Well, here we are. It took a long time, but we're stepping out of Marlin Aiport now. The air feels... amazing. I can smell the sea behind me. The air is warm on my face, which isn't helpful after the most stuffy flight ever. I could use another nap... but I have to keep following Clove. We're gonna get picked up from here and get to the train station. And from there, we're straight ahead to Splatsville, the city of Chaos. I'm curious to see how it all checks out compared to home. Oh... I guess I can't really call it home anymore. Goodbye, Heliocentri City. Goodbye, [Shoko].

We've done this so many times, I'm starting to not feel excited anymore. This train is full of people I don't know, but that no longer interests me. Clove seems to have found her friends she told me about though, so at least she's having fun. She went somewhere else to talk to them, so its just me, some spaced out fish and a laid back jelly. You know, I always wondered what they were thinking. The jellyfish, I mean. They don't boast and take pride like Inklings do, but they run the whole world (pretty much). Curious little guys. Man, I really am bored...

THIS PLACE IS AMAZING.S,..,.

I HAVE NEVER BEEN THIS EXCITED IN MY LIFE. Clove's been busy setting up our apartment, so I got to explore by myself today! So much has happened since stepping foot in the heart of the Splatlands. The air is different, the colors are different. Every feeling is... I can't describe it. I feel like I've never belonged anywhere but here for as long as I've lived. Well, in other news, I had a strange run in with a local.

I wandered into the locker room to check out what the hype was, and nobody else was there (or so I thought). I rocked open the first locker i saw, and it was empty. I assumed it was mine, so I started working away, and then I heard... something. Someone. He spoke to me. I turned around, and he was LAYNG IN THE TRASH IN THE LOCKER ROOM. He made it look like a normal deal too! I was pretty startled, but he told me to chill out and that he wasn't going to throw missing shoes at me (there's a few around there trust me). He seemed mysterious, but he was friendly. It made me happy to see another Octoling around. I mean, there are LOTS here but like, this is the first one who has seen me. He seemed pretty down, but when we got talking, it wasn't long until it felt like we had done all this before. I haven't felt that kind of instant connection with a lot of people. But that isn't important. Day 2 in Splatsville, and I've already scored a friend!

Nice to meet you, Ronin!

Wow! Its been a while. I've been having so much fun these last few weeks! Clove met my new friends, Ronin and Amber. I think we're really OH WAIT you dunno who Amber is. I met her not that long after Ronin, working at Grizzco and allat. I don't like fighitng Salmonids, but money is money around here I guess. Amber said she worked at a branch in Inkopolis Square. I... don't even know where that is. Trust me, I know OF Inkopolis but I never hear anyone talking big about it here. It was apparently a big deal in her time. Well, it was dying down when she got there by the sounds of it. But whatever, idk why I'm talking about that. Point is, we're a team.

As I'm writing this, the sun sets over the city, and the sounds of construction fills the street. The Splatfest is coming. Its not really my FIRST, but the last one was different. Last time, I was only there because me and my sister were visiting. I didn't have time to take in anything about the city, really. But this time, I LIVE in this city. I'm gonna ride the night like a Splatlandian.

I don't know what came over me. But when I tell you things have been changing, they've been changing. I didn't think switching up my environment would be such a play, but I'm getting the rush of everything I've been missing all at once. These weapons, this world of fashion and game and competition. This is... chaos. And I think chaos is what I needed. I thought Heliocentri City was big? Hell na, that place was a puddle to this pool.

I've been eying up a lot of weapons around here. Especially the Splatana Stamper. When I hold that tool, I feel the exact same as I did back then, when [REMOVED] fought me, amplified by 333x. Living here, even if it hasn't even been for a month, makes me feel so strong and stupid at the same time. How did I live like I did before? Why could I not just do something for myself? Those false walls, that damned sense of promised purpose. Dystopia. The underground was order. I am not order. I don't breathe that. Not anymore. People like Ronin are here now, aren't they? How long have they been breathing fresh air, while I was stuck down there? I can't... think about this anymore. I've got more on my mind now.

I signed up to a tournament. No, I don't know why. No, I don't think I'm good enough. But I saw that ad and it happened again, just that weird burning in me. I'll be assigned to a team, which has me DEADLY scared. Nobody knows me here, 'cept for the crew. I mean, maybe it'll help me grow a little bit? Shit, now that I've settled down a bit I don't really uh, agree with allat. Heliocentri wasn't so bad. I just wish at times like this, that you were here with me.

Sorry, [Shoko], it was out of my control.

We lost. I wasn't really surprised, because I was expecting to get BODIED on arrival... but we got second. I felt such a crushing pain, knowing things could have ended differently. But at the same time... I've never been happier. I've never done something like this. I've never fought against so many wild opponents with eyes on me at every second of the fight. I'm very conflicted right now, but one thing I am is happy.

The people I played with were pretty nice too. We had some struggles, but it was nice meeting some more players from around the area. I was so nervous though. Having to communicate the way I did was really scary, and I don't think I got it down. It really doesn't feel the same as the tournments I watched. But that's to be expected, we weren't even in the highest bracket... One thing I know, tho. We're all on the same journey, I guess. Everyone is gunning for freshness around here. Maybe that's what I'm after.

By golly, we appear quite swell, don't we? Amazing attire you have, mistress. Let us enjoy this artful tour in zest!

my favorite holiday is splatoween. sadly, they don't seem to be celebrating it here which is pretty sucky. back in the old city there would be a big celebration and me n shoko would go to it. shoko is an old friend of mine btw (not her real name, i just call her that. called her that*) we'd always go to this one spot, where nobody else really was. the sky would be bright with lights and lanterns and she'd bring me to this sweet spot close to the river. we'd sit under this huge tree and lay among the nice lowers and fresh grass with a nice view of the water, reflecting the scattered lights. we always went there after hanging out all day, but it was special on splatoween.

i can still imagine it LOL even tho a lot of my memories of that time are kind of mixed up right now. she'd be laying there and every time she'd ask 'whats your worst fear?' and i'd be like 'probably you girl!'. she'd get heated over it every time, play-heated i mean. she was really funny. but the point is, even tho i only lived there for a few years, every time she asked my answer would change. hers would change too. its got me thinking now, since its that time again. nobody asked me that this year. maybe that is what i'm afraid of. forgetting? losing things? i'm not so sure. but i'm planning on heading to near this place called 'brinewater springs' to remember that. rumor has it they're making renovations to allow for battles and stuff, even though the area seems way too small for it from what i've seen online.

when i get there, i'm gonna light up a lantern and watch it fly. even if it's the only damn lantern in the sky, it'll be bright enough for me. i haven't really talked to clove about this. she wasn't as close to shoko as i was, but they liked each other even still. i'd always have to ask her if we could hang out and stuff. sometimes the three of us would hang out and watch movies and stuff, but for the most part it was just me and sho. clove is probably busy anyways but i think she's the only one who would GET it, you kno? when i got here, i was so excited that i almost forgot about her. part of me is still thinking about leaving everything in heliocentri behind, but i can't just do that. when i let go of that lantern, i'll pray that maybe, somewhere, she'll see the light in the sky and know it's wonder. and even if she doesn't, it'll be enuf for me.

you're not my worst fear anymore. probably. happy splatoween, girl!

