#and evolution is heavily tied to care

[reticent-fate]

h

hh

blacked out for two days and woke up with 72 sketched pages of an otherkin hrt comic

i wasn't expecting it to be longer than 30 pages but well now there's a folder full of the pages so idk

man that shit was cathartic to write though ngl

[cujokroggo]

So listening to Sudno and Untrust us gave me inspiration to make more Abbot lore that's REALLY tied into the game lore, and connecting him to others.

@ouro-bones @jonahs-arks thought you two would enjoy reading this, I do take criticism and I'm feeling a bit of Mary Sue vibes but idk let me know lol

Let's say in many of the other survivor's memories, Nerva for example, he meets an old woman in his military journeys. This woman tells him his fortune, which entails that...

"In your darkest hour, a white devil dressed as a man will breathe fire on all you hate and care for you until your final breath."

Nerva doesn't think anything of this until he meet Abbot. But since it's just an anarchist that has an attitude he shoves this thought aside. At least...until he's trying to kill another tribe. Abbot had found alcohol and wine, and managed to pour it all over himself and the houses and fields. With his "fire breathing" (the party trick people do in festivals) he ends up setting everything on fire. Then it connects, Abbot was that white devil the whole time. Obviously Nerva never really realizes this.

A similar prophecy is told to many other survivors, all by an old lady of some form.

Mei-Yin, by her grandmother. "A close friend will betray you for a pale skinned demon, with eyes seeing into the darkness and fangs of a viper." (HINTING at Abbot's albinism, night vision, and natural fangs. Yes, Abbot has large protruding fangs. Like a viper.)

Bob, by a grandmother in a Jewish family evacuating Nazi Germany. "I see you, I see in your future a demonic man with hair and skin as pale as the moon. With eyes that shine like the lights of a star. He will hurt you, and he will hurt your friends..." (Hinting at Abbot helping Rockwell turn during aberration.)

Ofc Abbot as I mentioned in other posts was friends with Deborah, Helena's mother. Because Abbot was a family friend, Helena was given medical records and many scientific discoveries made in Abbot's autopsy.

Helena noticed MRIs indicated Abbot's brain had an advanced frontal lobe, and a dense nervous system. The autopsy also showed his skull was abnormal as well, his teeth were longer and had catlike features. Similar to the raptor fossils she found, Abbot also had an enlarged iris ring. Because of these discoveries she applied them to dinosaurs and thus made her theory of evolutional behavior.

In Santiago's time era, Abbot's fossilized remains were brought back for examination when people found traced of element in his DNA. They also found that Abbot was quite different. Abbot wasn't only heavily mutated, he had a 36% genetic difference from the human race ITSELF. Because that classified him as another species, he was renamed the Sapius Necro-Deus. "The Wise Death of God." (Deriving from latin terms like Homo Sapien, meaning Wise Human."

Because of that, they dug up the remains of Abbot's daughter. The bones showed even MORE change, with the same percentage of difference as her father. This proved even moreso that Abbot and his offspring were proof of human evolution into a different species because of the element.

How did the element even GET into Abbot? Well it is complicated. Element/Edmundium had been discovered in fossils as stated in ark's wiki. This means that it could potentially be in the bones of HUMAN ancestors. Coincidentally, some of those human ancestors were Abbot's relatives. This element composition in DNA structure carried as a dominant gene as the bloodline carried, until it reached enough to become physical. In short terms; Abbot's mom was a carrier for an ancient set of genes that ended up being awakened when she had her son.

Note that these evolutionary changes didn't give him super powers or anything, and the night vision? Ends up hurting him (especially when Helena learns how to blind him the same way she did with the raptors. Bro was like "MY EYES!!!!")

I have more later but I'm sick of typing plus I need to eat lol

[likeadevils]

that source saying "he's removed himself from her narrative and he's so glad that he did" is so funny to me because of songs like mastermind. TAYLOR is going to be the one removing HIM from the narrative lmao. it instantly reminds me of maisie's lyric "i can write you out the way i wrote you in" and that's exactly what taylor is going to do. i can't wait to see how she does that. it's like...this love was once golden to her, so is it still golden?? or is it a different color to her now (maroon???). is healthy love still golden?? is her love with travis golden or does she associate that love with a different color?? she just always knows how to use colors to describe feelings/love and i'm so excited to see the evolution of that in ttpd!!!

here’s the thing— in terms of pure numbers, joe songs aren’t gold, they’ve always been blue. like, from the very start to the very end. the imagery associated with it was also heavily tied to drowning, or being swept away, or the middle of the night. like, so much of lover takes place at night (and i think that’s somewhat intentional— the sun only starts peaking out in the last few songs, culminating in daylight, but still, it’s such a nighttime album). that’s not to say i think that love was all sadness all the time, or that taylor was lying in daylight, but i also think lover was built in conversation with red and it’s hard to avoid that “real love shines golden like starlight […] maybe i’ll write a whole album about that someday” part of the prologue.

i also don’t think she’ll be getting super into the travis relationship on this album— not necessarily in a timeline sense (i’m guessing it was mostly done in november-ish, so like, there was probably time to slide some travis songs in there if she wanted to), more just looking at the track titles.

i also just. mostly don’t care about joe. like this might change when the album comes out, but even then like. idk i don’t think about his experience i don’t care whether he is in the narrative or not and who put him where. like i want to hear what taylor writes about it and i’m interested in the muses behind the songs because they give the songs good context, but i just fundamentally don’t care about him

[ravenkinnie]

what do you think about the jinx & viktor brotp and their potential in canon? they do paralel each other in a few big ways but i also dont know how they'll work since jinx will nearly have him killed and viktor doesnt like the idea of science creating weapons.

I really like viktor acc I don't see them as a platonic dynamic in fandom a lot (apart from adoption aus which I don't care for), I descend into jinxtor tags sometimes tho. I don't know if they would necessarily converge storylines heavily but there might be some overlap through singed - it really depends on what jinxs storyline next season will be but their goals and motivations really don't align that strongly. idk how jinx would be tied into his glorious evolution or whatever but if it ties somehow into the larger piltover vs zaun storyline maybe?

[poke-rating-agency]

#293 Whismur

The Whisper Pokémon, a Normal Type from the Hoenn Region.

Fun fact: despite everything pointing at it being very quiet and timid, it's actually very LOUD and timid!

Serious Ratings!

Stats: 4/10

First, it's got a pretty low BST (much lower than Starters and lower than many first stage Pokémon like Rattata), but it also lacks heavily in defense which makes it kind of a glass canon while also being slow. The HP should make it a bit tanky, but as a first stage that doesn't quite work out in its favour.

Availability: 6/10

It's quite early (and consistently) available in both Hoenn games and Kalos games but that's it. In all the other games you get it either in really late places (e.g. in HG/SS it's in Kanto), or you have to breed or trade. It's not available in S/V.

Lore: 5/10

There is just not much. It's quite a cute story, i like how it ties into the rest of it's evolution. It's kind of funny-disturbing that it's butt hole is apparently a third ear canal. And we have a banger of combined Pokédex entries:

Emerald: it breathes through it's ear canals

Fire Red: when you cover its ear canals, it stops crying

Conclusion: stop your child from breathing to also stop its crying. What the fuck gamefreak.

Fun: 4/10

Since it's pretty early and easily available in the Hoenn games, i've tried using it in Nuzlockes pretty often. I don't remember a single time where it evolved bc it's just too fragile.

Design: 7/10

Very solid design. It's cute, it's a bit weird and i like the colours. The shiny is nothing to write home about, though, it looks a bit sickly. I also like the name. I just find the eyes a bit strange, are those 8 eyes? Or are there two with weird shapes? I tend to just not think about it...

Serious Score: 26/50

Silly Ratings!

Politeness: 3/10

I think Whismur tries to be nice at the bare minimum, but it's immediately scared and as soon as you try to approach it and it gets nervous it starts screaming and bursts your ear drums.

Friend Shape: 8/10

Very Friend Shape. But why does it have this weird Butt Hole? And the eyes freak me out.

Jokes: 2/10

Again, it would timidly try to tell a joke if asked, and if it can finish without starting to cry it's probably an okay joke. But. It will cry in 9 out of 10 times.

Deliciousness: 6/10

It's probably not bad, but also nothing special. Since it's a first stage it doesn't have a lot of meat as well, especially if you take the shape into consideration.

Lust for Murder: 1/10

It doesn't want to do anything bad, it's just got a bad case of social anxiety. Anything that happens is purely accidental. That said, it is definitely capable to hurting you. By screaming.

Silly Score: 20/50

Can it make a Lasagna? No, i don't think it would get far. It can't hold utensils properly without hands, it can't reach the stovetop and it probably gets a panic attack when you give it a knife.

Total Score: 56/100 and no Lasagna. I don't particularly care for Whismur. Without it, Hoenn would feel a bit more empty, but it wouldn't make the world a much worse place.

[jassicaleo318]

Energizing Tomorrow: Navigating the Dynamics and Prospects of the Global Bioenergy Market

The Bioenergy Market stands as a pivotal player in the global transition towards sustainable and renewable energy sources. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the historical evolution, key components, market dynamics, challenges, and future prospects that define the Bioenergy Market.

Historical Evolution:

The roots of the Bioenergy Market can be traced back to humanity's early use of biomass for heating and cooking. As concerns about climate change and the environmental impact of fossil fuels intensified, bioenergy gained prominence as a renewable alternative. The modern bioenergy sector encompasses a diverse range of technologies and feedstocks, reflecting a dynamic evolution driven by technological innovation and environmental consciousness.

Key Components of the Market:

Biofuels: Biofuels, including ethanol and biodiesel, are prominent components of the Bioenergy Market. Derived from organic materials such as crops, algae, and waste, biofuels offer a cleaner and sustainable alternative to traditional fossil fuels, with applications in transportation and industrial sectors.

Biogas and Biomethane: Biogas and biomethane are produced through the anaerobic digestion of organic matter, including agricultural residues and organic waste. These gases serve as versatile sources of renewable energy, used for electricity generation, heating, and as a cleaner fuel for vehicles.

Biomass Power: Biomass power involves the combustion or conversion of organic materials, such as wood pellets, agricultural residues, and dedicated energy crops, to generate electricity and heat. Biomass power plants contribute to grid stability and provide a reliable source of renewable energy.

