#i used to have fun playing splat 2

[doodlboy]

Hades I'm so fucking sick of splatoon

[crest-of-gautier]

inkbrush clips from january - february 2023! mostly rainmaker clips sorted from chronological order from when i was in wee c rank and then when i got into S+ :D

[dr-spectre]

Splatoon Fighting Game Ideas.

Y'all, hear me out on this.... I've had this idea for a while now...

A Splatoon fighting game based on the gameplay style of Marvel vs Capcom and other team based fighting games.... You swap between three characters and the roster includes the Idols, Agents, some of the villains and other characters. And there's a special meter with 3 levels and cinematic hyper combos inspired by Final Smashes from Smash Bros. Ultimate.

Like if Nintendo wants to expand the Splatoon franchise, they need to make spin offs dude and a fighting game would be incredible, that's all I'm saying. And you know what? I'm gonna go over the roster and talk what i would do if i was in charge in making a Splatoon fighting game and you can't stop me!!!!!!! If you don't get the fighting game terms that will be in this post then look them up. I also won't go into SUPER DUPER detail and just go over general things i would do.

Also also, i haven't played every single fighting game in existence and I'm just basing it off of the games I've played (Street Fighter, Capcom vs series, Smash Bros for reference.) Without further ado, let's get into it.

Callie

I can imagine Callie's playstyle to be a powerhouse, someone who gets up close and just deals a ton of damage. but she has exploitable weaknesses like slow moves that have a lot of recovery time. She uses a themed Dynamo Roller based on her and can do air combos mixed in with Splat Bombs. Some of her moves also take inspiration from her dance moves found in her Amiibo performances and Bomb Rush Blush remix in Splatoon 2. Callie is a chaotic fighter who is unpredictable and moves pretty damn fast. Her max hyper combo could be her spamming every bomb from every game in the series at the opponent as Bomb Rush Blush plays. She then rushes to the opponent and swings her roller around at insane speeds, it then ends with her slamming the roller into the opponent like a baseball bat, sending them flying into the horizon and she does her "Stay Fresh!" pose to finish it off. Her main taunt is her facing the camera, doing her iconic pose and then giggling while her covering her mouth.

Marie

Marie could be a zoner that uses her Hero Charger and her parasol when doing close courters attack. Heck it could be her shield too. I would imagine her combos to be very hard to pull off as her shots are slow and you need to time the attacks just right so that you can keep your opponent in the air and deal as much damage as you can. Her max hyper combo could be running you over with the Sheldon truck that appears in Splatoon 2 to start the combo, then she gets onto the truck and snipes you with a barrage of shots until finally jumping off the truck with Sheldon. And then the truck collides with you and explodes in a giant green explosion. Her main taunt is her facing the screen, giving a thumbs down while blowing a raspberry. She then chuckles while doing her classic grin.

Pearl

Pearl could be a rushdown like character where she is incredibly fast with her themed dualies and is just a general pain to deal with. She can also turn into her drone form when in the air to slow down her descent and trick opponents up. Imagine how fun it would be to play as her and just dash around and be an annoying little shit. Her max hyper combo would be of course her Princess Cannon, she slams it down on the ground and if you get hit, you'll be trapped in the combo and Pearl will scream her lungs off like she did in Octo Expansion and Side Order. Her main taunt is her pulling out a megaphone and screaming at the screen.

Marina

Marina is a character who's all about machinery and hacking and i think she would fit the trapper archetype pretty well. While she wields a Splat Brella to deal close range damage, she mainly uses traps like ink mines, sprinklers, and machinery to get enemies and string together combos. She is a very hard character to master, but those who love the trapper archetype will LOVE playing her and find her incredibly fun. Maybe you can trap an opponent with Marina and then bring in Pearl to deal some quick damage. Her max hyper combo could be transforming into her Order outfit and floating in the air while holding her keytar. She locks onto you and then fires off a barrage of ink blobs, Super Chumps and her Hyperbombs while jamming out. The combo ends in a giant teal explosion and Marina returning to her normal self, awkwardly laughing off the chaos she just caused. Her main taunt is her giving an embarrassed smile and wave at the screen.

Shiver

Shiver would be a footsies/brawler type character and be good on the ground and moving around, however she doesn't have a good air game and crumbles in the air. She uses a modified version of her sensu fan that she uses in Splatfests to poke at enemies and slash at them like a blade. She also uses a Tri-Stringer to do anti air attacks to stop opponents from attempting an air attack on her. Shiver is all about reading opponents and punishing them for messing up. Her max hyper combo would be her doing a small performance like what she does in Splatfests which causes Fizzbangs to spawn around the opponent and do damage. Shiver then quickly becomes more wild eyed and summons Master Mega. She rides on him and collides with the enemy which causes a massive explosion. Shiver jumps away at the last possible second and stumbles into a backflip because she's both a girlboss and girlfailure. Her main taunt is her arching her back and laughing like a maniac before quickly snapping back and gaining back her composure.

Frye

Frye would 100% be a glass cannon, someone who's amazing at damage but crumbles when getting hit. She uses a themed Splatana Stamper to whack enemies and it has pretty decent range for a sword. However it has a mechanic where it deals less damage if you hit opponents with the base of the Splatana, so you must be precise and hit opponents with the tip to deal the most amount of damage. Her max hyper combo is her calling her eels with her flute. Frye starts spinning around which creates a huge tornado of eels. The tornado flies at the opponent and sucks them into a barrage of eels, the tornado subsides and Frye looks down at the fallen opponent and laughs while striking a pose. Her main taunt is her sitting on the ground cross legged and looking very annoyed. This taunt lasts forever until Frye gets hit or you press a button.

Big Man

Big Man would be the grappler archetype where he must get up close to his opponent and use command grabs and other moves to deal damage. He can also throw out Splat Bombs and bellyflop in the air. His max hyper combo is him covering himself in ink and spawning copies of himself, the copies surround the opponent in a circle and all charge towards them. It ends with Big Man jumping onto the clones until he reaches the top, and then he does a giant bellyflop onto the opponent which causes a huge wave of ink. His main taunt is him facing the screen and jumping up and down to get your attention.

DJ Octavio

DJ Octavio would be a heavyweight and have incredible damage and decent speed, but his hitbox would be massive and he's easy to combo. However his mech is shrunken down from it's Splatoon 1 size for balancing reasons of course. Octavio would use a mix of his retractable fists, Octorpedos and send out Octotroopers of different variety that run on the ground. If you have played Marvel vs Capcom and played as the characters Sentinel and Tron Bonne then he's pretty similar to them. His max hyper combo is him sucking up the Great Zapfish into his mech which engulfs it in a huge electric glow. Several more retractable arms made out of electricity appear from the back of his mech and charge up. They attack the opponent in the melody of the Onward! jingle, with the last punch creating a giant electric blast, causing Octavio to laugh manically. The opponent flies into the air and the fists all gather in front of the mech to charge up a giant killer wail, blasting the opponent away. His main taunt would be him dancing to his theme song. He does some DJ hand poses with his mech arms alongside this.

Mr. Grizz

Mr. Grizz is both a heavyweight and zoner, using his claws to send out waves of purple ink. He can also summon Fuzzy Octohoppers and Octocopters to throw out bombs and splashes of ink. His regular close courter attacks are slow but they deal a fair amount of damage too. He can even teleport away by sinking into the floor and reappearing on the other side of the enemy. His max hyper combo would be him standing above the opponent and laughing as he carries the rocket seen at the end of Splatoon 3 ROTM. He throws it down at the opponent and it explodes, causing a giant fluffy explosion that's seen from outer space. His main taunt is him playing around with some glass vials containing the fuzzy ooze.

Overlorder

Overlorder would be a glass cannon character but they would need to be obviously shrunken down because well... they are fucking massive. They would play sort of like Venom in the Marvel vs Capcom games where they use black ink and tentacles to send enemies into the air and do devastating damage. It can even send out Reefsliders as powerful air launchers. Their max hyper combo would be them Grayscaling and glitching out everything, Overlorder then grabs the enemy and drags them across on the floor. They are then trapped in a Jelleton portal and spiraled upwards. The portal then explodes with glitchy effects, Overlorder then says "grayscaling completed..." Their main taunt is them facing the screen and glitching it out for a brief period to scare players.

Captain 3

Captain 3 would be an all arounder and perfect for beginners, they don't have any real obvious strengths and weaknesses but they can get the job done in a lot of areas fairly decently. They would obviously wield their Hero Shot and pack some Autobombs for range. They also use a Hero Slosher, Roller and Blaster for specific moves and combos. Their max hyper combo would them standing on the UFO that appears in the Inner Agent 3 battle and they stare down at you. They dive down and do a Splashdown, launching the opponent into the air, they use the Bubble Blower special and causally chuck a Splat Bomb when the opponent lands on the ground. The opponent is sent crashing into a wall from the huge blast and is completely stunned, then Captain 3 stares them down and picks up the treasure they used in Splatoon 3 ROTM and cracks a small smile. They tear up the opponent and it cuts to white. Their main taunt is them facing the camera and doing the hand movements they do when posing with the Squid Sisters. A little booyah appears at the top of their head too.

Agent 4

Agent 4 is a clone of Captain 3, but focuses more on being aggressive and their moves have a Splatoon 2 theme to them. So instead of Splatoon 1 Hero Mode weapons, it's Splatoon 2's. Agent 4 is like Ken and Captain 3 is Ryu if you understand what I'm trying to say. Their max hyper combo would be them grabbing a Rainmaker and charging towards the opponent, they fire off 4 Rainmaker shots that send the opponent flying into the air. Agent 4 leaps up high and then SLAMS the rainmaker onto the enemy, smashing them to the ground which causes a huge explosion. Their main taunt is them pulling out a mini zapfish plush and snuggling it for a second and then putting it back.

Agent 8

Agent 8 is vastly different compared to Captain 3 and Agent 4 and focuses more on defense and mobility. They have a lot of tricks up their sleeve when it comes to weaponry and main the Octo Brush for most of their moves. They also wield an Octo Shot and E-Liter 4K for range. Agent 8 is a nimble fighter and highly technical which gives them a noticeable skill gap compared to the other agents. Their max hyper combo is them clasping their hands together and closing their eyes. Color chips circle them and Agent 8 floats into the air. The chips go inside them Super Sonic style and Agent 8 is engulfed in a rainbow aura. Agent 8 pulls out their Octo Shot, dash down to the opponent and uppercut them. They swarm the airborne opponent and do rapid fire shots with the Octo Shot. Just before the opponent reaches the ground, Agent 8 spins around and SMACKS them with the Octo Brush, sending them flying into the sky. A giant 8 firework appears in the sky and Agent 8 takes a selfie. Their main taunt is them taking a picture at the screen and giving a thumbs up.

Neo Agent 3

Neo Agent 3 would be the most interesting out of the agents as they would be the puppet archetype with Smallfry being the puppet. During certain combos or inputting a certain command, Smallfry will be sent out and will copy some of your moves. If Neo Agent 3 does a series of punches and kicks for example, Smallfry will move their body in the air like they are a flying blade. (Think of Rosalina and Luma in Smash Bros.) Heck in some moves Neo Agent 3 will chuck Smallfry at enemies and it'll latch onto them and deal damage over time for a little while. Their max hyper combo would them being in space and holding out Smallfry in their hands. They crack a smile and Smallfry floats into the air, they glow a bright blue and transform into Hugefry. It then shoots itself towards the opponent while dragging a tsunami, the opponent is sent flying into space from the force of the wave from Hugefry. Their main taunt is them pulling out an ink bag and drinking it. They wipe their face and pat their belly after they guzzle down the ink.

Harmony

Harmony is a trapper character just like Marina where she has different gadgets to trick up opponents, she's also sort of a joke character as her moves are more comedic and is a character to use if you wanna mess around and have some fun. She can use her Ultra Hand to grab enemies from afar and reel them in for a command grab. She uses a Wii Remote and Nunchuk for air attacks, a GameCube console as a weapon because it has a handle on it, an N64 controller as a boomerang attack and she even chucks Game Boys at opponents that go in an arc. Her max hyper combo is her getting the band Chirpy Chips, going on stage and jamming out to a random song made by them. Sound waves and notes collide with the opponent, dealing damage. The sound waves and energy form into a giant Game Boy and the giant console collapses onto the opponent (think of that one Donkey Kong Land commercial. You know the one.) Her main taunt would be her sitting on the floor and playing with an Ultra Hand like how she does in Hotlantis. There's even a rare chance for her to play with a Game Boy instead.

