What started out as a quick Splatoon horror story quickly ballooned into something extremely important to my overall lore, as well as containing a lot of important character information. I'm still incredibly proud of it, and am delighted to host it on the site.

This page will contain the original story in full, a special epilogue that wasn't featured in the story originally, and the addendum document at the very end for further notes on the piece. Be warned; its a long read alltogether!

***

The Cast

Avex

Agent 3 (and later Captain 3) of the New Squidbeak Splatoon, current (and later former) professional Turfer + leader of Team Juliana. Mains Foil Flingza. Bold, brash, competitive, a little bit insane, and packing a bit of a temper, but he's a loyal friend, fiercely believes in justice and fairness for all, and has the skills to back up his insanity. Very, very cockney. 

Mercury

Team Juliana's dualie user, specifically maining Dark Tetra Dualies. Supremely laid back and chilled out, but extremely quick witted and very much A Comedian, she's got time for everyone so long as they're chill. She also moves like a bat out hell in the field, and is a bass virtuoso. She's Avex's oldest friend. 

Soma

Team Juliana's brella user, specifically maining the Undercover Brella. Bubbly and fun loving, but extremely sassy and does not suffer fools easily. Is a phenomenal cook, and currently interns at his uncle's restaurant as a chef. Has an unhealthy addiction to collecting the tackiest shirts you've ever seen. Is Avex's boyfriend. 

Maltine

Team Juliana's splatling user, specifically maining the Hydra Splattling. You will never meet as bubbly and bouncy and happy as she is, but for as cute as her antics are, she's much wiser and more down to earth then you'd expect. Has the highest kill-per-match ratio of any member of the team, and was the last member to join.

Troubadour

Otherwise known as Test Sumbject 10,007. A programming whiz, her noncombattant status meant she was trapped down in the Deepsea Metro for a while before being rescued by Agent 8. Rude, curt, edgy, swears like a sailor, but has a soft and gentle centre somewhere deep down. Her voice is unusually high pitched. 

Nol

A resident of Flounder Heights, having lived there all of their life. They're a smart young go-getter, but they do have a terrible habit of being late. Maybe they have too much on their plate? They're a big fan of Team Juliana, so when Avex moves in on the same floor as theirs, they're ecstatic and would be delighted to show him around- in exchange for an autograph, of course!

***

The Story

“This the last of 'em, Avex?”

“Aye, s'the last box.”

“Thank shuck for that.”

Mercury let out a content sigh as she hauled one final, heavy looking cardboard box into the living space of an flat already absolutely full of them, quietly wondering to herself how much stuff Avex could possibly have- or how much of it was essential- to have garnered so many. After finally finding a space to set it down, she peered over to Avex- currently splayed out on the pre-furnished sofa, eyes glazed over and skin layer faintly steaming.

“All too much for you, is it?” Mercury quipped, dryly, though the faint hint of a smile was on her face.

Avex rolled his eyes. “Oh give over; I'm meek and sickly.”

“You haven't been meek or sickly in years, wasteman.” Mercury replied with a laugh, moving over to the sofa and batting at Avex's legs, forcing him to shift his position to a sitting one so she could take a seat next to him. “Or d'ya mean to tell me our success lately is all in spite of you? S'our ~Great Leader~ is holding us back?”

Avex smirked, beak showing between parted lips. “You wish. I'm the one carrying Team Juliana. When's the last time you pitched in?”

Mercury smirked back, thumping Avex's arm. “I can let Chargers hassle you piecemeal next time you have the Rainmaker, prick.”

The two paused to laugh, each tinged with a little exhaustion but betraying a warmth and comfort with each others' company, despite the barbs.

“Nahhhhhhh, can't hate too much; if we weren't smashing it out there, you wouldn't have bagged this squat.” Mercury said, leaning back into the sofa to get comfortable.

“You'd be surprised, actually.” Avex mused, scratching his chin. “Rent's a pittance. I can make it off the back of casual Turf winnings if I wanted.”

“Huh.” Mercury mused, looking around the room. “I mean, I know it ain't exactly the Ritz, but I figured Flounder Heights ain't cheap- 'specially since they took it outta rotation.”

“Oh, it ain't cheap- this close to the Square, no way- just this particular flat.”

Mercury frowned. “That ain't ringing alarm bells?”

Avex looked over at her. “It did, at first, but the deets of the listing were pukka; didn't see anything funny anytime I came to check it out, either.”

Mercury remained unconvinced, chewing the inside of her cheek as she looked around. “I dunno. Y'can spackle over the worst long enough for the sucker to take the bait.”

Avex shrugged. “Eh. One of my uncles is a sparky, an aunt's a drain surgeon; I'm sorted if something goes belly up.”

Mercury sighed, standing up. “Don't come crying to me when it all burns down, then.”

Avex groaned. “It'll be cushty, give it a rest.” He peered over, yawning. “You heading off?”

“Yeah; got the fam over for a BBQ today, so the 'rents are gonna need extra hands in the kitchen.”

A small pang of guilt hit Avex's gut- he'd forgotten that. “Thanks a bunch for your help, seriously. You didn't have to.”

“I know.” Mercury smiled, sincerely this time. “But what kinda bestie would I be if I weren't the first one to see your new place?”

Avex chuckled, waving her off as she left, before settling back into the sofa. He had a hell of a lot of unpacking to do, but that was a problem for Future Avex to deal with.

-

'Past Avex is such a wanker' Avex thought to himself as he locked his apartment door, heading for the lift; trust him to meticulously pack all his weapon parts in several different contains for “optimum transport”, making more work for him this end as he had to reassemble them all- after riffling through boxes trying to find everything. Not to mention all the records- there's nothing like the sound of a rave banger on wax, but dear god do they get heavy in bulk. And did he really need to pack all of his trophies?

… Stupid question. Of course he did. He must be more tired then he thought he was, and was twice as thankful for this lunch break as a result. As he slunk into the lift, daydreaming about the mountain of Biscuits and Gravy he was about to consume, a voice lulled him out of his thoughts;

“Hold the door, please!”

Blinking, Avex saw an Inkling dashing down the corridor, still zipping up their jacket and trying to keep a bag from falling off their shoulder. He scuffed his foot in front of the closing door, sending it bouncing back into the open position, giving the Inkling enough time to jog into it proper.

“Thanks a bunch!” They said with a huff, bending over to rest their hands on their knees as they caught their breath. “I'm late enough as it is...!”

Avex smiled slightly. “No worries, mate.”

The Inkling looked up, brushing a long blue tentacle out of their eyeline to get a better look at him; as soon as they did, they jumped up in surprise, eyes beaming. “Avex...? From Team Juliana???”

Avex smirked, nodding. “The one and only.”

“Oh my cod!” The Inkling bounced slightly on their feet as the lift started its decent. “I'm a huge fan! I've followed you guys since you started out- you synergise so well, and you make using the weapons you do look effortless! I even picked up a Brella cus of Soma, and-” suddenly hyper aware of the situation, a bright blue blush spread across their face. “Jeez, I'm sorry, I'm being overeager, you must get this all the time-”

Avex laughed jovially, scratching the back of his head. “It's nothing, pal, don't fret; comes with the territory, innit.” Not that he minded the ego bolstering.

“Do you mind if I get an autograph?” They asked, patting their pockets before remembering they had a bag, riffling around in it for a moment before frowning. “Barnacles; no paper...” Avex grinned, as the lift came to a stop. “I'll owe you one sometime; I just moved in, so you'll be seeing a lot more of me.”

“Oh, no way!” The Inkling's excitement immediately shot back up as the two walked out into the main foyer, a wide smile spreading across their face. “You'll have to me show you around! When I'm, uh, not late that is, heh.”

“That's proper nice of you, Mx...?”

“Nol!” The Inkling responded, beaming.

“Got'cha; I'll take you up on that sometime then, Nol. Consider it 'payment' for the sig!”

“Will do!” Nol laughed, jogging towards the door. “Ah, by the way; we're on the same floor, right? What apartment did you move into?”

“Oh; 837.”

It was impossible not to notice the immediate shift in Nol's expression; their smile fell slightly, and their pupils shrank slightly. “Oh. I see.” Their voice, too, was much quieter. Their eyes drifted to the watch on their wrist, causing them to gasp. “S-sorry, I really have to go!” They took off down the street, waving vigorously. “I'll give you the grand tour sometime!”

“Yeah, sure...” Avex called back, a bit perplexed at Nol's brief change in their demeanour. After several years on the battlefield- both in sport and in combat- he'd recognise the signs of fear anywhere.

-

“So, they set you up with a sofa, a bed, and a fridge...” Soma said as he waltzed back into the living area, a bowl of popcorn in his hands. “... but no oven?”

Avex shrugged, uncrossing then recrossing alternate legs. “There's a Microwave.”

Soma shot Avex an annoyed glare. “Yeah, that hadn't escaped my notice.” He plonked down on the sofa, cosying up to Avex. “Not even a kettle, either? I KNOW you can afford one of those. What do you do for coffee otherwise???”

Avex smirked. “Why'd you think I hit up your gaff so much?”

Soma pouted, playfully. “Because I'm the cutest boy you're ever gonna be lucky enough to kiss.”

“It's usually you that kisses me, actually.” Avex said, smirk now reaching shit-eating levels.

“I can revoke smooching rights at a moments notice, you know~” Soma said, scooching away.

Avex laughed, patting the gap between them. “Come on, I'm just messing about.”

Soma pretended to look lost in thought for a moment, before letting out a dramatic sigh and shuffling closer again, resting his head on Avex's shoulder. “You're lucky I like pathetic men.”

“Odd way to pronounce 'amazing', but I'll take it.” Avex said, still smugly smiling as he took a handful of Popcorn from the bowl Soma was still holding, face immediately falling as he did. “Sweet? Really? What are you, five?”

“You pick the movie, I pick the corn, you know the score.” Soma said, flicking Avex's nose, causing the latter to flinch. “You want butter, get your own bowl and use that Microwave they so genuinely gifted you.”

