Throwing Shade

"I don't need it."

'You need it.'

"I don't need it."

'You need it.'

"I don't need it!"

'You need it.'

"I need it."

'You need it.'

"'Oh Cod, do I need it...'"

Another lazy Tuesday morning. Callie loved lazy Tuesday mornings like this. She could get away with just doing...nothing. It'd been a while since she or Marie had even done anything overly idol-like. Marie said that they were "retired", after their own final Splatfest went as wrong as it did, but Callie was sure she just didn't want to talk with those bigwigs in suits in the studio. "Retired"...Callie was never a fan of that word. She enjoyed being an idol too much to give it up...even if she did slack off quite a few times over the years. Today, of course, being one of those times.

Crumpled on the couch like a ragdoll, Callie let her limbs dangle loosely off of the edge of the couch, eyes glued to the tv screen above the fireplace. It was on, obviously, and showing one of those shows where Inklings ran an obstacle course above a giant pit of water. Something those humans used to do, but a bit more dangerous here. Well, it would be without the Respawn Pad nearby. A male Inkling, one with purple tentacles, had just managed to clear the large bouncy balls and was about to swing on the ropes...and then he slipped. There was an errant splash as the poor Inkling dropped into the water, struggled around and then exploded, as water-logged Inklings are wont to do. He respawned on the nearby pod, a defeated look on his face. Calle knew she shouldn't laugh...but she did. A genuine giggle stooped from her as she watched the Inkling be carted off and a new contender take his place.

Then, there was a click as the bedroom door opened. Out stepped Marie, clad in her Agent Outfit. Same as ever, really; green hoodie, white shirt, shorts, facemask ('cause THAT wasn't conspicuous), green cap and headphones. She was tapping on her phone for a bit, then slipped it into her pocket. She sighed, staring at Callie vegging out on the sofa, and approached her. She spoke, her voice muffled slightly by the facemask, "Is this really gonna be another day of you in front of the TV, Cal?"

"Yeah," Callie mumbled, shuffling around to look at her cousin in the face, "I'm fine here, and all."

"Well, I'm not," Marie huffed, crossing her arms, "I gotta get out there, get active, do things. Meet people. Live life! Not all of us can be terrified of the outdoors like you nowdays, can we?"

Callie arched up to look at Marie. Her face was twisted, and looked quite upset. She knew she was joking, but Marie was never one to think about what her wisecrack would sound to some people. Callie whimpered, "You know real well WHY that's the case," she assumed a look of fear, "Those Octarians are still out there...how do I know they haven't found us?! How do I know no-one's gonna sell me out and put me back!?"

"...Oh Cal..." Marie sighed, "It's been a year or so since then. The shades are gone, Octavio's still locked away, everything's fine. Okay?" Callie looked up at her. Marie's face scrunched up in pity. She held out her hand, "I'm going shopping. For like, clothes and groceries and stuff. You wanna come with?"

"...Not today," Callie sighed, "I wanna make sure I'm really ready to go out there again before I...do. Don't wanna have a breakdown if I see an Octoling or anything."

"...I mean, sure, fair enough," Marie sighed, "Just, promise me you'll try to get over this and not just languish in paranoia or something. Get some help. From Isabelle, from Isaac, from anyone...okay?"

"...Okay," Callie sighed, "I will."

"Good, thank you..." she sighed, going for the door, "I might ask Isabelle if she's busy, if not she can help me shop. I think she'd prefer even that to another day of Recon..." Marie giggled at her own words, and opened the door. She turned to Callie, flashing a warm smile, "I'll see you later, 'kay?"

"Bye, Cuz!" Callie perked up again as Marie slowly closed the door. There was a soft silence as Marie slowly plodded down the hallway towards the stairs. Then the thumping started as Marie slowly made her way down them. Alone. Again. Callie had locked herself in there for too long. Not the entire year, thankfully. She had left the house, once. It was after those events at the Metro. Octolings were finally moving in and settling with the locals. Most Inklings...well, the ones in Turf Wars. They were young, and they sure as shell weren't bright. Many assumed they were just Inklings with a fresh new hairstyle. But Marie knew better. Agent Isabelle knew better. And Callie...hoo boy. She bumped into an Octoling fresh from the Valley, still in his armour, and that was it. It wasn't an overly public freakout, thankfully, but it was enough to drive her to a panic attack. That was bad. And ever since then, she dared not go outside. She would sometimes stare out the window, eyes trained on the Square below. Focusing on the Octos. Whimpers in her throat.

Marie sighed, rummaging through her pockets until she dug out her phone again. A few key presses later, and there was a droning tone until Agent 3 picked up. Marie removed her headphones and brought the actual phone to her ear, "Izzy? It's Marie. Yeah, she didn't take the offer. She's still refusing to come outside...look, I need to do some shopping. Could you meet me at Arowana Mall, in disguise, in about a half hour? I need your help. In more ways than one. You can? Great. Okay, I'll see you there. Bye!"

Callie didn't even hear Marie talk into her phone, and then leave. She was in a different place. There again. Always there, again. She sat bolt up right on the couch, eyes shut tight but the vivid memories still flooding in. Her face was calm, perhaps too calm, for inside she was scrambling. It was all coming back now. The kidnapping, the interrogation, the first time the shades were slipped on, almost killing Agent 4, Marie shooting her in the face, all of it. Every day, the same vivid, terrible images. Played back again and again and again. It hurt. It always hurt, knowing what she did, conscious through it all. There was stress and there was...THIS. Callie sighed defeatedly. Now wasn't the time for a panic attack, or crying. Not today. She was feeling that...urge, again. That horrible, wonderful, terrible urge.

Getting to her trembling feet, Callie made her way to her bedroom. She opened and closed the door, took a deep breath and reached for the keys she kept by the side of the door. She had told Marie they were for a lockbox containing her most prized possession out of all of them, and Marie was happy enough to let it stay that way and not be nosy. She was just kind of expecting it to be a baseball glove or a trophy for one of their first performances, something like that. But it wasn't that. Oh boy, was it not. Slipping the lockbox out from under her bed, Callie unlocked it and gingerly opened the lid. And there they were.

The hypnoshades. Callie had promised to her cousin that Sheldon had disabled them after Marie shot them off...twice (they looked cool, as far as Callie cared) and that they were no longer functional. That she had gotten rid of them for good, throwing them into the sea where no-one find them, Inkling or Octo. But...no. There was a calling to her, a faint beat like a heart that resided deep within them. Something approaching...pleasure. The feelings of the lights dancing across her vision, seeping into her brain, wiping her free will...she was disgusted that she enjoyed that feeling so much. Like, genuine passion. It made her feel sick. And yet, she could hear the shades. A voice in her head, that was in her voice, but not her own.

'Come on, Cal...put 'em on. Get in loser, you're going tripping.'

