#Amiya or Kal help him

[sercphs-a]

⠀⠀⠀⠀Why is his... Wife? Wives? Tax-deductibles?

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Why are they arguing about that..?

⠀⠀⠀⠀This woman(s?) makes no sense.

[stelladess]

EDIT: I only now found there are more complete translations of the new lorebook, that may alter things here quite a bit depending on if it touches on relevant stuff. Ill probably write a more easy to follow and updated version of this post when I got less schoolwork anyway so yeah. Arknights Theory: The nature of the Lord of Fiends powers and the purpose of the black crown. IDK how to spoiler and non of what I find onlines helps with that so just know... spoilers ahead. I also wanna say that I havnt double checked a lot of this stuff, I did for some of it but id like to re-read a bunch of this when some of the CN only stuff has come to global anyway. So take with a grain of salt is all im saying that I remember right since I dont remember exactly where to find all of this info, altough I will mentioned where I thought I got it from for various evidence. So tl;dr here is that I think Amiya´s powers is actually about manipulating originium, the memory, emotion and energy blasts (also making a sword) is all extensions of that and NOT fully distinct powers like some believe, also the Lord of Fiends has to have oripathy. Also the black crown was made by Priestess to eventually facilitate her resurrection and the reason doctor convinced Theresa to transfer her powers to Amiya was part of that plan. Now, why do I think all this? Starting on Amiya´s powers. While dialogue indicates some skilled casters *can* learn multiple types of arts, Amiya is not a skilled caster. She is very powerful but not particularily skilled at it. Her powers are ALL derived from the originium arts her oripathy and Lord of Fiends nature grants her. She also had all these powers pretty much from moment 1 it seems so it seems unlikely she learned it trough practice to do many different things. So its likely one ability that is just very broad in its usage, similarily to how Rosmontis´s powers work (if I remember right Kal´tsit even says their powers are very similar in nature). Amiya can do energy blasts, view memories and sense emotions... according to Kal´tsit in chapter 7 the way sarkaz prophecies work is basically that thoughts are stored in originium allowing other sarkaz to tap into the memories in that originium to calculate a likely outcome with multiple people´s brains. So originium can store thoughts/minds. And by extension memory would be a part of that. There is also clearly stuff relating to the dead but ive heard several CN server events have gone into that more so I dont wanna speak about anything regarding dead souls until that comes to global because I do not wanna go reading very complicated lore stuff in a language I dont understand really, so ill adjust or drop this theory as nescesary based on future information of course. So, then the emotions and memory stuff is covered, making the sword is also simple, its just made of originium. So the energy blasts? Well the main way originium is used is as a power source and its required to cast arts for those without oripathy (who have originium inside them to channel arts anyway). Another piece of evidence here is that Manfred could disrupt Amiya´s arts with his own, which seem to revolve around detonating or manipulating the energy in originium, allowing him to harm Amiya when she tried to gather up energy from nearby originium. When she pushes herself extra hard she probably draws extra power from the originium in her own body, which is why it has such a negative effect on her physically even compared to other casters. This, and a bit from the new lorebook revealing the first Lord of Fiends was the first person with Oripathy, is why I think the Lord of Fiends HAS to have Oripathy.

So, with that established, why do I think the Black Crown is meant to resurrect Priestess? First of all, the Black Crown or Civilight Etherna, is tech from the advanced precursor civilization (it was not found by them but invented by them, its directly referenced as a different project to the AMa projects, which is part of what Kal´tsit is refered to by certain beings in the know about the previous civilization, the crown also resembles Mon3tr in appearance). Its stated in Amiya´s module that its purpose is to store information, memories and emotion. And we know for a fact that they were capable of brain uploading, as seen with Friston in Lonetrail. Its original purpose was as a historical record, but that doesnt mean it cant have been altered later. Priestess is stated by Friston to have created Originium, something we will likely learn more about in the Victoria arc on account of certain reveals in chapter 13. Since Originium is so closely linked to the crown, by virtue of the first infected being the first Lord of Fiends, originium was clearly created in relation to something to do with the Crown. And well.. when Priestess put the doctor into the sarcophagus she said they would be reunited and their love would outlast the stars. Despite her seeming convinced she would die.... Kal´tsit seems to have been either created or turned into what she is now by Priestess too, or well by their people at least. But for dramatic convenience I think Priestess makes the most sense. I think the crown getting linked to the sarkaz collective unconcious/dead souls (this is the part im most uncertain about because there is so little info on this on global especially) was NEVER part of the plan. Since it seems likely the previous civilization created the ancients (animal people) to drive the sarkaz away (and also be slave labour, this isnt like 100% confirmed but there is some hints for this) I suspect they saw the sarkaz as lower beings and had never considered the crown would link up with them. So I think the original purpose was that some sort of great calamity fell upon their people, Priestess tried to store her mind in the Black Crown in some process that led to the creation of Originium and because the first person to down the crown was a sarkaz made her unable to do what she originally intended, possessing a later wearer of the crown and reunite with the doctor. This part is of course pure speculation as well with very little evidence, but it does line up somewhat. And I think some of the concept trailers supports the idea the crown can let someone store their mind to take over a later host (altough not with Priestess specifically).

