#everyones in splatlands

[almostvermin]

why make notes on macbeth when you can make notes on splatoon!proseka

[splatoon-but-real]

Ay Ay... (Whaat? Aw man... I wanted a mint too! I'll just have to ask Shiver and Frye to steal get me some of them from you.)

i'm moving

[opal-owl-flight]

Decimation.

Youve been stealing back millions of eggs from Grizzco for years. And in a single night, they took it all back.

How does it feel to face a possible extinction?

Uhh lore abt Grizzco and the salmonids below!

So in my interp, Grizzco started somewhat small, bc back then Grizz and...an associate... were doing everything by themselves. When his associate went nuts, and almost ended the world by driving the nearby salmonid nations nuts as well, Inkadia launched Project Piranesi. (More on that another time.) Grizz had to think of another way to get those eggs..

…how perfect was it then, that Inkopolis, a fairly new city, was having a bit of a salmonid problem?

Grizz inserted his corporation as part of the damage control along the run routes. it only grew from there.

he expanded to the Splatlands later, though admittedly the folks there were more adapted to the salmonids compared to Inkadia. Its not as strong a hold but Splatsville and its surrounding establishments appreciated the extra precautions Grizzco provided.

Neos born fighting for her life and for her clans. Its why shes so aggressive and finds it difficult to be anything but. If shes not angry, fighting for her clans to have a life of peace…for a present and future where she can live -- what is she?

she and 3 arent so different, in that regard.

------------

Grizzco says that the last 7 big run locales had "unusual magnetic readings" and in my world that just means THEY DAMN PUT IT THERE!!!!

They intentionally put something there to confuse the migrators and to steal the next generation -- and the Inkfish? Ofc theyd fight for their homes.

The Splatlandians TRIED to avoid the routes when they built the city after thousands of years of observation. Sorta like the dykes and canals some cities build next to swelling rivers.

Another comparison is that the big runs are just like other natural calamities in the eyes of the nations. Its like a flood, an earthquake, a typhoon. Hell its somewhat announced that way too. The infrastructure is built with the runs in mind. The powers that be have built countermeasures.

*I say try bc some sleazy/unaware corporations still built along those routes bc of the cheaper land/other "economical reasons."

And then Inkadia just wasnt aware at all, being a newer city compared to the ancient splatlands.

Grizzco intentionally causes property damage for bigger gains. Theyve been suffering a "shortage" thanks to Neo3 and the platoon's banditry. In a bid to take everything back and more, they decided to make the biggest event in the Splatlands the salmonid's next target.

They know that EVERYONE will show up to it.

---------

I think seeing that counter keep ticking up gives Neo3 a sense of creeping dread. Thats the number of eggs she put back in the sea. And more. All done in a single night. All her work, down the drain.

The platoon does manage to get a LOT of it back but god. What about the fallen runners, who were supposed to get to the actual spawning grounds?

Those lives disrespected and their bodies unable to feed the spawn. (Theres only so much the survivors can drag back.)

I wonder too, how many of those runners arent there for the runs at this point. They are there to kill.

Ticked off by the persistent attacks and the misdirection. As Polyphemus says in Epic, "Take from you what you take from me."

----------

After multi-magnetic field disruptors in the biggest run, these salmonid have had enough and want to hit back. I wouldnt blame them...god, I wouldnt blame them

The salmonids have never resorted to kidnapping any inkfish. Theyve killed. Yeah. Part of the whole running ceremony. But it was always just a part of that.

To actually go out of their way to fight instead of spawn? Thats different. In the grand run, inkfish may notice that some bosses arent dropping golden eggs. Bc they were never here to spawn. Theyre here to drag every inkfish they find into hell.

Subsequent big runs may end up with more and more of those eggless bosses.

----------

Happy 700 mil!! I HAD MANY NEO3 AND SALMONID THOUGHTS. THINGS ARE GETTING SO FUCKED UP IN SPLOONWORLD. The platoon as a whole is trying to restore peace between the Splatlands, Inkadia, Octaria AND the Salmonid nations, but unless Inkadia and the Splatlands change (COUGHS mostly Inkadia), nothing can really be done.

This is the shit 3 fights for. That harmony is what they dream of. The whole world rests on their shoulders and they press on, ever forward.

[waxsuyaaa]

oooaaauuhghhhhh…..

SPLATSTUCK!

yap under the cut

sollux mains the dualies because. hah. two guns🤭💥 and he has special charge up so he can spam killer wail

kanaya with stamper just MAKES SENSE. chainsaw I love you chainsaw

vriska spams tenta missiles 8 at a time, not because she has power ups. its because the version of her weapon is illegal from the splatlands

i gave gamzee the mini splatling because its whimsical and I dont want to have another dualies player

aradia gets sanitized later on. vriska works with commander tartar to idk. kill everyone I guess…. theres not much edited storyline

eridan is permanently march eridan because in splatoon, everyone is a twink

anywyas have my concept art

theres more but they suck so im not posting that <3

[potat0bag]

hey splatheads, your favourite deep cut archivist is back with some horrifying implications to shove directly in your faces.

don't know how many people are aware, but the splatlands is canonically flood-prone, as informed to us through one of the dialogues when Undertow Spillway is in rotation:

cool stuff! with that in mind, let's jump to the past real quick. okay, so we're all pretty familiar with Sunken Scroll 2 (Splatoon 3), seen below. detailing an extreme flood that ravaged the splatlands years ago.