"I don't wanna..." Callie said out loud, holding the shades in her trembling palm, "But...it feels so good," she took a few more seconds of careful consideration. She knew what time Marie would be home...right? She knew what time she had to overpower the shades and take them off again...right?! She sighed, her voice filled with shame, "Marie...I'm sorry."

'No you're not.'

And as she slipped them on and turned on, no, she didn't. Not anymore, at least. Right away, she could feel the lights dancing across her mind in their pretty patterns. She could feel the hypnotic blinking worm its way into her brain, massaging it with unearthly rhythms and sequences. She started grunting, legs crossing, hands gripping the edge of the bed as the feelings sucked away her free will. She was screaming out - both in horror at enjoying this, and in pleasure from doing so. The intensity of the lights kicked into overdrive as the flashing patterns assaulted her eyes. Blues, reds, greens and yellows, in that order. Over and over. Drilling into her consciousness. She began to drool, eyes rolling vividly, eyelids fluttering and a heavy blush across her cheeks as she rocked back and forth on the bed. So little of her self-control existed before long. She could feel the voices take over, her vision slowly going dark, her arms and legs going limp. It was a struggle to remain awake - and that was the best feeling of all.

'That's it...' the voices crowed, 'Struggle. Just like you did when Octavio slipped them on the first time. You know you love it.'

"I...ILoveIT" Callie struggled, her voice slurred and her head reeling, "It'sSoGOOOOOD"

After one final gasping scream of pure, horrific pleasure, the shades finally took total control. Callie felt her limbs go limp, slumping onto the bed and crumpling into a heap. She felt...wrong. Like she wasn't herself, or anyone else. But it felt so right. Her vision was...so dark...she couldn't...hold...

"Hnng. Soooooogooood..."

And she was out.

===

A few hours passed in the apartment. All was silent within it, with Marie gone and Callie on the bed. Well, for an hour or so. And then...she sat up again. Stock still. Eyes twitching. Staring into the distance. Awaiting an order from her master. It wasn't Octavio, not anymore. Now Callie's master was...flexible. She would rather there not be one, though. But she wasn't in the right state of mind to think right now. She continued to stare, her face void of expression. She only had enough thought to think to whatever remained of herself - she was loving this.

Then, a click. The door to the apartment unlocked. It swung open, and in stepped Marie. She was tired, had a new puffy black jacket on and was hauling a few bags of shopping into the apartment block. She removed her facemask and took some deep breaths - breathing in that thing was a struggle, but it helped keep her unknown to the people. And then, following her, was Agent 3; Isabelle. She was a taller Inkling, a bit closer to Marie's age than other Inklings, her tentacles a lime green and arranged into frizzy bunches with a short fringe on her face. Her eyes were blue, and she wore the old Hero outfit that had become iconic to her. Hero Suit, headphones, cargo pants and blocky trainers. She too was carrying white bags full of bread and milk and cheese. She was panting with exertion as she set them down by the counter and wiped the sweat from her brow.

"Whew!" she crowed as she did so, "Why do you buy so much stuff, Miss Marie?"

"Grocery shopping's a little risky when you're an ex-idol," Marie huffed, "I only do it when I absolutely need to. Any more would risk my disguise working less over time. Same with Cal," she stopped for an errant sigh, "If she would even leave the house anymore...still though," she approached one of the bags and pulled out a plastic bottle full of a thick purple liquid, "You helped me with the shopping, and I thank you for that. Here is your reward, as promised."

"Oh, thank you, Miss Marie!" Isabelle said happily, taking the bottle and taking a sip after opening the lid, "Mmm! Taro Seashake, my favourite!"

"Hey, speaking of Callie..." Marie hummed, looking over to Callie's bed room and shouting, "Callie! I'm home!"

Isabelle closed the door as Marie listened for an answer. Nothing. Not even a grumbled moan. She wasn't on the couch, she would know if she was in the bathroom, and she wasn't on the balcony. She was...hmm.

"Miss Callie?" Isabelle called out, "Are you awake?" No answer.

"I bet she's in her room," Marie sighed, before she stared forward with an uneasy expression, "But then, Cal's not one for sleeping in the middle of the day. Even if she barely leaves the house, she DOES get up at the crack of dawn. Earlier than me, in fact."

"I don't get up 'til 12..." Isabelle commented.

"So something's...up," Marie gasped, walking briskly towards Callie's room. She knocked on it politely, "Callie? ...Cuz? You okay?" Still nothing, "Callie! Open up! Is something wrong?" Silence. Marie sighed intensely and burst into the room, "Callie, what is..." she trailed off, her voice full of shock, "No..."

"What is it?!" Isabelle shifted into Hero Mode and burst in too, Hero Shot at the ready. She too trailed off, her aim lowering before the Hero Shot just clattered to the floor as her grasp on it lessened. There, on the bed, sitting stock still and staring into space, was Callie. With those...accursed hypnoshades on her face. She was drooling a little, her legs crossed, arms gripping the side of the bed. She looked spaced out, like she wasn't there. Isabelle's expression dropped, "Oh...are these the, uh...hynpo...h-hippo..."

"Hypnoshades..." Marie groaned, a frustrated tinge to her voice, "Thought I'd seen the last of those things. She told me she got rid of them!"

"Clearly not," Isabelle mumbled, tilting her head towards Callie.

"She lied to me. But why?" Marie took a few more deep breaths and relaxed, "It's just...did she put them on herself?"

"Well," Isabelle pondered, "If she's out like this..." she had an idea. She approached Callie and gave her a little shake on the shoulders, "Callie. Awaken."

Almost like a computer booting up, Callie rose from her slumber and turned in a robotic fashion towards the two. Her shades flashed a few more colours as a smile formed on her face. She spoke, her tone almost robotic, "'Ahh, Master Marie. Master Isabelle So glad to see you.'"

"I..." Marie was taken aback, "What?"

"Hmm, as I thought," Isabelle said, "Okay, if she's under our control...a few questions. So, what did you do with the hypnoshades?"

"'I sent them off to Sheldon, as Master Marie suggested,'" Callie exposed, tilting her head statically, "'But rather than have them disabled and destroyed, I asked that he look through the code and find the section where Octavio would be my master upon donning the shades. And then, I requested he delete it. Make the variable open to setting during operation.'"

"...What?" Marie asked again, her world rocked and her face showing a confused scream.

"'Octavio does not control me,'" Callie beamed, "'I can set the controller to whoever I please while I am...awake,'" she turned to Marie, stood up and approached, "'I decided, the best person to help me come to terms with what happened, is you. Master Marie. And the Agents, of course. I trust them.'"

"I mean I'm flattered, but..." Marie stumbled, "Why? I told you to get rid of those."