So, fast forward to Amiya... she was born in Rim Billiton a normal cautus girl, her family were miners and lived on a normal landship in Rim Billiton... but one day disaster struck and the ship got destroyed in a horrible disaster. This is all gone into more in To the Grinning Valley but was already implied beforehand. To the Grinning Valley is also interesting for several reasons to this theory, they explicitly call attention to how strange it is that the doctor would bring Amiya with them after finding her in the wreckage. Saving her is in line with their behavior, but why bring her along? Its common in Rim Billiton for miners to adopt other children. Why not leave here somewhere? Why bring her with them to Babel? And this isnt just Amiya wondering or an outside observer, we find out from Savage that Kal´tsit doesnt know why the doctor did what they did. And whats more, Kal´tsit believes the doctor convinced Theresa to transfer her powers to Amiya, and since no previous Lord of Fiends had done so directly, the crown picked a successor, I think the doctor also taught Theresa how she could directly move it, circumventing the dead souls of the sarkaz will being imposed on the crown´s choices. So, why Amiya? Kal´tsit either doesnt have any idea why or just didnt want to tell Savage, but it is clear that she NEVER agreed with the decision. We have some ideas why Theresa did it, Amiya not being a sarkaz would mean she would be less strongly influenced by the dead souls and the lords of kazdel would refuse to follow her. Or at least chapter 12 and 13 heavily implies this was her motive. But why did the doctor want that? In To the Grinning Valley the question of if the doctor always intended to use Amiya for that from the start and grew to care about her over time, or if they took her in with no ill intentions and then got the idea later out of desperation, is raised but left unanswered because the doctor cant remember, and no one else knows why.

I believe the doctor also wished to undermine the crown´s link to the sarkaz, and that the plan was to use Amiya as a vessel for resurrecting Priestess. And it is an interesting topic, its often brought up how much even pre amnesia doctor cared about Amiya... but in To the Grinning Valley we focus a bit on the insecurity and uncertainty Amiya and Savage have about *why*. Savage telling an anecdote about a friend who went bad after fame got to their head and admitting she doesnt know which is worse, if the doctor did love Amiya and their circumstances made them so willing to trample over what they loved that they would force the black crown on her, or if the doctor had always been intending to just use Amiya for that purpose. And Amiya admitting she never knew why doc would care for her so much. And here is an interesting thing... in anything post victoria arc, we have NEVER seen Amiya and the doctor interact so far. Amiya is in Arturia´s oprec but otherwise she hasnt been on screen post victoria arc. To the Grinning Valley is set before it. The doctor has been doing all manner of things all over Terra in that time period, but Amiya isnt there with them, she is still with Rhodes Island is clear though. So... does Amiya and the doctor still have a good relationship post Victoria arc? Doc clearly cares for Amiya still, when Rosmontis talks about missing Amiya in Lonetrail (she had been away for some weeks or months, unclear) doc agrees that they miss her too, but they dont really go into any detail and are talking about both Amiya and Logos. Depending on what we learn in the later chapters of the Victoria arc, I could see Amiya feeling rather betrayed by the doctor. Not to the point of completely cutting them out but that it might still make her a bit more distant to them. I think it would be interesting to see how Amiya would take it if she learned that the doctor had originally intended to use her for very selfish end goals. Surely the thought has crossed her mind and she just isnt willing to entertain it, but if she learns something in the climax of the Victoria arc that shakes her absolute confidence in the doctor? That could be a pretty big deal. We already know Amiya has a habit of rather then accepting people wronged her first try to look for excuses. What Theresa did to her Amiya refuses to admit is wrong even when directly pointed out to her how messed up it was (chapter 8 Rosmontis compares what Theresa did to Amiya with what Loken did to her). She isntead focuses on how she must be failing to live up to Theresa´s expectations, an idea NO ONE tried to put into her head as far as we can tell. Altough it is a little unclear because she gets VERY defensive about it when the Damazti Cluster suggests she was forced into her role at Rhodes and given too heavy responsibilities to carry. Will she do this this time as well? Look for excuses why what doctor did was "justified"? But in chapter 13 she also finds meaning in rejecting the legacy of the black crown and that she will use its powers purely for her own ideals and not worry about what its purpose is. With that in mind how would that color her perception of finding out an even older purpose for it that implicates the pre amnesia doctor?

