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Wasn’t anywhere fucking open right now!?
A frustrated growl tore its way out of Sharpie’s throat as she kicked at the doorframe of the burger shop, a decorative ‘CLOSED’ sign hanging in the front window. Piece of shit services app, how hard was it to get the hours of operation right?
Great. This was just great. An awful day on the turf, followed by the team captain bitching at her, and even when she tried to blow off steam at Kablammo she got kicked out early because they were doing something that she didn’t care enough to listen to. Renovations? Who fucking cared.
And thanks to an alley lounge power nap that lasted way too long, now it was late as shit, dark as shell, Sharpie was half the city away from her apartment and she was starving. So of course, of COURSE every restaurant for blocks was closed by this time!
Taking out her phone again, ready to resign herself to a pizza order and a long-ass walk across town with an empty stomach, Sharpie scrolled the list of eateries located nearby. There had to be something, this district even had its own turfing tower! There was a dedicated nighttime crowd and everything, there was no damn way that nothing was open.
Her eye caught on one entry in particular - Squidchord. Dumb fucking name, and it was listed as a karaoke bar, but she’d searched for restaurants so presumably there was food there, and it was apparently open until four in the morning.
Briefly, Sharpie weighed her dislike of anything even remotely similar to a ‘karaoke bar’ against her aching stomach. With a heavy sigh, the lure of food won out - no sense being picky at this point, she’d already been looking for thirty minutes. She’d get a snack or something to tide her over, whatever little concessions all these party types stuffed into their faces between songs.
It was decently close, between Kablammo and Stingray Tower, and only a bit out of her way. Within minutes Sharpie was strolling up to its front courtyard, bathed in a neon purple glow which came from the building’s open front. A big scattered cluster of tables and chairs were thrown everywhere, with a bunch of people sitting around them, though a quick glance told her that there weren’t any Inklings here. She clenched a fist, swearing silently that if this place didn’t actually have anything she could eat -
Her eyes snagged on the sight of an Inkling girl with wavy purple tendrils moving fluidly between tables, trays balanced on her arms. Alright, so that was promising at least.
Sharpie pulled her cap lower over her eyes, approaching the girl with brisk steps. Catching her between tables, the redhead growled, “Hey, you’ve got food here, right?”
“Sure do, boss!”
The girl turned towards Sharpie with the brightest smile she had ever seen, hips and shoulders waving to keep her balance on the foot she’d stopped on. She glanced over Sharpie’s shoulder. “Ain’t seen ya here before, comin’ alone?”
Indignation sparked behind her eyes as she drew her lips back. “Is that a problem?”
“Ain’t no problem to Lacey, boss, just checkin’! Usually see squids in groups, helps a girl assign rooms and tables.”
“I don’t need a room or a table, just give me a bag of chips or something and I’ll leave.”
Lacey hummed to herself, skipping forward three steps to lay a tray onto a nearby crab’s table. For the first time, Sharpie registered the contents of the trays - some fried seafood, and sandwiches. One of them had hot dogs and fries on it. Her stomach grumbled loudly, and Lacey’s ear twitched.
“Sure ya don’t want anyfin more than that?” she grinned. “We’re cheap, promise!”
Sharpie gritted her teeth, ready to tear this girl’s grin off her face, but the smell of the food was just making her hunger pangs worse. She was barely able to keep her hands at her sides as she stared scathingly at Lacey.
“...fine.” she snapped. “Not too cheap for menus, are you?”
“Naw, go ahead ‘n pick a table! I’ll be right with ya!”
She stared a moment longer, and Lacey met her scowl with nothing but sunbeams. With a huff she turned away, storming to the first empty table she saw.
The fuck was with this girl? She was way too happy for how late it was.
Seating herself heavily, Sharpie grabbed one of the stylized menus from the center of the table and flipped it open. Her agitation was temporarily quelled as she looked at the lengthy selection of options - meat trays, burgers, salads, soups… this was a karaoke place, wasn’t it? Did people usually eat soup at karaoke?
Her confusion aside, though, the diversity of the options was also giving her a bit of choice paralysis. She was hungry enough to eat just about anything on here, so despite her initial resolution to get something simple and get going, she found herself looking at the full meal options. What the fuck were party tenders?
“Sorry fer the wait!”