"Long ago, our splatted lands were almost washed away by a great flood. All was presumed lost... until three lights appeared and united to consume the disaster. Thankful for their salvation, the townsfolk threw a festival with three portable shrines as a tribute." If we look closely, the area depicted in the flood is the Crater, as we can tell from the upturned "eiffel tower". Why do I bring up these two tidbits? Well, from the 2nd Big Run, located at Undertow Spillway, there was Splatcast dialogue (when you load up the game during the Big Run) detailing how the floodgates that keep Splatsville unflooded are currently (or at least, at the time were) broken. This is how Undertow Spillway was vulnerable to being flooded itself in the first place, and means that if Splatsville WERE to flood, there'd be no surefire way to drain the water - and Splatsville would likely suffer irreparable damage.

With the latest September 2024 Big Run (some of us are calling it Grand Run, I love that), the Salmonids' target is the Grand Splatlands Bowl, located in the Crater.

Alarm bells should be ringing, as this is the 2nd time the Crater is being devastated by flooding. The clans are still in practice, and the three lights were referenced to be the cause of Hugefry in the climax of Return of the Mammalians, so we're definitely not going to see long-term consequences from this that won't be prevented from the Grand Festival uniting three groups itself.

Still, considering how close Splatsville and the Crater are- the implications are rather ominous. And I'm sure everyone - young and old - in Splatsville is probably feeling it too.

[magicalgirlfia]

Splatoon 3 Artbook Translation Masterdoc!

Hey guys! I’m back on my BS with more Splatoon artbook translations! This time it’s a masterdoc leading to info about the info we got about The Splatlands, Brands/Gear, Weapons, Grizzco, and Hero Mode (as well as a link to my already posted stage translation PDF)

So without further ado…

As I said last time, reblogs are very appreciated but unlike last time I wanted to thank everyone for your kind words and support! It means a lot to me that people want to see this stuff as much as I do, and I am more than happy to share that info with the world!

[glassesfreekjr]

... Why did they build a whole-ass flood bypass out in the Splatlands, anyway? Is it like California rules where it's arid as hell most of the time except for when everyone drowns, or has the flash flooding caused by Big Runs been more of a long-running issue then we initially thought?

The fan splatband Red Flare District is named in reference to the 190-chapter juggernaut "exercises in gratitude (The Barclay Street Flood)" by @redeyedsheepskull over on AO3. Contrary to what Inkopolis news media would have you believe, the Order vs. Chaos Splatfest was only partly the reason for the mass cultural exodus to the Splatlands. Maybe it had something to do with the fallout after a catastrophic spillway failure submerged a low-class Inkopolis neighborhood in millions of tons of polluted floodwater, I dunno.

RFD changed its name (from RLD) partly to capitalize on the event and partly out of genuine albeit ham-handed tribute.

And here, out in the middle of the desert, is yet another failed flood bypass. The ironic hilarity was too good for them to not write a song about. Fast-forward five years and some still consider the end product to be a tad insensitive.

(sample source list can be found on my YouTube)

[basalamander-corner]

When you stop to actually think about it, the situation the octolings go through in pretty horrifying. Not just living in a home where the sky could collapse on them at any moment, but the futility of everything they're doing.

We learn in Splatoon 3 that some octolings clans (like Shiver's) lived above ground. They never went down into the Octo Domes, and became well-established to the point of being almost ruler-like? I don't think it's made clear if the great clans that Deep Cut hail from are seen as lords over the Splatlands or what, but they're clearly influential and powerful. So the octolings... really didn't need to spend all that time suffering.

Every one of them could have waltzed onto the surface and easily integrated into inkling society, and no one would bat an eye because as we all know: inklings are stupid as shit! They didn't care when Marina ended up there! So they wouldn't care about others.

So what was stopping them?

Could it be that the higher ups of the Octarian army, those closest to Octavio, were so blinded by their loss, by their sense of pride and their own selfishness, they felt the need to prove they were better than the inklings? To prove they didn't need their "blessed surface", and that they could survive just fine on their own? Their loss was humiliating, and for their superior weapons to lose to such a weak enemy, clearly they need to show their strength to persevere through even the most horrifying of situations.

Clouded by their arrogance, the Octarian army could only imagine that the inklings were keeping the zapfish (and other energy sources) away from them in order to punish them for daring to fight in the Great Turf War in the first place. They were so caught up in this loss they didn't realize inklings had forgotten all about the war within two generations! That sure, the inklings might have learned about it in school (as we hear from Pearl), but they don't know much else other than the basic facts.