[zero06iranosaurusrex]

so... back then i was havin some urge to draw bugs lola and daffy as arknights's operator(bugs would be guard,lola sniper n daffy specialist) that later on was getting grown into a 'what if' they become an operator,like...at first i just kinda curious about how they would be there then in few days it grown into how they comin to terra until they become operators,n then i draw the e2 ver of bugs first since i already draw his base splash before maybe next would be daffy n lola as well the plot was kinda like this (this one was pasted from a recent chat that i did with a fellow looney tunes enjoyers and also arknights player

grandpa ranger found three of em around an abandoned originium mine at ursus territory,n he reported to us (the doctor) that he also found a certain rabbit hole nearby

he brings em to us along with his reports,there lola told us that they didnt know anything beside few white masked combatants(yeah reunions,kevin included) was try to attack them as soon as three of em was get out from a rabbithole that bugs made (classic, he forgot the turn to alburquerque as usual),sadly one of the caster injured them,both daffy and lola got minor burns while bugs got more heavy damage on his leg,so they take him n running together into nearby cave (the abandoned mine) until those reunions was get away,then they re founded by ranger which doing some daily area scouting

then knowin three of em was have some burns the doctor told amiya to bring em to the medic ward,there gavial help em while doin some chit chat,and since daffy had too much to talk while being cured,she bonk him with her staff

-then after they re out from the room,lola noticed that there's a lot of animals and humans with animals traits around there,amiya start explaining(y know the stuffs,race etc)

-while that daffy was accidentaly bumped into may and had some nonsense arguments

then cut to evening they go back to the doctor,found em standing with kal tsit,and they got some infos that those three needed to know, the possible way how they ended up there and how to send em back to their home

but since it would need a prototype device (welp thanks to originium dust event,now we got an info that makin portal between two world was kinda possible(?)) with huge amount of originium energies they have to wait at least until the next day after tomorrow

at the mean time there s some daily things happened,like lola teach some small kids how to do a threepoint shoot,daffy still arguing nonsense stuffs with may and bugs doin his usual slapstick with daffy in front of some younger operators and kids there (Also if i remember there also a scene where daffy giving elysium advice how to win against thorn in chess but all the ways he give was useless at the end)

and before those um...montages... at the first night when amiya shows them where they can rest for few days and give em blankets, her wrist that has originium crystals was accidentaly shown to bugs which was the only person that was nearby her at the moment (daffy was already on the bed and lola was takin bath)

and she tells about oripathy and stuffs

then after those daily life segments end,at night bugs was inside the bathroom,alone and wash his face before goin to sleep, while he drains his gloved hand

there's a black transparant rock crystal there,but not that big

well Seeing that bugs wipes away his thoughts about what amiya says before about oripaty n stuffs and go to sleep at the next morning the rock was kinda multiplied,but not that much seeig this he go back to the bathroom and try to get rid of it but nothing worked then he go out from the room,seeking well...amiya,since she is the first person that kindly open to him around the place

when he found amiya he tells her like "hey doc....did ya still remember those rocks that ya said few nights before?" then amiya answered "rocks? ah did you mean originiums,mr bugs?"

