#((i also accidentally deleted the whole thing and had to rewrite it from memory. ugh.))

[adda-j]

Oooooooh, I didn't expect anyone would add onto my ramblings, but this really made my day! AND gave me some more ideas! >:)

So I have to admit I initially imagined this being somewhat inline with the 06's future timeline, but time travel being time travel, it gets so confusing at one point it might as well mot matter. Either way, for this AU to work, Silver does need to be biologically related to Shadow. Whether that's due to him being artificially created, or made the traditional way, is not as important right now, that's future-Shadow's problem. (Though I'm leaning more towards the lab-baby thing. I dunno. I just feel like it makes sense for someone who was made in a lab, to have a "child" be born the same way.)

But most importantly, this gave me an idea for how a hypothetical subspecies of Black Arms could work. It goes something like this:

So basically, I'm running with the "psysically weak but mentally strong" idea. They would have strong connection and effect on the hivemind. As a result, they weren't really meant to fight on the front lines. Instead they had more of a "commander" role. Essentially their role was to gather information on the battlefield, from the footsoldiers, scouts and their own observations, analyze and interpret this information, and organize and lead the forces based on this. They would also interpret and carry out orders from higher in the command chain, while having enough authority to give out orders of their own. This basically streamlined they command chain and made it easier to sift through and pass on important information.

I also imagine that some of the older members would retire from the battlefield. And instead focus on preserving the history of the Black Arms and all knowledge they have collected over the eons. Making sure it doesn't get lost, diluted or misinterpreted over time, and is readily available when needed.

So by default, they could exert higher and stronger control over the other Black Arms, allowing them to be effective leaders on the battlefield, while being resistant to such control themselves. Only their superiors were strong enough to control them. Of course, as fate would have it, gradually more and more of these members would rebel, try to take complete control of sections of the hive, all while being practiaclly uncontrolable themselves. Eventually they were deemed too dangerous to be left alive, and were hunted down and eliminated at no small cost.

Since there was a lot of knowledge that couldn't be absorbed by the rest of the hive. Over time, most of the information about them became corrupted. They went from competent data analyzers to something that once almost destroyed their whole species from inside out.

Now, I don't know much about Black Arms reproduction, or even how much info there is on it, if any. So I'm just basing this on my headcanon. But basically, I imagine new members are born depending on which roles the hive needs to fill. And their genomes can be adjusted to fill that role better. Plus they are provided all the information they will need by the hive. So for example, all warriors are already born knowing how to fight. But since this subspecies was intended to be elimitaned completely, none of the genes necessary survived in the population. That is, with the exception of Black Doom, who passed them onto Shadow, and then eventually Silver. (Where they became dominant due to genes being passed on more randomly)

So I think Silver would have naturally equally strong connection to the hivemind, but none of the knowledge on how to use it. So anything he does with it is purely instinctual, more based on his emotions and immediate needs. He would need to train and learn it to properly utilize it just like any other skill. ((Ironically, I imagine this could initially make him more susceptible to getting controlled himself, unless he learns how to resist it.))

Also I imagine this whole thing would affect his social skills a bit, partially because he grew up in an apocalyptic future. Sometimes he would have problems expressing himself properly, because part of him would subconciously assume his intent would be carried without words or gestures. And since he wouldn't get to meet that many people growing up, he never realized it's not normal. For him it's like constantly having a word on the tip of your tongue you can't even begin to explain.

Naturally, his relationship with Shadow would be affected by all this too. Subconciously they would be aware of each other in a way they just aren't with anyone else. In a fight they would be able to predict each others moves a synchonize their attacks just a bit too easily. Shadow would always somehow be the first one to know when Silver returns to the past. And whenever Silver gets too excited or angry his ears would fill with tinnitus. He's also the only one to be able to parse the extra meaning in Silver's words. It would kinda creep Shadow out, to the point he'd start avoiding the kid. Even if he knows Silver did nothing wrong.

At first he'd just assume it had to be some weird mix of Silver's psychokinesis, chaos powers and Shadow's own odd biology. But after (very reluctantly) mentioning it to Sonic, to which the blue hedgehog has no idea what he's talking about. He does start getting a bit more concerned.

It's not until one fateful day, during another world ending catastrophe that needs to be dealt with, one so bad even their resident time traveler had to show up, it happens. One moment he's lost in the heat of the battle, and the next his mind is pierced with an achingly familiar cry for help. In a split second he's painfully aware that Silver is in danger. That he's injured and can't defend himself. He's aware of all of this, even though he can't see Silver from where he's standing, and that no one else has reacted to the call. But more than any of this, the one most damning thing is the sickening compulsion that urges him to help. His feet move before he even registers what's happening.

It's in that exact moment he knows. Maybe not how or why. But be knows.

Silver is one of the Black Arms.

But more importantly: he's a kid that needs his help.

