#like heartman for example

[savage-rhi]

Brisk Harpy: a courier organization dedicated to helping colonies out West primarily in areas where the UCA/Chiral Network can't reach. Gene Dawkins took up work at Brisk Harpy following her departure from Middle Knot City.

DUAT: A team of 6 individuals recruited by an offbranch of the UCA to allegedly assist with research pertaining to BTs and Beaches. Rumor has it the 6 are embued with special abilities and powers that give them domain over entities...Of course, that's hearsay. There may also be a 7th member but nothing substantial evidence wise as come forward.

**my new Death Stranding fanfic isn't coming out for a while, but I felt like making logos for two organizations that'll be featured. If you've read Sky of Atoms, Brisk Harpy should be familiar. DUAT though, is something new 👀

[arnesia]

sudden death stranding lore theory:

the beach shouldn’t exist. when you die you should go into the seam and then into the actual afterlife. the death stranding IS the beach. the beach is like some random landmass in the oceanic limbo that is the seam, connecting everyone’s individual beaches together. since we see other people in the seam when we die in the game, we can infer the seam is NOT individual based. everybody is supposed to go to the same seam. but for some reason everyone has individual beaches (although in some cases you can leave your beach to go to other beaches - prime example being heartman exploring various beaches). it’s like…individuality “broke” the seam with a landmass that sometimes “strands” souls on it en mass in the form of a death stranding/mass extinction event, instead of letting them pass through the seam naturally

[shotofstress]

Yes, I noticed that too. I think it's because Heartman was honest with him from the beginning. Deadman couldn't reveal too much information about himself for fear of rejection and discrimination from Sam like probably he suffers from Bridges, and bc he wasn't suspicious of the organisation in the beginning because he really believed that bringing USA back was positive and he believed in all the propaganda of America and Die Hardman. Heartman on the other hand never believed in USA or that it was good or desirable to re-establish the American regime. Heartman from the beginning told Sam who he was, his motivations and it was possible to understand that he was there not for the United States but for the collective good and to be able to see his family. . Heartman explained his research to Sam, asked him personal questions and even listened to Sam when he told him that Higgs thought Amelie could carry out the Last Stranding. Heartman when showing Sam the evidence of the previous EE and the Death Stranding in each of the Big Five, trusted that Sam would know what he was showing him, indicating that he does not see Sam as ignorant or dimwitted as people often assume blue-collar workers are. The scientist was never codecendent with Sam nor did he order him around without explanation like Die-Hardman did, for example. Heartman is the smartest person in Bridges, falling into the category of genius (as is explicitly stated in the novel, though I think it is also clear in the game), yet he did not look down on Sam.

So considering all this, your fanart is super cute and it's great as a headcanon. I also like to think of a timeline where Sam visits Heartman, after all the man promised to take care of Lou if Sam didn't come back and be a family with the Deadless Dream Team (in which I don't include Die-Hardman, he can throw himself in a ditch).

Heart To Heart

I have noticed something about the game as far as Sam is concerned. Whenever people like Deadman or Die-Hardman talks about the UCA and Bridges in general, Sam shows general indifference to what they have to say. Well, granted, they are normally things which he knows himself already and has little care for after Bridges I ended. 

However, when it came to the moment with Heartman, surprisingly, Sam shows quite genuine interest in what the man has to say. There seems to be quite an exchange whenever Heartman explains things to him and it’s pretty sweet. 

Hence, this little headcanon where Sam might visit Heartman and hang out and just talk about stuff. I’d imagine Sam bringing Lou along as well. 

.

DEATH STRANDING DIRECTOR’S CUT for PC in 4 (well now 3) days! 

[vyragosa]

“grief as an anchor”

not gonna do higgs apologism before even game release BUT

the fact still remains that, the existence of cliff ALONE still signified that humanity could potentially “navigate” past the death stranding with grief acting as an “anchor” (heartman blatant enough an example), evidently implies death in the first place 

we DID get presented with BTs who are non-aggressive, souls who weren’t just devourers or did not just act on impulse toward the living (fragile’s very mother coffin!!!!) and of course, the connection that could still remain especially toward

PARENTHOOD that is visibly at the heart of the death stranding

tar ITSELF is like LIQUID HOSTILITY AND GRIEF since it’s a manifestation of the beach and the connection to it and the doorway toward multiple space-time, bringing back buildings of different eras and technically the people that came with it

if to be able to navigate the sea of tar one would only be able to do so by “having experienced a grief as vast as the sea of it” effectively acting as the needed anchor

[aspoonofsugar]

From any medium (anime, live-action/animated TV series and films, literature, video games, etc.), what conversations did you find to be the most well-written/intriguing? (I hope this question isn’t too vague)—BSD Chat Anon

Which anime characters do you think had the best introductions/first appearances? (I feel like I’ve been asking you to make a lot of lists lately. I hope this isn’t getting monotonous)—BSD Chat Anon            

Hello BSD chat anon!