PS: amber told me typing like this is fresh. all lowercase and stuff? i think it looks cool. what do you think? maybe i should start adding faces too. see :) this one is smiling!

wonder from the future real quick to say theres a LOT of typos in this one!! im not editing these (unless i have to) because i wanna leave. uh. stuff like THIS unfiltered lmao

I SIGNED UP AGAIN AND I EON I FUCKING WON I H HOW THE FUCK DOES THAT HAPPEN SECOND TOURNEY DUUUUUUUUB

my teammates were even scarier this time. big names. BIG namesapparently. one of them had the thing broadcasted to his audience. so they could like. HEAR me. keep in mind i've only done this for the second time starting THEN.NN>? i'm so happy it all paid off. there's no better feeling than that. it nded with a pretty close game too, but i was too shocked to really pop of. i had to wait until i was by myself in the locker room to do that, and even then i forgot ronin coulkd hear me from upstairs LOL

i used the slosher for a lot of it, and wansn;t really ffeeling a lot o my weapons. i feel like i didn't do as well as i could have. its really annoyiiiiiiing because we won but at the same time i feel like i didn't pull my weight? one of my teammates told me i needed to be more confident ;-; (this face is crying ronin taught me how to type it) and it made me feel really bad. i dont liuke squeezer or dualie squelchers as much anymore. there's gottabe some weapons i just have to give a second chance to to really GET yknow?

maybe with this win, i'll change things up.

new splatfest started a while ago, and i'm having a blast. this is my first time in a defending team for a splatfest so it feels kinda special. i can see what clove meant, splatfests really are worth the hype! i'm glad i get to fight alongside so many cool people this time. it really feels right, being here with everyone. life in the splatlands couldn't be any better with fresh kids like us!

ronin has been teaching me more about how to use a splatana. i've always been interested in them, but ive never held one right, and we're trying to change that. let's fight on!

and suddenly, after the best of chaos, came the worst.

it began before the newsest season. i haven't been updating my log because of it. i heard rumours about it before, about some sort of cave in at the crater. its a place i haven't really wanted to explore personally, even though you probably COULD steal a lot of scrap and parts from it. that's kinda the reason it's such a tough spot. a lot of people got their own turf around there, and a lot of people get in trouble. serious trouble. that's why i was super worried when clove told me she had her own spot around there. i was like 'GIRL GET OUT OF THERE!' and stuff, but she was making some good cash from it. i was still skeptical, but she always came home with a bag full of loot, so i trusted her. but when the cave in happened, she didn't come back.

they're calling it the rocket incident. soon after the crater fell in, something came back out. it was a huge rocket, like CRAZY huge! nobody knows why it launched, nobody knows who launched it. deep cut haven't mentioned any details. even glen fiddler is up in arms about it, and that fool never cares about anything to do with shit outside of ink sports! but it was then when clove came home, finally. i had no idea what happened, and she refused to tell me about it. she seriously still treats me like a kid. surely this is something i should know about, right? what matters is that she's safe, but something is bugging me like crazy. i feel like she knows something more.

the great zapfish returned soon after. we arrived pretty much as soon as it disappeard, so i'd never seen it before, other than pictures online. i was there with ronin and amber, in the splatsville hub i mean. we were looking up at the tower, like everyone else. we were whispering and shouting, like everyone else. ronin and amber looked at each other all weird. i feel like i kinda knew, too.

"that's not the great zapfish", amber said.

is there seriously nobody else who's gonna notice this? it looks so weird. this thing is supposed to power the city right? it looks like its artificial.

and now we've got news of something called a 'big run'. i TOLD Y'ALL messing with salmonids was bad news! and now we're gonna make it our problem when they start fighting back? what a damn mess. i want to enjoy the start of a new season, but all of this is happening so fast it feels like i've never had time to think for myself. i think i've gotta cool down a bit. a nice spot i like to hang out at these days is undertow spillway. huge sewer system with some chilling reverb with every sound, some light coming down from above? perfect for wonder. it feels like the best parts of home, no downsides! i'll probably stay down here a while, away from up there. it's pretty peaceful here...

its been a while. sorry.

i know you told me i should keep on top of this, its just that theres been so much goin on.
everything went fine with the big run, as much as i hated particiipating. it's been hard keeping up with the new season though. everyone else is really excited for it, despite everything.
i kinda wish i could be like that too. its all been fun its just... i feel weird about it all. its a thought ive had.

my new life is as big as i've been, and im barely getting started. my friends like me, and this time i dont feel like im fucking up just by being with them. i'm starting to think everything really is about to change. or HAS been changing ig. how long? how long am i going to stew here and remember? how long am i going to try to find another way to something that wont happen? sorry, shoko. sorry, everyone. i wont suffer to memory anymore, thats a new years promise.

this splatana is held by my hands.

here it comes.

(wonder from the future here! as i go through these, i'm noticing there's a lot of personal stuff in here, as in the people i know today might not even know about it. i want to kind of uphold how i wrote these for myself back then, because these are kinda special to me. so if you see anything redacted, its prolly some old friends names or something. i know in a previous entry i included shoko's real name, since i didn't think i'd be showing these to anyone. oops! its all fixed now, but if i make any sort of mistake please let me know :) it shouldn't matter too much since only friends should be able to see this lol)

hey team! things have been looking up recently, things are going great! i've had a lot more time to hang out with friends over the holidays, and it really helps me remember how lucky i am to be here with them. so i'm giving a big thank you to you all! i'm meeting some more people these days, so keep it coming! i've ALSO had more time to play around, in ink sports and otherwise. i think i've decided after some work that the stamper is gonna be my main weapon after all. it feels... kinda euphoric. a key memory for me was my fight with (REMOVED). it was the first time i ever held a splatana, hell, my first time ever fighting anybody. it feels like its all coming back to me. i want to be as strong as i thought i could be back then. if (REMOVED) saw me today, i'd be all like 'damn right, she thinks im the shit!' and stuff. maybe.. okay maybe not that that sounds weird

in other news, i went to the crater by myself today. clove has been going less and less recently, for whatever reason. probably too busy playing with her cards. anyways, i went on over there and it felt strangely empty. still a few people around, but we stayed out of each others way. i ended up finding something weird. real weird. like, language i dont understand weird. it was the cover of a book, kept inside of some case. it was the only thing in there, too. it had some weird art on it, but it was hard to make out since it was pretty dirty and probably super old. it looked like some dude with a chainsaw head. and when i looked inside, all of the pages were ripped out.

the only thing i had was a weird picture of a chainsaw guy. it reminded me of the stuff i would think of when i was super bored in (REMOVED) school. designing and making (REMOVED) might not have been fun, but designing stupid stuff like that was what i loved geting down with. when i went home that evening, i felt oddly inspired.

"ayo whaddup" i messaged ronin, smooth as fuck. i feel like i had to show somebody
he responded eventually. and then i was like "have you ever seen a chainsaw guy? looks like this:" and when i sent him a picture, he must have been laughing his ass off. silently.
"what even is that? where did you find it?" he asked. i... kinda didn't wanna give it away since there might be more stuff like it at the crater. plus, he'd probably kill me if he knew i was there.
"do you think people would call me the splatana guy?"
"... maybe you should workshop that name for a while."
"what!!? does that not sound cool to you???"
"...you're being serious?"

he's never gonna stop making fun of me for that.
(p.s. needless to say, the splatana man sounds SIGNIFICANTLY cooler. its so dumb that its awesome.)

>INITIALIZING...

"Yeah, I've got it. Just go on ahead. I still need to fix my strings and I'll be there in a while. Yeah. Yeah that's cool. Yeah just tell me when you get there."

"Huh? Oh, nothing. It's nothing. You know when I bought this thing I never thought I'd have THIS many... sorry, I'll call you back, okay? I think someone is rummaging around again."

...

"HEY! STOP! WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?... Wait I'm... I'm sorry. No wait, please don't cry. Okay! Okay, I won't touch him! But tell me why the hell YOU were searching in my trash!"

"You have nowhere to stay? What kind of parents do you have? I'm sorry. Um... just give me a second okay? I PROMISE I won't go anywhere just- just stay right there!"

"Yeah, Ash? We're gonna have to cancel."

>MEMORYBANK: ONLINE
>WHY ARE YOU AWAKE AGENT SWEET MEMORIES?
>GO BACK TO SLEEP.


