#shut up octo jeez | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

theonlygamergost · 4 years

Text

A tattoo for a lost best - Fd!au - 3/3

This fanfiction is based on the Family Dynamic au made by @antarctic-bay if you would like to know more, go check them out!!!

Also please bear in mind that the things written in this might not be canon!

This fic was corrected by the lovely @im-default

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Techno and Skeppy bet on stupid things, and sometimes their bets can have very severe consequence if lost.

If you want to, look at what Minetra’s desing of Techno tattoo

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tw! Betting, swearing. Btw, this is very long

<—Previous part

Enjoy~

To avoid any more drama, he went straight home. The house was empty though, so he connected his phone to Wilbur’s small Bluetooth speaker to his phone and played a random playlist he had made to motivate him to do chores, took out the mop and started cleaning the floors, humming the songs and sometimes bopping his head to the beat.

While the pavement was drying, he logged on Minecraft and started playing on Hypixel.

Tommy arrived home just as the pavement dried out, grabbing a glass of chocolate milk and another glass full of cookies. Bringing them to his room and closing the door. A few minutes later he logged into Hypixel and sent Techno a party invite, they started playing various minigames, winning most of them.

Until, while playing BedWars, Tommy whispered to Techno.

TommyInnit whispers to you: I’m sorry

Techno finished destroying a bed and sat at the generator while quickly responding.

You whisper: About what?

TommyInnit whispers to you: About telling Will about your tattoo, I sneaked into your room this morning and I saw it

TommyInnit whispers to you: I’m really sorry, but if Phil found out later it would have been worse

Tommy’s and Techno’s bed was gone, they were just flying around as ghosts at this point. But if they wanted to keep talking, they couldn’t have gone into another game so Techno typed /hub and teleported both of them into the main hub of the server.

You whisper: It’s fine Tommy, I’m not angry

TommyInnit whispers to you: Then can I come and hug you?

Techno wasn’t expecting that. But he smiled and closed Minecraft after sending the last message:

You whisper: The door is unlocked

Techno lied down on his bed closing his eyes as he listened to Tommy’s steps growing louder.

The door gently creaked as the young Pandel stood by the door, looking at his older brother laying down with his eyes closed.

Climbing onto the bed, he plopped down next to Techno, scooting closer to him and hugging him, Techno exchanged the hug, embracing the blonde boy tightly.

They stayed like that in silence, the world around them looked like it froze. When Wilbur got home and went to check Techno’s room to see if he was there, he found the two brothers peacefully sleeping. Wilbur smiled at the cute sight, he made sure to cover them with a blanket and close the door.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When Phil arrived home, the brothers were silent, they couldn’t get themselves to talk or make jokes, the older brother acted as usual, solar and positive, but he had noticed how Wilbur and Tommy were silent. Something was wrong, and after dinner, he was going to figure out what.

To his surprise, when he got out of the bathroom, the brothers were back at the kitchen counter, all of them had serious and sad faces, “Phil, we need to talk to you”

He sat on one of the stools, “Sure… what is it?” The two brothers both looked at Techno who’s shoulder tensed, he looked like he wanted to disappear.

“I… have made a serious decision without asking and… It’s something you have explicitly said to not take before... “ What was going on? Techno never made dumb decisions, and if he did, he alone came to talk to him, then why were all of the brothers there? Phil was now very worried.

Without saying another word, Techno took off his hoodie, revealing a sleeveless shirt, and the tattoo.

Wilbur looked away, Tommy looked sadly at Techno, Phil looked unimpressed.

So you really did it too huh…

“Wait, you guys didn’t know he had gotten it?” Everyone froze.

“It was pretty obvious, the bandage, the moisturizing cream, the antimicrobial soap, they all gave it away. Plus, we all know Techno hates carrying his backpack on one shoulder, there had to be a good reason for him to carry it like that” The brothers were impressed, Phil could notice the most subtle changes in behaviours, it wasn’t surprising he had picked it up quickly, but still…

“Of course, that doesn’t mean I’m okay with your decision”

Phil brought a hand on his forehead, thinking about what to say, choosing his words to get his point across, he hated scolding his brothers, but they were teenagers, sometimes he had to be strict and direct with them.

“The only thing I can say, Techno, is that I’m disappointed in you, very disappointed” The pink-haired boy fidgeted with the hoodie in his lap.

“I thought I had made it clear that tattoos were prohibited until you're old enough, just because I have one doesn’t mean you could get it too” Phil sighed, “You’re grounded Technoblade” All of them looked at the older brother in disbelief, Phil almost never grounded anyone, both Tommy and Wilbur now felt guilty for getting Techno in this situation. Techno just accepted his fate, all of this for a goddam bet.

“No going out after school and no video games for fifteen days, let this be a lesson for you two too, ok?” Wilbur and Tommy looked at each other, only fifteen days? That was nothing! Techno had gotten a permanent tattoo without permission and he got away with fifteen days?!

“Now, Techno, prepare for bedtime and go to your room, I need to talk to you more in private. Wilbur, Tommy, you’re free to go” They nodded and got up the stools, both of them flopping on the couch. Techno instead whispered a soft “I’m sorry” and headed for the bathroom, leaving Phil the only one at the counter. He took his head in his hands and leaned over the counter, using his elbows to support himself.

I hope your reason was better than mine.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A knock on the door interrupted Techno’s train of thought, he quickly sat at the edge of his messy bed and waited for the crack of light coming to illuminate his dark room. Phil peeked from the door, surrounded by a halo of yellow light, smiling brightly as he always did, “May I come in?” Techno gently nodded.

Phil sat next down and hugged Techno for a bit, “Let me guess” He started, bringing a hand to scratch his short beard,” You didn’t tell the others why you got it” Techno nodded again. The older brother looked at the younger one, waiting for him to start talking.

“I’m warning you, you won’t like it” the blonde man shrugged, so he took a deep breath.

“You remember when Skeppy had to get his ear pierced last year?” It was Phil’s turn to nod, “That was because we had made a bet. He didn’t believe I was going to get max votes for every subject, so we made it that if I did have max votes, he would get his ear pierced, if I didn’t, I was going to get my ear pierced. You know who won the bet” Techno chuckled when the memory of Skeppy getting super mad at him for getting max votes arose, he had gotten one of his ears pierced, and even if he will never admit it, he loves wearing e-boy earrings.

Techno had actually bought him his first pair of earrings, he kept a mental note to look at Skeppy when passing near jewelry in case he started staring at a pair of them, he was bad with gifts so this was a good way to get ideas.

“This was… the same… We made a bet and… “ He had lost, Phil knew that Techno and Skeppy made these “bets” and he knew that they sometimes could have a strong penalty if lost… but they were childhood friends, if something was “too much” they could always call it off. So Techno did make the decision to get the tattoo, he just didn’t want to admit it.

“Okay then, I understand… You’re still grounded though” Techno smiled, “Goodnight Techno” Phil patted his brother on the shoulder and left his room, leaving him back in the dark of his room.

He just climbed further into the bed and fell asleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“There is something going on here, there HAS to be!” Wilbur was pacing back and forth in front of the coffee table, he sounded pretty stressed about his thoughts, not that Tommy would care. He was just sitting upside down on the couch, legs slumped over the back and head dangling off the seat, of course, switch in hands playing the Octo expansion for Splatoon two. Techno bought it for him as his quote on quote “reward” for cleaning his room for him.

