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Calamari County was nothing like Inkopolis, in practically every sense. The sweet scent of pine and freshly fallen leaves replaced the usual burning rubber and asphalt stench. The typical greys occasionally cut by piercing LED screens were now a soft orange from the changing fall leaves, lit up instead by the natural light of the sun. Even the constant cooing of hungry pigeons was now replaced with the songs of nesting robins. For most of Inkopolis’ residents, this would be considered a blessing, a joyous break from the hustle and bustle of city life. But for Sakura, it was quite the opposite. She hated it.
“A couple of my friends from school dared me to ride my bike down the hill. I failed so badly that I scraped my face. My mom was so mad.” Pacificus let out a chuckle as he pointed from the oak tree they stood by and then motioned to the bottom of the hill where the sidewalk met the overgrown grass.
“Glad to see you’re just as easy to push around now as you were as a kid, huh?” Tako gave him a playful punch on the shoulder, but from the look on his face, it was obvious it had hurt more than anticipated.
“Yeah, yeah, whatever, Tako. Anyway, what do you think, Saki?” Oh, he’s talking to me.
“Oh, um, yeah. It’s really neat, Pac. The tree is… neato.” She didn’t want to admit it, but she had not listened to anything he had said. It wasn’t intentional; normally, she’d be incredibly attentive to her friends, but there had been a horrible sinking feeling in her gut ever since she got off the train. A strange sensation of dread only felt during the most intense games of Splat Zones. She had fought the great Octo weapons, challenged an entire army of Octoling soldiers, and even went toe-to-toe with Octavio. Yet none of them could hold a candle to this, having to meet her best friend’s family.
“Isn’t it?” He reached over and wrapped his arm around the other two’s shoulders, laying his head on Sakura’s. He earned a huff from Tako and a soft chuckle from herself. “Well, I’ve been reminiscing enough, and you two are probably getting cold.” He motioned down the hill towards a cul de sac just under a mile off. The houses were all semi-circle in shape, with an old dirt path connecting them to the main paved road. One of them seemed to be glowing extra bright, as if it were a beacon for them. “That’s where we’re headed.”
Tako perked up at that and quickly pushed Pac’s arm off. “Well then, let’s get going! Get as far away from that stuffy old train.”
“You know we have to get back on it in like two days, right?” Pacificus replied with a chuckle.
“Don’t remind me.” Tako didn’t even wait for the other two before picking up her backpack and booking it down the hill.
“I didn’t think she was being serious when she said she wanted to end this trip as fast as possible.” Pacificus let out an audible sigh as he watched the Octoling sprint toward the cul-de-sac. She was already halfway down the hill. “Well, better catch up then!”
Pacificus took off after her. Before she could fully process it, Sakura was rushing to catch up with her friends, though luckily, it wasn’t too hard to keep up with them. Her real concern was the constant thoughts running amok in her mind. Thoughts of meeting someone new, and someone so important nonetheless. A part of her wished she had just stayed behind in Inkopolis. All she could hope was that this strange place would somehow feel like home.
A very short sprint later, the three stood at the door to her brother’s family home. The light was gentler up close than from the hill, dawning the trio in a comforting, soft, yellow glow.
Tako dragged her claws along the brick walls, almost unheard of in the concrete jungle that was Inkopolis. Despite their age, there was not a speck of dirt on them; even the mortar was pristine. “Damn, this place is nice,” Tako stated almost matter-of-factly.
“Would it have killed you to walk?” Pacificus wheezed out as he caught up with them. Despite coming in last and huffing heavily from the race, he hurried over to knock on the massive wooden door.
There was hardly a pause before the handle shook, and a tall Inkling woman came out. Her eyes were the same as Pac’s, an intense blue that gleamed with love. “Pac! My precious koi, you’re finally here!”
Before he even got the chance to speak, Pacificus was enveloped in his mother’s arms. She picked him up and placed her head on his, just like he did with the Cephalosquad after their tournaments.
“Look at you! You’ve grown so much! And you look so handsome in your little cardigan.” She even coddled him the way he would with them. Seems as though those quirks ran in the family.