and he answered like "yeah dat one...well...i guess one of the rock was stickin to my arm doc..." while he showin amiya his own wrist which has those rock that now has multiplied again but in smaller size then amiya gasped and take bugs to kal tsit

she examine him and found out it is indeed oripathy bugs gulped in frightened face and ask how it can be cured quickly but yeah we both know there's still no cure

then he told kal tsit to didnt tell lola and daffy about this later on until finally they can go back home

well they stay still didnt know anything t\about bugs gets oripathy until a night before the day that the device is ready to bring em back home,amiya was walkin by and accidentaly meets bugs outside the room they then had a talk n at the end amiya explains that indeed oripathy still dont have any cure yet but there s some meds that can endure the symptoms and such and she says that s what rhodes is about and everyone that sick there was having hope to be cured so they worked there as operators n helps each others n other peoples not only for getting the better meds but also better lfes and better places

then at the next day,when they finally can go back home at the same time amiya and few operators are assigned to an urgent mission at the same time so she cannot attend the procedure for opening the portal to send three of our toons back home she only can wave short goodbye at the moment that what was the doctor told to lola and daffy

which was also questioning where's bugs since they didnt see him around even on few minuts before they departured then when amiya comin in rush for a short goodbye,daffy and lola ask her that if maybe she did meets bugs,and she says that she meets him and he just being prepared daffy n lola then both kinda confused for what are he prepared then a footstep comin inside,there's bugs comin but he using rhodes's uniform as seen above and have a normal length of blade inside it s holster attached on a belt (which is it was a spare sword that amiya ask from yato to borrow for him) then they ask him like what did he doin and why those equipments he then answer about his reason that maybe they need some much more vacation times so he decide to stay there longer.both lola and daffy confused why he said that,since it kinda unusual but he says that if the portal device was stable then it means they can go home whenever they please,so nothing to worry about and they can be more relaxed there,on terra without thinkin too much about the teleports and having some 'fun' vacations through terra,he also said that amiya told him before that the rhodes landship would go to siesta,a beautiful country that has nice weather and beach,included with it s music festival to enjoy. heard nice beach and blue sea,daffy instantly agreed in happyness makes lola finally also agreed both decisions. thus their journey began on the land of terra

[johannstutt413]

(requested by mathmaticalknight) DND night at RI

“Doctor, are you-” Amiya entered the Doctor’s office late in the afternoon, about an hour before his shift ended, and found him putting on his coat. “-busy? Are you leaving already?”

“Yeah, I’ve got an appointment to catch. Didja need something before I leave?” He stopped, giving her his full attention for the moment.

The Cautus shook her head. “No, not if you’re busy.”

“Bunny, ya know I’m never too busy for you.” Neither was his fiance, after all. “What’s going on?”

“Some of the other Operators invited me to something they’re calling ‘Leviathans and Landships,’ and they said you would help me with a character?”

The Doctor froze. “They invited you to...Was it Blaze?”

“It was,” she smiled innocently. “She also said you might complain about having too many players already.”

“Damn. Well, if she wants ya to play with us, I’m not gonna say no to both of ya. Besides, I’m leaving early to prep anyway.” Oh, but how to introduce her-

Amiya cocked her head. “You’re leaving work early to play games?”

“No, to prepare to play games. Very important distinction.” He grinned. “I’m the GM, after all.”

“...The Game Master?” The Cautus knew full well he wasn’t the General Manager of anything - not since selling his Kazimierz Knights Club, at least.

He nodded. “Location, snacks, the events of the game itself - all my responsibility. Granted, this week it’s Kal’tsit’s turn to buy snacks, so those aren’t my direct responsibility-”

“Dr. Kal’tsit is playing, Blaze is playing, you’re running it...and I wasn’t invited sooner?” She stared at him hard enough to paralyze him. “Did I do something wrong?”

“Oh, bunny, it’s nothing like that, I just wasn’t sure how any of this was going to shake out, and then by the time I got comfortable, well...Sorry.”

The Guard/Caster sighed. “It’s alright. I’m playing now.”

“Right. Speaking of which, we do need to make you a character.” The Doctor continued walking. “I have all my books and stuff ready to go in the VIP meeting room, just need to get the ones with player options out for you to look at. How much alternative history do you read?”