“Pass.” Avex groaned, the thought of sweet and buttery popcorn causing his stomach to churn. “Last chance to back out of the film, tho~”

“No; I said I'd watch Nightmare on Kelp Street with you, I intend to watch Nightmare on Kelp Street.”

“Alright; my big strong arms are here for you if you need them.” Avex said, winking.

Soma huffed. “That will not be necessary, thank you.”

Not even thirty minutes into the film- long before any of the really gory kills took place- Soma was, in fact, cuddled up to Avex, alternating between staring at the screen with dinner plate eyes, or shrieking and burying his face in the nape of Avex's neck. Avex couldn't help but chuckle, which only embarrassed the other boy further, but he can't deny it was charming.

Avex looked down at Soma, attention drawn away from the film as he found himself lost in thought. Growing up, he never had much interest in romance or “Any of THAT Funny Business”, as dear old Nanna would put it, not feeling any sort of attraction or drive to be with anyone of any gender. Apparently that wasn't uncommon; they called it being Ace Sexual, or something like that? Kinda made it sound like a term for someone who was the opposite of that, really, but hey ho. But meeting Soma... he couldn't put a finger on why it was different, but it was. Maybe it was how sweet and considerate the man was, behind his occasionally haughty and sassy disposition; maybe it was how he'd been one of the first people, besides Mercury, to not only refuse to judge him when he opened up about what troubled him- as much as he could, anyway- but would actually try to soothe him. Maybe Avex just... liked him. Either way, it wasn't smooth sailing- Avex still struggled a lot with attraction and physical affection, finding it difficult at first to see the appeal and thus want to engage in it, and he was afraid that would turn Soma away. Instead, Soma remained patient, took things at a pace that was comfortable for both of them, and beneath all the banter, made it clear how much Avex meant to him.

It wasn't lost on Avex how lucky a squid he was, as he thought, a warm smile crossing his face as his eyelids drooped, suddenly more tired then he'd felt in a long time.

Then, an almighty bang erupted from somewhere in the apartment.

“WHATTHEHECKWASTHAT” Soma yelled, outright jolting up and sitting upright.

“SQUEEZUS FUCK” Avex shouted, Soma's outburst surprising him further. “Relax, would you?!”

“I'm sorry, did you NOT hear that noise?!” Soma spat back, head darting around. “Sounded like someone slamming a hammer into the wall!” Avex scoffed. “You're being dramatic.”

Another bang sounded out, much louder this time, making both of them jump.

“Am I?!” Soma said, voice high and panicky.

“Its probably just a neighbour or something...” Avex mused, looking at the wall behind the TV.

“It sounded like it came from the bedroom to me.” Soma whined, clutching Avex's shirt. “Go and look?” “Oh for heavens sake...” Avex grumbled, ultimately relenting as he stood up, strolling towards the short hallway to his room. “Don't get grabbed by Freddy Cooler whilst I'm gone~” He said, in a sing song tone.

Soma, evidently unamused, pelted a pillow at him, striking his face. “THAT'S NOT FUNNY!”

“It was pretty funny.” Avex mumbled to himself, kicking the pillow aside before reaching his bedroom door. He cracked it open, peaking in; nothing looked untoward- nothing had fallen over or out of storage. Just to make sure, he walked into the room-

The atmosphere felt off. It was colder then the rest of the apartment, by a noticeable amount. The moonlight pouring in from the window didn't seem to penetrate the room, leaving it almost too dark to make out.

Avex gulped, confused. He paused, waiting for a few moments to see if there was another bang.

There wasn't.

Eventually, he sighed, leaving the room and heading back to the living area. “Nada.” He said, after seeing Soma's expectant and nervous expression.

“Nothing at all?” The boy asked, meekly.

Avex shook his head. “Like I said; must've been a neighbour. Maybe they dropped something.”

Soma looked down, chewing his lip. “Maybe.”

“Wanna carry on with the film?”

“... Not really.”

-

“Soma...!”

Avex ran into the darkness, rubble crunching beneath his shoes as he ran. The smoke made it too thick to see more then mere metres in front of him.

“Soma!!”

The smell of fire was overpowering, making it hard to breath, but it paled in comparison to the deafening chorus of screams on the wind; he could barely hear himself think.

“SOMA!!!!”

As he rounded a corner, the smoke began to clear, and the remains of a heavily damaged city street came into focus; many people, of all species, either stood or sat in the street, faces frozen in what could only be described as pure anguish, tears streaming down their faces.

None of them were Soma.

Avex dashed between them, calling the other boy's name at the top of his lungs with increasing panic, his legs growing heavier and heavier, fear clouding his vision, until he finally stumbled into a side street and saw

Soma

on the ground

an enormous wound oozing dark indigo blood all over the floor.

no no no No No No NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO

Avex dived down onto the ground, screaming, lifting Soma's prone body off of the ground, blood seeping into his clothes as he vainly shook the love of his life, desperate for him to wake up, tears streaming down his face-

A sharp, harsh, buzzing tone ripped through his head, forcing him to drop Soma's body.

He gazed ahead,

and through blear eyes he saw

an impossibly tall figure

a smile as wide as the truth and twice as cruel on their face

raising their arm to reach towards him

that's who did it

that's who hurt Soma

that who killed him

they killed him they killed him THEY KILLED HIM

Avex roared,

fury burning so hot his skin broke apart

pouncing at the figure

and the buzzing reached a screech-

-

Avex shot up like a dart, gasping as air rapidly filled his lungs, skin layer absolutely boiling, as the pressure of fingers against his head lifted.

He looked around, panting.

Trophies.

Weapon parts.

Records.

Dad's hat.

His room.

A dream. It was a dream.

“Fuck...!” Avex whispered, throwing his sheet off of him and riffling around with the drawer of his bedside cabinet. He swore further as he fiddled with the awkward hidden compartment, until he finally found The Work Phone- a very outdated model of mobile phone from well over a decade ago.

He rapidly dialled a number he'd memorised, holding the phone up to his ear.

“Three?” Came a surprised, bubbly voice at the other end of the phone. “Shouldn't you be asleep?”

“I need a job, One.” Avex said, still a little breathless. “Now.”

“What? No!” Agent One- also known as Callie Cuttlefish- replied briskly.

“I'm not asking.” Avex said, gritting his beak.

“And I don't take demands!” Callie replied. “You know you're off du-”

“Don't you dare-” Avex spat, fury rising in his voice even as he paused to breathe, “say what you're about to say.”

“Three, what the shell-”

“JUST GIVE ME SOMETHING! ANYTHING!” Avex shouted, before finally catching himself. He realised he was crying; his hearts were beating at light-speed, and he felt dizzy.

“... You need to talk, huh?”

“... Yeah.”

“Come over.”

“Thanks.”

-

Callie strolled back into her spacious living room with two mugs- a black coffee for Avex, and a cup of marshmallows that maybe contained a little hot chocolate for her. She handed the coffee off to Avex, who took it with shaky hands- still dressed in his pyjamas, with only a hoodie and some old sneakers thrown on top.

“Ta.” He said, looking sheepish. “Sorry.”

“Don't be.” Callie said, as she settled down next to him. “You sound really rattled. What happened?”

“It's so daft.” Avex said, chuckling blithely.

“Nothing's dumb if it upsets you, Avex.” Callie said softly, patting his shoulder. “What happened?”

“I... I had a dream that Soma...” Avex forces his eyes shut, as an image of Soma's lifeless, bleeding body flitted across his vision. “... something bad happened to him. And... well. Y'know. Had an episode.”

“Oh Avex...” Callie said, frowning. “I'm sorry. That must have been really scary.”

Avex nodded, feeling a little embarrassed at how childish he felt. It was like he was 16 again. He sipped the coffee to distract himself.

“I know you don't want to hear it, but this is part of why you're on leave for now. Between this, and the-”

“It's not that.” Avex said, curtly, before catching himself again. “I mean... it's not... the usual. I know I've been... having issues, since the Metro, but this... this dream weren't normal.

“In what way?” Callie asked.

“He's never been in them before.” Avex said, rubbing his eyes. “Soma, I mean. And the place, the people... it weren't the Metro, and they weren't sanitized.”

“Hmm...” Callie thought to herself for a moment, scratching her cheek. “How are things between you two right now?”

“They're great.” Avex said, sniffing, smiling a little. “We're holding steady. So it ain't that.”

“Maybe its just a simple case of Turf Trembles?” Callie interjected. “Perfectly natural for even pros to worry when a big tourney's on the horizon, and Clam Clash IS next month.”

Avex shakes his head. “I don't think it's that.”

“I mean, you do hate Clam Blitz, so I understand.”

“Cut it out, Cal.”

“Sorry.” Callie responded, small smile on her face. “Couldn't resist.”

Avex rolled his eyes, but he was smiling too. “I dunno. Maybe you're right. Juggling the Turf Career with work was... getting to be a bit of a palaver, even before all of... that.” Avex paused, running a hand over the scarred portion of his face.

Callie frowned. “People have been cool about that, right? Like, away from the cameras.”

Avex shrugged. “More or less? I think the 'weapon beta test accident' story's done its job to satisfy Joe and Jane Public.”

“That's good.”

Avex sighed. “Sorry, again. Didn't mean to wake you.”

“Honestly, Avex, it's fine!” Callie said, smiling. “We're friends, right? If you couldn't come to me when you were troubled, I'd be hurt. I'm glad you trust me.”

Avex smiled. “Thanks.”

“Besides, I was up anyway;” Callie said, her face falling. “Since Fresh Start did so well, me and Mar have this big comeback album planned, but I've been having a shell of a time coming up with lyrics even half as good as hers. I'm out of practice and I'm losing sleep over it.”

“Wanna bend an ear?” Avex said, getting comfortable on the sofa. “I could use the distraction.”

“Promise you won't nod off?” Callie said, pouting slightly.

Avex set his mug down, smiling. “Wouldn't 'dream' of it, lass.”

“Ok, so the thing is, right...”

Avex's eyelids slowly closed over the course of the conversation, but true to his word, he didn't drift off until Callie was done, interjecting and conversing even as sleep threatened to take him. He was still half conscious when she draped a spare blanket over him and let him rest.