Market Dynamics:

Policy Support and Renewable Energy Mandates: The Bioenergy Market is heavily influenced by supportive policies and renewable energy mandates implemented by governments globally. Incentives, subsidies, and regulatory frameworks encourage the adoption of bioenergy solutions, fostering market growth.

Technological Advancements: Continuous technological advancements play a vital role in shaping the Bioenergy Market. Innovations in feedstock conversion technologies, biofuel production processes, and the development of advanced bioenergy systems contribute to increased efficiency and competitiveness.

Integration with Circular Economy: Bioenergy is closely tied to the principles of the circular economy, where organic waste and by-products are utilized as valuable resources for energy production. This integration enhances resource efficiency and contributes to sustainable waste management practices.

Challenges and Opportunities:

Land Use and Food Security Concerns: The utilization of crops and land for bioenergy production raises concerns about potential conflicts with food production and land use. Balancing bioenergy development with food security considerations requires careful planning and sustainable practices.

Feedstock Availability and Sustainability: The sustainable sourcing of feedstocks for bioenergy production is a critical challenge. Striking a balance between ensuring a continuous and reliable supply of biomass and addressing environmental and social sustainability concerns is essential for the industry's long-term viability.

Future Prospects:

The Bioenergy Market holds significant promise as a key player in the global renewable energy landscape. As advancements continue and challenges are addressed, bioenergy is poised to play a crucial role in mitigating climate change, reducing dependency on fossil fuels, and fostering a sustainable energy future.

Global Trends and Regional Dynamics:

Rising Demand for Aviation Biofuels: The aviation sector's growing commitment to reducing carbon emissions has spurred interest in aviation biofuels derived from sustainable feedstocks. Biojet fuels, produced from algae, waste oils, and other renewable sources, represent a key trend in the global Bioenergy Market.

Expansion of Advanced Biofuels: Advanced biofuels, derived from non-food feedstocks such as cellulosic biomass and algae, are gaining prominence. These fuels offer higher energy yields and lower carbon footprints compared to traditional biofuels, contributing to the diversification of the bioenergy feedstock portfolio.

Biorefinery Concepts and Integrated Systems: The concept of biorefineries, which integrate various bioenergy processes to produce a range of products, is gaining traction. Biorefineries maximize the utilization of biomass by extracting not only energy but also valuable chemicals, materials, and bio-based products, promoting a more holistic and sustainable approach.

Latin America's Biomass Potential: Latin America, endowed with abundant biomass resources, plays a significant role in the global bioenergy landscape. Countries like Brazil leverage sugarcane for ethanol production, showcasing the region's potential for bioenergy development. The adoption of bioenergy in Latin America aligns with the region's commitment to sustainable agriculture and energy diversification.

Technological Innovations:

Biological and Synthetic Pathways: Ongoing research explores biological and synthetic pathways for bioenergy production. Synthetic biology techniques enable the engineering of microorganisms for enhanced biofuel production, while biological pathways involve optimizing natural processes for improved yields and efficiency.

Waste-to-Energy Solutions: Waste-to-energy technologies contribute to the circular economy by converting organic waste into bioenergy. Anaerobic digestion and gasification processes transform organic residues, agricultural waste, and municipal solid waste into biogas, biofuels, and heat, reducing reliance on landfills and curbing methane emissions.

[glut898des302]

302 Blog week 2

This week marks a significant milestone as I embarked on my first substantial week tackling the assignment. Initially, I grappled with apprehension due to the complexity of my chosen topic. However, as the second week unfolded, I gained confidence, mainly attributable to my conversation with Gabby. Her insights and guidance on my progress within the Miro board were instrumental in boosting my assurance. Additionally, Thursday's presentation, showcasing the achievements of previous students, provided a clear benchmark for the standards we aspire to achieve.

Throughout this period, I heavily relied on two invaluable tools: Miro and Google. These platforms became my trusty companions as I delved into my work. Notably, the project timeline emerged as a highlight, injecting an element of enjoyment into the process. Devising a sprint-like system for reflection was engaging and proved to be a practical linear approach tailored to my personal style.

However, one aspect I found that could have been more enjoyable was crafting the Gantt chart. This endeavour demanded substantial time and intricate planning, intricately tied to my chosen design methodology. In hindsight, commencing with my design methodology would have been a strategic move, potentially saving me substantial time when constructing the Gantt chart.

Conversations with Gabby proved to be enlightening. Struggling with generating and refining ideas, her advice to maintain conciseness while emphasizing the species' benefits prompted me to explore beyond the confines of the lake environment. This led me to examine an urbanized context, necessitating a reboot of my Miro layout. Although I initially aligned my Miro board with the double diamond methodology at the semester's onset, subsequent research guided me towards a method better suited to my needs, resulting in a pivotal shift in my approach and the layout itself.

My looming concern revolves around integrating my Gantt chart with my chosen design methodology. This problem underscores a critical aspect of my workflow that requires careful consideration and problem-solving.

To enhance my reflective practice, I intend to incorporate elements from the Reflector's Toolkit, cultivating creativity and a more substantial personal voice in my posts. Furthermore, I recognise the need to enrich my documentation with visual representations, and I plan to include screenshots that illustrate the evolution of my process. It is also paramount to underscore my findings with secondary research, bolstering the credibility and depth of my work. This comprehensive approach will undoubtedly strengthen the richness and rigour of my project.

This is the work I did for the first week, (refinements to 300, more research etc)

[tyrionlannistersblog]

Building a Smarter Future: Exploring the Potential of AI Services

In the grand tapestry of technological evolution, few threads are as transformative as Artificial Intelligence (AI). As AI technologies continue to advance, they are ushering in a new era of possibilities and reshaping the way we interact with the world. At the heart of this revolution is the concept of "AI as a Service" (AIaaS), which is poised to be a cornerstone of building a smarter and more innovative future.

The Essence of ArtificiaI Intelligence as a Service

AIaaS encapsulates a fundamental shift in how Artificial development services are consumed and utilized. Instead of requiring businesses to invest heavily in building and maintaining complex AI infrastructure, AIaaS provides a simpler path. It allows organizations to access AI capabilities, models, and tools through cloud-based services, enabling them to harness AI's power without the need for deep technical expertise.

Unlocking the Potential: Real-World Applications

The potential applications of AIaaS are virtually limitless, spanning across industries and sectors. Let's explore some key domains where AIaaS is unlocking innovation and driving transformation:

Healthcare: AI-powered diagnostic tools and predictive analytics are revolutionizing patient care. AIaaS allows healthcare providers to integrate advanced algorithms that aid in early disease detection, personalized treatment plans, and medical image analysis.

Manufacturing: AIaaS is optimizing production lines through predictive maintenance. Sensors collect data that AI models analyze to predict equipment failures, minimizing downtime and reducing maintenance costs.

Finance: Fraud detection, algorithmic trading, and risk assessment are enhanced by AIaaS. Financial institutions can leverage AI to make real-time decisions, respond to market changes, and prevent fraudulent activities.

Retail: AI-powered recommendation engines create personalized shopping experiences. AIaaS enables retailers to analyze customer behaviors, offer tailored product suggestions, and optimize inventory management.

Customer Service: Chatbots and virtual assistants powered by AIaaS provide seamless customer interactions. They handle inquiries, provide support, and offer round-the-clock assistance, enhancing customer satisfaction.

Energy and Utilities: AIaaS optimizes energy consumption and distribution. Smart grids use AI to balance supply and demand, ensuring efficient energy distribution and reducing waste.

Unleashing Innovation through AIaaS

The central theme of AIaaS is empowerment. It empowers businesses to innovate, make data-driven decisions, and pioneer new solutions that were previously unimaginable:

Accessibility: AI as a Service (AIaaS) democratizes AI, ensuring its accessibility to businesses of varying sizes. Startups can launch AI-powered products without the resource constraints that traditional AI development demands.

Speed to Market: AIaaS accelerates innovation cycles. Businesses can swiftly prototype and deploy AI solutions, allowing them to capitalize on emerging opportunities in dynamic markets.

Resource Efficiency: With AIaaS, businesses can optimize resource allocation. They pay only for the AI services they use, eliminating the need for massive upfront investments.

Scalability: AIaaS solutions are designed to scale with demand. This scalability holds significant value for enterprises encountering rapid expansion or fluctuations tied to seasons.

Focus on Value: By outsourcing technical complexities to AIaaS providers, businesses can focus on adding value to their products and services, nurturing creativity, and fostering innovation.

Addressing Challenges and Shaping Ethics

While the potential of AIaaS is immense, it's not devoid of challenges. Data privacy, bias mitigation, and transparency are critical considerations. Businesses must actively ensure that the AI models used are fair, unbiased, and transparent in their decision-making.

Moreover, as AI becomes increasingly integrated into our lives, ethical considerations come to the forefront. AIaaS providers and businesses must work together to ensure that AI is deployed responsibly, adhering to ethical principles that prioritize human well-being and societal benefit.

Conclusion: Paving the Way for Tomorrow

AIaaS is at the vanguard of a smarter future. It's a catalyst for innovation, a driver of efficiency, and a tool for transforming businesses and industries. As businesses embrace the potential of AIaaS, they become architects of a landscape where technology amplifies human ingenuity and creativity. The journey ahead involves not just technological exploration, but a deep commitment to ethical practices, collaboration, and responsible AI development company services. Building a smarter future requires us to harness AI's potential while keeping our moral compass intact. With AIaaS as a guiding light, we are poised to construct a future that marries cutting-edge technology with human values, shaping a world that's not just smarter, but better.

[astrowithkaro]

Can you please do March 20 ?

Language Of Birthdays: March 20 - Pisces/Aries

The Day Of The Labyrinth

March 20 is a highly symbolic day, when considered as the last day of winter and the end of the astrological year. People born on this day possess certain unusual gifts as well as special problems. For example, they are in many ways the most highly evolved creatures of the year, when the zodiac is considered as a map of the evolution of the human being. On the other hand, they may find it difficult to start certain important endeavors and to leave the past behind. It can take them a very long time to make crucial decisions, particularly those involving big changes in their lives.