No problem! They are actually interesting lists which are gonna end up being totally inexaustive.

As far as conversations aka dialogues go, here is my list in no particular order, as per usual:

1) Psycho Pass:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mmbdg_9hS4M

The scene above is just one of the many interesting dialogues and conversations in the series. The series itself explores very interesting themes (mental health, justice, utilitarianism, free will, use of technology), so it is normal that the dialogues reflect this. Different characters have different opinions and they openly show them through both their actions and their words.

2) Liar Game:

People should be doubted. Many people misunderstand this concept. Doubting people is just a part of getting to know them. What many people call “trust” is really just giving up on trying to understand others, and that very act is far worse than doubting. It is actually “apathy”.

Akiyama Shinichi

Liar Game is a series which talks about mental game, but among all the tricks used by the characters you can also find lines like the one above which introduces a very interesting perspective imo.

3) Death Stranding:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0C_dN6hvoRA&t=48s

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

I don’t think the two examples I gave make the dialogues justice. What I like about this story’s dialogues is how they play with words’ different meaning. Terms like delivery, strand, fragile and so on all have multiple meanings and are connected to characters in different ways. This is something which happens also because of the names given to the characters which all are important thematically. The dialogues are very beautiful in this game even if some are incredibly long and more like monologues.

4) Tales of Arcadia:

Tales of Arcadia is a series whose dialogues are brilliant even if they have a completely different style than the ones described up until now. Because of the nature of the series, the dialogues use a lot of jokes, but what is amazing is that these jokes are often very meaningful when one thinks about them. The Trollhunter is a troll, so he has to hunt himself is a joke which actually conveys the theme of the series. Aja and Toby using each other’s chatchphrase in a scene shows the integration between humans and aliens and their growing bond and so on. It is amazing that the franchise manages to make important thematic lines out of jokes.

5) The Peanuts

I love dialogues which are short, but very deep and The Peanuts are a perfect example of what one can do with dialogues. When it comes to this I also like Altan and author who is able to come up wiht lines like this one:

I like myself, but I am not sure I have good taste.

As you can see, they are pretty ironic and poignant.

I have tried to present series with different styles and others with quotes I particularly liked. All in all, there are tons of series whose dialogues I like either because they are well written or because I love what the characters say. I have also mostly focused on cartoons, anime/manga and games because if I were to start with books and movies I would never end.

Some other random honorable mentions are Madoka, Monster, Once Upon a Time in the West, Requiem for the Phantom and Re:creators, Gaber’s monologues and Zerocalcare.

As far as character introductions go, he is my list in no particular order:

1) Fyodor’s introduction in BSD (where for introduction I mostly mean his introductory chapter) is very well made. It manages to convey the character’s philosophy, his intelligence, his personality and to do so through an interesting subplot.

2) Ritsu’s introductory arc in Assassination Classroom

Her two-chapters arc is a good example of a short arc written in a good way. What is more, Ritsu is a good play of the moe robot since she is Moe and a robot, but she is not an android hence the gag of her classmates seeing a giant black box with the face of a girl. All in all, Ritsu is immediately given a clear flaw and the way she overcame it was sweet to see.

3) Claire Stanfield in Baccano

I am not talking of his official first appearance, but of his proper introduction as Vino aka the Rail Tracer. I like the way it is foreshadowed, but also well hidden and the way the scene is directed, so that Claire keeps his confused expression while he kicks the gun out of his opponent’s hand.

4) Toph’s introduction in ATLA:

The Blind Bandit is one of my favourite episodes in ATLA and I think it offers a very strong introduction to Toph, who she is, what she wants and the nature of her abilities.

5) Clifford Unger’s first appearance in Death Stranding

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eScmaMRg4IU

Technically by that point the player has already seen Cliff in flashbacks, but this is the first time you meet him in the story itself. As you can see, his introduction is very chilling and manages to both convey information on Cliff (his past as a soldier), but also to make a nice contrast with what you’ll discover later of Cliff’s true nature.

