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“Ah, hey…guys?”
The entire room turns to look at Neo.
“I think… the Captain’s birthday is in three days.”
There’s a short silence before the room erupts in noise.
“Wait, so soon?” Marie looks up from her magazine.
“Shit! I forgot!” Callie groans as she faceplants into a pillow.
“They never said anything about it…” Lotus mutters.
Sunny just slaps her hands on her face. “Fuck. That totally slipped my mind.”
“I can't believe we forgot…” Lotus hops from the couch. “I haven’t heard a peep from them, either!”
“Well, they didn’t really tell me buuut we were talking about birthdays for some reason, and when I asked ‘Oh yeah, when’s yours again?’, all they responded with was ‘In about a month.’ I wasn’t really thinking that hard when we had that conversation so it completely slipped my mind.”
“That’s all they said about it?” Marie inquires.
“Yup. Seems like they weren’t really looking forward to it.”
“Ah, nothing too unusual. Citrus has never been very enthusiastic about their birthdays.”
“They’ve never had a birthday party before?” Neo pipes up.
“Nope. When they were younger, their parents didn’t really do stuff like that. And we did give them one in 2019 but that was because their birthday was a bit before the Chaos vs Order splatfest and Pearl and Marina were going to be leaving soon. Other than that, they don’t really do birthdays and we don’t try to push them on the topic either.” Marie shrugs at the end of her tangent and goes back to reading.
“Oh...” Neo looks down in slight melancholy.
“Still, we should get Citrus some gifts! It’s the least we could do.” Callie lifts herself up on her elbows.
“I’d like to get the Captain some gifts.” Neo calls from the corner of the room.
“Oh! I can help you if you want. I know a lot of Citrus’ interests!” Lotus replies happily.
“Thank you, Ms. Lotus. But I really do want to do something extra special for the Cap though…” Neo’s sentence peters off as they look deep in thought.
After a few minutes of silence, Callie suddenly speaks up, “Oh! Idea time!”
“What is it?” Sunny responds without even looking from the TV.
“We should do a little party for Citrus’ birthday!”
“Didn’t we just discuss how Citrus aint too ecstatic about their birthday?” Sunny looks at Callie perplexedly.
“I know. I know! But it’ll be something chill, low-key. I’ll contain myself and not do anything big and exciting, I know how Citrus can be. Besides, if it’s Neo then Cap won’t mind. In fact, they’ll probably be happy that their protege planned their birthday party!”
“Wait, what?” Neo finally tunes back in the conversation at hand.
“Oof, Callie-designated event planner. Have fun, kid.” Sunny sends a sympathetic glance toward the inkling in question.
“Wait, I didn’t agree to this!” Neo waves their hands around as their voice becomes more exasperated.
“Didn’t you say you wanted to do something special for the Captain?” Marie only adds to the fire.
“I mean, yeah…”
“This is the perfect way!” Callie finishes for her cousin.
“Think of it as your first Squidbeak civilian project.” Marie gives Neo a soft grin.
“Don’t worry, we’ll help you with some of the stuff.” Callie hops back and forth on her toes, “It’s gonna be great!
“But ultimately, it’s up to you!” Lotus adds ultimately.
“Well, I guess that’s ok…” Neo settles down as they mull over the idea.
“Ok, birthday party in three days, guys?” Callie assesses the rest of the group.
“If we don’t make a big deal out of it, sure.” Sunny states for everyone.
“Yes! It’s settled then!”
As everyone left Alterna for the day, Callie decided to stay with and help Neo get started with the birthday party. Currently at the local Makomart, they would start with the cake.
“Ok, the first order of business: what exactly are we going to be doing?”
“Uh, I kinda didn’t think about that really.” Neo scratches at their ear.
“That’s fine! That’s why I'm here to help!”
“Ah, ok.”
“Let’s start with background info. How did you guys celebrate birthdays in the Scrap Deserts?”
“Oh! Well, since resources could’ve been scarce, the birthday cake was simple, flat, and vanilla. We’d usually top it with store-bought frosting and canned fruit. “
“Ah, a mixed fruit cake. Good choice for a birthday! Ok, this is a great start, we have a cake now. What else did you guys do?”
“Well, of course, we gave the birthday person gifts, we played games, had some non-cake food, and sometimes we would go to a play or movie theater. We usually didn’t have a lot of money when we pooled it together so our parties were formed from literal pennies.”
“That’s good, that’s ok! Citrus has never been about being big or expensive so that type of party would be up their alley!”