“Alternative history, Doctor?” Amiya fell into step with him, as she so often did.

He waved a hand in the air. “You know, those books with goblins and magical swords and stuff? How much did Blaze tell you?”

“Um, not a lot. She said you’d fill me in.” He groaned, and she frowned. “Should I have asked her to tell me more?”

“No, but there’s a lot of information to give you and not as much time as I’d like to take to do it. Three hours for a character is already tight, but catching you up on the story, too? Damnit, Blaze, I’m not a miracle-worker even if I can do Arts...” Still, they’d already crossed this bridge. No turning her away at this point.

When the pair arrived at the VIP room, they weren’t the only ones there early. “Good afternoon, Doctor.”

“Good afternoon, Kal’tsit.” He gestured to Amiya. “Blaze invited her to play, so we need to make her a character. Would you mind helping out?”

“I’m leaving now to pick up the food for the game tonight, but I’m coming back after that.”

He sighed with relief. “You’re a lifesaver.”

“That is what a Medic does, isn’t it?” The Feline patted Amiya’s shoulder as she left. “I’ll take care of your vital statistics; after seeing some of his math for Surtr’s character, it will be better that way.”

“I legitimately misread the book,” he grumbled as he began flipping open book after book to its table of contents page, looking for a specific heading that’d tell him there were player character options in it somewhere.

By the time Dr. Kal’tsit returned, the Doctor had his computer open and was scrolling through some of Deepcolor’s character portraits to find one for the Cautus’ character, and she was leaning against his shoulder for a ‘better view’. “Comfortable, Amiya?”

“Mhmm- I mean, um, I need to see the pictures.” As luck would have it, at that exact moment, one caught her eye. “I like that one.”

“Do you, now? Kal’tsit, any issue with Amiya playing a Specialist? Pretty sure we have the basic roles covered, after all.” He pulled out a character sheet as the Feline walked around to see the portrait in question.

Specialist? “I see Enmity Guard here, Doctor.”

“Not Stalker? All the shadows scattered around him?” He caught himself there. “I mean, they don’t have to be a guy-”

“It’s fine, Doctor. I want to play a male character.”

Cool, moment passed safely. “But yeah, I’m pretty sure Stalker or Steadfast Specialist will work. We already have a Summoner, a Focused Medic, a Cleaver Guard, a Flagbearer, and a Chain Caster, after all, and Blaze’ll probably appreciate the frontline help. No offense to your Summons, of course.”

“None taken.” Monst3r was in their crystal at the moment, after all. “Same level as we are now?”

“Yeah, we’re bringing her in tonight. Now, the fun part: explaining how this person is joining the party while they’re completely unreachable from outside the Aura Sphere...” This was going to take awhile.

Twenty minutes before game start time, Manticore slipped into the room, her dice bag being the only indication someone had arrived. The Doctor found her almost immediately regardless. “Good evening, Manticore. Amiya’s going to be joining us tonight.”

“Oh?...How nice. What kind of...character...are you playing?” The Specialist took her seat on the right side of the Doctor (so he could hear her easily) as the Cautus moved her things to sit on the other side of the new arrival. “Did the Doctor...find a new tank?”

“New tank? And make Blaze mad at me? Sounds like a death flag to me,” he commented, otherwise absorbed in rewriting his plans for the night’s session.

Kal’tsit shook her head. “We built her a Stalker to match the portrait she liked.”

“A S-stalker?” The Manticore blushed. “You mean...like me?”

“When I saw the picture, I thought of you,” Amiya noted with a smile.

Manticore’s tail curled around her chair legs for safety. “You...you remembered me...”

“Hey.” Deepcolor strolled in, setting her dice down while leaving a seat between her and the Cautus. “Joining the party, Amiya?”

“Blaze invited her. Speaking of, Doctor, she and Surtr are still on a mission, if I remember the deploym-”

A *bang* from the hallway stopped the Medic in her tracks as another Feline and Sarkaz landed outside the door. “You can take that out of my paycheck,” Blaze sighed, picking the pair of them off the ground.

“We apologize for our la- Blaze.” Surtr squeezed her backpack strap. “We’re not late.”

“Well, yeah, because I blasted us here.”