-

“Hey, pua?”

“Psh, 'pua'? For Avex, really?”

“Aww, be nice, it's cute!”

“Lay off, you two- what'cha want Soma?”

“Come give us a hand in the kitchen?”

“Yeah, sure, two tics.”

“So domesticated~”

Avex smacked the back of Mercury's head as he walked past her- to which she responded by kicking the back of his shin, causing him to briefly- heading towards the kitchen as she and Maltine chuckled, resuming conversation without him. Soma was working away at the oven, stirring a thin but delicious smelling broth in one pot as another was slowly boiling, in preparation for some firm looking hand-made noodles that still sat on the side.

Avex strolled up to Soma, tapping him on the shoulder and flashing him a beaky smile. “What'cha need?”

Soma smiled back. “Mind tackling the Clam Musubi so its ready at the same time? Rice is done, y'just need to prep 'em and grill 'em.”

Avex saluted, strolling over to the other counter, where a tin of undefinable white meat slices, seaweed wrappers, and a rice machine waited. He set to work, forming the rice into patties to the best of his ability. “Always like it when you cook, y'know.”

“I cook every day.” Soma said, laughing slightly.

“Nah, I mean off the clock.” Avex said, opening the tin of CLAM, gagging slightly at the smell of the freshly opened tin. “Feels more personal. Y'can taste the love.”

Soma laughed, snorting. “Wow, that is especially corny for you!”

Avex laughed as well. “You bring the corniness out of me, what can I say?”

Soma chuckled again. “Well, thank you. I appreciate it. It's nice for me, too. Less pressure for a start.”

Avex fiddled with the CLAM slices, trying to wrap them neatly to the rice. “That's commercial cooking for you, lad.”

“Oh, that bits easy.” Soma replied, peaking at the pot of water; it was almost ready. “I've worked in that kitchen since I was 14; I can balance dishes and get orders out on time like nobody's business.”

Avex paused as he want to wrap the last Musubi. “... Ah. Right. Yer uncle.”

Soma's face fell slightly, as he tasted the broth for the Saimin. “He means well. He just worries.”

“About you, or about the business?” Avex said, point blank.

“Both, I think.” Soma sighed, slouching slightly as he placed the noodles into the now boiling water. “But some days it does feel like the business takes priority.”

Avex strolled over with the tray of prepped Musubi, gently gesturing at Soma to move so he could pop the tray under the grill. “Well, what do you want?”

Soma shimmied his hips, allowing Avex to place the tray in. “What do you mean?”

Avex leaned against the counter top, looking Soma in the eye. “You know. Where'd you see your life going? You're 19, well past the point where you call the shots on what your future looks like.”

Soma's eyes shrunk in understanding, and he looked away, a little ashamed. “I... I don't know. I love the team- I love you guys, I love playing with you, and we're good at it. We're winning loads of tournaments, we're making good money, we've got sponsorship deals- everything we all dreamed of.”

Avex nodded, understanding. “But...?”

“But... I love my family, too. And I love cooking, a lot. I'm good at that, too. And I love the restaurant- it means as much to me as it does Uncle.”

Avex swallowed. He was never very good at talks like this, though not for lack of trying, but he decided to speak from the heart. “Soma... whatever happens, whatever you decide, I-”

A loud, unpleasant gurgling sound interrupted them both, causing them to look around in confusion.

“The bloody hell is that racket?” Avex huffed, annoyed at the interjection.

Soma gasped, pointing at the wall just above the sink. “I... I think its that...”

Avex peered over, and almost did a double take.

A portion of the wall was bulging out, and the gurgling and churning was getting louder.

“Ayo bredrin, I'm starving too, but can we maybe-” Mercury's voice caught in her throat as she walked into the kitchen, spotting the bulging wall. “Why does your kitchen have acne, Avex?”

“Something in the pipes, maybe?” Maltine said, strolling in behind Mercury with a puzzled expression on her face. “Looks worrying.”

“It sounds worrying.” Soma said, frowning, as he leaned in a little closer.

“Hang about, Soma,” Avex started, reaching out to grab his shoulder, “be care-”

An almighty pop rang out, as the bulge in the wall burst.

A black, viscous substance exploded out, spraying the sink, counter, and floor with something that looked like Ink, but smelled... rotten. None of them were hit with the spray, thankfully, each of them shocked by the burst and quickly dodging back.

“Fucks sake!” Avex called out, rushing to the stove to turn it off- the water had started bubbling over and the musubi was burning whilst they were distracted, before looking back over at the wall; the gunk was still oozing out of exposed piping.

“Wh-wh-what is it?!” Maltine stammered, quickly shuffling her feet out of the way of the ever expanding puddle on the floor.

“Not a clue...” Mercury said, before looking over at Avex. “But I called it.”

“Not helping, Merc,” Avex growled, frustrated. “Really not helping.”

“There's something wrong with this apartment.” Soma said, suddenly. He'd been frozen in place after the pipes burst, watching the substance ooze onto the floor. His voice was quiet, and scared.

Avex looked over at his boyfriend, concerned. “Soma-”

“I need air.” Soma said, shoving past Avex and the girls with a brisk stride. “Sorry.”

“Soma-!” Avex called out, before letting out an angry growl and kicking at one of the cupboards. “Fuck!”

“W-wait, Soma...!” Maltine started, moving after him, before being stopped by Mercury.

“Don't worry; I'll go after him, calm him down some.” Mercury sighed, before nodding at Avex. “Make sure the captain doesn't flip his lid.”

Maltine nodded in reply, before letting Mercury past. She gently walked over to Avex, putting an arm around him- he jumped a bit, but didn't push her off. “C'mon,” she said, gently, leading him out of the kitchen. “Sit with me for a bit, ok?”

Avex let out a long, shaky sigh. He felt exhausted, drained. “Guess dinner's ruined, huh?”

“It's not your fault, Captain.” Maltine said, patting his knee.

“I know. But it feels like it is.” Avex moaned, splaying out on the sofa. “Feels like everything's starting to crumble, actually. This move was supposed to be the start of things getting back on track since...” he rubbed the scar on his face. “... The accident.”

Maltine twiddled her thumbs awkwardly, choosing her words carefully before she said them. “You... don't talk about it much. And I understand why; it clearly affected you a lot- there's more scars than what show on your face.”

“More then you could imagine, believe me.” Avex droned, dry and mirthless.

“I'm more perceptive then you think, Captain.” Maltine said, expression turning unusually serious. “Ever since the day we met I could see you carry so much on your shoulders, and this accident- whatever it was- is just the latest in a long line of troubles. And whilst I would never force you to lessen that weight if you don't want to, or aren't ready to, just... know that you do not need to keep anything from us. From me. We're not just teammates, Captain; we're friends. 'Til the end, right?”

Avex smiled, trying his best to ignore the dampness in his eyes. “Yeah. 'Til the end. Thanks, Malt. One day... I'll let you guys in a little more. Promise.”

Maltine smiled, her beak on full display. “And I will be there in a heartbeat. Now, how about I make us some tea- oh.” Maltine gazed back at the kitchen, the pipes now drained but almost every surface covered in black gunk. “Uh...”

Avex chuckled awkwardly. “It's the thought that counts, Malt.”

-

“I'm terribly sorry to hear that, sir,” the Jellyfish behind the reception desk said, his accent impeccably posh and far more suited to a five star hotel then this dump, Avex thought to himself. “Sounds like quite the leak!”

“That's one way of putting it.” Avex droned, his expression less than impressed.

“If I could just take your room number, sir, I may be able to help you.”

“Oh, sure; 837.”

The Jellyfish froze. “Could you repeat that, sir?”

“... 837.” Avex said, cocking his eyebrows.

The Jellyfish trembled. Definitely.

“... Is... is that a problem?” Avex asked, incredulously.

“I'm afraid maintenance for the uppermost floor are off shift until the morning, sir.” The Jellyfish said, their tone much more curt and their cadence much faster. “They won't be able to deal with it until then.”

“You WHAT?!” Avex shouted, fangs bared.

“Do not raise your voice, sir.”

“This isn't a leaky tap, mate! There's... sludge, all over my bloody kitchen! I can't even enter it without getting it all over my slippers!” Avex spat, beside himself. “What, in gods name, am I meant to do until the morning?!”

“I would suggest closing the door and not entering the effected area, sir.” The Jellyfish said, hopping off of his chair. “Now, if you'll excuse me, I have important bookkeeping to attend to. Have a good evening, sir.”

“Hey, wait ain't done here-!”

“Have a good evening, sir.” The Jellyfish repeated, much more firmly, before slamming the door to the staff office behind the counter.

Avex's jaw hung open, for a moment. Before he began to seethe and curse under his breath, pacing back and forth, going to kick the tiny trash bin in a pointless act of petty rebellion, before deciding to spare it the indignity of falling before his might and stomping outside to smoke a cigarette instead.

As he took a seat on the stairs outside of the apartment building, Avex slipped a cig between his lips, sparking it alight with a match before returning the boxes of both to his hoodie pocket. The absolute last place he wanted to be right now, on his own, was that damn apartment, so he intended to draw this cigarette out as long as he could and not think about anything that had happened tonight. Which was easier said then done- in particular, he hadn't seen Soma after his freakout, and he was worrying about him. He was worrying about the conversation they were having before, too; worried more about how the choice Soma would have to make was hanging over his head, more then what choice he might pick.

And he was definitely been worrying about whether or not he'd been swindled on a lousy apartment in a complex run by total arsewipes.

His worries were interrupted when the doors to the apartment building opened, and a familiar Inkling with long blue tentacles came jogging out- once again trying to zip up their jacket haphazardly, and mumbling about being late under their breath. They stopped and doubled back, clearly recognising him. “Oh! Hey Avex~”

Avex tried his best to smile, waving. “You alright, Nol?”

“Yeah, yeah,” they said, sheepishly smiling, “late to something important again, heh.” They blinked, Avex's demeanour registering. “Are... you ok?”

Avex shrugged. “I've been better, honestly.”

“Oh no...” Nol started, covering their mouth, their expression turning grim. “Did... something happen?”