6) Heartman’s introduction in Death Stranding

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

Unluckily I could not find a shorter video with only his introductory scene, but this should give you the idea as well (plus you can watch his whole interaction with Sam if you feel like it and have not played/watched the game).

Anyway, I think Heartman has a great introduction with in literally one minute tells you a lot about the character and makes you willing to know more about him. The scene shows you many details of the environment Heartman is in like the floor, his familyìs picture and the sandglass. As you discover them you go closer to him and you realize he is in a cardiac arrest, but just when you start getting worried Heartman is given a shock and he wakes up. I think that it is overall a very powerful introduction which already makes you like the character even before you can interact with him.

Thank you for the asks!

[heartshapedstrand]

Let me preface this with: I will never bash on or hate a ship. Just because I don’t understand the enjoyment of a ship, does not mean I think no one should ship them.

Now...

Am I the only one that doesn’t understand the Deadman/Sam ship?

The scene involving the shower made me SO uncomfortable, and not because I don’t like Deadman, but because Sam himself was so uncomfortable in the scene. He was cornered in a small space, while he aphenphosmphobia was at its worst. I don’t get the attraction to them as a ship?

I do acknowledge, however, that Deadman helped Sam in a million ways with his journey and Lou, learning about Cliff, trying to help him uncover the truths Bridges was trying to hide.

He was a true friend to Sam, loyal even. But... I dunno, I just don’t feel the chemistry between them as more than friendship? I feel the same way with Fragile and Sam, they are the prime example in my perspective of “friendship is best ship”.

They were there for each other; close, with the potential of a platonically intimate friendship. Deadman along with Heartman and Lockne, could have become his close friends, too. (We just never get to see it in-game, if it was to come to pass)

That hug Sam gives Deadman was his thank you for everything Deadman has done for him, including a possible way out from under Bridges, and a slim hope to save Lou.

So... anyone wanna illuminated what makes the ship... shipable? What kind of ship, why?

Enlighten me.

[idontfindyouthatinteresting]

For fic writers, artists, or people who just want to know what on earth is going on with this game, I’ve created some resources, the first of these is the Glossary, there will also be...

Character Profiles / Plot Outline

ALL OF THESE CONTAIN HUGE SPOILERS - THEY ARE THE FACTS AS I KNOW THEM - READING THIS WILL SPOIL THE GAME FOR YOU. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. If there’s anything that’s wrong let me know with a source to the correct answer, but I haven’t written anything I’ve not been sure of, but this is all based on my memory of the game, if there’s terms that should be added, please let me know.

Aphenphosmphobia - The fear of being touched. Sam suffers with this for a long time in the game, even unable to let the woman who raised him from infancy to touch him on her death bed. The only person we see comfortably touch Sam for most of the game is Amelie on her beach in his youth, he even hugs her. Sam will recoil at the idea of being touched  in any way, even over clothes unless he is prepared. Fragile needs to touch his skin to transport him, he seems to prepare himself for this and suffers through it as he needs to be touched. As the story progresses Sam becomes more comfortable being touched, by the end he hug’s Deadman voluntarily.

Beaches - a kind of limbo, the pathway from the world of the living to the world of the dead. Appeared or made accessible after the death stranding. The wave of anti matter that will destroy humanity will come through the beach, specifically Amelie’s beach. Everyone has an individual beach, but as chiral matter increases, the beaches start to combine. Those with more severe DOOMs are able to travel to their beaches and use them to teleport. Time on the beach runs slower than in real life. Heartman is searching the beaches for his wife and child whenever he dies, he has 3 minutes to search before he’s brought back to life. Someone with DOOMs can teleport others, but strong bonds or tailsman’s are needed to go to someone else’s beach. Amelie’s Ka is stuck on her beach, and her beach is considered a ‘super beach’ because she’s an Extinction Entity. Beaches are personal and individual. 