She spun in place to stare her down. “You forgot the time change across the Kjerag border.”

“Wait, is it- oh, shit, I did.” By then, however, the Feline could see into the room, and so she knocked the Sarkaz inside to reach the empty chair next to Amiya. “BUNNY!!!”

“Ah!” The Cautus was lifted out of her seat and squeezed like a stuffed animal.

The Doctor sighed. “This is going to be a thing now, isn’t it?”

“I believe so,” Kal’tsit agreed, closing the door behind them as Surtr took her seat, and then taking her place next to the GM. “Now that everyone is here, we can begin...Once Blaze has set our Specialist on the ground again.”

“Aww, can’t I just keep her in my lap?” She gave her fiance the eyes-

Nope. “Ya both have sheets to keep track of...besides, ya don’t squeeze me like that when I come home from the office...”

“‘Cause you’ve got bird-bones!” Blaze finally sat down, allowing Amiya to do the same. “Just ‘cause you’re jealous...”

“Where’d we leave off last time, anyway? We just got done killing that Leviathan, right?” The Sarkaz steered the group back in the direction she was interested in going - continuing the plot.

The Doctor shook his head. “No, that was the session before. LAST session, well, things got interesting. Let me set the scene...”

[ripharm-archived]

i was talking to flan about this a while back, but i don’t think i ever put it here. there’s heck of a lot of thoughts i got that aren’t here yet. but here’s a few.

Man, i really like the idea where the doc's more reactive and visibly emotional, but he actually feels less or has a hard time feeling more complex emotions in contrast to kal where she feels so much but isnt able to express it so the doc seems warm and kal seems cold, but only a few like amiya realize this.

despite having lesser natural emotional range, the experience he's gotten from all the events since waking up (from the stress revolving chernobog and kal's insistence encouragement to be involved with the operators) have pushed it to develop in a way that contrasts his past self. it's evidenced by the way blaze constantly jabs at him then his relationship with frostnova. he’s formed ties with the other operatives, and, because of this it’s made him a better person.

the lack of memories make him more impressionable to his surroundings forcing him to pick it up and learn what it means. his morals and judgement are based on those around him. which is why he has a hard time understanding the prejudice with the infected/sarkaz as opposed to the idea of being oppressed. less low-key sociopath and more like a child. his emotions are more selfish and simplistic in nature. self-preservation and pleasure gained from a sated curiosity. which is why he has these “zero sanity” moments. like, he favors snacks and treats because they got a sharp taste. it’s why he wants to try eating things like originium slugs. even though i joke about it, kal would recharge his sanity not with crack but by making him sober up.

the doctor’s helpful more so because he's doing what he'd imagine he'd want someone to do for him in their spot... and everything else. he's really quirky considering he can easily switch from being soft to being entirely apathetic when it concerns something else he has no attachment (positive or negative) to. which ... kinda only further supports kal's fears about him. and why he needs to build bonds with ops.

[shankarjaikishanfansassnintl]

SEBASTIAN D’SOUZA – THE MUSIC ARRANGER A MUSICAL LEGEND

by Dr Padmanabh K. Joshi

If you listen to a film song composed by maestros Shanker-Jaikishan, O. P. Nayyar or Salil Chowdhury, you also hear a tune being played along with the song in the background. This parallel tune is created with violin, cello, piano, Spanish guitar or an organ. This “parallel tune for a song” technique, known as a Counter-Melody, was introduced in SJ music a musician – a violinist from Goa – Mr. Sebastian D’Souza. Sebastian D’Souza was a pioneer in creating counter-melody in film songs. This technique became popular and from 1950 onwards Sebastian became a well-known and most wanted Music Arranger of many music directors of Hindi Film industry.

Sebastian was born on 29 January 1906 in Reis-Megos, Goa. He learnt to play the violin and piano in a local church school. While learning these instruments, he also learnt to write music notation. It was during this time that he listened to the famous symphonies of well-known composers of the western world, namely, Beethoven, Mozart, Schubert, Tchaikovsky, Haydon and Richard Wagner. Deeply interested in violin and piano, Sebastian continued his learning and went place to place like Allahabad, Mussorie and Delhi. At Delhi, in Hotel Astoria, he started his own band and people appreciated it. In 1942, he went to Lahore, and in Hotel Stiffels, he started his own band. This continued until 1947. After partition, he went to Bombay and started his career as a violinist in the film industry. He played for well-known music directors like Anil Biswas, Naushad, Vinod, Ghulam Haider, Husnalal-Bhagatram, S. D. Burman, Sajjad Hussain and Shanker-Jaikishan.