“Burst pipe.” Avex drawled, taking a drag on his cigarette. “Sprayed a bunch of crud absolutely everywhere in my kitchen.”

Nol frowned. “Hmm.” Their expression grew grimmer.

Curiosity got the better of Avex. “Nol... is there something I should know about apartment 837?”

Nol stiffened, eyes darting left and right. “It's... well, I... I'm not sure where to start... and I'm late, so-”

“Give it to me straight, then.” Avex said, standing up and meeting their eyes with a serious gaze. “What's the deal with that damn apartment?”

Nol nervously chewed their lip, looking down. “I've lived here all my life, Avex. I know all there is to know about Flounder Heights. But, that apartment... The other tenants, they talk about it, in hushed tones. I don't know what they say, but their faces are always so afraid. Staff won't go near it when the sun's down, no matter what- some won't go near it at all.” Nol returned their gaze to Avex. “Whenever I walk past it, my hearts freeze, and my breath catches in my throat. I don't know why.”

Avex's eyes narrowed. “What are you trying to tell me...?”

“I think something very bad happened in that apartment, Avex. And I don't think anyone at Flounder Heights likes to talk about it.” Nol said, their tone even but thin.

Avex took it all in... and sighed, his shoulders loosening. “I'm sorry, Nol. Didn't mean to give you the third degree.”

Nol smiled. “It's alright. I can't imagine how frustrating it must be.” They looked at their watch. “I'm really sorry; I wish I could tell you more, but-”

“S'alright; you go on ahead. I still owe you that autograph, though.”

“And I still owe you that tour!” Nol said, chuckling and waving as they walked away, breaking into a light jog.

Sighing, Avex flicked away the butt of his cigarette. He was so, so tired, and his limbs felt heavier then they had in a long time.

He was so tired, in fact, the question of where Nol needed to be so late completely passed him by.

-

Avex's entire body burned,

blood and ink spewed out of his mouth,

he could feel something vital in him was no longer there,

he heard a horrible, vile laughter all around him,

mocking him,

“weak”

“useless”

“cripple”

hateful words he's endured since he was a kid,

repeated in a tone dripping with deliberate, calculated cruelty as he lay there,

dying,

all spoken by that tall figure with the wicked smile,

whom had inflicted this pain on him as if to prove a point,

and it was a point keenly felt,

as memories of that dreadful phone call,

of months of visits to that horrible, sterile hospital room,

of the man he admired most fading away in real-time until,

eventually,

he was gone,

is this what he had felt?

is this what he had gone through?

gods above,

he wanted his father,

he needed his father,

“papa... papa...!!”

Avex cried out into the abyss, tears falling down his face,

the last of his strength spent begging for his father to come save him,

whilst the tall figure,

smile never waning,

merely kept laughing

-

Avex's eyes snapped open.

He felt fingers pressing against the sides of his head.

His eyes turned to look.

Bony appendages, reaching down from the ceiling of his bedroom, attached to a horrible, snarling, skeletal face.

He was awake.

And the face knew it.

It opened its mouth wide, and called his name in a ghastly voice

AVEXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

For what must have been the first time in years,

Avex felt a fear so deep and so primal, he couldn't stop the cry from escaping his throat.

He pushed the hands away from his face, leaping from the bed with a start, slamming against the door. He scrambled to adjust his position, reaching for the nearest thing that could serve as a weapon- the chair by his desk- and turned his attention to the ceiling-

There was no face.

There were no arms.

He was alone.

Avex dropped the chair.

And began to cry.

-

Troubadour hated being an early riser at the best of times; she hated it more when it was in a crummy shack that could barely stand up to the bitter ass shitty weather outside it.

Groaning, she wriggled around in her sleeping bag, swearing up a storm in a groggy voice and she fiercely kicked herself free, unsteadily climbing to her feet. Scratching her butt, she looked over at the rack of extremely outdated computers and machinery across the room from her with a loathing and spite she usually reserved for people she hated- which was most people. Why the hell that old fuck and The Stupider, Smellier Squid Sister insisted on trying to maintain these pieces of toss and update them rather then replace them wholesale was beyond her. She stomped over to the kitchenette, filling up a kettle with water.

'Its not like I, of all people, can't figure out how to transfer all that crucial little data cleanly- I mean, have they MET me? I'm ME!', she thought to herself, as the kettle boiled away. 'But nooooo, I gotta pull OVERTIME at the JANK FACTORY, taking days of MY time to get these fuckin' things operational again, and what for? Barely anyone even BOTHERS to come to this outpost anymore, for fu-

wait hold on is that Avex out there?'

-

Avex was splayed out on the sofa, seemingly not caring how cold or breezy it was, an arm draped over his face. An unlit cigarette hung from his lips, as he slowly breathed, unsure whether he was trying to sleep or whether he was just... laying there.

“Hey.” Troubadour said, as she approached, a thick jacket hastily thrown on over her PJs “What the hell are you doing.”

“Stewing.” Avex mumbled, his voice croaky. “Leave me alone.”

Troubadour rolled her eyes, boots loudly crunching in the gravel as she stomped over, forcing his legs off the sofa so she could sit down.

Avex jolted as she did, sitting up sharply. “What the hell is with everyone doing that to me lately?”

“You're obviously troubled.” Troubadour said, crossing her legs. “Unless you like hanging out in the wastes looking sorry for yourself.”

Avex chuckled. “Really? We're gonna do this? You and me?”

“Aaaaaaaayup.” Troubadour said, really emphasising the P.

“Fuckin' hell.” Avex groaned, finally finding the strength to reach for his lighter, sparking the cigarette alight. “Now I know I'm in the shit.”

“First of all, fuck you,” Troubadour said, kicking his knee with the heel of her boot.

“Fucking OW!” Avex shouted.

“Second of all, believe it or not, I ain't heartless.” Troubadour said, tone softening, her delicate voice sounding genuine. “You've been through some shit of late. I think I know a thing or two about that- I was there for it.”

“You-” Avex wanted to argue, wanted to be petulant, but he couldn't commit. “... have a point.”

“So; talk.” Troubadour said, simply. “Or I'll kick your ass.”

Avex let out a sigh. “It's... not the Metro. At least, not just that.”

“Go on.”

“My health hasn't been great since, you know, the Goopening-”

“Smoking'll really help with that, champ.”

“Shut up. Anyway, that's why I'm on leave. Which sucks enough. There's Octolings and Octarians down there I could be helping right now.”

“They need you at your best.” Troubadour said, plainly. “Can't send a half dead squid down to the domes and hope for you to be of any use.”

“But that leaves you all in the lurch.” Avex said, exhaling a plume of smoke. “Cal and Mar are juggling their careers, you and Gef are adjusting to life up here, Gramps is thinkin' about retiring, and Ubik is buried in work to compensate.”

“You know full well Callie and Two are pro's at balancing their double lives, me 'n Geffen are made of stronger stuff then any Inkling, the old man's too committed to the gig, and Ubik's a machine with work. Hell, she thrives in it. Almost makes me mad how jolly she can be about work. So I know it's not just that.”

“... It's affecting my ability to play. Competitively.” Avex said, finally saying out loud what he'd been thinking- fearing- for a while. “It's not too noticeable, yet. I don't think my teammates have noticed, or if they have, they haven't said anything. But I'm noticing it; I'm missing flings I shouldn't. I'm getting tired more often.”

“So it's about the fame? The money?”

“No!” Avex said, genuinely offended. “It's... I got family history, alright. This sorta thing happened to someone I cared about.”

Troubadour felt a slight pang of guilt. “I'm... guessing the past tense was intentional.”

“Yeah.”

“I'm sorry.”

“It's fine.”

Silence fell over them for a moment, both lost in thought.

“... That's still not all of it, huh?”

Avex shook his head. “I moved out recently. I love my mum, but I could afford it to do it finally, and... I dunno. I felt like taking that next step would be something I could anchor myself to. That I could start fixing everything going wrong in my life- my health, my work, my sport- if I struck out for myself.”

“I hear ya, I hear ya. But it's not working out?”

Avex, caught in a moment of vulnerability, turned to face Troubadour. “I think my flat's haunted.”

Troubadour's expression turned dumbstruck, completely devoid of her usual Piss-and-Vinegar edge. “... Alright, let's put a pin in that,” she said, pausing for a moment to clear her throat, “but any which way, you've got a lot on your plate. No wonder you're spiralling.”

“I'm scared, Troub.” Avex said, bluntly. “The future's looking grim, and everything's going wrong, and I don't know how to fix it.”

“You face it.” Troubadour said, straight and to the point.

Avex laughed, mirthlessly. “That easy, huh?”

“Yep.” Troubadour said. “What, you telling me you can't? You, the Green Demon, the scourge of the Octarian Race-”

“Please don't call me that,” Avex mumbled, with genuine discomfort-

“can't handle a few crises? C'mon, man.” Troubadour rolled her eyes. “I know this shit's hard, believe me. But- much as it pains me- you're a pretty hardy guy. I didn't see a lick of fear on your face down in the Metro, when you jumped in to save our asses from that fuckin' genocidal telephone. I know you took down my shithead former boss basically single-handedly- not even the elites I knew would manage that, let alone risk trying.”

“I can't hold up a gun to my personal problems, Troub.” Avex droned, rolling his eyes.

“No, but you can attack 'em with the same fervour.”

Avex thought for a moment, tapping a foot on the ground. “... Can I?”

“Sure. And if you're struggling, well; you know how many people have your back, right?”

Images of all his teammates flashed before Avex's eyes. Then his friends outside of the team. Finally,0 everyone in the NSS. He could hear them all saying some variation of that phrase- 'you can always count on me', 'you can talk to me about anything', 'i won't let you down', 'you know I love you, right?'...

“... Yeah. Yeah, I do.” Avex said, the faintest smile on his face. “Thanks, Troubadour.”

“Anytime, ya lug.” Troubadour said, standing up. “And hey, if you do completely crack- and not gonna lie, that 'my flats haunted' has me wondering- we got a shrink on the payroll for that. You lucky, lucky boy.” She punctuated her statement by patting his head.