People talking about what if Shadow was Silver’s dad y’know but NOT ONCE have I seen anyone say that if that’s true, then Silver has black arms blood

[rakumel]

So guess what my dumb ass apparently did?

I had a folder on my computer dedicated to holding screenshots, art, and writing about one of my XV2 characters, Yokan. This guy, after yet another makeover:

And somehow - I have no idea how, I don't even have any memory of doing it - I deleted the whole damn thing. Couldn't find it in File Explorer, it wasn't stuck in the recycling bin. Maybe my cat somehow deleted it on one of her many traipses across the keyboard, or maybe I did it while sleepy, thinking it was something else.

It's not a huge loss - there was only one old drawing of Yokan in there, and I had backups of the latest in-game screenshots I took of him - but there was one text document I wrote that had a small piece of his story, and it was actually good writing for once, but now it's vanished into the ether. I can rewrite the gist of it, but it likely won't be the same, as I doubt I can remember all the lines I came up with, and I definitely won't remember the notes I had that helped me build up to that final version :( It was the only thing I'm a little sad about losing.

However - the loss has for some reason encouraged me to get over myself a bit and share more of my actual work on my characters, rather than just the game screenshots. Although, to be honest, right now I don't have anything more than pencil sketches of any of my XV2 characters... but whatever. If they're bad and unpolished, GOOD. If nothing else, the AI crawlers can choke on them. >:)

And so, here we go. The first real sharing - mostly about drawing Yokan, but a little bit about him too. Let the sketches and the babbling commence! (under the cut)

The biggest challenge I had in actually drawing Yokan was getting used to drawing the whole structure of the head and making it look less...clunky, I guess? Or weird, maybe? I am kind of surprised at how much improvement there was in only about 4 months.

Even so, some of the anatomy continues to baffle me. The proportions of the head are wild even by big-eyed anime standards, and it's difficult for me to accept. And... eyebrows are part of a helmet? What? That's just...ugh, I don't want to say stupid, I'll just say I don't like it. I know they're aliens and don't need to conform to Earth biology, nor do they need to emote the same way Earth creatures do, but I don't care. Still! Frustrating! To draw!

It doesn't help that when I see that helmet design, I automatically think of the MST3K version of the movie Prince of Space and I can't take it seriously at all. ("I shouldn't have let Mom make my costume." "He looks like a welder who has fainting spells.")

Second biggest challenge was trying to make Yokan look distinctly different from...well, obviously Cooler and Frieza ("that Other Guy too"), but also Cell ("That Guy"). (Yokan is who I was trying to draw when I accidentally drew Cell that one time.) (I don't call any DBZ characters by name in my sketchbook notes because I'm not rational deeply self-conscious of anyone finding it and discovering what a massive loser fangirl I am. The only reason I'm sharing this secret with you internet strangers is because you don't know who I am, aside from maybe one person who doesn't come here anymore.) (As far as I know)

Anyway, I paid what was probably way too much attention to tiny details like eye and nose shape to try to give him a more unique look. Also tried LOTS of variations on horns and armor, both in game and on paper. (Some of you may notice he's got different armor in sketches from the one in his screenshot. That's me experimenting.) After months of floundering, I'm finally starting to like Yokan's design now...though in a few more months that could change. Again. Damn it.

It's important to me that Yokan looks noticeably different - he's the last member of an icejin clan that was thought to have been completely eliminated by Cold's forces some time ago. Why join the Time Patrol and risk running into them, then? Probably because on some level, Yokan knows he can't hide forever. That at some point, he'll have to face his fears and assert his right just to simply be alive. Might as well do it from a place where he can get stronger and even do trial runs of his possible final showdown.

Ignore the sea dragons in the corner - okay, I can't make you do that, but they don't actually have anything to do with Yokan. I just didn't feel like editing them out.

The upper left corner, though, is Yokan's uncle Tsubuan. Sort of a rough, no-nonsense, soldier type. Not pictured: Yokan's father Koshian. (His screencaps also perished in the mystery deletion.) Both of them died well before Yokan ever joined the Time Patrol.

What IS pictured: Yokan playing the violin. He took an interest in Earth's classical music after hearing it played on a sound system in someone's dorm room. He taught himself to play from videos and practice, then later was put in touch with a music teacher.

Her name is Haupia, an ordinary human who's not a fighter. Her world got invaded and eventually destroyed, but she was rescued in the nick of time by a Breakers crew. That's supposed to be her walking with Yokan in the lower left, but she's too skinny and the hair's wrong. Some slightly more accurate Haupia design:

Also Aloe (another XV2 OC, my main one) on the bottom of the page, and some Human Yokan for... reasons. Nothing to do with the main story he and the others are in.

Anyhow, that's a few sketches and a few peeks at Yokan's story. I'll have to rewrite that lost part of it, and maybe more, sometime in the near future.