Red Ink: Human versus Squid

Project: [REDACTED]

Splatfest was considered a celebration of life. It was one of the most memorable moments in any inkling's life. This one, however, was something much more special. It was the biggest Splatfest in all of recorded history. The first-ever month-long Splatfest.

And I was going to take part in it.

Bryson had taken the position of leader and had called us all to his home to discuss tactics we would use and how we'd approach Ana and how we'd take her down, as well as do what we can to keep Team Off the Hook in the lead.

Now, when I said Bryson's home, I didn't mean the top of the Annaki corporation building. Apparently, that was only a place Bryson occasionally went to in order to to see his brother, Edward. Bryson's actual home was by the shore and it was a very large, very old-fashioned mansion with polished oak wood and beautiful decor.

Bryson had us all gathered in his room. I had expected his room would have had tons of things surrounding Turf War, and maybe even a few trophies here and there.

Seeing this... was a little concerning. It was completely bare, with only a bed, a single dresser, and a closet. Me, Ace, and Henry all stood on one side of the room while Bryson paced back and forth on the other side.

"If we're going to fight this psychotic girl, we're gonna need to use older Annaki tactics," Bryson informed us. "We need to separate her from her team and we need to subdue her when no one's looking. I've given you three a list of ways we can do that."

Ace promptly raised his hand.

"Yes?" Bryson answered.

"This just says to grab her arm and run," said Ace.

Bryson's eyes shifted back and forth. "S-So?"

"That sounds like it would draw attention," Henry added.

"Hey, who's the leader here?!" shouted Bryson, looking angry.

The door suddenly opened, an octoling with dark skin and strange features on his face peeking through. On the right side of his face were teal spots on the skin surrounding his eye. His right eye surprised me more than the teal spots, however, as his pupil was glowing the same teal color.

The iris surrounding it was purple, and the sclera surrounding that was green. His left eye was different though, looking a little more normal than the other. It was a simple hot pink iris that matched well with his long, rose-red tentacle hair.

"Hey, Bryson, you tracked dirt in the halls," he said. "Gotta remember to wipe your shoes on the mat, bud."

"Hey, I'm kinda busy!" Bryson shouted back. "I forgot, okay?"

"Bryson, it's the third time this month," replied the octoling.

"Who's this?" I asked, gesturing to the stranger.

The octoling immediately replied, "Uh, Alex. I'm the housesitter."

"Can you leave the room, please?" asked Bryson.

Alex raised a brow. "Did you just say 'please' this time?"

"Yeah," Ace responded. "His manners are getting better."

"HEY," Bryson shouted. "Both of you, zip it! This is a very important Splatfest! We're brainstorming and we don't need a distraction!"

Alex stepped into the room. He was pretty tall, almost as tall as Edward. He sported a Sudadera Roja hoodie and black ripped leggings, and on his feet were Squid-Stitch Slip-Ons. "Splatfest? I actually managed to get your dad to give me the month off."