The expansive qualities and sometimes unfounded optimism of March 20 people can land them in hot water. While their dreaminess lends them magnetic charm, it also makes them prone to unreality in their outlook. However, if those born on this day manage to find their true calling and life partner they will be protected from much that can go wrong. March 20 talents are generally both numerous and diverse. Therefore those born on this day may flounder for a while, fishing around for the right path to take. They can also be overly influenced by those in higher positions and somewhat inclined toward hero worship, often at the expense of their own ego. Their romanticism, a product of a vivid imagination, can perhaps lead them astray in this respect. By overvaluing the one they worship they tend to unconsciously undervalue themselves. This can lead to a lack of self-confidence of which they themselves may be unaware.

March 20 people must also beware of falling into depressions, which no amount of admiration (either for others or from others) will help. On the other hand, solid friends and loved ones who can keep them on track are of great importance. Ultimately, working toward greater self-assertiveness is the key to March 20 people avoiding these states. Those born on this day are often drawn to psychic phenomena. They may have great talents in this area, but should be extremely careful not to let themselves go overboard. Such excesses could lead to an abandonment of reality which would be devastating not only to themselves but also to loved ones. If they can put these talents to use in moderation, they will achieve success in life.

Sensitivity to music and art are pronounced in March 20 people who may be particularly drawn to vocal expression. Singing, for example, can make an excellent hobby or even profession for those with musical talent. Attention to the feelings of others makes those born on this day fine interpreters of their fellow human beings' work but also good counsellors to whom people come to seek advice. In this they should remain objective if possible, for their opinion carries weight and tends to impact heavily on clients, co-workers or friends.

Strengths:

Logical

Sensitive

Versatile

Weaknesses:

Unrealistic

Unsure

Advice

March 20 people are generally more mental than physical, and are prone to getting their feelings tied up in knots. Their excess nervous energy will cause headaches and ultimately lead to exhaustion if care is not taken to seek rest and a stable life situation. Moderate, regular exercise serves to ground them in their body, use up excess energy and combat depression. It is essential for March 20 people to adopt a healthy diet as early in life as possible. Yet the extravagance of Pisces with regard to food will make this difficult. The diet of March 20 people people is best kept to the straight and narrow (grains, fresh vegetables, low-fat foods) and binges avoided. On the other hand, extremes in diet or exercise can cause problems too, however, since health fanaticism may intensify stress.

Your emotions can be destructive

Keep calm and in touch with your center

Hello! I hope you liked this article, I know that this is a "cusp" day but since those don't actually exist - this day belongs mostly to Pisces.

[kuvvydraws]

Any unusual opinions/thoughts/hc on Nightmare gang? 👀

You got me here! I'm not really a follower of the bad/star sanses movement, more like a passive observer - therefore I don't know much about them, other than general, widespread hcs. They feel like they're at that point where they belong to the fandom rather than their creators, you know?

My biggest point of contact are Nightmare and Patience (whose author I can't remember rn but you can find it on Ao3 and it's really good) and @kaygee-doodles stories, which are also fucking fantastic and very engaging.

I can give some general opinions, however! Since you're asking directly XD

My favorite one has to be Killer. Again, I don't know if the version of Killer I have in my head is anywhere near close to what OG Killer was meant to be but he's really fun and unhinged in a very fucked up way - what I enjoy the most is how people try to approach him emotionally, as well as his evolution when he is forced to face situations that clash with his inner monologue. He's hot too, and likes kitties, and he's a jerk, 100/10 relatable.

Dust is a second favorite! Though I'm heavily biased because I don't really like dusttale and the whole idea of Papyrus (or his ghost) chasing him everywhere, which kind of destroys the whole concept from the very base. I prefer considering Dust as his own little grenlin guy with several issues, and that's kinda it!

To get it out of the way (I'm sorry), I don't really care about Cross? I don't know anything about him other than there is something going on with him a cows and chocolate?? Don't ask me what, I couldn't say. I know Xtale is a huge thing but I never got into it and right now I feel like I would need a whole fucking lot of motivation to start - which mmmmm I don't really feel like doing. Kudos to him, he seems very simpy and soft.

Same with Horror - he's just Horror, you know? He's the guy from horrortale. I like him well enough and his feeding and momming tendencies are very cute if you tactfully avoid the deep truame he carries with himself. I'm always down for a Penis Party, tho, a Celebration of the Dick, an Erection Acknowledgement. You know what I mean, read Nightmare and Patience.

And then we have Nightmare himself! The goop man, the one who feeds on your bad feelings and needs to cause chaos and destroy universes to the a full belly! Unfortunately, he gets the same treatment as Cross. I know he has a thing with apples? And he's supposed to be some sort of parent/boss for the group; he likes reading and he's very serious and somewhat controlling and lives in a castle in the middle of who knows where. I think if I got invested and actually looked into it I could like him quite a bit, but I'm very lazy. He usually comes tied to Dream and all his drama, which is kind of the point, but they don't really catch my attention much.

And that should be it!

[shihalyfie]

You talk a lot about how the Digimon are born from the kids own souls, would you be interested into describing how the digimon partners reflect their humans' personalities?

Oh man, I love this topic! (You’ll have to forgive me in that my desire to do justice for it is why it ended up taking me this long to answer it.)

The part about the Digimon literally being part of the kids’ souls comes directly from official (it’s been mentioned several times, not only in what I just linked). This was never stated outright in the original Adventure or 02, and it took until Kizuna to really shove the link between the partner and the human’s inner self in your face and make it a huge part of the actual story, but fans had been catching onto it long before that, and even without reading what the staff had said. Kizuna throws a bit of a nail in this because it’s said to be a bit lore-noncompliant, but considering how much of the background lore it still goes out of its way to adhere to, and the fact it still does match the fundamental concept of “human heart = Digimon partner” regardless of detailed minutiae, we can still apply and analyze this concept with no problem, especially since Adventure and 02 always walked the line between sci-fi and fantasy, and there is undoubtedly a spiritual element to them no matter how you look at it.

(My personal comfort zone in analyzing Adventure and 02 comes moreso from a human behavior and mentality perspective, which is also why my meta on this blog tends to focus more on the human drama aspects of Adventure and 02 and especially the latter’s story being so heavily about human relationships, but if you’re interested in said spiritual elements, I heavily recommend @analyzingadventure‘s very comprehensive meta on Adventure background lore and themes, which also covers similar territory in detail. We’re different people, so our takes on it probably differ in some respects, but that’s the beauty of having different perspectives, after all.)

In any case, back to your question. I think it would be best to break this down piece-by-piece with the Adventure and 02 kids in detail, so more is under the cut!

...Well, okay, before we continue, I do want to touch on something briefly, and it’s regarding the fact that “evolution” in this series is generally a metaphor for human growth. That counts for when everyone gets their evolutions, but it also counts as a metaphor overall -- after all, Adventure is about self-assertion and pushing oneself as far as possible (the major evolution gimmick being tied to Crests), whereas 02 is about cultivating differing aspects of yourself and applying it to how you form relationships with others (the major evolution gimmick being tied to Digimentals and ultimately Jogress). The human self is quite a flexible thing, and the Digimon themselves quite often change personalities as they evolve. (I touched on this briefly in my discussion of honorfiics and first-person pronouns earlier, but in Japanese, the Digimon will often even change personalities and speech patterns as they evolve.) This also leads to a few other potential observations (not really corroborated by official, just my personal view of it):

Speaking from a meta perspective, the fact that only the “front protagonists” end up getting the highest level forms is pretty obviously so they don’t have to spend toy budget on allocating it to everyone, but from an in-story perspective, Adventure episode 50 adds an implication that not reaching as high of a form may also have to do with how inherently attuned one is to combat (Jou says that he believes that Gomamon will never reach Ultimate because he doesn’t have the sort of strength Taichi and Yamato do, and it contributes to his conclusion that his skills are more meaningfully applied as a healer instead of as a fighter). Of course, none of the Adventure or 02 cast is necessarily the belligerent type that inherently likes fighting in itself, but of course certain ones are less emotionally drained or more attuned to it, so you might be able to see a rough pattern there. (Again, I’m not going to sugarcoat how this still has a lot of dismaying issues on the meta level, but the difference between “how much this sucks on a meta level” and “whether this at least tracks in-story” is a common theme on this blog.) In a franchise sense, Digimon were of course conceptualized as fighting monsters, but within the narrative of Adventure, it probably stands to reason that having a manifested part of your soul or inner self shouldn’t necessarily mean they have to be fighting things all of the time unless it’s necessary.

It’s very often been pointed out that the 02 cast is at a sort of “combat disadvantage” compared to their seniors (well, and Takeru and Hikari, anyway) because their highest forms require two people/Digimon to be in play, so their overall combat power is rather low. My impression is that this is by design (and it’s a subversion of the usual expectation of shounen anime sequels where the sequel will often power creep everything to make the new guard outdo the first). That the 02 team is inherently dependent on each other for support, and to a degree far more than their seniors, is rather baked into its narrative, and moreover, from an in-story perspective, the 02 group doesn’t seem like the type to really care about being outflanked by their seniors (on the contrary, they’d probably take that as more proof that their seniors are amazing). Moreover, the forms you see their Digimon in most of the time tend towards the smaller Baby-level forms instead of the Child-level ones, and while this is partially due to plot logistics about being in the real world (and, admittedly, kind of inconsistently applied), it gives you a much stronger impression of the 02 kids and their partners in general being people who aren’t that individually imposing or strong and get more mileage out of flexibility and variety (see: the Digimentals and the huge number of lower-level forms the kids have access to).

With this kind of metaphor, I caution against taking it too literally as a 1:1 thing (especially since official has been generally quiet about it and there isn’t much in the series text itself to corroborate this), but I do think there is certainly some kind of relevance that’s worth thinking about.

Many people, including the official notes I just linked, refer to there being some Digimon partners that are "like-minded” with their partner, and some that are “opposite” in personality. This is roughly true, but I find this to be a very simplified description of the concept; it’s more like all Digimon partners are a reflection of the less easily exposed part of their human partner (and, most pertinently, the part that would allow them to express themselves in ways they wouldn’t normally), it’s just that the kids with more straightforward or less extreme personalities don’t have as much to hide or cover up in the first place, and so their partners come off as more “like-minded”. Even Urawa Megumi, voice of Iori and Armadimon (arguably one of the pairs of partners that seem “opposing” in personality), stated that she didn’t personally feel like the two characters are all that different, since humans have different sides to them, and Armadimon is functionally an expression of the side of Iori that isn’t apparent.