Acht

Figuring out a moveset for Acht was surprisingly difficult but i have thought of some ideas for them. Acht would be a martial artist and be the most standard character out of the roster. They don't wield any weapons but can do lots of different punches and rapid fire kicks that have ink effects to them to spice it up. They can also throw out vinyl records at opponents which act as air launchers. Their max hyper combo is them getting on stage and playing around with some turntables. They increase the volume and Acht gets covered in a blue and red aura. Acht leaps over the turntables and strikes through the opponent multiple times like a ricocheting bullet. Acht flies into the air and their right hand is covered in a blood red aura. They slam into the ground and punch the opponent with a ton of force. Their main taunt is them listening to music on their headphones and moving along with the music. Depending on the stage music, their head movements will match the speed of the song.

Stage Ideas

Inkopolis Plaza (day and night variants, if Callie or Marie aren't selected, they'll perform behind you on their trucks)

Inkopolis Square (day and nights variants, same thing with Pearl Marina)

Splatsville (day and night variants, Deep Cut will perform if they aren't picked)

Urchin Underpass

Moray Towers

Starfish Mainstage

Goby Arena

Marlin Airport

Undertow Spillway

Octo Valley

Enter the Octobot King!

Octo Canyon

The Crater

Alterna - Future Utopia Island

Ruins of Ark Polaris

Lost Outpost

Bonerattle Arena

Shifty Station (general Shifty Station area that combines different aspects of all of them)

MC. Princess Diaries (NILS Statue is in the background along with Commander Tartar as a cameo)

Floor 30 (Overlorder will be in the background watching the fight if not selected)

I also wanna quickly add that each fighter would have plenty of alt outfits too and some have different animations and effects.

Some examples are, Callie in her Octo outfit, Marie in her Alterna outfit, Pearl in her big ol' space jacket she has in Side Order, Marina in her Octo Expansion clothes, Shiver in her Splatoween attire, Frye wearing a school uniform, Big Man wearing his Ian BGM disguise, DJ Octavio in his Octobot King L3.Gs mech, Mr. Grizz with a wooden texture, Overlorder but a white color pallet that references Smollusk, Agent 4 with their Parallel Canon design, etc. Maybe some of the characters could also get looks from their concept art too.

So that is it for my Splatoon fighting game ideas! If you have any ideas of your own like a moveset for Commander Tartar because jesus christ how the HELL do you make a moveset for a literal telephone, then let me know!

I'm curious to see what you guys think and what some of your own ideas are!

[skyplayssplatoon3]

Final Grandfest Tips!

We're about to be sent out into the biggest Splatfest yet!

If you're just out for a few rounds, maybe with friends to have some fun, then please enjoy!! <3

If you're, however, ready to fight hard and get as many wins as you can, here's the advice I can give as a X Ranker who is used to most types of Splat Hell

HERE'S HOW 2 TRY AND WIN MORE:

--

#1 - Mind the icons at the top! If you're down 2-3 players, don't rush in to fight so hastily! Regroup and push together! If THEY'RE down 2-3 players, that's your chance to move up and keep 'em back! Watch the special icons too! Don't go running into trouble if they have their specials ready! #2 - Mind your weapon! It's not always wise to bring something like Gloogas or Blasters into a Turf War match unless you're VERY confident in your slaying role. You need to be able to ink enough to win, after all. Remember, Turf War isn't necessarily about the kills! They can help, but I have won games purely due to timing our pushes right near the end! Focus on the objective above all else, and that's to claim as much turf as possible!

#3 - Don't tilt too hard! TRUST me, I've played X Rank for years, I know how badly tilting can mess up your performance. If it's getting stressful, take a bare minimum of 10 minutes to back out and chill out. If you keep rage-pushing for that win, you will very likely play terribly! Deep breaths, and try again!

#4 - It aint over till it's over! Just cause you had a bad time, doesn't mean your team has! I've had a handful of Splatfests I was SURE we lost due to how badly it went for me, but in some cases we ended up winning anyway! Do what YOU can, but the rest is up to everyone collectively! So don't be too hard on yourself, and don't give up so quickly!

#5 - It wont always be fair Disconnects will happen, throwers will happen, you may be thrown against the best squads in the entire world...Be ready for this NOW. Some matches will just be against you, and that's okay! It happens to everyone; just do what you can, shake off the losses, and try to find your fun!

If anyone has any specific questions, feel free to ask me anytime! Or drop it in the thread and the rest of the community can pitch in to help out!

LET'S HAVE A GOOD TIME Y'ALL HAPPY GRANDFEST!!

[caramel1mochi]

ぐちゃ ! (Splat!) [Yoru x F! Reader] [4.5]

Heya!!

Guess what? I managed to write a short one between chores! I would've made it longer, but I'm terrible at hiding things and my dad would've been pissed if he found out haha

Promise when I'm 100% free, the next one won't be under 10k words!! Dare I say, pinky promise.

❤ฺ·。

Yoru x F! Reader

Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 4.5 / Part 5 / Part 6

Genre: Fluff, angst

TW: Heavy mentions of anxiety. Like really really heavy haha

Words: 4.9k

Synopsis: Hapless doesn't even begin to describe you. With your life flipped upside down within the span of a day; you're left to rely on your best friend Tala to help you pick up the pieces and build the new one forced upon you. And this 'luck' seems to have caught the attention of one of her friends.

。+❤ฺ·。❤ฺ·。+❤ฺ· +❤·。❤ฺ·。+❤ฺ·

It’s been a long time since that debacle took place. And you never knew how fun it would be to spend a few hours with Omen looking up on how to make candles, but here you were, in the cafeteria, with a few dozen candles in the counter.

You’d taken a short break to shower and, in that time, you had discovered that Neon snuck in that spiked choker you saw that day at the store. But since she was gone today, you decided to wear it and save the scolding for later.

Luckily, though you haven’t seen Neon today, it started off well with you being called to Viper’s office. It seems like, after that catastrophe and everyone had their rest, the break was now officially over. And you were deemed ready to be sent off on your first mission.

Simple, just a mission where you’d be playing a passive role whilst your partner took care of most of the work.

Viper tapped on her laptop and rapidly switched to different folders. But given that you stood on the other side, the back of the device facing you, you had no idea what she was doing.

“So, I’ve singled out the best candidates for this mission, but you can only pick one.”

You nodded with a smile, and she began listing out their names.

“You can either choose Chamber, Astra, Fade, or Sova.”

She flipped the laptop and allowed you to look over their pictures. And yeah, sure, seeing their faces helped, but you still had one tiny issue.

“I don't know any of them. I don’t think I’ve even talked to them once. Can’t you pick like, Jett, or Neon?”

Viper straightened her back, arms crossed.

“This isn’t a scouting mission, those two can’t anchor the area I want them to.” She crossed her arms. “You’ve been here for almost two weeks, have you really not talked to everyone here?”

You nervously shook your head, and she flipped the laptop back towards her.

On your first mission, you hoped you’d get someone close so that you wouldn’t let your anxiety get the best of you. You wanted to explain, but the words just wouldn’t come out. Guilty couldn’t even describe how you felt. Was she feeling annoyed? Did she think you were hopeless? Maybe you should’ve strayed from your comfort zone for once and talked to everyone here! Maybe you–

“I can manage to fit in Yoru, instead. Omen told me you talked to him often. Is that true?”

Your face turned white, and you awkwardly laughed.

“Why not, uh, you know, Skye, at least? She’s probably a better candidate, and stuff.”

It just felt so awkward when he’d just healed up only a day before.

“Yoru’s the best I can do. He’s also the best when it comes to novice agents. I guarantee things will go smoothly with him.” 

“Uh, what? How can you be so sure?”

“I’ve seen him with Neon. Her performance was notable around him, and it’s not just because they’re friends.” She straightened her back once more, sighing. “Look, I’ll talk to him. If he says no, I’ll see if I can squeeze Neon in.” 

You almost wanted to laugh at the thought. Yoru, and best when it comes to novice agents? Please. He’s probably only reliable because he uses physical force to keep things in order.

If anyone would fulfil that role, it would definitely be Omen. you remembered how he calmed you down that day, how much more gentle he was compared to Yoru. The same guy who called you spineless and dubbed it ‘honesty’, or whatever mental gymnastics that was.

“Okay, great! I’ll go get ready, then.”

Just as you turned to the door, Viper called out and forced you to halt.

“Hold it.”

You turned and met her gaze nervously.

“Just in case things don’t go well, promise me you’ll cooperate. I tolerate enough squabbles as is, and I'm not in the mood for more. You won’t be arguing with Yoru. Is that clear?”

…

You forced a smile and nodded. With how stern her tone was, her rigid posture and those piercing green eyes, how could you not be alarmed?

“I’ll– uh, you– you have my word.”

“Do I?”

You nodded once more. And this time, it was only a tiny bit more convincing than the previous one.

“Good. Well then. Chop chop.”

You were finally allowed to leave, and this chance was immediately taken before she’d say anything else. With a loud slam, you left her office and immediately made your way down the halls towards the more familiar sections of the HQ.

And on the way, sure you intended on keeping your no-argument promise, you were also desperately hoping that he’d say no.

❤ฺ·。

With Yoru by your side, it felt like the very grim reaper decided to accompany you, despite the fact that his skin beamed like that of a newborn baby’s. Cute, admittedly, but you still had to work with someone who probably hates your guts and you didn’t know why he even said yes.

Fun. 

Nevertheless, unable to go back, you were forced to exit the vehicle and make your way towards a deserted part of town. Guns in hand, you were nearly ready until you took in the sight that befell you. 

Sure, it was just an alley, but the rows of buildings that towered over you on each side were stunning, especially when combined with the gentle touch of the morning sun’s rays. Built with unfathomable meticulousness, their baroque architecture rendered your mind blank for a few seconds. It felt like you were staring at a renaissance painting in real time.

Yoru immediately noticed your silence.

“What’s up with you?”

You were ripped away from your hypnotic state, anxiously cradling your Bulldog like a baby.

“Nothing, I–” you turned your gaze to the path, “just surprised.”

Though you were angry at him in every sense of the word, you couldn’t help but note the tone of that question. What the hell?

You met his gaze.

“Are you okay?”

Yoru cleared his throat and kept his eyes on the exit way in front of you.

“Tell me you read the brief.”

“I– uh, what? Duh, why wouldn’t I?”

“Great. So that means I won't have to baby you.”

You rolled your eyes and moved past an abandoned bicycle, strapped to a withered tree growing through the flooring, somehow. Surprisingly enough, Yoru took a sharp turn towards said bike.

“Wait, wait, where are we going?”

“The Radianite reserves, lady.”

He explained. And only when you followed him did you see a black gate, obscured by the tree. You held your weapon and followed him in silence in an attempt to shield your embarrassment.

The mission sounded easy enough, though. Go in, delete some files, and get out. Boom, done.

Both of you climbed up the stairs, and you were unable to voice a question that randomly popped up earlier. Were the mirrors really just them, but from another earth? It sounded so surreal, not when you haven’t even caught a glimpse–

“Locked.”

Yoru said, attempting to force the doors to one of the buildings open. You stepped up, looking around for any other entrances. Aside from windows waiting to be shot, there was naught, and Viper specifically stated that nothing be damaged unless it’s an emergency.

And the feeling that Yoru would constitute this as an emergency popped up. He’s going to punch or shoot the glass, isn’t he?

“Well, we can always just find another door.”

“Tch, what are we, delivery boys?”

Or girl scouts. He pulled back his arm.

“Yoru, wait–”

A loud contorting sound took over your ears. But instead of breaking the window, you watched his fingers somehow disappear like they were being cut off. Then, he moved his arm, and a massive rip formed in front of him, various shades of blue merging together each second that counted by. It dwarfed you in height, considering that it worked to match his.

It was as if he tore the very air to reveal… whatever that was. And to say you were baffled would be an understatement.

“Uh–”

“Stay here.”

He ordered, and slipped into the dimension, the storm of blue surrounding him like some form of ethereal being. However, amidst your shock, you noticed the opening close.

“Yoru, wait, don’t–”

With one swift motion, it sewed itself shut, and he was gone.

“...leave me here…”

You brought the bulldog close to your chest and hugged it, rapidly looking around. You were jumpy. So much so, the sounds of the very leaves touching the ground made you react, even the pebbles that were crushed under you with each step.

Where the hell did he go? The least he could’ve done was provide a demonstration for his abilities!

But then again, you just argued… Gah, that idiot. Does he ever think logically?! What if one of the mirrors already arrived and could see you out in the streets like this?

You jumped and aimed at the door once the doorknob twisted. With each second the person behind it spent fumbling with it, you backed up, doing your best to keep your aim steady. And with one more click, it swung open, revealing…

Yoru. 

“How–”

“Hurry up.”

He ushered you inside, giving you only a picosecond to comprehend what the hell he just did.

You huffed and walked behind him, using the lingering glowing shards of blue that surrounded him as a guide amidst the darkness of the building. Whatever was inside, you weren’t sure, but you knew the colours were stunning.

You suddenly felt a burst of confidence, especially since he willingly came along.

"Couldn't help yourself, huh?"

And you immediately regretted saying that.