"'It was not that simple,'" Callie pouted, "'My brain decided to think fondly of the memories in a dark way. I grew...obsessed with the feeling of the shades. Its lights, dancing in my brain. Shaping my thoughts, taking my free will, letting me be this perfect little drone. As this, I do not need to think. I do not need to worry. I can sit back in my subconscious and allow others to dictate my actions for me. I can relax, safe inside my own mind, while still being useful. Win win, as Inklings would say.'"

Marie continued to stare at her cousin, a look of minor terror on her face. She fellt ill. Was this how Callie truly felt? Was this how she saw herself? Was this...oh cod, was this one of those fetishes?! She had heard so little of what those even were, but she had heard enough of DeviantSPLAT to know that whatever that word meant, it was BAD with a capital B. She gibbered, lower lip quivering, "I don't..."

"Miss Marie?" Isabelle asked, concerned, "Are you okay?"

"Yes. Well, no. Well..." Marie wailed, "If I knew about this sooner, I..." she stopped, "Oh Callie...I didn't know you felt this way."

"'I hid the feelings and the urges from you,'" Callie countered, "'Because I was afraid of your response to me getting gratification from Octavio's slavemaker. Only when you leave the apartment do I allow myself to indulge in the act. Is this...wrong?'"

"...I don't...no, it isn't!" Marie sighed, "If you told me this, I would've been fine. It's just a thing you're into. I would be so supportive, but...why hide it?"

"I don't know," Isabelle said sadly, "But then...if this is what she's into..." She turned to Marie, a sly look on her face, "Well, give her what she wants, I guess?" Isabelle snapped her fingers to get Callie's attention, "Callie. We have some groceries in the kitchen, in shopping bags. Could you please put them away for us?"

Marie turned to Isabelle, "Wait, wha-"

"'As you command, Master Isabelle. Hehe,'" Callie giggled, strolling off with a jaunty spring in her step. Marie stood where she was, deathly silent, for a few more seconds before her senses returned and she stumbled over to the kitchen area. It was one of those apartments where the whole thing was like one main room with separate ones for the bed and bathrooms. The moment Marie emerged from Callie's bedroom, she could see her cousin dance around the kitchen, packing things away into the marked cupboards. She was still jumping around like she didn't have a care in the world. And she was...singing? 'Blushing Pink, Exploding Ink'...she was singing Bomb Rush Blush! But, she was so averse to singing that song now. Even hearing the song play out was enough to trigger her and send her crashing to the floor in the midst of a panic attack. And here, nothing. She acted, even felt like...herself again.

She walked over to Isabelle, who was watching the whole debacle with an impressed smile on her face. Marie stared amusedly at how calm Isabelle was with all this. She turned to her and spat, "So, this is weird, huh? Didn't think I'd agree to her getting brainwashed by her own terms, but...man. She seems so much happier now. Didn't you get brainwashed too?"

"Well, yeah," Isabelle sighed, cradling the left side of her face. Sometimes, she could swear she could still feel the goo tentacle slapped onto her face, draining her spirit and seeping into her mind, "It let me know exactly what Callie felt. I wouldn't be alive were it not for Elia. You know, Agent 8?" Marie nodded, "I know what it's like to be in Callie's place. And frankly, if she finds joy in it instead of pure misery..." she shrugged, "Let her have it. I just want a little fun, is all."

"'The groceries are packed away, Master,'" Callie stood before the two, saluting.

"Thanks, Miss Callie," Isabelle beamed a bright smile, "Now...uh, ooh, I know, as you're still singing, could you put on a little dance?"

"'Sure, Master!'" Callie saluted again, and instantly began dancing while still singing Bomb Rush Blush. She looked like she was having so much fun, and Marie could only stare on in relief. And yet, a small pang of...something resonated within her. Why? That single question circled over and over and over in her brain, constantly demanding an answer. An answer she didn't know. Was it Octavio? Was it the thought of him triumphing over his slave like this? Was it that she was still branded with that tattoo and still belonged to him in some manner? Was it that she was getting PLEASURE out of what used to give Marie grief? She couldn't understand. She could only watch on as the gears continued to chug in her head.

But before long, something bad happened. There was a beeping sound as the shades flashed something on both lenses. It was...a battery meter? It read 1%! Callie panicked a little, as much as her robotic form could, with a slight, "'Oh no...'" before the shades cut out entirely. There was a brief struggle as Callie returned to her own state of mind, grunting and groaning as limb after limb spasmed as control returned. Grabbing her head, she screamed a little as the feelings came back and her vision returned, her legs buckling underneath her newly controllable body and causing her to collapse to her hands and knees. There she lay for a few seconds, groaning in pain, before she slowly got to her feet.

"Ahh...my head's burning...how long was I..." Callie whined, before her eyes opened fully. She saw the two stare at her in confusion, and her mood dropped. She backed away slowly, fearfully, gingerly removing the shades from her head, "Oh. M-Marie...I didn't..."

"Callie?"

"I-I can explain!"

"Callie, calm down. It-"

"OH Cod Marie you weren't supposed to see this side of me!"

"CALLIE!" Marie screamed, rushing over to grab the shivering squid and pull her into a tight hug, "It's okay, I'm not angry! Well I mean I am a little, but that's not the point!"

"Ow ow ow you're crushing me!" Callie squealed. Marie backed off a little, and Callie turned to the two, tears in her eyes, "I'm sorry! I don't...I didn't even..."

"It's okay, Cal...it's okay..." Marie huffed, reaching back in for the hug, "Just...how long have you had those? The whole year? Does Gramps know of this?" no response from Callie, who continued to shiver in Marie's grasp. Marie stared down at her cousin in a warped pity, before she drew a deep breath and began to ask a question she knew she didn't want the answer to, "...Callie? Is this something you derive pleasure from? Is this...is this a fetish? A-A kink? Does it...turn you on?"

"No! Well, maybe. Yes, I...I just like it!" Callie wailed, her composure failing her and extreme shame in her voice and face, "It's a feeling of intense pleasure that nothing has ever given me before! The thought of sinking into nothing and just allowing someone else to tell you want to do! I love it, okay?! I love the feeling of it! I feel alive but I'm not alive but I FEEL ALIVE I..."  a pause, voided silence filling the air as the Sisters continued to cuddle. Callie, lip quivering, eyes watering, fingers trembling, held loosely to Marie, "I'm sorry..." she wailed again, whatever remained of her will breaking into strained sobs, "I'm sorry...oh Cod I'm so sorry!"

"...Callie..." Marie sighed, "I..."

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" Callie reacted violently, pushing Marie away with strength she absolutely didn't see coming. She clattered to the floor as Callie ran out of the room and into the street, sobbing wildly, "I'm SORRY!" Marie tried to call out her name, but only a grunt of pain from the fall dared to escape her lips as Callie's mantra softened from distance, "I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry..."

"Callie! WAIT CALLIE..." Marie cried out, but far too late to make a difference. Callie was long gone.