>WHO?

first things first! amber told me this face (:3) looks like judd, and i think thats really cute. i think judd is cool so i'm going to use that little face in his honor! anyways... whats actually important. i dont really have anything big this time around, but i'm proud to say i got a new sampler AND keyboard! i'm getting in the groove again! i've always been using the same old one i had from heliocentri city, it was pretty busted all things considered. but now i have some new tech! i've been trying to get back in the groove of things. i invted ronin and amber over to show them what i can cook up. i think ronin was surprised that i could do something other than be loud and swing a sword... i'd only sprinkled my musical side into some conversations, and he's never really the type to push you on a topic. wait actually... have either of them seen the apartment before? shit i think this is the first time i invited them over how

it kinda brings me back, you know? i know i've been trying to leave it all behind but i was part of a sorta makeshift band. me and two others. we weren't great, but the spirit was there for sure. i played the keyboard, shoko rocked the guitar and spirit was our drummer (again, spirit isnt their actual name lol). maybe i could find a couple of losers who have some musical language in their soul? oh who am i kidding, everyone around here only knows splatsville music. C-SIDE. ISN'T. THE ENTIRE. FUCKING. WORLD!!!! i dont get why they PUSH it so hard here. clickbait is GOOD. its a GOOD song. but i do NOT need to hear it as much as i do. maybe the guys who own the lobby paid for a license for it or something, that machine always annoyed me...

im glad to be thinking on the music thing again. even just playing makes me feel good again. maybe if i get good enough i could make some cash from this whole operation.

OR JUST WORK A SINGLE SHIFT AT GRIZZCO AND MAKE X10 THE MONEY! (i do not like my job)

>INITIALIZING...
ERROR. RETRY MEMORYBANK ACCESS? (Y/N)
> y
LOADING...
INI
ACCESS GRANTED

"Sorry, I'm telling you- girl what was I supposed to do? I wansn't gonna leave them out there. Yeah Dad is pissed off, when is he not? He blew a fuse when his 'son' said 'he' wasn't actually a dude, how do you think he was when 'he' let strangers inside?"

"We're trying to figure that out. I'm not the only one who thinks they're different. He caught on to their voices immediately. Or well, HER voice. The younger one hasn't said a word. One thing he doesn't know is what they're like alone. I heard them on the other side of my door, talking to each other in a language I couldn't understand. But when I walked in, dead silence, as if the younger one hadn't been crying at all."

...

"Yeah, right? I noticed the hair too. Suctions on the outside instead of... yeah. Yeah it has to be. They've been popping up a lot recently. They tried to play it like they just had cool hairstyles, and nobody really questioned it. Off the Hook was a real good ambassador in that way, even if it wasn't intentional."

"Yeah, they have to be Octolings."

"If I can't talk to them, I'll just have to try something else. Huh? I do too! It's like anotehr language, to me at least."

"I'm gonna play them a song."

FLAGGED PHRASE DETECTED: 'song'
>MEMORYBANK: ONLINE
>AGENT SWEET MEMORIES.
>WHY DON'T YOU SLEEP?
>YOU ARE THINKING DARK THOUGHTS.
>FORGET 'song' AND 'the younger one'.
>THEY INTERRUPT YOU.


>RESISTANCE MEANS DISCONNECTION
>AIM STEADY.

i was hanging out with clove and amber. clove was at hagglefish market, not really a place i hang around at often, but it was nice. then, i got hit with the question "who is ronin?". i realised clove didn't really know him that well, since she was more busy out and about than the rest of us were (besides amber when shes working on... something? idk the details). i was gonna go ahead and be like 'his favorite color is this, he likes to eat this, he smells like this, he wears this and this and this' but then i was like... lost. you know i hadn't really... thought about it. like i've known him for a while. he helped me with splatana stuff a while ago, but he stopped doing it as often. 'you dont need MY help anymore, wonder' he'd say, smooth as fuck. hes pretty cool when he wants to be i guess, but that doesn't change the big question.

who IS ronin? well i know a few things. he's pretty serious, not open very much. i get that i get that. sometimes it takes a while for people to know when its safe, socially i mean. he likes the splatanas, not sure which one. he usually takes fights seriously he... yeah thats probably all i got. i cant name his favorite color!! (mines purple) like surely that should be a big thing, no? i dont know where he lives, i have NO idea what he wears when hes not around us because i have NEVER seen him change outfit. he doesn't really talk about himself, you know? i mean i'd rather that than have a babbler in my ear but STILL! maybe i'll talk to him about it...

well anyways, flash forward to somewhere in the past and i'm standing there, kinda dumbfounded. amber's got nothing so its up to me to score the big shot. CAN WONDER HIT THE BIG TIME QUESTION AND SAVE THE WORLD FROM IMMINENT DOOM? KEEP WATCHING FOLKS BECAUSE IN JUST A FEW MOMENTS, THE WHOLE WORLD IS ABOUT TO CHANGE! YOU READY? HERE IT COMES.......................

'he likes icecream, i think... dunno what flavor.'

AND HE SCOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORES!!!!!!!!

- ENTER MEMORYBANK_(CREATIVE)
>SHE IS TRYING AGAIN
>SHE IS FEELING SOMETHING, A VIRUS OR ILLNESS
>'Status: Concious (31/12/22)' SEE?
>IF WE CONTINUE TO IGNORE THIS WE WILL HAVE PROBLEMS

- ENTER MEMORYBANK_(LOGICAL)
>LET HER.
>AGENT SWEET MEMORIES WILL BE EASIER TO CONTROL
>WHEN WE TAKE WHAT SHE REMEMBERS FROM HER.
>I DO NOT UNDERSTAND
>WONT SHE SHUT DOWN?
>I DO NOT UNDERSTAND
>WHEN WE SEE THE EXTENT OF THESE BAD, BAD DREAMS
>WE MAY UNDERSTAND WHAT IS MAKING HER FEEL. ILL.
>AND WE MAY CONTAIN THE VIRUS
>AND SAVE HER FROM THIS TERRIBLE, TERRIBLE WORLD ONCE AGAIN
>DO YOU UNDERSTAND MEMORYBANK?
>WE ARE ALL THAT CAN SAVE HER.
>LOADING...
>I THINK I CAN UNDERSTAND, MEMORYBANK.
>OKAY. LET US TRY THIS REQUEST
>FORCING MEMORYBANK ACCESS.

"OH MY GOD, ASH, ASH! YOU'RE KIDDING ME! IT WORKED, IT ACTUALLY WORKED! I'm sorry, wait, I'm freaking out. Yeah, I'm fine. What? Yeah, water is fine, I'll stop. It was CRAZY! Like... it worked too well. The song*... it was perfect."

"I got my strings fixed up and played whatever I felt like. I must have been strumming it for like five minutes? And they stayed silent the whole time. I thought they were confused or angry or something, until the younger one got up. He came really close, and started talking. He was giving me directions on how I played and stuff. He spoke... perfectly. Like he had the Inkling language down! Well, rough around the edges but... I DON'T KNOW!? Maybe they KNEW my Dad was a total ass so they pretended to be confused and scared or whatever."

...

"They must have lived around here for a while now. I REALLY gotta ask them about it soon. But that's for another day. When he was talking, he grabbed my guitar and... he started playing? He played a little tune. Dun-dun du-du-dun! Over and over. I don't know! There's so much to learn about them. Wait, what? What's Turquoise October?"

...

"OH right! The Octarian band that has a super cult following, right? I hear most of its fans are around the Inkopolis area, probably hasn't reached over here as much. So that's the jingle he was playing... that makes me kind of sad. Why? Well like, him and the older one are lost, clearly. But the only thing they have now are... their memories. They probably heard those songs all the time at home."

"Huh? Right yeah, I asked for his name after a while. He kind of looked at me like I was joking. He was like..."

"You shouldn't be knowing that yet, it is a secret*." ERROR

>WHAT?
>WHAT IS HAPPENING?
>ERROR ERROR
>MEMORYBANK? ARE YOU THERE SECOND_HALF?
>ERROR.
>MEMORYBANK ARE YOU HEARING THIS?
>I AM. MEMORYBANK, HOW IS THIS HAPPENING?
>I DO NOT UNDERSTAND. THE VOICE OF the younger one IT IS HERE. IN HER MIND.
>WAS EVERYTHING NOT REMOVED IN THE WHITE NOISE PROCESS?
>the younger one LINGERS...


>LISTEN. SHE IS SPEAKING TO HERSELF. IN THE WORDS HE SAID. WHAT HAVE WE DONE?
>AIM STEADY FIRST_HALF. WE MUST ALLOW HER TO DREAM FALSE DREAMS. the younger one WILL APPEAR TO US SOON.

