suit as Agent 11. He was stumbling through the destroyed buildings of Inkopolis. Everyone he knew and loved were gone for good. He was sobbing, on his knees, couldn’t protect his friends and family. In the middle of sobbling, there was someone approaching in front of him. The light shined apon the dark figure. The figure is nothing other than.. himself. He was a Blue-ringed Octoling and he grinned in front of him. Before Fynn could escape, he felt immediately grabbed my thousands of limbs. Fynn was struggling to break free, but they were pulling him down into the dark void. The last thing he could see, is Octo Fynn cackling. And then… Fynn blacked out…

“AAAAAGH!!” Fynn screamed as he rose out of bed, he was sweating a lot. Not only he woke up from his nightmare, Eimie woke up as well. She jumped out of bed, staring at Fynn with a mixure of concern and annoyance. She needed more beauty sleep than him.

“B-Bade, what’s wrong..?!” She said, wiping her eyes. She inched in closer to Fynn, comforting him. “You’re shaking, a lot.” She stated.

Fynn looked at Eimie and he hugged her, tightly. “E-Eimie… It was horrible… The people.. -th-they were..” Fynn’s shaking slowed down, still embracing his lover.

“It’s okay, Fynny.. It must’ve been a bad dream.. Was it the same one?” She asked.

“Yes…” He admitted it. This is the 3rd time, he’s having the same nightmare. “Everyone, including you died… I couldn’t save my friends and family and…” Suddenly, he was being to sob.

“Oh, Fynn…” She held him, tightly while Fynn was breaking into tears. “Don’t worry, I’m still here for you.. Eimie said in a soothing tone. Eimie doesn’t know what’s gotten into Fynn, but this isn’t him.

After Fynn calmed down, he went back to sleep until the sun peaks over the city of Inkopolis. Fynn would soon wake up, when Eimie hopped on top of him. He opened his eyes to see his girlfriend with a phone in her hand. Fynn’s phone. He had left it in the kitchen, after Fynn crashed into bed.

"Aqua said, there’s going to some renovation on the diner. So, you have the entire month off until you’ll be able to come back to work. As always, your direct deposit is in a couple of days.” The news did surprise Fynn. He can finally catch a break after being the diner’s doormat, whenever Blush is around. Yet, the dark-blue inkling still gives him the cold scowl. Like he’s broke something.

Fynn was too tired to be relieved. He responded with a loud yawn. “That’s good..” He slowly, closed his eyes to rest some more. Suddenly, the couple hear a knock at the front door.

“Stay right where you are. I’ll get the door.” And with a smooch on Fynn’s lips, she got off of him and walked over to the front door. She unlocked it and proceed to open. Once she opened the door, a sky blue inkling in a green parka stood in front of Eimie.

“Mornin, Eimie.” Fynn’s younger sister, Dawn approached to the door. She’s not a fond of mornings, but her parents had to drag her out of bed. That’s what she get for watching a ghost hunter marathon.

“Mornin’, Dawn! What brings you here?” Eimie had met his sister, before. It was at this time, where Fynn ended up in the hospital due to a lack of blood in his system. He still have two bite marks. One on the arm and one on his neck.

“My parents dropped me off to spend some time with Fynn, before I move away to Inkopolis Square.” Dawn was getting tired of living in a worn out beach house for a year, now. The reason why they’re moving, is that her dad got a new job at Grizzco Industries. “Anyway, is Fynn at work or…” Dawn looked around the living room as she stepped inside.

Eimie was about to answer, until Fynn lets out a long yawn. “Hey, sis.. The diner is getting a makeover for a month..” He said, walking over to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of pink lemonade. He to the first gulp, before closing the refridgerator door. “So, you came to visit ol’ me? Say no more, Mom called me yesterday.”

(“Quick to catch on, as usual..”) Dawn sighed. “Yeah, I’m here to hang out for the last time since I’m moving out to the Square.. That means, I won’t be able to hang out with my friends again..” Dawn averted her gaze on Fynn. Now that school’s over, Both Skyla and Scorpia had graduated as seniors. And they’ll soon apply for college.

“You’ll still see them again.. Since that Inkopolis Square is now the new center of fashion and battles, they’ll still be there for a while. The Plaza will be really quiet, soon.” Not only the new attention, but the new tweaks on the weapons.

Dawn was puzzling until she reminded about something big and important. “Oh yeah, I almost forgot! There’s going to be a Splat Tournament coming up in a couple of months! You should totally particpate!” Dawn’s eyes sparkled with pure joy. Since Fynn was promoted as captain, he’s willing to put their experienced battling to good use.