Isabelle, who had watched all of this unfold from the sidelines, had initially attempted to run after Callie, but it was pretty clear she wasn't going to catch up. Callie was like a wounded gazelle when she needed to move, and boy did she know that. Isabelle turned back to Marie and shrugged, a fake grin on her face, "Well...at least she's left the house?"

"I don't understand..." Marie whimpered, "...What've I done?"

"I don't know..." Isabelle sighed, before she reached for her Hero Shot and approached Marie, "Look, I'll go after her, if you want to. I'm pretty sure I know where she'll be going."

Marie looked up, "Gramps' house?"

"Out in the valley, yeah. Only place she'd feel safe. You coming?"

"I don't think she wants to...talk to me," Marie sighed, sniffing a little, "Oh Callie...why didn't she tell me this sooner..."

"Oh boy..." Isabelle sighed as she drew a Marie on the verge of crying into a hug, "Ssshh, shh, there there. It's okay..." Marie sighed, her emotions past her, and Isabelle sighed in relief. She broke from the hug, "Okay, so...what're you gonna do instead?"

"I...need to talk to someone," Marie said, getting to her feet and putting her disguise back on, "Get her some help, from someone who understands! But there's only one person in this city who must know what it's like outside of you!"

Isabelle stared at Marie, confusion in her voice, "...Who?"

===

The plaque read, "Home of Pearl and Marina - SALESMEN GO AWAY". The latter scribbled on in marker.

Marie sighed. Did she really want to do this? Well, yes, but...did she really want to try talking to...her? That little gremlin she sometimes caught Callie watching on TV? She seemed like a horrible person, in a few regards. She...almost reminded her of Callie on a bad day. Like, "my grandmother died and I dropped my ice cream" bad. Thank Cod there was never a day like that to begin with. Well, not since Octavio kidnapped her. But, forget that...for once. Pearl was not a nice person to that poor Octoling on a good day, she never knew how she was able to take it in stride. She had learned during their own stint as an idol that some of the stuff the producers dreamt up for her to say hurt Callie a lot more than she ever realised. Once the wisecrack was so nasty that Callie actually broke down crying live on air! That was perhaps the beginning of the end for their tenure as Inkopolis Idols, alongside the Splatfest and...

"Marie?" Isaac asked, giving her a soft shove, "You're staring into space again."

Marie snapped out of her trance and looked to her side. Aah, yes, Isaac. Agent 4, the one who helped save Callie to begin with. Yellow tentacles, up in a bun, Hero Hoodie, snow boots, glasses and the like. She owed him a lot more than she'd ever admit for helping save Cal. And yet, she would just...keep getting caught up on it all. Her thoughts would just skew headfirst into the same stuff every time. Perhaps...she wasn't the only one affected by the events in that Valley...

"Uh, thanks, Agent," Marie shook her head free of the thoughts...for now, "Sorry, I just...got...caught up. Again. Kind of got it on my mind."

"Guess Cal's not the only one who needs help," Isaac risked saying. He knew it wouldn't be something Marie wanted to hear. Marie sighed in agreement, at least, so he quickly changed topic, "SO, uh...why are we here? This doesn't feel like a smart idea..."

"Nope," Marie sighed, "But I need help on getting to grips with Callie's...uh, Octo side, I guess. Even if it isn't Octo as we know it, but we need to know from someone who was also Octavio's slave in some manner. Her name is...Marina?"

"Oh, yes!" Isaac's face lit up, "She of Off the Hook fame! She and Pearl do the local news and Splatfests in Inkopolis Square. Marina has a lot of fans. Pearl...not so much."

"This, Marina..." Marie mumbled, "She pretty?"

"Her beauty is...uh," Isaac hummed, pondering, "Well to the other Inklings, she's of legend."

"...Is she prettier than me?"

Isaac warbled in flustered shock, pulling at his collar as his face blushed a bright red. It was almost adorable, Marie admitted. He cleared his throat, "OH! Uh, uuuuuuuuuh...n-no! No-one's as pretty as you, Miss Marie!"

"Heh. Still got it," Marie chuckled.

She eyed the door once more. She had gotten Isaac to call up Elia and then get her to call Marina, seeing as Marie herself barely knew Pearl or Marina to begin with. It worked, they said to come around at three, and here they were. Standing outside of Pearl's massive mansion on the coast. How she was even to afford something like this, Marie could never figure out. She and Callie could never afford this, even with their massive paychecks. They had enough money to keep themselves going for the moment, but...not THIS kind of money, no. Anyway, Marie sighed, and approached the door. It was now or never. She arched towards the doorbell and pressed it. A long, droning bell rang out throughout the mansion, echoing off of the nothing that surrounded them.

"Yes, just a minute!" came a voice from opposite the door. It was...weird. The voice was like no Inkling accent or dialect Marie knew of. Almost sounded like one of those Octoling Elites when Isaac had brought one in for information on Cal's whereabouts. Soon, there was a click and a creak as the door unlocked and opened. And there, standing before them, was Marina. The Octoling half of Off the Hook. And she was...tall. Taller than Isaac and about as tall as Marie, like, jeez. Her skin was a chocolate brown, her tentacles black with green tints at the tip. Her she was wearing a lavender jumper and jeans, as well as socks and a necklace. Obviously not her stage outfit, though if Isaac's comments on the way down were any indication, she wouldn't want to wear that skimpy getup all day anyway.

She readjusted her reading glasses and turned to Marie, "Ahh, hello Miss Marie!"

"Hi, Marina," Marie waved, "Thanks for letting us see you on such short notice."

"Oh, no problem!" Marina giggled, "We had some time off, so it was perfect timing all around! Please, come in!"

She gestured the two to come in, which they did so. Wow, their house was...uh, massive? Quite the opposite of Marie's little apartment just outside of the Square, or their Gramps' little shack in the Canyon. It was this massive, extravagant thing that just refused to be believed. One of those modern penthouse types, with wooden floors and walls and huge windows making up a good amount of those walls. The main room was the front room, of course, with a set of couches sat around a coffee table and a large TV. Then, to the side, was the route to the kitchen, with a breakfast bar nearby. Then, of course, stairs to the second floor and presumably the bath and bedrooms. Marina gestured the two to sit down, and then asked if they wanted any drinks. Marie asked for a coffee in a takeaway cup, just in case, and Isaac asked for a cup of Eel Grey tea. Marina noted they didn't have any of that, so he settled for standard Inklish Breakfast instead.

As Marina went off to start preparing the drinks, an errant attention-seeking cough snapped Marie out of her gaze. She looked down, like WAAAY down, to see a small squid look at her. She was positively tiny compared to Pearl, about the size of an Inkling child (though, obviously, fully developed into her humanoid form), tentacles a sort of white-ish with pink tints to the tips like Marie's own. Her eyes were close together, a large snaggletooth jutting out of her mouth, and her forehead looked like you could park a car on it. She was wearing relatively lightweight clothing; black t-shirt, shorts, socks, even fingerless gloves. For...some reason.