Beached Things - Also known as BT’s - BT’s come in multiple forms, there are humanoid forms, floating fuzzy people, foetal forms, floating fuzzy babies and monster BT’s, like an enormous squid, lion, or whale. They’re characterized by tar coverings/pools and are souls which have become stranded in the ‘real’ world. These souls have umbilical cords to the other side. They are sensitive to movement and sound, so staying still, not talking, crouching and therefore moving slowly, or in extremis, not breathing will help you to sneak past them without them knowing. Touching them unless you can defend yourself will mean being dragged into the tar. Mama weaves Sam’s blood into an alloy and integrates it into his cufflinks and he can use that to cut the umbilical cords of BT’s and send them back to the world of the dead where they belong, for this they give Sam ‘likes’ as a thank you, grateful to be sent back.

Bridges - Porter company, heavily integrated with the idea of connecting America together and therefore becoming the UCA, but there are some locations which can have connection with Bridges (or Fragile Express) but not want to part of the UCA. Bridges 1 was an expedition lead by Amelie to create the network, ending at Edge Knot City.

Bridge Babies - Also known as BB’s - They’re 28 week old foetus’ taken from their mothers womb, their ‘still mother’ and put into pods, these pods stop them growing and are designed to be artificial wombs for them to live inside. These BB’s have connections to both the ‘real’ world and the world of the dead, because they’re classed as never having been alive. Because of this property, they’re able to detect matter from the other side, and therefore detect BT’s. The UCA experimented with BB’s, but the project was discontinued because of ethical concerns, the project was continued the secret. BB’s are therefore used with an Odradek by people working outside of the safety of the cities to help them negotiate their way through BT territory. BB’s are said to only be useful for 1 year and then they’re deactivated and their bodies burnt so they don’t necrotize. The UCA (Bridget/Amelie) also used the BB’s as the basis for the chiral network in each of the knot cities, so there is a BB in each of the cities as the base code to keep the network online, Sam has to deliver Edge Knot Cities BB to bring the city online. BB’s maintain their connection with the dead by being placed in the incubator in a private room, and therefore being linked to their still mother, this is the ‘percentage’ score that presents on the incubator. At a point during the story, Sam’s BB begins to be more in the world of the living than the dead because of their connection with Sam being so strong, this causes an issue with the BB’s effectiveness.

Chiralgrams - holograms of people, projected either into the terminals of cities and waystations or into rooms to have conversations. People can appear to be places they aren’t, or to keep them safe from the outside world. If not on the Chiral network, the producer of the Chiralgram will be fuzzy, when on the Chiral Network the image gets clearer.

Chiralium - A dangerous element which comes to the ‘real’ world through the beach, it’s toxic to humans, and over exposure can cause depression and suicidal thoughts in humans, however it’s also used in Chiral printers to allow humans to produce things like bridges and roads quickly. Increases in Chiralium in the atmosphere are caused by heavy rain (Timefall) and can increase BT activity. The Death Stranding is characterized by Chiralium coming through into the ‘real’ world. Chiralium can become a physical item through Chiral crystals which grow from the ground when BT’s are destroyed. Sam collects Chiral crystals in a pod given to him by Heartman.

Chiral Network - Sam’s main task in the game is to bring as many terminals (cities, waystations, individual citizens) onto the Chiral Network using the Q-pid, this network is possible because of the Chiralium which comes from the beach. It allows the seamless transfer of information, designs and plans, it brings medical equipment online. There is a lot of reasons why many stations want to be on the chiral network, but some of the preppers are cautious about signing up and have to be persuaded.

Cufflinks - Worn by Bridges operatives, it serves many purposes, helps you keep a track of your cargo, contains maps and mail, and acts as a tracker and allows access to terminals, it also monitors the wearers vitals. It’s a blue when the wearer is ok, yellow when there’s health instability and red at critical. Cufflinks are placed onto Sam against his will when he’s brought into bridges and he can’t take them off himself. When asleep, one half of the cufflinks disconnect from the wrist, and he has to put it back on when he wakes up, the other side is permanently locked onto him and you can see where it rubs his skin red raw. Mama turns Sam’s cufflinks into an anti-BT weapon as detailed above. Deadman deactivates Sam’s cufflinks before he leaves to take Lou’s body to the incinerator at the end of the game, this gives Sam the option to remove them and burn them if he wants. Sam does this, terminating his Bridges employment at the same time.

