"Hurry up, Thandbar!" A blue Inkling girl with a lisp was knocking upon her friend's apartment door. She was wearing a white tank top with green sandals. Her hair in the default style that had long draping tentacles on the sides "You're gonna be late for practith!"

"Ugh..." The yellow Inkling boy slumped out of bed, flopping onto the floor. His small apartment was a mess. Cluttered with books along the floors, and the walls having old human relics scattered about. Including old deer mounts, cowboy hats, boots, and all sorts of Old West items.

It was only a matter of time before the lipsy inkling girl charged on in. Practically knocking the door off its hinges. "Get up! It'th time, remember?"

"Yeh...right." The boy, Sandbar, stretched his arms before standing up. His speech having a country accent to it.

After a getting dressed in his favorite white Tee and shorts, the yellow inkling followed his blue friend. Unfortunately for him, she was extremely jumpy, and wanted to get to their destination as fast as possible. "C'mon, Thandy! Those red and black sneakers won't buy themselves!"

"Ravine, why, do ya even want those darn things? They just like any other pair'a shoes ya can buy at the mall."

"No they aren't!" The girl, Ravine, showed him a magazine, displaying the shoes. They looked like regular shoes, except they were red with black zebra-styled stripes. "It's the Z-Stripe Pacers! They have 6 grear slots, and come with a brand new ability unseen before! Who wouldn't want that?!"

Sandbar sighed mentally. It wasn't on his to-do list to help Ravine with another crazy shopping trip. His friend was always looking to get the hottest new gear that was available, even if she had to splat everyone in the store.

Something Sandbar wanted to avoid this time.

"Eh, I guess if ya want it so badly, I may as well help out. Lord knows how difficult it'll be to buy 'em with all the others that want 'em," he shrugged, and decided to take the lead by running ahead of her, "I'm with ya. Les' go."

In response, Ravine was thrilled. Giving almost an ear-splitting shrill squeal of delight. "Eeee thankyouthankyouthankyou!"

A while later, they arrived at the shoe store in Arowana Mall. It was a gigantic store with aisles allocated to each shoe size. Thankfully it wasn't open yet, but there was a crowd outside. Inklings and Octolings ready to tear into the store and get their hands on the Z-Stripes.

Sandbar and Ravine were expecting this, and already trying to come up with a plan to evade the crowds. They were both on a bended knee, looking over a diagram of the store. "Alrighty, it'll be just like a Turf War," Sandbar began to explain, pointing to an arrow that went along the right side, "I'mma charge in on the right side, and you'll surf over the entire crowd."

"Righty! And then I flop into your arms and you throw me all the way to the display!" She cheerfully announced the rest of the plan, triumphantly slamming her fist into her open palm. "It can't miss!"

"Shhhhshh! Ey, keep it down, ya gonna let everybody know what we're doin'!" Sandbar chastised her loudness with an upset whisper.

"Hehee...sorry." Ravine responded with a giggle.

As if on cue, a confident, snooty male voice came from behind them. "Ahaha...very original guys."

"Huh?" Their heads turned to the source.

A sky blue inkling boy with a pair of thick glasses, and a white and gray flannel shirt was standing there. His hair in the defualt ponytail style. "I pity your oversimplified ideas. Maybe consider the fact that the left side is where the shoes are located? Or did you forget that?" He ended his sentence with a smirk, and an adjustment of his glasses.

As much as Sandbar despised being corrected, his "friend" had a point. "Tch...yea...I guess ya right, Trident."

The sky blue inkling, Trident, chuckled to himself. "Sandbar, Ravine."

"Ey buddy!" Ravine waved and gave a wide, jagged-toothed grin, "Holy carp! That's three-fourths of our old Turf Team all together!"

"Please, save your excitement," Trident went on. "Now I couldn't help but overhear your troubles. Looking to purchase those highly coveted kicks, I see? Hm..." His head turned to the crowd of Inklings at the door. The shoe store wasn't open just yet, but everyone was practically foaming at the mouth for these particular shoes. "Five minutes until they open, and around two dozen kids ready to broil anyone that gets in their way. Heh. Seriously? These odds are quite in our favor as it is."

Ravine was staring at Trident, her expression half blank, half curious.

Sandbar rolled his eyes. Not very keen on his friend's long spiels. "In Inkling Language, brotha?"

"Comerades. We just need to cause an even bigger distraction. Watch and learn, friends." Trident took a few steps forward, almost innocently so, hands behind his back and all. He took his time, dusting himself off, stretching once, twice. "Ahem...HOLY MOTHER OF COD ITS THE SQUID SISTERS-!"

Silence from the crowd at the shoe store. In a matter of seconds, their attention was stolen, and they ran together in an army to attemtp to locate their idols.

"WHERE?"

"MARIE'S HERE?!"

"CALLIE?!"

"SIGN MY STUFF!"

They all dispersed from the shoe store's front entrance, to which a jellyfish promptly flipped the sign around. Rubbing its head in confusion, wodnering where its potential customers went...

Both Ravine, and Sandbar's jaws dropped to the floor. They were in complete shock at how simple the procedure was.

Trident continued forward, raising an eyebrow at them both. "Hey now. Don't let my efforts go to waste. Let's get inside already."

The pair shook their heads, regaining focus. Ravine more exicted out of the two. "Thanks, Tri!Yaaaay! Z-Stripes here I come!" And she bolted into the store with her friends following behind. Sandbar giving Trident a glare.

"Ya know, ya'll coulda just said shout the names of some celeb and git their attention."

Trident adjusted his glasses, returning his friend's gaze with a proud smirk. "But that would render my idea stale. Come now, we can't explain everything and let our enemies know our plans. That would be tacky."

Sandbar's glare slowly turned into a grin. "Yeah well...I hate yer plans."

"I know."

Upon entering the shoe store, their heard Ravine give an inkcurdling scream.

"AHHHHHHHHH!"