Marie stared down at this being, a small smirk across her face, "So I take it you're her adopted daughter?"

Marie could feel the anger emit from the little squid, as she pouted and crossed her arms, "Wha-no! I'm Pearl! You know? Queen of Splatfests, Pearl? Ring a bell, Sister?"

"...Nope," Marie shrugged, to which Pearl continued to fume a little.

"I, uh...apologise," Isaac stated, "The Sisters aren't, uh, all that knowledgeable about current trends. They've been off the grid for a while."

"What, after that last Splatfest, huh?" Pearl asked, to which Marie shrugged silently. Pearl cringed, "Yeeeeeeah, me and 'Rina saw that on TV when it went down. Fans got nasty quick. Iiiii really hope me and her never have to go through that. Things are getting a bit...tested between us and the studio as it is."

"If they do establish that as the theme, resign," Marie warned, "It's not worth it."

"I MEAN!" Pearl began to boast, pointing to herself, "If 'Rina ever got kidnapped, I'd certainly find her in a bit less than two years."

Marie began to seethe. The NERVE of this girl! Isaac never told her about how much of a squidstick this thing was! Well, she wasn't being nice, but being smug and snarky was kind of her thing. This was just being...unpleasant. She continued to fume as Marina returned after putting the coffee on, so she calmed herself and sighed. She began to talk, "So, Marina, uh...we've come here today, for some...advice."

"Advice?" Marina asked, head tilting to the side, "What d'ya mean?"

"WELL..." Marie sighed again, "Look, the way we know it, you were...uh. Part of...well, you know..."

"You were part of Octavio's army, no?" Isaac said, blunt as a sledgehammer, "One of his chief engineers during the fighting in Octo Canyon. You heard Inkantation, same as everyone else...right?"

Marina's expression changed, from amusement to one of worry. She was fidgeting, her eyes darting around the room as she played with a mint green spinner toy. She looked like she was stumbling around in her own mind, trying to find an answer to all this. It took a while, but eventually she was able to wipe the sweat from her brow and formulate something, eyes still darting around the room; "W-Well. Uh..."

"It's okay," Issac reassured, "Take your time."

"You see, the thing is..." Marina began to fidget some more, "Uh...how...how do you know of this, anyway?"

"...Looked through all those texts?" Marie shrugged sheepishly, "Look, we need help. Callie, my cousin...she got kidnapped by Octavio a year or so ago. Got brainwashed by these dumb shades! I took 'em off, but she held onto them. Didn't even tell me! She's...developed a liking for being brainwashed! A fetish! For mind control!"

"Oh..." Marina hummed, "Well, I'm sorry. That sounds bad..."

"And if you were part of Octavio's army," Isaac continued, "Then perhaps you were a slave all the same. So we need someone who could tell us about Callie's condition and what we could do about it. Hopefully."

"...Right," Marine sighed, "Well, okay...I don't...think you quite understand any of this. I wasn't brainwashed...I was in the Canyon like everyone else. Fidgety, paranoid, obsessed with machines in dark, cramped conditions. It was...hopeless conditions without much of a therapist. It wasn't brainwashing, though. In fact..." Marina shrugged, "Your song was about as close to brainwashing we ever got. Got me out of that canyon, let me meet Pearl, allowed me to get my Aspergers diagnosed..." she paused, spinning the spinner in her hands and chuckling, "So, heh, I guess I should be thanking you!" she trailed off again, rubbing her arm, "But...I don't...really wanna remember any of that. It was quite-"

She stopped. Pearl laid a reassuring hand on her, "That's enough, 'Rina..." she growled, approaching Marie, "I heard you were a jerk, but seriously! The nerve of you! You barge into my...ahem, OUR home and you start interrogating my girlfriend about her past!"

"We just..." Marie shrugged, "Want help."

"Well you ain't gonna get it by acting like this!" Pearl said, "There ARE better ways to ask us for help, you know!"

"I mean I don't see much help from you!" Marie exploded, getting to her feet, "I've seen your banter with this Octo! Compassion isn't something that's in your lexicon."

"What..." Pearl's face assumed a look of shock for a while...but it didn't take long to twist into an enraged grimace, "Did you say about me?"

There was a hideous silence within the room as the two glared at each other, death in their eyes and angered snarls on baited breath. It took a while for Marina to break the silence, "...Uh, OH! The coffee's nearly done. I better go get it..." pocketing her spinner, she threw herself to her feet and swayed towards the kitchen, only to stop and turn to Isaac, "Uh, Four? Could you help me out?"

"Sure?" Isaac replied with a shrug, stumbling over to Marina, "But, wh-"

"Sshh," Marina shushed him as the two walked briskly out of the room and into another, "You won't like what happens next..."

"Wait!" Marie called out, "I need to talk to..." but it was a bit too late. Marina and Isaac were already out of view. She sighed, sitting back down and staring at Pearl.

Pearl looked...livid. A deep frown across her tiny face. She looked like she was ready to fight, as she seemed wont to do. Instead, she sighed, "Okay then..." and trudged up to Marie. She removed one of her gloves and smacked Marie across the face with it, hard as she could.

Marie grunted, thrown to the floor by the sheer force of the slap. She had never felt a pain so stinging, a force so powerful. She got to her hands and knees, rubbing at the red mark now forming on her face, "Oww."

"How dare you?" Pearl accused as she slipped her glove back on, her face flushed red from anger, "HOW. DARE YOU imply that I don't have compassion! ME! The one who happily accepted an Octoling into our world and didn't listen to some old coot calling 'em all monsters!"

"I mean, the snobbishness," Marie groaned as she got to her feet, "It's part of your persona..."

"THAT'S what the public sees. The public who keeps railing against my girl because she isn't like them!" Pearl spat, before she calmed herself, "Do you...know how many nights I've had to calm her down and comfort her? Hmm? Stroking her tentacles, stifling her sobs, wiping her eyes. Telling her that everything is going to be okay, because one of you elitist types called her a Takoyaki Brain for the seventh time that week!"

"Oh my," Marie gasped, "I know of that. I...used it once or twice. Isn't that one of the most offensive phrases in the Octo dictionary?"

"YEAH AND SHE KEEPS GETTING CALLED IT WHEN I AIN'T AROUND!" Pearl exploded, grabbing Marie by floored shoulders and shaking her like a rag doll, "You have any idea, how much that hurts?! They only do it when they know they can get away with it. When I ain't there. If they EVER said that to her when I'm with her, I'd TEAR OFF THEIR HEADS AND POUR INK THINNER DOWN THE STUMP!" seething, Pearl finally let go of Marie and stumbled over to the couch, collapsing upon it. Her face was bright red in emotion, eyes slowly forming tears from the outburst. She sighed and placed a head to her forehead, "But...I can't do it like that. This ain't something I can handle MY way. The best I can do is calm her down, and help repair relations between the Inkos and Octos. And Off the Hook being as it is, I feel we're off to a good start."

