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[squidbiology]

Religion in the World of Splatoon - An Analysis

A thought struck me when I was thinking about the Horrorboros and how it’s pretty strongly intended to be an Eastern dragon– “there really isn’t much discussion on the topic of religion and spirituality in the Splatoon world, even though it’s quite There”. I think that’s really interesting, because while it’s not a detail that’s front-and-center, it’s still pretty present in aspects of the world.

So, I offer you: a quick look and breakdown of religious + spiritual aspects in the funny little squid game. It’s not catch-all, I may miss fine details or this or that, but there’s some stuff that people often miss or are surprised to hear when I bring it up.

The tl;dr is that “yeah, it’s there. Squid Shinto is alive and well and we have, at least, canonization that the Squids (and Octopuses) acknowledge Christianity existing”.

But that’s not nearly enough for me, so read on if you want to see the details!

Keep reading

[squidbiology]

Hello:-) I must say that this blog is very informative and sometimes funny 😆 keep up the good work 👍 But I wanted to ask you a question as a human: how would inkfish react to a human being? Like do they pose any danger to homo sapience? Or would they just be exited to see a new species/ ancient mammal with superior technology??(in splatoon humans are considered extremely intelligent)

Thank you!

I'll answer this out of character since... well, humans are extinct. Which sort of pertains into my answer- it depends on the situation!

How would YOU feel if an intelligent, sapient velociraptor showed up one day? Is it random? Did humans bring this dinosaur back on purpose? Did YOU travel back in time? All of these situations would garner very different reactions.

Same with an inkling seeing a human. If they EXPECTED to see the human (time travel, bringing it back from the dead, etc) they'd probably be excited. If it was random, they'd probably be pretty scared or concerned- humans are extinct, and seeing a live one means something is very wrong!

Also, humans don't have superior technology. Inkling are, at least, equal to humans in terms of technology- if not more advanced. They managed to essentially recreate all human technology from things they'd found, which is why a lot of the tech is very similar- and how they managed to advance so quickly, where humans took millions of years to achieve sapience. We had to invent the tools- inklings just had to figure out how to use them!

If anything, they're more advanced- they essentially picked up where we left off, and continued to improve.

[squidbiology]

Current results, whatever is leading by the time I get home (~6.5 hours) will win!

Tumblr still has not given me polls and I'm an indecisive little hooligan so. If you're interested, help me decide what big thing/event you want to see next via google forms?

[squidbiology]

Tumblr still has not given me polls and I'm an indecisive little hooligan so. If you're interested, help me decide what big thing/event you want to see next via google forms?

[squidbiology]

So hypothetically, if an inkfish broke or chipped their beak, would they be able to just leave it that way? Could it get infected or something? Are their nerves inside it that could cause pain while eating? Would I-er they be able to leave it all jagged and cool looking?

Depends on how deep the break or chip is. Inkfish beaks begin to soften at about an inch deep, where they begin to connect to nerves and blood vessels. Breaking of a point, or any chip less than an inch, should be fine- but you should really talk to a professional or doctor to make sure. If it is causing you pain, they can help re-seal it.

[squidbiology]

Where do Inkling ears come from? What’s their use? What did they evolve from?

They evolved from their fins, and they're used to help amplify sound and redirect it to the eardrum. Unlike some species, Inklings don't actually have an orifice that leads to the ear- it's under the skin. So, the fins evolved to help amplify and redirect noise towards that hidden eardrum to make up for the fact everything is inherently muffled.

[squidbiology]

are there any ways inkfish show affection that are unique to them?

Inkfish have lots of ways to show affection, but... I suppose the only ones completely unique to them would be color-changing. Inkfish often change color to accentuate expressions or display moods, of which "affectionate", "loving", and... others are part of that. Usually pinks, reds, and pastel yellows.

[squidbiology]

Would it be possible to get some sharkfolk biology?

(Ooc I'm having so much trouble figuring out how to draw them....)

Yes but... you might need to be a bit more specific! There's lots of different kinds of sharkfolk, and lots to talk about. Do you mean a general anatomy rundown, or..?

[squidbiology]

Heya, I think my ask may have gotten eaten so here's take two. You guys have mentioned that inklings tend to be bitey, so I was wondering if for inklets there are special teether-type toys? I guess teether isn't quite the right word, considering they've got beaks and not teeth, but I'd imagine parents would need a way to keep kiddos from biting things they shouldn't.

Oh yeah, all the time. Depending on the kid, some use things like plushies they can roll around with and bite safely, while some use more... durable things. Silicone, certain ropes, and leather are all common options.

[squidbiology]

You mentioned that there are inkfish that lose limbs permanently due to specific circumstances, which makes me wonder, if phrostehics for inkfish exist and how would they work?

They do, but they're quite rare. Most are custom-made, since inkfish... very rarely permanently lose limbs. But custom made ones are just like any others, really!

Cheaper ones usually can't be taken into squid form, while theres some more expensive ones that can "fold up" to be more easily carried in squid form.

[squidbiology]

How much ink can a ink fish produce. Bc I’m looking at stuff like a rainmaker and crab tank and that’s a lot more than a full ink tank and I’m wondering how it makes sense.

A lot.

Though it depends on the activity- inkfish constantly produce ink, though most times, it's just enough to fill their ink sac and provide stability. However, during times of high adrenaline (such as turf wars), ink is produced at a much, much higher rate. This is because, a few thousand years ago, "high adrenaline" meant "YOU MIGHT DIE"- so ink was produced for self defense.