“Well, what do I do now?”
“Up to you! This is your party planning so just go with the flow!”
“Go with the flow…”
“I’ll leave you to it! Good luck on the cake-choosing, I’ll be in another part of the store getting groceries so just call me if you need any help!”
“Thank you, Callie.”
“No prob!”
Turning back to the selection of pre-made cakes, Neo ponders on what the Captain would like. They seem to eat the most extreme foods but then they'll also profess their love for vanilla bread and plain rice so the younger inkling isn’t too sure about a flavor profile.
“Hey, squiddo, whatcha looking for?” An older pufferfish man addresses Neo.
“Ah, I’m looking for a cake for my…teacher.” Neo has to remember Squidbeak stuff is confidential and secret. “It’s their birthday soon so I’m kinda on a deadline. Just trying to find the perfect cake.”
“Well, I can help you with that! What’s their favorite flavor?” The man steps closer to the cake counter. Neo can read ‘Wilfred’ on the nametag.
“Hello, Wildfred. Um, I’m not sure?”
Wilfred just chuckles, “Well, do you have an idea of what they like in general?”
“Erm, they seem to be pretty indecisive but also non-critical at the same time? Like, they consider all of their options but also won’t be mad if you put something random in front of them?” They rub the back of their neck, “Sorry, that probably doesn’t make any more clear.”
Wilfred just straight-up laughs. “Haha! Kid! You aren’t giving me a lot to work with here!”
“I know, I know! It’s hard for me too. All I know is that they aren't big on expensive gestures.”
“Hm…are they an expressive person?”
“...Not really.”
“Look, as an employee, I shouldn’t be telling you this but I can give some wisdom for a struggling youngin’ like you: you should just bake the cake yourself! I bet your teacher would really appreciate it!” Wilfred gives a gentle smile.
“Are you sure? I really want their birthday to be good…I don’t think my baking skills should be something they’re subjected to.”
“Trust me, they’ll love it either way, based on what you’ve told me so far at least.”
“I don’t know…I mean! I want to believe you! But, uh, just hard for me to see how my teacher would like that? They’re nonchalant but I should still give them something of worthy. It’s the least I can do.”
Wilfred just looks at Neo with an unreadable expression, “Well, if that’s how you feel…the customer is king! I work the evening shifts so if you need any help, I’ll be here.”
“Thank you, Mr. Wilfred.” Feeling a bit dejected about not having a cake ready, Neo briskly exits the store. Taking out their phone, they make their way to the nearest train stop.
Sorry Callie, left early.
The next day, Neo decided to ignore the cake problem and focus on gifts for the Captain. Feeling that the mall would be a good place, they made their way downtown first thing in morning.
Well, as early as a teenager could be.
Which was 5 in the evening.
Surprisingly, Lotus was also there getting a gift for Citrus aswell as some stuff for herself. It looked like she was at the end of her trip with the amount of bags she had as Neo met her near the front doors.
“Citrus rarely speaks and even rarely speaks about their self but over the years I’ve gotten some pieces of useful information as their girlfriend!”
“Anything worthwhile?”
“Well, me and the rest of the team have gotten them things they need, or every once in a blue moon, wanted, so nowadays they’re pretty satisfied with what they have. It’s rare to hear them express a desire for something. So I guess it would be better to find something that means a lot to them!” Lotus waggles her shopping bags around.
“Huh, something that means a lot?”
“Yeah! Something that can’t be replaced.”
“......That’s hard.”
“I know. But I believe in you! I heard how creative you were in Alterna so this should be a breeze! Don’t sweat it.”
“Thanks, Ms. Lotus.”
“No problem, have fun!”
“Alright, find a gift for our Cap’n.” Lotus exit and makes her way to the parking lot.
Situated at the front doors of the Splatsville Eeltail Neighborhood Mall, Neo had the world’s oyster to shop for.
“Well, here goes nothing.”
Hopping from store to store, Neo thinks of ideas from clothes to accessories to even a stuffed toy from the Build-A-Leafsheep store. But whenever they dwell on the idea more, it just doesn’t seem like the Cap would like it. Huffing and plopping themself on a bench, they settle on people-watching as they try to think of a better idea.
“Why so in the dumps, sweetie?”
“Huh?”
An older octoling standing at a crystal and stone booth shoots her piercing red eyes right at Neo. The younger inkling slightly squirms under the gaze.
“Are you talking to me?”