"Okay, I'm sorry..." Marie sighed, humbled, slowly clambering into her chair again. She rubbed her aching cheek, "I guess I underestimated you. But, what does this have to do with Callie's fetish?"

"I'm just saying," Pearl noted, "I know a little more about compassion than you think I do. So if you want advice on this, here it be," she arched closer, a small grimace still on her face, "You've spent so long trying to get Cal on your level, you never noticed you've got your head in the clouds. You need to look at this from HER perspective. If this is her kink, let her have it. Let her exercise it every now and then. Just make sure it doesn't spiral into something public. Sometimes it helps to stoop to someone's level, Marie."

"Oh yes!" Marina took the chance to burst back into the room, Isaac in tow, tray with four mugs of coffee and some cookies placed upon it. She giggled as she set the tray down, "I have to do it all the time, to talk to her!"

"Haha, hey!" Pearl playfully chided the Octoling, giving her a similarly-playful soft thump on the arm. Her eyes lit up at the pitch black coffee in her personal pink mug with her logo on it, "Ooh, lovely!" she scooped up the coffee and took a sip. Her mood cleared up almost instantly, "Ahh, that's some good joe! Thanks, babe," she placed a pecked kiss onto Marina's cheek as she sat down on the couch alongside Pearl. There were a few more passed seconds as Pearl sipped some more of her coffee, then turned to Marie, "So hey, Marie. I don't suppose, when we're all done here with the coffee and the cookies and all, you could take me to see this Octavio guy, right?"

"What, in the Octo Valley?" Issac asked, a hand on his chin, "I don't want to say that's wise..."

"It isn't, Four..." Marie sighed, glaring softly at Pearl, "But...I guess we could show you, Pearl. Why?"

"I have an idea. It's a very, VERY bad idea. But one so awful, it might just work..."

===

Rain. Harmful to Inklings. But not lethal. And it sounded nice on the windowsill. It was enough to calm Marie a fair amount, the butterflies in her stomach settling for the time being as she sat despondent on the apartment couch. The last few hours had been real weird...Pearl wanted to go to Octo Valley to meet Octavio, and request something...unusual. Something Marie still couldn't believe she had the gall to ask for. Octavio refused, of course, but Pearl wasn't taking no for an answer. She made mention of the Octoling, Marina, and how she knew Octavio was the one to keep their type in such squalor and use them as his army. Then out came the Killer Wail. And THEN Octavio got talking. He promised to get them made, and make DAMN sure they weren't a trap. Pearl watched them getting made, every step observed in perfect detail. And made sure Sheldon did the same changes to the programming. And then, back home.

And now, in Marie's lap, was another pair of hypnoshades. Tinted green as opposed to the slight purple tint of Callie's own, but even then, just seeing them made uncomfortable feelings well up in her stomach. These things caused so much pain, grief and misery, and that with the small amount of use it actually received. Cod knows how bad things would get if these things were used for more than a few months - or worse, on multiple people. Sometimes Marie wondered what would have happened if Isaac lost that fated battle...would Octavio slip some shades on her, too? Together in servitude. At least she would be with Callie once more.

Well, Marie thought, jokes on him; she would put the shades on herself. She'd do it...for Callie.

Suddenly, a powerful knock broke the silence in the apartment. Marie jumped in shock, before she calmed and slipped the shades into her pocket. She walked over the door and slowly creaked it open. There, in the doorway, was Isabelle, Isaac in tow having joined her in finding Callie after he was finished in the Valley, and Callie herself. She was soaked, wrapped in a blanket and huddled over. She looked thoroughly miserable, staring up at Marie with a distraught look on her face that also carried a tone of fear and shame. Like Marie had just found her being sick on the floor. If anything, it was Marie feeling sick right now.

"Found her!" Isabelle crowed happily.

"Yes, you were right," Isaac added, "She ended up in Cuttlefish's shack in the Canyon."

Marie sighed, reaching out to grasp Callie's shivering hand, "Well, there you are..."

"Marie..." Callie sobbed, her hand soaked and freezing to the touch, "I...mmmm..."

Marie sighed again, trying hard to not say anything that would set her off again, and pulled her cold body into a hug, "No, it's okay. Everything's okay, I promise. Come on, let's get you dried and warm..." she turned to the Agents, "Thanks, you two. I...don't know what I'd do without you. You're free to stay for a bit, actually. Help yourself to some drinks, if you're thirsty."

"Thank you, Miss Marie!" Isabelle saluted.

"Yes, thank you, Miss," Isaac replied, his body remaining static.

They went in and closed the door behind them as Marie brought Callie into the bedroom. Setting her upon some towels, Marie grabbed another from the bathroom and went about drying Callie. Her clothes were still soaked, but her skin and tentacles were dry again in no time at all. Callie silently slipped into a fresh pair of clothes, her old pink hoodie and shorts, as ever, then sat back on the towel and began to hug herself for comfort.

"There we go..." Marie cooed, patting her cousin's head, "Feeling better?"

Callie looked up at her, "N-No..."

"Yes you are, you big baby," Marie teased, patting at Callie's tentacles, "Or at least, I hope you're feeling better. I know you're a little...upset right now..."

"...I'm sorry," and Callie was off again, "I just...I don't...mmmm..."

"Oh, Cal..." Marie sighed, pulling her cousin into a tight hug, "I just wish you told me about this. I wouldn't have judged, I promise. It's no skin off my nose, you know? You like what you like, and..." she trailed off. She was dawdling, she knew she was.

"I just...." Callie sniffled, "I know I should hate the shades...I KNOW, I need to despise them for what Octavio did to me, and what he made me do! But it feels so...nice..." and it wasn't long before she was sobbing again, "I'm so sorry! I'm se...mmmm...sexually attracted to being hypnotised! I'm getting off on being a good little slave!" she was bawling now, head buried into Marie's shoulder, "I'm a freak, Marie! I'M A FREAK!"

"Oh...boy..." Marie sighed, no words coming to her. She was in pain, seeing Callie so hurt and ashamed of her fetish. There were a lot of those that Marie refused to understand; inflation, inanimate, bondage, extreme amounts of flab...that sort of thing. But Mind Control? Self-induced Mind Control, at that? That was new. Marie began to tear up too, and she pulled Callie tighter into the hug. She sighed, "Callie...it's okay. I don't know what else to say, it's...it's okay. Okay? Sssshhh, no more tears, there we go..." she started rubbing Callie's back to calm her down a bit, and it slowly took hold. From childish bawls, Callie calmed back to small sobs and eventually simple sniffles. She remained quiet and continued to cuddle with her cousin, to which Marie sighed, "There we go...how ya feelin' now?"