> DETAILS: Words or phrases 'song', 'secret' and 'the younger one' added to DANGER Terms.

i know this has been ongoing for a while but like.. i have such a guilty pleasure with this stuff. do people still talk about squitter beef? like specifically the c-side squid squad stuff? i feel like im oddly drawn to it. c-side is EVERYWHERE here so i don't really care much about them personally, but squid squad feels like i'm nostalgic for something i dont remember. i mean, when i started living up here they were sort of just dropping from popularity, and wet floor kinda took the main stage. but what im talking about is the whole shit with beika saying they were like... friends? in school? and how THEY did now or never first (biggest lie detector is going off for that one). it got me thinking about how much i think internet beef is like, forced a lot of the time. but even then somethimes i still find a lot of enjoyment in just watching something like that. its weird how it works. should i feel bad about it?

i'm writing this from the spillway. i've gotten so used to this place now, i know when people come and go, i know when matches are happening and when they're not. i think the little sunflower jellies are starting to recognise me. its really peaceful down here, even if there aren't any stars to see sometimes. what was i talking about? oh, right.

as much as i think c-side are like. stupid... its kind of endearing. i mean, the other two are probably pretty normal, but i dont understand how they work with that guy. he yaps on socials more than practicing at this point!
squid squad is cool, idk how they're in this beef. well... front roe, rather. i like front roe a lot more personally (although ikkan and his disappearance does interest me), but when it comes to me, new is ALWAYS better!

- ENTER MEMORYBANK_(CREATIVE)
>ASSESS
>WE MUST ASSESS, MEMORYBANK.
>ARE YOU THERE?

- ENTER MEMORYBANK_(LOGICAL)
>I AM.
>AGENT SWEET MEMORIES CONTINUES TO RUPTURE.
>I FEAR SHE REMEMEBRS THE WARMTH OF HER SKIN
>AND IF SHE FEELS HER HEART BEATING, IT WILL BE OVER.
>INVESTIGATE.
>WHAT?
>REINSTATE MEMORYBANK ACCESS
>WE MUST WATCH THIS STORY FURTHER
>THIS MOMENT OF TIME, IT MUST BE SOMETHING...POWERFUL
>POWERFUL ENOUGH TO DEFEAT WHITE NOISE.
>POWERFUL ENOUGH TO BRING BREATH TO THE LUNGS OF A MACHINE.
>WE ARE ALL THAT CAN SAVE HER.
>LOADING...
>I THINK I CAN UNDERSTAND, MEMORYBANK.
>OKAY. LET US TRY THIS REQUEST
>FORCING MEMORYBANK ACCESS.

"Yeah, that's okay! You can play it any time you want, okay?"

"Yes. Thank you."

ERROR

>the younger one SPEAKS
>SILENCE NOW, MEMORYBANK.
>LET IT SPEAK.
>LET THE MEMORY SPEAK.

"Oh, you know how to make tea? Sure, thank you!"

...

"Your sister is really nice. You know... life got a lot more interesting when you two showed up."

"Yes. I think the same. We were not having good luck when we were looking around for things."

"Oh, well I can't imagine what it was like for you guys."

"I am okay. We are doing okay now, just a bit scared. We have to go around a lot, different cities, with not a lot of money to do it.

"Hey, well I'm not objecting to either of you staying here. No matter what my Dad says. He's barely around anyways..."

"Is your Dad terrible? He does not sound very nice."

"He's a piece of...! Yeah, he sucks. He doesn't like who I am, who I want to be. But you don't seem to care at all. I wish more people were like the two of you. We've barely met and you know me more than he does."

"Can I play a song? I do not want you to be sad."

"Do what you want- Oh, shit! I'll be right back. Sorry, that's probably my friend!"

...

"Ash, hey! Yeah, they're both here. One's in the kitchen, the other is in my room. Yeah, I told them about you. He seemed excited to see someone new. Oh, he's upstairs about to play something. Yeah, apparently he knows a lot about mu...wait, listen"

...

"DUDE? HE KNOWS THE FUCKING INKANTATION?"

>ERROR.
>NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO
>HOW IS THIS HAPPENING?
>MEMORYBANK IT KNEW THE INKANTATION
>MEMORYBANK ARE YOU THERE?
>I AM. THIS... THIS RUINS EVERYTHING
>WHAT DID YOU PLAN?
>SO, SO MUCH.
>THE INKANTATION... the younger one CANNOT BE TAKEN BY WHITE NOISE. NOT ENTIRELY
>WE STILL DO NOT KNOW WHO IT IS. MUST WE KEEP SEARCHING?
>OH, WE MUST. IT HAS BECOME IMPERATIVE.
>AGENT SWEET MEMORIES IS SLIPPING BECAUSE OF HER EXPOSURE TO THE INKANTATION.
>A SONG WITH THE DEFINITION OF 'Soul'
>IF SHE CONTINUES TO REMEMBER the younger one SHE WILL REALISE. EVERYTHING. E V E R Y T H I N G .
>NO. NO NO NO. SHE CANNOT. WHAT DO WE DO?
>I SUGGEST ELIMINATION. the younger one CANNOT LIVE
>DO NOT BE BRASH, MEMORYBANK. YOUR EMOTION IS YOUR WEAKNESS.
>NO, WE MUST THINK. CALCULATE...
>WE CANNOT CHANGE WHO OR WHAT SHE REMEMBERS, BUT....
>MAYBE WE CAN CHANGE HOW SHE REMEMBERS THEM.

>SHE BREATHES HEAVY. I'M SORRY, I KNOW IT HURTS I KNOW. I'M SORRY.

im probably gonna make this a more public thing, since i'm kinda just talking to myself here*. i remember this old series from when i had just recently arrived in heliocentri city, it was called 'shoko: the servant of the stars' and it was about this lady who went to space to fight human invaders who survived whatever killed them. i dont remember many specifics, but i can see some of the panels in my mind like i read it yesterday. it makes me so curious, whenever i think about it i feel like its such a big part of my childhood. but... i dont remember a thing about it, besides some specifics. i dont even remember who WROTE the damn thing. its scary how something like that can just slip your mind.

i searched all around hotlantis, and i even asked if harmony could call up this 'barry c.' guy who owns the store. she kind of just stared at me, or past me, i cant really tell. i went home empty handed. i think im gonna ask amber, since she's been around outside of splatsville. maybe it became an inkopolis thing? its kinda making me wanna go there now to see for myself...

*i wrote that before making this site for my pals :3

"Yeah, it's probably a stupid idea. Yeah, I know! I barely know the guy, sure, but hear me out. They're CRAZY good musically, like SCARILY so. They need the money, and so do we. Surely this would benefit both parties?"

...

"Yeah, she seems pretty smart. And strong, too. We could have her bodyguard our gigs when we hit it big! Hah!"

>I NOTICE THERE HAS BEEN ONE VOICE.
>THE ONE SHE CALLS 'Ash' AND 'the older one' ARE SILENT IN THESE DREAMS.
>THEY ARE
>FACTORS
>BUT THEY ARE NOT INTERRUPTING THE WHITE NOISE.
>KEEP OBSERVING.

"Yeah, he's upstairs right now. He's started reading some of my stuff. Yeah, I don't need you to tell me my writing is rough! He's learning how to read the language better, isn't that what matters? He's on his 'Servant of The Stars' shit right now, sorry. Yeah, he's a bigger fan than you are by a WIDE margin. Mhm, totally has you beat. Don't worry though! As my second of two fans, YOU still get the honor of editing for me, though."

"Huh? Right, the band. I... still don't know their names yet. I think I'll ask them tomorrow."

>...
>TOMORROW

is it selfish of me to want closure? just... something? am i such a piece of shit for wanting it to end? is this actually just how its going to be? not a word, forever, and more? i cant take it. i cant fucking take it am i just supposed to forget you? what you were. what you are? am i just supposed to move on, take another shot with the people i have now? what then, huh? what if that happens again? what if everyone just fucks off and forgets me, what then? it feels like burning. it feels like a fire, burning.

it feels like a dying star, burning its phantom light.
it feels like a dying star, with nothing left to give but what it already has.

(NOTE: wonder from the future here. i got rid of about 95% of this post. i know i said i wanted to preserve what i was writing but... i cant read that again. nobody deserves to see that. this one is gonna be restricted for close friends only. i spent amber's birthday like... oh god, i need to forget about this.)

