Splatsville's Dozen

▫️ P1-2 Train Ride ▫️

You had woken up this morning, the sun shining through the window. "When was I supposed to meet Shellox?" The thought stuck in your mind. You sat up from your bed, squinting, while reaching for your phone on the night stand. You nearly knocked over a glass of water before you had actually grabbed it.The screen read 6:47AM. A sigh of relief escaped your mouth. At least you weren't late.
You hopped off of your bed, the carpeted floor slightly sinking as you stood on it and looked at your night stand. Last night you set aside some clothes for yourself. It was some of your favorite gear, it fit you perfectly and was comfortable. You picked it up and headed to the washroom of your apartment, which was located just to the left of your bedroom.
After getting cleaned up you double checked all of your items and belongings you had packed. "Clothes? Check. Favorite weapon? Check. Snacks? Check." You said it all aloud, keeping track of what you didn't already have packed. It looked like you had pretty much everything. You extended the handle of your suitcase, grabbed your bag, then walked toward your apartment door. You exited locking the door behind you.
You left your apartment building, the sun was slightly higher in the sky. "Hm... What time is it now?" You thought to yourself as you reached into your bag for your phone. It read 7:14AM. You had to meet Shellox at 8:30. "I should probably get a move on..." You said to yourself. The Central Inkopolis Train Station wasn't too far from your apartment building. Before heading off you triple checked your luggage, everything was there. You smiled looking forwards. "Now... which way was the train station again?"

🤍 ~ -- •▫️

By the time you arrived at the train station you were exhausted. It took forever to make it there. Slouching over, you walked towards the nearest clock. 7:50. You sighed, then looked up. Shellox waved, and gestured you to come over. You walked over to her.
"Okay, okay, I've got all the stuff your gonna need." Shellox stated. She glanced at your phone ",Now that will not do." You raised your phone to your eye level.
"What about my phone?" You asked. Yesterday Shellox did say something about a Sea Cucumber Phone... You didn't think much of it.
"Here, take this." She handed you some strange looking flip phone.
"Shellox... What in all the sea is this?" You questioned.
"It's your Sea Cucumber Phone. It has a whole map of Splatsville, relays the current battle stages there, and has a strangely good camera." She answered. You opened the camera and it had to be one of the best cameras you had ever seen on a phone, or any mobile device for that matter.
"Imagine all the pictures I could take with thi-" You were interrupted by a train ticket be stuffed in your face.
"Your gonna need this if you even want to get on the train." Shellox handed you the train ticket. It read: Arriving from Inkopolis Central Train Station, Arriving to Splatsville, Anarchy Avenue. It was unbelievable. You were really heading to Splatsville.
"So, when is the train arriving Shellox? And do I even have a place to stay?" You felt as if you should've asked this earlier.
"The train arrives at 8:35 and I rented you an apartment." Shellox answered. Your concerns eased when she did. "Alongside this," She continued ",I've found a group familiar with the Splatlands and Splatsville. They should help guide you."
You did a fake gasp. "I don't need someone to help guide me! I am just fine on my own" you said sarcastically. Shellox tilted her head at the remark, raising an eyebrow. "Okay... Maybe I do." You admitted in defeat.
"The train should be arriving any minute now..." Shellox stated, looking up and down the tracks. You both sat there for a minute or two before a screech on the tracks could be heard. You looked up to see a gray train covered in vibrant graffiti and stickers. It was quite a nice contrast to the gray.
You got up. "Bye Shellox!" You yelled as you ran over to the train. She smiled, waving back.
"All aboard the train to Splatsville! The City of Chaos, the Land of Fresh Beginnings..." The conductor bellowed. He continued yelling nicknames for the Splatlands, many of which you didn't recognize. You walked up to him and the doors to the train. He gestured you to enter, and you did.
You looked at your ticket, it said your seat was in train car A. You were in train car B. You hurriedly made it to A and sat down in a random spot, hoping it wasn't reserved. You sighed, and slouched in you seat. Your shoulders relaxed, and you shut your eyes... until you were jerked back awake by the sudden movement of the train. It had begun moving, like any train does. You gave one last wave to Shellox, then took out your Sea Cucumber Phone.
You weren't very familiar with it. All you did was kinda scroll through it, lost in thought... This was until the same conductor's voice came through a sort of intercom. "Welcome aboard our metro service, we're glad to have all of you! We will arrive at out destination, hopefully, by 1PM. Snacks and water will be given to you once we reach Hammerhead Bridge. We hope you enjoy the ride!"
You've heard of Hammerhead Bridge before. It was what connected Greater Inkopolis to the Splatlands. Sometimes there might even be a battle taking place. Alongside this, you could even see the N.I.L.S. Statue from it. The statue itself became pretty well known after that day, but now it poses no threat. You were happy about the last part, at least your species wasn't eradicated by a telephone.
You felt a bump in the tracks, then looked out the window. A waiter came up to your seat and gave you a choice of snacks. You choose your favorite and got some water. "Did we just- are we already on Hammerhead bridge?" The thought rattled your mind. You could see the N.I.L.S. statue and hear the faint sounds of a battle. Yup, you were definitely on Hammerhead bridge.
A yawn escaped your mouth. You were also, definitely tired. You took a neck pillow you had packed and put on some earplugs. You closed your eyes and rested your shoulders. This time, you'd be able to get some more sleep.