Sharpie startled as the waitress girl bounced up to her table, stretching her arms above her head. “Got a couple’a orders mixed up, one had cheese and the other didn’t. Easy fix though. Found somefin ya like?”
“Are you serious?” Sharpie asked incredulously, not bothering to hide her impatience. “I literally just sat down!”
“Hate ta disagree, but you’ve been starin’ at yer menu fer like five minutes now, boss.”
Sharpie stared up into that stupid grinning face, baffled. There’s no fucking way…
Sure enough, though, a quick glance at her phone showed that she’d apparently been looking through the options for a lot longer than she’d thought.
“So… gotcher order?”
Sharpie’s temper flared upwards through the confusion and out of her mouth. “Fucking anything, alright!?” she snapped. “Just get me something, I don’t give a shit!”
“One ‘anyfin’ comin’ right up!”
With a voice that was fluffy like clouds, Lacey gave a loose salute and hopped backwards, pivoting into a skip towards the front of Squidchord. Anger writhed in Sharpie’s veins as she watched the girl go, jaw clenched, claws digging into the top of the table.
Was this girl making fun of her or something? Why the fuck was she still so stupidly energetic right now? How hard did Sharpie need to spell it out for her that she didn’t want this damn ‘happy camper’ routine, she just wanted to get dinner and go home!
Whatever. Too tired, too hungry, too fuck this to give a shit. Sharpie slumped down in her seat, head propped up on one hand, scrolling idly through her phone. Fuck her team, fuck this karaoke club, and fuck that grinning weirdo. She was leaving the instant she was fed, and if she never saw ‘Lacey’ again, it’d still be too soon.
“Hey, look! It’s her after all!”
Hearing laughter from across Squidchord’s courtyard, Sharpie glanced up from her meal, noting with steaming displeasure that a group of Inklings had gathered a few tables down. Several of them were pointing at her, some had their phones out - all of them were clearly having the time of their fucking lives right now.
“Hey Sharpie, what’s with the karaoke club?” one of them called to her, grinning. “You don’t actually sing here, do you?”
Glowering, she averted her eyes, grip tightening on her phone. She’d been practicing at Kablammo until closing time for the last few days - whenever her genius team captain forgot their actual practice, anyway - and Squidchord was close by and always open when she got out. It was convenient and the food was decent, so she’d started stopping here after she was done at the gym.
That said, it was also located right in the middle of scrub central, so of course some bored shitheads would show up at some point. Nobody worth her time.
Still, the sound of them jeering and laughing as she ate was distracting - and more than that, it was irritating. A thousand and one little annoyances had been building up all day, throwing fuel onto the smoldering fire in the pit of her stomach, and she was really hoping to just take a break from people to eat some hot dogs or something, but apparently that was too much to expect. Sharpie couldn’t really taste the food right now with her mind fixated on those assholes.
Don’t have time for their shit right now. Just eat faster and go, I’ll find somewhere else to eat next time.
Plenty of options, anyway - she could leave Kablammo early tomorrow and get a burger or something. Or see if she had any leftovers from last night, maybe, since she’d actually gotten a rare burst of motivation to cook something for herself. Pre-packaged food, but whatever, it was cheaper than most of the places around her apartment -
The distinctive click of a camera shutter snagged on her ear, and Sharpie snapped her head up to see one of the Inklings turning to grin at his friends, phone in hand.
“Think this’ll get clicks?” he laughed. “The angry Inkling, alone at night!”
White-hot anger seared all other thoughts from Sharpie’s head as she jumped to her feet, slamming her hands on the table.
“You fuckers got a deathwish!?” she snarled, fangs bared. Another chorus of laughter answered her, sounding like static as it crackled in her ears.
“Guys, help, she’s mad!” the Inkling with the phone cried, hands held up in mock fear.
“Isn’t she always?” someone else answered.
Sharpie moved towards the group, steps heavy and fists clenched. She locked eyes with the boy. “I’ll show you fucking angry, you bastard.” the redhead seethed. “Think you’re hot shit ‘cause you’ve got your trash mob with you, but when I get my hands - “
“ ‘Ey, everybody! What’s happenin’ here?”
Indignation spiked through her brain at the interruption, and Sharpie turned her burning eyes towards the culprit - Lacey, hands empty and smile bright as she came between the two groups, sweeping her gaze left and right.