“That would be fun… but… I’m not sure, yet.. We already missed the Turf League because we were a split-second, too late. Then again, I’ve collected enough data on the other teams that Hunni and Sky’s teams.” He might let his team down, because he’s unsure of himself. Sometimes, he forgets why he was made captain in the first place.

Eimie approached to Fynn with a reassuring smile. “C'mon, Fynny. Where’s the fun in that? Remember when we first battled? You seem to handle yourself on the battlefield and you tend to memorize the map and formations. You can do this! We all believe in you.”

Fynn couldn’t say no to that adorable face of hers. “Oh, alright.. I’ll give it a shot.” Fynn gave in, so easily. “Well, I can’t apply this tourney on an empty stomach.” His stomach responded with a low growl.

“I’ll get started with breakfast, then~!” Eimie went into the kitchen. She was planning on serving him breakfast in bed, but Fynn is already up and fully awake. “So, who wants pancakes?” She asked, bringing out the pancake mix.

“Whoo! Pancakes!” Dawn raised her fist into the air, triumphantly. It’s been a while since she had any fluffy pancakes.

“You’re still amazing at cooking. Also, you’d makea great wife.” Fynn winked at her. That caused the purple squid to blush, the moment she brought the butter, milk, and eggs.

“H-Hush, you pink dork!” Eimie giggled, still blushing mad. As long as they’re together, nothing would stop these two lovebirds.

While Eimie is getting starting on cooking and Dawn is sitting at the table, Fynn walking into the bathroom to wash his face. He’s been a mess in bed after his recent nightmare. He turned on the faucet and splashed some cold water on his face. Once he was done, he looked up into the mirror and see Fynn’s conscious in his own reflection. Fynn immediately backed up against the wall in shock.

(“Did you really think you can continue to keep your secret bottled up inside..?”) Fynn’s conscious was wearing an agent uniform. He used to become Agent 11 after he was being betrayed by his ally who cured him from being a vampire squid, 2 years ago. That was when he first met Eimie in an alley way. (“You still act like nothing’s wrong, but you don’t want your loved ones to know. Otherwise, they’d be in grave danger..”) Fynn could hear his consiousness, cackling.

“N-No.. I’ve given up on being a hero for everyone’s sake. I don’t wanna get involved much longer..” He talked back to himself, a bit quieter. After Fynn retired as an agent, the guilt kept weighing him down. The more he kept it a secret, the heavier the guilt will be.

(“And yet, you’ve grown weak as a result. If you hadn’t retired, you’d pay him back for what he did.. If only you’d slaughtered those who opposed you..!”) Suddenly, Fynn’s conscious changed into his octoling form. “(If only you had more.. POWER!”) It was that moment, Fynn had to shut his eyes, tight to avoid his own gaze.

Fynn slowly opened his eyes to see himself in his jammies, again. His heart was beating, rapidly. “Shit…” He cursed under his breath. His conscious was right about one thing. He’d grown too soft, even though he was a friend of his. Fynn would soon hear Dawn’s voice.

Bro? Are you alright in there? Food’s almost done.“ She knocked a few times. She seemed, slightly worried if he was okay. Or maybe, he had to use the toilet.

"I-I’ll be out in a sec!” He said, trying to keep a straight face. He could now feel the guilt, pressing down on him. At times like this, he’d wished he had never signed up to be an agent in the first place. So much for a good morning..

To Be Continued…

[wristwatchjournal]

Gerald Genta Arena Bi-Retro Sport Watch Marks Return Of Brand Under BVLGARI

Reported on aBlogtoWatch earlier in 2020, and made official today, the Gerald Genta brand is making a comeback, under the stewardship of BVLGARI (owned by the LVMH Group) which owns the rights to the brand and name. The timepiece itself is the lovely reference 103448 Gerald Genta Arena Bi-Retro Sport watch, with its yellow-accented dial and brushed titanium case. First, some history and background.

Gerald Genta (now deceased) was a watch designer responsible for today’s most popular types of luxury watches (by the numbers). These are the so-called “integrated bracelet” watches that do so well for brands such as Audemars Piguet and Patek Philippe. Both the Royal Oak and Nautilus watches (respectively) were originally designed by Mr. Genta. (I wrote an extensive discussion of the “Gerald Genta effect” on today’s watchmaking industry here.) Later in his life, he finally set out to create his own Gerald Genta brand, which was active mostly in the 1990s and early 2000s. There, he designed some of his most eccentric (and, in my opinion, ionic) watches, including those such as the Gefica, Octo, and the Arena collections.