And so, the younger generation of octolings suffered the most.

While the generation who lived through the war were trying to return to their glory days, desperate to show off their power and abilities, the newer generation of octolings are forced into fighting for a war they never wanted from a young age. We don't know if all octoling training starts at age 6, but Marina is certainly a case of it. Regardless of when they started fighting, they are fed propaganda and lies from birth.

Inklings are dangerous. Inklings are evil. Inklings will destroy you if they see you. You must avoid them. They hate you because you are an Octarian. That is why you must train.

And they have no choice but to believe it, because they've never seen anything to the contrary. They live in these crumbling domes, they know the inklings live on the surface with unlimited power, so of course they have to believe what their higher ups are saying, and what their own eyes are telling them. The new generation of octolings embody the teachings of their predecessors. As much as it might hurt to fight, as much as they are run ragged and used and abused, it's all for the best. It's for their protection. For their safety. If they step back, if they refuse service, then they're letting everyone down. The Octo Domes would lose power forever. How can you leave your own people to die? Are you selfish? Do you think the innocent must suffer? No. You'll be a good little soldier, and you'll follow orders.

But in the end—as the octolings find their way to the surface after Octavio is defeated and the Zapfish is recovered for the first time—they find out that everything they had done was for nothing. They lived through horrible conditions, believing that inklings were punishing them, only to come to the surface and find that none of it was true.

Are any of them resentful? Do some think of their time underground fondly (like Marina is implied to)? Do they see it for what it was: a futile attempt at holding onto some semblance of dignity after their humiliating defeat to an enemy who couldn't even wake up on time?

Or are they left deeply scarred by it all? Hurt that the older generation—the ones who were supposed to know best for them—would turn their backs on them and let them suffer for a so-called "greater good" that didn't even exist!

Some ramblings about how my own OCs fit into these thoughts are down below. Feel free to skip if you don't want to read something less canon!

Sashi was long trained into being the perfect soldier. He was bio-engineered for it, spliced together using the genes of other soldiers that came before him. He is mistreated by those above him... and it's deserved, isn't it? After all, he isn't an actual octoling. He was created, he wasn't born naturally. So he isn't really sentient, is he? He's just a thing. A useful tool for what the Octarian army wants to accomplish.

And so as he's mistreated, he starts to embody that too. It takes finally escaping to the surface for him to realize and come to terms with the fact that what happened to him wasn't deserved. And I think that, while he isn't resentful, he is angry at Octavio. Sashi looked up to him when he was younger: the brightly shining king who clearly wanted what was best for his people. But when Sashi learns that every was for nothing, well... he certainly won't be happy about it.

Except... we find out that Octavio (and some of the other higher ups) would have never dreamed about treating Sashi the way he was, or any other experiments for that matter.

Yes, Octavio was blinded by his own pride and dignity, but he genuinely wished the best. And to him, creating an army of super-soldiers that could fight to protect them in battle was the best decision to make. So then why? If Octavio never ordered the cruel treatment, why did it happen?

Let's go back to the propaganda and lies: many octolings would believe it. They would grow up hearing about the glory days, the stories of war... and they want a piece of that pie. They want to be a celebrated war hero, they want to rush into battle and defeat the inklings that keep them oppressed in the dark for so long. And with that desire to fight comes a penchant for cruelty. So they treat the experiments—and other lesser soldiers—poorly. Because their job as soldiers is to fight fight fight and keep fighting, so it won't hurt to push them far beyond the limits of what is humanly possible, right?

And Octavio is blind to all of this. He is blind, and it seems like he doesn't care.

So they are left to suffer in silence.

@sharliexth here's a more concise version of my thoughts I shared with you the other day lol

[splatoonreblogger]

SplatoonNA:

The results are in for Grand Festival!

Team Past wins with a score of 500p! Congratulations on winning the biggest Splatfest ever!

Thanks to everyone that participated, and be sure to grab those Super Sea Snails!

SplatoonJP:

史上最大規模で開催されたグランドフェスティバル「大切なのは？ 過去 vs 現在 vs 未来」の結果は500対370対0となった。

勝利した過去チームのみなさん、おめでとう！

惜しくも敗れた現在チーム・未来チームのみなさんの健闘ぶりも素晴らしかった！

72時間、お疲れさまでした！

SplatoonNA:

Congratulations to Team Past! Time to take a look back at all the fun Splatfests we've a had along the way. Thanks for holding down the Splatlands with us, it's been a blast!

Grand Festival may be over, but the fun continues! See you soon!

SplatoonJP:

これにて「グランドフェスティバル」は閉幕となる。

2年間にわたって開催してきたフェスも、これでひと区切り。

みなさんの心には何色の思い出が残っているだろうか。

最後に感謝を込めて、この映像をお送りする。

本当に、ありがとう。

ほな カイサン！！！

SplatoonNA:

After 2 INK-credible years of Splatoon 3, regular updates will come to a close. Don't worry! Splatoween, Frosty Fest, Spring Fest, and Summer Nights will continue with some returning themes!