“Yes, you! You have such a sad frown on that youthful face! What’s got you down? Anything this old lady can help with?”
Getting a better look at the lady, instead of seeing the typical out-of-style jewelry and muted clothing of a middle-aged inkfish woman, Neo instead finds gnarly scars and a patchwork leather jacket.
The older lady notices that Neo’s been staring for a while. “Like the scars?”
“Ah! Sorry, ma’am! Thank you for your service…” They give an awkward salute.
“Hehe, don’t worry about it. And also I’m not a veteran.”
“Ah…? But, your scars?”
“I’m from the Inkopolis region.”
“...”
“Y’know, Octo Canyon and Valley? The Octarian army?”
“Oh! I didn’t- I mean, it’s just-”
She just giggles, “It’s fine! I know most of the world is still unaware of us Octavian octolings.” The octoling absentmindedly wipes off her cart. “Either way, I can still see ghosts of sadness on that face of yours. What’s plaguing you? I’m Carmine, by the way.”
“Ah, hi Ms. Carmine. Well, my teacher’s birthday is very soon and I’m trying to get them a gift. But I’ve gone to basically every store in this dam- uh, dang mall and I haven’t found anything!”
“Hm, all the goods items were taken already, huh?” Carmine begins putting away her stock as she converses.
“No, my teacher is just hard to shop for. They aren’t one to really want things so it’s hard for me to know what to exactly get them.”
“Hmm…you’re thinking too typically.” She says matter-of-factly.
“I am?” Neo looks up in slight bewilderment.
“If your teacher isn’t one for physical gifts then maybe you need to go in a different direction of thinking; start thinking about how the object can be meaningful or even having no physical gift at all, maybe an action that means a lot.” Carmine smiles softly at Neo as she zips up multiple bags.
“Huh, I didn’t think about it like that.”
“As an ex-soldier in a society where we didn’t have a lot to call our own, meaningful acts and handmade gifts were the best way to show someone that we cared about them.” She reveals a small metal necklace with a silver coral pendant. “This is from an old friend back in the army. We both wanted to see the ocean so badly, me more than him. So he made this for me. It’s the thought that counts.”
“... That sounds pretty sweet. But now I’m stumped on what I can give them! I’m not big on the whole deep-thinking thing nor am I good at being sentimental or…feelings, I guess.”
Carmine chuckles, “Don’t worry, I know you’ll figure something out.”
“Wh-Wait! You aren't going to help me?!”
“Sorry, this is something you have to figure out yourself. The best gift for your teacher that would come from you has to be thought of by you. Don’t sweat it, you look like a smart kid, I know you’ll solve this little problem eventually.” Carmine’s kind smile never leaves her face.
“I feel like I’ll ever get it…”
“You will. Trust me. I was in the same place as you many years ago. The solution gets dangled in front of our faces when we need it the most.” She taps her temple. “Always.”
Neo just looks down in contemplation.
“Now, the mall is going to close soon and I have to pack up the rest of my stuff. I would suggest getting your thoughts in order before 8 if you do decide to get them a physical gift.”
“...”
Neo was screwed. They had no idea what to do.
“Do you have any idea on how to decorate?” Or even what to decorate with?”
“Um, maybe? We used scrap paper and watercolor markers since that was the only craft materials we would come across.”
“That’s it? No balloons or party poppers or even candles?” Marie asks incredulously without looking from the road.
“Didn’t find that stuff out in the desert, not a lot of helium nor fire starters to be found.” Neo just shrugs.
“Ugh, ok, alright. We can work with this. Here, let me write you a list.” Marie multitasks writing and driving safely as Neo looks in slight horror. “Yeah, yeah, I know. But I’m kind of on a deadline right now but that doesn’t mean I wasn’t going to help you in any way I could.”
“Oh, is this all?” Neo takes the paper from Marie so she can focus back on not crashing.
“Yeah, this isn’t going to be a crazy party so you won’t need a lot of supplies. Thank cod for Callie restraining herself.”
Marie pulls up in front of the strip mall, performing an effortlessly-looking parallel parking. “You can add or take away some things from my list with some discretion. This is just to help you get started. I’ll leave you to it then.” Marie reverses out of the parking spot and drives off, “Have fun!” She calls out down the road.
Standing in front of the local Party Sea, Neo only feels deflated. The last two days haven't been great in terms of trying to plan the Captain’s birthday party. Hopefully looking around in this party supply store will help get some ideas moving. Opening the door, the inkling can only sigh.
