Uh.
Hey.
This book is over now.
I feel like I should share some of the stuff that changed while this story was being written.
So yeah.
Let's do just that.
-Some of the character's names were changed. Isabelle was originally named Ikabelle or Inkabelle, but I thought that was way too cheesy. Orlaith was originally named Takoko, a play on words with the Japanese name Takako and the Japanese word for Octopus. I eventually went with Orlaith because I thought it was too cute to not use.
-Back during the super early stages of this story, Isabelle and Nathan were originally named Orange and Blue. I didn't go with that for very long because that was extremely overused at that time. They would also dress like the Inkling amiibos, which was also overused. Yay for being different!
-Remember how Kasai had an abusive stepfather? At first, she wasn't the only character with an abusive parent. Originally, Nathan's father was going to be portrayed as abusive and cruel, but I changed that because two abusive parents is way too much. (I said abusive way too much there.)
-Two side stories were in development during this story. One about Orlaith's life back in Octo Valley, and a short romance story revolving around Max and Ellie. I haven't finished them yet, but if you would like to see those then please tell me :)
-All of the main characters have last names. Some were mentioned in the story, but most weren't, so I'll put them here right now.
-Isabelle Blackfisk
-Nathan Kalmar
-Ellie Acle
-Max Tenta
-Orlaith Octomoe
-Kasai Brasa
-Felix Encorne
-Jacki Sikwidi
-Mark Tintfish
-MCL originally wasn't going to end happily.
In the story, Nathan spares Octavio in promise of peace and unity between their species, Isabelle lives, and everything is peachy. How-EVER, the story was originally going to end with a bittersweet tragedy.
Here's how it would have gone --
When Nathan ran over to Isabelle and tried to listen for her pulse, there would be nothing there. In a fit of rage, Nathan killed Octavio and put an end to the Octarian army once and for all. But due to the events, Nathan would fall into a coma that he would never wake up from. The world was saved, but at the cost of their lives. The last words Nathan uttered before his inevitable death?
"I can't wait... Isabelle..."
And then BOOM DEAD.
I actually got halfway through writing the chapter like that and then I realized -
"...This is a lot darker than I want it to be. THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE A HAPPY BOOK ABOUT ANTHROPOMORPHIC SQUIDS, NOT DEATH DOOM AND COMATOSE."
So I decided to change it to the happy ending, which fit well with the rest of the story (at least in my opinion). Besides, I'm saving all the dark stuff for the sequel.
Wait, what?
Yeah, you heard right. SEQUEL.
I'm writing a sort of sequel to this book! It may not involve all the same characters, but it takes place in Inkopolis a few years after MCL, where Inklings and Octarians live together peacefully.
Well... Most of them.
I won't say any more than that. ;)