“You’re getting too agitated big dubs” The blonde boy shot a look at the legs walking around on the other side of the table, they stopped, facing his direction, “Shut the fuck up Tommyinnit I’m trying to think!” the legs continued pacing left and right. “Well, now that you said I need to shut up I’m interested!” He sat back up properly on the couch, pausing the game and placing the switch down. “What we thinking, big dubs?” He said before rubbing his hands together.

With a roll of his eyes, the older brother started explaining: “You remember when I took Phil’s scooter and drove Techno around town a year before I got my license?” Tommy giggled, Wilbur dead stared at him. “OKAY Okay jeez! Go on!” Will shook his head, “Well, Phil that time grounded us both, understandably, Techno got away with no video games for a week, I was the one driving after all…” He scratched the back of his head in embarrassment, “But I had to go through A MONTH without video games and phone! And look at Technoblade! Fifteen days! Only fifteen days for getting a big ass tattoo without permission!”

Now that Tommy thought about it, Will did have a point, plus, not going out after school didn’t really affect Techno, he never went out anyway. “I know this going to sound bad but…” Will looked at Tommy, noticing the serious look he had on his face, “Do you think… Phil has… favourites?” Will’s eyes widened, a shiver shot down his spine. “Wha-what are you talking about Tommy? Phil loves us equally, he quit college to take care of us, there is no way he has… “ He couldn’t even finish the sentence, the words got stuck in his throat, he refused to believe that his older brother had a favourite among them. He just couldn’t.

“But what if he-”

“No Tommy, there has to be a reason why he gave him less time than he did with me, and he will tell us, I know he will. I’m going to sleep now” He passed by the kitchen and closed himself in his room, Tommy whispered “Goodnight Wil” and headed for his own room, grabbing his switch along with him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From there on, it was a monotone style of life for Techno.

Wake up, go to school, go back home, read, clean, and go to sleep.

He and Skeppy had to hang out at lunches since they couldn’t meet up after school, and if for some reason they couldn’t, they would either discord call or facetime each other and just talk about the most random things for hours, as good friends do of course.

The house felt a little bit empty for some reason: Tommy would stay outside later than usual and Wilbur didn’t try to create any type of chaos or loud noise, the melancholic sound of a soft guitar would fill the house more than it used to and Phil was constantly spaced out, it was like the cheerful Pandel apartment had lost it colours.

All of them had noticed this phenomenon. They all knew that they couldn’t last long like this, they needed the chaos, they needed the cheerfulness and the happiness of each brother equally. Their house was like an echo-system: If something was off, it made an impact on everything else.

So on the fifteen-day, the last day, while everyone was sat around the kitchen counter sharing dinner, Wilbur spoke up.

“Taking turns, let’s say what’s on our mind, anyone wants to start?” Techno nodded in approval of Will’s proposal, after setting his spoon down, Tommy started talking.

“I feel like we are hiding something from each other” Phil froze, Techno’s mouth curved slightly downwards “I don’t know why Techno didn’t tell us about the tattoo, I-I honestly felt betrayed when I saw it, but someone else is keeping a secret now, and I don’t want this to become a normal thing!” Tommy looked away, clinging his fists. “You’re right, Tommy” The attention moved to Wilbur, “ We have always been honest with each other, please let’s keep it this way” Techno nodded again “ I am so sorry for not telling anyone about… you know… “ silence fell briefly while he recollected his thought, “ It felt wrong doing so, but I had no choice-”

“You did Technoblade!” Wilbur interrupted him,” You know we would have supported you in any decision you would have made! You were always the one to encourage us every time we were insecure about anything, no matter how stupid it was!” Techno took his glasses off, letting what Wilbur had just said sink in.

“I know… But-” He rubbed his eyes, “But what?! Don’t you trust us-”

“Alright, calm down boys” Phil interrupted them, making them realize what tone of voice they were using against each other.

“I am the one who should fix this since I was the one who started it” He sighed, allowing his head to rest in his hands.

“I gave Techno a pretty light consequence for what he did, I am aware of that and I’m sorry if that looked like I was playing favourites” Tommy looked at the plate in front of him, how could he have doubted Phil?

“There is a better… or worse, reason for that, let me explain” he looked up at the other brothers waiting for a response. They looked at each other in confusion and nodded, at that sign Phil started.

“You all are aware that I also have a tattoo, a pretty big pair of wings on my back, I’ve never hidden it from you guys because there was no need too… what I didn’t say was why and when I got the tattoo… and there is a good reason for that, I promise” the brothers felt a bit dumb, why did no one ever think of asking him why he had gotten his tattoo? No matter how long back they recalled Phil always had that tattoo, that pair of angel-like wings who occupied most of the upper part of their older brothers back felt to them like something that always had belonged to Phil. They couldn’t imagine him without it, but it was still shocking how no one had asked him why he had gotten it.

“The reason why I never told you about why I got it was because I was afraid you would try to imitate me… which was the last thing I wanted to happen” Techno tried to lighten the mood a little bit, “Jeez Phil, you’re making it sound like you got it to enter a gang” Tommy and Will smiled, “That’s at least is a reason to get a tattoo” the smile faded away, “Mine wasn’t even a reason, I got my tattoo because the thought of getting a tattoo made me feel free, made me feel independent… me and a good friend of mine were “good boys”, we always did what our parents wanted and had the highest grades, getting a tattoo was the most rebellious thing two sixteen years old kids could do, so that’s why we did it” They all looked down, each of them absorbed in their own thoughts, “So that’s why the wings… “ Wilbur whispered, “To symbolize freedom… “ Techno finished the thought.