Updates for weapon adjustments will be released as needed.

Big Run, Eggstra Work, and Monthly Challenges will continue for the time being.

SplatoonJP:

発売から2年間と予告していた『スプラトゥーン3』への定期的なコンテンツ追加は終了となるが、「Splatoween」「Frosty Fest」「Spring Fest」「Summer Nights」については、一部のお題を復刻しながら今後も開催するぞ。

また、ブキの性能変更などを含んだ更新データは、不定期に配信予定だ。(1/2)

ビッグランについても、過去に開催したものを順次復刻開催する予定だ。

また、当面の間、バイトチームコンテストは新規の内容で開催するぞ。

なお、ツキイチ・イベントマッチやバイトチームコンテストは、予告なく終了する場合があるので、ご了承いただきたい。(2/2)

[csidezine]

Repping for Splatlands, A C-Side Zine!

Helloooo fellow Splatlandians and stray Inkopolitans. Is there anyone who possibly doesn’t love C-side?

To celebrate and cherish this band, we would like to (very possibly) run a zine! This zine, as you may have guessed, will be centered around C-Side while featuring everyone and everything they might encounter.

About Repping the Splatlands Zine

This zine will be fully digital, and free zine at that!

The zine is a SFW one!

Because we want to center C-side, there will be no shipping in this zine. 

While C-side is the main focus of Repping for Splatlands Zine, this doesn’t mean they are the sole focus. Contributors will be allowed/encouraged to draw them interacting with other bands, idols, shopkeepers, promo kids, and OCs! As long as they remain in the focus, it is allowed.

The contributors will also be encouraged to express themselves through their fanon/own designs and headcanons.

The moderators, while very passionate and capable in their own right (at least we would like to believe :p), are new to running zines. This will be our first zine project as moderators if this continues into development. All advice and feedback is very greatly appreciated, as we would like to make this zine a reality.

Depending on the interest check, we might bring new moderators on board also!.

Speaking of! The interest check is [here!!!!!] and will be open until next month, you can also access it through our strawpage. We hope to see your answers, and don’t forget to ask your own questions in our dms, tumblr asks, and our own site!

C-ya soon!

art by @002wsbi!

(Splatoon is owned by Nintendo. We are not affiliated, associated, sponsored by, endorsed by, or in any way officially connected with Nintendo. All rights belong to Nintendo.)

[cosmo-production]

EVERYONE WAKE THE (CENSORED BY NINTENDO) UP! @flamingskull28

HERE YE HERE YE! INKING, OCTOLINGS AND SAPPHALOPODS

NEW SPLATOON LORE JUST DROPPED!

so reading the dialogue for the new splatfest and Frye says this!

"funny how the choice's line up exactly with our classes in bunkers and krakens"

Then big man says

Ay! (I can't wait for next session's big showdown with the pumpkin army!)

THE SPLATLANDS HAS D&D! I REPEAT! THE SPLATLANDS HAS DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS!

As a d&d nerd and a Splatoon player I'm so sorry I AM NOT GONNA BE NORMAL ABOUT THIS!

RAAAAHHHH!

[hauntiingg]

How will the winner of the Grand Festival affect Splatoon 4?

This has been a question everyone has been asking ever since it was revealed. With the theme being Past vs. Present vs. Future, everyone has their own theories.

But first, let's look how the Finalfest has affected the last two games:

"Squid Sisters Popular Vote! Callie vs. Marie:" Affected the role of the Squid Sisters in Splatoon 2's story mode.

"What kind of world do you want to live in? Chaos vs. Order:" Affected the setting of Splatoon 3 and its DLC.

The Grand Festival specifically asks, "Which is the most important to you? Past vs. Present vs. Future"

Emphasis on the question. I find it unlikely this Splatfest will affect the time period Splatoon 4 is set in. Splatoon 1's Past vs. Future specifically asks which you would rather visit, while Past vs. Present vs. Future specifically asks which is more important. There is a difference!

So, we've established Splatoon 4 will continue to take place in the present day. So how will the winner of the Grand Festival come into play?

I think it will affect the themes of the game, placing importance on past/present/future. No matter what team wins, wherever Splatoon 4 takes place will probably be the same, unlike Splatoon 3 where we probably wouldn't have gotten the Splatlands if Order won. But the aesthetics will likely be different depending on what team wins, just like Splatoon 3.

It's also important to note that Return of the Mammalians was stated to be the end of "this splat-tastic saga," meaning the saga of the New Squidbeak Splatoon and the Octarians. Therefore, the winner of the Grand Festival will likely change Splatoon 4's story entirely. It wouldn't be like Splatoon 2 where you could swap the Squid Sisters and the story would largely be the same. Each potential plot would be unique and not something you could easily swap out with something else.

Could it affect the entire next saga? I don't know. That depends on if they want to start a new saga or not.

