Hyla is a stealth-type Heptopod and has the usual amount of appendages for her type - two ears, two arms, two legs and one tail. She has a light green skin colour, with circle patterns on the sides of her face. Her tail and ears are a darker green colour on the suction side, with her suction cups being pink.

As for Lyla, they’re a strength-type Heptopod - one ear, two arms, two legs and two tails. They have a magenta skin colour, while her suction cups are green. The fact that Hyla and Lyla have inverse colours is just coincidence.

Hyla has a significantly greater ability to express her emotions than other heptopods. While most heptopods only make use of facial expressions, Hyla is also able to use her tail and ears to communicate her feelings to the point that some picky strength heptopods think that she's overly dramatic. However, more open-minded heptopods such as Lyla see it as a very valuable trait as she could precisely communicate how she felt, as well as the feelings of other heptopods around her.

Usually, Hyla's tail sways calmly, even when she's in a neutral state. When she's calm and relaxed, her ears and tail "melt" like most other heptopods. She can become very excited and shake a bit in joy, but she's also vulnerable to having her sunny day become an instant downpour by the smallest of things. In those situations, Lyla always comes to the rescue to make her day bright again.

As for Lyla, they have a much calmer demeanour. While they don't show as much expression as Hyla, they're still able to tell when she's having the off-day. However, Lyla's tails sway calmly when they see Hyla enjoying herself with her friends. They don't like it when Hyla points it out, though! When alone with Hyla, they love to comfort her with a tail hug, which she really appreciates by wrapping her tail around Lyla in return.

Being in a small but spaced-out modern colony, other heptopods didn't really know each other too well. Hyla can't quite remember her early years and can't pinpoint who specifically raised her, not even any clear parental figure. Hyla mostly kept to herself for that reason, but it seemed as if time went on, she started to notice the emotions each heptopod was feeling.

She would see how happy one would be to see their family, how angry another would be to have their shelter vandalised by a few bad actors within the colony, and how upset another would be to lose their treasured possession. She would feel every bit of it, and be able to replicate it with significantly more expression. To have a feeling of another heptopod directly impact her is one thing, to have it greatly enhance how she expresses those feelings is another.

Eventually, all the emotion she felt became too much for her, and she broke down in public. All the other heptopods didn't care, as if she was invisible to them... except for one. While still visibly distressed and shaking, a strength heptopod approached her and reached their hand out to her. Hyla immediately lept to this stranger she never met, wrapping her arms and tail around them for a hug.

Being a strength heptopod, the stranger initially thought they were about to be attacked by Hyla as soon as she leapt to them. Of course, this didn't happen, but this was quite the surprise for the stranger. It was this sensational feeling of comfort that Hyla gave them that led the stranger to wrap their arms and tails around Hyla to comfort her and calm her down from her breakdown.

After eventually calming down, Hyla apologised and thanked the stranger for comforting her. For the strength heptopod stranger however, they felt as if she couldn't be left alone, so they asked if they could accompany her as a friend. Naturally, Hyla couldn't take down the offer. Also naturally, she forgot to ask the stranger's name. Their name was Lyla.