Clumsy

Chapter 13

Three months. Three months of parties, beach dates, hanging out, battles, and injuries had gone by almost as quick as the snap of fingers. Everyone shipped it; from people like Mask and Army to Sheldon, and even Emperor himself smirked when he saw them in the square together.
Even though (Y/N) had only known Aloha for some odd four months, she was practically one with team Pink. There was not a single party that (Y/N) wasn't invited to, because they all were hosted by the Pink team! (At the first party since the party where Snorkel flirted with her, Snorkel was looking very embarrassed and apologized profusely).

Team (I/C) was planning to continue their challenge: battling all members of the S4 and their teams. After her battle with Pink team, (Y/N) had to take it easy on her knee (which she kept on re-injuring over the past three months) and they had to wait for it to fully heal before challenging the next team in the S4 cycle: Cyan. To say the least, Mask scared (Y/N). Not only was he a formidable inkling on the turf but he was salty. Like, extremely salty. Not your average table salt salty, but he was an ocean of salt. Though (Y/N) and Mask had developed a friendship he was still 100% salt, for instance when they were at a party and playing a video-game. (Y/N) was winning by eons, and guess what he did? He stole her controller and yeeted ((Yote? Yeeted? Yoted? Yetted? We will never know)) it across the room, and it landed in a bowl of punch. Salty.

Mask scared a lot of people, and whilst that wasn't aiding his social life it certainly boosted his reputation and confidence on the turf.

"(Y/N) was splatted by Tenta!"

"That's because you were late for training." Bapa whispered in (Y/N)'s ear as she respawned.

"Figures. Serves me right," Tenta stormed over to the pad and glared at (Y/N), who was looking remorseful. "I'm sorry for being late, and I'll try next time to get here early!" She apologized, but deep down she was angry at Tenta. Tenta needed to learn her place, and though they were both in the wrong, (Y/N) felt like she couldn't blame herself.

Expression suddenly morphing from one of remorse to one of seriousness, (Y/N) cooly walked from the pad to the settings panel. A few bibity bopity boops later, the mode had changed from clam blitz to turf war, and the teams decided: Bapa with (Y/N), Tenta with Bubble.

"If we want to win the battle against Mask, we need to adapt to their battle tactics. I've actually been taking note of their strategies recently, and have developed strategies to counteract them," Bapa, Bubble, and Tenta looked shocked at their leaders sudden change of mood, and Tenta was extra surprised to see that her leader was interested in what she was doing. (Y/N) handed Bapa a carbon roller, and took one for herself before sharing the plan.
"So we can beat them, we must first get used to battling rollers and find their weaknesses. Tenta and Bubble will first have a turn fighting the rollers, then we'll switch over. Got it?"

Her team all nodded their heads, which vaguely resembled the bobble-headed figurines (Y/N) weirdly used to collect as a young squiddo.

Smirking, (Y/N) clapped her hands together,

"Let's get started then!"

Aloha was scrolling through inkstagram on his phone, deadly bored with the S4 meeting.
The meeting was basically Army going over stuff that they already knew, or yelling at them. He was occasionally rewarded with a reply from Aloha or Skull, who was in the midst of devouring a Galactic Shwaffle. Mask, on the other hand, was without his mask (which was lying on the table) and had fallen asleep, slumped over so his head rested on the table. Aloha marvelled at how innocent and sweet Mask looked without his gas mask, but found it ironic that Mask was one of the meanest inklings in the square (unless you knew him well).

"(Y/N) plans to battle Mask next. Her team is doing the cycle, like Blue did." Aloha said in a period of silence. Skull licked his fingers clean before raising an imaginary eyebrow.

"Mm K. Hopefully she can teach Mask some new catchphrases- 'I can defeat my opponent without swinging my roller' is getting old. It's not even true!" They shifted their gaze over to the sleeping form of Mask. He looked less graceful now, as a small dribble had leaked from his mouth and pooled onto the table.

Army sighed and reclined into his chair, deflated. He was well aware that the past 45 minutes of talking were in vain.
"Tell him Army says good luck," The orange inkling sighed, standing up from the table.

"You going?" Aloha asked, looking up from his inkphone,

"I promised Forge that I'd be back around now, and I plan to keep to that promise." And with not another word, Army pocketed his manual and left the square.

As soon as Army was gone from sight, Bamboo and Bobble-hat walked out of a shop.

"Hey, ladies!🎵" Aloha called out across the square, smiling when they turned around. "Is (Y/N) still in training?"

"I swear you're obsessed with that girl," Skull whispered as the pair smiled and walked over.

"Pretty sure!" Bobble-hat said, and as if her very smile or high voice disgusted Mask, the latter groggily lifted his head and rubbed his eyes.

"She's been in there all afternoon and morning. Not sure what it's about, but I'm guessing they've got a tough battle coming up." Bamboo shrugged her shoulders. Bobble and Bamboo couldn't help themselves and stared at Mask's Mask-free face.

"Hyuk! Are you guys looking for (Y/N)? Because she's right there."

Everyone at the table turned around to follow where Mask was pointing, and indeed saw Team (I/C) walk out of the Deca Tower, carbon rollers in hand. (Y/N) was at the front looking exhausted and covered in multiple ink colours, but still was grinning like a maniac. Her team had practiced long and hard, and she believed them ready to take on Team Cyan.

"MASK!" (Y/N) called across the square, earning weird looks from shopping Cephalopods.

"WHAT?" Mask yelled back,

(Y/N) sprinted through the square over to their table, pausing to catch her breath.

"How about a battle?"