“Thanks, Troubadour.” Avex repeated, scowling this time. “Almost stuck the landing on that pep talk.”

“You love it, dipshit.” She said, in a sing song tone, as she headed back towards the cabin. “Now for fucks sake, come inside before you blow over the edge and plunge to your untimely death. I'm makin' coffee.”

“Yeah yeah in a tic; I gotta make a phone call.” Avex said, fishing his phone out of his pocket.

“'Kay. Tell your boyfriend he can do better.”

“How in the fu- I mean, shut up.” Avex said, flushing slightly as she disappeared into the cabin. He found the contact he was looking for, and hit dial.

“... Avex?” Soma replied, voice still groggy.

“Alright, lad?” Avex said, softly. “Sorry, I know its early.”

“S'fine...” Soma groaned, yawning and stretching. “Its gotta be important, if you're calling this early.”

“Yeah...” Avex said, his face flushing deeper. “I just... I wanted to say... whatever decision you make, I'm with you every step of the way, right?”

“Oh, Avex, I know you-”

“I mean it.” Avex said, voice serious but not harsh. “I know you're really struggling with whether you wanna stick it out as a Pro Turfer or take up the restaurant. I can tell its eating at you. And... and if it makes the decision easier, even slightly, knowing that I back you 100%, then... well... you know.”

There's a moment of silence. Then, Avex hears a sniffle on the other end of the line.

“... Thank you.”

Avex smiled, warmly. “That's all I wanted to say. I'll let you go back to sleep.”

“Ok. I love you... my Ku`u Lei...”

“Love you too, lad.”

-

“Hold the lift!” Avex called as he dashed into the foyer of the building, those distinctive blue tentacles catching his eye.

“Oh, sir!” The Jellyfish from the night before called out from behind the desk. “Maintenance staff will be up to deal with your pipe conundrum shortly!”

“Got it, thanks!” Avex said as he jogged up to the lift, entering.

Nol smiled. “Looks like you're the one in a rush, today.”

Avex laughed. “Yeah. Guess that means the tour will still have to wait.”

Nol laughed as well, softer then before. “And I'm still holding out for that autograph.”

Avex winked. “It'll be worth it. My cursive is stunning.”

Nol laughed a little harder this time, and Avex joined them, the pair of them carrying on until the lift reached the top floor and the doors slid open.

Avex waved to Nol as he headed towards his flat. “Don't be a stranger, y'hear?”

Nol waved him off, but said nothing as he walked down the hallway, eventually disappearing into his flat. As soon as the door shut, their smile fell away, and a look of melancholy overcame their face as they watched.

“I'm so, so sorry Avex.” They said, before turning and slowly walking down the adjoining corridor.

-

As Avex tossed and turned in his bed feverishly, a shape began to form in the corner of his room, at its darkest point.

As the shape grew in size, becoming rounder, the darkness seemed to seep out, swallowing the rest of the room whole- in the end, only Avex himself and the moonlight through the window seemed visible besides the shape.

It crawled closer to the bed, Avex's fretful sleep growing ever worse.

The crack of bones echoed off the walls as two long, lanky arms slowly phased out of the shape, ending in large hands with long fingers.

They drew closer to the Inkling, reaching for his head. The room somehow grew darker.

Its fingertrips were inches away from Avex's head,

when his eyes

snapped open.

Avex ducked underneath the arms with surprising speed, rolling off the bed and retrieving a hero shot from underneath his bed in one swift motion, firing off a few shots at the large shape-

which went right through it, coating his wall in green ink which slowly dripped down onto some of his trophies.

It was swallowed by the dark, which had gradually begun to turn a deep, violent red.

Avex gulped, fingers twitching, nerves creeping in. “Wishful bloody thinking.”

As the room paradoxically grew brighter, the red becoming more vibrant and joined by shades of orange and yellow that gave the impression of fire, the shape- or rather, creature, came into focus; its outermost portions were a dark black, wispy and shadow like substance, dotted with specs of shifting grey and white that gave it the appearance of static, but though concealed slightly by it, the skeletal structure at its centre was unmistakeable.

Avex had only ever seen human skulls in pictures, or behind glass cases at museums. They always looked like they were smiling, almost. This one wasn't. Instead, where rows of teeth should have been, there was only flat bone and a lip-like opening curled into a furious grimace. A single grey dot occupied one of its eye sockets, staring right through Avex and into his hearts.

Gritting his beak and swallowing the fear, Avex stood up. “Nice to meet you, finally.”

The creature merely stared at him drawing its long appendages- coated in the same staticy mist, but solid bone all the way through- back towards itself.

“I dunno what your game is- giving my friends a scare, and showing me that awful shit in my dreams, but it ends tonight, alright?”

The shape began to glide closer. The flame-like lights that had enveloped the room danced and shimmered with greater intensity. If Avex didn't know better, he'd swear he was getting hot.

“What? Not feeling very 'chatty' tonight, eh? Didn't stop you before.” Avex said, annoyed at himself for the shakiness in his tone, as he backed up against the wall.

The shape shifted ever closer, a distinct black pupil now noticeable at the centre of its single eye. Before long, it was right on top of him.

Avex gnashed his beak, fury overtaking fear. “SAY SOMETHING, YOU EXPIRED F-”

In motions too rapid for Avex to react too, the shape held its arms out, before planting his fingers on the side of the boy's head.

A sensation like lightning ripped through his head, not necessarily painful but extremely intense, causing him to fall to his knees.

His eyes were wide open, staring into the beasts singular eye, his mouth agape as stuttered sounds of fear escaped from his throat.

The walls erupted into flames, the heat of which was unbearable, as his bedroom fell away into nothing within the inferno.

And then,

it spoke.

THE GIFT I BRING YOU AS YOU SLUMBER IS THAT OF PROPHECY, CHILD.

THEY ARE NOT DREAMS, BUT VISIONS OF THE DAYS AHEAD.

An image of that tall figure, with their loathsome smile, flashed across Avex's eyes. It was followed by the panicked faces of so many of his friends- Mercury, Maltine, Marimo, Tenori- all fleeing in desperation from that horrid figure.

YOUR FUTURE IS ONE OF TRAGEDY.

THE ONES YOU LOVE WILL PERISH IN YOUR ARMS.

Now he saw Soma, cradled in his grasp, bleeding, looking up at him with pleading eyes that begged Avex to save him louder then words ever could. They were joined by his friends from before, each of them trapped in states of existential agony, crying and screaming.

YOUR BODY WILL FAIL YOU, DENYING YOU SO MANY OF LIFE'S PLEASURES.

YOUR BODY WILL BECOME A PRISON FROM WHICH YOU CAN NEVER ESCAPE.

Next, images of him on the ground, trying and failing to get up- his legs, it seemed, wouldn't move. Next, even his arms collapsed under him. Before long he was bed-bound, unable to move without the aid of other people, or wheelchairs and walkers, and he looked so pallid, so ill.

AND ULTIMATELY,

IN THE END,

YOU WILL FAIL TO SAVE THE PEOPLE YOU DEDICATE YOUR LIFE TO HELPING.

YOU WILL FAIL

TO SAVE

ANYONE.

Finally, an image of two Inklings; a tall young woman with pink tentacles, covered in scars, machinery jutting out of her, and a stout man with dark orange tentacles, clutching a letterman jacket. They were both crying, looking at him with disappointed eyes, and repeated echoes of 'Why can't you save me?' and 'Why can't you save him?' danced around his head.

BUT I CAN SAVE YOU FROM SUCH A GHASTLY FATE, CHILD.

I CAN SPARE YOU ALL THAT PAIN, ALL THAT HOPELESSNESS.

Avex felt the fingers dig into the sides of his head.

ALL YOU HAVE TO DO,

The creatures mouth began to open, drawing its face closer,

IS LET ME TAKE YOU.

Its mouth was wide enough to swallow him whole,

the damned thing dwarfing him in size and stature,

leaving Avex completely at his mercy.

…

No.

Avex gripped onto the creatures arms with both hands. He gripped hard enough to crack, and then shatter, the bone.

The creature reared back, its mouth shrinking.

Still holding onto the heavily damaged arms, Avex stood back up. His eyes burned with a fury that put the flames around them to shame.

The creature shrieked.

Avex didn't care.

“GET,”

He yanked one arm clean from the beast's body. It shrieked louder.

“THE FUCK,”

He tore the other arm free, and the beast's shrieks began to sound like fearful, desperate wails.

“OUT OF MY HOME!!!”

Avex drew a leg back, kicking the beast square in its face, with enough force to dent and crack the bone inwards, forcing it into a broken, concave shape.

And as he roared,

and the best cried,

the flames,

which burned white hot,

and danced so wildly,

took them both.

-

A flurry of concerned voices gradually faded in. With them, too, did a hospital ceiling. At first, he couldn't make out distinct words, and the shapes and lights were a kaleidoscope, but slowly and surely, focus was coming to him.

“Ay up...” he grunted, his throat dry and voice hoarse. “What's occurring?”

Almost immediately his vision cleared and his hearing sharpened, as the faces of Soma, Maltine, Mercury, and Tenori filled his vision, hitting him with a volley of questions.

“You back with us, buddy?”

“What happened, Captain?!”

“You remember us, right?”

“OH GODS ABOVE I THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD ARE YOU ALRIGHT PUA DO YOU NEED ANYTHING I CAN GET YOU SOME WATER-”

“Guys, GUYS.” Avex shouted, immediately coughing after doing so. “Little bit out of the loop, here. Bring me up to speed- ONE AT A TIME.”

Soma, barely holding back tears, started. “I, I tried to get ahold of you before my shift, b-but you didn't answer. I thought that was weird but I left it, but then when I tried calling you during my lunch break you still didn't answer and I got worried, then when I called you AND left a message after my shift you STILL DID NOT ANSWER and I got scared, and, and-”

“So he called me.” Tenori interjected, placing a gentle hand on Soma's shoulder to help calm him down. “He knew I busk near Flounder Heights sometimes- the Jellies there tip generously- so I'd be able to get there fastest. You didn't answer the door, so I had to call building security. You were still in bed, convulsing and comatose- your hearts were going crazy, so-”

“So he called me,” Mercury continued, “whilst the building security called 777. Didn't have many options, so I put the word out to Soma and Maltine, and we all rushed over as quick as we could-”

“But by the time we got there, they were already loading you onto the ambulance.” Maltine finished, sniffling a little. “They didn't say much, but they let us ride with you.”