“Hi! Welcome to Party Sea!” A young inkling woman greets Neo at the front doors.
“Ah, hello…”
“Could I help you today?”
“Oh, yes, actually. I’m planning my teacher’s birthday party for tomorrow night. They’re not big on the theatrics so I’m keeping it simple.”
“Well, here at Party Sea we have all kinds of party decorations meant for every occasion! You can find our basics over in aisle 9.” She does a big and dramatic point in the intended direction, with Neo awkwardly walking past her.
“Thank you…” Neo knew it was part of their jobs but the entire sales and service shtick these big-store employees had to do only annoyed them. They usually just wanted to get what they needed and leave.
Arriving in aisle 9 lust like directed, Neo felt lost again. The survey of items were actually very easy to work with: solid colors, simple instructions, and a wide array of choices to make any type of decor setup.
And yet.
Neo was still stumped.
An endless selection that would allow Neo to make Cap's birthday party in any theme. Mature, bright, wacky, there was no limit to Neo’s imagination.
But Neo couldn't think of anything.
The idea of possibly ruining the party only plagued the inkling’s mind. It felt like no matter what they came up with, nothing would be good enough.
They’re not sure how long they stood there standing and staring at the aisle but eventually, a voice suddenly spoke in their ear. “Find everything you need?”
“AH!” Broken out of their trance, Neo stumbles as they turn towards the employee they saw at the front of the store.
“Oops…sorry for startling you…” She has the decency to look a little guilty.
Neo just huffs out a breath, “It’s…fine.”
“That’s good! I hope your shopping trip has been going great?”
“Um, not really…feeling a bit stumped looking at these decorations…”
“Hm…well, if that’s the case, you can always try the craft store down the street!”
Neo just looks at her incredulously.
“Ah, I’m not supposed to really say that as a store employee…it’s fine though! Looked like you really needed a new approach for this!”
“Thank you for the recommendation.”
Walking a block down, Neo sees the Ink & Confetti craft store that the employee told them about. Neo hopes that this place will be the one to give them an idea on how to make the Captain’s birthday party perfect. Stepping inside, the vibes of this little store is noticeably different than Party Sea. Smaller, more peaceful music, and less harsh yellow lighting, the environment immediately makes Neo feels welcome and belonged. The elderly moray eel man stocking the paint shelves adds to the feel to boot.
“Hello?”
“Oh! Hello there, little snapperfish! What brings you to my little storefront?”
“An employee from the nearby Party Sea told me this store would be for getting decorations for a birthday party.”
“Ah, Searipper…the girl is a good one!”
“Ah, you do mean Sarah, right?”
“Yes! She doesn’t like her “government name” so I call her the chosen name she asked of me. It’s the least I could do!”
“Ah, ok…”
“Anyways! Party decorations? You’ve come to the right spot. We have colored paper of every color and texture, long-lasting liquid glue, alcohol AND water-based markers, and much, much more! The only limit is your mind.”
“Ah, that’s the thing…the birthday party is for my teacher and they’re a very laidback, chill, and no-effort type of person. So I’m not trying to overwhelm them with a party that they feel is making a big deal of things. That’s why I’ve been having a hard time trying to plan this whole thing.”
“Hm, well, with my help, we can have something ready in a week! I always can make a good party set. All you need is a little personality thrown in.”
“Their birthday is tomorrow night.”
“Oh, dear.”
“Yeah.”
Neo stumbles back into the apartment after their failed rendezvous at the craft store. Flopping down on the couch in agony, Sunny comes out of their room.
“Hey, inkblob! So, you got everything ready?”
“NO!” Neo’s muffled reverberates from the leather material.
“Woah, what happened?” Sunny gets closer to inspect the sad mess of inkling.
“The last 3 days have been a disaster trying to find supplies for the Captain’s birthday party! I’ve tried to find them a cake, get them a present, and even the most basic of birthday party planning: decorations! And for all three, I couldn’t succeed in getting at least something for them. I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong…”
“Well. Did anybody at the stores try to help you?”
Neo lifts themself up in agitation. “Of course they did! But they all said some version of ‘just do it yourself!’ and I don’t really get what they mean. In both ways: how can I do it myself and why would I want to?”
“Hey, doofus.” Sunny pinches Neo’s cheek playfully.
“Wh- Hey!” They cry out in pain.
“Have you ever thought that maybe they were telling you to DIY it?”
“Huh?”