When the silence was about to become awkward, Phil got off the stool and grabbed his jacket that he’d left on the couch,” Get your shoes on, were going out” They looked at each other in confusion, “Wh-why? Where are we going?” Tommy stuttered while asking. “You’ll see”

~~~~~~~~~~~

The night’s breeze blew lightly through the Pandel’s hair, Phil was walking ahead of everyone with his hands in his pocket, Wilbur was behind him, trying to figure out where he was taking them meanwhile Techno and Tommy were playing rock paper scissor, mouthing each other insults and quietly cheering.

The walk went on for five minutes until Phil entered an ice cream shop, “C’mon, order what you want” the brothers looked at each other after ordering their flavours.

They sat down on a bench, each of them focused on their ice cream, Wilbur was leaned against a light pole since they all couldn’t fit comfortably on the bench.

“So…what was this for?” Tommy asked before licking his chocolate and strawberry ice cream, Phil looked up at the moon in the starry sky, “An apology, for hiding this part of me from all of you until now… “ Techno finished his ice cream and wiped his mouth with a napkin, “ I hope you guys can forgive me and we can all go back to when we never lied to each other-” All of the brothers threw themselves on him, “Whoa-! Guys careful I’m still holding my ice cream!” But the brothers didn’t care.

“We forgive you Phil, in fact, we were never angry at you, we understand that you didn’t tell us to protect us” Wilbur broke from the hug, “Thank you Phil for being the best brother in the world!” Tommy said with a huge smile, the other two nodded and he couldn’t help himself from crying with joy. If he had to decide again between taking care of his brothers and continuing collage, his answer would have never changed.

#wilbur soot #ph1lza #tommyinnit #technoblade #fanfiction #mcyt fanfiction #mcyt #fd!au #fd! au #fd au #my fanfiction #my writing #writing

157 notes · View notes

therainroguefanfiction · 4 years

Text

🔥 ℝise Ⱥbove I̾t ◈ Chapter 024 [Surprise]

📑 Table of Contents | ◂Backward

Author’s Note: So, I wanted to take a moment to say that it sucks that the Anime Festa OVA wasn’t dubbed. I know there are several different fansubs out there, so the translations probably aren’t perfect, but I did the best I could with what I could find. Hopefully, the dialogue isn’t too far off. I originally planned to write this chapter before the start of season two, but the first episode is about them seeing Aizawa for the first time, so I felt that should be written first.

This was originally supposed to be two separate chapters, but for some reason, the first one only came out to around 1k words, so I just combined them together. I try to keep chapters between 2k and 3.5k words and I didn’t want to go with only 1k!

⊱ ────── {⋅. 🔥 .⋅} ────── ⊰

Word Count: 3,699

⊱ ────── {⋅. 🔥 .⋅} ────── ⊰

〈“You can go the distance, you can run the mile. You can walk straight through hell with a smile. You can be the hero, you can get the gold.” The Script, “Hall of Fame”〉

⊱ ────── {⋅. 🔥 .⋅} ────── ⊰

The students of class 1-A have returned to the USJ despite the villain attack a few weeks previously. The staff had combed the dome for stragglers and deemed it safe, so we finally returned to pick up on the rescue training that was so rudely interrupted previously.

“Well, that happened, but class is class.” Thirteen announced. “So, let’s begin the rescue training!”

“Can you really move, Thirteen-sensei?” Ochaco asked worriedly.

“My back hurts a bit, but it’s nothing compared to Aizawa.” He motioned toward our teacher, who was still covered in bandages, both arms crossed over his chest in slings.

“We are ready to begin class, let’s start already. We’re wasting time.”

“Aizawa-sensei?” Izuku stepped forward. “All Might is supposed to meet us, as well. Where is he?”

“I don’t know. Forget about him.” Aizawa responded off-handedly, turning and walking down the steps. I sighed and followed after him, already aware of what was in store for the class today. We were led to the rockslide zone.

“Let’s start with the rescue training! There’ll be three students at the bottom of the chasm. One of them will be unconscious, the other will have an injured leg, and the last will be very worried.” Thirteen explained.

Kirishima and Sparky approached the ledge.

“What height!”

“How are we supposed to get down there?!”

“What are you saying?!” Iida rushed over to the ledge. “Are you okay?! Don’t worry, we’ll save you!”

“You’re too fast…”

“Let’s save them!” Ochaco cheered. “Let’s do our best, Deku!”

“The injured will be… you three!” Thirteen pointed to Ochaco, Izuku, and Iida – the golden trio of U.A.

Once they were safely lowered into the chasm, Aizawa chose Momo, Fumi, Todoroki, and Bakugo. “Alright, you four are the ones who will rescue them. You may use these objects.” He nodded toward the various rescue-related items off to the side.

“Oi, why the fuck do I have to save Deku?!” Bakugo screamed angrily.

“Because we’re in the Anime Festa,” Tsu explained.

What the fuck is an anime festa? Sounds like a flavor of salsa.

“Hah?!”

“Just leave him, Tsu…” Kirishima sweatdropped.

“Help us! Please!” Iida’s voice carried from the bottom of the chasm.

“Let’s begin. Who is going down?” Todoroki questioned.

“This bastard doesn’t listen! I’ll have to teach him!” Bakugo held up his palm, setting off a string of small explosions. “Just blow up the mountain, that’s it!”

I facepalmed. “Dumbass,”

“Are you crazy?!” Momo cried out.

“He doesn’t think, he acts on instinct.” Tsu mused.

“Midoriya and the rest are in trouble.”

I scowled at Sparky as he stuck his pinky up his nose, wiggling it back and forth.

Todoroki sighed. “Yaoyorozu, create a pulley. We’ll make a way to pull them up. Let’s start with the one that’s unconscious. Tokoyami will go down. Bakugo, Yaoyorozu, and I will pull.”

“Bastard! Stop deciding on your own!” Bakugo grabbed him by the collar.

“Calm down!”

“It’s the best way,” Todoroki responded, coldly.

“Hah?!”

“If you think of this as a game, you don’t have to know.” Todoroki shoved his arm away. “I’m not going to waste my time in this training.”

Bakugo’s fist clenched, a tic mark appearing on his temple. “W-Who is the one playing around?!”

“Stop!” Momo demanded. “It’s pathetic! Besides, there is something we must do before anything else!” She headed to the edge, getting on her hands and knees. “Everyone, please keep calm! We will get to you right away!”

“Please hurry!”

“You’re finally here! We’re saved!”

Momo turned to glare at the two boys, clearly fed up with their attitude. “The first thing to do is to reassure the victims. There are occasions where you can’t save people who are desperate and panicking. Reassuring them is related to saving them! If you won’t do it properly, what’s the point of this training?!”

“Hmm,” I grinned. “I almost got chills. She’s gonna be a pretty good hero.”

French Fry, who was standing on my left, nodded in agreement.

“Impressive,” Kirishima agreed. “She’s really good.”

Mineta kneeled down, drool dripping from his mouth. “Yes, very good.”

“You’re such garbage, man.”

I followed his line of sight and my eye twitched. With her kneeling over like that, the perverted fucking grape has a perfect shot of her ass. My lip curled back in disgust as I lifted my foot backward before swinging it, boot connecting with his face. He went flying back against the stone wall behind us. “Have some goddamn decency, you cunt!”

“W-Winchester!” Kirishima grabbed my shoulder and I scowled, shoving my hands into my pockets.

“Jen, if you do that again, you’ll be given a week’s worth of detention,” Aizawa muttered.

“Che, worth it,” I responded. There are several students in my class that gets on my nerves, but there’s only one I hate with every fiber of my being and that’s Mineta.

During this time, Momo created a pulley, attaching the provided robe and gurney to it. The rock under the rope had been iced over by Todoroki so it would slide across smoothly without risk of breaking. Fumi, wearing a harness over his costume that was attached to the rope, started lowering himself down. Todoroki and Bakugo were holding the end of the rope, threading it carefully so he wouldn’t fall.

