Splatoon: Under Inkopolis

Means to the Ends

Tide delivered the zapfish to Cap'n's cabin and looked at the time on his phone. School would start in ten minutes. By the time he made it to Ms. Mona's classroom he was already five minutes late and the classroom was empty. The white board had a message on it:

Project presentation day!
Head to the library to meet with Mr. Fisk's class.

Whelp.  Numbly, Tide walked to the library. Panicking over a project seemed miles away from more pressing matters. Like the bags under Tide's eyes, the octarian fight, and the ever present threat of losing Cap'n forever.

As soon as he walked into the library Katsu pounced on him.
"Okay, so we totally forgot about the project and our grade is totally going to tank and then I got distracted by the tournament today and"--she took a deep breath--"No. Stop. calm down. We need a plan"

In the background a group was presenting on crabs. Katsu whispered, "Alright, how about we go last. While the other groups present I'll pull together some notes on octolings and we'll play this project by ear. Just think of it as a turf war."

The crab group ended and the students engaged in the obligatory weak applause. Ms. Mona called out, "Okay, who's up next? Any volunteers?"
Tide's arm shot out.
"Wow, a student actually volunteered for once" Mr. Fisk grunted. His reaction, however, was eclipsed by Katsu's. Her eyes burned and her fingers twitched as if the were contemplating on whether or not they could get away with strangling Tide.

Together Katsu and Tide marched to the front of the room. She fidgeted and glared at Tide. Someone in the back of the room yawned.  Tide opened his mouth, his words rigid and automatic.

"At first glance Octolings are pretty much like inklings. They can assume humanoid form. They like fries. And new weapons. And can work as a team."
His fists curled into balls, "But what motivates octolings? If anything at all?"

"Today I know the answer to that question. Violence motivates octolings. Aggression. An octoling would sooner splat you than look at you. An octoling would kidnap helpless old squids. An octoling would rob you of your trust, dignity, fish, headsets and splattershots. If octolings had their way they would lay this city to waste. They would aniliate every inkling who would rise to stop them--or simply destroy all inklings in general. They are ink thirsty demons from the depths who will--"

"OKAY!"--Katsu interrupted--"That concludes our report on octolings. Thank you for listening."

She pulled him to a table at the back of the room while the class stared wide eyed at Tide.  No one was yawning now.

"Tide, look at me," Katsu commanded, "Wow. You look like a mess. I'm honestly not sure whether I should be more concerned about our grade or your mental state right now."
"Sorry, its been a long morning."
"Well, what's done is done."
Tide grunted a lay his head on the table.
"And... Tide," she bit her lip, "If you ever need someone to talk to, well, I'm all ears"

"Thanks. Maybe I'll take you up on that sometime, but for now I think I need to get some rest"
"You better. You'll need all the strength you can muster for the tournament finale today"

---

Just one more class. Just one more class. Just one more--

The Calimari Inkantantion blared out of Tide's phone on his way to bop-e. A couple of boys laughed as their friend started screeching the lyrics. Quickly, Tide answered the call.
"Three! An octostriker started camping over the Skatepark. There's supposed to be a match there in two hours. Head over there a clean it up!"
"Got it" he hung up and turned around, straight into Katsu.

"Hey Tide, where do you think your going?  Not to bop-e by the looks of it"
He lowered his voice, "Some agent stuff came up. I've got to bail"
"Remember to be back for the final at the Skatepark"
He turned to go, "I don't think that will be a problem, see you later"