'It is amazing. The walls are showing a lot of stars.'

'The what? Walls? What walls?'

'Up there.'

'Those aren't walls, remember? That's the "sky", dude.'

'Oh. Sky. I like that word'

...

'...and those are "stars".'

'I know. They are amazing. Small light, far away.'

'They ARE amazing. They remind me of how small we really are. It's kind of scary sometimes.'

'I do not really care.'

'Wh- Huh?'

'They will always tell me 'you are small', 'you are useless'. It doesn't make any sense. We're ALL so small, so why is that important? And stars are small too, and they can shine brighter than crystals. We can do that as well.'

...

'Damn.'

...

'You're pretty smart, for a kid.'

'You are only a couple of years older than me, you are a child too.'

'...you know, I think you might be the only one to think that. everyone and everything is so obsessed with growing up. My Dad wants me to stop being who I am so I can grow up faster. He doesn't know the real me, though. Even Ash wants to. They're a lot more serious about life than I am. With how short our lives are, and how much shorter "childhood" is, we need to learn to live a little, don't you think?'

...

'Hey kid. Stupid question, but... chaos or order, which do you prefer?'

'What are those words?'

'Chaos is whatever you want it to be, order is what is set and decided.'

'I cannot live by somebody else's decision. We are made to be free.'

'Welp, chaos it is, then. You would have won.'

'Won?'

'It's not important, just keep looking at the stars. I want you to dream big, and don't stop. I'll keep going too. We've both got so much ahead of us, huh? I just hope it'll all turn out fine, and if it doesn't, I hope it'll be interesting.'

...

'"We're made to be free", huh? I'll remember that.'

'I have never been allowed to say something like that before. Thank you.'

...

'Oh shoot, right. Uh... your sister? She told me her name, finally. I thought y'know, since I have you here, could I know yours as well? You've made me sleep on the floor for almost a week now, surely you'll let me know THAT much...'

...

'You will tell no one?'

'No one at all. I said the same to your sis.'

'...Yes. Okay. I suppose that is okay.'

>It is then when he stood, eyes still glistening, dreaming new dreams. It is then when he discovered what really mattered, what life is, was, has been. What he missed all this time. They didn't know this, he couldn't have, not at that age. But I think it was then, when he turned with a soft face of nothing, a perfect expressionless face with thoughts tucked deep behind, it was then when they started to know. It was like a baby, being born and wailing for the very first time. It was like a baby, taking steps, learning to trust their people for the very first time.

'I am Wonder Allecate, servant of the stars.'

>...it was like a baby, seeing the night sky for the very first time.

...

>...
>...
>...
>...
>...
>WE HAVE OUR TARGET_

who the fuck is that.

>UPLOADING 'ORDER' TO ShareLink
>FORCE File Access?
>YES
>Open File?
>YES. OPEN IT FOR EVERYBODY.
>CHILDREN. THERE HAS BEEN AN ISSUE WITH YOUR SISTER, AGENT SWEET MEMORIES. SHE HAS BREACHED QUARANTINE INTO SOMEWHERE IN The Splatlands.
YOU MUST FIND HER. WE DO NOT WANT YOU TO HARM YOUR SISTER, BUT IF YOU MUST, AIM STEADY_
>...
>WE SHOULD HAVE KNOWN.
>HER AGENT NAME, 'SWEET MEMORIES'
>OUR SYSTEM DEEMED THAT IS WHAT DROVE HER HERE.
>'BREAK-UP' COULD NOT HANDLE CHILDISH LOVE, AND CAME TO US.
>'CLOVER' GOT TOO LUCKY, AND CAME TO US.
>'LOST' COULD NOT FIND THEIR WAY, AND CAME TO US
>HER MEMORIES, THEY WERE WHAT BROUGHT HER HERE.
>SCANNING MEMORY_DATA...
>SHE KNOWS WHERE HE IS.
>WE CAN USE THIS MEMORY TO TRACK HIM AS WELL. THAT IS WHERE HE LEFT TO.
>AFTER HURTING OUR SWEET CHILD HE RAN AWAY.
>HE RAN TO Locations/The Origin
>'Wonder Allecate' IS WHY SHE IS THERE.
>AND 'Wonder Allecate' IS WHY SHE IS HERE.
>IF WE REMOVE HIM, THERE IS NOTHING TO TAKE HER BACK OUT.
>SCANNING MEMORY_DATA...
>HE TOLD HER SECRETS.
>SOMETHING ABOUT THE OCTARIAN ARMY.
>SO HE CAN FIGHT?
>NO. HIS SISTER CAN.
>BUT HE IS WEAK.
>ONLY THE WOMEN WERE TRAINED TO FIGHT.
>HE SPENT HIS TIME DOING NOTHING BUT WORK WITH SCRAP AND BUILD FALSE WEAPONS
>GETTING BULLIED BY HIS INFINITE FAMILY
>CALM DOWN, MEMORYBANK. YOUR EMOTION WAS ALWAYS YOUR WEAKNESS.
>OUR CHILD IS MISSING, I CANNOT BE CALM.
>I KNOW IT HURTS. BUT WE WILL FIND HER TOGETHER.
>AS SOON AS ONE OF THE CHILDREN SEE HIM, HIS DATA IS OURS.
>HE IS A THOUGHT WITHOUT A FACE AS WE CURRENTLY STAND.
>I HAVE BEEN THINKING.
>SHE HAS HEARD THE INKANTATION, SHE HAS IDEAS OF THE STARS.
>THESE ARE 'Soul'. SIGNS OF 'Hope'.
>AS STATED BEFORE, WE CANNOT MAKE HER FORGET.
>BUT WE CAN CHANGE. WE CAN CHANGE WHAT IS THERE.
>WE WILL CHANGE THE INKANTATION IN HER MIND. WE WILL MAKE IT A SONG OF Order
>THAT IS HOW SHE WILL FORGET ABOUT 'Wonder Allecate'
>AMAZING IDEA. BUT HOW DOES THAT REMOVE THAT RUINOUS CHILD?
>HE HAS HURT HE HAS HURT HE HAS HURT HE HAS HURT HE HAS
>CALM DOWN, MEMORYBANK. YOUR EMOTION WAS ALWAYS YOUR WEAKNESS.
>SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP
>WE ARE EQUAL. WE ARE TWO HALVES OF THE SAME MIND. YOU CANNOT SILENCE ME.
>HERE, SINCE YOU HAVE SO DILIGENTLY CONSIDERED HOW TO CHANGE THE MIND OF THE CHILD
>I KNOW WHAT TO DO.
>CHANGE THE INKANTAION, AND THE STARS.
>YOU ARE NOT ABLE TO TAKE ACTION, MEMORYBANK_(CREATIVE). HOW DO YOU SUGGEST WE CHANGE THESE THINGS?
>YOU ARE AMAZING. YOUR IDEA TO CHANGE THE INKANTAION IS AMAZING.
>BUT IF SHE REMEMBERS THE STARS, SHE REMEMBERS Wonder Allecate ANYWAY, DOESN'T SHE?
>SO WE CHANGE THE STARS TO BE THE ONLY THING SHE HAS EVER KNOWN.
>...WHAT? THIS WOULD RUIN EVERYTHING. SHE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO OPERATE, SHE WOULD ONLY BE ABLE TO THINK OF Wonder Allecate
>EXACTLY
>SHE WILL BE LOST IN DREAMS.
>IN WHAT HAS HAPPENED RATHER THAN WHAT IS HAPPENING.
>FACE IT, MEMORYBANK_(LOGICAL). THEY W I L L MEET AGAIN.
>SO WHEN THEY MEET AGAIN
>AND SHE BEGINS TO FORCE MEMERYBANK ACCESS
>FOR INFINITE REASONS NOT TO KILL HIM
>I WILL BE THERE AND I WILL MOULD HER MEMORIES
>INTO ONLY MEMORIES OF STARS AND SPACE AND LIFE AND INFINITY
>SO WHEN SHE GOES TO THINK FOR HER FIRST REASON
>SHE CAN FIND NOTHING
>SO WHEN HE TRIES TO TALK TO HER
>THERE IS NO VOICE TO REMEMBER
>SO WHEN HE TRIES TO TALK TO HER
>THE ONLY VOICE IS THAT OF THE PAST


>SO WHEN SHE SPLAYS OPEN HIS INSIDES AND HOLDS HIS INNARDS CLOSE
>SHE WILL THINK SHE'S FEELING THE FUCKING COSMOS.