“Mom! Please, this is embarrassing. I’m a grown man!” Pacificus bemoaned.
Sakura couldn’t help but giggle as she watched Pacificus fruitlessly try to get away. He eventually gave in and returned her embrace. She held him for maybe a minute too long before Pacificus finally spouted, “Mom, the others are here too.”
“Oh, right! Right, of course. So sorry, hun.” The older woman finally relented and turned her attention to the other two. “You must be Tako and Sakura! It’s so nice to meet you.”
Tako stood up like a soldier for attention and held her hand out for a shake, only to shockingly be met with a hug. She visibly stiffened at the touch but quickly settled and returned the embrace. She grinned. “It’s very nice to meet you, ma’am.”
“Please, none of this ‘ma’am’. You can call me, Isla,” Isla gave Tako a reassuring touch. “Pac, dear, I already have the living room set up for you all. Go on in and make yourselves comfortable.”
With a quick nod, Tako sauntered on in. Isla then turned her attention to Sakura. Suddenly, she felt that sinking feeling in her stomach come back.
“And that means you’re Sakura.” Isla approached her much slower than Tako. The older woman had a calm expression. Yet her eyes seemingly bore holes into Sakura, or maybe it was just the feeling of her ink running ice cold in her veins.
She suddenly felt like her entire body had become clammy. Her hands could do nothing but flex repeatedly to try to calm her nerves. There was no reason for her to feel this way, and yet having to mask her true anxieties in front of a stranger did not bode well. She didn’t want to make a bad impression, but she also knew it would look worse to walk past her. With no choice, she returned his mother’s eye contact and forced what she hoped looked like a natural smile.
Just as Isla had done to the other two, Sakura was scooped up into a powerful hug that knocked the wind right out of her. Sakura held back a yelp from the sudden feeling of a stranger touching her and tried to steady herself. “It’s n-nice to meet you, ma’am.”
“I’ve been looking forward to meeting you for so long, Sakura. Pacificus has told me so much about you!” Despite Sakura’s slight squirming, Isla still held her with the same love and adoration as her actual son.
“That’s… really great, ma’am.” Sakura felt her breath hitch in her chest. The older woman refused to let her go, and the longer she was in her loving grasp, the more it felt like she was suffocating.
Isla slowly released her grip and allowed Sakura some room to breathe. Sakura released a sigh, not even realizing she was holding it in. Finally, she could go be reunited with her brother and try to find a safe place-
In an instant, she felt it. Isla placed her head on top of hers, just as she had done before with Pac. Only now, she was resting right on Sakura’s scar. Terrifying memories filled her vision, and old tissue that had long since lost feeling suddenly erupted in flames.
“No! Stop!” She screamed without realizing, thrashing as if she was in a fight. The beginnings of tears pricked her eyes.
“Get away!” One moment, she was being held, the next, she instinctively fought to try and touch a tentacle that was long gone. A few measly tears slid down her face, which she quickly wiped away, clearing her vision enough to see her surroundings.
Panicked, she launched herself against the brick wall, tentacles a mess and breath shaky. The cold chill from the scar tissue had settled into a general numbness, yet none of that could compare to the sudden fear when Sakura saw Isla, gripping the arm she had just been patting her with.
“..Oh no.”
“I’m… I’m so s-sorry. I didn’t-” Sakura tried to reach towards her. Isla stepped back. Her expression was unreadable, but it certainly wasn’t happy. Sakura suddenly wished she was sleeping with the Salmonid rather than standing here.
“Please, just step inside, Sakura.” Despite the obvious pain in her arm, Isla still held the door open and motioned for her to step inside.
Sakura lowered her gaze and refused to make eye contact. Not after that stunt. Instead, she responded with a quick nod and a firm, “Yes, ma’am.”
The inside of the house was incredibly comforting, with soft yellow lights and the scent of drying spices wrapping them up in a gentle embrace. Every inch of their home was decorated, from the paintings on the walls to the cozy rug keeping their feet from touching the cold wooden floor. Even the furniture was adorned nicely, with soft throw blankets and pillows tying the whole room together. Despite Pac’s heavy connection with blue, their entire home was saturated with soft reds and greens, contrasting the brown of the wood flooring and the textile of the furniture. It was the epitome of comfort.
