Chapter Text
"Left and right, circle around, put a dot around and boom! We have our work done!" The joyous voice of service soldier Ammoses Shellendorf proudly plans his idea. "Ugh your boring plans! Let's just snipe those losers!" a service soldier inkling a lady named Blythe rashly spoke. The two began to argue who's right or wrong.
"Hey Craig? Are you just going to lay there and flick your finger up close to your eyes?" Service soldier inkling man named Duce stood onto Craig's right side sitting yet a bit of panic in his voice.
"Hmm" Craig heard but didn't bother to care. It's not his business to deal with, of course he loves those two allies of his but it's been a running gag. Craig was bored out of his mind. He and the rest had just finished training like two hours ago. He wanted to hear some fresh music but Shellendorf would ask not to bring or play music which was such a bummer. He's a nerd but Craig respects it.
"I said-"
"Heard ya Duce. Just let it happen, they need to learn to co-op together." Craig stood up and stretched. "Well I'll be back. I'm going on a quick stroll." Craig smiled at Duce. Duce nods and Craig waves later.
Craig went on onto the foggy greening mountains. It's rather a beautiful sight. Well almost beautiful because it's certainly foggy and barely noticeable to see. But he bet that it must be a nice view once the fog is gone. This place is new to Craig and his team. Why? Because their leader made every soldier practice training here. So even if Craig got lost it wouldn't stop Craig from walking, since he doesn't plan going so far away now.
Surely Craig didn't just walk for 18 minutes, sure he fast walks so it would've taken less. Craig finally stops, "So foggy, but I smell nice aroma coming around somewhere" he said mindfully. He starts to follow the scent, it takes him a while but eventually he hears waterfalls. That causes Craig to get curious. He walks closer to view a gorgeous waterfall full of nice steam and very beautiful cherry blossoms.
Craig takes in the view and starts heading closer to the waterfall. There he felt the aroma stronger. But strangely enough he hears a beautiful melody playing. So he began jumping on rocks since of course he's a cuttlefish and can't swim on water. Good thing the training made him a good jumper. 'Who's playing such a cool melody?! And why here in this foggy place!?' Craig said to himself.
The scent is somewhere and the melody as well but with this river of steam and fog is very hard to see...Craig eventually stopped jumping onto rocks as a dead end of a huge shining dark purple wall appeared in front.
"No way! It's blocked!" Craig touched the wall to feel very rich...like gold? Craig shook his hands ready to climb onto it. He puts his boots and hand on the wall and starts to climb. Craig also had training to climb. 'I wonder what's on the other side of this wall!'
Craig finally made it onto the top and took a moment to try and see what's there. Then his eyes sparkled, "No way! A huge town is built here!" He found a place that made him very excited. 'This place looks so cool! It looks like something not from my hometown but very elegant! Japanese style!'
Craig sees a beautiful huge red wine temple. It was very amazing until he heard the melody playing once again. That immediately caught his attention and looked where it came from...Craig decided to try climbing back onto the wall from the opposite side slowly onto the cultural Japanese side. He tries his best to not fall but also takes it slow, downward climb. Finally getting a perfect view, he finally sees who! Craig sees an octoling playing a shamisen and the other octoling playing kokyu. Craig found this very amazing but suddenly the melody stops and from what Craig hears is an octoling woman.
"That's enough for today, very amazing that you're so good at this already! Tomorrow we will do more if you like!"
"Of course, same time as today." An octoling man says. The woman then leaves and it's just the male octoling alone. Suddenly he plays the shamisen again. Craig felt himself smiling and felt the need to go down there and tell him it's a nice tune.
Craig starts to climb down not too eagerly but his eagerness gets the best of him and suddenly he misses his footing and falls straight onto a flower garden.
The tune of the music cripples and stops. "Yowouch!" Craig groans in pain as the flowers are not very comfortable as a landing spot. "An intruder!" The octoling growls. Immediately Craig tried his best getting up, "Hey! Wait no!" Stumbling in the process. The octoling was not impressed neither happy about it.
Craig dusts off his pants from dirt and flower petals, "Hey! I just climbed by because your melody sounds so cool! It's beautiful!" Craig happily commented on the octoling's tune. The octoling frowns, showing off his sharp teeth, "I don't care, plus it's not the instrument or genre I like." This made Craig more curious, "So what type of genre do you like playing?!" Craig is very interested in what this octoling really enjoys.