He started his career as a Music Arranger in 1948-49 with O. P. Nayyar when Nayyar recorded his first song “Preetam aan milo.....” sung by C. H. Atma and written by Mrs. Saroj Mohini Nayyar (O. P. Nayyar’s wife) . After three years, Nayyar signed his first film, Dalsukh Pancholi’s “Aasman”, as an independent music director. At that time, he called Sebastian to work as his Arranger. Sebastian, thus, started his career as an arranger with O. P. Nayyar in 1952 which he continued till 1973. The last film for which he worked with O. P. Nayyar was ‘Pran Jaye Par Vachan Na Jaye’. Incidentally this was also the last film of singer Asha Bhosale with Nayyar. In 1952, Sebastian’s friend Sunny Castellino, who worked as an arranger for Shanker-Jaikishan, introduced Sebastian to the duo. So Sebastian started as Shanker-Jaikishan’s arranger from 1952 with Amiya Chakravarty’s Daag, and continued until 1975. Film Sanyasi was Sebastian’s last film with them. In film Daag as an arranger, Sebastian’s most successful innovative work was the creation of a memorable counter-melody for a song sung by both Talat Mehmood and Lata Mangeshker –‘Ai mere dil kahin aur chal.....’ According to Sebastian, in this song he used the accordion for creating counter-melody along with violin and mandolin. And the result was excellent. Sebastian used accordion for interlude music in a number of songs but its use as the main instrument for counter-melody was rare.

Using cellos and piano to support his counter-melodies of violin obbligato, he arranged a number of memorable songs. A few examples: Kya huva O muze kya huva (Jis Deshmen Ganga Bahti hai), Raat ke hum safar (An Evening in Paris), Aaja re aa jara aa (Love in Tokyo), Soja re soja & Bol re Kath Putli (Kathputli), Aaj kal men dhal gai (Beti Bete), Aaja aai bahar & Janevale Jara (Raj Kumar). These are a few examples of the songs in which one can experience the beauty of counter-melodies that Sebastian created with a unique combination of violins and cellos. Another of his specialties was using chorus with violin, cello & piano combinations. A few examples: Bol re Kath Putli (Kathputli), Aa ab Laut Chale (Jis Deshmen Ganga Bahti Hai), Dil ke Jharukhemen (Brahmachari) and the musical fountain sequence in film Around the World etc.

While working with Shanker-Jaikishan, the first challenge that he faced was that both Shanker and Jaikishan preferred Indian Classical Raag based tunes. And to create counter-melodies, interlude music as well as background music, he had to learn the basics of Indian classical music during his busiest recording schedules. Sebastian found this very interesting and it helped him very much during his career as an arranger. If you listen to songs of SJ like Koi Matvala aaya...(Love in Tokyo), all the songs of film Basant Bahar, all the songs from film Amrapali and many classical raag based songs in which he created counter-melodies and interlude music, his mastery over both classical music as well as western music is well experienced. Combination of sitar & violin, cellos almost became an expertise of Sebastian’s counter-melody and interlude music. The last film that Sebastian worked on for Shanker-Jaikishan was Sanyasi, it was a challenge to Sebastian as all the songs as well as the background music of the film was based on Raag Bhairavi. And he succeeded remarkably. It was a record that an Arranger like Sebastian worked continuously for Shanker-Jaikishan for 23 years without break. Sebastian enjoyed very much working with SJ as he recalled it was a great teamwork – Shanker, Jaikishan, Shailendra, Hasrat, Sebastian & Dattaram. He remembered that as Shanker was a great song composer, Jaikishan was a rare background music composer. Sebastian, along with Jaikishan, Dattaram and Raj Kapoor completed the background music of Mera Naam Joker in 5 days......

Shanker-Jaikishan being lovers of Indian Classical Music, composed a LP record titled Raga Jazz Style in which they presented 11 Raga in Jazz style. Sebastian arranged the music and wrote the notations.