But one decoration stood out among the rest, the many, many family portraits. Some were older, showing a young couple on their wedding day. Others were more recent, depicting an all too familiar navy squid with his loving family around him.
Yet, no matter which photograph she looked at, all of them were filled with joy. Every person had a smile from ear to ear, from the youngest squid to those looking closer to Cap’t’s age.
“Yo… Yo! Sakura, earth to squid. You still in there?” Tako waved her hand in front of the dazed Inkling.
Sakura’s glazed expression stuttered as she slowly blinked back to reality. All three were wrapped up in blankets and comfortably resting on a massive couch, clearly meant for more occupants. The coffee table in front of them had a plate of homemade pastries, warm mugs of tea, and a game board for Eels and Inkrails. The plate and mugs were almost empty save for Sakura’s who hadn’t bothered to touch them.
“It’s your turn, goofy.” Tako was rolling around out a tiny die in her palm right in front of Sakura.
“Oh, right.” Sakura took the die and half-heartedly tossed it on the table. It landed on 1. She pushed her little squid piece forward and it landed on an eel, forcing her to all the way back towards the start. She flapped back on the couch and went back to messing with the zipper of her jacket.
She was only allowed a second to sulk before she felt the die hit the side of her head. “Hey!”
“Alright, what’s up, Saks. You’ve had that mopey look since we got inside.” Tako didn’t give her a second to respond before picking up another squid piece and attempting to launch it at Sakura again.
Sakura held her hands up defensively to shield her face. The squid was only saved by Pacificus grabbing Tako’s arm, “Let’s not turn this into a burst bomb fight, please.”
“But yes, she has a point. You’ve looked upset for a while now. What’s wrong?” Pac lets go of Tako and turns his attention to Sakura.
“It’s nothing really. Just home sick is all.”
“It’s been five hours.” Tako suddenly chirped up, earning herself a glare from Pac.
“Tako!”
“I’m not wrong!”
Pacificus gripped his temples, pushing up his glasses in the process. He somehow managed to keep his composure despite a snickering Tako and smiled back up at Sakura, “Okay, seriously, if there’s something wrong you can tell me. I won’t get mad.”
“...You promise?”
“Yes, I promise.”
Sakura perked up; her ears stopped drooping and she gave him a soft smile. “Well… when I was outside, your mom… I hi-”
She was cut off by the sound of Isla calling out, “Pacificus! Can you come and help me with something?”
Almost instinctively, Pacificus jumped off the couch, “I’m coming. Uh, just move my game piece off the board.” He didn’t waste a second before taking off towards the direction of Isla’s voice.
“As you wish!” With great dexterity and speed, Tako flicked off Pacificus’ little squid piece and rolled the die, winning the game instantly. With a massive smirk on her face, she boasted, “easy! But really who would be surprised that the greatest Octoling ever would win such a simple game? Right, Sakura?”
“Yeah,” Sakura murmured. She had returned to messing with her zipper, and her gaze was focused on the ground again. But she didn’t get to sulk for much longer, as she was met with something heavy pressing up against her shoulder. “Yes, Tako?”
Tako’s usual devilish grin was gone, and one of her tentacles had wrapped around Sakura’s arm. “Is my gloating annoying? I’m sorry, you know I don’t mean it. I was just trying to banter.”
Sakura shook her head, “No, it’s not that. It was just… I think I made Isla angry.”
“Pssh, Isla? She had to raise Pac’s smartass, and you think you could make her angry?”
“I hit her.”
“Oh…” Tako grit her teeth. “Well, maybe it’s not that big of a deal. She’ll probably forget about it.”
“I doubt it. She probably hates me now. Wants me to leave or something.”
“You’re getting all wrapped up in your own head, Saks.” Tako shook Sakura’s shoulder, but still, the Inkling continued to frown. Tako sighed in defeat before turning to grab the board game. “Here, let’s go put this back.”