Because the Adventure narrative has the Digimon partners be linked to human mentality, this leads to the side effect that you won’t have a Digimon partner who ever truly denies the human partner (barring external factors like Evil Ring-induced brainwashing), which is something producer Seki Hiromi was quite insistent about. That said, this is a very Adventure and 02-specific thing, since other series go more into different angles about how one would approach partnership when this factor is not in play; half of Tamers’s drama regarding partners comes from the fact they are not necessarily mentally linked all of the time, and need to find a way to build a relationship by bridging that gap, and so non-Adventure universe entries are more freely able to explore the concepts of a Digimon partner more consciously entering conflict with their human partner. Well, that’s the beauty of having a multi-entry franchise, after all.

Taichi and Agumon

Taichi and Agumon immediately jump to mind as the first among the “like-minded” pairs, especially since the series shows them so often in sync and chilling together. Taichi himself is a straightforward person, so it stands to reason that his straightforward personality would also lend to Agumon coming off as being rather much like him.

However, there is one slight difference between the two, and it’s that Agumon has a somewhat stronger sense of “easygoing chill” than Taichi does, right down to using the more polite boku first-person pronoun in contrast to Taichi’s more assertive ore. He also lacks Taichi’s penchant for mild insensitivity -- in fact, very unlike Taichi, he has an incredible amount of emotional insight (02 spends quite a bit of time in 02 episodes 32 and 46 to showing off Agumon as someone who makes up for all of his lack of intellectual understanding with emotional and borderline poetic insight). And, really, while Taichi is a bit surface-insensitive, and while he seems to be impulsive, he actually is a conscientious person and is trying his best in his own way, and he isn’t the kind of person who cares about societal things like seniority, and he demonstrates multiple times that he’s easygoing and chill, and so you can say that’s a part of Taichi as well. Remembering that a Digimon partner’s presence helps their own human partner grow, Agumon being so openly friendly helps Taichi maintain good relations with others without running afoul of them.

One of Agumon’s most famous traits is that he likes food, which is not actually something that was in the original Adventure or 02 all that much but has been somewhat exaggerated since. That said, back in Adventure, while it was established that all Digimon regularly need food in order to maintain their evolutions, Agumon would usually be the first to complain “I’m hungry,” and whenever they did get food, Agumon would be one of the most prominently enjoying it. Food is, after all, one of the simplest and most universal of pleasures, and there’s a lot of visual framing of Taichi chowing down just as ravenously as Agumon is -- so, honestly, he probably got it from him.

Taichi also speaks a bit about his pain of being separated from Agumon in the space between Adventure and 02, and he directly refers to Agumon as “the other me”. The word “partner” was not actually used very much in the original Adventure or 02, and Taichi is not able to fully elucidate the sentiment of Agumon’s connection to his own self, but he still understands this much and why the loss cuts him so deeply, and by the time we get to Kizuna, it’s presumably why he uses similar language in his thesis proposal to refer to him. (I already covered the circumstances of Agumon’s relationship to Taichi’s existential crisis in Kizuna and how it led to their separation earlier, so I will omit it here for the sake of avoiding redundancy.)

Yamato and Gabumon

This might surprise some people to hear, but I would also pin this as one of the more ostensibly “like-minded” pairs. Gabumon is shy on the surface, but turns out to be quite passionate -- he uses the same assertive ore as Yamato, in contrast to Agumon’s boku, and he demonstrates his capacity for passion and action in that he’s arguably one of the most assertive in the cast. Note his taking initiative against Yamato’s frostbite in Adventure episode 9, or declaring his intent to stay with Yamato even if it means going against the others in Adventure episode 44, or singlehandedly dragging Yamato out of the hole of darkness in Adventure episode 51.

And, of course, Yamato himself is someone who initially seems a little awkward or detached around everyone, but is actually very passionate, so that’s all the same. And because Gabumon himself is so open about communicating with the otherwise closed-in Yamato, Yamato is able to express himself better over the course of Adventure.

Funny thing about that “shyness”, too -- the idea of Gabumon being particularly shy isn’t present in 02 much at all (we don’t get to see him very much, so it’s hard to say whether it’s completely gone, but it’s at least gone enough for the duration of his appearances). Which is funny, considering: guess who else stopped being shy and became naturally outgoing in 02? Yeah, so, as much as you might hear people (even official!) claim that the Digimon are static while their partners change, that’s not completely true -- the Digimon themselves develop in personality in the same way their human partners do. It’s just more subtle and less drastic, since they’re representing an abstract single part of their personality rather than being an exact match.

Sora and Piyomon

Sora and Piyomon have an interesting relationship in that they’re the only one where their relationship started off on a note of conflict -- mainly in that Sora was very put off by Piyomon at first and even looked down condescendingly on her (well, only for the duration of a single episode). In fact, Sora’s own surface behavior is very different from the kind and caring Sora we know -- Sora dislikes associating with the clingy and affectionate Piyomon for being “mushy”, and even declares that she doesn’t want to “take responsibility” for lugging her around.

Of course, Sora’s character arc later revolves around the fact that she has abysmally bad self-awareness and doesn’t even realize that she has a compulsive sense of responsibility to others. So Sora is affectionate and loving -- she just puts up a front of trying to act a little above that (well, at least, during this part of the series) and doesn’t even see herself as someone capable of being like that (again, purely during this part of the series).

Piyomon is also interesting in that she has one of the most dramatic personality shifts even as early as Child to Adult, where she suddenly switches from the casual atashi to watashi (sometimes even kono watashi, which is super regal), and becomes incredibly dignified and regal even as Birdramon, and you can certainly see why Sora immediately started taking her seriously thereafter. It also begs a lot to think about, considering Sora’s very convoluted character and the many layers of herself that even she isn’t consciously aware of.

The way Piyomon helped Sora shift her own mentality is pretty directly handed to you on a plate in Adventure episode 26 -- because Piyomon played the role of Sora in the metaphor of Sora’s behavior towards Piyomon correlated to Toshiko’s behavior towards Sora, Sora was able to re-adjust her position relative to her family and consider her both someone capable of love, and someone who is loved.

Koushirou and Tentomon

Koushirou and Tentomon are another pair that initially seem like they’re opposing types, with Koushirou being constantly curious and Tentomon being comparatively simple-minded, but the first key to figuring out where the similarity is ends up being a bit deceptive -- Tentomon says in Adventure episode 5 that he’s not particularly interested in himself. And, certainly, Koushirou is interested in Tentomon, but he, too, is not interested in himself -- in fact, he considers himself to be a topic he’d rather avoid instead of looking into everything else.

As far as language goes, while Tentomon does also use the stereotypically easygoing Kansai dialect, he also specifically uses the polite form, mirroring Koushirou’s own perpetual use of polite language. But unlike Koushirou, who uses it to keep distance from others, Tentomon is in fact very sociable, and is even portrayed as a Digimon who’s conscientious of others and “takes care” of them. And because Tentomon is so openly friendly, he manages to coax Koushirou out of his shell and allow him to think about more complicated things related to his own position in the world that he’d been avoiding.

As Koushirou’s character arc proceeds, we learn that he’s polite not only out of distance but also because he really is a very kind person, and moreover that he does eventually want to open up to others. And the payoff for this eventually comes in 02...

...when he ends up becoming one of the most visible members of the older Adventure cast to appear in the series, checking in on the younger kids and developing into someone capable of organizing and managing people. Hmm, seems familiar.

Mimi and Palmon

This one’s an easy one. Mimi is possibly the most straightforward person in the original Adventure cast -- well, that’s the point of her Crest after all -- and so Palmon is almost exactly like her, being a cheerful type who loves being cute. Any contrast between them is only really apparent in the very early episodes of the series, and that’s not even a contrast in theory as much as it’s just something that might intrigue audiences at first when Mimi spent a lot of those episodes complaining, but that’s also mostly because she was heavily under stress, and otherwise Mimi has always been kind and cheerful and indulgent in being cute.

Perhaps the only real difference is that Palmon, being a plant, is more willing to get involved with dirt and other things that Mimi ostensibly would rather not, but as the series progresses, Mimi manages to gain a higher sense of tolerance and get past her initial sense of materialism (which is something she’d had the capacity for the whole time).

Jou and Gomamon

Of the Adventure pairs, this one is probably the one that seems like the biggest contrast on its face, with the overly high-strung and constantly stressed Jou, and the more playful and relaxed Gomamon.

In the end, Jou is someone who’s defined by his desire to support others, and even admits at the end of the series that he’s better suited for a support role than for fighting, and that there’s nothing wrong with that as long as he continues to channel his desire to help people in a way he’s most comfortable with. So, in the end, he’s not actually an inherently aggressive type. And, meanwhile, Gomamon is the kind who’s constantly looking out for Jou, to the point of knowing (such as in Adventure episode 7) when he’s about to do something phenomenally stupid and minding him so that nothing bad happens to him, and so, this is probably why they’re ultimately able to settle down and end the series eye-to-eye (or perhaps hand-to-hand).

And, again, recall that Digimon partners generally reflect a part that’s vital to their own human partner’s growth; considering that Jou is most certainly one of the more extreme personalities in this cast, you get the feeling that he probably needs someone this chill to keep his massive stress tendencies in check.

Takeru and Patamon

Takeru and Patamon are an interesting case largely due to the two of them being so present for a whole two series. In Adventure, both of them seem to be largely like-minded, being playful, innocent, and childish -- although Patamon is more open about expressing the childishness that Takeru keeps trying to cover up. Patamon being roughly on the same playing field (no pun intended) as Takeru means that Takeru has someone he’s willing to be open with and let himself loose a little (such as in Adventure episode 12), because for the first half of the series, he’s almost entirely in the presence of elders and stifling himself for the sake of being “well-behaved”, and it starts his long journey of being able to understand his position and his actual sense of emotions over the course of Adventure and 02.