“Looks like a party! You guys interested in a table?” she chirped at the gawkers, turning fully away from Sharpie. The girl gritted her teeth. This stupid squid needed to mind her own business.
“Nah, we just came to see Inkopolis’s current hottest anti-celebrity.” one of the Inklings replied, giving Lacey a smile of her own. “Did you know that Sharpie here’s famous over at Deca?”
“Don’t turf much, really! Got other stuff goin’ on. But that’s besides the point - didja say yer not orderin’ anyfin?”
Looking a bit bemused, the other girl nodded.
“Y’all gonna be singin’?”
“Dude, no way.” the boy with the phone laughed. “Nate’s so off-key - “
“So,” Lacey cut in, not dropping her smile as she put her hands on her hips, “yer just here ta make noise an’ laugh at one’a my customers?”
Despite the white noise still steaming up her head, Sharpie found herself eying Lacey, dimly surprised at the pointed tone of voice she was using; didn’t think the moron had it in her. An awkward hush fell over the group of idiots, and the smartassed boy shifted on his feet.
“We told you already,” he started with a huff, “this crazy girl is a freakin’ menace over at Deca, alright?”
Sharpie started forward again, a scathing retort on her tongue, only to be blocked by Lacey as the purple-haired squid took a step further to place herself directly in the angry girl’s path.
“I think yer all gonna be leavin’ now.” she declared. “Come back when yer hungry, aight?”
“Fine, we can see her just fine from the street over there.” one of them remarked, nudging another memeber of the group. “C’mon, guys - “
“Naw, y’all can go home. Yer botherin’ my people out here on the porch, give it time to settle.”
Multiple angry glares settled on Lacey. The party squid cocked her hips. “We can stand wherever we want.” the boy with the phone snapped heatedly. “Or what, you gonna copy that maniac and get all pissy?”
Ignoring one of his friends as they pulled on his sleeve, he gave Lacey a mocking smile. “Well?”
In reply, Lacey gave a thoughtful look as she dug a hand into the pocket of her shorts, retrieving a phone with a rainbow-patterned case. She pointed it at the group, and a flash accompanied the sound of the camera shutter.
The group members looked surprised. Sharpie was, too, her anger momentarily forgotten as she stared at Lacey in dumbfounded confusion. What the actual fuck was this girl doing? Was she gonna write a whiny blog post about mean squids after dark or something? Her whole affect was the picture of nonchalance as she flicked through her phone’s menus, then set to typing something out. Sharpie couldn’t see the screen.
“Um, hello?” the phone boy called, sounding irritated. “You still with us over there?”
“Gimme a sec, boss, I’m gettin’ you guys blacklisted.”
Sharpie blinked.
Recoiling at those words, the boy spoke up again, though he sounded more nervous than before. “You’re what? Where are you posting that picture!?”
“Ain’t postin’ it.” Lacey replied casually, a small smile on her face. She didn’t look up from her phone. “Sendin’ it to my boss, an’ gonna have him send it to a few other joints around here. A few ‘a them might do the same.”
“You - !”
Panic was creeping into the faces of the group members as the waitress shrugged her shoulders. “Well, can’t make ‘em ban you of course, but I dunno if they’d want a buncha squids around who harass payin’ customers fer fun.”
She beamed at them, swaying lightly on her feet. “Unless y’all want me ta reconsider?”
It was like a spell had been broken, and the group scattered in an instant, frantic footsteps overlapping as they sprinted away into the night. Sharpie watched them go, feeling like she was just now coming out of some kind of trance as well. She’d barely had the presence of mind to even remember that the group’s beef was with her, and the sight of their fleeing silhouettes felt oddly detached. Might as well have been watching a movie, for how much she felt involved in what just happened.
However, as Lacey clicked her phone off and put it back in her pocket, beginning a casual saunter back towards Squidchord, that detached feeling broke apart, and her irritation returned - both at those fucking asshats, and -
“What the fuck was that?” she demanded.
Lacey turned, blinking like she was surprised to have Sharpie speaking to her. “What was what?” was her reply.
“Don’t fuck with me, who asked you to get in the way? I was gonna handle that just fine!”