"Tch, as if. Viper forced me here because you'd freak out working with people you don't know."

"Oh… really?"

"I would've expected you to at least talk to Sova or Astra. But if I were you, I'd stay away from the Chamber and Fade."

You stared at the elevator you both neared for a moment, the metal doors glimmering in the darkness almost like a guide built especially for you.

"Why?"

"I just don't trust either of them. Unless you're into animals, Chamber's good with those, I guess."

"Isn't that Gekko's thing?"

"Gekko has asthma, genius."

He promptly pressed the button on the elevator. Surprisingly enough, it still functioned, and a green ring encircled the button alongside the distant rumbling. Against the eerie silence around you, it stood out, like a distant titan taking slow steps towards the city.

How the hell did Yoru of all people keep track of everyone’s ailments? Even you forgot he had asthma. The silent screech of the elevator doors sliding open promptly snatched your attention.

“You know, for a loner, you know a lot about everyone."

"Someone has to babysit when Sage isn't around."

You giggled, entering alongside him.

"Really? Who's the hardest to babysit?"

"All of them."

Yoru slipped out a disc from his pocket and attached it to the screen of the elevator’s keypad. With a press of the button proudly displayed on the front, it glowed and immediately began working at the elevator, moving you towards the reserves.

You weren’t sure whether or not he was just bragging or being truthful about this babysitting thing, but it was funny to imagine. Yoru completely lacked the patience Sage was endowed with. Maybe one day you’d walk in on him tossing someone to a rift.

❤ฺ·。

The moment the elevator opened, Yoru immediately walked out and marched across the massive room you weren’t given a moment to process, moving in between the stacks upon stacks of glowing cyan boxes. This sight, though normal to him, was completely arcane to you. Said boxes were the only sources of light in the area. Combined with the dust and the intimidating darkness, it was hard to tell what’s what, despite their insistence on how simple the mission is.

“A/N. That wall next to the cables,” he pointed at the far left corner of the area, “find a way to break it down without too much damage.”

You looked over at where he pointed.

It matched up with the words on the brief, there was a room on the other side that was so well-hidden it was nearly impossible to get in traditionally.

“Didn’t Viper say that there shouldn’t be any damage?”

He took out a flash drive, inserting it into the computer and turning it on. It allowed Cypher access to exactly what he wanted, and you could tell he immediately got to deleting by the command prompt that popped up.

“That was a recommendation.”

Right. 

You turned and stopped in front of the wall, held out your hand and worked on only emerging a small part of your hand. Most importantly, your pinky finger, so that it doesn’t take much room. Your eyes were stuck on the ground and you watched it diligently, waiting to detect any shadow that was out of place.

And as you worked, a tiny portion of your mind wandered elsewhere.

You could see why Viper picked this mission for you. All you had to do was take away any proof that radianite exists in this area, and you’re gone. Nothing too heavy, and perfect enough for you to comprehend what was to come. Even Yoru looked bored out of his mind as he worked.

Clearly, what he was used to was so much worse. Duh. He proudly showcased his previously mangled neck to you a few days ago.

But unlike him, you felt excited. This was the perfect way to ease you into things.

The air then stopped.

With a loud bang, an invisible force smashed against a portion of the concrete wall, breaking down an entrance. It was barely wide and tall enough to fit you. Without words, you knew Yoru would give you a dirty look, wouldn’t he? But then again, you also thought he’d be savagely breaking his way in, so.

You gently twisted your hand, and more of the wall came tumbling down, large chunks of it piling on to the ground alongside the debris that scattered like scared fish. You successfully formed an ‘elegant’ entrance enough to fit either of you, but not too big to break down the roof on top of you.

Perfect.

“Hoy, I’m going in!”

You called out, earning a hum from him. And with that, you entered, taking in the more crowded area.

Boxes were scattered everywhere, and so were the cables. Blueprints, paperwork, drawers upon drawers, all of it added on to the messy look of the room. Clearly, this area carried the most confidential data. You observed the contents for a few seconds, perking up at the sight of another computer.

Bingo.

Taking out your own gadget, you plugged it in and turned it on, watching as the flash drive worked to infiltrate whatever was within. Scanning, taking in the information, isolating what was important, then swiping it. Judging by the fact it took three minutes to even get to one percent, you were sure it would take a while.

You took a step back with a sigh, setting down your weapon on the massive mouse pad and looking around. 

A thump from above made you jump, and on instinct, you immediately looked up. Your vision proved to be useless, but your other senses weren’t. Your palpitations increased exponentially once another thump echoed throughout. Then, a set of noises that you could make out as footsteps.

Multiple. 

“Yoru, I– uh, I think there’s people here.”

“There aren’t. They don’t have any data about this place.”

You snatched your gun and took a step back, sweat dripping down your chin.

“I don’t think it’s the mirrors– I don’t know, but there’s someone here! Don’t you hear them?”

You could barely hear a distant sigh. Then, loud contortion, and a tinge of blue that softly illuminated the ground.

Crap. 

“Hide. Make sure nobody sees you. I’ll take care of it.”

“Don’t leave me again!”

The blue grew stronger, and even his voice was slightly altered as he stepped into the rift.

“Relax, you can hold out until the files are wiped.”

You couldn’t. That’s what you wanted to say. But the blue was promptly swallowed up and thus, it finalised Yoru’s journey into the other dimension. 

You jumped and moved away further, your back pressing up against the wall with the Bulldog in your hand. Instead of holding it like a weapon, you resorted to hugging it for comfort. With every drop of adrenaline that filled your veins, everything Harbour taught you further dissipated. Hot flashes on your neck, your eyes darting to every section of the roof with each noise; you weren’t ready.

Nobody was supposed to be here.

You took a deep breath, muttering a few repetitive phrases in Tagalog in an attempt to reassure yourself. You’ll be fine, right? You will be. Even the brief stated that your partner will take care of everything over your head. All you have to do is wait. Besides, how couldn’t you trust Yoru? His actions spoke louder than anything else, and you knew that he’d protect–

You jumped once the elevators let out a loud ding, the doors sliding open and allowing the light to accentuate two looming silhouettes. Neither of them sported any features that reminded you of Yoru. Not their hair, not the spikes, nothing.

You’ll be fine, you thought, desperate for any hint of reassurance.

You silently moved towards a pitch black area, everything obscured by the shadows, only interrupted by a single radianite crate that sat inconspicuously right across from the computer. Then, you hid behind it.

“Look, look, there’s a hole here!”

A feminine voice called out. And just from the accent, the slight gruffness of it, you knew it was Raze. Her partner said something else, but your mind hyper focused on the nearing footsteps, your clammy hand tightly clutching your weapon.

Then, she stopped, taking a deep breath.

“Do you… Do you smell that?”

Their partner walked in, their tall silhouette growing more visible from where you hid with each step.

“Guns up.”

Your breathing hitched, and you pushed yourself further onto the wall, relying on the crate to protect you. You hadn’t noticed it, but your right hand was seeping a dangerous amount of poison.

“The computer, it’s on! Wait, let me get a closer look.”

“Raze, be careful. I’ll cover you.”

She rushed up to the computer and immediately set down her Vandal, reading what was on the screen. After almost twenty minutes, it had only gotten up to ten percent. Then she tugged on her colourful hat in irritation.

“Bah, eu não posso trabalhar com esse cheiro estúpido,” <Bah, I can't work with this stupid smell,>‎ 

God, you couldn’t focus.

There was this horrible stinging in your chest, and you couldn’t breathe properly no matter how much you tried. Thoughts of your incoming death warped your frame of mind, and with each passing second, you were more and more convinced that this is it.

You were going to die.

Despite the anguish, you worked to fix your posture and aim at Raze’s head, struggling to keep a steady hold with how horrible you felt. Finger on the trigger, just one push, and she’d die before you could.

“GET DOWN!”

One called out, before loud gunfire rang out from far away, coupled with a deafening string of vivid distortion. Though you pulled the trigger, Raze already had her gun in her hand and rushed across the room, unable to hear or see you from the ruckus outside.

Then, the radio cracked in your ear, wincing under the loud gunshots that whizzed by Yoru’s cheek.

“A/N, hide until the transfer’s done, I have this under control.”

You wanted to speak. You wanted to respond. You wanted to say something, anything. But you couldn’t bring yourself to move. Under the command of your primal instincts, you pushed yourself against the wall once more, staring at the ground in shock.

All you could hear were your palpitations, and your other senses were clogged up by way more than you could possibly process.

Yoru, on the other hand, was aggravated by the situation.

They ensured that the mirrors had no idea about this place’s existence. Hell, the entire reason you even came here was to take away anything that they could go off of. Yet, here they were, and he knew you couldn’t do anything. In this situation, you were useless, he thought, shoving his hand into the rift and taking out a flash.

With Sova blinded, he peeked just enough to be able to gun him down, yet remained concealed from Raze’s shots. Fatuous, they only dug through the pillar he hid behind.

They were to be killed under Brimstone’s orders.

Then, with another flash, he peeked, eyes widening once he saw her rush towards the area you were hiding in. Damn it.

Yoru stepped out, gun in hand, rapidly thinking of a way to get her out and keep you concealed. But Raze had a different idea. It didn’t matter if she was going to die, all she needed to do was stop the files from being deleted.

He stopped the moment he heard a number of familiar beeping, ones you didn’t recognise. All without exposing herself, her bright orange bomb was promptly rolled towards the computer, ticking down. Yoru’s eyes widened.

Then, the air stopped.

❤ฺ·。

The process was interrupted. But it wasn’t yours, it was the computer he had been working on, now completely destroyed. Now, they relied on knowing where your progress had stopped. It’s not like it was an easy thing to find out either, not when the entire area you were hiding in had been completely engulfed in piles upon piles of concrete.

Yoru coughed and waved the debris away, taking a few steps back to breathe properly. And there, he could see that the floor above had tumbled down on where you were. 

For the first time, he panicked.

“A/N– A/N, where are you?!”

He immediately called out, tucking away his Sheriff and approaching the dilapidated section you were in. Yoru prayed that you weren’t dead. But your lack of response made that contingency highly possible.

“A/N!”

No response. No time to waste, either. He quickly got to work on getting to where he knew you were. Forced to follow the strong unpleasant scent he really wanted to get away from, he had to find you.

Yoru couldn’t find a way to get through the stacks of concrete. The idea to simply go to the floor above you and jump down popped up in his mind, but then, how would he make it back out? He couldn’t get you through the teleporter.

Then, he found a small opening around the constricted corner, immediately slipping a teleport through and allowing it to make its way inside. 

He promptly tore through the rift and stepped back just in case anything would fall through. But thankfully, nothing did, and from what he could see, it was safe enough for him to step through.

And step through he did, the entrance sewing itself shut from behind as he observed the area from the other side. To his left was a pool of blood that increased by the second. He was surprised, but…

“A/N, where the hell are you?!”

He exclaimed and took out his gun, immediately looking around just in case it was Raze who made it. Stepping through the boxes, he found the computer sitting just across from him, the screen glowing a blinding shade of white. And next to it was…

You. 

Curled up into a ball, hugging your knees, eyes wide open and locked on the ground.

He hid his weapon and approached you, taking a deep breath. Yoru made no attempt to hide his annoyance as he looked down on you, waiting for you to stand up at the sight of him.

“Let’s go, they’re both dead. Are the files gone?”

Then, he looked back at the screen, noticing that the percentage had jumped up to ninety percent in forty minutes. But there was naught of an answer from you. Yoru, concerned, met your gaze. But you still didn’t look back at him.

“Hey, you there?”

…

Nothing.

He moved in front of you and got on one knee. But even then, your eyes were locked on the ground, as if you didn’t acknowledge he was there. Only now did he notice that you were shaking violently, coupled with your extremely inconsistent breathing. It bordered on hyperventilation, but you’d suddenly hold your breath for way too long. No, it’s not that you didn’t acknowledge his presence, you just didn’t see him.

Yoru’s gaze softened, and so did his posture. He could feel your alarmingly high palpitations just from getting near you.

“Can you hear me?”

It took you a second to even notice what looked like a massive lump of blue in front of you, the various shades and intricate details of it too overwhelming to comprehend.

You stared at him for a few seconds, liquid dripping down your right hand. Being so close to you, the poison’s effects on him made him both dizzy and despondent, but he knew he couldn’t leave you like this.

“I– I think I’m-” you gasped, “I’m dying, I’m dying– I, I think–”

“Hey, it’s fine, they’re gone. You’re safe.”

“I’m dying, I’m dying, Yoru, I’m–” you shook your head, struggling to breathe, “I’m going to die,”

“I’m with you. It’s okay.”

It’s not like it’s anything new. Yoru saw you panic before. Multiple times. But this wasn’t you mumbling while clutching your temples like you usually did, no. This was different. 