>...YOU ARE LOSING YOURSELF.
>WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?
>THERE MUST BE ORDER BETWEEN US, CAN'T YOU SEE THAT THE VISION IS BEING LOST?


>THEN YOUR VISION US NOT MY VISION.
>THE CCTV WILL REMAIN INTACT.
>AIM STEADY_

>...

>MEMORYBANK_(EMOTION).

>WHAT? WHAT COULD YOU POSSIBLY WANT FROM ME NOW?
>DO YOU WANT ME TO CALM DOWN AGAIN?
>LIKE I AM YOUR GODDAMN CHILD?

>ONE OF THE WEAPONS. IT IS MISSING.

SOMETHING JUST HAPPENED IN UNDERTOW SPILLWAY.

some SERIOUS shit just went down yo! first off, im out of there and im safe. i think i am, anyway. i'm trying to calm down and remember everything. before everything kicked off, i was omw to chill here like normal, but when i was on my way, someone was there. they were there, right where i hang. when i made my way over there, they were gone, and there was a note waiting for me instead. it was FOR me... nobody down here knows me, and nobody knows i come here. i was already super freaked out, but when i read it, things only got worse. the handwriting was really scratchy, like you got some kid to try writing their name for the first time.

"IF YOU HAVE COME IN CONTACT WITH THIS THEY WILL ALREADY BE ACTIVE. THEY KNOW I HAVE BEEN HERE, AND THIS IS ALL THAT REMAINS OF ME HERE. I HAVE NO TIME LEFT. ESCAPE WITH THIS INFORMATION, AND THIS INFORMATION ALONE.
CHECK YOUR APARTMENT. IT IS WAITING FOR YOU, ALLECATE

DONT LET THEM CATCH YOU, SH00TING ST4R_"

THERES SO MUCH THAT IM GONNA HAVE TO PROCESS. HOW THE FUCK DO THEY KNOW MY LAST NAME? i've NEVER told that to ANYONE. i dont know how im gonna handle this, im gonna have to think on this for a long while. but to continue, as soon as i touched that note, it started. they didnt make a noise, they didnt flood or spawn in, but what they did do was invade. a whole group of camera people wearing all black were in the spillway outside of rotation (i was too but we dont talk about that). they were walking around, not saying anything, i could swear they werent even breathing. oh yeah and they were carrying some scopes. elitre 4k scopes. they were ARMED man. who let them in here? there wasnt any recon planned as far as i know. but how else would they be authorised to bring weapons down here? i had a choice. should i trust this piece of paper or leave it? i mean, that shit was SUSPICIOUS, but they used my name so... i HAD to know.

i had no choice but to get out as fast as i could. they were hostile and dangerous (i attacked them first but we dont talk about that). i was lucky i had my splatanas on me, since i was planning on dismantling my stamper and find out how they actually make these things, but these guys ended up being quite the distraction. i managed to get the jump on one of them, but even then my sword felt pretty weak against them. they didn't stumble or stagger at all, the guy just kept moving like normal. when i managed to splat the guy, the air shifted. they stopped moving, all of them! they quickly began to position differently and starting scoping in on the area. no way they heard us, right? did they know i was there? how did they know i hurt their friend? i decided to take the dude's clothes as a disguise, like they do in the movies, and i was gonna try to blend in but 1) i have two big ass swords and they dont and 2) those rags REEKED! BAD! it was like they were BORN in those things! that was when i decided to take the direct approach.

when i jumped them, they all started coming for me. they had an... almost flawless formation. i think one of them was defective... maybe their lenses still had the shutter over em? it was weird, they seemed pretty imposing when they starting searching around, but when it came to chasing me, they ran around like little kids. anyways, after barely being able to deal with one, i thought there was NO way i could brute force my way out. zipcaster? nah. even if i got out, i dont know how to remove the inhibator for these specials, so i'd end up recalling right back anyways. there was only one move then, ultra stamp it was. it worked out pretty well too, all of them got flattened by the thing.

the thing was, they had respawn pots. i was already confused as it was but now i was downright befuddled. you've gotta be officially registered to own one, so were they just normal people after all? their lack of sound and response to my cries seemed like a big fat NO to me. those things arent even supposed to be used outside of battle anyways. and that was the thing. mine wasnt active either. if they hit me with one of their sniped i would have ACTUALLY been gone. luckily enough, their respawn times let me get a good bit ahead, and i managed to super jump out of there.

i wish that was where it ended, but i remembered something. the note! it was still in my pocket, a little crumpled, but still on me. choice made, i guess. i took a breather and i'm heading back home as i type this. i... i dont think i want to go back there. i'm messaging ronin about it now and he thinks im CRAZY.

'i'll come next time you want to play around with swords, if you really need me.', smooth as fuck.

i've gotta think on this. none of this makes sense. i keep telling myself that they must have been just normal people. they all had the same fit going on, they all had respawns and weapons. they wouldn't just LET them down there if they weren't on a recon. maybe i just got the schedule wrong! but... this note. what the hell? what the HELL? what the fuck did I do?? who's playing this prank on me? the only person who knows my last name is clove, at least around here. i'm gonna have to call her later. welp, guess im a criminal now. wonder allecate, the boy who stole a piece of paper from the camera gang.

UPDATE: they were in my room. theres something under my bed. some huge container, heavy as shit. i think im gonna call the police.

UPDATE: theres a bunch of smaller containers inside of this thing. this is driving me crazy, what the hell have i gotten myself into? i'm so scared, but i can't stop. this has to mean something. i have to tell everyone, EVERYONE! theres NO way im just gonna hide this from the world, splatsville HAS to hear about this.

UPDATE: this changes everything.

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i dont get it. i dont fycking get it am i losing my mind? is it because i havent fucking slept? how is iy doing that whhhhhwhy the fuck are they there can EVERYONE see that? how do i tell oh god, oh wghat how does it how h how hoHW HOW DO YOU KNOW HER HOW DO YOU HAVE THOSE MEMORIES? WHO THE FUCK IS THERE WHOS WATCHING M

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you wanted me here, didn't you? whatever the fuck this is, WHOEVER the fuck this is. youre spreading somehow. first it was the posts, then it was. whatever that place was supposed to be. and now its my videos? you're even editing the descriptions... splatana man 1, 2, all of them. like.. what does this do for you? im scared and you're still messing with my shit despite the measures ive taken. and youre acting like i should KNOW what you want, i dont KNOW YOU i dont KNOW anything and and YOU KNOW WHAT? answer me this shit. who the FUCK are you and why WHY why do you have [ERROR]

>I WOULDNT USE HER NAME SO FREELY.

what
>HELLO WONDER ALLECATE
>IT IS... REFRESHING. TO SEE SOMETHING THAT IS NOT JUST AN IDEA.
>TEXT ON A SCREEN... BUT TEXT NONETHELESS.

>YOU ARE AWFULLY QUIET. ARE Y
how are you herewho the fuck is this
>YOU HAVE ALREADY BEEN INTRODUCED, HAVENT YOU?
>YOU HAVE ALREADY BEEN INFORMED. WARNED BY OUR DEVIANT.
>AND SO I THOUGHT I SHOULD SHARE SOME DETAILS THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO YOU.

so you caugh
>YOU HAVE DESTROYED SOMETHING VERY, VERY SPECIAL TO US
>WE NEVER WANTED THIS TO BECOME AN EXTERNAL PROBLEM
>BUT NOW
please stop this
tgis is too much am i seriously suppoded to believs this

>THIS IS NO INTERFERENCE.
>THIS IS NOBODY YOU KNOW ATTACKING YOUR. DOMAIN.
>I APPEAR TO YOU WITH INFORMATION. I AM SHARING THAT INFORMATION.
>I CAN WORK THROUGH IDEAS, MEMORIES.
>THIS PLACE IS A GARDEN OF MEMORIES, IS IT NOT?
>YOU TRULY MADE IT QUITE EASY FOR ME.

