On the surface, it seemed like Wyatt had an easy time finding and settling in Inkopolis, though he could never catch a break. Many of his old classmates had it out for him after hearing he was discharged and sought to torment him, and because he had few starting funds, he often went hungry. Once in the city, he started indulging in turf wars to save for a home and would sleep in hotels or outside in the meantime. The only place he could afford was a small dorm-like apartment on a sketchy side of town, and none of his neighbors were fans of him.

Due to his limited vision, he was afraid to be out at night but often battled from sunup to sundown. One night, unaware of his surroundings, he walked in between a bar fight in a nearby alley. The men immediately jumped him, and while he tried to defend himself and escape, the impact resulted in him breaking his ankle.

The Octoling eventually gave up, assuming they would leave him to die, though Alaias, a frequenter at the bar, ran in and beat the life out of them. The hybrid would spend many nights out drinking since he looked older than his age and was never carded. While he often instigated bar fights, he never involved spectators and had a previous grudge against the four guys attacking Wyatt. He feared Alaias was planning to land the final blow on him, but to his surprise, carried him to safety after examining his injuries.

Alaias took him to urgent care where they tended to his wounds, and despite being strangers, Wyatt clung to him the entire time as he continued to panic. However, the boy eventually calmed down, and Alaias returned him to his apartment. Though they never exchanged numbers or much information about themselves, Alaias would visit him twice a week until he healed.

While Wyatt preferred to take care of himself, he secretly liked being pampered as he now lived alone, and as a kid, his parents could never give him much attention, although they tried. And though Alaias was closed-off, he kept finding reasons to see him again, which brought them closer.

Wyatt's attackers were arrested, and after recovering after two months, the hybrid took him out for drinks. Of course, they had become good friends during the eight weeks, but the Octoling was a lightweight, and Alaias had to carry him home (again). Under the influence, he thanked him for his help which had been done earlier in the night but also decided to trust his gut and ask if he could kiss Alaias. He hadn’t been in a relationship since being discharged, and after seeing the hybrid for so many days on end, he couldn’t get the thought out of his head.

Alaias happily agreed, but the Octoling continued to ramble, forgetting about his request, and the two eventually passed out on his couch. Alaias had assumed the boy had still forgotten the next morning, but despite how hungover they were, Wyatt kissed him before he let him leave his apartment.

The Octoling was worried his crush wouldn’t visit anymore now that he had recovered and no longer needed to be babysat. Of course, Alaias promised he wouldn’t stop checking on him and would be happy to stay the night again and not just get drunk and pass out. Inadvertently, Alaias’ support gave Wyatt more hope, and he eventually saved enough money to buy a nicer apartment and even furnish it. The complex he moved into was the same as the Raviolis, and since they were neighbors, he quickly befriended them. Still, because he knew Alaias first in more ways than one, he's always been his favorite person.