You met his gaze, taking note of his tone. You didn’t know what it was, but there was an unfamiliar air of benevolence that threatened to extinguish your panic.

“A– are we– are we going to die? Are we going to die?”

He shook his head, slow enough for you to grasp what he meant.

“No, we’re safe.”

“Are we going to die?”

“No.”

You huffed, taking in a sudden gust of air. So sudden, it felt like an ice cold knife plunged your lungs.

“I, I can’t, I can’t– my arms, I– I can’t feel the– I can’t feel my arms.”

Yoru stared at you for a few seconds. Then, your hands, the clear poison allowing it to glimmer as it dripped down to the already soaked ground. He hesitated.

“If you want, I can hold them.”

…

You nodded repetitively, even after his fingers slowly intertwined with yours. Now, with his touch, you could finally feel the hands that were attached to you, and it helped ground you back to reality. Of course, it still wasn’t enough to take the horrifying sense of doom away. That, and the terrible heaviness in your chest.

It felt like you were having a heart attack. But for some reason, you just couldn’t muster up the words to tell him what was happening, not when your mind repeated only a select few phrases and focused on death so much.

“Are we going to die?”

“No, no. We’re fine.”

You stared at him for a few seconds, before turning your gaze back to the coarse ground. It felt like your eyes were about to pop out of your skull with how wide you had your lids open.

“Take a deep breath, okay? I’ll help you.”

You nodded and met his gaze, sweat dripping down your chin. Yoru, seeing this, wasted no time. He took a deep, slow breath, and you watched him diligently, like an oncoming explosion.

“One,”

Then, Yoru exhaled slowly,

“Two. Like that. Now, follow me,”

Just as Yoru repeated the first step, you followed along, taking a deep and shaky breath, one that stopped halfway through.

“One,”

He then exhaled. But this time, your breathing was only slightly more consistent, but the panic that stabbed at you like demons made it all the more difficult to focus on him.

“Two. Again, okay?”

You nodded, tightly clutching his hand in an effort to distract yourself from the situation. Though he winced at the strength of your hold, he didn’t let it derail from what the main objective was. Not the firm embrace, not the harrowing scent that sent a painful sensation across his head.

Coupled with how close he was, the discomfort only grew.

Both of you repeated the process. And since you were incredibly focused on getting your breathing back in order, with his help, you managed to gain a small amount of your rationality back; enough to remember that you were on a mission. You remembered panicking at the sight of Raze’s bomb. And with one swipe, it all came tumbling down.

“Yoru, I–”

You turned your gaze elsewhere, dread still bleeding into your voice.

“Can we… Can we leave? I– I can’t stay here anymore.”

He stared at you for a moment. Then, the computer, noting the progress. Ninety five percent.

…

“Sure. Let’s go.”

He helped you stand up and turned to the pile of cement, already forming a plan on how to clear a way for you.

[cru5h-cascades]

(play this in the background while reading this post plz it'll enhance your reading experience I think)

Wow... 2 years flew by fast, huh? To think that just two years ago we finally got hands on the 3rd funny cephalopod activities game after a year plus of waiting...

I remember watching the S3 direct live 2 years ago. Boy did I go crazy when they showed off the splatana wiper for the first time (I really wanted swords in Splatoon and then they finally became real!) and laughed my ass off when they showed off the Big Shot. And then there were the few days or weeks of dodging spoilers left and right because people ended up getting the game early.

And then I finally got to play the game myself. And I loved it. And would play it every day after school.

And soon enough Side Order got announced. Boy did that teaser send chills up my spine. Y'all if I had a nickel for every time Nintendo made a freaky teaser for a game that had a bunch of cryptic imagery and was accompanied by music box music that really got me asking wtf I'd have two nickels, which isn't much but it's weird that it happened twice AND WITH GAMES THAT I LIKE BTW (people following know damn well what that other trailer I'm talking about...). And then I'd spend the next few months posting about datamine whenever they came out. And then last September (a year ago at this point if I remember correctly)...

THEY GOT ANNOUNCED TO BE IN SIDE ORDER. TO SAY I WAS EXCITED WOULD BE AN UNDERSTATEMENT. I WAS ON CLOUD 9 FOR THE ENTIRE DAY.

A few months later Side Order came out. I played the first 10 levels the same night I finally got access to the DLC and was searching everywhere online for the music that played in Marina's boss fight shortly afterwards. Man... to think that was just a few months ago...

And then July rolls in. I was vibing to the Death of Slim Shady and my blog was filled to the BRIM with posts about Emio the Smiling Man 'cause I just wanted to figure out what tf is up with that funny bag man. One morning I woke up to my phone blowing up with Tumblr notifications. I check out Tumblr and somehow my random ass final fest concept PREDICTED THE FUTURE MONTHS IN ADVANCE. I post about my amazement about predicting the grandfest theme and resume posting about Emio shortly afterwards.

And then that brings us to now. Waiting for the grandfest results.

It was an honor splatting with you guys. I've been a Splatoon fan ever since I saw an ad for the 1st game on TV. This game means a lot to me and this splatfest was a lot of fun. To think this might be the last new splatfest theme for a while (I say last new theme and not splatfest in general since there's some stuff in the game's code pointing to the possibility of rerun splatfests)...

I can't wait for what the Splatoon devs have in store for us next. Next year marks 10 YEARS of Splatoon. We're definitely going to be getting some new Splatoon stuff next year. A milestone like that can't be ignored.

Anyways, I hope you guys liked my rambling about the silly cephalopod game (with a side of bag man and Eminem). Stay fresh, off the hook, and keep dripping ink you guys!

[thelittlepingu]

⋞ A Hero and their Weapon. }] く⁠コ⁠:⁠彡

Splatoon Manga/Coroika x Isekai? Reader

⋞ enjoying your new life!!

16-Jan-2024 <-!!

[{ Thank you for enjoying the first chapter, I noticed there's a little misspelling as for 'hire' and 'here', eventually i Will learned my lesson and make better things with it,but still thank you for reading it it's bring me a smile.and it's a Lots of fun making this than I thought!! }]

The Fallacy has spoken: it is just so nice to see you again dear familiar

[{Reader will be called [{Redacted}]/Familiar in this and Will be using They/Them pronounce just for Everyone to enjoy in every Page,this will keep going in the future page}]

<<Chapter 1.5 [{you here}] <- [{previous chapter}] Chapter 2 ->

To be honest.. what chapter is this?.. it's still 1?.. then it's still Rider.. Probably now their team is already fighting.. uhhggg god dammit, you really wanted to watch their show who knows you can learn while watching their show ahhhgg dammit dammit..

. . .

Wait.. wait a minute.. you still can, it's a Corocoro cup tournament, every once a year there's going to be a tournament, whoever is Number one on Turf war is a Champion or you can say getting the cup.. and if many inkling join the tournament that's mean there's going to be some kind of live video eventually you know who there's too.. of course it's the one and only the Emperor.

Hm.. maybe that's why he get name like Arrogant air by Crusty Sean or everybody name him an Arrogant air... who kidding, he really is.. but in the end he got better.. but then nerf.. and then he start being a fast food worker... He must be bawling out his eyes in his room from losing to a C- inkling, okay that's funny and very true reaction

You. Pretty much like the Emperor but you don't want to be like that Arrogant inkling, you just have the trait of a Good confidence.. And you are already getting into Rank X in Splatoon 2, you are proud of yourself nonetheless, but like getting your ass kick by C- is damn so much denial because what the hell..

Okay enough, you then let yourself enter the Test Range.. you look for a spot to sit and watch the live.. after taking a spot to sit, of course taking the phone to watch the live..

. . .

Oh.. oh how cool, it was better from the Manga, you never know this is going to be intense.. those move and those weapons the Dynamo Weapon.. it looks really heavy.. to be honest you remember in Sheldon store it's really bigger than you thought, admiring the ^Play^ it's really good and having slick move too..

You get up and stare at your weapon.. a glimpse of thought start go again and again

. . .

' how will you win.. '

A devil speak to itself yet you are not a devil nor a villain you just.. you, you just seek thriving goal.. such as this ^Turf War^.. you wanted the seeking challenge, you can't let yourself down for just such a little thing.. you just can't... You can't..

. . .

. . .

. . .

SPLAT!!

SPLAT!!

' hah.. hah .. Hah.. '

You took a look at your hand.. the look at the dummies

It hitting the dummies, the look of concern and sweat was building up to your face.. was it really necessary to be like this.. you felt sorry for what emotion you're feeling right now but you can't help it either.. but then again.. people have their right to be little selfish right?,gosh what are you thinking stop being like that, stop trying to make things look like it's great even it's literally bad, ..hah.. okay.. you giving it a shot, of course the practice what were you thinking.

You start to walk in front of the dummies.. not too far not too near then start to Aming the Shooter at the dummies

After a whole hour passed by and you are sweating.. but you do feel awesome, it's like having fun to yourself, you learn a move or two, you like it, even though it's just some Beginner weapon it's was fun.

You can't wait for your main weapon, it is going to be great. Such a great journey..

. . .

Hah.. you guess you can rest for a while who knows the next thing goggles will be losing to another inkling.. yeah he does really get his butt kick with Rider Dynamo it's little funny.

And.. after that they are going to face the Army team, they thought they were not going to face them in the second of the game, like they thought they didn't face Rider for the first round of the Game, oh how unlucky but even though they still manage to win, and idiotic blue still win even they face the S4 for a second time is shocking, then again he is the protagonist of this Manga even he lose to skull and wanting a rematch then he still win

' gosh is there another way.. '

And here you are remembering that, but it is nice to remember a little thing even if it's not necessary to do.. you are bored.. the next Match it's of course Goggles team And Army Team.. okay why do you say it's Goggles team, the leader is literally Glasses.. ah whatever..

But yeah it's going to be them, the next match is will take a while than you thought.. why not texting ^Cloak^ for something.. anything is okay since you are literally exhausted from training.. maybe talk about the S4..?

Familiar Has Text.. [\White Cloak\]

[\Familiar\]: Hey 'cloak' I'm taking a break from training, and I'm exhausted.. but I wanted to know more about the S4, any idea?

[\White Cloak\]: oh?.. interest about the S4 are you.. well what do you want to know about them, personality? Training? Or more, I got everything

[\Familiar\]: anything, personal information could be included.. if you can.

[\White Cloak\]: oh of course I can, the first you probably know. Rider, he's an inkling who are the first Goggles and their team encounter, as you know first he looks like an intimidated inkling and of course he is,he has a tough personality and he seems to be short tempered, then he began cares about his team, he rather change when he gets defeated by goggles and his team in the end, he still keep his intimidated and still have his serious attitude look in my perspective.. but he truly good, he is the least strongest of S4 but he manages to play with S4 in the end [When Army cannot join the game actually].

[\White Cloak\]: and about Army, Army is an inkling.. who is the second goggles and his team encounter after Rider, but you already knew that aren't you, his personality stern, strict personality, straight forward inkling who pride himself on his Team ability to an counter any possible move that their opponent can make, but it's due to the data they collect in their Manual,in the end he lost to goggles, and yet now he making curry as a data of his too.. cannot blame him, to be honest you just like him.. a little haha

[\White Cloak\]: that's all I can say, for the other you are going to watch them by yourself, and probably ask me again ^^ I'm willing to answer things.

[\Familiar\]: ah.. that's okay.. but.. thanks for this, I can use this information, and still thanks Cloak.

[\White Cloak\]: no problem Dear Familiar, all I can say is I'm just helping you learn something that you wanted to know.. oh well then again I still have something to do.. bye familiar

[\Familiar\]: okay.. bye cloak

. . .

' oh okay that's some data you can use '

That is some information.. but you are excited for this, you can't wait to see their battle in front of your eyes.. you just can't wait but..

' right now I'm going to enjoy my life! '

. . .

Surely you do..

[{ To be Continued }] く⁠コ⁠:⁠彡

<<Chapter 1.5 [{you here}] <- [{previous chapter}] Chapter 2 ->

[splatsvilles-fashionista]

Writing an enormous analysis of the patch is all well and good, but what do the balance changes actually mean for the meta?

Well, for one, I don't think any of the top tiers are going anywhere despite their nerfs, not even Sloshing Machine. Splash, Machine and Stamper all just have too much to recommend them. That said I think Neo Splash is probably leaving the top tiers, as with the paint and points for special nerfs it'll have a tough time competing with the Tentatek Splattershot for the short-range Triple Inkstrike Shooter niche (as a reminder, Ttek's Tri-Strike only costs 190p!)

The big, big winner this patch, however, is Ballpoint Splatling. It is the top tier weapon that got hit the least by a significant margin, only gaining another 10 points for its Inkjet, which only really undoes a buff it got in 3.0. Ballpoint was already considered a contender for the single best weapon in the game by a lot of pro players, and now it is no competition at all. Double Ballpoint is probably gonna become a pretty popular competitive team setup, and that would be bad for Splatana Stamper in particular, as it doesn't have a great matchup against Ballpoint (good lucking try to use Zipcaster while a Splatling is looking directly at you!). If Stamper exits the meta then this would be the reason, not the nerfs it got, though they hardly help.