“Ain’t nobody handlin’ nofin around here but me.” Lacey said with a smile, pride radiating off of her like daylight. It only agitated Sharpie’s temper further. “Bet ya could’ve handled it, but it’s my job. ‘Sides, wasn’t actually gonna get ‘em blacklisted unless they really pushed their luck.”
Sharpie gaped. “You… lied to them?”
“Not exactly a lie, had the text ready to go and everyfin. I ain’t the confrontational sort, Lacey likes avoidin’ fights when possible. Problem people are too much ta deal with.”
“Is that what you’ve been doing with me?”
The words came unbidden out of Sharpie’s mouth. She didn’t fully realize how frustrating Lacey’s constant, smiling friend act actually was until she heard that. “You’re putting up that fucking smile so you don’t have to deal with me?”
“Aw, you ain’t a problem, Sharpie.” Lacey replied, shaking her head. “Got a mouth on ya, but yer quiet about it. I can handle that.”
Sharpie could feel her face growing hotter as she stared the other girl down, fists shaking. That fucking name, coming out of that carefree face, boiled her blood. “You fucking… you’re handling me, huh? By playing dumb every time your stupid face comes to my table?”
“ ‘Ey, I just don’t wanna fight, y’know? Aren’t ya just here to eat?”
“I think I’m finished.”
The angry Inkling turned on her heel, stomping away towards the alley entrance. Her hearts were pounding in her ears. Broken thoughts flew through her brain as she went - the fuck did she think she was, like she was too good to bite back, and that shit about ‘oh you’ve got a mouth on you’, Sharpie would flatten a motherfucker for less -
“See ya later then, Sharpie!” she heard the squid calling after her.
Sharpie rounded back on herself, eyes locking onto Lacey’s figure as she stood in the light of Squidchord’s entrance. She inhaled deeply.
“Go FUCK yourself!” she screamed, her voice echoing into the night and bouncing off of the walls.
Fuck that girl, and fuck this place too!
Sharpie dared, fucking dared a single person to start shit with her tonight. Another late night that got away from her, another wasted few hours of trying to find food in this bullshit district, and now she found herself tracing reluctant steps back towards Squidchord.
She didn’t even know why she was coming back this way. She’d had enough of that cocky purple asshole and her stupid workplace to last a lifetime, and a week had gone by without Squidchord even entering her thoughts. She was done with that place. Who gave a shit if she was late again, she’d put up with a walk to the pizza place if it meant not having to see Lacey again.
And yet, somehow, here she was. Scowling from under the rim of her cap, Sharpie cast her barbed gaze across the premises, noting with some satisfaction despite herself that the place was fairly empty today. Only two tables had anyone seated, and one of those groups looked like they were playing cards or something. She could dip in, grab some food and get out without anyone making any smart-mouthed remarks or gawking at her.
Ideally, Lacey would’ve been gone too - there was no damn way she worked every night - but Sharpie’s hopes were dashed at the sight of the party girl standing behind the front counter, swaying on her feet as she operated a blender. Just seeing her was enough to fill Sharpie with irritated warmth.
“I can handle that.” she muttered spitefully under her breath as she strode across the courtyard, hands in her pockets. Sharpie waited until Lacey caught sight of her before pointedly looking away, taking a seat at her usual table, strange as it was to call it that. Moments later, she was joined by the bouncy waitress.
“ ‘Ey, good to see ya again!” Lacey smiled, putting her hands on the back of a chair and rocking on her heels. “Been a bit, huh? What can I get started for ya, the usual?”
“What usual?” Sharpie snapped back, eying Lacey defiantly. The other girl was unfazed.
“Well you’ve gotten dogs, fries and soda deal the last three times, yeah? Figured it was yer fave.”
She didn’t know how to feel about Lacey remembering her past orders, but she did know that her blood pressure was rising every second that her obvious challenges were being ignored. Well, of course they were, since Lacey ‘wasn’t a confrontational sort’. Sharpie growled.
“Whatever, sure.” she said flatly, directing her attention to her phone. “Just hurry up.”
“Quick as lightnin’!”
“And stop fucking - “
Sharpie looked up, but Lacey was already gone, dashing towards the counter. She balled a fist.
Was this just a show for that bitch? Like Sharpie was some kind of rabid animal in a cage, and Lacey could smile and wave all she wanted because she thought that the thing couldn’t reach her?