Sebastian also worked for great music directors like Salil Chowdhury, Vasant Desai, S. D. Burman, Madan Mohan, Roshan, Dattaram and N. Datta.

Sebastian expressed his gratitude to well-known music maestros like Robert Correa, Mike Machado - the Pianists, Albuquerque, Verga, Simplicio D’Souza, John Gonsalves - the Cellists, V. Balsara, Goody Seervai – the Accordionists, Duorado, Narvekar, Karnard – the solo Violinists and David – the Mandolin player.

He also recalled few music arrangers of his time like Johny Gomes, Castellino, Chic Chocolate, Ram Singh, Rizbert and Franky. I asked Sebastian, how individual music directors could maintain their originality as well as identity even when he worked for them as their Arranger? He answered that he never interfered with their original tune.

Sebastian’s remarkable contribution was his ability to combine Western orchestra with the Indian. His are the songs which we remember even today due to the richness of his musical arrangements and the variations in his melodies.

Sebastian was a complete musician. His music lovers will remember his music for years to come. ---------------------------

[stelladess]

Who among the main cast of Arknights is the best cook?

I would define the "main cast" for the main story as a whole as being Amiya, Ch´en, Kal´tsit, W and the doctor, if we go into main characters for individual storylines things would get a lot more complicated (I think one could make the argument Ch´en is only for the Reunion arc but she appears more after then too then most operators do so I count her for the whole game too)

The doctor´s diet seems to consist mostly of protein bars, cup noodles and snacks. This would indicate they are not a good cook... however we actually get no information suggesting they are bad at it, they just do not do it much. They taught Amiya which shrooms are edible which she made a mushroom stew out of in Vigilo, which apparently tasted good. So I think we can from that infer that pre amnesia doctor was probably at least average of a cook, post amnesia jury is out on though. Probably bad at it due to not knowing how, and not having had time to relearn it yet though.

Ch´en´s diet consists of energy drinks and protein bars, or going for takeout. Ch´en is 28 years old and has lived on her own for about a decade or so, she can probably cook some stuff but it seems like she is still eating the college student diet despite being a working adult for years, we can infer that she is average to bad at it but probably knows HOW to cook at least.

Kal´tsit.... does not do regular cooking. She only does the kind you do in a lab, HOWEVER! Her weird green nutrient cubes that she gave the doctor at one point supposedly tasted surprisingly good. This suggests that while her cooking is extremely unconventional she is actually very good at it. And being tens of thousands of years old, having had all that time to perfect her craft, Kal´tsit is likely really good at it, even if she does not flex it often. She merely finds her lab made nutrient cubes to be a more efficient way of getting nutrients and still tasty.

W is also apparently pretty good at cooking. Hoederer, whose cooking consists of unseasoned boiled chicken, claims that W is really good. Which admittedly might just be in comparison to him and Ines, which seems to be a very low bar. But! In the 123-rhodes comics Paprika is also impressed with her cooking. We have nothing suggesting she is bad at it and a bunch of circumstantial evidence for her being good at it. She is at least average and quite possibly downright good at it.

And last but not least; Amiya. She seems to be fine at it. She keeps saying she is not good and can only do the recipes Gummy taught her... but she also did that mushroom stew, every time anyone tries her cooking or baking they say its good, she made those skewers in the cooking spinoff, with help admittedly, but they turned out good. Point is Amiya might not know how to make many dishes but she seems good at making what she knows how to make. Also like, it is Gummy´s recipes and why she is not as good as say Matterhorn who is an adult professional chef with years of experience, Gummy seems to be considered pretty darn good, and if Amiya is following her recipes, while she may be very "formulaic" in only knowing a few dishes (those+the skewers+some basic stuff like the shroom stew) the things she does know how to do is pretty tasty. Calling batter "embryo" does not make it taste any worse.

So my ranking would go something like:

Kal´tsit>W>Amiya>Ch´en>Doctor

However there are two wild cards that are spoilers from chapter 14 that might give W and Amiya stat buffs in this department too. But I doubt it would be big enough to catch up to Kal´tsit´s massive lead in her tens of thousands of years of culinary experience.

If anyone disagrees with this then let them speak now or forever remain silent!