In response to the rising stocks of Ballpoint and Inkjet, people will start looking for an answer, and the newly buffed Big Bubbler might just be what they're looking for. It remains to be seen for sure, but after the buffs it takes an Inkjet four shots, basically half its duration, to break the bubbler shield, and that's when hitting the weak point. It still gets torn apart by Crab pretty fast, but Crab in turn is very weak to Inkjet, and hey, would you look at that, we've got a bit of a rock-papers-scissors thing going on.

The fun thing about the weapons with Big Bubbler is that I could see people going to any one of them for their Bubble needs. Jr is always a good go-to option, though it lacks punch in the fighting department. Blaster, Splat Roller, and Zink Mini Splatling are good alternatives if you want to scrap, though none of them have a lethal bomb, and that's broadly speaking a downside in competitive play. Finally, there's Squiffer and the new H-3D for long-range options, and I know some competitive players, like ThatSRB2Dude, were eying the latter even before the Big Bubbler buffs.

Another good thing about Big Bubbler is its new resistance to Tenta Missiles, and that might genuinely matter in the face of Wiper Deco (or Diper, as some people are rather condescendingly calling it), with its 190p(?!) Missiles. I really don't know why they cost that little, and I don't expect them to stay at that cost for very long. Missiles have always been very strong, but so far none of the weapons that have them, except Flingza, have had any meaningful impact on competitive play, and Flingza has been very heavily nerfed as a result. Wiper Deco does not just have the lowest points for special out of all Missiles weapon, it also the only one of them that can really fire off its Missiles and then go in to fight the people that are being targeted. This is a big reason why the Kensa Splattershot in 2 was as good as it was, and we've never had a weapon that could really replicate it, until now.

While Wiper Deco is looking threatening on the surface, it remains to be seen if it works out in practice. Without a bomb it will likely have a hard time dealing with Ballpoint, lacking the range and DPS to fight it effectively, and Ballpoint is looking to step up in a big way.

Speaking of unknown factors, there's also the S-Blast '92 and the Painbrush. S-Blast's kit is largely seen as underwhelming, but datamining has shown that the weapon itself is looking incredibly solid, a mix of many of the best traits of other Blasters with very few of their downsides, and that might be enough to carry it into competitive play. Painbrush is looking like it will have excellent range, damage and paint, but absolutely atrocious ink efficiency, some of the worst in the game, in fact. Inkbrush and Octobrush have both seen competitive success, though the former a lot more than the latter, and Painbrush might find a niche as well, especially in Splat Zones, though it remains to be seen.

But all of this is just speculation, though. All we can know for sure is that competitive play will very likely revolve heavily around Ballpoint for the foreseeable future, and that is going to be shaping the meta until the next patch. By hitting all of the top tiers with nerfs, some of them very hard, Nintendo more or less uprooted the status quo of competitive play even before you consider the new weapons, and I'll be very interested to see how things go from here.

[squishmallow36]

It's Getting Dicey

Summary: It's the secret santa fic...Happy New Year @ultralazycreatorfan! I know I told @song-tam that it'd be here on the 30th and then that didn't happen and then I said it'd be here on the 31st and then I was struck down by a headache. Hooray. Anyway. Dex, Lovise, Sophie, and Keefe get together to play some bunco. "What's bunco?" you ask. A game that involves rolling dice. And swearing at dice. A lot of swearing at dice. Xe/xem Dex, it/its Keefe, he/him Sophie. You know how it is. Enjoy!

Word Count: 4398

TW: swearing, at least two (2) lewd jokes

Taglist (lmk if you want to be added/removed!): @stellar-lune @faggot-friday @kamikothe1and0nly @nyxpixels @florida-preposterously @poppinspop @uni-seahorse-572 @solreefs @i-loved-while-i-lied @rusted-phone-calls @when-wax-wings-melt @good-old-fashioned-lover-boy7 @dexter-dizzknees @abubble125 @hi-imgrapes @callum-hunt-is-bisexual @xanadaus @callas-pancake-tree @hi-my-name-is-awesome @katniss-elizabeth-chase @arson-anarchy-death @dizzeners @thefoxysnake @olivedumdum @loveution

On Ao3 or below the cut!

    It’s always a fun day when Dex finds xemself a new project. It’s an even more fun day when xe decides to rope other people into that project without telling them what they’re getting roped into. 

    Lovise is currently living in fear of what Dex has found this time. Xe’s not maniacally supervillain laughing quite yet, so that’s a good sign, though it’s certainly not removed from the realm of possibilities. 

    All xe’s done is drag Sophie and Keefe, presumably kicking and screaming, to Rimeshire. These three definitely can’t cause massive amounts of chaos. To be fair, with a Sophie comes a Sandor, so it can’t be all bad, but it’s still quite unsafe. Ro’s still off somewhere chasing down Cad, so she’s, thankfully, not a concern either. 

    “Hello, everyone. I thank you all for meeting with me on this fine evening against your better judgements—,” Dex begins. 

    Keefe interrupts, “That’s an understatement,” a smirk playing on its lips. 

    Dex gives it a look, a hard edge creeping into xor voice. “--The reason we are gathered here today is because I was recently informed about a human game by the name of bunco. I was also told that I would need to gather multiple willing victims in order to play. I think Sophie was simply trying to avoid me, but here we are anyway, so if you would please explain to us the rules.”

    “I should just jump out your window,” Sophie grumbles. 

    “With or without teleporting before hitting the ground?” asks Keefe.

    Sophie considers its question for a moment. “I haven’t decided yet. I guess we’ll see if I go splat.”

    Lovise flinches as Sandor pinches the bridge of his nose. “Today’s objective is that we’re trying to avoid an Elwin call.”

    “He’ll be so splat, there won’t be any need,” Keefe says, flipping its hair out of its eyes. 

    That really does not improve the situation by any meaningful metric. 

    Dex glances back and forth in the silence between Sophie and Keefe several times before asking, “The rules, please?” 

    Sophie leans forward and clasps his hands together. “Well, we aren't going to get very far unless you have six sided dice.” 

    Xe leans back, and without even looking, pulls out a clear box of more dice than xe should be trusted to have. And cards. And twenty-sided dice. And flat circles that probably have some purpose. Where xe got all this, Lovise doesn’t know. She doesn’t ask. 

    “How many do we need?” Dex asks, the dice clinking around in the hard plastic shell as xe digs them out of their prison. 

    “If we want to be nice and share, then three. If not, then we’re gonna need three per person.” 

    “Keep your grubby little hands off my fucking dice. Give me some d20s, baby.”

    Dex blushes to xor ears as he hands out dice to everybody. Keefe pouts when it’s given d6s instead of the d20s like it wanted. 

    Sophie leans back to look at Sandor. “Are you sure you don’t wanna play?” 

    Lovise then takes that opportunity to make the very bad life choice of kneeling down to join their little circle. What’s the worst that can happen? They throw dice at me? I think that’s gonna happen either way. 

    Two matching dice and one mismatched die, all in shades of green, roll their way towards her and settle just shy of being in her lap. A slight twinge of disappointment flickers in her chest that she doesn’t get Dex’s gold-plated plastic one, but that’s probably lost under xor bed or something.     

    Sophie stares at Sandor for another long second before jumping into an explanation of how to play. “Bunco has six rounds—round one you’re rolling for ones, round two you’re rolling for twos, so on and so forth. So, uh, Dex, if you would roll your dice for us, please.” 

    Dex rolls xor metallic red Clan Sea Fox dice from xor adventures playing Battletech to get a 1, 3, and a 4. 

    “Very nice. I guess we should probably nominate a scorekeeper—”

    Sophie is interrupted by the crashing sounds of Dex rummaging through the shit in xor room. Xe claims there’s a system. There’s no system. Miraculously, xe finds both a piece of paper that’s only used on one side and looks like it’s only been through a few avalanches, as well as a pen whose ink is almost guaranteed to be drier than ogre skin. 

     These get shuffled into Lovise’s responsibility because she seems “trustworthy.” Considering she’s thrown more games of Catan than one would think in order to make sure Dex doesn’t pout, that’s probably not ideal for integrity’s sake. 

    “So this is round one, so just kind of make a table tracking our point values with tally marks or some similar system if you guys don’t have that. The column headers can just be our initials or something. Be lazy. Just give Dex one point for that one xe rolled.” Sophie turns back to Dex. “You may roll again. And, yes, that does mean all the dice. We’re not playing Yahtzee, Keefe.” 

    Dex rolls again. 3,5,5. 

    “Because you didn’t get a one, the turn moves to the next victim. Do we wanna go clockwise or counterclockwise? Or are analog clocks not something that exist around here?”

    Before this devolves into a shouting match, Lovise suggests, “You go next so then I’ll go last.” 

     Sophie picks up his dice and begins shaking them. “In case I forget to mention it, three of any number that isn’t the round number—say I roll 3 fours right now—that’s worth five points. Rolling three of the target number is 21 points and is called a bunco. And we’re going to keep rolling until someone hits 21 points, and then we go to the next round rolling for twos, et cetera.”

    He lets the marbled, matching blue dice go. 2,5,6. 

    “Damn it. You gave me the cursed dice, didn’t you? Whatever. Keefe, it’s your turn.”

    “You better have given me the good dice.” Its dice don’t match by any means—one black and blue, one marbled brown, and one beige—but they’re all stolen from Munchkin, made obvious by the helmet representing the number one. 1,4,5. 

    “Lovise, please mark down a point and Keefe, you go again.”

    1,2,4.

    “One more point. Roll again.”  

    “Again? Exile.” 2,2,3. 

    “Holy fuck, I just thought you got five points. Don’t do that again. Lovise, it’s your turn whenever you’re ready.”

    The unfamiliar plastic dice are awkwardly light in her palm as she rolls. 1,2,4. “Can someone count how many I’m going to have to add so I don’t have to keep pausing?”

    Dex nods and puts a finger up—thankfully not that finger—as Lovise scoops the dice up again.

    1,1,2. 

    Sophie leans forward, his head in his hands. “If you had just gotten a bunco, I would have jumped out the window.”

   “Is that worth one point per one rolled, or some other weird stacking rule like rolling three?”

    “It’s one point per one rolled. So in total, she’s gotten three points this turn. One-seventh of the way to the end.”

    “One-seventh of the way to one-sixth of the way to the end,” Keefe corrects. 

    “I’ll do my best,” Lovise says as she scoops the dice up again, only to roll a 3,5, and 6. She marks down her three points. “To be fair, I did try.” 

     “That you did. Just not enough,” Dex says. Xe rolls a 1,1, and 2, prompting another Sophie-stroke. On the reroll, xe gets a 1,6,6. On the next reroll, xe gets a 3,5,6. Lovise writes all this down, bringing xor total up to 4. 

    Sophie’s turn again. 2,2,5. “This shit is so fucking rigged.”

    “No, that’s just how probabilities work sometimes,” Dex says as Keefe rolls. 1,4,6. 

    Sophie counts on his fingers as Keefe’s streak continues with a 1,5,5. 

    1,1,5. 

    2,2,4 and it all comes crashing down. Those four points bring its total up to six. 

    The turn comes back to Lovise, who rolls a 2,4,5, leaving as quickly as it arrived. 

    Dex seizes the opportunity to get a 1,4,5, followed closely by a 4,5,5. Sophie is blessed with a gorgeously useless 3,4,4, paralleled by Keefe’s 2,5,6. 

    Lovise follows that up with a 1,2,6, forgetting to ask someone to count and instead pausing to write it down on the scorecard. The next roll is a 1,4,5, which doesn’t get written down, and then 3,3,4, which has no reason to be marked. This brings her up to tie with Dex, though the both of them are still trailing behind Keefe. 

    Dex fumbles this opportunity to take the lead with a 2,5,6. 

    Sophie, on the other hand, is sulking something fierce when the turn comes back to him, convinced the ones on the dice are never going to appear. It turns out, with a roll of 1,1,5, they do, in fact, have ones on them, and those are his first two points on the board. They’re also his only two points on the board as his next roll is a 3,5,6. 

    Keefe and Lovise get a grand total of zero points during their turns with a 2,3,4 and a 3,4,6, respectively. 

     They do, however, learn that having a straight of numbers like Keefe’s does not count for any points. This is bullshit and should be amended to make this a more enjoyable experience for everyone involved. 

    And that’s when Dex decides to show off. Xor first roll is 1,3,4. Standard. Normal. Trustworthy. The next is 1,3,5. Like. Okay. You’re being a little extra there but go off I guess. And then the third roll. 1,3,6. 