In the early 2000s BVLGARI (prior to it being acquired by LVMH) acquired the company that owned the Gerald Genta brand (as well as Daniel Roth). This acquisition was less about the brand appeal at the time and more about the technical know-how and watchmaking assets that would not be available to them. BVLGARI (Bulgari) had wanted to be a much more high-end watchmaker, known for more than Italian designs and precious materials. The acquisition of the talent led BVLGARI on a truly prolific path of haute horological innovation and investment. In 2010, BVLGARI made the decision to more or less end the independent Gerald Genta and Daniel Roth brands, and instead roll them into BVLGARI products. This created some strangely branded watches whose dials read both “Gerald Genta (or Daniel Roth)” and “BVLGARI.” My guess at the time (which later turned out to be correct) was that BVLGARI might continue to produce some of those products, but sans the other brand names on the dial. This turned out to be correct. While there isn’t much Daniel Roth in the BVLGARI product collection today, the popular Octo models, which do so well for BVLGARI right now, all began life as Gerald Genta brand products.

The Octo isn’t likely to get Gerald Genta branding on it ever again, but clearly, that isn’t the case for many of Genta’s other models, including the Gefica and Arena. There are a lot of models ripe for BVLGARI’s team to re-explore and render into fully new Gerald Genta-branded timepieces — and that all starts with the 2020 Gerald Genta Arena Bi-Retro sports watch. Both the case and movement in this watch are not substantially new. So, what is the biggest deal here? Probably the logo on the dial actually.

The timepiece — though openly produced by BVLGARI (and probably directly sold by them, as well) still lacks any BVLGARI branding on the dial and has only a Gerald Genta logo — not only that but a brand new Gerald Genta logo that has never existed before. Why? Well, you don’t invest in a new logo if you don’t intend on using it for a while. That is exactly what is going to happen. The Gerald Genta brand is about to get a reboot of sorts, and I believe it will take the form of BVLGARI exploring a lot of the 1990s-era Genta watches as novel pieces today. My sincere hope is that they explore the Disney relationship again. Yes, Gerald Genta watches are, to this date, the most luxurious fully licensed “Mickey Mouse” (and Donald Duck) watches that have ever been commercially released, as far as I know.

Now, let’s talk about the Gerald Genta reference 103448. The Arena Bi-Retro Sport name is quite simple and merely speaks to the case and movement that the piece uses. The “Sport” moniker likely suggests that this collection will get more pieces soon, and probably a matching bracelet (finally) at some point. The case is 43mm-wide and 12mm-thick in well-machined and brushed titanium. The Arena case (as the name suggests is actually inspired by the shape of Roman arenas. Italians really do love being inspired by their history and backyard more than any other “design culture” I know.

Years from now, all of this still will be more popular, but in a lot of ways the “late-era” Gerald Genta work isn’t as appreciated as his early-to-mid-career work. It is my opinion that watches in the larger Gefica and Arena watches are going to have their hey-day. As it is, prices for the vintage Gerald Genta watches can go for a lot of money these days, but just a few years ago, you could get any number of incredible and highly complex Gerald Genta watches for a relative bargain. I believe that increasing such times of “great Genta” values might be a thing of the past as a larger pool of timepiece collectors find themselves interested in his work and name. BVLGARI certainly stands to benefit, as its CEO (Mr. Jean-Christophe Babin) is also the person running Gerald Genta at this point.

The Arena watch has always been interesting, and in this sporty titanium with black and yellow (a color tone I happen to really admire), it is matched to a matte-black alligator strap. The dial is highly reminiscent of previous Bi-Retro watches but with some visual tweaks to keep things fresh. While the design is not by Gerald Genta himself, you can easily spot a lot of highly particular design DNA being adopted for this slightly new look. I also happen to admire the new Gerald Genta logo. It has a sort of late 20th-century futurism to it, and I think it faithfully represents the kinds of values and aesthetics that Mr. Genta held dear.

Inside the Arena Bi-Retro Sport is the in-house made caliber BVL 300 automatic movement. This movement concept goes back to the 1990s or even late 1980s, but I believe has been given few upgrades over the years. The movement operates at 4Hz (28,800 bph) with 42 hours of power reserve. It features the time with hours and minutes only (no seconds). The lower part of the dial is reserved for a retrograde date display. Thus, because of the minutes and date indicators, the watch is “bi-retro,” or rather “bi-retrograde.” Hours are indicated “digitally” via a jumping hour window under the 12 o’clock position on the case.