D.O.O.M’s - Brought into the world through Amelie as she brings back an infant Sam from the dead after Sam and Cliff are killed in the hospital. DOOMs has various levels, from low level abilities, for example Sam who can sense the presence of BT’s to Fragile, who can teleport to beaches and therefore through the real world to Higgs, who has control over timefall and can summon huge BT’s. Heartman also has DOOMs but I cannot recall the level he has, but I do not believe it’s very high as he only has ‘artists impressions’ of what BT’s look like in his home. People with DOOMs have allergies to Chiralium, and therefore they cry when exposed to too much. The level of DOOMs is dependent on your birthday, with those born in January (Gigas,) mid February to mid March (Pisces,) mid June to mid July (Cancer,) September (Delphinus,) and November (Cetus) most effected.

Extinction Entity - Also known as ‘EE’ - Throughout the game as you bring scientists into the Chiral Network research is uncovered about completely well preserved dinosaurs and invertebrates with umbilical cords, because of the layers of rock, and tar present in the rock, the scientists lead by Heartman begin to believe that there have been previous Death Strandings. These well preseved beings with umbilical cords are said to be ‘Extinction Entities’ signs of the coming extinction and then causes of it. Bridget Strand (the UCA president who passes as the beginning of the game) is found to have an umbilical cord, hidden from the records and passed to Heartman in an delivery by Sam. On this discovery they believe that Amelie is also an extinction entity. Amelie is aware of her fate as an EE as she will cause the extinction and takes a decision to make it happen quickly. She is therefore able to grant Higgs his powers and use him to hasten the end of the world. She is convinced by Sam that humanity is worth giving time, to see if they can evolve quick enough to avoid destruction. The Extinction Entity has a beach which is superior to the rest of humanity, and the antimatter which will end the world comes through to the ‘real’ world through the EE’s beach. Amelie is powerful enough to hold it back if she stays on the beach, but not indefinitely. After discovering that Bridget and Amelie are actually the same person, it’s unclear about whether there are more than 1 extinction entities for the doomed generation.

Fragile Express - A private porter firm, they are the only firm with ships left. Run by ‘Fragile’ the daughter of the man who created the company. Fragile is different from Bridges but they’re doing similar things. People are divided on whether they love or hate Fragile Express, in the vicinity of Lake Knot City, there are some that rely on FE and will only work with Sam if he wears a FE ID (a bracelet called ‘Michanga.’) There are some that hate FE because they believe they’re terrorists and deliberately delivered a nuclear bomb to Middle Knot City, destroying the city, but in actuality FE were tricked by Higgs into bringing the bomb into the city. Higgs attempts to do this again in the story, getting Sam to take a nuclear device to Fragile, luckily Sam manages to throw the bomb into the tar and stop it exploding. After Sam stops Amelie ending the world immediately, Fragile Express is brought on as the first officially sanctioned private porter firm.

‘Going Necro’ - When people die, no matter the cause of death, you have 24 hours before the body will ‘go necro’ the corpse explodes with tar and a BT is born, this is then a huge risk to the cause of voidouts. For this reason, all bodies in Death Stranding are burned as soon as possible, there is a service called ‘corpse disposal’ (orange jumpsuits) who are in charge of taking corpses to the incinerators. There is a huge emphasis on not killing people, lots of the weapons are to stun, (stun bombs which are grenades which knock people out, bola guns which fire strings which tie people up) and many of the guns are described as ‘non-lethal’ or are lethal to BT’s only. As a repatriate, if Sam can find his body, he won’t go necro.

Ha - the name given to your body. Your Ha becomes a BT when someone ‘goes necro.’ Amelie is split at age 20 between her Ha and Ka, her Ha remains in the ‘real’ world and ages naturally, as she ages, she becomes ‘Bridget.’

Ka - the name given to your soul, this part remains once your body is gone, your Ka goes to the beach and then through to the other side. Amelie is spilt at age 20 between her Ha and Ka, Amelie’s Ka stays the same age and lives on the Beach but can project herself into the ‘real’ world.

MULES - Groups who live outside the cities and have an obsessive need (supposedly caused by chiral contamination) to steal and hoard cargo. They have scanners which can detect Bridges and Fragile ID’s on cargo and enables the MULEs to chase down and steal the cargo. There are instances were Sam needs to go and recover items which have been stolen by MULEs. You can clear MULE camps, but shouldn’t kill them, so therefore non-lethal methods, stun bombs, fist fights, bola guns, should be used on them.