Patamon also has a striking personality change upon evolving, becoming the regal and dignified Angemon, and, interestingly, his appearances have a very “knight templar” vibe where he takes a no-compromise stance against dark forces and states that he’ll condemn all of them to oblivion. This is a stance that’s unnervingly similar to Takeru’s own no-compromise stance against the darkness in 02, and it’s interesting in that Takeru himself had been advocating for pacifism in Adventure episode 12, but this incident traumatized him enough to start taking a position that more resembled Angemon’s.

As we go into 02, Takeru’s contrast with Patamon initially seems like an increased mismatch, since Patamon is still ostensibly childish and playful while Takeru is ostensibly more mature. But for one, Takeru’s character arc is about the fact that he’s still pretending he’s more in control of his emotions than he actually is, and in some way you can also glean that there’s a sort of naivete present in his character that he keeps covering up with confident smiles. Patamon, for his part, does actually seem to have adopted a bit of a mentor role to the other Digimon, and we also learn that he’s capable of deliberately trolling people instead of just being generically playful -- much like Takeru himself, who’s a bit evasive and not entirely honest.

We do actually see Patamon reach HolyAngemon in 02 episode 34, but it doesn’t work out well, and while this is partially for plot mechanic reasons, it also says a lot that the “knight templar” stance that both Takeru and HolyAngemon have, with the full depth of no-compromise, isn’t going anywhere, and in the end, something more effective is only possible when Shakkoumon appears in 02 episodes 36-37 -- that is, Takeru is only able to better move on with Iori’s support.

Hikari and Tailmon

Hikari is the only of the Tokyo Chosen Children to have a Digimon who “defaults” to Adult instead of Child or lower, and it means that Tailmon herself comes with a certain amount of maturity -- on top of having been become a bit hardened due to her experiences being isolated. This is an ostensible contrast to the more pure-hearted and innocent Hikari, but note that Hikari’s own will can be pretty assertive when it comes down to it. On top of that, as much as Tailmon is a bit standoffish, Hikari is also “emotionally isolated” -- she has trouble vocalizing her negative feelings, and it’s difficult for anyone in Adventure or the first half of 02 to truly connect with her internal thoughts. Recalling that the Digimon partner reflects a side of the human partner that’s less easily exposed and allows the human partner to grow in ways they wouldn’t before, Tailmon’s sheer presence gives Hikari a route to action in ways she probably wouldn’t have beforehand.

In 02, Hikari becomes a little more mischievous and playful, and Tailmon also becomes a bit more willing to indulge (she even switches first-person pronouns in sync with Hikari, going from the more polite watashi to the more casual atashi). Both of them are now more able to enjoy themselves more openly. That said, Tailmon still has a certain degree of stuffy personal pride (she snarks at everyone quite easily for fussing over snacks in 02 episode 3), and Hikari herself remains emotionally elusive and repressive at the start of this series.

Tailmon evolves temporarily to Angewomon in 02 episode 13, which is the first time anyone (in this case, Takeru) makes some degree of headway to reaching out to her and allowing her to open up a bit more, but it’s not until 02 episode 31 when Hikari is fully reached out to via Miyako, which marks the first appearance of Silphymon.

Daisuke and V-mon

Now here’s a very like-minded pair, even more so than Taichi and Agumon -- and, after all, Daisuke is simple-minded, so painfully simple-minded that he’s practically incapable of hiding anything, and so V-mon is almost exactly like him, down to using the same ore pronoun and being feisty and mischievous (a point is also made that he plays soccer with Daisuke, something that Agumon didn’t necessarily do with Taichi), and, heck, in a rare show of Digimon-Digimon crushes, has a crush on Tailmon in the exact same way Daisuke has on Hikari. (By the time we get to Kizuna and its higher animation budget, a lot of attention is paid to having even their body language mirror each other.)

There is only one real functional difference between the two in disposition, and it’s that V-mon is very straightforward, friendly, and kind, without being prone to getting angry or spiteful at anyone, and in the end, it’s indicative of the fact that Daisuke’s tendency to lash out defensively at everyone is just a front -- at his core, he’s friendly, supportive, and kind. Daisuke’s experiences and banter with V-mon contribute to him getting the sort of validation he needed without having to worry about being on edge or lash out defensively, and because of that, he was able to form a healthier and more supportive relationship with the rest of the group.

Miyako and Hawkmon

This one seems to be a contrast right off the bat -- Miyako is bubbly, over-the-top, and rather messy and lacking in restraint, whereas Hawkmon is formal, graceful, and polite. But Hawkmon’s most prominent trait is his absolute loyalty and devotion to Miyako -- he’s very often referred to by both official staff and fans as her “knight” -- and is constantly minding her to protect her and make sure she doesn’t go over her head (most prominently, 02 episode 18). And as far as Miyako’s relationship to others goes -- she’s also devotedly loyal to everyone she loves and is constantly going out of her way to help others, and her character arc in itself is about the fact she wants to do her best to reach out to people and help emotionally support them in the best way she can, and Hawkmon managing to channel that to its utmost extent to Miyako in turn (in a very “who watches the watchman?” sense) allows her to regain her bearings and have better control over herself in the aftermath of 02 episode 18.

On top of that, as the series proceeds, it turns out that Hawkmon also shares Miyako’s penchant for dramatic theatrics and being a bit over his head -- even if he seemingly has himself more together than Miyako does, he’s not completely above it all...

Miyako is also the franchise’s first example of a female character with a masculine Digimon partner, and while Miyako herself openly identifies with and indulges in all things hyper-feminine, she also has zero issue engaging in more masculine-associated things as they suit her -- most prominently her Digital World outfit, and the fact she often displays a rather aggressive go-getter and hot-blooded/in-your-face personality that would not be out of place on a male shounen hero in a more conventional show. (Although, as much as these have generally been on the thread of “less visible aspects”, it’s not like this was that less visible of an aspect of her to begin with...)

Iori and Armadimon

Iori and Armadimon hold the honor of being the only pair in the Tokyo Chosen Children to be voiced by the same voice actress (Urawa Megumi), driving the parallel down even further. And while their surface temperaments seem different, with Iori being rather uptight and strict on himself while Armadimon is laid-back, carefree, and even somewhat assertive, they’re not that different -- Armadimon is basically the curious, impressionable, somewhat childish spirit that Iori would be if he weren’t constantly holding himself back. (There’s a lot to be said about Submarimon going out of his way to take Iori for a ride in 02 episode 16 so that Iori can finally properly enjoy himself for once.)

Iori takes a lot of very stubborn, no-compromise positions over the course of 02, but Armadimon asking just the right kinds of questions allows him to “snap out of it” and be a little more receptive to considering alternatives, or at least taking into account more emotionally-oriented issues he’s dealing with. You can say that Armadimon (especially as Upamon) softening Iori up a bit -- since Iori will never be cold or unforgiving towards his partner, no matter what -- serves as a precursor to Iori starting to question the limitations of his black-and-white view of morality, which allows him to successfully break through to Takeru and fill out the rest of his character arc.

Ken and Wormmon

Considering how much of the plot revolved around this one, this one almost goes entirely without saying! During Ken’s stint as the Kaiser, Wormmon represents the heart that Ken’s not entirely willing to leave behind -- and, also, the affection that he’s still craving from his family. The Kaiser going practically out of his way to deny Wormmon yet paradoxically keeping him around is basically his attitude towards his own “weak” and naturally kindhearted self. Notably, recall that the principle of “a Digimon will never deny their partner” applies here -- Wormmon’s “betrayal” of the Kaiser isn’t really any kind of denial, since he was doing it mainly for Ken’s own sake, and, more symbolically, it’s Ken reaching his own limit and coming to realize that this path isn’t what he really wants.

Wormmon is unusually clingy to his own partner over the course of 02, and it’s vital to Ken needing to learn to love himself and also getting important validation that he needs, especially during the critical point in time during 02 episodes 23-30 when he’s still not sure how to approach the rest of the group -- Wormmon gives him someone to talk to honestly and openly, giving him a proper springboard to sort out his complicated feelings about the others and himself. You can say also that as Ken becomes more open and straightforward over the course of the latter half of 02, he, in turn, becomes much more shameless about showing affection and opening his own heart.

Wallace, Gumimon, and Chocomon

Bonus round!

While it’s hard to fully apply Hurricane Touchdown to this theory (by official admission, it wasn’t properly cross-referenced with the original Adventure/02 series lore, and trying to correlate all of the evolutions in this movie to something metaphorical will give you a headache), Wallace’s two partners still fit very neatly into this overall theory of Digimon partners as a part of the self. Wallace is a character with very sharp duality, trying to be a flirt who asserts himself as a vagrant who’s about to “become an adult”, yet still feels an obligation to keep calling his mom and is engaging in increasingly self-destructive behavior.

Most pertinently, Gumimon and Chocomon represent the two stances Wallace is torn between: wanting to “return to the past” (Chocomon) because he’s still hung up on having lost Chocomon and is convinced that he can make everything just like it was before, and “being able to productively move on” (Gumimon). For most of the early parts of the movie, Wallace is stuck on Chocomon’s mentality of fixating on the past, and Gumimon isn’t even remotely subtle when he draws an explicit parallel between the two (saying that Chocomon didn’t like the heat, followed by offering to give Wallace shade as a hat). But once the conflict escalates and Wallace realizes just how deep in denial Chocomon is, to the point of being destructive to himself and others, Wallace comes to embrace Gumimon’s stance of practicality and moving on. In the end, the ultimate conclusion is reached, and Wallace is forced to fully accept that latter stance when Chocomon dies, but the movie’s ending (and Kizuna) provide an extra option: allowing the past to come back, but in a new form and treading new territory instead of trying to make it “the way it was before”.

[holden-norgorov]

Everything we know about Amalia True so far

Spoilers of the first 4 episodes of The Nevers under the cut.

On August 3rd, 1896 she attempted to commit suicide by drowning herself and was Touched right after. It's still unclear whether she actually succeeded at it, with the Touch transferring an alien consciousness inside her lifeless body and completely taking over her, or whether the Touch awakened also her previous consciousness back to life and her body is now hosting two different sentient beings.

She seems to always be sleeping on the floor, in the same exact spot and position.