She got enough shit from her teammates, she did not need this happy-go-lucky smoothbrain getting a fucking laugh at her expense.
These thoughts occupied Sharpie, whirling around each other in her chest and building heat as they went, while she tried unsuccessfully to distract herself with the latest turfing news. Of course her latest match was on the front fucking page of Deca’s website - ‘amateur ranker shows what NOT to do.’ She clicked away, grinding her fangs; didn’t even have to read the thing for it to thicken the fog inside of her. How many squids were laughing at the angry Inkling right now, too much of a maniac to stick to a plan?
Maybe if their plans weren’t shit and didn’t fall to pieces the second the enemy team reached them, Sharpie would act differently -
“Sorry fer the wait!”
Lacey slid the tray of food smoothly across the table’s polished surface, and it stopped with pinpoint accuracy directly in front of Sharpie. She placed the soda down a moment later. “Forgot ta ask what drink ya wanted, so I just grabbed whatever.”
“Fucking thanks.” Sharpie snapped, tossing her phone down onto the table. “Nothing but great service here at Squidchord.”
“Well to be fair, ya did say to get ya ‘whatever’.”
“Listen, asshole,” the redhead hissed, meeting Lacey’s eyes, “I apparently get the same damn thing every time, so how about you stop fucking around with me!? Do I need to draw a fucking picture!?”
A laugh escaped Lacey as she smiled down at the girl. “Geez, yer name’s on point - ya really are sharp sometimes!“
Overpowering fury blew all other thoughts away at those words, at that fucking laughter, this bitch was fucking laughing -
With an infuriated snarl, Sharpie snatched her drink from the table and threw it in Lacey’s face.
The other girl flinched back as the liquid splashed over her. Almost immediately Sharpie balked at herself, though she firmly bit down on the feeling. As if she was gonna feel bad for a second about this mocking, empty-brained party squid. If she thought that Sharpie was just gonna sit and take that smug smile, she had another thing coming.
So Sharpie set her jaw, staring Lacey down as the Inkling inhaled steadily. She looked down, plucking at her soaked-through shirt as it clung to her skin. Droplets were glistening on her face and neck. Wasn’t smiling now, was she?
Come on, asshole, I dare you.
The patrons at the other tables were staring now, their eyes flicking between Sharpie and Lacey. The redhead ignored them, watching Lacey… until, finally letting her shirt fall limp again, Lacey lifted her eyes to meet Sharpie’s.
For a second Sharpie saw a different light glittering there, more jagged than the waitress’s usual shine. Just as she was readying herself for some shouting, though, the smile returned to that face, albeit tighter than before.
“Dag.” Lacey remarked coolly. Sharpie bristled; the girl’s tone was utterly transformed, her voice lower and smoother. “Yer really fi’ry wennit hits, ain’tcha? Waddi say, th’ sharp thing mebbe? Th’ laf’n?”
She didn’t know how to reply. Lacey continued as if she hadn’t even been expecting a reply. “Yer whole deal’s new, never hadda gal throw ‘er soder ‘n my face!”
The purple-haired girl leaned forward with careful movements, placing her hands on the table top. “An’ I din’t like it.” Lacey said with a voice that felt too flat for how she was looking at Sharpie. “So yer nat gonna do it agin, hear?”
Despite her apprehension at the look in Lacey’s eyes, Sharpie squared up defiantly. So Lacey was finally dropping the act, fine. Like fuck that’d make her back down. “What makes you think I won’t?” Sharpie demanded.
“B’cuz if ya do, we’re nat friends no more.”
That was the absolute last thing that Sharpie had expected to hear; her prepared retorts fell apart instantly, and she could only stare blankly as Lacey held her gaze for a beat longer before straightening up, turning back towards Squidchord.
“Gonna getcha ‘nodder soder.” Lacey said over her shoulder. “Yer payin’ fer two drinks.”
“Wait a damn minute!”
Sharpie was on her feet now, glaring at Lacey, confusion and aggravation shoving up against each other inside of her. “The fuck do you mean, not friends anymore? I’m not your fucking friend!”
“Nah?” Lacey sent back flatly. “Color me fooled. Bin comin’ round offin enough, figgered there were a reason fer it.”
“It’s… this is the only place that’s fucking open!”