However, because inkfish always want more, bigger, and cooler, they found a way to stimulate ink production artificially. Certain chemicals, if injected or ingested, cause you to produce a frankly insane amount of adrenaline, and thus, ink.

Of course, that is really taxing on your body. Like... almost dangerously so. But inklings thought it was so cool anyway.

So that's where limiters come in.

After a set amount of time/ink produced, most weapon kits will dispense to you a small tablet (or, for some more serious players, injected directly into you) which essentially puts your ink sac into overdrive. The limiter prevents you from just... taking a bunch of them. It's like an automatic pet food dispenser. It's just enough for it to be useful, but not overly taxing on your body, letting you 'rest' in between.

This is what allows special to create so much ink.

Some illegal rings that break the limiter or allow unlimited use of these drugs will find their players become exhausted or even hospitalized after a while- with potentially permenant damage to the ink sac.

That's also the stuff that's in Grizzco packets, by the way. Just the amount to be legal.

[squidbiology]

How is the act of repeatedly leaving and entering swim form regarded in the inkfish world? I’ve heard from a few people that it’s considered pretty rude to some.

Depends on the culture and the situation, really.

A few cultures regard swim form entirely as taboo or risque, as you appear "naked". Some think it's rude when you're talking to someone, as you have much more limited facial expressions. Most think it's fine, just situational.

The rapid shifting in and out is (in cultures where swim form is fine in public), oftentimes very situational. It's usually regarded as an act of extreme emotion- like how some people just need to wiggle or move when they get really happy, or excited, or even frustrated.

In the times where it's clearly friendly/excited, because of the mimic nature of squids, others often join in. This is usually called a party, or squid party, and is fine!

Doing so after you've killed someone or defeated them, however, is often regarded as a taunt, and extremely rude- a way to say "haha I'm happy cus I beat you!!!"

So... just like lots of gestures, really situational.

[squidbiology]

Is the ink from a squiddymelon similar to that that an inkfish makes?

Or is it different?

As far as I know, squiddymelons don't produce ink? They uh... kinda react to ink to sort of match the color if ink is sprayed on it. Something about being porous and absorbing some of the chemical composition? I'm not sure, I just ate them as a kid.

Olive has no idea either, because "I'm a biologist, not a botanist".

She did say she knows one though, so maybe we'll get back to you on that.

[squidbiology]

Hi! So since octoling tentacles are full of muscle and nerve, opposed to squidlings fatty ones, it must hurt an awful lot for them to get a "haircut". Is there anything they can do to lessen it of they wanted to mix it up and go for a more adventurous style?

Of course!

Though many octolings prefer not to get their tentacles cut because of fear of pain, there's a lot of options. There's a variety of substances to help numb areas and reduce bleeding when they're cut.

For use at-home, oftentimes a mix of a tourniquet and numbing gel is used. Cinching the tentacle above where you're going to cut it reduces bleeding, and the gel reduces pain.

Doing it professionally, however, is often preferred. They tend to have higher quality gel, as well as injections. Gel is usually done first, to mask the pain of injection- a formula that even further numbs and also helps prevent bleeding, often only available with a license, and not done at home.

A bit of sanitation and cleaning the area, sometimes a bit of heat if you want it styled a certain way, and then a day of healing- and you should be fine!

[squidbiology]

can inkfish get tattoos? is it from their own ink if they can, or can they get tattoos from other inkfish's ink...

Yes, inkfish can get tattoos!

The tattooing is done with special made tattoo ink, not inkfish ink. Inkfish ink dissolves too easily, and if you use another inkfish's ink, your body might react badly to it.

However, you are correct- their skin is sensitive. Usually tattoos must be done in short sessions with lots of disinfecting because of how the skin reacts, to give it lots of time to heal.

[squidbiology]

What percentage of Inkfish would be considered sociopathic/psychopathic? Is it comparable to other species?

Pretty much. 2-5% is the rough estimate of those with some sort of sociopathy or psychopathy (not to be confused with psychosis). This is pretty consistent among most sapient species.

However, as a disclaimer, I do want to note that an inability to feel empathy does not always make someone a bad, violent, or 'evil' person. Just because you can't imagine how another person is feeling doesn't mean you can't choose to show kindness.

[squidbiology]

Hey! Since i heard that inklings do NOT fare well with contaminated water, is salmon run a fatal job? There are probably lots of people who get sick due to being splatted in the water, but hopefully the slop suits help with that. But the skin contact with the mucus-goo-water that the salmonids sling probably isnt too good for them since you can visually see it on their faces. (Big run is probably much more alarming than just breach of territory)

Potentially... yes.

Salmon run is very dangerous, especially for inkfish... but unfortunately, inkfish are the easiest to transport because of their ability to superjump, which Grizzco relies on. So they're really the only ones who are hired.

The ocean, especially around salmonid territories, is full of bacteria that are extremely harmful to inkfish. Salmonids absorb and excrete these bacteria in their slime. This is why they wear the slopsuit- it doesn't stop them from getting injured or splatted, but at least stops a good chunk of slime from getting on their skin.

They at least offer showers between shifts to help remove anything that does get in, but.. lots of people who work and don't take precautions or safety measures get quite ill. Often not fatal, but usually pretty nasty- like a stomach bug.