"None of your business, now leave or I'll force you." The octoling points upwards to where Craig initially fell. "W-wait! You can't be serious?! Oh Come on! I want to know!!!" Craig more eagerly tries his hardest to not get kicked out. The octoling hiss, "Why do you want to know so badly about the intruder? Thief." This made Craig shake his hands, "Woah woah wait! I'm not a thief! I just climb in because of your sweet melody...But enough of that! I want to know what type of genre you like! Because I myself make music notes! A whole collection of music notes!"
This made the octoling tilt his head with a surprised look. "You?... make music notes?"
"Yes! I make music notes because I love music and maybe one day I'll be able to make music! And become an artist!" Craig happily states. He's dreamt of becoming a music producer once he gets more instruments.
The octoling chuckles, "So you also enjoy making musical notes? And have an interest in music."
"Yes!!! That's why I want to know what your favorite type of music is!" Craig really wants to know as he's passionate about others' taste in music...besides his comrades. "Well, I very much love electronics. It's my personal favorite. Also a bit of rap into the mix." The octoling smirks. Craig was very much excited about the octoling's picks and taste. "No way really!? I love both of those two as well!!! Well I'm more of a rapper but still! You have great taste in music."
"So you also enjoy that genre as well. But you don't look the type to say." The octoling points at Craig's soldier fit. Craig was confused and realized, "Oh! Well I'm at a job training at the moment! But I promise I love your picks!" Craig looks at his right to see his book which is full of musical notes. "Look here's proof! I made all of these!" Craig was about to lend his book to the octoling until Craig heard other voices start coming close by. The octoling gasp and immediately pushes Craig onto a close-by bush to hide him. This causes Craig to yelp and fall onto a nice greenie bush. Craig realized he dropped his book out there where the octoling is.
"My prince it's getting late, you have a meeting in 8 minutes. What are you even doing out here in the garden? Your time with your music professor has flown by." A octoling woman came into view by what Craig can somewhat see. Also Craig frowned about the word "Prince" he thought to himself, 'Is this octoling a prince!? What no? Can't it be right?'
"Oh ah apologies, I just wanted to spend more time here."
"Hmm? My prince, is this your book?" Craig gasps but quickly closes his mouth.
"Oh uh yes counselor. I accidentally dropped it as you startled me."
"...Hmm? Why does your book have a written name Craig Cuttlefish?" Craig's mind instantly combined so many words he wanted to process as his name was being said by the counselor. "Oh! Well, you know how I very much enjoy rap music. Yeah he's an artist I find his music somewhat interesting." The octoling sounded very professional as no sentence was stumbled. Craig thought that was a good reaction except the part he said 'somewhat'.
"Oh! Very well. So in 8 minutes be ready by then my prince." Then Craig hears the counselor leave. Craig stood up and made his way out of the bush only to dust himself off once again.
"So you're named Craig Cuttlefish." Craig heard the octoling as he dusted himself off. "Yes. My name is Craig Cuttlefish. I was gonna say it soon but then your counselor abruptly came in." Finally getting his pants dust off only to still look even more dirty than before.
"Well Craig, I saw some of your keynotes and some of them are not even correct. You need to rework on them." This made Craig very dumbfounded yet acknowledged the octoling's words. "Oh cod, I just skimmed through your notes and you very much need to rework on a lot. Like I mean look at this!" The octoling walked towards Craig and pointed to the keynote of the error part of his melody.
"This practically cracks the tune of your song!" Craig sweat face, "Well I thought it would work...but! How would you know?"
The octoling growls, "I know because I also make music notes! I know what's right or wrong and your crack note should definitely be A major instead of an F major."
"Well I thought that note couldn't work so I thought of putting F." The octoling sighs, "No, it doesn't sound bad but it gives off a set and after that the main beat of your song." Craig was unsure but then he took a moment and realized it's not bad.
"We'll thank you...uh...what's your name?"
The octoling smirks, "The name is Octavio. Prince Octavio." Craig took a moment once again to process Octavio...prince Octavio...Craig quietly looked around. The red wine temple, beautiful shrine, huge beautiful garden, long bridge connected, beautiful underneath pond, the octoling's golden crown, fancy kimono...Craig finally processed. "YOU'RE A PRINCE!?!" Craig was truly shocked.
"Took you long enough." Octavio rolled his eyes and sighs. Craig slapped himself and smiled, "Well nice to meet you prince Octavio!"
"Somewhat nice meeting you I guess..." Octavio had an annoyed response. Craig frowns "Hey! what's with that tone of yours."
"My tone? You expect me to give you a welcoming greeting when you clearly climbed onto my walls as an intruder, you destroyed my roses with your weight, and now you're dirty. It clarifies my point." Octavio was in no shape of being nice when all of that happened.