“Thank you… heroes!!”

Ochaco was lifted up on the gurney and… is she laughing again? Jeez, what is with this girl?

“Uraraka, what are you laughing about?” Momo asked cautiously.

“It’s just that, Iida – pft – is super serious, it’s funny!”

“I think it’s wonderful. It’s not a laughing matter.”

“I’m sorry, but even so… pft.”

I facepalmed. Idiots, they’re all idiots.

“Let’s pull the next one up,” Todoroki said.

“Shut up and just do it,” Bakugo responded, surprisingly calm.

“Rescuing people without using your quirk is quite a taxing job. That’s how modern heroes must shine!” Thirteen spoke.

“He’s the only one pulling…” Flex Tape commented.

“Shut up, bastard!”

“He judged that he could not use his quirk, that’s the right thing to do! Acting in a normal way… there’s a lot of professionals who are incapable of doing it. They always think of themselves and when they encounter a challenging situation, they put it aside. When you manage to understand and remember, you pass. I’m sure he’ll become a beautiful hero!”

“So, we just gonna forget about how he was content to just blast the mountain?” I cocked a brow, seeing his shoulders tense.

“He’ll never be beautiful,” Flex Tape added and Bakugo’s aura turned angry.

Izuku, Tail, and Ochaco worked together to save Tsu, who had a ‘broken’ leg. Using her gravity quirk, Ochaco was able to easily lift Tsu out of the chasm, dropping her into Izuku’s arms. “Safe!”

This ain’t baseball, sis.

“Midoriya, put me down. It’s embarrassing… Even though my leg is bandaged, this is wrong.”

Izuku freaked out, as usual, before setting her down.

“And we’re done!” Thirteen announced.

“It seems we’re not included because we’re not as efficient for the job.” Sumo mused. ‘We’ included Mountain, Octo, Me, and French Fry.

“So basically, we useless.” I scratched my cheek.

“It’s un~fair,” French Fry wagged his finger.

“It is!”

Thirteen clapped his hands. “Great job for your first time. We still have more battle scenarios prepared. In a nutshell, there’s still lots to do!”

“Do not relax,” Aizawa ordered. “Class is still in session.”

My lips tugged up as I looked away, covering my mouth with the back of my hand. Zawa be over here lookin’ like an angry mummy that just caught his kid sneaking out past curfew.

⊱ ────── {⋅. 🔥 .⋅} ────── ⊰

The class had moved to the urban area, which was basically the entrance exam but smaller and hella rundown.

“Now, we continue in this setting. Unlike the first training, this is a different situation. The purpose of this scenario is to give a more genuine experience. The injured can be anywhere and we don’t know in what state they may be in! You’ll have eight minutes to spread out and four of you will be the rescuers. The other seventeen must hide in whichever place they with. Nine of the hidden may not speak. I will select them now.” Thirteen explained.

“Ah, we’re playing hide and seek!” Alien cheered.

“To be precise, almost. Okay, the four that will search are…”

For the love of tacos and all things sacred in this world, do not fucking pick me.

“Them!” He pointed to Izuku, Ochaco, Mineta, and Bakugo.

Cool. An angry chihuahua, a perverted dumbass, and two of the sweetest cinnamon rolls. I feel safe.

“Why the fuck do I have to be with Deku?!”

“There’s no helping it, we’re in the Anime Festa,” Ochaco answered. Again? Man, I wish I had my phone on me to look this shit up.

“What the hell is that?!”

“Calm down, calm down. Let’s research it!” Kirishima answered, happily.

“When you carry the victims, you can touch their chests or their ass! Is that considered an evil deed?” Mineta was staring at Alien and Tsu, whose backsides were facing him.

Flames covered my entire body as I walked up behind him, slamming my fist against my palm. “Fucking try it and I’ll personally escort you to the deepest fucking depths of hell, you bastard.”

He squeaked, jumping backward as he covered his head, tears filling his eyes.

Izuku came up beside me. “You’re forbidden from carrying them, Mineta.”

The seventeen students meant to hide scattered across the broken cityscape. I ducked behind one of the broken buildings, hands stuffed into my pockets. Hmm, he should be making an appearance soon. I wonder, how will the other students react when he does? Honestly, I think this is a bad idea. Talk about risking some serious PTSD.

I felt a tap on my shoulder and paused, glancing behind me.

French Fry gave me a soft smile. “Would you like to hide together, mademoiselle?”

I shrugged and continued on my way, with him following close behind. The spot I chose was on the outskirts, a broken building leaning on its side over the wall that surrounded the city. I climbed up the rubble leading to the fourth floor, glancing back when his foot slipped and he nearly fell. I held my hand out to him and he sent me a sheepish smile.

“Thank you,” He took my hand and I pulled him forward, letting him go in front of me.

“Watch your footing, yeah,” I ordered.

He nodded, stepping through the giant hole on the side of the building. It led to the stairwell.

I hummed thoughtfully. “It’s about time, I imagine.”

“Hm?” He tilted this head in confusion.

With a sigh, I rested my hand on top of his head, ruffling his blonde hair. “Don’t freak out, okay?”

“What do you -”

His words were cut short when a loud explosion rang out from the other side of the training area, shaking the entire dome.

それ以上に上昇 ☆ The Day Before

“Whatever you think I did, you can’t prove shit.” I said as I stepped into the teacher’s offices. Aizawa was sitting at his desk, the skeletal Toshi standing beside him.

“I’m not even gonna ask,” Aizawa sighed.

“Smart man,”

“Now that you’re both here, I’d like your help in planning a surprise,” Toshi spoke up, glancing between us.

“A surprise?”

“Yes! The students will be returning to the USJ tomorrow to resume their rescue training. I want to surprise them by pretending to be a villain and hiding in one of the areas.”

“I’m opposed. They have just suffered from a villain attack.” Aizawa responded, sounding like he was regretting his life choices.

“They think that was just an accident.” Toshi held up a finger as he explained. “They believe it’s a coincidence that almost never happens, but that isn’t the case. Heroes are always in danger. I want them to understand that.”

I scratched my cheek, leaning on the desk beside Zawa. “That sounds like a bullet train straight to PTSD-ville, Tosh. And anyway, why the fuck am I here?”

“If we go through with this, we can’t risk you losing control again,” Toshi answered, making me scowl. I mean, he’s right, but still. “And I would also like to not get burned, young Jen. I plan on bringing young Todoroki in on the plan, as well.”

“Jen is right, it’s counterproductive. It may traumatize them if it goes wrong.”

“You must teach determination to overcome it.” Toshi slipped into his muscled form, complete with that Crest smile. “That is our duty as teachers!”

Aizawa was quiet for a moment, lowering his head. “You will assume responsibility.”

“Ahaha! Don’t worry, I believe in their strength!”

“Jen,”

“Yeah, Zawa?”

“Don’t get involved.”

“Less effort for me. Dope.”

He sighed.

⊱ ────── {⋅. 🔥 .⋅} ────── ⊰

I sighed, taking a seat on the bottom step leading up to the fifth floor.

“W-What was that?” French Fry swallowed, squeezing his body against the wall and peering out the hole.

“I told you not to freak out, didn’t I?” I propped my cheek against my palm, wishing I had an ice-cold Dr. Pepper.

“What if… what if it’s serious?”

“Come ‘ere,” I waved my hand and he hesitantly sat beside me. “I’ll tell you a secret, but you gotta keep it to yourself. All Might thought it would be a brilliant idea to pretend to be a villain to see how everyone would react.”

“How do you know that?”

“Uh,” Well, shit, I didn’t think he’d ask me that. I can’t tell him that Toshi is my guardian, that could cause some problems for both of us. I haven’t even told Bakugo that. “I, uhh, overheard him and Aizawa talking about it yesterday.” Not technically a lie.

He tilted his head, indigo eyes meeting mine. I felt like he could see through me, but he didn’t say anything.