Avex took all of that in for a moment, lost in thought. “... I see. I... don't remember much after I went to bed last night. I... think I felt fine. More tired then, usual, but...”

Soma frowned, blowing his nose into a handkerchief. “You scared us so bad, Avex. We thought-”

“Well, you thought wrong.” Avex said, trying to smile. “I'm still here. I'm ok.”

Soma didn't look very comforted. “That's not the point! You-”

Before he could continue, the door opened; a tall mantis shrimp, in a large white coat, stepped into the room, clipboard held in one of his claws. He peered over his glasses. “Ah, Avex; I'm pleased to see you're awake. You gave us quite a cause for concern for a minute there, my boy.”

“Is he gonna be ok, doctor?” Soma asked, bounding over in a panicky strut.

“Yeah, doc; give us the verdict, and don't pull no punches.” Mercury said, her usually calm voice betraying notes of worry.

“Well, that rather depends on Avex.” The shrimp said, tone solemn. “There's something I'd like to discuss with the patient in private. I know this has been a shock to all of you, but I'm afraid I'll need to ask you to leave the room for a moment.”

Soma looked crestfallen. “But-”

“It's ok, lad.” Avex said, trying to force another a smile. “Go grab something from the drinks machine. This won't take long.”

Soma swallowed a lump, but nodded, skittering out of the room. Everyone else barring the doctor followed, all of them giving Avex concerned glances, before the door shut.

The mantis shrimp took a seat across from the bed, briefly glancing at his notes. “I have a feeling you know what I'm about to say.”

“I have some ideas.” Avex said, his face falling into a stony, desolate expression. “You were one of the coats tending to my old man in his final days. I'm guessing this is looking mighty familiar.”

The doctor sighed, placing the clipboard down on the table and removing his glasses. “Then I shan't pull any punches. Today's little scare, though ultimately not fatal, is a wakeup call. Your body cannot sustain the effort and the strain you put it through. I am aware that your Turf War career is important to you, and that you want to take your team as far as they can go, but the fact of the matter is you cannot keep up.”

Avex laughed, hollowly.

“It's not a laughing matter, Avex.”

“I'm not laughing because its funny, doc.” He could already feel tears falling down his cheek.

The shrimp sighed again. “I know this isn't pleasant to hear, son. And I truly understand that it is bringing up a lot of trauma you've worked hard to overcome. It gives me no pleasure to throw wrenches into your plans, or dredge up old ghosts. But to be blunt; if you continue to push yourself to the limit, your Arificus Syndrome is going to kill you.”

“How long will it take.” Avex asked, point blank.

“I don't think that's-”

“How. Long. Will it take.” Avex repeated, voice raised slightly.

The doctor paused, before tutting. “At your current rate? I'd estimate a couple of years. Three, at most. If you reduce your activity, significantly, that potentially doubles.”

“And if I almost completely cut out Ink Sports and- … other, active things I do?”

“You could quite happily and comfortably live a long, healthy life.”

Avex stewed in the answers for an uncomfortably long time, the doctor simply sitting and staring as the Inkling thought. “... I'd like to be alone for a bit. Can you tell my pals to wait a little longer?”

The doctor rose from the chair, clipboard back in claw, wandering to the door. As he opened it, he turned back to Avex. “Will they be as enthusiastic as the choice you're about to make?”

Avex laughed again, coldly. “I guess I'll find out, won't I?”

The doctor scoffed. “We'll need to keep you in for a couple of days, to properly assess how much- if any- permanent damage has been done to your system. Current prognosis is positive, and you should be back to normal within that time-frame- and with plenty of rest.” The doctor turned away. “Though I suspect it won't be too long 'til we see you again.”

Avex wanted to say something snarky in response. He wanted so badly to cut him to the quick as he left.

And he hated the fact that it meant the doctor was right.

After several minutes, Avex turned to his bedside table; someone had left his phone there. He grabbed it, and began entering a number he knew off by heart- it was risky to call them on this line, but when needs must.

“... Gramps? It's Avex. … Yeah, I'm... I'm ok. No, this won't be long, I just have a question to ask... about work.”

-

[ONE MONTH LATER]

The sun hung bright in a clear blue sky, but the temperature was far from warm; despite being nearly midday, windows were still covered in condensation, and every breath one made danced in the air. Autumn was well and truly here.

Neither Avex or Mercury were massively pleased about that, as they walked down the street, locked in conversation. Mercury in particular was bundled up in a ridiculous number of layers- something which Avex had already poked and prodded her over (and got thumped for it repeatedly).

“Went about as well as could be expected, I suppose.” Avex said, tone flat and annoyed. “Should have figured Firefin wasn't gonna be best impressed to have their hot ticket drop out of Clam Clash.”

“They'll manage.” Mercury stated, unimpressed. “They've got other irons in the fire. If they wanna get all Iggy about it, that's their business.”

Avex couldn't help but smile. “And that's why I handle business relations, and you just shoot things.”

“Ha!” Mercury chuckled, crossing her arms and smirking. “Maybe if you let me run this thing, we'd be making even more money!”

“Hard pass.” Avex replied, chuckling himself. “I wanna win trophies, not crash and burn in casuals.”

“Real talk, though.” Mercury said, face gradually shifting to a more serious expression. “You're sure about this? Don't get me wrong, we're all hungry, but you wanted it the most.”

“Yeah.” Avex said, smile turning solemn. “Speaking of not wanting to crash and burn; I want to keep the Pro Turfer thing going as long as I can. If that means slowing down and missing out on a few cups, well... I'm already low on shelf space anyway.”

Mercury smiled warmly. “I'm proud of you, man; I know that ain't an easy decision.”

“Eh, I'll manage; gives me more time to fiddle about making tunes.” Avex said, smirking. “Always fancied making my own tracks, but never really had the time.”

Mercury mock-gagged. “Please, spare me from having to endure your techno bullshit.”

“It's called hardcore, actually, and it rules.”

“Ugh.”

As the pair came up on the path leading to the Flounder Heights complex, the pair stopped for a moment.

“We still on for the team meeting at Soma's tonight?” Avex asked, taking a packet of chewing gum out of his pocket, and popping a strip in his mouth.

“Count on it.” Mercury said, giving him and a thumbs up and smiling, before giving the apartments the side eye. “You can do better then this dump, you know.”

“It's fine, Mercury.” Avex said, waving as he headed towards the building.

“Yeah sure, 'til your bathtub starts filling up with raw sewage!” Mercury shouted.

“I'll MANAGE, Merc!” Avex called back, changing his wave to a Reverse V salute, and tutting as he heard Mercury giggling to herself whilst walking away. He entered the foyer of the apartment building, letting out a small sigh inbetween chews.

“Oh, sir!” The Jellyfish receptionist called out from behind the desk, waving a tentacle. “Hello! It is good to see you in such fine health.”

“Ah, alright Jellvis?” Avex said, smiling and waving. “Thanks, mate; its good to BE in such fine health, heh. What's occurring?”

“Nothing of importance, sir;” the Jellyfish paused, setting back into his seat properly, “I just wanted to ask if everything is satisfactory? With your apartment?”

“Oh! Yeah, no further problems, ta.” Avex said, grinning, continuing towards the elevator. “Though you'll be the first to know, I'm sure!”

The Jellyfish chuckled. “I would expect no less, sir!”

Avex laughed, about to hit the button for the elevator, before stopping. “Actually, Jellvis, I do have a Q for you.”

“Oh! Ask away, sir!” Jellvis replied, setting aside the mug of tea he was about to take a sip from.

“You seen Nol around lately? Haven't seen 'em at all since I came back from the hospital.”

Avex was not aware that the colour could drain from a jellyfishes face 'til that moment. “What did you say, sir?” Jellvis asked, tone shaky.

“Uh... I asked about Nol.” Avex said, cocking his eyebrow. “They live on the same floor as me? Always late to something?”

“Sir... there hasn't been someone named Nol living here for over two decades.”

*

INKLING FOUND DEAD IN APARTMENT

Tragedy struck Flounder Heights last night, after an Inkling was found deceased in their apartment. Security was called to their room to perform a wellness check after concerned friends failed to reach them, and upon entry found the body of the tenant in their bedroom. According to investigators, their body was covered in bite marks, but there appeared to be no signs of forced entry nor any disarray in the apartment itself. Police have marked the case as suspicious but wish to assure other tenants that it is most likely an isolated incident.

The victim has been identified as Nol, a young adult Inkling whom worked at the Forge clothing gear and sporting goods company, as part of its Turf War cross-promotion division. According to friends and relatives, the victim had been under tremendous stress of late, juggling work, several university courses, and private training to be a Turf War competitor themselves. They are survived by their parents, and one younger sister.

The victim in question lived in apartment 837, infamous among building staff and residents alike for its high turnover rate of tenants due to 'disturbing phenomena', and at least five previous occupants of the apartment were also found dead within it since the building's construction was completed in 70 AGW. According to many, the apartment is considered haunted or cursed, and an urban legend among Turf War competitors is that when competing there, back when the location was used for the sport, a ghostly figure could be seen in the apartments bedroom window.

***

The Epilogue

“Hey there; sorry it took me so long to pop 'round and see you.”

Avex, bundled up in a bomber jacket and scarf, strolled up to a fairly plain looking, overgrown grave; the stonework was covered in moss and dotted with small cracks, but it had mostly held its shape. The little brass pot that lay atop it, containing the Ink of the deceased, had dulled a little bit from the years spent exposed to the elements, but it had clearly been maintained. A fairly fresh bouquet of flowers had been lain at the foot of the grave, just below the inscription;

NOL

79 AGW ~ 98 AGW

OUR PALE BLUE MOON

MAY THE GODS GREAT YOU WARMLY

Avex swallowed a lump in his throat. They were the same age...

