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"...That's about it from the news for today. Once again, huge congratulations to all of Team Water for winning the Splatfest," Frye almost shouted to the microphone, "as well as to all of the Splatfest participants! None of it would have happened without you!"
"Tune in next time for more of the most exciting news from the Splatlands," Shiver added right after. "Till then, make sure we got anything to talk about!"
"Catch ya later!" the two, and Big Man in his own dialect, called out in unison.
Annnd cut! The camera stopped rolling, the microphones were turned off. Finally, they could catch a breath. The final days of the Splatfest were… hectic, to put it lightly. All three teams had been fighting tooth and, uh… tentacle?... for victory, as if their very lives depended on it. And then, in a sudden turn of events, the team represented by Big Man swooped in and wiped the floor with Frye and Shiver's teams!
"Whew…" Shiver sighed. "That sure was something. Big Man, your team sure knows how to fight. I'm proud of you."
"Ay… (Oh stop it…)" the manta ray mumbled bashfully as the octoling went on to give him a high five.
"Yeah," Frye chimed in with a smile. "Honestly, I'm glad that's done." She looked away for a moment. "Oh shoot, look at the time! I gotta go!"
"Huh?" Shiver raised an eyebrow and looked at the time. "It's barely 7 AM. Where are you going?"
"I, uh… I got something scheduled and just remembered it," Frye blurted out. "A hairdresser! Yeah, that's it! I wanted to try out a new look, thought to spice things up a little."
The octoling girl gave her a quick look. Her friend was smiling all the time, but now her smile felt… odd. Forced. That and her sudden change in attitude. Usually, they would all grab dinner together, and then this happened. Such a sudden change of plans, without notifying either her or Big Man? Suspicious, to say the least.
Nevertheless, Shiver shrugged her arms.
"Alright, then. We'll get you a takeout."
"Oh, don't worry about it. I'll get some food on my own. It's gonna take a while. Bye!"
Shiver tapped her jaw with her folded fan. She looked at Frye disappearing behind the door and then just stood there, thinking. Turning down a food offer just like that? This was getting more suspicious by the second…
"Ay? (Shiver?)" Big Man's presence brought her back from the deep thought.
"Frye, something's odd about her," she mused. "It's like… I don't know, she hasn't really been there lately."
"Ay-Ay-Ay… (Now that you mention it…)" hummed the manta ray. "Ay-Ay Ay Ay. (She has been oddly quiet for a while.) Ay Ay? (Maybe she's sick?)"
"Maybe. Still…" Shiver pressed the fan to her lips. "It's just so… unusual to see her actually force a smile. It worries me."
Frye didn't feel good about lying to her best friends. Then again, she hadn't been feeling good for quite a while by now, so there was little difference.
As she exited the studio, the inkling girl immediately made her way home. Inside her loft, from which she had a perfect view at the plaza and the remains of the festival still going strong, she finally let out a deep sigh. She was no longer smiling. Her face hurt from the grin she had kept for the public throughout the day. Lazily, she dragged herself on the couch and stared blankly somewhere in front of her.
Tears formed in her eyes. She tried to blink them away, but instead, they just flowed down her cheeks. At this point, she just couldn't stop. Curled down on the couch, legs pressed to her chest, the girl cried quietly.
Three times they had held the Splatfest. The first one ended in Big Man's victory. The second one, in Shiver's. And the third? One could speculate it would have finally been Frye's time to shine – one victory for each member of the group – but no, it was Big Man again.
Usually, she wasn't a sore loser. Far from it. She loved a good battle, and losing only meant she could fight the same opponent again, more experienced than before. Such was the mindset of a great turf warrior: if you lose, you adapt and fight another day.
The Splatfest, though? She had no idea. At some point, something inside of her just… broke. It was no longer as entertaining. It wasn't entertaining at all. But she couldn't just give up; she had a whole team to represent, in front of the whole city!