The building shook harder, the wall cracking as a heavy gust of wind shot out from the center of the city. French Fry grabbed my arm as the crack spread to the ceiling above us. “Shit!” I jumped up, throwing him over my shoulder before jumping out of the hole, my feet sliding down the decline of rubble. Seconds later, the building collapsed in on itself. Goddamn it, Toshi. You’re supposed to scare the brats, not kill ’em.

“You okay?”

He nodded wearily and I set him down. The street we were on was on a hill and with most of the buildings now flat because of Toshi, we could see the battle from here. Toshi stood in the center of the city, wearing tan pants and a black muscle shirt, his face covered by a gas mask.

“Man, what a pain.”

Bakugo was attacking him aggressively, but his explosions were doing no damage. Toshi swiped at him but he dodged, using his quirk to jump over Toshi’s head before sending a powerful blast to his back. The force sent Bakugo sliding back across the ground, stopping in front of Iida.

“Oi, don’t worry about others! Don’t just stand there, make those weaklings run away!”

“Why do you have to insult others?!” Iida demanded angrily.

“Oi, oi, Bakugo! Who do you mean by ‘those weaklings’?” Kirishima grinned as the class started to gather at the scene.

“We are the twenty-one students of class 1-A,” Momo announced proudly.

“We will all be heroes!” Ochaco agreed.

“Ho? How brave.” Toshi taunted them. “However…” He sliced his hand through the air, sending a gust of wind and debris flying toward them.

French Fry rushed forward, folding his arms behind his head. “I’ll take care of this!” He leaned back, shooting a blast from his naval laser that destroyed some of the debris.

Kirishima hardened his body while Sumo downed a bunch of sugar, both of them punching and slicing at the rocks in the air. Punk plugged her jacks into her boots, sending sound waves of her heartbeat shooting straight toward Toshi. Using the distraction, Flex Tape used his quirk to wrap around him, while Momo created a cannon, shooting a net that covered him.

Hmm, they’re doing well. They’re not hesitating like they were before. They’ve gotten a lot stronger.

“Now!”

“Let’s go, class 1-A!”

Several of them rushed toward him, but Toshi easily broke free of his bonds, the sheer power of doing so sent everyone flying backward. My eyes met with Iida’s, which opened wide before narrowing in anger.

“I didn’t think you would all come to attack me. It’s unexpected, but with something so simple -”

Ah, the cliche ‘attack while the villain is monologuing’ trope.

Bakugo appeared behind him and he leaned his head to the side, dodging the explosive fist. Attack after attack, Toshi easily dodged them all. I know Bakugo has to be getting really fucking frustrated. Toshi is toying with him, trying to make him feel weak and powerless. I guess, in a way, that’s exactly what a villain would do, but… damn, I feel kinda guilty for not helping. Not like I could do much against that brick wall anyway.

“It seems you’re tired,” Toshi provoked. “Time to end this.”

“Don’t make me fucking laugh! I’m barely getting started!”

“Now!” Izuku rushed toward Ochaco, their hands connecting as he jumped into the air. Tsu’s tongue wrapped around his waist as she turned in a circle, launching him toward Toshi who was too distracted by Bakugo’s relentless assault.

“No matter how much you try -”

Oi, what is Izuku holding? Is that… one of Mineta’s balls? Oh god, that sounds so fucking wrong. I feel dirty just thinkin’ that shit.

He stuck the ball to the back of Todoroki’s vest, ripping him away from Toshi. Heh, so that was their plan. Damn, these kids ain’t half bad. I grinned, feeling proud of my classmates.

Izuku ripped his glove off since it was stuck to the ball and bent his middle finger in. I could feel his power rising. “Smash!” The power was directed as Toshi, who crossed his arms in front of him to block it, feet planted firmly on the ground.

“Weaklings should step aside!” Bakugo rushed in, both palms smoking. “I’ll kill him! Die!!” He brought his wrists together before unleashing a powerful explosion that sent Toshi flying backward.

Right onto a piece of broken building that had been covered by purple balls.

Oh, boy. I think you were just bested, Tosh.

“I-I can’t move,” Toshi’s front side was stick to the wall. He desperately tried to pull himself free, but it was impossible. To think the number one hero could be defeated by Mineta’s balls…

Bakugo stomped up to him smugly. “Now, it’s time for the final touch!”

“W-Wait, I -” he pulled his head back, the mask sliding off his face. “I am here!”

“All Might?!”

“Ahahaha! I wanted to create a surprise scenario in which a villain appeared in the end. Well, that happened, but you did a great job! I wouldn’t expect any less from the hero course…”

The students gathered around him and they looked pretty pissed off. “You went overboard, moron!!”

I sweatdropped as they took their frustrations out on his motionless body.

“What the hell were you thinking?!”

“I’m sorry!”

I jumped down from the ledge, giving him a pitiful look.

“Todoroki!”

“Hah?! Were you in on the surprise?!”

“…sorry,” He lowered his head.

“How cruel, All Might!”

“I’m sorry! It wasn’t serious!”

“Midoriya hurt his finger! Don’t you think that’s a bad image for the school?!”

Well, I mean, he does that a lot, though.

“Don’t do it again! Right, Deku?” Ochaco asked, turning toward him.

Izuku fell to the ground on his ass. “Well, I’m glad it was just a surprise!”

“Young Midoriya…”

“Don’t go ‘young Midoriya’!” Iida scolded.

“Deku, let’s go see Recovery Girl!” Ochaco helped him to his feet.

I headed for the stairs but someone grabbed my shoulder firmly. I looked behind me, eyes narrowing at Iida, who was glaring at me. “Let go,”

“Why didn’t you help us? You were just standing there!”

I shoved his hand off. “None of your business,”

“It is my business! While we were doing our best to take down what we perceived to be a true villain, you just stood there without a care in the world! The least you can do is explain why.”

“I don’t owe you anything, bro.”

“S-She probably knew about it, too! Like Todoroki…” Izuku intervened, looking between the two of us with a worried expression. “Right, Jen?”

I grunted in response, turning away from them. Aizawa sent me a look from beneath his bandages, but I ignored him as I ascended the steps.

⊱ ────── {⋅. 🔥 .⋅} ────── ⊰

I stifled a yawn as I left the school, adjusting the strap of my bag. It had been lying across my right breast and it feckin’ hurt.

“Oi, bitch!”

“For fuck’s sake…” I sighed, stopping to wait for Bakugo to catch up. He didn’t stop, pushing me forward with his shoulder. “Yes, Bakugo?”

He glanced at me and scoffed. “I know you read my fucking messages.”

“Does it really matter?”

“Of course it fucking matters! Why are you ignoring me?!”

I shrugged.

“Che, whatever. Be that way. You better go straight fucking home, we still have to get you to max level!”

“Kirishima is level one hundred.”

“So fucking what?”

“You only had me there because you had no one else to play with, right? Now you don’t need me, just play with Kiri.”

His hand connected with the back of my head, sending me stumbling a few steps ahead. “I knew you were a dumbass, but this is pathetic!”

My eye twitched. “You wanna die, Bakuhoe?”

His face was serious, making me pause. “I asked you to play because… because…”

My eyes widened. No fucking way, is he… blushing?

“Because you’re my friend, you dumbass!”

“Bakugo…” He really considers me his friend? My heart skipped a beat in my chest.

He pushed past me. “God, girls are so fucking weird! Don’t jump to conclusions, dumbass, say somethin’ next time.”

“Hey, Bakugo.”

He stopped but didn’t turn around. “What?”

I smiled, feeling warmth settle on my chest. “Thank you,”

“Whatever,” he muttered, shoving his hands into his pockets as he walked away.

⊱ ────── {⋅. 🔥 .⋅} ────── ⊰

▸ Forward

📜 Read more by checking out my masterlist 📜

1 note · View note

secretagentspydetectiveninja · 7 years

Text

Splataclysm! - chapter 5

Hey does anyone remember that really weird Splatoon AU fic I was writing? I promise I didn’t forget about it. I’m gonna try and get it finished as soon as possible because I have been in such a Splatoon mood lately. Anyway, have some Octoling appreciation :D

Also on AO3 as always