Before Sakura could protest, Tako lifted her off the couch and dragged her to the study room. The room was sparsely decorated, save for a few chairs, bookshelves, and the massive chest in the corner where all the board games were kept. The only other defining feature was the massive portrait of Pacificus’ family. It depicted the four navy-colored Inklings who resided in this home. Just like every other photograph in the home, all four of them looked joyful; even the baby Inkling in Pac’s arms was laughing.
Maybe it was wrong of her, but Sakura couldn’t help feeling envious.
“Isn’t that picture wonderful?” Isla’s voice spoke from behind her. It was a good thing Tako was holding the board game because Sakura jumped at the sudden noise. “Our family, all together.”
The older woman smiled and slowly approached the two, “You’ve seen our family a lot, but I haven’t asked about yours.”
“Oh no.”
“Sakura, what was your family like?” Isla asked the question so sweetly, yet it sent shivers down Sakura’s spine.
“Haha! Let’s move on and not talk about that!” Tako quickly stood in front of Sakura.
“Oh, what about your mother? What is she like?” Isla questioned further.
“Let’s not talk about that! Ha ha! She’s just joking, Sakura. Right, Isla?” Tako gripped Sakura’s hand, but it was too late. Sakura was already crying.
Any response after that was inaudible to Sakura as she stormed past the other two cephalopods. She only made it out of the doorway before bumping into someone.
“Hey, Saks. What…” Pacificus looked down at her, her eyes were already puffy and red. “What happened?”
Sakura tried to push past him, but he stood in her way, “Move, Pac.”
“No. Somethings wrong. What’s going on.” He again impeded her movement. He gripped her shoulders and tried to hold her in place. That was her final straw.
“You wanna know what’s wrong? You got to have a perfect childhood, and I come here to be nice even if it hurts me, and then your mom just insults me. Brings up my shitty parents, like that’s what I need right now!” Sakura could barely get through the words through ragged breaths and streaming hot tears.
Pacificus held his hands up defensively, “Hey, now hold on. I never told you to come to hurt you. I thought this would be nice.”
“Well, it isn’t! I hate it here! I wish I had just stayed home!” With Pacificus no longer grabbing her, Sakura managed to shove past him. She ran as quickly as she could, disregarding her friends as they called out her name. She ran into someone else in the house but didn’t stop. She just booked it out of the door and didn’t stop.
Now that Sakura was alone at the top of the hill, she really got to take in the view of the property. The lack of a fence led to the expansive meadow, and the cascade of trees made the county seem almost fantastical. It was no surprise that her brother missed his home so much.
Speaking of, she heard her brother long before he physically arrived. The crunching of leaves and his gasping breaths made Sakura’s ears perk up instinctively, but she didn’t dare to turn and look him in the eyes. The last thing she wanted was to see the shame in them or for him to see the red and puffiness of hers. Instead, she looked down at her lap as he ran up beside her. The silence was deafening while Sakura waited for him to say something, but before the tension could worsen, Pacficus finally spoke, “May I sit with you?”
Well, so much for hiding her face. Her subconscious told her to run, avoid the issue and the inevitable shame by fleeing towards another lonely tree or ditch. However, Sakura knew better. Maybe it was the mental clarity that came after such an intense cry, or perhaps she was just too tired to get up and get lost. Ultimately, she listened to her better judgment and murmured, “You may.”
Her brother huffed a quick “thank you” before collapsing beside her. Sakura passed him a quick glance. Her unathletic brother was practically gasping for air, clutching a strange lump in his cardigan. His face was a bright red with sweat dripping down to his neck. The feeling of pity for him was almost enough to overwhelm the burning shame she felt, but not quite. It took a bit, but finally, he spoke up and reached out, grabbing her shoulder, “Do you need a hug?”
“Yes, please.” She didn’t even have to think twice before she threw herself into his comforting embrace, gripping him as if he might disappear if she let go. He almost seemed a bit taken aback by her strength but quickly returned the embrace
“Hey! You coddamn morons, stop crushing me!”
Both siblings were startled by the sudden noise before Pac’s face lit up in understanding, “Oh right, oops.”
He reached down and unbuttoned his cardigan, and out fell Tako in her swim form. She quickly turned back into a humanoid form to glare at the other two. “Would it kill you two to be mushy after I’m out of the danger zone?”