Sunny just rolls her eyes lightheartedly. “You literally told us how a Splatlands-style party was made with found trash and literal pennies. And yet you can’t figure out how to plan this party for Citrus of all people?”
They sputter and flail around nervously, “B-but, the Captain…is the Captain! I can’t give them a rinky-dink party! They’ll-”
“Dude.” Sunny just sighs exasperatedly as she glances up at the ceiling, “This is the same Captain we’re talking about? The one that wears flip-flops, a tattered poncho, and an over-century-old hat? The one that is too lazy to properly fix their gear with appropriate ability chunks? The one that will eat literally ANYTHING because trying to find something a smidge better is just ‘a bit too much for me’, in their own words. That Captain?”
“I-I mean, well…”
“Oh, kid…” Sunny pats their head gently, “I believe you were just overthinking this whole party thing. You’ve known that Captain for about 8 months now, surely you can tell how laidback they are? You know they wouldn’t care about what type of party they get, especially if it looked like it was made on 5 dollars.”
“I mean, yeah, I know…it’s just…” Their sentence sputters out towards the end.
“You just didn’t want to disappoint the person you look up to a lot?” Sunny helpfully adds for them.
Neo just nods their head.
“Like I said, nothing to worry about, especially with the Captain. You know, it’s still not too late to start the party planning…” Sunny smirks as she looks outside the glass patio doors. “Wanna get started on that party idea you had brewing in your head?”
“Sure.”
“Is everything ready?” Sunny calls out as she finishes cleaning up the apartment, broom in hand as she dumps the dustpan into the garbage. “I hope it is because cleaning this place is the last chore I want to do.”
Neo contemplates as they fluff up the pillows. “...I think so. I have their cake, some food, the gifts, some casual party supplies, and some fun activities to keep us going for a few hours.”
“Nice! You have this under wraps.” Sunny flops down on the couch in exhaustion.
“Thanks, this wouldn’t exist without your help. Though, I feel like there’s still something missing…” They stare deeply at the wall as they think hard about the idea.
“Seems to me you have everything prepared, I don’t think you’re missing anything.” Sunny fully lays down as she pulls a blanket over herself. “I’m gonna take a nap before the party. Wake me up when we get started.”
“Ok…” Neo still dwells on the missing object they feel is missing as Sunny snores beside them. “...What am I missing?”
A few hours later of Neo scrolling on their phone, they hear the first knock on the door.
“Callie and Marie represent!”
“Too loud, Cal.”
“Guess we’re getting started…” Neo stands up and stretches. Afterwards, they shake Sunny. “Yo, wake up. Party’s happening.”
Sunny just mumbles and groans. “Cod, I’m tired. I shouldn’t have procrastinated on the cleaning…”
Neo just laughs as they open the door for the cousin pair.
“Hey, Neoooo!” Callie immediately steps in the apartment as soon as she gets the chance to. Taking a look around, she whistles in approval. “Woah, nice. I knew you had this!” She smiles warmly at Neo.
Marie comes up behind her. “Yeah. I’m honestly really impressed as well. Good work, agent.”
Neo gives a thousand-watt smile, praise always felt good. “Thanks! But Sunny helped a lot too!”
The mentioned inkling is still dozing off at the island table.
“Thank you, Sunny!” Marie calls out with a smirk.
“Reliable as always!” Callie says even louder.
Sunny just starts and looks around frantically. “Ah-um-yeah. Y-you’re welcome! Ah…what am I being thanked for?”
“Don't worry about it!” A voice calls out from the doorway. Everyone turns to look and sees Lotus standing with a large present.
“Ms. Lotus!” Neo runs to give her a hug.
“Hi, Neo! The party looks great!”
“Thank you. I finally managed to throw something together.”
“I knew you would!”
“Lotus, Citrus isn’t with you?” Marie glances behind the octoling.
“Ah, no? Why would they be?”
“I mean, it is their birthday party!” Callie points out.
“Ahaha, I guess I forgot to tell everybody…” Neo laughs as they scratch their cheek. “This whole party is, uh…a surprise. We’re supposed to turn off the lights and everything..”
“Ah! What! Neo, I would’ve prepared if I knew!” Callie exclaims.
“ I don’t think you prepare for a surprise for someone else…” Marie mutters off on the side. “Still, if you didn’t tell everyone then that means some people may come after Citrus arrives.”
The whole room quiets as they assess the possible future.
“Ah, I guess we hope everyone arrives before the Cap?” Sunny finally adds awkwardly.