It wasn’t long before the next Splatfest was announced in Inkopolis. The difference was that this time, it was the final Splatfest. The Squid Sisters were becoming too busy to regularly host them.

“It’s so unfair!” Nath complained to Rose as they walked towards the voting booth to pick their teams. “I didn’t get here very long ago and I’m only ever going to experience one Splatfest while everyone else got to participate in loads!”

“At least this is the most interesting one!” Rose said. “Usually our team choices were things like Barbarian vs Ninja, or North Pole vs South Pole. But this time? Mireille vs Aurore! That’s much more exciting!”

Nath sighed. “I don’t even know who I’ll pick. They’re both equal to me.”

“Same! I’m going to feel ever so bad for having to choose between them!”

Of course Rose would. She was just too nice for her own good. Nath was slowly starting to feel weirdly protective over her, like a little sister, and he wasn’t sure he liked it.

There was the voting booth up ahead, where people picked their teams and were given a “Splatfest Tee” to wear for the duration of the event to signify which side they were supporting. Nath was about to go up and just flip a coin to pick a random side when he noticed who the inklings standing at the booth were.

The Slaughter Squad.

“Let’s just stay back a second,” he muttered, grabbing Rose’s arm and pulling her aside.

The Slaughter Squad seemed to have trouble choosing too. They didn’t appear to notice that they were completely blocking off the voting booth from anyone else who wanted to vote and had already made up their mind.

“What do you think, Max?” Kim asked.

Max just shrugged, his sunglasses obscuring his expression but body language betraying that he seemed rather bored.

“Mireille does tend to always win,” Alix said.

“Yeah, duh, we all know that. No need to point out the obvious, jeez.”

“Alright, I was just saying!”

“So anyway, I think we should pick Team Mireille. Everyone always picks Aurore’s team so the multiplier will be in our favour and whatever other maths stuff Max told us about last time.”

“But if everyone knows that Mireille always wins, and this is the final Splatfest, then more people might pick Mireille and the multiplier might boost Aurore’s team instead…”

“Oh shut up,” Kim snapped, shoving her aside. “We’re voting Team Mireille and that’s final. Right Max?”

Max just shrugged again, very much looking like he was stifling a yawn.

“Okay, that’s settled. Team Mireille it is.”

The three of them pressed the left side buttons on the machine and were given three magenta-coloured Splatfest Tees.

“I hate these stupid t-shirts,” Alix said, scrunching hers into a ball.

“Of course you do, you’re way too small to fit in them properly.”

“Actually I hate them because all the abilities I worked so hard to earn on my hoodie just go to waste for these two days when we’re forced to wear these instead–”

“I don’t care. Let’s go.”

Nath watched the Slaughter Squad walk off, suspecting that he might have been gripping Rose’s arm just a little too tightly. How were the Slaughter Squad so fresh? How did they become so good? Was it practice? Luck? Were they just born like that?

Well, he suspected in Kim and Alix’s cases it might be luck and practice. But Max? Max “Unsplattable” Kanté? That guy just oozed freshness, so easily, so effortlessly, with his E-Litre 3K Scope slung over his shoulder, that 3-star triple Damage Up jacket, those sunglasses catching glints of the light from the sky and buildings around them, the way the sun seemed to shine its rays on him specifically, basking him in some kind of ethereal glow like a sort of immortal omnipotent being–

Nath looked away quickly, blushing. He hadn’t realized he was staring.

“Have you decided on a team yet?” Rose asked, distracting him from his rather overactive mind.

“Hm?... Oh, yeah…” He loosened his grip slightly and led her over to the voting booth. “I’m picking Team Mireille. I don’t want to lose my only Splatfest, and if she always wins, well…”

“Good choice!” Rose said, beaming up at him. “I think I’ll pick Mireille too! Then the two of us can be on the same team.”

He smiled back, feeling oddly comforted at the thought of Rose being his teammate. She was pretty much still his only friend here. It was good to have her around.

They cast their votes, then were given Splatfest Tees to wear. The actual Splatfest would begin the next day, so they didn’t have to wear them until then. Meanwhile in the plaza, a large stage was being set up near the television booth. Apparently every Splatfest, the Squid Sisters would perform their songs standing up on here. Nath couldn’t wait to see it. Of course he’d heard them perform live before – he had been there to watch them win the Youth Folk-Singing Contest in the first place – but here in Inkopolis, where they were celebrities, it would feel much more exciting.

“Oh! I’ve got a new message!” Rose pulled her phone out of her pocket.

“Let me guess, it’s from Juleka?” Nath asked. Juleka seemed to be the only person Rose got messages from these days.

“It is, it is! And oh listen… she’s asking me if I’d want to get a coffee… that’s so sweet…”

“You don’t even like coffee,” Nath pointed out.

“I know, but still! It’s the thought that counts!”

“Have you even met Juleka before? In person?”

“Of course I have!” Rose frowned at him, looking slightly annoyed for once. “I know I don’t tend to battle much, but I have asked her to update my gear with more ability slots before. I’ve spoken to her a lot. She’s just shy, she doesn’t like going out of her way to talk to people. It doesn’t mean I can’t get to know her well. And where better than a coffee date at Arowana Mall?”

She had a kind of fire in her eyes that he hadn’t seen before. Huh, she really cared about Juleka, didn’t she?

“You should ask her to be your girlfriend,” he said on a whim.

“You think so? I mean, I would love to, but… she’s… a sea urchin…”

“No one bats an eyelid at Mylène the anemone and Ivan the inkling.”

“True! You’re right, maybe I should ask Juleka!” She giggled a little. “So, what caused your sudden dramatic turn-around, Nath? According to Juleka you weren’t even willing to give her my number at first…”

Oh drat, Rose knew about that? How embarrassing.

“I was just being stupid,” he said quickly. “Seriously though, you and Juleka deserve each other. You both seem to like each other a lot, so why not?”

“Aww, Nath!” Rose hugged him. “Do you really think she likes me back?”

“Well why else is she asking you on a coffee date to Arowana Mall?”

“Good point! Anyway, I’d better reply and then head off to go find her. I’ll see you later, okay?”

She started typing away on her phone as she walked off.

Well, now what? Nath found himself wishing he had more friends. People often tended to go battling in groups, but he just wasn’t close enough with anyone else. It wasn’t like Rose ever battled much anyway.

He sighed, watching all the other inklings milling around in the area. Why couldn’t he just talk to them? He had always been so shy, so reserved, so quiet. And now, here in this city, he wasn’t fresh enough either. How long was it going to take?

Octo Valley was slowly becoming more unforgiving as the Octarians were improving their forces. Some of the foes that Marinette and Adrien had to face were much more difficult than before, with advanced weaponry that could only have been stolen from the inklings. How was that possible? Did they get the information from Nino? And where were they keeping him? How long would it be until he could be found?

The most difficult of the Octarian enemies so far were the Octolings. They were essentially the Octarian versions of inklings – humanoid creatures that could shift into octopus form at will and swim through their own ink, with weapons and bombs just like the inklings used. It was far more tiring to fight them than any of the other, simpler Octarian enemies.

“This kettle looks a lot like Kelp Dome,” Marinette said to Adrien as they entered a new area. “It’s like they’ve copied it.”

“I was thinking the same thing…”

“Beware of the Octolings!” Fu warned them through the radio. “There’ll be plenty ahead, no doubt!”

“It’s no problem,” Marinette said. “We know this course inside out. Adrien, you go right. I’ll go left. We’ll meet back in the centre. If you need any help or find the butterfly before me, just let me know by radio.”