“Doesn't look like you're too lonely up here, though...” Avex said, as he settled himself down onto the ground in a traditional kneeling position, not particularly concerned with getting his jeans damp. “That's good.”

He paused, looking the grave up and down, before exhaling, pulling a packet of gum out of his pocket, and popping a piece into his mouth. “Sorry. I'm better at this, usually.” He paused again, clearing his throat. “I've got... experience, talking to graves.”

What breeze there was seemed to settle, the air growing still. It somehow felt that much colder, now.

“... I suppose part of the problem is that I didn't really know you.” Avex mused, looking up at the sky. “Hell, I don't... really know if I met you at all.”

Tiring of the pious pose, he adjusted his position to a more relaxed, sitting one, staring back at the grave with sad eyes.

“I know about you, though. Your hopes, your dreams... your struggles... what happened at the end.” He could feel the lump in his throat again. “We... had a lot more in common then I think you'd ever realised. That's why It went after us both, I s'pose.”

Even the ambient noise of traffic outside the graveyard seemed to vanish completely. Total silence.

Just him, and Nol.

“I'm sorry.” Avex finally managed to choke out, sniffling a little bit. “I'm so, so sorry. You must've been so bloody scared.”

A series of rapid fire images of Nol flashed before Avex's eyes- of them studying late into the night, of them missing buses and trains, of their bosses giving them grief, of them training hour after hour and putting their already tired body through so much, of them crying in bed as that thing watched on, slinking closer.

He wasn't sure if they were just his mind filling in the gaps, or something more ethereal entirely, but they tightened around his heart anyway as tears threatened his eyes.

“It's stupid, and I know it's stupid, but I feel like I should have been able to help you. To... save you, I guess. Even though it's... already...” his voice wobbled slightly, lip quivering. “I'm... sorry I couldn't.”

The images stopped, and Avex rubbed his eyes, clearing his throat again as his composure settled.

“It can't hurt anyone else, at least.” Avex said, his voice stable once more. “I made sure of that. I don't think vengeance is what you'd have wanted- you seemed too nice for that- but I hope it soothes your soul all the same.”

The breeze seemed to pick back up. The ambient sound of traffic filled his ears once more.

Avex stood up, dusting his trousers off. “I wish I'd gotten to know you better. You seemed like an Inkling with a lot of love to give and a lot of potential to reach.”

He reached into the pocket of his jacket, retrieving a folded piece of paper. He slipped it under one of the legs of the brass pot, so it wouldn't blow away in the breeze.

“I always keep my word. Rest easy, Nol.” Avex said, with a slight small. He saluted at the headstone, before turning and walking away.

As he disappeared into the distance, an inkling with pale blue tentacles, wearing a reddish pink jacket and with a brown messenger bag slung over their shoulder, approached the grave. They slipped the piece of paper out from under the brass pot, unfolding it.

A scruffy looking signature took up most of the page, with a small message underneath; 'to my fan up in the heavens; keep watch over me.'

Nol hugged the piece of paper to their chest, crying softly.

“Thank you...”

-

Avex sniffed slightly as he approached the entrance of the graveyard, placing his hands in his pockets. His emotions were still riding high and he was lost in thought as he walked, so he didn't see the other inkling coming until the two bumped into one another.

“Ah!” the other Inkling exclaimed as she fell to the floor, grunting in pain once they landed.

“Bugger; sorry about that!” Avex said, recovering from his stumble and reaching down to help the girl up. “Me mind was elsewhere.”

“It's ok, heh...” the woman said, chuckling slightly as she took his hand, letting him help her up. She fiddled with her tentacles- a deep blue colour, tied at the back into a bow like shape; an older hairstyle, befitting someone in what Avex would guess was their 30s. “Understandable, considering.”

“Yeah...” Avex mused, looking off to the side briefly, before shaking his head. “You alright?”

“Oh yeah, I'm good, I'm good.” The girl said, flashing a smile. “No scrapes or nothing.”

“Alright.” Avex said with a smile, doffing his cap as he walked away. “Have a good day, miss.”

“You too.” The girl said, smiling. The smile dropped as Avex rounded the corner out of the gate.

'No doubt about it;' the girl thought to herself, 'that was Avex, of Team Juliana... why the hell was he visiting Nol?'

***

The Addendum

• Kind of a given, I know, but the entire genesis of this fanfic is based on the Flounder Heights Ghost easter egg. Rather infamously, due the way one of the windows was modelled in Flounder Heights' background + the way the lighting engine worked in Splatoon 1, said window would occasionally appear to show a ghostly looking face; though unintentional, this caught on enough that it got back to the devs of the games, and when the stage was brought back for Splatoon 3, that same window now features an additional texture layer that appears to show an actual ghost in it- its even named GhostWindow in the internal files. It's a similar easter egg to the laughter that could be heard coming from the statues in the Splatoon 1 variant of Museum D'Alfonsino when played at night, the equally infamous Boss Room Sounds easter egg, or whatever the hell is going on with the statues in Umami Ruins.

• On the subject of the ghost, I extrapolated a lot with regards to its appearance, drawing a little from both the Splatoon 1 visual glitch and the Splatoon 3 texture. To me, the latter could be interpreted as vaguely skeletal, whilst the “expression” of the former looked very severe and (for lack of better wording) “haunted” when looked at from the right angle. In terms of an explanation of where it came from or what exactly it is, I feel the story itself gives enough vague ideas.

• The title of the fic is, of course, a reference to the song Dead Fingers Talk by Yoshitaka Hirota. I can at least explain that this title is also where the idea of the ghost having arms, and specifically it pressing its fingers to its victims heads to impart visions, came from, though I figure that's a given.

• I flip flop a lot between Splatoonified Swears and Actual Swears. The in-universe explanation I generally tend to follow is that its a mix of cultural norms from differing characters' varying backgrounds, their personal sense of decorum, and the idea that the Actual Swears are effectively loan words; you can think of the Splatoonified Swears as largely being an in-universe example of both Inklish Language swear words and an example of using them as alternatives to harsher language, whereas the actual swear loan words are considered much rarer (and a more vulgar example of carrying forward the legacy of humanity). The meta-textual, real life reason I flip flop? I'm a potty mouth and just kinda write them without thinking about it, and also there's only so many swear words you can actually twist into sea puns.

• On this edition of Decon's Weird Splatoon Headcanons; Inkfish don't sweat! Instead, their internal ink- not the stuff produced by their ink sacs, but that which runs through their bodies- regulates their body temperature as is necessary. After significant physical exertion, it works overtime to cool the body down, often resulting in a subtle “steam” emanating from the skin layer. So that's what Avex's skin steaming was all about.

• Some general slang notes; Avex is very much meant to be a Cockney Londoner, and whilst occasionally his dialogue moves away from it, rest assured, he always sounds like he just stepped off the set of a Guy Ritchie film, so if there's any terms he uses that sound unfamiliar, its either general London slang, or straight up Cockney slang. Mercury occasionally makes use of Jamaican slang, as were she human that would be her ethnicity, but I kept it minimal largely to avoid coming off as stereotyping (or running the risk of using it incorrectly). Similarly, Soma would be of pacific islander descent were he human- Hawaiian in specific- hence the use of the terms Pua (meaning “flower”, used as a term of endearment) and Ku`u Lei (a similar term of endearment with specific connotations of romantic love, derived from the song “Ku`u Lei Puakenikeni” by Kulaiwi). I have done my best to fact and authenticity check the Jamaican patois and the Hawaiian terms used but the sources used may have been biased or incorrect, so if I have used any incorrectly, please inform me- I want to get these things right, not just put them in for ~aesthetics~, accuracy be damned.

• Despite being Cockney Coded™, Avex is actually very American in his tastes and some of his interests. Hence, he drinks Coffee over tea, and he eats Biscuits and Gravy + prefers Butter Popcorn over Sweet (which I don't even think is a Thing in America, really?).

• Nol's name fits my usual Splatoon naming convention- using the names of real life Record Labels- but with a twist; their name is actually derived from the abbreviation for Not On Label, the term used by the music cataloguing site Discogs to refer to releases that were self published or otherwise released without the involvement of a label. The first of a couple of hints at their true nature as a ghost.

• Relatedly, though there is a logical reason for why Nol is always running late, as outlined in the newspaper article at the end of the story, that itself is meant to be a bit of a hint that something is up with them; like they're trapped in the transition between two places, caught unaware and never fully ready for wherever they need to be.

• The number of Avex's apartment isn't entirely random, though I did have to adjust it a bit to fit; it is a loose reference to Room 237, the location of one of the most infamous and well remembered parts of Stanley Kubrick's adaptation of The Shining, as well as the original novel by Stephen King (where it was actually Room 217). I wanted the room number to actually be 237, playing around with the idea that Flounder Heights used some reversed numbering for its rooms (e.g. the topmost floor was 100 numbers, the lowest was 800 numbers), until I double checked the window the ghost appeared in in-game and saw it was a top floor apartment.

• More of a general Trivia Note, but Avex's little internal monologue about Soma and how much he means to him was the point at which the story massively outgrew its initial scope as a quick, short spooky story, and the idea to load it with a ton of significant character moments, and set up/call-forwards for future story arcs of mine became integral to the story. The upshot is that gave me an angle for the apartment ghost to work with, though, so that's worth the 30 pages of writing that followed.

• Also, yes, to extrapolate a little bit; Avex is Asexual. Gray Ace, specifically; though he does not experience attraction to anyone else, and finds it difficult to understand or experience it with Soma, he does come to find him physically attractive. It should be noted that though Avex is Asexual, he is not Aromantic- again, at least not entirely- as his romantic attraction to Soma formed much more quickly.

• Soma, on the other hand, is strictly Homosexual. Not particularly important to know, but thought I'd mention it anyway.

• Nightmare on Kelp Street and Freddy Cooler are, of course, references to Nightmare on Elm Street and Freddy Krueger. The former pun was easy; the second less so, and I'm not wholly happy with it, but hey ho. I don't know if Avex is necessarily a big Horror Movie buff, but he at least likes them a lot more then Soma does, clearly.