Odradek - Initially designed to be a cargo and terrain scanner. It’s fitted to people’s shoulders and helps direct them provides light, and when hooked up to a BB, can indicate the location of BT’s by flapping in the direction of the closest BT. They also seem to express the BB’s emotions, giving BT’s a wave goodbye when they die and giving you a thumbs up if you’re clear of BT’s. They express a white light most of the time, but if danger is close, they become orange. When Higgs gets too close to Sam the Odradek is pointed towards him, demonstrating his BT connected nature, but is trembling in fear at his power. When Higgs tries to shoot Sam, BB uses the Odradek to protect him from the bullets by spinning the Odradek fast to catch the bullets.

Porters - After the Death Stranding, most humans are locked into cities/way-stations and only interact with the outside world through chiralgrams, once connected to the network, equipment and things can be printed using designs and materials, however the transfer of these materials is not possible to do through the chiral network, therefore porters have to bring items like metals, ceramics, alloys, blood, cryptobiotes, medicines to the stations to help people survive. Porters are therefore very important, and without them the human race wouldn’t be able to survive. Sam is a porter and porters wear blue. There are other porters in the game, travelling in small groups of 2 or 3, you can protect them and forge paths for them to travel and you can gift them weapons to keep them safe.

Q-pid - Sam’s necklace, it has hardware and software built and created by Mama and Lockne respectively, this necklace brings terminals at waystations, and knots onto the Chiral Network, linking them up together. This is Sam’s principal goal moving across America. The Q-pid has a Chiral limiter built in, in Sam’s first Q-pid, this fails, causing spikes and therefore extra BT activity, so Mama and Lockne have to replace and fix the Q-pid in the middle of Sam’s journey to restore the balance and mean that Sam can continue to bring terminals onto the network.

Repatriate - Repatriates are people that can direct their Ka back to their Ha when they die and almost come back to life. This means repatriates can avoid death, and survive voidouts. Sam is the only repatriate that you come across in the game, and this is because when he’s shot in his infancy (when Cliff attempts to escape from the hospital with him) and he dies, Amelie sends him back to the world from the beach. Repatriate body fluid (Blood, urine, skin cells from shower water, and excrement) is toxic to BT’s, and therefore you can use these to make weapons. Sam donates his own blood every time he sleeps so weapons can be made. His body fluids are collected at every point to make weapons.

Still Mother - Every BB has a ‘brain dead’ mother which is kept alive to keep the BB’s connected to both worlds. Lisa Bridges, Clifford Unger’s wife and Sam Porter Bridge’s mother is a Still Mother, but is killed by Clifford as a mercy. BB’s have to have a connection to their still mothers maintained to continue to be useful.

Supercell -  A storm which causes/is caused by (it’s unclear) a sharp increase in Chiralium density in the air. These storms steal Sam (and in one instance Deadman) and bring him into war zones where he meets Clifford Unger, time in the ‘real’ world stays still whilst Sam is in the supercell. Multiple supercells occur taking Sam to different war zones. Once Cliff is defeated in the supercell Sam can return to the ‘real’ world.

Terrorists - Also known as ‘Separatists’ - There are supposedly different factions, violent groups who are rejecting the idea of the United Cities of America coming together and are rejecting the chiral network. Beyond ideology for a long time the reasons why this is are unclear. The main group you interact with are run by Higgs, who caused the destruction of a city by sending an armed nuclear weapon into it. In the end, Higgs is found to be controlled by Amelie, and therefore the purpose of the terrorists have been to hasten the extinction of mankind for her purposes. Like the MULEs terrorists have scanners, but rather than looking for cargo they search for people.

Timefall - Rain, which after the Death Stranding accelerates the passage of time of anything it touches. Therefore the suits of people who work outside the cities (cargo/corpse disposal) have very sensitive automatic hoods on, the moment rain occurs the hoods release. Timefall causes plants to grow age and die before your eyes in the game. It will physically age your skin if it touches you, Higgs tortures Fragile by making her walk in timefall in her underwear, and this ages her skin. Timefall damages the cargo you carry, making it rust at an accelerated rate so if you’re in timefall for a prolonged period of time it’s best to seek shelter, you can hide in a cave or build ‘timefall shelters.’ Timefall can be an indication that BT’s may be present but does not guarantee it, the heavier the timefall the more BT’s are likely.

United Cities of America - Also known as the UCA - Built by Bridges, a project to try and bring the USA back together again post the Death Stranding. This is involved by connecting cities and stations up to the Chiral Network. Captial Knot City is the easterly most city, with Edge Knot City being the Westerly most. In between (east to west) you have Port Knot City, Lake Knot City, Middle Knot City (destroyed by Terrorist bombing) South Knot City (Terrorists attempted to destroy it but Fragile stopped them,) Mountain Knot City.