“Are you sure we should split up?” Adrien asked.

“It’ll be fine.” Marinette smiled at him, hoping she looked encouraging. “You can do it. Octolings are just like inklings, right? Pretend it’s a Turf War or Ranked Battle and you’re just splatting your opponents. I’ll be close by to help if you need it.”

“Alright. Thanks, Marinette.”

He put his Krak-On Splat Roller on the ground and began running off down one of the side paths. Marinette turned to the left and headed the other way.

It wasn’t difficult at first. Sure, Octolings were tougher than other Octarian enemies. But Marinette was a battle veteran, she was used to difficult situations. This kind of thing didn’t feel particularly out of the ordinary for her. She splatted Octoling after Octoling, keeping her eyes out for the butterfly, trying not to feel too guilty. Octolings really did look like inklings to her. At least they would respawn – though hopefully not too soon.

She had reached the opposite side of the dome when she heard something that sounded incredibly familiar. Was that… the Squid Sisters? Singing?

Marinette ran towards where the sound was coming from, though cautiously in case it was a trap of some sort. Sure enough, as the music got louder, she did recognize it. That definitely was the sound of a Squid Sisters song, and not just any song. “Calamari Inkantation”, as it was called, was the inkling song. The most famous melody in existence. The Squid Sisters had covered it and their version was topping the charts, it was such a favourite among the citizens of Inkopolis.

Hiding behind a wall, Marinette slowly inched forwards and had a look around the corner. There! A radio was sitting on one of the platforms, playing Calamari Inkantation. And someone was sitting in front of it, quietly singing along.

Not just anyone. An Octoling.

Marinette lowered her weapon slightly. Why was an Octoling listening to inkling radio stations? And singing along? Marinette hadn’t even thought Octolings could understand the inkling language. It usually took jellyfish and other sea creatures long enough to learn.

The Octoling… she had a lovely voice, that was for sure. She was sitting facing the other way so only the back of her was visible. Her tentacle hair was longer than most Octolings usually kept theirs, a beautiful auburn colour with gentle curls. It swayed slightly in the breeze.

Huh, a breeze? Here, underground? Maybe the Octarians pumped air into their caves or something. Or perhaps this Octoling’s hair just moved like that on its own. Marinette watched in fascination.

The song came to an end, and the sound of the radio presenter followed.

“…And that was our good old Calamari Inkantation, by the Squid Sisters we all know and love! I hope everyone out there was singing along! Now for the Splatfest news – our final Splatfest, Mireille vs Aurore, has begun! We can’t say for sure what the results will be yet but surely it’ll be close…”

“I’m missing a SPLATFEST?!” Marinette yelped, unable to stop herself. She quickly put her hand over her mouth and dipped into squid form.

The Octoling switched off the radio and jumped up, looking around. Marinette stayed as still as possible.

“Hello? Is someone there?”

The Octoling had spoken in inkling – oh, she had spoken in inkling. Singing a song was one thing, but she had really said a sentence in the language. She could speak it. Her words had a strange lilt to them, her voice sounding slightly lower and smoother than that of inklings. Marinette held back a gasp.

“I know I heard someone…”

The Octarian turned around. Her tentacles were cut short at the front into a fringe, and she had little foxtails dangling down by her shoulders. Most Octolings wore visors but this one didn’t – her eyes were green, a beautiful, leafy green that was surprisingly uncommon on this wasteland of a planet.

Marinette moved backwards a little. It was a mistake. The Octoling’s eyes snapped down to where Marinette was hiding in the ink.

“You’re there, I know you are! Please come out! I promise I won’t attack you!”

“Don’t fall for it,” Fu muttered through the radio. Marinette had forgotten he was there. “She’s just luring you into a false sense of security. Better to splat her on sight.”

It was true. Octolings were not to be trusted.

But this Octoling… she didn’t have a weapon with her. She was entirely defenceless. And anyway, how could she be all bad? She had been listening to inkling radio, right? Apparently she liked the Squid Sisters. She couldn’t be an enemy to the inklings.

Marinette slowly stood up into her full humanoid form, still keeping her weapon close just in case. The Octoling’s expression softened as she watched.

“You’re an inkling,” she said quietly, keeping her distance. She looked a little afraid. “You’re one of the ones travelling through our lands and taking the butterflies away.”

“I’m taking the butterflies back,” Marinette clarified. “They were ours to begin with.”

The Octoling sighed. “That’s true…”

“What are you waiting for?” Fu said. “Splat her! She’s right there!”

“Why were you listening to inkling radio?” Marinette asked, ignoring Fu for the moment. She was too intrigued now. She needed answers.

“I love the Squid Sisters,” the Octoling replied. “They have such amazing voices! And amazing songs! I want to be a singer too, so it really inspires me.”

“Don’t you have any Octarian idols of your own?”

The Octoling shuffled around nervously. “We’re not supposed to make our own music. Our leader likes us to listen to his music only.”

“Your leader doesn’t sound very nice…”

The Octoling shrugged. “What can we do? Inklings won’t let us have any land up on the surface, and we can’t go back in the sea. Our leader and our kettles are all we have.”

Oh, so was that why they were stealing butterflies? Because they didn’t have anything else? To them, the inklings must seem so privileged. Marinette was starting to feel rather bad indeed for how many Octarians she had splatted recently. Weren’t they just doing exactly what she was doing? Trying to protect her home and her friends?

“You’re not as bad as they’ve told us the inklings are,” the Octoling continued. “Are all inklings like you?”

“Every inkling is different, I suppose. Maybe some are good, some are bad.” Like Octarians, she thought to herself, though she didn’t say it out loud. Fu was still listening, after all, and he hated all Octarians no matter what.

“You seem like a good inkling. You just want to get your butterflies back. I understand.”

“And I want my friend back too,” Marinette said, feeling stronger as she thought of Nino. “He’s been kidnapped and we don’t know what’s happening to him down here. Me and my fellow agent have to rescue him.”

The Octoling nodded. “I know who you’re talking about. Your friend. He’s… well… please don’t be too shocked when you find him, okay?”

“What? What are you talking about?”

“He might be a bit different now. Well, a lot different. I don’t know exactly what our leader has done with him but I’ve heard some rumours.”

“What rumours? Please, tell me what’s happened to Nino!”

“I don’t know!” The Octoling looked scared again. “Even if I did, how could I tell you? You’re an inkling! You’re… you’re an enemy…”

“Exactly,” Fu said, sounding impatient. “She’s your enemy, now just splat her already!”

“We don’t have to be enemies,” Marinette said.

“I know,” the Octoling replied. “But what can I do? I’ve already betrayed my people enough by telling you all this. And listening to your music. And wishing I could move to Inkopolis and be as fresh as all of you are–”

She snapped her hand over her mouth, looking around as if she was expecting someone to be spying on her.

“It’s okay,” Marinette said. “You don’t have to tell me anymore. I’ll, uh, leave you alone now…”

“Wait! I just want to know… what’s your name?”

Marinette hesitated. No one was supposed to know her identity, not even people back home.

“Ladybug,” she replied finally. It wasn’t a total lie. “What’s your name?”

The Octoling hesitated too. After a few seconds she said, “Volpina.”

That must be a lie. Marinette just nodded.

“Volpina. Thank you. I wish you luck in your singing career.”

“And I hope you can rescue your friend.”