Will the idols of the winning team play a role in Splatoon 4? ...Probably not. They're just representatives. Pearl and Marina didn't have a role in Return of the Mammalians at all. Of course, they were central to the plot of Side Order, but I wouldn't want "losing team gets the DLC" to become a recurring theme. Perhaps they will have a role in the DLC, but I don't think it will be themed around the losing team.

Well, regardless of what happens, I'm sure this will be fun to look back on in a year or two when Splatoon 4 happens. We'll see how right or wrong I am then.

[duckapus]

Fairly Oddparents/Splatoon Crossover AU

-Dimmsdale is in the Splatlands, and is still called that because if I change it to a fish pun I have to change Doug Dimmadome's name too and I don't want to.

-Fairies are still a Thing, and the relevant fairies are still the same (admittedly vague) ages they are in canon, so Cosmo and Wanda's generation showed up just in time to witness humanity's downfall; the floods, the domes, the professor, the final desperate failure in Alterna, all of it.

-Also all the other characters are their usual ages too, so any of the kids that I turn into Inkings or Octolings are going to be blobby for a while. With one notable exception that I'll explain when it comes up.

-The Turners are Octolings, but they're not from the Domes (hence why I put Dimmsdale in the Splatlands. I wanted them near where all the action is for reasons I'll get into later and Inkadia didn't have Octolings until after the first game's story mode while the Splatlands have always had them).

-Timmy still gets Cosmo and Wanda because his parents are still Like That, and his overbite is even more potent since it's made of the point of his beak instead of a pair of front teeth.

-Cosmo and Wanda almost look like an Inkling and an Octoling, respectively. They got a few details wrong, the biggest one being that they got their hair as close to what they're used to as they could but forgot to check if they had the right number of tentacles.

-Chester's an Inkling, no real notes there

-AJ is a bald Sea Urchin

-Crocker is an Inkling and other than the obvious details looks and acts pretty much exactly like he usually does, complete with neck ears

-Francis is a bull shark, as a reference to his "Bull-E" persona in the episode where everyone's superheroes

-Doug Dimmadome is a walrus (Marina mentions that her landlord is a Narwhal in Splat 2, marine mammal people exist)

-Vicky and Tootie are Octolings, and they are from the Domes but Vicky got them out. She actually hadn't heard Calamari Inkantation at the time, but Tootie had due to a Conveniently Placed Vent, and Vicky knew that anyone who heard that song would try to get to the surface and some of them didn't make it out alive and if even Elites hand-picked by DJ Octavio himself couldn't make it there's no way her seven-year-old nearsighted inkblot of a little sister would be able to get out on her own, but if she stayed she'd be miserable and trapped forever and that would be even worse, so Vicky packed their bags and grabbed Tootie and climbed for their lives despite very much not being freed from the Octarian propaganda by a weird magic folk-turned-pop song like everybody else who made this climb. They would've made it to Inkopolis like the other refugees but they made a wrong turn somewhere and ended up in Dimmsdale instead.

-Due to this she ends up having to raise her sister, get enough money to keep them both alive via Grizzco, babysitting and other odd jobs (she can't do turf or ranked/league because there's too much chance of her training/brainwashing kicking in and making her do something stupid Because Inklings like attack her own teammates or ignore the end-of-match whistle), teach Tootie how to speak Inklish and both of them how to read it, and figure out how to get them legal identities, all while every fiber of her being screams at her that The Enemy is all around them (it takes her the better part of a year after escaping to finally find and listen to the Inkantation, since she didn't know what it was called and wasn't high enough in the ranks to know anything about the Cuttlefish family). At fourteen.

-Chloe is an Inkling, and when she's introduced she already knows how to shift and is clearly used to it despite still being a month and a half or so away from turning twelve, which is... kind of a Bad Sign. Most Cephalings only manage that by thirteen or fourteen, though getting it at twelve, while uncommon, isn't unheard of. Any earlier and there's potentially health risks, especially since it almost has to be a case of the kid forcing it to happen (usually due to pressure and unrealistic expectations, often of the parental variety). And I mean big, "how prepared are you for your child to never be able to walk again" kind of health risks, though that's the worst-case scenario. In Chloe's case there were, in fact, negative effects, but nothing that drastic.

...No, she just starts aching all over if she spends too much time in squid form. And sometimes has stiff joints when it's cold.

-Haven't figured out what the rest of the human characters get turned into for this, but the alien and magical characters are still the same species they were in canon. And yes, the events of the show more-or-less stay the same.

-For a bit of post-series stuff, Timmy, Tootie, Chester and Chloe decide to try at being a comp team, and they're actually pretty good at it (thanks in large part to Vicky teaching them everything she learned from Grizzco, her time in the Octarian military and all the weird tricks she's had to pick up during their adventures). Their team's called the Twerpz and they've got a bit of an unusual lineup of preferred weapons.