Craig rubs his neck feeling guilty, "S-Sorry about that! I was just lured by the aroma and that melody you played."
"Well don't destroy stuff and don't come climbing into my walls...now thinking about that...you're a cuttlefish, very similar to an inkling." This made Craig confused, "Yeah I'm a cuttlefish considered inkling. Why? Is this your first time seeing an inkling in your country?"
"Yes. This is my first time meeting an inkling face to face. I've seen inklings but not close. I've seen from a distance when my father used to talk with inklings about the debt we all gave you for more land from a 12 year old war and my father and your government decided to not care. And so now our land is closed to any outsider who's an inkling. But that doesn't mean all inklings can't come in. Well only amongst the rich or visitors. But they can't stay." Octavio didn't know how to react with what he said because he knows that this is his father's fault for being too greedy and wanting something more out of it. Also it's the inking's government side as well. This makes octolings living together but of course there's still trust inklings for other things besides a ridiculous land. But it's rare to see inklings here.
Craig was very much surprised but also very understandable that that happened. Craig smiles, "Well since this is your first time seeing an inkling close up. Why not go out and about to see what's out of these walls!" Octavio looked nervous now and looked to the side, "I-I don't know...I've never been outside of my hometown or my octolings."
"Oh come on! You will see cool stuff and you'll see what's it like I guess inkling world view?" Craig happily says hoping Octavio will agree. "Have you ever seen an octoling? Besides me and my professor or counselor."
"What? Of course I have! In my hometown there's octolings living there as well." This raises Octavio's attention. He looked back again at Craig, "Octolings living in your hometown? I thought all octolings lived here?" Craig happily smiles "Well these octolings must have been there when your father decided to close down. There's octolings outside of these walls. I would imagine that your father never told you that because he doesn't want you ever leaving your palace." Octavio having a stern look made him give off a faint hope but then gave off a concerned look. "But I can't go out of my hometown. Even if I tell my guards or nobles they will not allow me."
Craig now confused, "Why won't they let you, aren't you old enough to leave when you want? Unless your actually-"
"Yes I'm very old enough to say. But the thing is my father made a vow to everyone who served him to always have me indoors. So I can't even try to get out even if I wanted to." This gave Craig an idea but just for him to be positive about it first, "So you're always stuck here forever because of your horrible dad and the loyal blah blah want to keep you in lockdown forever right..." Craig then cracks his knuckles even though inklings don't have bones but it's a visual for them. "Have you tried climbing up the walls?"
"No. Even then they will immediately know since my appointments are very high tasks for some moments of the day." Octavio crossed his arms. Craig noted that prince Octavio cannot climb due to his guards. "So this is my option for you. And don't worry you will be very okay." Craig grabbed Octavio's attention, "Since you never met the outside world behind these walls...how about I take you out of this place."
"But how will you take me out of this place?" Octavio asks. "Well simple. I could carry you on my back!" Craig says. Octavio pinched his nose in utter dejection, "Craig...you do realize I'm much taller than you and presumably stronger than you." Craig in shock, "You're taller than me?!" Immediately Octavio growls, "Do you not see?!". Craig looked up and down to himself and Octavio..."Ohhhhhhh I see now...whoops heh." Craig waves, "Wait I could bring my climbing hook with me and there I can get you out of here!" This is what Craig wanted to do. Getting Octavio out of here.
"Are you sure...like I mean I don't know anything out there. I don't know what direction to head. I-"
"Don't worry Prince Octavio! I'll be by your side. After all, aren't we friends now?" Octavio hiss, "We are not friends, we've just met. Also you destroyed a couple of things." Craig sweat face "W-well acquaintance then."
Octavio looks down, "So will this happen? I don't know if it will..."
"It will happen! Don't you want to see what's out there? There's a whole world out there that you should see!" Craig lifts his hands and arms up high proudly saying. Octavio in a delightful mood nods, "Yeah, I do want to see. I want to see what's out there...the world of others."
"PRINCE!!!!" Craig and Octavio jumped by the loud shout. This made Craig start climbing back onto the wall, "Prince, I'll be back here tomorrow same time alright."
"No, come by tomorrow 3 hours before if you have the time. If not then the next day will come at the same time as today."
"I'll get here tomorrow 3 hours before then yeah! See ya tomorrow prince!"
Craig made it out of the octoling's hometown and "Holy cod!? I was there for two hours and a half!? Time flies!" Craig began to run out, "Oh splat! my comrades must have been looking for me!".