#mod bloom

Depends.

Historically, the clams used were real, and often alive. It started as a game where the winners would actually get the clams to eat!

Later on, when it started getting more mainstream and played more commercially instead of with friends, they moved away from real clams and towards either empty glued-together shells, and then to faux clams. This was to maintain uniformity, so there weren't any variances between the clams that might make things "unfair" in big-name matches, and to stop people form getting hurt if they get beaned with them.

This is the current standard "clam", which is usually silicon-coated plastic. They're carried around in a "clam bag", which is a leather pouch held together with a cord or lace.

I often dissociate, feel less myself, but it still feels like someone's there, who's kind-of-me-but-also-not. I can look in the mirror like that and my body looks fine, nice, almost correct even.

Sometimes my friends tell me stories that involve me and i don't remember being there.

Sometimes they say I act different. They say sometimes I'm assertive in a way that catches them off guard, that I snap more, but also seem more confident and comfortable.

There are periods of my life that are quite foggy, patches in my teens that i cant recall at will. But what has me stumbling is that its not like I "lose days" per say, its more like i kind of fade in and out. There's never been a moment where I'm suddenly gone, and then suddenly back again. But in like a different way than how id normally describe my dissociative episodes, which are very acute and just feel like "me" doesn't exist at all. This feels more like I'm there, but Ive been blurred out, and whoever is in my body is someone completely different and distinct.

so i guess my question is just like, what do i do? how do i figure out more? Am i even looking at the right place or do i just need to examine my gender and sexuality more?? i guess whats throwing me off from just saying I'm gender fluid and ace-flux is the personality shifts my friends report. is this anything like anyone else's experience?

x x x | x x x | x x x

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!!!"

Somewhat, yes.

Because they developed clothing extremely early on in their cultural development (both through need and desire- soft, sensitive skin and love for aesthetics), clothing became a social norm very, very early. It became uncommon for Inklings to be without them, and after a few hundred years, it moved from being 'strange' to 'taboo'.

Many other species simply don't need clothes (they have stronger skin, scales, etc; internal genitalia; or slime coats tat are irritated by clothing), and only began wearing them relatively recently as more of an aesthetic statement. Though many species will wear clothes, it's common and acceptable for them to go nude.

This is not the case with inkfish. Exposed chests are considered a bit raunchy in certain contexts, or only done in private or with friends. Not wearing pants is strictly taboo and only generally done in extreme private.