just need items to actually have their overlays, ree

code/game/objects/effects/decals/cleanable.dm

@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 
 /obj/effect/decal/cleanable/Initialize(mapload, list/datum/disease/diseases)
 	. = ..()
+	LAZYINITLIST(blood_DNA) //Kinda needed
 	if (random_icon_states && (icon_state == initial(icon_state)) && length(random_icon_states) > 0)
 		icon_state = pick(random_icon_states)
 	create_reagents(300)
@@ -27,7 +28,7 @@
 
 /obj/effect/decal/cleanable/proc/replace_decal(obj/effect/decal/cleanable/C) // Returns true if we should give up in favor of the pre-existing decal
 	if(mergeable_decal)
-		return TRUE
+		qdel(C)
 
 /obj/effect/decal/cleanable/attackby(obj/item/W, mob/user, params)
 	if(istype(W, /obj/item/reagent_containers/glass) || istype(W, /obj/item/reagent_containers/food/drinks))
@@ -81,7 +82,7 @@
 				add_blood = bloodiness
 			bloodiness -= add_blood
 			S.bloody_shoes[blood_state] = min(MAX_SHOE_BLOODINESS,S.bloody_shoes[blood_state]+add_blood)
-			if(blood_DNA && blood_DNA.len)
+			if(length(blood_DNA))
 				S.add_blood_DNA(blood_DNA)
 			S.blood_state = blood_state
 			update_icon()

code/game/objects/effects/decals/cleanable/humans.dm

@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 	color = BLOOD_COLOR_HUMAN //default so we don't have white splotches everywhere.
 
 /obj/effect/decal/cleanable/blood/replace_decal(obj/effect/decal/cleanable/blood/C)
-	if (C.blood_DNA)
+	if(length(C.blood_DNA))
 		blood_DNA |= C.blood_DNA.Copy()
 	if (bloodiness)
 		if (C.bloodiness < MAX_SHOE_BLOODINESS)
@@ -52,7 +52,6 @@
 	desc = "Your instincts say you shouldn't be following these."
 	random_icon_states = null
 	var/list/existing_dirs = list()
-	var/list/Blood_DNA = list()
 
 /obj/effect/decal/cleanable/trail_holder/update_icon()
 	color = blood_DNA_to_color()
@@ -83,7 +82,6 @@
 	var/exited_dirs = 0
 	blood_state = BLOOD_STATE_BLOOD //the icon state to load images from
 	var/list/shoe_types = list()
-	var/list/shoe_printer = list()
 
 /obj/effect/decal/cleanable/blood/footprints/Crossed(atom/movable/O)
 	if(ishuman(O))
@@ -114,10 +112,6 @@
 /obj/effect/decal/cleanable/blood/footprints/update_icon()
 	..()
 	cut_overlays()
-
-	if(shoe_printer)
-		color = shoeblood_DNA_to_color(shoe_printer)
-
 	for(var/Ddir in GLOB.cardinals)
 		if(entered_dirs & Ddir)
 			var/image/bloodstep_overlay = GLOB.bloody_footprints_cache["entered-[blood_state]-[Ddir]"]
@@ -155,29 +149,6 @@
 		return TRUE
 	return FALSE
 
-/obj/effect/decal/cleanable/blood/footprints/proc/shoeblood_DNA_to_color(list/blood_dna)	//handles RGB colorings of bloody shoes
-	var/list/colors = list()//first we make a list of all bloodtypes present
-	for(var/bloop in shoe_printer)
-		if(colors[shoe_printer[bloop]])
-			colors[shoe_printer[bloop]]++
-		else
-			colors[shoe_printer[bloop]] = 1
-
-	var/final_rgb = BLOOD_COLOR_HUMAN
-
-	if(colors.len)
-		var/sum = 0 //this is all shitcode, but it works; trust me
-		final_rgb = bloodtype_to_color(colors[1])
-		sum = colors[colors[1]]
-		if(colors.len > 1)
-			var/i = 2
-			while(i <= colors.len)
-				var/tmp = colors[colors[i]]
-				final_rgb = BlendRGB(final_rgb, bloodtype_to_color(colors[i]), tmp/(tmp+sum))
-				sum += tmp
-				i++
-
-	return final_rgb
 /* Eventually TODO: make snowflake trails like baycode's
 /obj/effect/decal/cleanable/blood/footprints/tracks/shoe
 	name = "footprints"

code/game/objects/items.dm

@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ GLOBAL_VAR_INIT(rpg_loot_items, FALSE)
 
 	//Blood overlay things
 	var/blood_color
-	var/image/blood_overlay = null //this saves our blood splatter overlay, which will be processed not to go over the edges of the sprite
+	var/image/blood_overlay //this saves our blood splatter overlay, which will be processed not to go over the edges of the sprite
 
 /obj/item/Initialize()