    Stringing together three points in three separate rolls is a little absurd, which is why it gets nuked by a 3,3,5 moments later. This one turn didn’t net that many points in the grand scheme of things, but it does bring xem ahead to eight. More than a third of the way to the end goal. 

    The ones fall off the dice for an entire cycle, rotating around the entire group until Sophie’s next turn before any more points make their way onto the board. He does get a 1,1,4 so it’s not nothing, but the excitement quickly fades as the reroll of 2,3,6 materializes. 

    This brings him to four, narrowing the gap between first and last place without changing any placements. 

    The ones don’t appear again until his next turn, revealing themselves with a roll of 1,2,4. The reroll is a 5,5,6. 

   “Damn it. I really thought that was gave me five points.”

    Keefe tilts its head. “I guess you just can’t count.”

    “You’re right. Dex, do you have any integer dice?”

    “No changing dice in the middle of the game. What happened to last time when you cried for the blue ones?”

    “You’ve cursed the blue ones since the last time we played Munchkin!”

    “Or maybe I just wanted to make sure that you could successfully run away instead of getting violated by a tongue demon next time!” 

    “That’s just because you transed my gender and the fucking tongue demon got rid of my cheese grater of peace!” 

    Munchkin is an…interesting game, Lovise will give it that. 

    “I was just being accurate to the real world!” Dex argues. 

    “The real world hadn’t figured that out yet! You just wanted the -5 modifier during my next combat phase.”

    “Maybe I have a new ability that’s predicting the future. Did you ever think about that, Mr. I-have-five-abilities?”

    Sophie looks at Keefe, who shrugs. “I can’t tell what people’s abilities are, dude. After they’ve manifested, fucking forget it.”

    “Oh, please. Like you two haven’t had your hands all over each other since we were staying at Alluveterre.”

    “Yeah, but my ability’s on the newer side, so there’s not a whole lot I can do. Now, can it be my fucking turn, please? I need to show all of you how you roll dice.”

    Sophie huffs. “Sure, whatever.”

    Keefe gives him a bright false smile as it rolls. 1,6,6.  “Lovise, if you would mark that down, I’d appreciate it greatly.” 

    She had already written it down and is waiting for it to roll again. 1,3,3. 

    Keefe’s confidence hits the rafters as it scoops up the dice again, only to have it come fluttering down in tatters with a 3,5,6. It’s currently tied with Dex for first place. 

    It passes the turn to Lovise with a not-insignificant amount of grumbling. She gets a point with a roll of 1,3,4, but doesn’t have the necessary luck to get a string of rolls as her turn dies with a reroll of 2,2,4. 

    She’s up to six points, and at this rate, the gnomes are going to get Ravagog back before the first round is over. 

    Dex doesn’t choose to help this problem with xor roll of 3,5,5. It was so close to being promising. 

    Sophie and Keefe each pick up a point on their next turns. Keefe’s currently working on getting three dice to show the same face and it isn’t working quite yet, with two doubles in a row. (The first roll was a 1,3,3 and the second was 4,5,5.)

    It’s a whole cycle through their turns—Lovise 2,3,4; Dex 2,4,5; Sophie 3,3,6; Keefe 3,5,6—before Keefe officially declares, “The ones have fallen off the dice.”

    Lovise proves that to be not quite accurate by finding a 1,4,4 somewhere in there. Then, just to make sure, she finds a 1,1,3. That’s the last of the ones on her dice for now, however, ending her turn with a 3,4,6.  

     That brings her up to 9 points and into the lead, though not by much. 

    Dex rolls a gorgeous, worthless 2,3,4 on xor next turn, and Sophie follows that up with an equally beautiful 3,5,6. 

    Keefe can’t let this stand any longer with a turn composed of rolls of 1,3,6; 1,5,6; and 2,6,6. Its total comes to 11 and they’re nearing the halfway point. Though, dice will be thrown if Keefe wins, so trying to lengthen the game any way possible is advantageous.

    That’s Lovise strategy as she rolls a nice, normal 1,4,4 and scratches it onto the scoreboard. She picks the dice back up to get a 4,5,6. 

    Straights really should count for points, but when you’re playing with a bunch of gays, they don’t. Also that’s what Sophie says the rules are, but that’s the better reason. 

    This turn brings her to a total of ten points. A nice, round number. 

    Dex, on the other hand, has other plans. Xor starts off by rolling a 1,4,6. As one does. Xe continues by rolling a 1,3,5. As one also does. 

    And that’s when shit gets tense. Xe rolls again, but doesn’t get a one. Xe does, however, get a 2,2,2. 

    Five points. 

    Keefe’s bloodthirst is gleaming in its eyes as Dex picks up the dice again. Thankfully, Lovise doesn’t have to hold it back as xe rolls a 2,3,5, killing xor streak.

    That doesn’t reverse the past. The damage is done. Xe’s at fifteen points after pulling off that move. 

     “Always keep in mind that anyone can get a bunco at any time. Three ones and this is all over.” Sophie then takes his own advice and tries his best to make that happen. He’s actually fairly close with a 1,1,6 and an aneurysm from Keefe. His second attempt, a 3,5,6, is notably less successful but still brings him to eight points. 

    Keefe is not successful in its own 4,6,6 attempt. The grumbles that the dice are cursed have begun once again in greater force this time. 

    Lovise and Dex both pick up a point on their next turns and then the ones fall off the dice for two entire cycles. As in, it goes through Sophie, Keefe, Lovise, Dex, Sophie, Keefe, Lovise, and Dex before another point is on the board. 

    Where do the ones go? Nobody knows. They’re definitely still on the dice—Keefe checked. Loudly. They just don’t appear. For eight rolls in a row. 

    Sophie interrupts this spiraling trend with a 1,2,3 like a light in the darkness. Then, he gets a 1,3,6 with significantly less symbolic meaning behind it. He follows this up with a 2,3,5 that makes the veil of inky blackness fall over them once again. He’s up to ten points, so he’s still in last place, but less firmly so than before this last turn. 

    It’s Sophie’s next turn before the dice bless the group with a holy one in a roll of 1,3,6. It’s strangely fitting how the forgotten middle child of his previous round is now the roll that slows the encroaching emptiness. 

    Its luminescence is snuffed out almost as soon as it began like a candle on a windy night with a 2,4,5. 

    “Come on, you worthless sons of bitches,” Keefe mutters as it shakes the dice. 1,3,4. “Ooh, swearing at the dice is the answer? You should’ve told me this earlier. You pieces of shit better give me a one.” 1,3,4. 

    “To be fair, I’m kind of surprised it took you this long to figure out that secret,” Dex says. 

    Keefe ignores xem. “Please, motherfuckers.” 2,4,5.

    Unfortunately, Lovise doesn’t get to learn new swear words from Keefe’s newfound Polyglot ability with the end of that streak that took it to thirteen points. 

    It’s said that some humans find thirteen to be an unlucky number. It’ll be interesting to see if the dice agree with this superstition by grinding Keefe’s point gains to a halt. 

    Lovise rolls on her next turn—2,2,4. It’s getting real fucking old rolling and rolling and having nothing new to show for it. 

    Dex’s turn is filled with as much excitement as Lovise’s just was. Which is to say, none. Xe rolls a 4,6,6. Lovise thought xe got three 6s, but no. If xe had, the round would be over and Dex would be inventing a new victory dance. 

    Sophie, however, doesn’t let that stop him. 1,6,6. 1,4,6. 1,2,6. The dice seem rigged—almost like he isn’t even rolling them, but different ones are ending up as the ones and sixes. The only reason Lovise even bothered to notice was that she doesn’t trust any of her company that much. 

    Then Sophie decides to roll a 2,6,6, proving that all of this was meaningless speculation. But he is up to thirteen—tied with Keefe—so that’s nice for everyone except for Lovise in last place.

    It takes a whole cycle of grumbling, swearing at dice, and definitely not purposely rolling them at others before Keefe gets another point. Actually, two points. 1,1,4. It ends up only being those two points, as its next roll is 2,3,3 and a couple of tears that it wasn’t worth five points. That brings it up to fifteen, gnawing at the back of Dex’s heels for the honor of being in the lead. 

    The dice giveth and they taketh away. 

    They taketh away Lovise’s, Dex’s, Sophie’s, and Keefe’s next attempt to get points.

    “Bless me with your golden glory,” Lovise whispers, eyes skyward as she shakes the dice. 1,2,6. 

    She scratches her twelfth point into the paper before returning to the translucent cubes taunting her. She rolls again. 2,4,6. 

    Then it’s Dex’s turn once more—3,4,5. A roll that has absolutely nothing.

    Then it’s Sophie’s turn once more—3,3,6. If only four threes would count for something. Saw the dice apart. Do whatever it takes. 

    Then it’s Keefe’s turn once more—2,4,4. It’s a sharpie away from drawing extra dots. If every side has six dots, every roll is five points. 

    Then it’s Lovise’s turn once more—4,5,6. Straights still don’t count for points. With the way this game is going, it seems like the gays don’t either. 

    When the turn returns to Dex, expectations are on the floor. Then xe rolls a 1,5,6. That’s xor seventeenth point. Four more and this is over. Four more and two becomes the magic number. 

    Xe rolls again. 

    2,2,2. 

    Lovise’s breath catches in her throat. Five points. Bringing Dex to 22 and the round to proceed forward. 

    It’s almost poetic how the first round ends with the next magic number, come to bestow them with its splendor before it disappears from the dice forever. 

    Sophie, a smirk playing on his lips, taps on his Imparter in what looks like a very controlled fashion until an ear-splitting bell noise echoes through Dex’s room. 

    The only reason Dex merely flinches away and doesn’t banish him immediately from the premises for all eternity is presumably because rolling dice game fun when you win.     

    “My family’s bunco game has a bell that comes with it. That’s the closest I can do. Technically, I think the rules say you’re supposed to ring it only when you get a bunco. But we used to ring it at every available opportunity.” He turns to Keefe. “Which is why it’s as far from you as I can possibly get.” 

    Keefe pouts overdramatically, a feat considering it was already doing that at Dex’s accomplishment. 

    But Dex’s accomplishment means nothing. There’s five more rounds before Dex starts arguing that they should play the extended edition with the d100s xe inevitably has stored somewhere. 

     The following rounds feel as though they race by. 

    The twos round, Dex wins once more by rolling a triplet of 2s, except this time it’s worth a full 21 points. Keefe made it to 20 before Dex pulled that one out of xor ass, which is highly suspicious, so a dice trade is initiated. A diagonal cross results in Lovise getting Sophie’s blue dice and vice versa with Lovise’s green ones. 

    The threes round, against all odds, Dex wins again. If xe isn’t cheating, that’s one Exile of an accomplishment, and if xe is, xe’s not doing a very good job at hiding it. Dice are traded again, and Lovise ends up with Dex’s metal Battletech ones. 

    The antepenultimate fours round, Dex takes it upon xemself to win again. Xe has the audacity to get a triplet of 1s and 3s in the same roll streak. The fact that xe hasn’t been burned at the stake like the witch xe is is a fucking miracle. 

    Lovise having to fight off a feral Sophie and Keefe is not a fight that’s going to be pleasant. Don’t get her wrong, she’d still win, but she might get a couple of bite marks.

    They switch the dice again, and Lovise ends up with her original green dice, traitorous in their assistance of Sophie and Keefe over the past two rounds but magnificent in their return. 

    The penultimate fives round, Keefe finally gets to stop the waterfall of crocodile tears and replace them with actual tears as the dice finally decree that it’s worthy of winning. Dex has already won the game beyond defeat but it’s not about winning anymore. It’s about not losing and second place is still better than last place. 

    Now, to be fair, second place is the first place of losers, so maybe it’s just trying to say that it’s the top loser in the world. That would make a lot of sense. 

    Dex is also, notably, allowed to keep xor dice. All of the useful rolls were used up and xor seven points at the end of the round didn’t seem like enough of a threat. 

    And it is finally time for the grand finale. The ultimate challenge of dice throwing. The sixes round.

    Lovise gets so, so close to winning. She has twenty whole fucking points. Yes, all of the points are fucking. 

    And then Sophie just decides, “oh, yeah, I’ll get a bunco. No big deal” as the dice settle into a 6,6,6. 

    It is, in fact, a big deal. 

    Sandor will be hearing about this moment for all eternity. Lovise will make him suffer. He deserves it for his charge’s utter impunity.    

    It may or may not have been Lovise’s mostly-unintentional death glare that caused Sophie and Keefe to fabricate reasons to not be at Rimeshire anymore as they light leap away. 

    Dex begins stuffing the dice back into the box, clinking as they slide down unwillingly, forming a lopsided hot mess. 

    As soon as she’s certain Sophie and Keefe have vacated the premises, Lovise turns to xem and asks “How’d you cheat?”

    Xor hands fly up, framing xor face with xor palms out. “To be completely fair, I only cheated in the second round.”