• I don't want to go into spoilers too heavily, but Avex's two dreams are allusions to my future Despair Decibel arc- a major story arc in my canon that takes place in 120 AGW (equivalent to 2020 AD by our calendar), so after Splatoon 2 but before Splatoon 3. The events depicted do technically happen, but they don't play out the way they do in his dreams- at the very least, both Avex and Soma live, as evidenced by the fact they're both still kicking in this episode of Trip Machine, set four/five years after this story. You can draw your own conclusions as to why the apartment ghosts visions are not fully accurate.

• It's never quite specified outright, but Avex has been on medical leave from the NSS following the events of Octo Expansion. Though he put a brave face on it at first, he was quite deeply affected emotionally and mentally by the experience of having his autonomy ripped away from him, and the physical condition of his body- already not great (this will be covered later)- was impacted by the sanitised goop. Whilst this has left him with more time to focus on his Turf War career, he's uncomfortable with not being able to work- both for the fears of what it means for his health, as the conversation with Troubadour later hints at, and because following the events of Splatoon 1's story mode (and becoming aware of the history between Inklings and Octarians + how bad conditions are in the domes), he became very passionate about helping Octarians make it to the surface, which I cover in more detail below. Therefore, he was already stressed and dealing with trauma before this story started.

• The cover story for Avex's very obvious fascial scarring following Octo Expansion is that whilst testing a prototype of a new charger, the weapon failed and exploded, damaging his face but not splatting him- hence why it scarred, instead of being effectively undone by respawning. It's both what the media has been fed- thanks to the NSS doing some damage control- and what Avex has told his team, none of whom know, at this point, that he is Agent 3. In fact, it isn't until the events of Despair Decibel where he's forced to reveal his double life as a member of the NSS, but that's a story for another time.

• The original way the “promise not to fall asleep?” scene went was that Callie said it with a knowing smile, and Avex replied with an equally knowing smile, before drifting off as Callie talked. My aim there was to a) imply how close Callie and Avex are as friends, and b) show that Avex wanted- needed- comfort in that moment, and hearing Callie talk was what he needed to soothe his soul. But it came off as callous and really rude of Avex once I'd written it down, in a way that I felt conflicted with his character, so I changed it around to him being attentive the entire time even though he was tired and drained. Callie definitely appreciated it, despite the differences in their problems.

• Again this is fairly clear, but just to clarify; Soma's actually an out-of-towner, coming from what is now the Splatoon equivalent of the pacific islands, specifically so he could intern at his uncles restaurant (which specialises in cuisine from the region). His family has worked in the culinary industry for generations, and Soma is being primed to take up the helm for his uncle (who, whilst not on deaths door, is slowly reaching a point where he can't run a restaurant himself anymore). Soma is fine with this on paper- he genuinely likes cooking and he loves the restaurant- but he also really loves Ink Sports, he loves being a part of Team Juliana. And as time marches on, it becomes increasingly clear he needs to commit to one or the other, and he is struggling a lot with that decision. Which is why it means a lot when Avex says whatever he chooses, he'll support him.

• Oh, speaking of; Team Juliana's name is a reference to Juliana's Tokyo, an extremely famous nightclub in Japan that was integral in spreading the popularity of european techno, house, and rave music (and playing an integral role in early development and spread of eurobeat music in the region). Avex, who both loves rave music and going to nightclubs and raves- even sneaking into them when he was far too young to do so- picked the name, obviously. I think the rest of the team just kinda tolerate it?

• Saimin is a Hawaiian dish similar to Ramen, but the noodles are made with a higher egg concentration and a little ash, so they're extra firm, and is typically served with a clear, thin broth. Its usually a breakfast staple, but lunch and dinner variants exist. I'm not sure what Soma is putting in his- maybe chicken?

• Clam Musubi = Spam Musubi. Pretty obvious, but I had some fun with this one. The idea of a SPAM variant made, one assumes, with Clams, is really funny to me. I forgot to mention it in the story, but Avex did glaze them with a sauce before putting them under the grill- Soma's teaching him right.

• The black sludge is, in fact, meant to be rotten ink. Again, draw your own conclusions about the implications.

• Avex refers to the ableist terms hurled at him in his second dream as something he's heard since he was younger; this is tied to his health condition, which again is covered further below.

• As outlined in the character bios, Troubadour was Test Subject 10,007- the immediate predecessor to my Agent 8 character, Geffen. Being a noncombatant back in Octarian society, she struggled severely in the tests, and was effectively trapped in the Deepsea Metro for at least two months before Geffen and Cap'n Cuttlefish got there. Between that and the events of Octo Expansion- which she was present for (including being stuck in that blender), she carries a lot of trauma of her own from the incident

• The “I think my flat's haunted” “... alright lets put a pin in that” exchange is one of my favourite things I've ever written. I love writing horror, but I also love writing comedy.

• Avex's aversion to the nicknames of Green Demon and Scourge of the Octarians comes from the fact that, by the end of Splatoon 1's hero mode, Avex came to view Octarian Society very differently; seeing how bad conditions in the domes were, and knowing just what lengths DJ Octavio was willing to go to preserve his species' existence, he has no hate in his heart for them. In fact, as earlier parts of the conversation hint at, a lot of the NSS' current work is aiding Octarians still stuck in the domes, helping them get out and starting the work of integrating them into society above ground- something Avex pushed for heavily as mentioned earlier, and very much contributed to Callie, Marie, and especially Craig's shift in perspective regarding Octarians. It was also an early sign, to Craig, that Avex was a worthy successor to the role of “Captain”.

• Some of the characters mentioned or alluded to in the back end of the story belong to friends of mine. Those mentioned by name- Tenori (left) and Marimo (right)- belong to my best friend and partner, Dio Maxwelle. The “Pink haired young woman” is, of course, my buddy mushroomminded's Peachy. If you've followed her Peachy 'n Pals comic, you can piece together what's going on with her.

• The “stout man with dark orange hair” is, of course, Merry, and he's clutching Tommy's jacket. If you've read my Trip Machine stories, you know the score- this is, unfortunately, one of the aspects of the ghost's visions that is right- partially, at least.

• I debated a few things Avex could shout in defiance; “I WILL NOT GIVE UP!” was one. I decided against that for a very specific reason, which I will allude to at the end of this list.

• 777 is the Shokushu (the name for the country Splatoon takes place in in my canon) uses as its emergency number- an equivalent of 999 or 911, basically. No deep meaning to it- apparently 777 is considered the Number of Heaven, in opposition to 666, but I've never been able to pin down a source that confirms that as Actually True.

• So; Arificus Syndrome (lating for Drying Syndrome). What's that about? In short, it is a chronic, hereditary condition that affects some Inklings- typically, it reduces their stamina and capacity for strenuous activity, and can make them more susceptible to illness. The strain on the body, particularly when someone afflicted with it exerts themselves significantly or often (or both), eventually results in damage of the internal organs as the body tries, in vain, to maintain itself. Though primarily hedonistic above all else, in my canon, Inklings place a lot of value on “strength”, tying it into their concept of “Freshness”- the fresher you are, the stronger and more capable you are, and the cooler you are. As a result, those with Arificus Syndrome are often looked down upon by other Inklings, and are subject to a lot of ableist abuse. Avex inherited it from his father- a professional turfer named Faze, whom was one of the best to ever play and was a fairly notable celebrity. As is alluded to, Faze pushed himself to the absolute brink to compete on the same- or an even better- level then other competitors around him, and often had to fight against ableism to do so. This, rather tragically, culminated in a disastrous semi-final wherein his Ink Sac burst mid-match, something which can be fatal to Inklings with a clean bill of health, let alone someone with Arificus Syndrome. Faze was hospitalised for the rest of his life- a mere few months in which his condition severely deteriorated until he passed away. Avex was only 8 years old when this happened, and had been suffering his own health complications as a result of the inherited Arificus Syndrome. Though no stranger to ableist insults, the death of his father made a small subset of people only double down on their cruelty. This is what fuelled younger Avex's desire to prove he was anything but “weak”, which lead to him following a certain elderly squid down a drain, and, well, you know the rest of the story from there.

• I'm debating whether or not any member of Avex's team knew about his condition besides Mercury, or knew about how bad it was, before this. Mercury is the member of the team Avex has known the longest, having both met when they were still young children- probably around 4 or 5- and she was one of the people who often stood up for and stood by him when other children bullied him. So she definitely knows the full extent of his condition, as well as what happened to his father. Either way, a very long, very hard conversation between the members of Team Juliana followed Avex's stint in hospital.

• I originally toyed with Avex moving out of apartment 837, but given the direction the story took, I felt it made more sense for Avex to stay; to not run from his problems and to stick by his initial idea of striking out on his own being the crux upon which he fixed his life. And in spite of everything to come in the future- the events of Despair Decibel, Return of the Mammalians, Trip Machine and beyond- 837, Flounder Heights Block B, remains his home when he isn't travelling or when he's stationed at an NSS outpost, and he's become a beloved part of the community there.

• Jellvis = Jelly + Jarvis. Its a continuation of the same jellyfish naming scheme the series is know for. I was worried it might be interpreted as an "Elvis" pun, but eh.

• I like to think that Avex read the news article the story ends on, and upon doing so, tracked down Nol's grave and left an autograph there. He never sees them again, though.

• Speaking of; was Nol actually real? Was the ghost of 837 real? Or was it all Avex suffering delusions from the stress and strain he was under? I guess I've kind of answered that already, but, y'know, feel free to interpret the answer either way! Death of the author, innit.

• Finally, the article. I mentioned above that I didn't want to have Avex's parting words to the ghost be “I WILL NOT GIVE UP!”, and I've alluded to the implications of why the ghost of 837 haunted people in the way it did, what it gained out of doing so. Without spelling it out, as I would actually like people to draw their own conclusions (be they similar to what I'm suggesting or something else entirely), it was important to me to make it clear that the few victims of apartment 837 that did die did not merely “give up”. That they were not “weak willed”. I realise that's showing my hand, but, y'know.

~ Decon Theed (29/10/24)