Unfortunately, Tako’s anger fell on deaf ears as, almost immediately, Sakura started giggling. “Why didn’t you just walk?”
“Because I didn’t feel like it?”
“So this was your genius solution?”
“Uh, yeah?”
Sakura laughed even harder. Tako tried again to look angry, but her face quickly softened. Despite her best efforts, she fell for Sakura’s infectious laugh. Sakura, too, loosened up and finally let go from hugging her knees to instead laughing alongside her best friends. Pacificus, too, caught the contagious laughter, and quickly all three of them were in a fit. For the first time this entire trip, she truly felt at home.
After a few minutes, they all finally settled, and attention turned back towards Sakura. They all settled into a comfortable pile, and Pac got straight to the point. “Okay, so, what happened back there?”
Sakura’s smile returned to its previous frown. But there was no use in trying to run, so she simply sighed, “I just… I don’t know. I was just mad.”
“Why?”
“Because it hurts. You had the life I always wanted. You have a perfect home, the perfect family who loves you unconditionally. And your mom just kept, doing things that… well it made it hurt so much more.” Sakura laughed at the last part of her sentence, but the few tears that fell from her face told her true emotions. “I hurt her too, but hearing about my mom just felt like a mean jab.”
“Well, if it helps. She doesn’t know.”
“Really?”
“No, of course not! I won’t go around and tell everyone you’re an orphan, Saks.”
Sakura looked down at the grass again. Now she just felt foolish. “Not like it matters now anyway. Your mom probably hates me.”
“Saks, she’s a mom, my mom nonetheless. Do you know how hard it is to get a mom to truly hate you?” Pac chirped up.
“Yeah! I messed around a lot back in the barracks, but my general always let me off easy.” Tako interjected, leaning even closer to Sakura
“That’s easy for you two to say, that’s your guardians. I’m a stranger to her, and a mean one at that. All I’ve done is yell at her and be ungrateful.”
“But she does care about you. Even if she didn’t raise you, she sees you as family. I know she will still accept you. I did, and you tried to bite me… like several times when we first met!” Pac jokingly replied before putting a reassuring hand on Sakura’s shoulder.
“I was part of the enemy army when we first met. And look at us! Tried to kill each other, now being besties.” Tako giggled right beside her.
The other two stood up, and Pac held out his hand for Sakura. “Come on. If you just apologize to her, I know she’ll forgive you. Trust me.”
With her tears finally dried and some mental clarity finally present, Sakura took her brother’s hand and began the trek back to the cul-de-sac. Just as they had done earlier, they all made their way to the front door and stepped inside.
They made their way to the living room, and waiting on the couch was Isla. She looked up and quickly stood up to approach them.
“Miss Isla, I’m so sorry about ev-”
She was cut off by the older woman’s hand on her shoulder; the strength in her grip alone sent a shiver down her spine. Sakura looked up at her and noticed her eyes were red too.
“I’m sorry too, Sakura. I don’t- Pacificus didn’t tell me what happened when you were little, but I’m so sorry I opened old wounds. Please forgive me, precious koi.”
Sakura blinked, then blinked again. “What? No, no. I’m supposed to apologize. I hurt you! I yelled at you! I’m the one who messed up.”
“I also hurt you, didn’t I?” Isla spoke gently as she slowly released her grip and opened her arms to embrace Sakura. This time, the Inkling willingly stepped forward. Isla didn’t crush her this time and kept her hands away from Sakura’s tentacle.
“Thank you for not staying mad at me. Even if I kinda deserve it.” Sakura murmured, returning her embrace.
“And thank you for coming back and giving me a second chance.”
She nodded, still buried in the older woman’s shoulder. Before they could retreat, the two were ambushed by Pacificus and Tako, both of whom were happy to crush Sakura in the middle of the hug circle.
She giggled despite being wrapped up in the mess of tentacles and limbs. It had been a long while, but finally, Sakura felt perfectly at home.
“I love you guys so much. Now, let me go. Tako owes me a rematch of Eels and Inkrails!”