“Got options errywhere, gal, no buy. But din’t I say? Ain’t gonna fight - ya wanna eat, I’ll feedja. Jes’ wanna hang, all cool.”
She frowned. “Yell ‘n cuss all ya want, but yer nat throwin’ anodder drink on me.”
Sharpie clenched her teeth, meeting Lacey’s stare unflinchingly, but couldn’t think of anything to say in reply. Was that it? She was just gonna walk away, bring another drink, and then… nothing? How the fuck did she expect to actually keep assholes out with such a soft spine?
And yet, as the two stared at each other, the feeling crept into the back of Sharpie’s mind that this wasn’t just Lacey being too nice of a person. She’d threatened those dumbasses from the other day easily enough. And this girl was definitely pissed off, so… what?
“Needa cool m’head.” Lacey murmured, grimacing as she pulled at her shirt again. “An’ getta change’a clothes. Ya stayin’, Sharpie, ‘r should I jes’ getta bill?”
For some reason, the only response that came to Sharpie’s mouth was a faltering, “My name is Sue.”
“Sue, then. Goin’? Stayin’?”
Lacey didn’t miss a beat. Somewhat numbly, Sharpie lowered herself back into her seat, and the other girl promptly made her way back towards Squidchord, steps brisk and tight. The moment she was out of view, Sharpie deflated, blinking with confusion as she glanced towards the food on her tray.
Five days before Sharpie returned to the karaoke club. Five days of distraction and frustration - things were just as shitty as ever on the turf, and there was no shortage of assholes jeering at her wherever she went, and yet the angry Inkling’s thoughts only lingered on these aggravations for so long before drifting back to this place.
Her stomach twisted up whenever she thought of the look on Lacey’s face, the party squid staring her down. The strangest thing about it to Sharpie was that, somehow, it hadn’t even felt like a challenge - more like Lacey was brushing off her anger just like always, but firmly instead of loosely. Sharpie had clearly found the girl’s breaking point, but there was no fight in her. No aggression. Was she just that good at restraining herself - the polar fucking opposite of Sharpie and her savage attitude?
She couldn’t stop thinking about it more and more, until finally, she found herself once again standing before the bright neon lights of Squidchord’s front entrance. She lingered for three heartbeats at the edge of the street, trying to wrestle down these squirming feelings.
Well, fucking come on, it wasn’t like she was scared of Lacey. The girl had already gotten as mad as she probably could get, and hadn’t done anything more than the equivalent of shaking her finger disapprovingly. Sharpie dreamed of thrashing scrubs who were more threatening than that.
Didn’t make it any less difficult to force herself across that last bit of distance, until she was close enough to hear the music from inside the club.
Sharpie’s eyes immediately found Lacey’s figure moving between tables, looking as bouncy and peppy as ever. She swallowed, restlessness making her hands twitch. The angry Inkling was still trying to think of what she was even doing here when Lacey turned around and met her eye.
Involuntarily, she drew back at the sight.
Lacey smiled. “ ‘Ey there Sue!” she called, giving a wave. “Doin’ alright today? Feel like some eats?”
The redhead only realized her mouth was open when Lacey drew closer, her smile turning slightly more sheepish as she tapped at her chin. Sharpie felt herself flush.
“...obviously.” she muttered, averting her eyes. “Like I’d come to a fucking food place if I didn’t want to eat.”
“We’re a karaoke club, Sue.”
“Yeah, I got that asshole, but that’s not why - “
Sharpie froze, realization striking the thought from her mind. Lacey was using her name - not Sharpie, or any kind of smart-mouthed insult, but just plain old Sue. It made her chest feel tight.
She remembered…?
Tilting her head to the side, Lacey gave Sharpie a casual shrug. “Well, whatever yer here for, we got it.” she beamed. “Take a seat and I’ll be with ya in a sec, aight?”
“...alright.”
With a jerky nod of her head, Sharpie made her way awkwardly towards the table that she usually sat at, watching as Lacey returned to the counter with a hop in her step. The angry Inkling slumped down, thoughts all askew, eyes blinking like that would clear the confusion from her head.
Her mouth drew into a thin line as she turned her attention towards her phone, tapping a finger on the table. She tried to shake off these weird feelings, but against her will, one thought rose up clearly in her mind.
Friends, huh…