"Better?" Callie shrugged, "I mean...I don't worship Octavio or anything, no...but...I just...it feels so good, putting those on...what's that affliction called? Stookalm? St-Stelkom?"

"I believe it's Stockholm Syndrome," Marie said, "It's where you become...obsessed with a traumatic event, Like falling in love with someone who kidnapped you. It's not THAT bad...is it?" Callie shook her head, and Marie sighed in relief, "Look, Cal...I can't...really begin to imagine just what you felt during that final fight against you and Isaac. I thought I had it hard, but if you were conscious throughout being his slave, I..." she trailed off, "I'm worried for ya, Cal. I don't want you to be a shut-in, paranoid type like...well, Isabelle, for a while. Heh, maybe you two are a little closer than you think."

Callie turned to stare at her cousin somewhat incredulously, "You mean...we both act all chirpy and chipper to hide our pain and anguish?"

Marie instantly blurted out into a panic, "Nonononononono NO! N-No, of course not, no..." she trailed off, "I'm...sorry, I, uh..."

"It's fine," Callie sighed, pulling her knees in and hugging them, "Well, now what do we do? I made quite the scene, running away...won't be long 'til the Snapperazi get on us and this...ffffetish gets leaked. How're the people going to react?! The press is gonna ruin me!"

"Not if I have anything to say about that, they won't!" Marie boasted, scooting backwards a little bit and placing a hand on Callie's shoulder, "Cal, I'm gonna do everything that I can to help you with this. Maybe not deal with it, not get over it, just tackle the whole...obsession at your own pace. Perhaps even normalise it as a part of you, in some manner. But whatever it takes, no matter how LONG it takes, I'm gonna help..." and with a deep breath, she dug into her pocket and produced the hypnoshades and placed them in front of Callie, "One step at a time."

Callie's face twisted out of sadness, finally, into one of pure confusion. She stared at the shades for a good while longer, feeling the very gears turning in her head. Even she had to admit, they didn't do that a lot. Why? Why would Marie have hypnoshades like her's? Why would she get them tinted green? Why would she willingly own a pair of sunglasses designed to twist your mind in a terrible, wonderful way...and then it clicked. She turned to Marie and gasped, her face full of fear, "M-Marie. NO."

"I have to," Marie said, no hint of fear in her voice. In fact, she was smiling a little, "If I went to help you with this, I have to understand it myself. Going through exactly through what you went through with these, in the same way you do now...it's a start, is all I'm saying. Heh, might even develop this..." she struggled to say the word, "Fetish myself. Share the shame together, yeah?"

"This is...weird," Callie whimpered, "But, okay. I-I have mine here...I managed to charge them while hiding in Gramp's shack. At least he understood...somehow, but..." she slipped her own hypnoshades out of her pocket, the pink tint applied to the frame more noticeable in the dim glow from outside's rainy day. She looked up at Marie, "Are you sure you wanna do this? S-Surely, there must be better ways..."

"Probably," Marie shrugged, "But, I really want to make it clear that I'm here for you...no matter what. You're my cousin AND my best friend, Cal," Marie trailed off, "Well. one of my only friends, really. The life of a pop star didn't let much time to make friends. So I'm gonna help whatever ones I do have. So...let's put 'em on, shall we? Or would YOU like to issue the command...for once?"

Callie paused for a second, but then finally started smiling at the idea, "A-Alright...I command you to...put those shades on."

"As you wish, 'master'..." Marie teased, moving to place the shades upon her face.

"Just..." Callie warned quickly, placing a hand on Marie's own, "This is gonna feel...intense..."

With a final deep breath, she slipped them on. They activated almost instantly...and she howled as the lights seeped into her brain. All of a sudden, the feelings Callie had felt, the pain, the...pleasure. Marie felt them ALL as the lights danced across her vision and wormed into her subconscious. Reds, blues, greens, purples, oranges...there was something so hypnotising about how the worms in her brain began to dance along to the patterns. Her eyes rolled, her eyelids fluttered, short grunts and screams of pain erupted from her as the feeling overwhelmed her and she rocked back and forth as her body spasmed from the conflicting control. She struck out, narrowly missing Callie as she twisted and turned. Callie couldn't tell if Marie was in pain or...pleasure, but she reached out to grasp at her hand and squeeze it with all her might. She helped calm her spasms - after all, she had gone through all this before - and bravely spoke words of encouragement into her ear.

"NNNGH!" Marie cried out as another wave of painful pleasure racked her brain, "This is...s-so...SO..."

"Good?" Callie asked slyly, "Feels amazing, doesn't it?" Marie struggled out a nod, a heavy blush across her face, "Now you're getting it. Come on, you're almost there. It feels so much better when you struggle..."

Marie gripped Callie's hand as tight as she could muster as the feelings inside only escalated further and ravaged through her body in ways she could not possibly have imagined. Was this...really what Callie felt when she put the shades on? If so...then damn, no wonder she got a thing for it. After a few more seconds of struggling, something clicked. There was a final yelp as Marie felt her limbs go numb and the lights worm deep inside of her mind. She was drooling now, moaning a little, as her vision slowly blacked out and she fell to the bed with a soft thump. Callie sighed, and let go of her hand. She looked over Marie, splayed so gracelessly across the bed, eyes rolled into the back of her head and a thick puddle of drool slivering down her face. It felt almost nice for Marie to be this eager to understand what made this whole thing tick. So...might as well join her, right? She would wake up again in a few seconds anyway, only now sitting there. Waiting for someone to command her.

"Heh..." Callie sighed, "...Thanks, cuz."

Slipping on her own shades, she too rode the waves of painful pleasure and soon enough collapsed to the bed in slumbering wait.

===

Minutes passed before the door to the bedroom creaked open. It was Isabelle, Hero Shot in hand, bursting into the room. Isaac followed, his pace more leisurely but his own Hero Shot at the ready as well.

"Callie? Miss Marie?" Isabelle roared, "We heard screaming, what the shell is going..."

And there splayed across the bed, were Callie and Marie. Hypnoshades hugged their faces with warm embraces - as warm as one could get with bits of plastic - and with large, dumb grins plastered across both their faces. Small dribbles of drool formed in the corners of their mouths, hand lazily placed in hand. Isabelle's face twisted into one of utmost confusion as she studied a scene she was absolutely certain would only happen in a scenario where she lost. Isaac, meanwhile, had a look on his face like he had just remembered something he wasn't supposed to forget.

"Oh, yes, I suppose I forgot to mention WHY we went to the Octo Valley," Isaac shrugged, "My bad."

"...Oooooh that's Deja with an extra helping of Vu," Isabelle stumbled, "W-Well, if this is anything like last time, they'll wake up soon and I guess...we're the masters?"