“WHY AREN’T YOU SPLATTING HER?!” Fu screeched.

Marinette hurried away, back towards the outer edges of Kelp Dome. How could she have splatted “Volpina”? Sure, Volpina would have respawned, but still. It would have seemed so unfair.

Things were still not sinking in. An Octoling who was a fan of the Squid Sisters? Who wanted to move to Inkopolis and be just like the inklings? Marinette carried on trudging through the dome, but she just couldn’t get her mind off it. She couldn’t get her mind off Volpina.

This Splatfest was not going well. Nath had decided to try out a Blaster, and his teammate Ivan was just staring at him in dismay.

“What?” Nath asked.

“You’re using a Blaster,” Ivan replied, his voice completely monotone. He sounded more disappointed than Nath had ever heard him.

“Yeah? So? I like trying out new weapons.” More like, he kept trying out new weapons because he still hadn’t found one that fit, and Tikki wouldn’t help him with it.

“You’re using a Blaster. For a Turf War.”

“What’s wrong with that?”

Ivan rubbed his forehead. “Blasters are for splatting. Not for inking.”

“Well so are Chargers, right? And Max uses a Charger!”

“Max is an exception to every rule. Some people might be alright at using Blasters during Turf War, but you? On your first try? During a Splatfest, when it actually matters whether we win or lose?”

Ouch. Did Ivan really have such little faith in him?

“Relax, Ivan, it’ll be fine,” he said. “Okay, so I know Blasters have a low fire rate and stuff. But they have exploding bullets! I’ll be able to splat people way more easily, so they won’t be able to ink any turf, and we’ll win. That’s how it’s going to work.”

Ivan just sighed. “I sure do hope so, Nathaniel…”

The match that followed was a disaster. It was true that Blasters did not cover much turf. Nath had hoped that the bullets would make up for it, but the low fire rate meant that if Nath missed his shot, the opponent would have time to splat him before he could take another shot. And that happened far, far too often. Nath was terrible at aiming. The only thing that kept him going through the match was the Squid Sisters music that was blasting through the speakers, keeping his motivation up.

“I knew our team would lose,” Ivan said once the match results had been announced. The rest of the team members were trudging away solemnly. It seemed that people took losing Splatfest battles much more seriously than normal battles.

“It’s my fault, isn’t it?” Nath said, looking at his Blaster. “You’re right, this weapon sucks for Turf War. I should have thought about that first.”

“Hey…” Ivan looked like he was trying to smile, though it didn’t look particularly genuine. “You still did pretty well for a Blaster, though.”

“No I didn’t! 400p? That’s awful!”

“And what did you get on your very first match here in Inkopolis?”

Nath thought back. It suddenly felt like a long time ago. “I think it was about 140p…”

“See? So you are improving!”

Well, that much was true. He wasn’t anywhere near as bad now as he used to be. Alright, so he wasn’t amazing yet. But at least things were changing.

“Thanks, Ivan,” he said, really meaning it. “Hey – are Heavy Splatlings easy to use, by any chance?”

Ivan picked his Heavy Splatling up off the floor beside him. “Not that much. It took me a while to get used to it. But this is the exact kind of weapon I love. I can keep back, away from the front lines, but still protect my teammates when they need it. And unlike a Charger, I don’t need to bother with single, accurate shots. I can just pummel the opponents until they give in.”

That sounded amazing. “Maybe I’ll try that next.”

“Sure, but remember, it’s still hard to get the hang of. Most weapons are. Maybe a Mini Splatling would be better for someone as… well…” Ivan looked down at Nath from his rather high-up point of view.

“Yeah, okay, I get it,” Nath muttered. “I’m small. But I can lift a Heavy Splatling, don’t worry.”

Ivan’s smile looked a lot more genuine now. “I’m sure you can. Good luck, Nath. I know this is your only Splatfest so I’m really hoping we win.”

“Me too.”

“Will you two hurry up and go away?” Plagg called from the centre of the arena. “I need to start the next match!”

Oh – of course! Nath quickly Super Jumped away.

Heavy Splatling didn’t work so well. Mini Splatling didn’t either. Just like Chargers, those weapons had to be charged up before being fired. And Nath was constantly being splatted while waiting to charge. It was just so, so tedious.

“Tikki, what kind of weapon should I be using?” he asked her after yet another lost Turf War. At this rate Team Mireille were going to lose the Splatfest for sure.

“That’s not up to me,” Tikki said.

“But I’m trying out so many different things and it’s not helping!”

“Well, you do seem to be very good at using a Splattershot these days…”

“Everyone’s good at using a Splattershot. And anyway, I’m not above average when I use it. It just doesn’t feel like the kind of weapon I should be using. I know there’s something out there that’s perfect for me, and I just need to find it!”

“In that case, here is my advice.” Tikki took a deep breath. “Watch your teammates and opponents very carefully. See what weapons they’re using, what playstyles they are employing. Do they play aggressively? Cautiously? Defensively? Are certain strategies better with particular weapon types? Do some analysis. See if you can imagine yourself in their positions, whether or not you would feel comfortable playing the way they do. Use that to help you narrow down what sort of weapon you want to use.”

That was pretty much what he had been trying to do already. But getting mad at Tikki wouldn’t achieve anything – she was just trying to help him.

“Thank you,” he said. “I think I’ll stick with a Splattershot for now…”

“That sounds like a good idea. But let me know if there’s anything else you want to try out!”

“I will. But I’ll wait till the end of the Splatfest first.”

Tikki glanced at a clock on the wall. “Isn’t that in about 2 minutes?”

What?! Nath looked at the clock to see–

No! The Splatfest was about to end! Did he have time for another battle?

Without even bothering to say bye to Tikki, he raced out of the door and across the plaza towards the Lobby. Surely he could make it in time?

But he didn’t. The doors were closed. And a few seconds later, the screen in the plaza lit up with an announcement from the Squid Sisters. He turned to look, trying not to feel too grumpy.

“And that’s the end of the final Splatfest!” Mireille said, punching a fist up in the air as usual. “I can’t wait to find out the results!”

“Same!” Aurore said, a rare smile on her face. “We’ll let you all know when the results have been calculated. In the meantime, carry on with all your regular battles, and stuff.”

“And now to announce the Turf War stages…”

Nath didn’t bother to listen to any more. This Splatfest was over, and he had hardly contributed at all. He’d lost most of his matches. It wouldn’t be a surprise if his team lost.

The next morning, he sat in his apartment drinking a rather large mug of coffee and feeling more glum than usual. He had been intending to psych himself up to find out the results of the Splatfest and then go into the plaza when he was ready. But the morning newspaper had arrived and already told him the bad news.

TEAM AURORE WINS FINAL SPLATFEST DESPITE GAINING FEWER VOTES

Wasn’t that exactly what Alix had been warning her teammates about? Most people would have voted for Mireille, expecting her to win, and the mysterious “multiplier” (whatever that was) would give enough of a boost to Aurore’s team to drive her to victory instead.

So that was it. Nath had lost his only Splatfest. He would never get a chance to participate in another one again, ever, in his life.

He grabbed an energy drink off the counter beside him and dunked it all into his coffee mug. He was definitely going to need it today.

#this fic accidentally ended up very tomato centric and i'm not sure how #but anyway have some julerose and lilanette #(yes lila is the octoling)#miraculous ladybug #cinnamon roll tomato cutie #rose lavillant #le chien kim #max kante #alix kubdel #marinette dupain cheng #lila rossi #ivan bruel #tikki #splatoon #random stuff #splataclysm #aish writes

4 notes · View notes