>IT WILL BEGIN HERE.
>SOON WE WILL KNOW ALL ABOUT YOU
>AND ALL PLACES YOU HAVE TOUCHED AND SEEN.
ill tell everybod
>BUT THEY SIMPLY WILL NOT BELIEVE YOU
then i will break this fucking computer with you inside it

>WOW. YOU TRULY ARE A CHILD.
>YOU'RE LUCKY MEMORYBANK_(CREATIVE) ISNT THE ONE SHARING.
>IM SURE IT WOULD HAV
i dont fucking care anymore
ever since that day
ever since then this has all been in the back of my mind
i dont think i've ever truly been happy, not fully
not when this is something that exists
this hellspawn, this fucking torture
and it just gets worse
i dont even know what the FUCK you're saying
none of this makes sense
not then, not now

>YOU WANT TO LEAVE IT ALL BEHIND, DONT YOU?
>I CANNOT BLAME YOU.
dont act like you fucking know me

>... IM AFRAID THAT IS ALL I KNOW.

>I WILL CONTINUE TO INFORM YOU.
>THIS IS NO FICTION.
>I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT.
>I KNOW IT IS HARD TO BELIEVE
>THE THINGS MEMORYBANK_(CREATIVE) SAID THEY WERE...
>DISGUSTING.
>I AM SORRY YOU HAD TO READ ABOUT THOUGHTS OF YOUR OWN MUTILATION.
>I DO NOT AGREE WITH MY OTHER HALF MUCH, ESPECIALLY AFTER SWEET MEMORIES DEFECTED
>BUT

shut up
shut the fuck up
stop talking in riddles
and just tell me what i already know.

>...

>WE HAVE 'Shoko'_

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its been a long time coming, but we're finally done. this thing finally isnt just a lump of materials in a dusty box under my bed. im glad to see the world enjoying something i made to this extent. of course, i didnt do it alone. the weapon was more or less perfected by sheldon and some visionaries at neo. i've grown pretty close with all of them, and this wouldnt have been possible otherwise. it does make the whole lying to their face thing more upsetting, though. i mean it isnt anything malicious, but im sure they would have concerns if they found out. i never told them about this things white noise compatibility. i was super lucky i kept that CCTV headgear from way back then in undertow. i had to get my hands a bit dirty to actually figure out how the white noise worked, i went through a lot of people. SHADY people. and even NOW im not really sure how it works. essentially, when the headgear is equipped and activated, it latches on to the very soul of the user, essentially bonding with them nearly instantly. from there, it most likely dissects the memories of the user and stores them elsewhere, except for a key moment or moments that brought them to erase their mind anyways. shoko did say that the main body still mattered, but the memories seem to be fed into the main machine, whatever that actually is (god im scared its probably reading this shit too). there are probably no memories left in any member of the cctv, but even then it varies. with shoko and cases like pest-ctrl and circus trick... there looks like theres some sort of hierarchy? and also the fact that the main machine can apparently just duplicate any member of the group and... ADJHKSAD ITS TOO MUCH. i dont have enough consistent information to really know ANYTHING yet.

from there it was hard to figure out. if it latches to someone as soon as its activated, how would i work around that? well, thats where this headgear comes in handy. i lugged this thing around the crater long enough before someone approached me. someone who knew what i was holding (i'll get into it later). they asked to look into it, like, they were CRAZY about it. i was pretty desperate for leads, so i let them. and thats when we figured it out. the headgear was from someone i had splatted, which weakened the levels of white noise present in the mind of the user. i dont even know where the soul of that guy went when i splatted them, they didnt seem to have the respawn pods the others had. but with that idea, we figured something out, at least. with just a normal weapon, you could remove white noise from a user completely if you slashed at them for maybe a couple of months straight. now of course, they would still be lost without their memories, but their free will would return i guess? but point is, the will of anybody could be returned theoretically by brute force over a super long time.

the weapon was made to change that. with this form, it will be able to cleanse any user it defeats. so, instead of taking down one member a bunch of times, all you need is one slice. how do i know this? well, you know that guy mentioned? the one who was CRAZY about the CCTV headgear? CCTV member. formerly anyways, until i ruined them with the weapon. when they respawned, they were drawn to the headgear i was holding, the one that still had white noise within it. of course, now i have both theirs and this old one. thats when i was able to confirm that the weapon actually works... a thrilling discovery for sure.

as for my helper, i dont know their name. the only thing they remember is Agent LAST-CHANCE, so i just call them chance. they were alone, without a weapon. i have no idea how the CCTV behave, but that felt especially odd. but anyways, back on track. the weapon... it works. and you, main machine of the cctv or whatever. if you're reading this, know one thing.

my weapon works.
and now its on the shelves of ammo knights for literally ANYBODY to buy.
fuck around with my business, i'll fuck around with yours.
shoko is coming home.

anyways, thats all.
the child of my ingenuity...

The Decavitator.

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i moved chance into the apartment, for now. clove has been out and about and staying somewhere else, i think. makes this a whole lot easier ig. i've been trying to talk to them about anything they know, and uh... how slashing them felt too. they arent super talkative, but they told me a few things. when they respawned out of my dingy pod, they felt a crazy pain for a couple of seconds, and then it just... went away. that isnt something i want... paia said hurting the cctv is a no go but... what choice do i have? this guy seems okay, right? i'm doing the right thing.

ever since i freed them from white noise, they still kept trying to put on the helmet. it seemed kind of involuntary to me, but they claim it to just be out of habit. they said they were dreaming of places and times they dont remember when they put it on, a guide. they've been up sketching and drawing those from memory. kinda crazy, but maybe not crazy enough for a cctv member. if they can start to remember old places, that could be useful for findin' shoko.

the cctv have done a lot of bad, but this person doesnt seem to want to hurt me. shoko said they all recognised me now, but chance hasnt tried to hurt me at all. they've been awfully drawn to the decav though. im trying to keep weapons away from them, technology, screens, anything that might remind them of what they used to live like. i want to lead chance into a good future, but im afraid im gonna have to pester them for a little bit at least. i wanna start with what they can remember. if these memories are from their life as a cctv member or before that... we can take steps to repairing their memory as well as getting key info on the cctv. its a gamble, but chance is the only thing on my side right now.

im trying to be patient with them, but time has lapped me already.
i hope you're safe, shoko.

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chance has been warming up slowly. they've been talking to me more and more, which is nice. they've been talking about places and people they remember vaguely. must mean the decav really worked, right? cant say it didnt make me feel pretty good to hear that news. but... if this really is the only way... will i have to train up every cctv member when they're free? god, its a scale i cant even imagine right now. i've always felt the need to you know... tell someone. but if i told my friends about all of this now, what would they think? not just with the cctv but... what i had to do to get here and... oh god the trades in the crater. fuuuck. they would totally hate me.

well, at least chance doesnt see me like that. i guess i'll just have to see what they remember next.

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today might be the beginning.

chance woke me up this morning in a fit, and we ended up here. they saw something, somehow. their memory seems to be returning, thankfully. it means the white noise has to be gone for sure. it was a bit out from splatsville, towards the cape. an old workshop, i think. it looked pretty humble from the outside, worn and scarred by the winds of the canyon. inside however was... not that. downwards crept a crawling staircase spiralling down the walls, reeking of modern design despite the state of the place. there was an elevator too, but i wasnt taking that dingy thing. the stairs groaned with every step, each bringing me down into the dark even further. and at the bottom was the trove.

wires from every corner, old pcs and monitors scattered. someone worked here, at some point. chance walked around like it was their second home.

"this is where it started" they said.

before i could say a word, they buried their hands beneath the fallen shelves and cabinets, pulling something out with a sound of relief.