Timmy (Splat Handle "No Ruelz" because of course it is) is the team captain and uses a Snipewriter 5H

Tootie (just uses her name) uses a Sloshing Machine Neo

Chester (uses his last name because of the whole infamous family legacy thing) uses the vanilla Splatana Stamper, and has discovered that he can use it like a baseball bat to knock away incoming bombs... aside from burst bombs since they explode on impact. Learned that one the hard way.

Chloe (goes by "3LeafClovr" because everyone thinks she's lucky when she's really not) uses a Luna Blaster Neo. She gets around the issue with her squid form by only shifting when absolutely necessary and compensating with Ink Saver (both kinds), Ink Recovery Up, a little Run Speed Up, and Parkour

So they've got a blaster that can't swim, a splatana that thinks he's in a completely different sport, their only backliner is a pencil, and not a single one of them has Ink Armor despite having two short-range weapons. It probably shouldn't work, but it does, because all four of them are completely nuts and using strategies concocted by a former Octarian soldier and Timmy coddamn Turner of all people

-Tootie ends up as Neo Agent 3. Thanks to being friends with Timmy Return of the Mammalians isn't even close to the weirdest thing that's ever happened to her. And yes this means that by that point she and Vicky have a Smallfry roommate. Tootie found him alone in the desert. Everybody calls him Shwaffle and there are absolutely zero thoughts between those big ol' eyes.

-The rest of the Squidbeak Splatoon is very confused and concerned by the things they hear about their new agent's friends and hometown

-When Timmy was twelve he and Vicky did something and now every gang in the Splatlands is scared shitless of them, including Deep Cut. They've never managed to tell anyone the full story of what exactly happened, though they will occasionally reference bits and pieces of it that sound absolutely batshit insane out of context

[opal-owl-flight]

GOOBLET Neo3 and her adoptive mama :]

Backstory time? BACKSTORY TIME

More abt her origins under the cut!!

She hails from a clan of salmonids that lives close to the Splatlands border. Her whole life, shes known nothing but fight, and be angry at the Inkfish that have taken over the shores of this clan's spawning grounds.

But she was originally from a village of egg harvesters. A struggling village, who fell to harvesting eggs for Grizzco to get by. Once, generations ago, they were friends and traded with the local salmonids until The Propaganda and Better Pay won them over. This generation has forgotten. But the salmonid never forgot this betrayal.

During another attempt to take their spawning grounds back, and migrate upwards to a feeding ground, they pushed into the village ala Big Run.

Neo3s parents -- her mother was incubating the eggs -- dropped the smaller egg as a distraction while she and the father bolted. They hoped the salmonid chasing them would eat the egg and spare them.

A Stinger saw this from her perch and yelled at all the salmon around her to NOT eat the egg.

"Spawn for Spawn," she hisses. "They took me sister's eggs. I teke theirs." She thought her parents were snivveling cowards and told no one to tell the hatchling about them. They do not deserve to be remembered.

The egg was due to hatch in a month. The stinger submerged it in a mix of salmon blood and synthetic ink that the clan ransacks the village for once in a while. The egg, exposed to the mixed material, took on traits of both -- water resistance but can still shapeshift, and so on.

She was raised by the Stinger, alongside lil buddy and a few other hatchlings. (Salmonid raise their young communally after spawning rituals. They are fed the flesh of the fallen, among other things.) The other salmonid didnt approve much. They insisted that its better to just eat her and be done with it -- what can an inkfish do?? And how sure are they that she wont betray them? Inkfish stick with their own, the last few generations have shown that. What would she do when she finds out the truth? Enact revenge? (The stinger is sure she wont.) Still...that Inkfish spawn is adjusting well with the others. They eventually give her a chance, after she scared the piss out of some Grizzco workers that enroached on their spawning grounds again. (It was 4. She scared 4 REAL bad enough that she never came back!!)

-------------

Neo3 never betrayed them. But she did dishonor them.

One of Neo3s closest Salmonid brethren is a horde of pirate Salmonid. (The smallfry is also among them, but he is the same age as Neo3 almost. So when she was a toddler so was he)

They like to help the Runners on their spawning journeys by stirring shit up along their path. Giving them something to fight as they journey. sometimes its Inkfish residences when its Big Runs.

This older brother of hers died on one of these runs. She was very close to this one... And he had taken that hit for her after everyone else was taken down.

And Neo3, and the smallfry??

They ran.

They cant show their faces again after that great dishonor. I know her mama would accept her still. She always does. The rest of the clan may not, though... theyd smell the cowardice on her. The fear. Same goes for the smallfry on her.

Salmonids are...when they fight, they never back down, even if they know theyre gonna die. Fight to live with all theyve got. If they die, they drag whatever theyre fighting down with them.

To keep hiding, with no intention to fight, is considered a sign of weakness (there is the whole "retreat to get to a better position" kind of deal after all. But only Elders can make the choice to fully retreat to fight another day). Theres no elders on that trip and Neo3 just kept hiding. Seeing death so absolute before her for the first time and shrinking away from it.