"Only one way to find out," Issac shrugged, watching over the two sleeping Sisters, "I don't think I've seen this before...well, not since that battle, anyway. Uh...how does this work?"

"Just a few more seconds..." Isabelle sighed.

And sure enough, the two Sisters rose in sync, standing up stock still and staring off into space. Their eyes were hidden behind the shades, their body language rigid and robotic. And yet...the biggest of calm smiles across both their faces. Issac began to blush a little as he approached - he HAD grown rather fond of Marie after that time in the Valley, and now she was sitting still and silent, waiting for...well not HIM, but someone. He never was able to get this close before, to take in her pristine white tentacles with green highlights. Her cute smile...he was happy Isabelle couldn't see the blush on his face, otherwise she would absolutely never let him hear the end of it.

"Damn, she's beautiful..." he whispered.

"Alright, then..." she walked up, and tapped Callie on the shoulder, "Callie. Awaken..." she turned to Isaac, "Right, then you do the same to Marie."

"Uh, okay?" Isaac mumbled, a little weirded out by this turn of events. He awkwardly tapped Marie on the shoulder, "Uh...Marie. Awaken."

It took a few seconds for the commands to be processed, complete with some errant beeping from Marie's hypnoshades as it went through the motions for the first time, but eventually, the two awakened properly and stared fondly at the two Agents. Their already warm smiles become warmer and friendlier, almost genuine despite the robotic nature of the rest of their posture, and they stared with great interest. Callie was the first to speak, the robotic tone in her voice returning and still creeping Isabelle out, "'Aah, Master Isabelle. Hello.'"

"'...Master Isaac!'" Marie giggled as she came to, a switch of personality that made Issac reel in shock, "'It's great to finally meet AND be controlled by you!'"

"Interesting," Isabelle pondered, "Somehow the process switched their personalities around. Coooooooool. I wonder if that was intentional. Alright, I kind of need a few blanks filled in here. What's going on?"

"'A good amount of this was Miss Marie's idea,'" Callie reported, "'I was having trouble adjusting to the reality of my obsession in my waking hours.'"

"'So I went and got my own copy of the shades!'" Marie tweeted, "'I wanted to REALLY understand what it was that she went through, so we went to see Marina and Pearl.'"

"That didn't work..." Isaac grumbled.

"'It sort of did, Master Isaac...'" Marie pouted, "'Pearl requested a visit to the Valley to meet up with Lo-I mean, Ex-Lord Octavio. She did her violent gremlin thing, and another pair of hypnoshades were produced. Putting them on was like a pleasure I have never experienced before. But now, we are not Callie and Marie. We are not the Squid Sisters. We are happy little robotic puppets. We lack free will, we exist to serve ourr masters. We LOVE to serve our masters!'"

Isaac visibly cringed at that, but Callie continued, "'Please. This is our relaxation. Our waking forms get to hide out in our own minds, relax, sort out the day. A time where the body does not need to think, only obey. Sit back, and enjoy the ride. Perhaps it takes partaking in the experience to truly understand how liberating this feels. So go on, command us. We exist to serve, rght now...'"

"....Could you...give us a moment?" Isabelle asked, to which both Sisters nodded. She quickly dragged Isaac out of the room and huddled with him, "Okay, I'm kinda not sure about this now that it's actually happening. As someone who thought to free those Octo types a few years back...this is too weird."

"As someone who almost got mulched trying to save Callie, I'm not exactly amused they're using it as a relaxation aid..." Isaac sighed, "But then...if it's what they wanna do, then I guess we...just let them have it?"

"Yeah..." Isabelle mumbled.There was a few seconds pause before her face lit up again, like a lightbulb had switched on in her head, "And, besides! If WE get to control them, imagine what we could make 'em do for us!"

"...Yeah..." Isaac grinned, blushing heavily.

"No not THAT!" Isabelle grumbled, giving Isaac a little slap, "I mean we could make 'em go out and do some shopping for us! Grocery shopping, you know..."

"Oh, right," Isaac grinned, "I can get behind that..."

With that, the two slipped back into the room. There they noticed, to their surprise, neither Sister had moved from where they were when they left the room. They were still sitting stock still and staring at the two with dopey smiles on their otherwise-blank faces. It was...creepy, to say the least, and Isabelle shuddered as Callie's head silently swiveled to follow her as she stepped across the room. She approached the Sister and tapped her shoulder to fully get her attention, "Okay, we've had a quick word, and there is something we'd like you to do for us."

"'Of course, Master Isabelle,'" Callie said, "Please, state your command.'"

"Well..." Isaac shrugged, "We need some stuff done. We command you to do some shopping in the Arowana Mall. Some groceries, specifically. Bread, cheese, some toothpaste, a few drinks, some new socks."

"Ooh, I'd love a new Splattershot!" Isabelle chirped, "I'd like to try one of those Kensa ones, if possible!"

"But most importantly," Isaac noted, "We want you to have fun. Enjoy yourselves, get something nice. Smile and skip and wave hello to the other Inklings as you pass 'em by. Just have a wonderful time, you know?"

"'Your wish...'" Callie beeped, "'Is our command.'"

"'Ooh, I cannot wait!'" Marie booped, an excited twinge to her voice that felt ever so unnatural, "'We will have one of the most enjoyable days possible!'"

"Well, have fun, you two," Isaac grinned, "We'll stay here and...housesit. Yes."

Under their blinking shades, the two Squid Sisters were in no place to argue this. With calm waves and cheerful smiles, they exited the apartment once again. No disguises this time, just Callie and Marie, shades donned, captured in the moment. There was an errant sigh from Isabelle as the facade dropped, and she stared at Isaac with a face born of exhaustion. It had certainly been a long day, for all involved. But now that day was finally winding down. The rain had stopped, and the evening sun blanketed the city in a calm, orange glow. Yawning, Isabelle had no energy to mess about in the apartment, and she collapsed to the couch with an errant sigh before quickly nodding off into a slumber. Isaac joined her, spread out across the comfy armchair and conking out in a matter of minutes. While the two slept, the Sisters shopped and sang and smiled the day well into the night. It was a sight for many of the Inklings doing their late night shopping. Callie and Marie of the Squid Sisters! Decked out in hoodies and cargo pants, trainers and a pair of blinking LED shades stuck to each face. Their eyes rolled back, their smiles beaming, their demeanor calm as they flit from shop to shop trying on things. Like they had lost pretense of staying hidden. They could not see the consciousnesses inside their prancing bodies, a pilot away from the controls, each enjoying the bliss of servitude. They had no issues, no worries, no qualms. They simply sat back, let a wave of nothing wash over them and drifted along for the ride.

Within a record shop tucked in the corner, Pearl could see the two Sisters, under the influence and loving it. And she flashed her trademark cheeky grin at the spectacle.

END