Now that the Splatfest was over, and with her hidden in the sanctuary that was her apartment, she no longer had to pretend. She wasn't okay. She was anything but.
It took her a good while to calm down enough to move. She went on to the bathroom and undressed. She lay there, in a nearly overflowing bathtub, for maybe half an hour, and only left when the water was no longer steaming hot. When she jumped out, wiped herself dry and put on her pajamas, she looked at herself in the steamy mirror. She didn't like what she saw. Quietly, she shuffled away into her bedroom, crawled under the sheet and tried to sleep, hugging a plush eel tightly. Even then, she couldn't help but sob until she exhausted all her strength.
Something was 100% wrong.
Next morning, Shiver and Big Man went to the studio. They hadn't heard from Frye since last evening. Both sent her a message, asking if she was okay and all that, but she had left them on read. She would never leave them on read.
And upon arriving at the studio, they made a yet unnerving discovery: they were here alone. Shiver asked the staff if they had seen Frye around, and Big Man straight up went on a recon to see if she was just going to be late. Alas, their friend was nowhere to be found.
"I don't like this. Not one bit," Shiver whispered to herself, tapping her foot nervously.
Suddenly, her phone buzzed. She flipped it open and saw the notification: Frye!
[DC]FreshFrye: got sick, can't come today
[DC]FreshFrye: sry
Well, at least she answered. Shiver immediately wrote a response:
[DC]FuukaSama: u okay? u looked kinda weird yesterday
[DC]FreshFrye: im fine, just caught cold or sth
[DC]FreshFrye: might miss a few casts tho
[DC]BigMan: should i come? i know a great family soup recipe. gets u up in no time!
[DC]FuukaSama: Frye…
[DC]FuukaSama: just
[DC]FuukaSama: just tell us if u need help, okay? you had us worried sick
[DC]FreshFrye: ok. and sry
Frye's profile went inactive again. Inactive or invisible, Shiver couldn't tell.
"I know I'm repeating myself," she said to Big Man, sitting right next to her with his own phone in fin. How he operated it was anybody's guess. "But I really don't like it. Is there something I'm missing?"
"Ay-Ay? (Surprise visit?)" Big Man suggested.
"Surprise visit."
The two had split up and later gathered back in front of Frye’s apartment building. Shiver glanced over at Big Man. The manta ray was carrying a sealed pot, from which she could very clearly smell something hot and spicy.
"You really got prepared," commented the octoling girl.
"Ay… (When it comes to helping friends…) Ay-Ay Ay Ay-Ay! (There is no such thing as too much care!)" he nearly shouted, prouder than ever. For a moment there, she saw not Big Man the Deep Cut DJ, but Big Man the Manta Clan patriarch. "Ay, (And besides,) Ay Ay-Ay. (It's been a while since I prepared this meal.) Ay Ay. (It was nice to cook it after so long.)"
"I hope you didn't add any fugu fish or anything?"
The manta ray pouted. "Ay-Ay! (They add the flavor!) Ay, Ay. (But no, this soup is officially toxin-free.)"
"Good." They were here to make sure Frye felt better, not to make it worse with a sudden food poisoning. She still remembered, quite vividly, the last time she and Frye had been invited to the clan's manor for a dinner. The aftermath was anything but pretty.
The two surveyed the building in front of them. It was an old warehouse turned years ago into an apartment complex. Twelve flats, six per floor, connected by a staircase and an industrial elevator. A little too industrial for Shiver's tastes, but she couldn't deny the charm of living where heavy machinery once stood. Each flat was spacious enough to house a family of four, and Frye had one just for herself. Lucky her.
Shiver and Big Man entered the building and quickly made their way upstairs. Frye lived under number 7, just next to the staircase.
Here goes nothing . Shiver took a breath and raised her hand to knock on the door.
Silence. The octoling girl knocked again.
"Frye?" she called out through the door. "Frye, it's us, Shiver and Big Man. Open up!"
"Ay Ay? (Maybe she's out?)" Big Man thought out loud.