*Neo3 has that secret fear of dying (much more than most salmonids -- in the fish, theres a "fear" of it that keeps them fighting hard even when things are going south). She freezes instead of fights when she knows she'll lose. And while the threshold isnt low, she gives up more easily than most salmonid do. Her freezing and 3 getting shot during Biggest Run is bc of this, and her guilt after the fact is bc shes reminded of her older salmonid brother.

So she ran off. With only the clothes on her back, and the smallfry, she bolted into the Splatlandian desert. The salmonid she did encounter on the way smelled her fear and returned to the clan bearing the news. She was banished, exiled. Inkling scum, the smallfry an accomplice. The Stinger (who couldve been demoted or kept off the spawning grounds for raising the exiled salmonid, but wasnt due to her skill in routing the workers) kept the respawner they pilfered for her. Waiting for her return, one day.

**This honor was restored during the Biggest Run. She was the one in charge of directing the clans to the safest routes. She was the one drawing worker fire (bc Grizzco is after her ass for the banditry...among other reasons). She faced dangers head on without fear, esp after 3 got shot down. Neo3 doesnt know this. Not yet. She still believes shes the clan's greatest dishonor, hiding it all under the fuzzification's "yearning curse" (more on that later), and a grin.

----------

She didnt immediately end up with Cuttlefish. She spent some years as a scrap scavenger. And...she tried to return to her biological family.

Neo3 did NOT feel good after meeting her bio family. She thought- god she thought - that since her salmonid clan rejected her for her dishonorable cowardice with the pirates (god she was 12-13 guys she didnt even have proper fingers), maybe she can live with her bio family instead.

Nah. That aint happening. And for a while she thought it was working out. Shes with... "the family that spawned her". Her dad was talking to her (before findin oit abt the smallfry anyway). Shes getting the supposed "care" that she missed out on.

Why does it feel...wrong?

And it only felt more wrong when the family comes back day after day of work, heavy with the smell of dead salmonid and the warm scent of golden eggs.

Neo3, they sacrificed you to save their own asses. Youre not missing out any love from them. What she got was dirty looks from everyone and the family keeping her a secret (everyone thought the dad did a freaky with one of the salmonids theyre hunting.)

She ran away again. Running headfirst into Craig, who smelled like The Bear. In her mind, if she kills the bear, then maybe....

Under all that bluster, all she really wants is to be with a family again. And your clan wants to welcome you back now. Youve restored your honor a hundredfold. Only thing stopping you now is yourself.

---------

WOOH THATS A LOT. ENJOY THE COMPLETE BACKSTORY GANG! I didnt touch on Splat3s stuff yet bc that deserves a different post aiejdjd.

[colourful-void]

Thoughts on Splatfests Affecting the Next Game

so we've only had two so far, but i think the way these wins are framed in game and how they're treated narratively is important in terms of making splatoon 4 predictions.

The way that Final Fest results affect the future of splatoon is Culturally and In Universe, while also having out of universe elements.

As the playerbase, we repersent the opinions of the Inkfish! And when a choice wins, that means that in canon, that choice is more popular. that is how it works. so when it comes to final fests, what does that mean?

For spaltoon one to two, it became so that Marie was more popular than Callie. And they both went off on solo careers, etc etc. The effect of Splatoon in universe was Marie's popularity, which influenced Callie's mindset in Splat 2, etc. Out of universe, it meant Marie was liked more, so they put her in the story mode as your guide. Callie is still central, she gets a cool boss fight. Callie as a concept does not cease to be, nor is she suddenly like, hated. She's just slightly less popular.

For splatoon two to three, it became that Chaos was more popular than order. And culturally, that became the case for Inkfish! The entire Splatlands didn't suddenly become (inuniverse) bcs chaos won, it was already a chaotic place and that love made it become more popular. Yes, out of universe it influenced the setting and design of Splatsville, but in universe, the splatlands have existed for ages. We still got side order DLC, the entire concept of any order wasn't entirely thrown out the window.

In both cases, it's not that things took a massive change from how they were or suddenly sprouted into existence, its just that, that's how people felt, thats what they trended towards. Chaos winning didn't make all of Inkcadia into a lawless wasteland with no structure at all. Marie winning didn't kill Callie.

We can't be sure of what'll happen with Splatoon four, but I think some predictions aren't really in line with whats happened before. A remake? that's a whole new stucture, and also just like. not really an ideal selling strat for a game like this? a turf war/legends arceus game? I can't be sure on that, but so much of splatoon's identity is wrapped up on it's EXCELLENT use of pop culture and how well it aligns to our real lives and the modern world. I trust the team wouldn't do that.

But i think we'll see in splatoon four that the inkfish of today start to care more about their history and their past. While some people have pointed out how important it is to live in the moment, and look to the future, i dont think acknowleging the past is a bad thing! i think splatoon four could do some really cool stuff with inkling and octoling histories while still being a modern game. Having everyone think more about how they got here, that's big for inkling culture! i like that!

and hey, maybe I'm wrong. but i think most of all, I'm jsut happy yo see where it goes. so i hope we all can enjoy what comes next together!