Luckily for Neo, everyone did come before Citrus did. It was advantageous that they were a habitual late arrival to anything they went to.
First was Ex-Cap’n Cuttlefish and, surprisingly, DJ Octavio. There were some complaints, mostly from Marie, but they died down when the DJ showed he was there in earnest, especially when he pulled out his own gift.
Next came Deep Cut and Off the Hook. Even with their busy careers, they still managed to take the time out of their days to celebrate the Cap’s birthday. Neo tried their hardest not to fanfreak out about being in the presence of Off the Hook, especially when everyone else seemed to be acting normally about the whole affair.
Afterwards, the arrivals were infrequent and random. Sheldon, Crusty Sean, some Ex-Octarian soldiers, and even a random isopod older man that Neo thought looked pretty cool.
Once everyone arrived, they all decided on small chatter to pass the time before Citrus got there. A half-hour later, Callie heard a light, knocking pattern that was unmistakably Citrus’
Yell-whispering, she dimmed the lights, “Get into place, everybody!”
With immediate silence, everyone found an easy place to hide themselves. Neo decided to hide next to the light switch so that they would be one of the first people Cap would see.
Everyone patiently waited as the door opened and Citrus slowly shuffled their feet, suddenly pausing and taking a look around.
“Hello?”
Taking that as cue, Neo brightened the lights and everyone at once jumped from their hiding places.
“HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CITRUS!” The entire room screamed at the inkling.
Looking momentarily startled, Citrus’ face morphed back into their signature indifferent stare except this time they had a small smile.
“Man, I should've known you guys would’ve done something for my birthday.”
“Hell yeah!” Callie yelled out, “As if we would ever not do something for a birthday!”
“Hmph.” They laugh through their nose. Turning to their right, they finally notice Neo. “...You planned this?”
“U-um…yes, C-cap!” They didn’t know why they were so nervous but Neo still felt like they could disappoint the Cap in some way.
“...Fresh.” They ruffle Neo’s hair and go towards the kitchen. “Oh shit! Vanilla cake, my favorite!”
Neo lets out a relieved breath. They don’t know why they were ever worried.
The party goes as smoothly as Neo could ever hope it would. They start things off by singing happy birthday to the Cap. Going along with the antics, Citrus closes their eyes and makes a wish. They even tease everybody by saying they won’t tell what their wish was. Afterwards, Callie cuts the cake that has frosting with a picture of the Captain’s promotion on top (Neo is still proud of this idea).
Unexpectedly, the party activities happen unscheduled but no one seems to mind. From playing Uno to competing in Mario Kart to watching terrible yet funny movies, the night goes on festively. Eventually, 1 am hits and most of the guests have already left for the night, even Cuttlefish and Octavio (turns out their old age is getting to them). The only ones left now were Neo, Citrus, Lotus, and Sunny. Sunny finally got her well-earned rest, snoring softly on the large floor rug. She looked comfortable so no one decided to move her to the couch. Lotus was busy cleaning up the apartment of part decoration and trash in Sunny’s stead, currently washing the plates and forks. With some headphones on, she was bopping to and fro. THat left Neo and Citrus together on the couch, who were respectively watching the late-night news and eating the last of the cupcakes.
“Hey.” Citrus licks the frosting from their fingers, “This was a good party you planned. Thanks, kid.”
Neo just chuckles abashedly. “Ha! It was nothing, Cap!”
“Nah, it was everything. It’s not often I feel good about my birthday but you made it alright kid.” Captain gives their signature languid smile.
“...No problem.” They give a beaming smile back.
“I really liked the decorations and cake you made. Gave me a very amateur vibe.” Citrus gestures to hand-made cut tissue paper shape ceiling decorations.
“Is…that bad?” Neo says with an edge of nervousness.
“What? No. Hell no, I love it. It’s very cute.” Captain bumps some of the balloon seashells around. “The others always try to get me what’s the best of the best but I don’t want that. Or need it. I like just hanging with my family.”
“We’re family?” They ask incredulously.
“Absolutely. When I met you back in September, I didn’t realize that you would’ve been a permanent agent. I just thought that you were a random inkling Gramps found that would leave after everything was done. But that was silly of me to believe, it’s never happened that way before. Guess I still need to get used to being the Captain.” They tip their baseball cap in humor. “But of course, the whole Squidbeak Splatoon is family. That means you’re stuck with us for life.”
Neo smiles contentedly, “That’s good to know.”