Her known Turn is Ripplings, which grant her the ability to see glimpses into the future. We know not every Rippling she experiences actually comes true (e.g. Maladie assaulting her on the balcony of the theatre in E01) and that her Turn seems to be connected to a sort of hand tic whose actual purpose is still unclear (it may vary from being just a way for the character to handle anxiety/PTSD, or to stay in touch with the present while seeing the future, to being a way through which she can actually control when to have Ripplings or even what to see). It's also still quite unclear whether she can prevent her Ripplings from coming true at all (in E04, she decides not to bring Desiree to Massen's mansion just because her Rippling showed her she was going there alone, even though bringing Desiree was clearly the smartest thing to do - or at least, that's what the writing wanted us to draw from it).

She knows at least Chinese, Russian and Turkish enough to grasp that Myrtle is speaking those languages.

She is a skilled fighter in hand-to-hand combat and she's also likely an expert on weaponry.

She tells the Beggar King that "this isn't her real face" while he's holding a blade to her cheek.

She can tell Massen has a past in the military just by looking in his eyes.

"Trouble makes her troublesome". It's likely she finds some kind of solace/catharsis in violence because "she knows where she is during a fight", while her PTSD, her Turn and her unique position as someone who was "left behind" with an unclear mission to accomplish probably make her feel constantly stripped of control. ("You think anything here has to do with what I wish?", E03).

She knows Mary is the Voice of the Galan-.

She admits she isn't from "here" and that the city's maps (as they are in the present, at least) are incomprehensible to her.

Before the Touch, she was a baker and had a husband who was a butcher. Her husband died in unmentioned circumstances some time before 1899. It's also hinted at during E02 that her husband might have been abusive or violent towards her (it's clear that she is also thinking about herself while talking to Mundi about Maladie being a victim of abuse and mingling pain with pleasure).

She is referred to by Maladie as "the woman who sheds her skin". Amalia asks if she was talking about her dress at the Opera, and Maladie replies that she is talking about her relationships. It's unclear whether this reference might also contain another meaning (more literal perhaps) that we still ignore.

She is called "Molly" by Maladie. It's still unclear whether Molly is just a short nickname for Amalia that Maladie gave her when they were friends (which would mean that Maladie knows her only as Amalia) or whether Molly is the actual identity she knows her as (maybe her real name from where/when they come from).

She shares a background with Maladie and knows her as "Sarah". She had to do a difficult choice and it's implied that said choice "created Maladie". She also states that her mission apparently doesn't need either herself or Maladie, but needs both Mary and Penance. We know Mary is the Voice of the Galan-, while Penance may be destined to create something important with her Turn (maybe rebuilding the Ship)? Still, Amalia is careful to shoot both herself and Maladie in such a way as to avoid for the wounds to be fatal. This might indicate that she was just gaining time for Mundi to arrive, and that Maladie is also needed for the mission (we'll have to see if Amalia is going to save her from being executed in the next episode).

She shoots herself in a specific spot in order to avoid hitting any vital organ, but as it turns out later she actually fails at doing so. This might support both the theory that she is an alien in a human body (doesn't know human anatomy that much) or that she is a human from the distant future (where evolution has progressed in such a way as to dispose of the vital organ she hit here because it would turn out to become useless for the survival of future generations).

It's suggested that she tells Penance everything about herself and her mission some time between E02 and E03 ("there's lots I'll need explained, but let's just be alive for a while now").

At the beginning of E03, she slaps herself in front of a mirror and seems to be staring at herself as if she's tired of wearing that face, or maybe even disgusted by it.

Horatio explicitly reveals here that Amalia is a soldier, even though we already had several hints that pointed to that in the previous episodes. She replies that she is a killer just like Maladie, which ties to Bonfire Annie saying to Horatio that Amalia and Maladie are actually quite similar in E04.

Amalia mentions being Horatio's "mistake". It's unclear if she's talking about Horatio cheating on his wife with her, or if it's about something deeper. However, we know that Amalia was present when Horatio discovered he was Touched.

She mentions to George that Mary wouldn't recognize any of the songs she knows (because she is not from "here") and later says she has already experience with the device Penance is currently inventing, recognizing it as an "amplifier". This definitely establishes that Amalia's consciousness comes from the future.

She reveals to Mary that right after August 3rd, 1896 she "woke up knowing things that she shouldn't and was declared insane". This suggests the background we know Amalia and Maladie share be from the asylum Maladie was being brought in exactly the day the Ship appeared over London. Later on, we get confirmation of this when Maladie recalls that Horatio was working as a doctor at that asylum while she and Amalia were both kept there. So Amalia, Maladie and Horatio seem to be the only members of the Touched who share an unknown background together that occurred between 1896 and 1899, and Penance is probably the only one currently at the Orphanage who has been provided with indirect knowledge of this.

She reveals that "we don't do [funerals] when I'm from, there's not enough time and there's not enough ground". This seems to imply that in the future most of the currently available land will be buried under the ever-growing levels of sea (while on the other hand population growth is likely going to gradually increase), or might simply suggest people die at enormous rates and there's just no time to mourn. She also makes it clear that she believes she was abandoned here by herself, and even raises the doubt that her original body host in the future might not be female.

It's heavily implied by Massen that she had previously foreseen Mary's death in the park during an unshown Rippling, and her reaction to that accusation seems to confirm that.

She confesses to Lucy that something went wrong during August 3rd, 1896 and that "it wasn't supposed to be like this" and she "just got left behind". This, combined with the conversation she had with Penance earlier, suggests that Amalia ignore the Ship crashed somewhere in London instead of fleeing away, as it was likely planned to do. So, Maladie seems to be the only one who knows about the crashing, which might explain why she also believes to have a mission which is different from Amalia's (as in, Maladie might have held as a mission all along that of finding the remains of the Ship and building it back to escape and carry out the original plan, while Amalia's plan might have nothing to do with escaping and everything to do with training the Touched to accomplish something in this place and time, since she doesn't know the Ship didn't leave her behind but actually crashed).

She discovers she isn't alone in her mission only when presented with the translation of the Voice of the Galan- made it possible thanks to Myrtle. She is referred to as a lonely soldier wearing stripes and is told by an unidentified someone (who was talking through Mary) that she wasn't actually abandoned.

[lostsoulaltair]

OnS Theories (17S). First Theory - Reason of Shinoa’s Feelings

Hello everyone, this is the new theory season! As for the first theory, this will be tied to the special analysis that was uploaded yesterday which was related towards Shinoa’s evolution in terms of how she developed her humanity or rather how her emotions started to bloom from being a girl that didn’t have much attachment to one that cared for those who are important to her.

Analysis tied to theory: OnS Chapter 99. Shinoa Hiragi - Deep Analysis

P.S: THEORIES ARE HELD WITHIN A NEUTRAL VIEW AND SHIPS ARE EXCLUDED.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKerqp5yOGo

Shall we begin with this theory?

First of all, this theory will only touch topics related to chapter 99; and the main question is, why did Shinoa get so powerful and why “love” was the key for her to get strength?

Image taken from Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign - Chapter 99

As far as we know, Shinoa Hiragi was a girl without lingering emotions that gradually started to learn how to feel, but within that, there was something heavily attached within her, what could it be?

It was fear. 

What do I mean?

After Mahiru removed her demon from her; she taught her that demons could prey on a human if said human exposed their desires to the demon; such thing gradually turned into a numb fear; but how is that possible when she wasn’t able to feel emotions towards pain, sadness, happiness, etc?

Image taken from Seraph of the End: Guren Ichinose Catastrophe at 16 - Chapter 41

Despite what the brain makes think, there are always things the body remembers; and specially if those were shocking experiences; in Shinoa’s case, she saw how her sister gradually fell, how she gradually let loose of her demon that possessed her until she died.

Such thoughts are reflected back in the Catastrophe LNs after Shikama Doji returned to her; she didn’t allow him to prey on her heart easily, nor allowed him to get information that could be an advantage for him. But, when did this fear started to grow?

The fear started to grow after Shikama stopped possessing the main head of the Hiragi Family; she quickly detected his presence thanks to the fact of how linked they are; since she is his wielder. And of course, Shikama being an entity that doesn’t see “love” as a feeling or emotion with purity but rather as something mundane; he quickly started to make her hesitate, and insert fear within her:

Image taken from Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign - Chapter 68

In said panel, the squad was celebrating they were able to halt the summonings of the horsemen of the apocalypse by the 6th trumpet along the fact they brought him to a normal state, which means, he was no longer a seraph thanks to the Sinful Key; and then this panel came; Shinoa was at first smiling like she tends to do, but such smile vanished and became a frown, but why would she do that?

Easy. She was starting to fear what would happen next; she was worrying about how she needed to fight against the words of Shikama Doji, she believed that having an attachment or feelings of admiration towards Yu could eventually become her doom.

Hence why when they reached Shibuya and Shikama entered in contact with her, Shinoa didn’t pay mind if he was possessing Kureto; but of course, Shikama kept destroying that security she had; he started to prey on what Shinoa really wished which was seeing Yu happy; how can I state this when it is often heard that her feelings were forced to be romantic/sexual according to some within the fandom?

Image taken from Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign - Chapter 72

Within said chapter, Shinoa had a conversation between Shikama only to be taunted by him in order to make her lower the walls of her heart; within that, Shikama started to suggest an exchange; within the exchanges, both options were things Shinoa wished to see for Yu; one of them seeing Mikaela as a human again; she’s aware Yu’s wish would be to see Mika as a human again at that time; which of course, make her hesitate but nevertheless, she tried to stand strong saying she didn’t care about that; but when Shikama stated he knew a way on how to revert Yu’s curse; that’d mean that Yu would be healed instead of seeing his constant self destruction. But, what does this imply? Does this imply she wanted to feel gratitude or anything in exchange for Yu if she accepted such offers?

The answer is no.

Shinoa’s been displayed as a character that does worry of her squad, and that is something mentioned very well by @fandomsarepainful and @distinguished-slacker.