[yanderes-galore]

Hello there!

The first thing that I wanted to say was that today is my birthday! 🎂

It's irrelevant, but anyways... I read an earlier post, and I wanted to make an early birthday request.

Can I please request general headcannons of Headphones from the Splatoon manga? (Platonic/Romantic.)

She's my favorite, and apparently, she is 21 in Splatoon 3, so that's a cool little detail.

Sorry if this was made a little late, I have a lot of work to do, and I won't be able to make the request period tomorrow.

Still, I appreciate you reading this. Thank you, and have a good day/night!

Happy (really) late birthday! Sorry I never got to this immediately, I hope you can take it now :(? Hope you enjoy :D! I haven't started Splatlands so this is just a general concept where you're both at least 18.

Yandere! Headphones Concept

Pairing: Platonic/Romantic

Possible Trigger Warnings: Gender-Neutral Darling, Obsession, Overprotective behavior, Manipulation, Jealousy, Stalking, Social isolation, Clingy behavior, Dubious Companionship/Relationship.

Headphones is down-to-earth and one of the most reasonable members of Blue Team.

She's serious like Specs while Goggles and Bobble Hat are often goofy and carefree.

However... she's often easily worried and easily intimidated.

Later on she's more determined and confident but can have her moments.

On her team she's usually the long distance player, specializing in Splat-Chargers and Squiffers.

She acts like an older sibling of the group, often looking out for everyone during battles and other adventures.

Maybe for this concept your bond starts with you being part of Blue Team.

You aren't a main member, but you are childhood friends with them.

If one of them can't make it to a Turf War or Ranked Battle, you'll step in.

Headphones looks after you when you're one her team and off it.

If she can't be near you in a Turf War, she invites you to watch.

If she isn't in a battle, she takes some time away from her team to hang out with you or invites you to join her and the rest of your friends.

She seems like she'd always be overprotective with you.

Even when you're all adults now.

I don't imagine Splatoon yanderes are all that intense to write. (I'm known to keep things as close to canon as possible)

But I can imagine some petty things happening between rivals.

Especially if two Inklings/Octolings are put on opposite teams.

For example, since Headphones sees herself as such a close friend to you, she'd get into fights with friends you have on other teams.

You'll be in a Turf War with a friend from another team, only for Headphones to target them the whole time.

I mean... even if you're just watching she's ruthless.

That's the most I can see Splatoon rivalries going without going into darker and OOC territory.

Headphones would do really petty things if you're too close to others.

Like, she's normally really level-headed... but I can imagine her being passive aggressive.

Headphones tends to like music, she'd probably listen to the Squid Sisters with you.

If you had any music you liked she'd do her best to listen to it.

Sometimes hanging out with one another just includes listening to music and talking.

If you two were on opposite teams in a Turf War, she'd want to go easy on you.

If she can't then she checks in with you after the battle to see if you're okay.

Now while she gets jealous of you hanging out with other friends on different teams... she will defend you if anyone tried to harm you in anyway.

For example, maybe someone like Emperor or Vintage is a bit too harsh on you?

Headphones quickly steps in to defend you, even if you didn't ask for it.

No matter the intentions, she really defends you and your happiness.

She wants you to have fun and she wants to (hopefully) be the cause of such happiness.

Although, you could say that her attempts appear to isolate you.

Her being so protective and jealous of anyone near you but Blue Team harms you more than helps you.

Headphones may not even realize what she's doing is bad.

She's... just so used to looking out for others since you all were young.

She forgets you're all not children or teens anymore.

By the time her obsession peaks you're all adults.

Yet she still treats you like a kid she has to care for.

Her obsession definitely doesn't happen on purpose.

She doesn't even acknowledge it half the time.

She wouldn't do anything like kidnap (Squidnap...?) or murder.

She's more like... an overbearing friend.

It doesn't matter if she sees you like a sibling or even has a crush on you.

She's unintentionally suffocating even when she's oblivious to it.

The times she does catch herself is when she finds herself following you around.

Specs notices this and asks about it, which makes Headphones pause.

Yeah... why does she keep following you around?

Is she really that worried about safety... or is it something else?

Maybe deep down she worries you'll move on from Blue Team... maybe you'll move on from her and your other friends...

That would give some sort of explanation to the way she's been so hostile towards friends you make from other teams.

Don't even get me started on how she feels when she learns you have a crush on said other friends.

She will slowly isolate you without needing to lock you anywhere.

After all... you both might be unhappy at such an arrangement.

But... on the other hand...

She'd do anything to keep her most precious friend, right?

Overall, Headphones isn't violent or anything... but she is smothering and overly concerned.

Her obsession may very well come from the fear of you moving on from her and leaving Blue Team due to growing up...

So she plans to stick with you for as long as she can... she doesn't plan on leaving you or letting you leave. Ever. No matter what it takes.

"What do you mean you want to meet up with other friends...? I already made plans with you! Maybe another time... or I can come with?"