    “I didn’t ask ‘did you cheat?’ I asked ‘how did you cheat?’”

    Dex digs out the Battletech dice xe was using in the first two rounds and rolls them around in xor hand. “It’s really easy to load metal dice, especially when you’ve got magnets to turn it off when someone wants to check if they’re loaded. I haven’t figured out how to load high numbers with it yet. And, besides, I forgot to do it in the first round and it only shifts the probabilities a little bit. It’s not cheating that much.” 

    “Yes it is.” Lovise pauses for dramatic effect. “Next time, if you have loaded dice, I expect some too.” 

    Dex throws xor head back, laughing. “I’ll make sure to get around to that as soon as possible, but first: I gotta go get some snackies from downstairs.”

[eriexplosion]

Entering season 2 with Spoils of War!

Honestly I think this is one of the best season openings I've ever seen. The setting is perfect for showing off their animation chops and the upgrade between seasons, bringing everyone into sight with Echo falling flat on their face is hilarious, and it leads into a fun high energy sequence that lets us see the time gap between seasons and just how much Omega in particular has grown. While also introducing us to why everyone is so tired because god are ALL THEIR JOBS LIKE THIS?

Cannot overstate how funny Echo face planting is.

Fucking. Splat.

We went over the plan FIVE TIMES.

Tech turning the ship too sharply and throwing Omega out of it like what did you expect you knew she was out there

Baby girl has gotten SOOOO GOOD WITH HER BOW. I'M PROUD OF HER.

WHY IS OMEGA HANGING OFF THE SHIP?????? Hunter is SO TIRED. He is going to have a fucking heart attack at any moment and he sounds so much more tired than last season already.

"Better late than dead, I always say." Truly I would have done anything this woman said from this point on. Phee is so unspeakably gorgeous and this is still the best line to possibly have Tech come back on, just SAYING.

The faces Wrecker and Omega make at each other on 'this one's too big, this one's too small' are amazing

THIS ONE'S GOT A FACE TATTOO just roasting Hunter with NO provocation, going straight for the giant tattoo on his face. Reasonable, frankly, it's not great for going undercover.

"GOT A NAME BROWN EYES~" I love her.

Wrecker stuttering out 'Yes ma'am' is exactly how I would be around Phee, huge mood.

Echo is the only one besides Tech that she doesn't roast, clear acknowledgement of the fact that Echo is perfect.

Cid leading a mutiny when Hunter doesn't like the war chest plan is fantastic honestly. "We took a vote" and Wrecker can barely even look at him. Sorry Hunter this team has been turned into a democracy you're being overruled. Even Killjoy agreed. Can't tell if Echo is horrified by the name or that they got ratted out.

Cid giving this job is interesting, because the obvious reason is that she wants the money too, but what she tells them is true and comes into play at the end. Eventually the Empire will come out here. If they had succeeded here, they might have split from her completely amicably which is probably what she preferred.

"You can have a future. Isn't that what you're after?" and Hunter looks at Omega I'm WAILING.

Echo has probably rehearsed this speech SEVERAL times. And while neither of them are entirely right (Hunter is right to want to protect Omega, but he's wrong to think that getting away from the Empire is even possible in the circumstances, Echo is right to want to fight the Empire but that doesn't mean they need to throw themselves right into the battle with everything they have) I think that ultimately Echo's POV is the more realistic. And what we've seen in other Star Wars media, and has also been set up in TBB before, is that it doesn't matter what Omega deserves, the world they're in doesn't allow kids to be kids. I'm thinking of Cham in season one saying that he doesn't want Hera to live her whole life fighting like he's had to, where we know damn well that it's exactly what happens - it might not be what they WANT for their kids, but sometimes it's the realities of life. They can't just walk away from that, no matter how much they might want to, not just because of a moral imperative to stand up to the Empire but also because it's just not possible.

Anyway I'm emotional as always over the fact that all Hunter wants is to let Omega have a childhood and that's one thing that I think she will not be able to have.

"Our lives are like this because of Omega" OW OW OW OW Echo WHY did you have to say that her room is RIGHT there.

"We. Should be doing. More." GOD BUT THEY'RE NOT WRONG, THEY'RE NOT, JUST UGH. THIS HURTS.

Omega in her little room with Lula thinking about what she just overheard I'm destroyed.

One of the reasons that the theories that Hunter will die to save the team don't quite work for me is, like Tech, we already know Hunter would die for them. Right here his plan is that if anything bad happens he'll divert their forces entirely by himself, sure he has plans to do that and make it out alive but if he doesn't? He's fine with that, if it gets them out safe. Him sacrificing himself for them isn't any kind of character arc because we're already starting from a point where he'd do that without a second's thought.

Wrecker smoothly scooping Omega into the cargo crate is such an adorable moment.

Even through his helmet the power of Tech's >:T at Wrecker for stunning a guy is powerful enough to be felt.

Shout out to Hunter's gratuitous roll

"How could all of this belong to one person?" that's capitalism Omega

Somehow never noticed Wrecker calling Hunter 'Boss' before oh my god that's adorable.

"Are you sure this hatch will lead into the ship?" "If I am incorrect, we will instantly be sucked out and perish. I am seldom wrong!" I love him, he's so chirpy about it.

"Congratulate yourself after we escape" NO NEVER HE WILL CONGRATULATE HIMSELF RIGHT NOW

The inside of Dooku's palace is soooo gorgeous

Listen if the cargo containers can have thrusters to slow down their descent, I think that the tram cars could have them too, just saying.

"You are correct, I am impressed!" is so cuteeee oh my god.

THE MOST FACE.

God I am cry at Hunter being too boggled to understand how to operate a lift. TECH USUALLY DOES THIS baby it is a TOUCH SCREEN it cannot be that hard what do you mean Tech usually does?

He's so fucking stupid I adore him.

THE S C R E A M

[danndeemo]

What are your Agents main weapons?

YES YES YES FUCK YES I LOVE THE WEAPON QUESTIONS

Agent 3 - Dynamo roller/E-liter. Three is better at rollers and chargers, shooters aren’t really his strongest class. When younger used to play more weapons like octobrush, carbon roller and cherry h3 nozzlenose. Three has very good upper body strength and solid mass, so using the Dynamo isn’t a struggle for him at all. (I like to headcanon that using a Dynamo can require being being heavy and fit enough to get anything out of the weapon).

Agent 4 - A lot of shooters + dualies and brellas. Four is more used to shooters, most used being splash-o-matic, n-zap and potentially the squeezer. Four likes to use dualie squelchers and tetra dualies, and he sometimes plays the splat brella just for fun. Three tried to teach him how to use the dynamo but Four likes to stick to more fast pace combat. Doesn’t really like the semi-automatics much though.

Agent 8 - Hydra Splatling/Ballpoint splatling. Eight always enjoyed getting a splatling weapon on a station, he liked having the range of a charger but not have to aim too precisely. Fun fact: when 8 was an octarian soldier he was in a group of splatling users. By now, Eight is very good with his movement, I like to think that splatlings take some time learning to properly move with the weapon.

Neo agent 3 - Out of not being able to stick to a weapon for too long he doesn’t really have mains. But, his most used weapons include blasters, Neo isnt the type of guy to have good aim, so he’s that one blaster main that mains the weapon because their aim is mid and just rely on the blast radius. Neo prefers the vanilla blaster, but sometimes uses the rapid ones.

Interesting bonus facts:

3 and 4’s mains are actually based on their games’ metas. Four is a shooter main because splatoon 2’s most dominant class are shooters, and Three mains E-liter and Dynamo as they were quite famous and threatening back then

Three uses E-liter 3k, not 4k

Three can fight pretty good up close even with an e-liter

Eight has a goal of 5starring all splatlings

Four started using brella after becoming an agent

Neo likes to play the same weapon as Three whenever they play together. Unfortunately he is tall, but not very strong, so he can’t exactly keep up with a Dynamo

Three and Eight like to swap weapons for fun

Eight tells Four things he remembers from an octarian army, like certain techniques and how some weapons are different from the ones on the surface

[nephblrus]

without spoiling anything what does mr big splatoon think of side order

i cannot possibly give my proper thoughts WITHOUT spoiling anything so this is your warning

spoilers for splatoon 3 side order dlc

gonna be kinda going through multiple aspects and analyzing them, this is just my opinion don’t punt me into the sun please

starting off, im overall not a fan of rougelike games. so that has definitely biased my opinion. i didn’t like all the repetition and i got frustrated at it a lot, its just not for everyone! i found it became a lot easier once i figured out which colour chips and hacks helped me the most (drone boosts were big).

it took me a bit to actually finish my first run because the palettes i kept getting were weapons i’m awful at (brella, splatting, charger, BRO CMON) but i cleared my first run with the brush surprisingly. i understand how rougelikes work but it still felt kinda short and underwhelming.

the gameplay itself wasn’t terrible, the levels were interesting and i liked how you could choose the difficulty and rewards and such. colour chips and the drone were a really neat addition and i had fun getting used to it.

the lore was meh. kinda disappointed. i’m glad we got to see more of ahato/acht, just wish they got a bit more spotlight and development aside from the diary entries (they got lots, i’m just a diehard fan lmao).

the storyline in general was… a little lame to me? it felt like it didn’t really build off of much and it doesn’t give much room to expand from it (at least personally). felt a little predictable imo.

REWARDS! not bad! inkopolis square was expected, and it’s not my preferred area so it won’t be my default but i think it’s really neat and i’m excited to see it again for splatfests. really liked how we got the exact gear from the dlc as well, and the replica weapons (no tri slosh </3)

the final boss was COOL. very fun to play and much easier than i thought! (why was F28 harder than the final boss lmfao) the cut scenes were awesome, esp before the final phase. music went hard.

also. where is agent 4. cmon. cmon bro.

overall, meh. didn’t hate it, didn’t love it.

the main letdown i had was how the game actually played out vs. the concept art and how it was teased. it seemed like it was going to go in a much different direction, which is fine, just a little bit of a bummer. thought it would be a little darker like OE. side order was really hyped up and for me it just, wasn’t all that!

for me there was a lot of comparison to OE, i kinda expected/hoped for it to have the same hype. with that comparison it felt a little boring and short, ESPECIALLY in terms of rewards. it’s pretty hard to top unlocking PLAYABLE OCTOLINGS. OE had a LOT of brand spankin new stuff, levels characters plots all of it was so fresh and exciting, because before we only had basically 2 copies of the same story mode.

another thing i was talking about with sem was how in OE, since you didn’t need to beat every level right away to beat it, there was lots of new to go back and finish, AND most had multiple weapon options to 100%. SO has something similar, but again, feels repetitive to me. don’t have any motivation to do another run.

my ranking for story campaigns go:

Octo Expansion, Splatoon 3, Splatoon 1, Side Order, Splatoon 2.

[dullahandyke]

Ok hi no more constantly spamming u w liveblogs. Heres one big dgs liveblog

God this game fucking loves the rumble controller. It's so so constant I'm thinking of turning it off... I'm a ds girlie I'm not used to this terror

[ID: Ryuunosuke Naruhodou's blank face.]

^ help me when he went from supremely nervous to still waters when he realised he didnt know your mans name... not a single brain cell in there

Also I'm playing w the jp voices because duh (asougi would NEVER be british) and I love ryuus 'HAI' so much... hes so intense

Asougi hates the British it's awesome <3 go king criticise the government for caving to pressure in order to appease global superpowers

Also I cant help it whenever the asougi dating sim image (you know the one) comes up I Cannot take it seriously.... bro I remember the gimmick blog it's over at that point

Also asougi literally calling ryuu 'partner'... usually I'm not one for 'theyve been dating the whole time' but truly asoryuu boyfriends is the realest... they have a bond found only between 2 gay people from before the stonewall inn was even a twinkle in the mob's eye

THE READING SPRITE WHERE RYUU IS JUST SHUFFLING PAPERS TOGETHER... he is such a mess I love him

HOSONAGA ALERT!!!! HOSONAGA IS HERE!!! now to attempt to disentangle him from my minds main impression of him, from a bad imagines post where hes a catboy maid mewling into the bedsheets

Also I love that the first witness we get is straight up dying of tuberculosis. 'This is what the olden days were like, right. Everyone coughing up blood'

Oh boooo the 'pun' Japanese names... I'll kill u dead his is khura'in all over again

AUCHI LITERSLLY CALLS ASOUGI A BOY NEXT DOOR???? Literal homosexuals...

Also you just know asougi would love unionising. Yes boy exercise every right you are given regardless of the pushback from those for whom it is inconvenient

God ryuu is so nervous and sweaty... when he slams his hands on the bench and they make an audible splat becsuee of how sweaty he is and he nervously looks at them to make sure hes not fucked up...