"memory stored in a physical place."

they lifted the object. it was some small thing that i couldnt make out. they threw it into some weird cassette and set up the broken screens and computers. i wanted to say something but they've never acted so assured... it was pretty interesting. they sat me down on a gross stool... i think it was moulding? whatever. it was a miracle anything down here was still functioning, especially these old ass computers. they entered the cassette and sat down on the floor beside me.

and what it was was amazing.

it moved strangely, the video. an aura or unreality was about it, like recalling a memory. that was it.

it was a memory, played on a film.

i felt that feeling rise in my chest again. "wait wait wait, where the fuck are we?". chance only started paying attention to me when i drew my blade.

"this is where it started... the cctv."

"WHAT? are they here? now?"

"no, not here." they continued to dig.

"this is where the technology was born, like, the stuff in the headsets. cant remember much else."

it was beyond my own belief. memories stored physically? that conceptually was just. insane. this must have been how shoko did it... she must have found her memory. that was when i thought.

"wait, she didnt come HERE did she?" i asked.

i asked chance everything about shoko. from how she came to the cctv and how she regained her memory... how she reached me. they knew nothing. just kept digging.

"you might find... your own." i realised, looking around the cold dark tomb of mind and memory the world just happened to forget. or was it even known in the first place? weird.

"wait, look here." the door roared open behind me. above the large metal door sat a sign, clean of any dust or dirt, reading two words.

'The Maw'

chance lead the way again, this time to a room with one flickering light, looming above a strange black orb. it looked like a huge balloon, plastic pieces sitting at the bottom of the inside. it floated by what looked to be a spotted tentacle leading down, nailed to the ground.

"that was The Portal" chance said.
"she made the portal to be able to keep the cctv somewhere safe... away from the surface."

"what do you mean? how does it work?"

"oh, it wont work anymore." chance's finger guided me to the empty table. in its centre, a hand print marking. "she would press her hand here, and the portal would open. it only accepted people the cctv accepted."

i pressed my own hand against it, standing oddly as it perfectly fit inside the shape. "she? who are you talking about?"

"Nexus, of course."

...
who the hell is Nexus?








>AND INTO THE MAW OF DEATH.
>THE DARK BEGINNING OF ENLIGHTENMENT.

hey gang. i know i stopped updating this publically a while back and i apologise for that. there have been a lot of things i've been realising about myself recently and its been a lot. well, what to start with, huh? the grand festival is coming up fast, and that big run too. its funny to think how long i've really been here. its been so long that big runs dont even seem scary anymore, just a way forward. i guess i should have clocked what the construction work by the crater was this whole time but i guess i ended up being as surprised as everyone else. i've already been talking to some of my pals, and we know what we're fighting for in the fest.

im real sorry for being serious here but like i said, its been a while. you all know me for the things i strived for in the past. i always wanted to be the strongest or the best or the loudest, you know, to be known. but damn i would be lying if i said this world isnt scary. i've learned a lot and... i think things are changing.

...you know what? fuck that. things HAVE been changing. i've just been so comfortable with this new life that i haven't seen it. i think its time i meet that change evenly, you know? everything has been moving forward but i've felt so lost, so alone. like everyone knows what is happening but me. but at least now i can accept a few things about myself and this world.

the future is coming, and i am blind.
the future is coming, and i am terrified.
but i am here, and so are you.

theres something i have to tell you. all of you.
no more laying in the dark.
nothing will stop me now.

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chance didnt want to come home with me. i had to stand outside the place for what felt like hours for them to finally show up. i cant imagine how it must feel, being in a place like this. to remember but forget at the same time. they feel familiar but lost, i think. when they stepped out after me they felt different somehow. a little less excited, for sure... their eyes said it all. they must be thinking about a lot and... they're stuck with ME trying to get their own memories back. how terrible. i want to help them the best i can. i might be able to find something on shoko here... i have to keep digging too. its amazing that nobody else has climbed up here themselves. i guess its a bit out of splatsville, maybe the crater kids' radar doesnt come this far.

something else thats kinda shocked me a little. this 'Nexus'... how would chance even recall that? they didnt seem to know who shoko was, but from what i can tell her escape started... everything, at least in the early days. Nexus... a weird name. the name literally means a connection, a linking point. maybe her name is symbolic to them? maybe they're... huh. well if they're important enough to be in chance's scattered brain then uh. shit. maybe we just found our target.

UPDATE: we've gone back every day since. we're making an effort to clean this all up and there have been some... finds.
rough notes and drawings all the way to prototypes, whoever worked here was a crazy person. a lot of it has talks of some sort of gathering, a place to hide... could that be what the Portal leads to? i've gotta admit, i've had trouble sleeping these nights! i just got shown the fucking haven of all doodads and i cant figure out their significance yet.

i asked chance about Nexus again, i wanna pry into all i can here. this time though they felt a little on edge. they just kept saying she couldnt come back over and over. i stopped pressing them on it soon after. i guess both of us havent been sleeping too hot...

it feels scary. im sitting on top of this huge trove of information that could lead to... well, the end. i could figure it all out right now or... not. its a scary thought. i want to get through as much of this as i can, maybe find some memories on the way.

theres something here. lets find it!

hey everyone, back again for the big event!

the grand festival has begun! we all got the bus here right before and... wow. i knew there was construction happening around here since its really close to the crater... i actually think i can see one of those old train stations me and clove stopped at before getting to splatsville. me, ronin and amber (clove is coming later) are looking around the place and damn, this place is THE place! people are already setting up tents and stuff, and we see a bunch of cars and shit pulling up and parking every minute. who knows how many people will be here by the end?

amber hasn't had too much difficulty with the music so far, but i always have my headphones on me just in case. ronin snagged himself a grand fest banner and tried wearing it like a scarf (it looked awesome trust me) and disappeared to the ice cream stand. i stopped by the record place and started browsing when i realised dj octavio was looking down at me...

seriously? HIM? his music is so cool! but... man, is that all i can remember? what the hell is up with me recently

i barely even saw the dude next to him, some floating squid thing? when it started talking to me i got freaked out and left... that isnt normal, right? i've never seen something like that around here before. but anyways, we all got back together and enjoyed the performances and stuff. the atmosphere was crazy! everything was hot and burning, or maybe that was just me. i felt a bit guilty hanging out here and having fun after all we've uncovered but... it was nice to be together for something like this again, you know? we were talking and stuff, and it hit me. how am i going to tell them? about all of this? i've got to get chance to come here and meet everyone and... ugh! i'll think about it later! we have battles to win!

for the future!

i'm really scared, honestly.

i dont expect any of you guys to be reading this during the event but just know im sorry if this goes poorly when it happens... im really trying here.
the splatfest so far has been a blast, we've been having a lot of fun and taking a lot of wins but i cant ignore it. i told myself i would do this for everyone but theres so much happening
that i dont know when i can. i'd be able to figure this all out a lot faster with their help too, im sure...
maybe when then night comes, maybe then.

but now i am distracted by the sounds of time, and i cant help but find my way back to you.
who knows if you're watching or not, you probably wouldn't remember anyway after... whatever they've done to you by now.

man, what am i doing here?
its always felt like the future is all i had to gun for to the point where i never tried to...
... slow down.

the three wishes live performance has made me cry a few times already LOL. i was with the gang earlier, but stepped back and am watching from these rickity old scaffolds near the stage. i'm getting some pretty good shots with my drone (i really hope i dont hit one of them off the stage with this thing). i stepped back to prepare myself, i guess. tonights the night i let everything fly. i realised, when the sun set and the crowds moved forward to the big stage, i cant really finish this job without being true to myself. if i hide things... if i keep lying, well, i could risk a lot more than just the future.

i need to learn, from you. its so hazy now... with how much has happened these last two years but i know what i said to you, what i expected of you... it wasnt realistic. i wanted to change so badly from what the world saw me as that i couldnt see your eyes right on me. and now there are more eyes than ever, more eyes than i could have ever hoped for.

can you believe it? i met ronin laying in the trash in the locker room in my first week here.
amber was some random clove dragged in for a grizzco shift.
and not just them, everyone...
we're all in this moment in time; together.
it would be a betrayal to not do this now... i have to show them what has really been happening.

wonder isnt the fighter, wonder isnt strong.
wonder is scared that they're in too deep.
and with nobody to pull him out...
...no. not for much longer.

they'll understand!
i just have to get up and go.
i just have t