Warm Ink

Chapter Two: Splatsville

You stumble on your feet after landing from the super jump, and agent 3 releases your hand. Looking around, you're nothing less than amazed. Tall buildings and bright lights, sun peering between the buildings and train stacks in the sky above. Octarian cities were nothing like this, dull and lifeless, where this place is full of energy. Agent 3 sees the wonder in your eyes and smiles.

"Welcome to Splatsville!" They say, offering you their hand again so they can lead you around. You acccept, but quickly ask

"Oh, should I just call you Ag-"

"Just Neo works. The agents thing is kind of a secret, so don't tell anyone!" they interrupt, and you nod as Neo takes you around the lively city.

The heat, although barely tollerable with all the fuzz, isn't the only reason you're sweating. You notice people staring at you, never having seen anything like you. Your fuzzy hair, the same color as your ink, covering your tentacles makes you stand out like a sore thumb.

"Lets start here!" Neo says, excited to show you around, standing outside of a shop called 'Ammo knights'

"When you need a new weapon, where else but Ammo Knights?" they say as you follow them in, a smile on their face "I say that because I haven't seen a single weapon shop that isn't an Ammo Knights."

This joke made someone in the store laugh. Looking down, you see a short horseshoe crab running the shop.

"Hello Neo, may I interest you in- Oh, a new-" he cuts himself off, seeing your fuzz, making you blush slightly.

Neo speaks up "No, just showing a new friend around town, figured we'd stop here first!"

The horseshoe crab nods, offering you his hand to shake "Well my apologies then. My name is Sheldon, and Ammo Knights here is where you come with all of your weapon related needs."

Neo nods and has a slight sigh "He says that to everyone. Lets move on," they grab you hand to go before Sheldon stops them

"If you wouldn't mind, could you come back later? I have something I'd like to discuss with you."

Neo nods, and with that, the tour of the city resumes. After climbing some stairs, you find yourself entering 'Naut Couture'

"Welcome to Naut Couture duuudes," Says a nautilus, who then introduces himself as Gnarly Eddy.

"Those are some wicked fresh tentacles," Eddy says, and Neo nods

"Knew you'd find it interesting, check them out!" Neo says enthusiastically, and even though you find it hard to share their enthusiasm, it nice to be complimented on the fuzz for once.

The rest of the tour nothing particularly interesting happens. Neo shows you around various clothes shops, a general store, and shows you around the lobby. Soon you and Neo are sitting in the Lobby lounge, eating some food they got you from the Crab-n-go.

"So..." you finally ask "Why'd you bring me here?"

"Well, didn't wanna stay down there forever, right?"

"At Alterna?" You ask, realizing the thought hadn't even crossed your mind. Almost as if it never had the chance to, you were so preoccupied with... nothing in particular? Now you can't help but wonder why you hadn't thought of leaving already

"Rent here is super cheap too, an apartment for one is pretty much nothing."

Then you realize. You didn't have anything to your name, not a single coin. "Wait, but I don't have any money!" You tell Neo, who only grins and offers you a Splattershot Jr.

"Lets fix that then!"