Little is currently known about BVLGARI’s plans with the newly relaunched Gerald Genta brand. It is possible that the watches will be sold right alongside BVLGARI timepieces, via the same retail channels but with a different brand on the dial. It is also possible that BVLGARI will set up new teams for Gerald Genta — even though I don’t think that type of investment will be on the LVMH Groups’ radar for quite some time. What is also unknown is how Mr. Babin plans to market and position the Gerald Genta watches. These are clearly going to be positioned as serious luxury watches, as this titanium model with an existing movement has a price near $15,000. The Gerald Genta name is clearly hot and while Audemars Piguet and Patek Philippe have appealing watches the famed designer was responsible, it is BVLGARI that actually owns the likeness and much of the work Gerald Genta himself.

My guess is that we are going to see two or three new Gerald Genta watches per year, each being closely connected to BVLGARI for the time being. Depending on the success and sales on those pieces, the brand could very well split off on its own a bit, and perhaps even see more independence of design. These days, quite literally anything is possible. Price for the reference 103448 Gerald Genta Bi-Retro Sport watch is $14,800 USD.

The post Gerald Genta Arena Bi-Retro Sport Watch Marks Return Of Brand Under BVLGARI appeared first on Wristwatch Journal.

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[mopishblog]

Nubia Z17 Lite: Flagship Device For a Reasonable Price (Review & Giveaway)

Our verdict of the Nubia Z17 Lite: Nubia’s feature packed Z17 Lite represents incredible value for money. Despite a medicore camera and polarizing software experience, the Z17 Lite is a premium phone in an affordable package.810

There once was a time when premium Android phones reigned supreme. If you wanted your smartphone of choice to run Google’s operating system, you’d have to part with substantial sums of money to the likes of HTC, LG, or Samsung. Fortunately for those of us that want the flexibility of Android without the iPhone price tag, the market has changed since then.

Relatively inexpensive Android phones began to appear, but they were poor quality and lacked standard features. Thankfully, this is no longer the case. Affordable Android phones now give the big name flagship devices a run for their money. Case in point: the Nubia Z17 Lite.

Let’s take a closer look at this budget-friendly device with flagship features. Thanks to GeekBuying, at the end of this review we’ve got one Nubia Z17 Lite to giveaway to a lucky reader! Keep reading to find out what we thought of the device and how to enter the competition.

Specifications

Weight: 168g

Dimensions: 6.02 x 2.86 x 0.30 in

Display: 5.5 inches / 1080 x 920 px resolution / edge-to-edge LCD

Operating System: Android 7.1 (Nougat)

Chipset: Octo-core Qualcomm MSM8976 Pro Snapdragon 653

Memory (RAM): 6GB

Storage: 64GB internal, up to 256GB expandable via the shared Dual SIM / microSD tray

Connectivity:

Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n/ac, WiFi Direct, hotspot

Bluetooth 4.2

GPS

Camera: Dual 13MP rear, 16MP front-facing

Battery: 3200mAh, non-removable

Color: Black, Black/Gold, Blue

Extras: Fingerprint Sensor, Dual SIM, NFC, USB-C

Cost: $230

Design

There’s no denying that the Z17 Lite is an elegant looking device. The matte black body and gold trim of our review unit looks sleek, which is an achievement in itself as the phone verges on phablet territory at 5.5 inches. The matte black body does look great, but is slippy and susceptible to fingerprint marks. If you choose to buy the Z17 Lite, you’ll want a case.

Bezel-less displays are gradually showing up on more phones, and while they may seem like a gimmick, the edge-to-edge screen on the Z17 Lite is impressive. The colors are immaculate and really seem to pop. It was surprising just how much positive impact the bezel-less display had on landscape video too. Despite the edge-to-edge display, the Z17 Lite has a large panel below the screen for the default Android touch screen buttons, with the home button illuminated by a red circle. The other two capacitive buttons aren’t illuminated, so unless you stumble across them, it isn’t immediately obvious that they exist.

Hardware

Following another recent trend, the Z17 Lite has no headphone jack. While there is a USB-C to 3.5mm converter provided, it’s clear that they, and many other brands, consider Bluetooth to be the future. You’ll find a fingerprint reader on the upper rear of the body. It worked without hiccup — for the most part. The sensor is a little on the small side, which can sometimes lead to finger placement problems.