"I swear I just heard something out there…"
Indeed, there was a sound inside. A quiet shuffle, at the very edge of hearing. Then slow footsteps. Shiver tried to peek through the keyhole but didn't see much, other than a vaguely inkling-shaped shadow shuffling towards the door.
And soon enough, they finally heard the familiar voice:
"Shiver? Big Man?"
Good news: Frye was still alive! Bad news: she sounded like this was about to change. The inkling girl slowly cracked the door open. The two were only able to see their friend's golden eyes. They were all glassy.
"Hey Frye," Shiver greeted the girl with a warm smile. "You said you were sick, so we thought we'd pop in for a while. You know, to keep you company and all that."
"That… That's very nice of you, but…" Even her voice was oddly weak. "I-I don't think this is the best timing."
"How come? Don't worry, you won't infect us if that's what you're afraid of."
"Ay Ay! (I brought you some soup!)" Big Man waltzed in between and showed her the pot. It was still nice and hot. "Ay, Ay-Ay! (Whatever's ailing you, the Manta Clan cuisine will cure ya in no time!)"
Now's our chance , thought Shiver. Everyone knows it gets real hard to dismiss someone when you see they brought their own food!
The plan that the octoling girl totally hadn't just come up with on the spot seemed to work. Frye let out a tired sigh and moved away from the door, opening it for her friends. Finally, they had a proper look at her.
What they saw was, for the lack of a better term, off-putting.
Frye looked like a shadow of herself. Her jewelery and headdress were gone, as well as her usual, traditional clothing, replaced by simple pajama pants and a faded t-shirt that was way too big for her. Her usually prominent forehead was completely covered by her yellow tentacles, partially obscuring her eyes. And speaking of eyes, were those dried tears on her cheeks?
"F… Frye…?" Shiver blurted out, shocked by what she saw.
The inkling girl just nodded towards the interior and walked back herself without a word.
Shiver and Big Man looked at each other, concerned like never before. This was no ordinary sickness.
As the manta ray made his way towards the kitchen to warm up the food, Shiver removed her sandals and looked around. Frye's flat still looked very industrial, despite obvious changes and decorations on her part. The floor, the walls, the lighting – everything was warm and colorful. She had even gone as far as to paint the whole corridor to make it look like one was walking through a tunnel made of slithering eels. It all looked so fantastical and vibrant, and energetic.
And yet, today, the energy here seemed anything but. The octoling girl made it to the living room, where she found Shiver, hidden under a cocoon of blankets and pillows, staring blankly at the TV.
What happened to you, Frye?
"So, um…" Shiver walked around and carefully sat down at the one spot of the couch not occupied by her friend. "How have you been? You disappeared so suddenly and we lost all contact until today."
"I'm… fine," Frye mumbled in response, actively avoiding her gaze. "Just a little under the weather, is all."
"Doesn't look like it, to be honest…"
Silence was her only response. I should probably not pry so soon . She looked around and saw Big Man approaching them with a tray. On top of it was a bowl of steaming soup. Noodles, meat, veggies, spices, et cetera – all carefully selected and prepared in accordance with the ancient family recipe. Or so he said.
"Ay-Ay! (Here you go, Frye. Careful, it's hot!)"
"Thank you, Big Man… You really shouldn't have." Frye picked up the bowl and slowly put it down on the coffee table.
"Ay. (Don't mention it.) Ay-Ay! (Everything for my friends!)" Big Man boasted proudly.
The girl forced a smile and took the spoon. The soup was indeed hot and spicy, but Frye was very much an enjoyer of spicy food. And she didn't immediately feel sick – that was a nice bonus.
Frye's eyes lit up. "It's amazing!" she exclaimed. It was nice to see her regain at least a portion of her old, happy self.
"Ay Ay! (That's the Manta Clan cooking for ya!)"