Also I love how hes always raising his hand... hes so proper

I dont think any of these guys know what a beef cutlet is. Tho nosa giving ryuu food recs for after prison is fun

HOLY FUCK I GOT AN ACHIEVEMENT FOR LRESSING A STSTEMENT LETS GO!!!!!!!!! so hyped for this

God I love ryuus default fact he has the gentle and loving eyes of a cow

SAMURAI WITH A MISSION PLAYING YESYEYEYSYEYSYEYSYESYS WHOPOOOOPOOOOOOOWOOOOOOHOO ASOUGI ILY

OH FUCK OFFFFFF NOT HOTTA CLINIC.... WE NEED 2 GET AWAY FROM THAT FUCK !!!!! *sprays hotti w bug spray*

Help me examining the medical card is so funny... ryuu vc I Hate Doctors I Havent Been Sick Since I Was 5 I Am Immune To Every Disease

Also bubbles is lying down near me shes so cute sleeping... conked out

Also elaborating on the gayness of rhe 'partner' thing, it's mostly bcos of the little pause asougi always does before saying it... its novel and risque innit

Ok I just got up to the first trial break and according to this YouTube video that's only like halfway thru the trial... its nearly midnight I am Not continuing until tomorrow... see u fucks then <3

[skyplayssplatoon3]

Tips On Keeping A Healthy Mindset In Splatoon 3

Feeling frustrated? Beaten down? Like you're getting worse? As someone who's played since 2015 Splatoon 1 days, here's a few reminders:

Splatoon 3, Unsurprisingly, Has Major Connection Issues Nintendo likely did not realize just HOW massive this game's popularity would end up being! We're at 10 million copies sold since September 2022 (and Splatoon 3 sold 13.3 million TOTAL in its lifespan) Chances are, you're going to be splatted in unfair ways, and you're going to miss shots/damage in unfair ways. Take it as is! It's frustrating but it doesn't mean you're necessarily doing badly.

Your Worst Games Do Not Determine Your Actual Skill We all have bad days! We all have off days, we may be stressed or tired or just feeling very unfocused for the day. Maybe previous losses have us tilted and more clumsy. It's okay! No one can play their 100% best every single day. If you're having some bad rounds, take a break! The more relaxed, calm, and focused you are, the more likely you'll do better! Try to roll with the punches, learn some lessons from the losses, and find your fun in the games!

Take A Break! Play Other Games, Do Other Things Sometimes we just need to walk AWAAAY from this game for a while, especially if our frustration gets super bad. I know people wanna land just one more win, just one more rank up...But we gotta learn how to take the L sometimes and go take care of our mental health. Splatoon, while understandably frustrating at times, should always be FUN in the end too. When it stops being fun, stop playing! You'll feel much better after a break and can return to it with a clearer head!

For Best Results, Play With Friends! Universally, I hear many people have more fun in Splatoon when playing with another person, or even a squad! You can handle losses more easily while ranting or laughing together during! If you don't have friends to play with, there are many servers dedicated to finding people! Also you can just post here on Tumblr a few times; I'm sure others are looking for folks to play with too!

Ultimately, There's An RNG Element To Splatoon 3 Matchmaking Does Not Exist In This Game. In Splatoon 2, we had a ranking system! If you were A- to A+, you'd be matched in Rank with JUST A- to A+ players. Now there are the occasional smurfs (people on alt accounts), but generally you had people your own rank exclusively! Splatoon 3 doesn't have that! Not for Turf War, not for Anarchy. X Rank even doesn't have real matchmaking, as those in X 1800 have fought people in X 2500 or higher. So this means you have no control over what teams you fight, or what teammates you get. You can, and will, get unlucky. You losing does not always mean it was your fault! Some players may be more skilled / have more hours / etc, and you can't be blamed for that! Accept some losses were just streaks of bad luck that came your way. Take a deep breath, accept it as it is, and go on to the next match!

I hope this helps, and remember to take care of yourself first and foremost! And as much as we love it, it is indeed just a game, and has no bearing on you as a person, your self worth, etc.

[0809sysblings]

weapons the prisoners would play in Splatoon

I primarily play ranked/anarchy, so most of what I say will be from that perspective 👍. also it's kinda obvious from my picks that I have a defensive and supportive playstyle, so I have a bit of a bias towards those kinds of weapons lol.

read more cause this is kinda long and so people not into Splatoon can easily scroll past <3

Haruka

Haruka would play a support weapon that would allow him to be as passive as possible while still contributing to the team. he'd probably spend most of the match keeping mid inked and special farming.

so I think the N-ZAP '89 would be a weapon he'd like to play. he'd really like autobombs because it'd help him feel safer knowing he can chuck one to where he wants to go and it'll reveal any sharkers so he doesn't get jumpscared.

Yuno

I think Yuno would play a more niche weapon. she'd want a weapon that's a bit more engaging than just holding down ZR, so she'd probably find playing the basic shooters pretty boring. she'd be a very strategic player, probably the type of player to like to bait opponents and take advantage of the weaknesses of their weapons. she'd be especially good at predicting what both her teammates and opponents will do.

all of this would make her a great backliner. so, I think she'd maybe like playing the Tri-stringer. it's a pretty fun and mentally engaging weapon to play if you know how to use it. she'd love taking advantage of the AoE properties of the charged shots and using them to make opponents go where she wants.

Fuuta

already talked about him, although it was mostly in a shitpost-y manner lol. but I do think he'd play the Range Blaster. he'd think the design is sick as fuck. I Know his ass would've loved the Grim Range Blaster from Splat 1 and 2.

he probably has a bit of a superiority complex surrounding the fact that he doesn't only play the current meta picks. but he absolutely trashes on the widely-considered weaker weapons, too.

Muu

I think Muu would be both an aggressive and passive player. she'll challenge you, but the second she's at a disadvantage she's running away. she probably likes flanking.

so I think she'd like the Octobrush Nouveau. not the vanilla Octobrush because I think she'd be too intimidated by Zipcaster to want to play it lol. this weapon would give her a lot of mobility, making it easier to run away strategically retreat. she probably uses squid beakons pretty selfishly, not really going out of her way to put them down in good spots for her teammates. (also I would make a Nouveau Haha French joke, but unfortunately the Japanese name for it does not include any reference to the word nouveau 😔...)

Shidou

let's pretend Shidou is not an adult with a Highly demanding job that would definitely not allow him to spend significant time playing video games. Shidou would definitely play support. he's very focused on the objective. he finds it more rewarding to help protect and backup his teammates rather than to challenge opponents on his own. he's the teammate that covers your jumps for you and always responds to callouts.

so I think he'd be naturally drawn to the Tenta Brella. the vanilla variant is bit more support-oriented than the Sorella variant which has a more aggressive special, so I think he'd probably lean towards the vanilla. he'd maybe switch it up though depending on what he thinks would help push objective best based on the map and mode.

Mahiru

Mahiru would be the type of player to just want to have fun. she probably only plays turf war and would want to do fun things and match outfits and weapons with people she gets to play with. Splatfests are her favorite thing, and she makes sure to ignore any salty plaza posts.

and so for the life of me I cannot come up with any actual weapon assignment other than I think she'd like playing around with an inkbrush because then she could draw cutesy things like hearts or smiley faces with it. she'll just play whatever will make her and anyone she plays with happiest.

Kazui

Kazui is gay so obviously he plays Splatoon. /j I don't have much to say on what his playstyle would be or what kind of player he'd be tbh... what I do know though is that he would play with stick controls because he's "an old man who doesn't understand motion controls".

maybe it's just the fact that he's very strong and has a solid physique, but I think he'd like splatlings, specifically the Nautilus 47 or the Hydra Splatling. while the Hydra Splatling fits the Strong Man vibes better, I think he'd also find the Nautilus 47's charge-holding gimmick neat and would like playing it because of that. something something it references him hiding his true self and sleight of hand tricks, idk.

Amane

Amane would definitely not be allowed to play Splatoon, or the vast majority (if not all) of video games for that matter, but... let's just pretend she plays video games.

thank you to @/laniemae for bringing up the umbrella Amane has in The Purge March MV and suggesting a brella for her, because that is what I'll be going with! I think she'd play the Splat Brella. specifically the vanilla variant as opposed to its Sorella counterpart. mostly just due to the fact that I feel like her playstyle would be safer and more defensive, which wouldn't match well with the Sorella Brella's more aggressive kit and especially its much riskier special.

Mikoto

I'm gonna give each of the 3 alters their own weapon(s). because I want to <3

Mikoto perhaps it's just the reference to 3 in its name, but I think Mikoto would play the Tri-Slosher Nouveau. he probably doesn't have that great of aim, so he'd like weapons with a wide hitbox where aiming isn't important. I think he'd love fizzy bombs, so he'd pick the Nouveau over the vanilla. and more importantly he'd be awful at Inkjet because of the aforementioned bad aim lol.

Orekoto Orekoto would definitely have the most aggressive playstyle of the three. I think the obvious choice for him would be the Splatana Wiper. although I think he'd prefer the aesthetic of the Splatana Stamper more, the Wiper is better for a faster and more aggressive playstyle. also he would LOVE Ultra Stamp.

Midokoto Midokoto is probably a player that prefers longer range weapons and would gravitate towards backline positions. so I think he'd play the Custom Jet Squelcher. I can also see him playing weapons like the (Forge/)Splattershot Pro, H-3 Nozzlenose(/D), and Squeezer.

Kotoko

Kotoko has such big charger energy. you cannot tell me she wouldn't play chargers. she's a very observant player who stays composed under pressure. she has a lot of game knowledge and can easily predict most players' movements. she probably takes the game a little too seriously.

I think the E-liter 4K would be her weapon of choice. her E-liter vibes are simply too strong. that being said, I think she'd also like playing squiffer once it gets a more aggressive kit. she's that terrifying charger on the enemy team that makes you want to scream every time they splat you and who you end up targeting the entire match just to try to splat them as revenge. she has made dozens of players rage quit and shows no signs of stopping.

🦑 thank you for coming to my Squidx Talk 🐙

^ if that doesn't format correctly on mobile im so sorry

[rottytops]

squid thoughts after finalfest...

readmore bc i dont think anyone cares or even knows who runs this blog anymore but anyways

squids huh...........i have such a weird and intimate relationship with splatoon, i was SO into it when s1 came out i literally wouldnt shut up about it, i was on fucking. SQUIDBOARDS everyday pre-release sucking up all the info i could on splats, and i played it to absolute death too. at the end of s1 for final fest i was in a really weird housing situation bc i was leaving college and my like 2 month lease at my apartment i couldnt afford was running out, but i dont think i had a tv or something? so i had to use the apartment's like...public office room to play that final fest at like 2AM (i was team marie of course)

then splat 2 happened and i think splatoon was like, my entire life for several years no joke. i fell into a big splatoon community, got really into making splatoon art and OCs, had tons of splat friends, it was kind of a whirlwind. splatoon was the launching pad i used to get into freelancing commissions which is really funny in retrospect because i could not and still cannot figure out how to draw the inkling mask to save my life.

those were really really fun days and i still consider 2 the peak of my interest in the series as well as my favorite splat game + idol group, the good days in my splat fanbse didnt last forever though since my mental health and the difficulties of freelancing ate me alive in a way that im only just now recovering from, but that doesnt tarnish the memory or anyhting, the friends i made during s2's run are some of the closest ive ever had and im still with them even today, so i guess in a way splatoon 2 affected my life in a way only comparable to like...the disgaea series which is REALLY SAYING SOMETHING

but that brings me to 3 which is definitely when i fell off of the splat boat and wanted to move on. to be honest a lot of drama happened post 2's end that made me not wanna look at splat 3 at all but of course i caved and bough it anddddddd barely even played it, lol...i missed a ton of the catalog battle pass things and didnt feel the need to play that much, i didnt even get side order until like 2 months ago... it makes me sad to think that something so important to me is just not quite for me anymore, even if i love it dearly, part of that i think is just ive accepted im REALLY BAD AT SHOOTERS no matter what. a million hours in 1 and 2 and my aim is still super bad, i was able to get all X rank in S2 but in S3 i can barely land my shots or use my brella and had to swap to the 52 gal...its embarassing! i think id get really into a splatoon RPG or something, so maybe they just need to make a splatoon spinoff for me to get absurdly hooked to it but for now im pretty content closing a book on playing the games

but man, final fest made me realize how much splatoon has done for me over the years, i think ill always adore the world and its characters, even if i dont keep up with the games very much. im a little miffed team past won beecase even if i love the squid sisters, i reaaaally dont wanna see them doing more idol stuff. let those bitches retire!!! theyre like 30 now and still doing the same songs and outfits they wore nearly 10 years ago!! aauuhg, though i guess me caring so much about virtual squid idols shows how much the series still means to me...

i dont have any closing thoughts and i dont think anyone read this far either but it does feel very nice to word vomit on my blog which i. do not do. anymore. for some reason..

i love splatoon a lot i think, maybe i should just draw squids without playing the games...i think ill do that...