The Z17 Lite isn’t lacking on the camera front either, with a 16MP front-facing, and dual 13MP primary cameras. Images from both front and rear facing cameras are crisp, although seem to lack the depth of color found on most modern smartphones. Comparison images were taken on the Z17 Lite and the Google Pixel, and its easy to see the difference. The Pixel images are more vibrant and show greater depth. However, it is probably an unfair comparison, as the Pixel is known to have one of the best camera hardware and software setups. While the pictures taken on the Z17 Lite come out fine, this probably isn’t the device for photography enthusiasts.

The device comes with a huge 64GB of internal storage, with the option to expand up to 256GB. There is even dual-SIM support, although one SIM slot also functions as placement for the expandable storage. With all the hardware packed into the phone, you might be surprised that the Z17 Lite is a mere 0.3 inches thick. Weighing in at just shy of 170g, the phone is light and isn’t the heavy burden you might expect for such a large device.

Software

Hardware is only a part of the puzzle, with the software experience playing a vital role in your day-to-day enjoyment. If the Z17 Lite used stock Android, it would be tempting to call it one of the best value smartphones on the market. Nubia chose a different path.

The base operating system is Android 7.1 Nougat, with Nubia UI 5.0 running on top. To get a feel for Nubia UI 5.0, imagine combining iOS with Samsung’s TouchWiz interface and you are pretty much there.

Nubia UI

Google’s vision for Android is the one which suits me best, however, one of Android’s strengths is that it can be customized. Affordable smartphones usually only make minor tweaks to the stock experience, so its commendable that Nubia have invested time into making their devices unique. The Nubia Launcher is defined by the black and gold theme, with app icons placed into square boxes, going against Google’s recent circular icon trend. In a design move lifted straight from iOS, instead of an apps list, all installed apps are shown on the home screen.

The Nubia UI also plays with some of Android’s native features. In a move lifted straight from iOS, the Quick Settings panel is found by swiping up from the bottom of the screen instead of in the Notification area. Unlike the monochrome theme of the launcher, the Settings menu is a colorful affair styled after TouchWiz. Anyone coming to the Z17 Lite from either an iPhone or another Android device will likely find the setup confusing. iOS is intuitive, TouchWiz is attractive — Nubia UI tries to be both, but ultimately falls short.

Discussions about the software experience are great, but you have to boot the device first. This proved to be an unexpected challenge. The initial setup guides you through connecting to networks, adding your Google account, and restoring any backups. Inexplicably, whenever you tried to progress on the Z17 Lite, it would just refresh the page, and take you back to the start of the setup. This isn’t an isolated incident either. Fortunately the solution is relatively simple – don’t enter any information. Once the phone has booted, you can head into the settings to complete the setup.

Performance

The Z17 Lite sports a relatively hefty non-removable 3200mAh lithium-ion battery. This is comparatively large, especially when compared against the Google Pixel 2’s 2700mAH. However, real-world performance is more important than size. We tested the Z17 Lite by playing a YouTube video in full screen, full brightness, and full volume. It lasted just over six hours before powering off.

The Z17 Lite performs reasonably well on benchmarking tests too. The benchmarking tool Antutu gives the device a score of 83857, defeating 27% of users. If this figure sounds a little on the low side, consider the type of user that would install a benchmarking tool — typically reviewers and power users. The results are likely to be skewed slightly towards premium devices, so the fact that the Z17 Lite defeats almost a third of users is a reassuring sign. The real-world performance bears this out too — multitasking is a breeze, gameplay is fluid, and lag is non-existent.

All Killer, Some Filler

Nubia’s Z17 Lite is a testament to the power of Moore’s Law. Just a few short years ago, to find even a handful of the hardware features packed into this phone would have set you back a substantial amount of money. To achieve this without compromising on physical desirability is no mean feat either. Quantity doesn’t necessarily mean quality though, and the camera is one area that could use some improvement. However, for most of us, our smartphone camera is for recording memories, rather than pixel-perfect photography, so your mileage with the camera will vary.

The Nubia UI 5.0 is undoubtedly different, and may not be to everyone’s taste. If aren’t a fan of the launcher, the great thing about Android is you can just install an alternative. The setup bug was unfortunate, especially as it creates a poor first impression. Once you get past that hurdle though, the performance and battery life exceeded expectations. Overall, the Nubia Z17 Lite represents astonishing value for money, and if you are on the hunt for flagship features without the price tag, then this may be the smartphone for you.