Shinoa has displayed a caring nature not only for Yu; she has shown such nature towards Mitsuba; she’s conforted her in the past due to the events and hardships Mitsuba endured after the loss of her former squad; furthermore such caring side is visible when it comes to respecting important decisions when it comes to Kimizuki and Yoichi. She doesn’t neglect their ideas, on the contraty, she wishes to learn what they think for a best solution; and such side is visible with Mikaela too after he spent 3 months with the squad after deflecting the JIDA.

Returning back to the main point of the theory, after the events that ended up getting her possessed by Shikama Doji due to her trying to save Yuichiro and Asuramaru; she was eventually rescued by Guren and later on gathered the squad with the Queen Krul Tepes.

And of course, the controvertial scene:

Image taken from Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign - Chapter 99

What’s the main reason she stated such thing? Is it because she was forced to view Yu romantically by Shikama Doji and Mahiru?

The answer is a big no.

How could I possibly state that?

The reason goes that Shinoa doesn’t see Yu within lust or obsession as I stated before but rather she sees Yu within a pure love; she wishes his well being and his happiness, that’s what she truthfully wishes for. Shinoa never knew the concept of love towards someone else or rather directed someone rather than her sister but Mahiru did what she could in order to preserve that purity from being twisted by Shikama Doji.

But overall, there’s a second reason to this, what do I mean?

Correct. A reason to live

Image taken from Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign - Chapter 99

Shinoa is tired and exhausted on how her life has gone; she’s tired that Shikama Doji had to control everything and made her lose what she treasured:

Her life

Her sister

Her sister’s happiness

Her squad’s somewhat stable life

The World

Her mother’s death

The curse her squad had to carry being guinea pigs

Her own emotions

She is tired of seeing sacrifices for small victories; she’s tired to see that those important around her have to keep losing what they treasure the most; Shinoa is a character that is aware of many things and that is heavily reflected back in chapter 97:

Image taken from Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign - Chapter 97

In said chapter she stated that she expected it was her fault that her mother died after she gave birth to her; she has been carrying so much guilt and pain within her heart to the point she finally got exhausted after seeing Shikama Doji possessing her again when she was learning from the Queen what her sister did in order to create a plan that would start operating in the future with the only hope of protecting her baby sister; the only person Mahiru considered as her family.

But then, if she found a reason to live, does this imply she’s forcing to believe she’s in love with Yu?

No. She isn’t. But why?

Shinoa in her whole life never saw a reason to live, nor exist, she didn’t see why she should keep living but she kept on going without any path; but after the squad was finally created, and after taking the responsibility of leading it; she started to grow emotions, she stated to feel attachment to them but most of all, she started to admire Yu’s kind nature of saving people and giving it all for those who matter or are important or rather being a kind person without receiving anything in exchange.

Hence why, after being possessed again and seeing that Shikama Doji was weakened due to Mahiru’s drug; she found a way to break free and within this, she accepted what her heart felt, which was a pure selfless love; but does that mean she’ll end with him?

No. Shinoa stated that she’d fight because she finally found a reason to live, nor she wants to see Shikama take away all she was able to find and protect; she doesn’t want to see everything vanish without her trying the least, she doesn’t want to be the same lonely girl nor wants to be asleep while knowing Shikama will destroy that amount of happiness she finally managed to find within her life.

That’s why she states she’d overcome him and take over him due to him being the main reason her life was cursed.

Shinoa stopped fearing what her heart felt, she no longer sees “love” as something bad that Shikama stated, but rather a pure feeling that is born with time and that is displayed with the time she spent with her squad who are her friends as well.

What do you think dear readers?

Let me know!

P.S: Theories don’t involve ships and stay within a neutral view

[daylighteclipsed]

re: the "head full" comment, i was mostly just joking about how after kh1, sora thinks about riku, like, all the time, not really about any smooth progression lol (evolution/change would have been a better word)

although now i wonder if the sora&riku childhood memory scenes in kh1 are actually supposed to signify the characters remembering them like the scene with kairi's grandma, or just for the audience

I gotcha. But there does have to be some smooth-ish progression in KH1, I think, in the sense that you see Sora realize Riku’s not infallible or impossible to lose, since he does start out assuming that Riku can take care of himself and that their friendship is always guaranteed.

Sora’s oblivious to how hurt Riku is by his nonchalance and (arguable) negligence, until Riku is pretty much spelling it out for him. Until they’re enemies — something Sora never thought possible. Sora can’t imagine Riku would fall prey to manipulation or rely on the darkness — cause Riku’s too strong, too smart, too capable; he’s the best, and that’s why Sora admires him — until it happens. Until Riku needs his help.

That’s what sets you up for Sora’s growing need to reach Riku in CoM and KH2 — the realization that Riku can’t do everything by himself, that the gap between them — in age, in skills, in wisdom — is not as wide as it seemed, and that there’s no guarantee Riku’s always going to be there. Sora doesn’t realize how much Riku means to him until there’s a very real possibility of losing him and his love. Distance makes the heart grow fonder, essentially, but cranked up a notch or five.

I think something similar could be said for Riku after he loses his body. He’s always known Sora means a lot to him, but I think this is when he realizes that the hatred he’s been feeling doesn’t overshadow his love for Sora. All he really wants is to see Sora again, be by his side again. Riku misses him. They miss each other, and that’s a feeling that only grows stronger the longer they’re apart…

Geez now I want to break down the whole evolution of their relationship, but I should really finish KH3 and the two games after that first lol

As for the KH1 childhood memory scenes: I’m pretty sure they signify the characters are remembering those moments… Like, just skimming the game, we get that flashback of little Riku and Sora deciding one day they’re gonna leave Destiny Islands and have real adventures together, because Sora’s knocked out — he dreams of this memory before waking up in Monstro. We see a little more of that memory but from Riku’s perspective after Neverland — little Riku noticing the keyhole in the secret door after Sora walks away — before it cuts to current Riku breathing heavily with his eyes closed. So, I’m assuming this memory’s flashing through his mind.

The little montage in sepia after they close the KH doors is less about Sora remembering those specific moments, I think, and more communicating to us what he’s feeling then and the bond, the love, that still ties Sora and Riku together, ties their hearts together, despite everything that’s happened — it’s how they’re going to find each other again. But I could be wrong.

[ramblingguy54]

The First Adventure: Bradford Introspective.

So, uh, sir as you can see, our unpredictable S.H.U.S.H. escapades are costing us millions. A chaotic event occurs...We respond with even more chaos.

Getting more insight into Bradford’s ideology was wonderful to see. Giving the antagonist screen time to flourish in expanding their personality, while adding to what makes them who they are, is seriously important for an interesting well rounded character. It further adds a weight to their presence, like we’ve seen with Magica De Spell looming around Lena in Season 1 before. Lunaris suffered a serious lack of screen time in Season 2, since it was focused on a bunch of other stuff, such as Della’s introduction into the fray at long last. It’s very interesting and ironic that he started out working for the very agency he’s entirely against, going to show how Bradford really isn’t an antagonist, per say. More of a well intent extremist, who’s just some guy wanting order and control that won’t result in spiraling out of hand chaos. He’s done intensive studying on all of the organization’s previous occurred scenarios and wanted to find a better more efficient way of creating a less concerning environment. Ludwig, naturally, saw the big red flag a mindset like this would obviously cause for everyone in the grand scheme of things shutting down his idea from ever being approved. Bradford knows though a guy like himself doesn’t have the abilities in creating what is believed to create a better world from his perspective so he turns toward enlisting Black Heron for help. A decision both good & bad for his plans.

The First Adventure ties in Scrooge’s growth of using adventure to bond with his beloved niece and nephew, just as Bradford uses his experience of working together alongside Black Heron to be more careful and cautious about making sure this plan doesn’t have severe slip ups down the road. Black Heron’s over eccentric nature puts them consistently at risk of being caught red handed, considering she loves getting attention for her evil deeds much to Bradford’s dismay. Their chemistry is priceless seeing how Bradford tries tolerate her arrogant nature, while feeling the need to constantly remind her that he’s no villain with a need to make their maniacal motives known to everyone. Bradford only wants to attain the chaos ridden artifact allowing no more disasters occurring of it falling into the wrong hands, which Heron constantly butts heads with him on throughout the episode’s run time. Heron’s nature is a loose canon Bradford would inevitably tie down for good measure afterwards to make sure she wouldn’t endanger his master plan operation for future reference. Well, at least until her incompetent shenanigans went down in Let’s Get Dangerous.

You used the Papyrus twice! I should’ve known. You, Scrooge...All of you! You’re all reckless! Nothing but trouble!

If it wasn’t for Bradford’s quick thinking in using the Papyrus, the very thing he heavily was criticizing early about not wanting to use funnily enough, his aspirations would’ve been cut short right here and now. However, it did serve an important purpose of Scrooge figuring out his true colors even back then because he made it clear of never resigning his resolve to capture Bradford, even if it meant tearing down whatever is in the way of preventing that accomplishment. A resolve like that scared him greatly enough to make a heel turn change in perspective about how he should go about better handling an approach of caution. Instead of hiding in the shadows, Bradford takes the good ole approach of keeping your enemies closer than any ally basically. The First Adventure is laced with plenty of optimism, but shows the dark under belly of Bradford’s evolution, too. Having Bradford interact with Scrooge as much as he has in the story’s current events makes for awesome dramatic material. Been really enjoying this dynamic of their’s in studying how they’re so much alike, business wise, but so insanely different contrast wise on approaches to risk taking. I’ve always enjoyed the idea of incorporating a character serving as an exact opposite to everything the main hero of a story stand for, which in this case is Scrooge’s love for adventuring blossoming stronger than ever here.

Bradford & Scrooge want control in their lives to create some kind of happiness for themselves. They’re seriously stubborn, driven by their own pride, and don’t normally waver from what they want to see through til the end. Greatly appreciate what Season 3 has been conveying between their mentalities. It’s eerie as heck looking at how much Scrooge trusted him because they’re so similar in their thinking from a business standpoint on stuff to a degree. Not only did he go underneath Scrooge’s radar, but Agent 22 as well who can be a tough nut to crack in terms of gaining her trust and respect. He’s secretly deadly to the core because of how calculating he is in his approach as this season’s big baddie. Bradford’s silent methodical planning has gotten him this far on the path for achieving his goals in gaining control over everything.

This looks like the start of a beautiful friendship...

