#so I had to draw my daughter now that splatoon is back on the brain <333 | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

burstbombbitch · 6 years

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📜 (something something i cant think about a topic)

Send me a sunken scroll for some lore! || ★ Accepting !!

☪️ —— This ask will center on her Killer Wail — how it manifested, the aspects of her design that draws upon it… basically, everything that went into conception when I decided to give it to her. Thanks for sending, first and foremost!

It’s easier to discuss how this first came to light from a character design standpoint, rather than character development ( and more interesting, because I truly did think everything WAY in advance ).

Back in Splatoon (2015), towards the end of the game’s lifespan, I began to learn Kelp Splatterscope, which had the Sprinkler and Killer Wail. Though she was an E-Liter main, I most definitely began to associate her with the weapon. This is probably where the early idea of her having one came into play. This video was one of the ones that stood out to the friend training me, and it made me remember how fond I was of the Killer Wail.

Since learning how to charge, my phone’s notification ringtone became the Megaphone Laser ( hasn’t changed in three years ). As a synaesthetic, the sound just seems to resonate with me more than anything else in the game. When I was designing Xiuying, even though I was using the Kelp Splatterscope in game, she’s still an E-Liter at heart. I tried to keep her within the realm of the Custom brand ( aka, the brand responsible for making E-Liter ).

Not only were her parents funding Custom, but the killer wail was created by the Custom brand, as noted by the sticker. When it comes to her color scheme, it was also influenced by the Killer Wail. Her first original design was actually meant to have white to pink tentacles, to signify the silver to pink gradient on the barrels of the Megaphone. Her final design, instead, was given pink to lilac — just a few inches above the barrel, but still on the barrel nevertheless.

Her design was intentionally meant to appear “doll-like”. When I was making her, I wanted her design to be soft and round ( hence the buns, and the choice of the letter B in her name — circular ). Dolls are, more often than not, for looking at — so her family similarly did just that, keeping her locked away for many years because they feared for her fragility. They are also silent, as she was upon birth.

The juxtaposition of having a Killer Wail — the loudest, most visible special in the first game — within was too good to pass up.

This segues into her character development. Xiuying was born silent, an inspiration drawn from Avatar: The Last Airbender’s Yue. Likewise, her moon symbolism comes from this character ( and is why she was meant to have white, not pink, tentacles ).

Her Autism and Chromesthesia also add onto why she was silent, but more responsive to color — she is prone to stimming, and her favored sensory inputs were sound, touch, and visuals ( particularly, colorful ones ). However, due to her parents’ decision to cut her off from one of these stimulants ( having been informed that their daughter was susceptible to noise ), she never got to explore them as a child. This was both, in hindsight, good and bad — she is now ridiculously sensitive to auditory input ( enough to have meltdowns and tantrums, if not pass out all together ).

Why was this “good” in any way shape or form? Had she been allowed to scream, as many infants do, she most likely would’ve blown circuits, destroyed windows, and caused cacophony wherever she went — the Killer Wail was in her from birth. It is a malfunction of both her light organ harboring bioluminescent bacteria ( found in her brain ) and her undeveloped, unusual vocal cords. By the time she reaches eighteen, they have properly settled in — but the undiscovered aspects of it were never acknowledged, and thus allowed to mutate.

This is why, whereas her family and many other squids have bioluminescence present all over, hers are focused on specific parts of her body ( such as the “constellations” along her head, collarbone, and cheeks ). Her mutations, too, come into play when she sings — her vocal cords have the ability to project color onto her viewers as a result of her mixed bioluminescence and Chromesthesia! It is akin to how, when we stare at a lightbulb for an extended period of time, we have color spots in our eyes — this is why her light shows are generally expensive to view, and stupendous. You only experience her doing this live — it has no effect over recordings.

In practicing how to sing, unbeknownst to her that her voice had a predisposition, she honed the Killer Wail without knowing. In every other verse where she does not become a singer, she does not have the ability to use the Killer Wail.

Her first talent agent’s death is a result of prolonged exposure to high-frequency cries. Xiuying herself is a catalyst of sound — a normal Inkling besides that, but indeed can go over 200 dB. Her soft-spoken nature after his death is directly related — in that, she tries not to cry or be extremely expressive, for fear that ( in her presently untrained state ) she might let off another Wail.

When I first made this blog, I was hesitant to give her the ability — it just seemed so far out there! But I had the idea very early on, as noted by songs such as Bastille’s Weapon being reblogged a month after I made the blog! Considering that it pertained to a voice being a weapon, I thought it was fitting!

And, last but not least, the Octo Expansion further brings out my intrigue in idols and music.

When it was said that Calamari Inkantation “changed” Agent 8, my brain quite immediately went — “okay, but I want to do something with that.” It’s extremely obvious that music has a lot to do with Inkling culture, so I feel like bands, Idols — they’re all very important in those regards. When talking to @takoruler, we discussed a Magical Idol Girl kinda verse — AND I TOOK IT VERY SERIOUSLY. Don’t challenge our love of Sailor Moon tbh. I’m eagerly awaiting the DLC to get some ideas on what exactly I want Xiuying to be doing, but I most definitely want her to take a part, if music is another major centerfocus.

It’s funny — I absolutely did not contemplate her becoming an Agent ( three nor four ) because I did not want to inject more convolution into her, but now with the explanation that a song particularly “helped” Agent 8, I am wholeheartedly more intrigued by the idea. It seems like it’s more of a “past tense” thing, with how they mention Off The Hook, but you can bet I’m going to think of something to give her relevance to the DLC.

A lot of my ideas felt like I was trampling on canon — but I live for breaking free of what we are given, and making things of my own. Similarly with my other blog, @brushwithdanger, I have put in many hours just to figuring out how the Shark Citadel interacts with the world. I love worldbuilding like crazy, even if I don’t say anything unless asked. After discussing this, many in part with @sangfear constantly LYING TO ME and saying I’m amazing at character design, I’m starting to actually believe her bullshit.

Of everything on her blog, the relation of the Killer Wail to both her character design and her character development makes me happy. I’ve worked very hard on her — and I do hope to continue to do so!

#apeculiarredsquid #thank u childe...#✧.° ⦙ ᴛᴇᴍᴘᴛᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ɪᴍᴘʟᴏʀᴇs ʏᴏᴜ ᴛᴏ ᴋɴᴏᴡ. — ❪ & asks. ❫#✧.° ⦙ ᴋᴇᴇᴘ ᴏɴ ᴛʀʏɪɴɢ 'ᴛɪʟ ʏᴏᴜ ʀᴜɴ ᴏᴜᴛ ᴏғ ᴄᴀᴋᴇ. — ❪ & meme reply. ❫#✧.° ⦙ ғʟᴏᴡɪɴɢ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴛɪᴍᴇ; ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴀᴛʜ ɪs ʏᴏᴜʀs ᴛᴏ ᴄʟɪᴍʙ. — ❪ & hcs. ❫#long post #thisll prob be the longest i hope

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