While she was eating, Shiver tried to think. What could have caused such a drastic shift in her best friend's mood? It must have happened pretty recently; she had only noticed the change maybe a few days ago. Could it have started even earlier, though? No, she couldn't have been this blind… could she?
Big Man waddled away to take care of the rest of the soup. The two girls were alone for a while. Shiver glanced at her friend's unkempt looks. Their eyes suddenly met. Fry quickly averted her gaze.
"S… Sorry for leaving so suddenly. And then not showing up today," she almost whispered and dug herself deeper into her blanket.
"Hey, no problem. Really." Shiver tried to sound as reassuring as possible. "I mean, we don't really have to hold the Splatcast every single day. And you've got every right to feel under the weather." She reached out and put a hand on her shoulder.
At this point she could tell when Frye was feigning a smile. "I know. I just…" The inkling girl looked down. She wiped her face with the blanket. "I don't know… It's like something inside me just… broke."
Is this the time? Shiver moved a little closer. With the corner of her eye, she saw Big Man peeking out from the kitchen. She gestured at him to come closer.
"If you need to offload," she said to her friend, "we're here. You know you don't have to hide anything from us. We'll help you however we can!"
Frye looked her in the eye. Gold met crimson. Soon enough, the inkling girl just fell on her and allowed herself to be hugged as tight as she could, immediately returning the favor. She hid her face in Shiver's neck. Quickly, Big Man joined in too and embraced both girls with his massive fins.
So this was the cause of her state. To think something seemingly as innocent as a Splatfest brought the happiest inkling Shiver had ever known to tears… Of course, now Frye seemed a little calmer, but still, she found it hard to do anything. She was in some kind of limbo, so to speak.
All it takes is one bad day. A coddamn Splatfest…
Shiver and Big Man spent the whole day by Frye's side. She needed it, some form of support, or distraction, in her moment of weakness. And if it called for an unplanned sleepover, then so be it.
So they stayed in her flat. Ordered some food to go well with Big Man's cure soup. Had a little movie marathon. Cuddled a lot…
While Big Man had already fallen asleep next to them, the girls, both hidden under the blanket, kept their eyes on the TV screen. Shiver was now acting as Frye's personal pillow, having allowed her to just lie down on her. She wasn't usually a particularly cuddly person, but she would make an exception this time.
The TV showed a music stage all the way in Inkopolis. On it, there was an all-famous pair of inklings, one purple and one green, singing and dancing together in perfect harmony.
"This reminds me of something…" Shiver remarked all of a sudden.
"Mm?"
"Hang on, lemme just…" She reached out for her phone, lying on the coffee table. She grabbed it by the edge of the screen – thank Cod for the long fingers – and pulled it closer. "There it is. Here. Take a listen." She gave her one earphone and put the other in her own ear.
Soon, the two heard a familiar melody. A seemingly chaotic amalgamation of styles and instruments. Their own very distinctive singing voices. Almost complete opposites, together in an unlikely harmony. A rainbow in sound form.
"Our very first song," Frye noticed immediately.
"Remember our first practice? None of us could decide which style to play, so we just went "screw it" and mixed all of it together."
The two chuckled quietly and just proceeded to listen to the whole song. There was Shiver with her voice smooth and cool like the ocean itself. Then there was Frye, beaming with contagious joy and energy. And then Big Man, pumping them up and setting the rhythm between their two styles.
As the song ended, Shiver let out a quiet sigh and looked Frye in the eye.
"Listen. I may not know just how bad you've been feeling, but I can promise you this: we will never leave you alone in any trouble. Whatever happens, however rocky a bottom you may hit, we're with you. Through thick and thin!"
The two looked at each other for a long while. Frye could feel her heartbeats quicken, as well as Shiver's. The inkling girl wrapped her arms around the octoling's neck and sniffled.
"I love you guys…"
I - "We love you too, Frye." Shiver returned the hug with one arm and put a free hand on Frye's head, gently combing her tentacles and moving the right one behind her ear, where it usually belonged.