Give me an episode having the antagonist as part of a focal point alongside our hero and you’ve caught my full attention. It was entertainingly insightful seeing how it all began for Bradford showing his evolution of plans for orderly organized control would lead him straight to being a board member of Scrooge’s businesses and corporation. You can just feel the sinister atmosphere flying off this screen shot of Bradford’s passive aggressive two faced personality. 

[nitewrighter]

Baptember Prompt: Talon HQ

“Evaluation”

-----

Baptiste’s eyes flicked around the luxurious office with wariness, taking in the smoke-damaged Kandinsky on the wall and the small Yoruba sculpture on a table in front of it--both likely salvage from the Omnic Crisis---the placement made it seem like the painting was a dream of the sculpture, a chaotic but appealing whirl of triangles, circles, and straight and curving lines. Maybe Baptiste was looking at the wall behind the desk because of who was sitting at the desk. 

“Hm,” Doomfist was dressed in a lightweight olive blazer and white dress shirt. An orange and yellow aso oke scarf was tied at his neck in a casual ascot style. It looked like he had walked right out of a fashion magazine for a spread for ‘Fun and breezy executive casual looks,’ but Baptiste felt awkward in the gray cargo pants and fitted, high-necked black shirt of the Talon ground forces ‘casual’ uniform in the chair across from him.

“Is... there a reason you wished to see me, sir?” said Baptiste and Doomfist’s eyes flicked up to him from the tablet.

“I was just running over some testimonials again,” said Doomfist, setting the tablet down on his desk. 

“Testimonials?” said Baptiste.

Doomfist interlaced the fingers of his massive hands in front of him on the desk and gave Baptiste a single nod, “They’re very impressive.”

“...thank you sir,” Baptiste chuckled a little, “I... wasn’t under the impression that I popped up on your radar.”

A warm chuckle rumbled in Doomfist’s chest. “Yes, given the way this world has treated you, I can understand how you expect people to disregard you. To underestimate you. But you have my word that I will show no such ignorance. You see, I care about this organization,” Doomfist’s smile was so dazzlingly white, that it nearly distracted from that discerning gleam in his eyes. Baptiste felt himself being read, anticipated even, “I care about its future,” said Doomfist, “And yours.”

“...my future?” said Baptiste, hesitantly.

“You see, Lieutenant Augustin, much of the world runs on algorithms. These algorithms can define your life, from where you’re born, to what job you might get, to whether you qualify for medical care, to whether you qualify for a job.”

“I’m aware,”said Baptiste. He could count on both hands how many times Sombra had launched into her “cradle-to-the-grave algorithm” rant with him.

“I’m not a particular fan of that,” said Doomfist, that slightly-faded smile still tugging at the corners of his mouth, “Don’t get me wrong, I’m not some luddite or ‘human supremacy’ fiend--I recognize Omnics as a vital part of the populace,” he demonstrably held up his own prosthetic arm, “And I recognize technology’s place with humanity, but we had a chance to break free of these oppressive algorithms after the Crisis and instead... Overwatch simply let us slip back to a system that punches down. We prized normalcy over humanity. Over evolution.” He rested his elbow on his desk and his chin on his knuckles “But anyway, in Talon’s early days, in the days of my predecessor Akinjide Adeyemi, Talon more or less mimicked this structure, and when I replaced him--”

Killed him, thought Baptiste.

“I thought we needed to take a more... personal approach when it came to the careers of our more outstanding recruits.”

Baptiste blinked a few times. “...Outstanding?” he said.

“It’s not often someone joins our ranks having invented their own weapon,” said Doomfist.

“The biotic launcher isn’t 100% a weapon---” Baptiste started.

“I’m aware,” Doomfist returned, holding up his tablet, “Again, testimonials. Now, my question is, with your talents, why not apply for Talon’s engineering or R&D departments?”

“...I don’t have a formal education in the sciences,” said Baptiste, “And my medical education is largely limited to my Caribbean Coalition training. I read, certainly, and I tinker, but... that’s not the same.” 

Doomfist leaned forward slightly. “I can assure you, you are more than qualified, and Talon would be happy to help fill in any gaps for you,” he said, smiling, “Look at Moira O’Deorain! Now that she’s not constrained by the formalities of academia, she is doing some of her best work with us. I would love to see what you create with the right resources made available to you.” 

Baptiste had to suppress a shudder at the direct comparison between himself and Moira. He had seen her strolling around the facility, her little cult of labtechs close at her heels. Across the desk, Doomfist’s eyes were making Baptiste feel like every microscopic facial twitch of his was being picked apart and analyzed. But it didn’t have the cold distance of Moira’s glare---it felt closer, hotter, consuming rather than dissecting.

“You... want me to be a labtech,” said Baptiste hesitantly.

“Hardly,” Doomfist shook his head, “You see, O’Deorain works mostly in theory, you, however, are able to quickly take available technology and find its immediate application. You could be the perfect bridge between our R&D department and our combat division.” 

You could make it faster and easier to weaponize O’Deorain’s ideas, thought Baptiste. He could feel his own fingers digging into his leg through his fatigues with the amount of control it took to keep his expression neutral.

“I’m,” Baptiste cleared his throat, “I’m more of a ‘boots on the ground’ guy.” 

Doomfist gave him a studying look.

“You can do a lot better than pure mercenary work, Lieutenant Augustin,” said Doomfist, “And the benefits would be much higher, with much less risk to your person. It wouldn’t even be more demanding, time-wise, than your current schedule. You wouldn’t be as subject to the whims of Talon’s ‘boots on the ground’ missions. More freedom to conduct your own business.”

More money. Less travel. He could visit the clinic back in Port-Au-Paix more often. He could buy better equipment for the clinic. He could invent better equipment for the clinic. But then how much more would Talon know about it? How much more would Doomfist or Moira know about it? How much did they know already?

“I’ll...” Baptiste’s voice trailed off, “Need time to think about it.”

“Of course,” said Doomfist, leaning back in his seat easily, “Take all the time you need... to an extent. Remember: Talon believes in a world where men are not bound by their fear. Hesitate too long, and you might just get left behind. If you ever need to discuss your future, you know where to find me. Of course, we’ll be keeping an eye on you in the meantime,” He picked up his tablet. “That’s all for now. As you were.”

“Sir,” said Baptiste pushing up from the chair, saluting, and walking briskly out of the room. 

He walked out of the office and made it a ways down the hall. An omnic assistant opened the elevator for him and he stepped in. As soon as the elevator doors closed on him, he slumped into a corner, bracing his hand against one of the wall rails of the elevator as he tried to get control of his breath. The elevator dinged as it reached the below-ground levels devoted to Talon’s armories and training facilities, and he still had his other hand clamped on his chest as the door opened to reveal Sombra and Mauga standing there, hunched around a cupcake filched from the mess hall. Sombra was sporting her heavily modified ‘tech specialist’ armor, her blood red pixie cut styled into a pompadour that day. Mauga, like Baptiste, was in the fitted black shirt and gray cargo pants of Talon’s casual fatigues, his wild mane of black hair with a white lightning streak tied half up in a white streaked bun with the rest of it cascading over his shoulders.

“Hey hey! There’s our favorite engineer!” said Mauga, clapping his hands.

“How’d it go?” said Sombra.

“How did what--” Baptiste started.

“The big boss calling you in!” said Mauga, “I mean, come on, you’ve been up for a promotion for weeks.” He clicked his tongue, “Gotta admit: I’m gonna miss you while you’re in the nerd squad.”

“Oh--I’m not... I didn’t...” Baptiste’s words didn’t feel like they were coming from him so much as he was trying to pluck them out of the air as they materialized.

“...didn’t what?” said Sombra, and a sharpness suddenly overtook her features, “You didn’t take it?!”

“I said I’d think about it!” Baptiste fumbled.

“Aw, is it ‘cuz you’d miss me?” said Mauga but both Sombra and Baptiste shot him ‘come on,’ looks.

“Look, it was just... a lot, okay? He--Doomfist--is a lot,” said Baptiste, “I didn’t slam the door on it! It’s just... a big change!” 

“‘Big change’ he says!” said Mauga with a laugh, “Like we aren’t being uprooted every couple of weeks to fly off who-knows-where!” But Sombra apparently read Baptiste’s expression and elbowed Mauga. “What?” said Mauga, before looking at Baptiste. Those sharp bright eyes gave Baptiste a brief scan. It didn’t give Baptiste the same apprehension that Doomfist’s look gave him, he had spent too long fighting alongside Mauga for that. He knew him too well for that. But Mauga seemed to concede to Baptiste’s apparently shell-shocked expression and sighed. “Eh, cold feet,” he said with a dismissive hand wave, “Happens to everyone.”

“I guess this is a consolation cupcake now,” said Sombra, pushing the red velvet cupcake towards him.

“Yeah... and... he said they’ll be keeping an eye on me?” said Baptiste, taking the cupcake from her.

The look Sombra gave him then had a flash of warning to it. “I guess that’s still good... just remember: they remember the shots you don’t take just as much as the shots you do.” 

“And you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take! That’s on my quote-a-day calendar,” said Mauga, trying to find the tone of conversation that Baptiste and Sombra were on, or at least trying to segue them hard back to his unstoppably jovial mood. 

Baptiste picked one of the red sprinkles off of the cream cheese frosting of his cupcake, “I’ll uh... keep that in mind.”

Sombra and Mauga exchanged glances.

“Tell you what,” said Mauga, “How about we all change into civvies, grab a couple drinks, and talk about it.”

“...or we could change into civvies, grab a couple drinks and not talk about it,” said Sombra, giving Baptiste a wry smile.

“...Let’s get the first two parts out of the way and figure out the third part later,” said Baptiste with a huff.

“There, y’see? Thinks on his feet, this guy,” said Mauga, “Real promotion material--oof--” Sombra elbowed Mauga again.

“Meet back at the usual spot in 30?” said Baptiste.

Sombra and Mauga both gave him a nod before they headed off for the lockers, leaving Baptiste in the hallway with his lonely little cupcake. He picked off the wrapping from the side of the cupcake, thought of Doomfist’s smile, of that brief flash of everything he could have done to help the clinic if he had just taken up the offer, and he wondered how a job where everyone was telling you you were doing so well could make you feel so wrong.