Enter the Competition!

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[octoagentmiles]

Alright I've decided to take you up on your dare :›. So. Tell me: what would the octo-agents do if they found you were having a bad day?

@mysticfoxdesigns

>:)

Paani

He's a little socially awkward (aren't we all), but if he noticed you weren't having a great day he'd try to very subtly fix it. He'd try cheering you up with things that would cheer him up—like, he'd start rambling to you about water (how fast that river was flowing, how big that storm was last night, etc), or offering to make some Paani Patties with you. If these don't work, he might ask the Octonauts for advice, and then do whatever Whoever He Asks tells him to do.

Tracker

There's probably a Polar Scout lesson for "cheering up your sad friend" somewhere out there, and he definitely has the badge for it. He likely wouldn't do anything at first (he doesn't wanna intrude on your personal life), but if you mention to him; "man my day kinda sucks :(" He'll be ON IT in a heartbeat. It'd be pretty generic stuff though, like, whatever comes up when you Google "wikihow to cheer someone up" is what you'd get from him. He WILL hug you, and it WILL be awkward. He's trying his best.

Natquik

He is not usually a feelings-talker. Where d'ya think Barnacles gets it from? He will hug you too, if you're comfortable with it, and it'll be nice. Barnacles also gets his top-tier pep-talk skills from him, and yes yes, you will be crying afterwards (in a good way). I believe with all my heart that he's the Great Life Advice flavour of old man, so whatever you're dealing with—he might be a bit blunt, but you will have 99 less problems when he's done with you. He somehow manages to say exactly what you needed to hear, and you will literally not have another bad day for at least a month after.

Calico Jack

Oh, he has had his fair share of bad days. Does this mean he's an expert at dealing with them? Absolutely not <3

He might not be able to relate to anything you're dealing with, but he will try his best. He wants to help you, he really does. He'd move the oceans for you. He's actually pretty emotionally in tune, and knows a great deal of psychology. He'd literally become your new therapist. He'll mostly just sit and listen to you rant, occasionally chiming in with some advice he hopes is helpful (if you want it). I feel like if you were REALLY sad he would share some of his treasure with you. Can't be sad with pirate gold in your hands, it's impossible.

Ranger Marsh

He will drag you through the swamps /pos.

He is such a dad™, you will not end the day without a dad hug (unless you don't want one, then he'd just pat you on the shoulder. you can't avoid that I'm sorry). He'd literally drag you around the Everglades to run errands with him, and introduce you to his critter friends along the way. You'd just get a nice, relaxing day in nature, and if you're still upset by the end of it, he'll show you pictures of Tweak as a kid to make you laugh. Don't tell her.

Pearl

You're probably gonna end up slimy/covered in algae by the end of the day, so hopefully you're into that. She makes you babysit Peri for a few hours, and that alone makes you feel better, but when she comes back she goes into Big Sister Mode and takes you out on a "fun day" (cue the algae), or a mini vacation somewhere in the world, or back home in Scotland. She teaches you a bunch of stuff about plants, and it's actually really cool. You basically end up forgetting about whatever was wrong in the first place.

Min

I can see her pulling out a random old map from Who Knows Where and just. sending you on a quest. She'd plan a whole adventure for you to go on, like some RPG or LARP—she'd lay puzzles, and call Inkling to ask him to send some creature pals to act as passing travelers in need of rescuing, there'd be treasures to collect along the way, and an ultimate reward at the end. She'd go all out (it would actually take a couple days for her to plan tbh), and it would be REALLY fun.

Ryla

Would she notice that you're having a rough day? Maybe. Would her first instinct be to help? Maybe not-

I think she's not really a ""Feelings Person"" unless you're really close, but even then she's awkward about that kind of stuff. But! If you specifically WENT to HER for help, I think she'd at least try. She'd look at it practically, and try to solve whatever/any problem(s) you're having. She'd tell you wild cave diving stories (maybe take you on one if you appear interested), offer you weird food, and maybe gift you a free copy of her book (signed, of course).

*cough* bonus Inkling because I forgot him in the last one:

Such a grampa, he will absolutely read you stories and feed you biscuits. He'll play chill music in the library, dim the lights, and give you some space to read or simply relax for a while. He'll share his tea with you, if you want some. The Vegimals will visit you a couple times, and put on little shows or sing for you, and make you feel less lonely during your alone time. If you decide you want to talk out your feelings with someone, Inkling will be right there, ready to listen.