Voidout - The crater left behind if BT’s get a hold of a living person, the mixture of the BT’s antimatter hitting living matter creates an explosion. This happened in Manhattan and wiped the city out. Sam is a repatriate, so if a he dies in a voidout he can find his body again and survive.

[sunshine-zenith]

Some things I didn't like were that we never know some characters real names, heartman's wife and daughter are nameless women, little if anything is said about Lisa and only thanks to Cliff's bits ... and Lucy just gave me the creeps

It’s times like this, dear Anon, where you look canon in the eye, say “thank you, but these are mine now,” plant yourself a row of headcanon and then run with them.

If the plot leaves me with holes, I will spitefully fill those holes with the loving fury of a thousand suns, either by explaining why those holes are there or answering the questions that are these holes (Okay, the metaphor got away from me a bit there)

A few quick examples- answering the question

Heartman was facing the window that over looked the lake, eyes suddenly glazed over. “She loved to swim, my Cordelia. She wanted to spend every birthday on the beach, funnily. She’d be twenty today...” His voice trailed off, before he seemed to shake back into himself. With a flick of his hand, the window was replaced by screens, and he turned with a smile. “But I’ll deal with that later- I’ve got a good feeling about today. Now, onto business...”

I picked a (self indulgent- I never miss the chance to throw a bit of Persian culture into my work) name that meant both “heart” and “goddess of the sea,” threw in a sentence or two expanding on what we know- Heartman’s family died nearly a decade ago in DS, the only photos of his family seem to be by the sea, things like that- and boom! The start of something to fill that hole

-explaining why there’s no answer

Heartman was facing the window that over looked the lake, eyes suddenly glazed over. Then he laughed hollowly. “I still can’t bring myself to say her name, you know. The more years that go by, the harder it is.” He turned, suddenly. “...you know what I mean by that, don’t you?”

I threw in a sentence or two of angst and avoidance, and boom! The start of something to cover that hole.

....Basically take refuge in fanfic, I guess.

(Of course, that isn’t to brush over grievances. That’s just how I deal with them)

(I’d likely take a moment to acknowledge that female character have always gotten the short end of the stick, and even the best of media can disappoint. I’m out of my depth when it comes to articulating this problem, and to whether specific bits of media have more of a problem that others. The best I can say as I type this before class is to see the problem and resolve to try to do better)

(At least DS tries to be equal opportunity when it comes to Dead Backstory Characters. Lockne’s dead love only gets like two sentences, for example, while Lisa at least gets vague references to being possibly interesting- I talk about her in another post. Can’t link to it right now, but it shouldn’t take to long to find it- it’s tagged “Lisa Bridges”)

That said, I do admit there is one question that keeps me up at night, one thing I struggle to make a headcanon for- Sam’s chosen name.

If he had just been Sam Porter, it’d be fine- it’s easy to imagine him saying “Olly olly oxen free” and changing his name to Sam Mailman, because that’s his job. But the fact that he picked the name Sam Porter Bridges just-

Why would he choose a name that’s like one letter off of his estranged adoptive mother’s name, when he changed him name specifically to estrange himself from her?? Why would he choose a name that’s basically the government his estranged adoptive mother created?? And what are the odds that the name he’d choose is the same name as his biological mother’s when he didn’t even know about her??

I don’t even know how to make something up to explain that.

(Also, I’ve seen quite a few people talk about not trusting Lucy. I’m curious as to why. I heard there are journals you can read in game to learn about her- is it something there?)

[homoloquens]

ROMANCE HEADCANONS

name: riley thaggard

nickname:  heartman (current name), the most brilliant mind of his generation

gender: male

orientation: bi

preferred pet names: he doesn’t have any serious pet names he favors, but sarcastically being called darling when he’s being an idiot always makes him smile

relationship status: single / verse dependent

favorite canon / fandom ship: when it comes to having a canon interaction basis, heartsam or even deadheartsam are very, very good. i love the dynamics of understanding and fondness those have. for more headcanon-based talk, heartcliff is very good and i’m excited to get that going eventually. hearthiggs also has a lot of potential, although there has to be a lot of development and working through of stuff for that to work. (also i’m mad he got paired off with this mysterious samantha and not, idk, the roboticist, who is right there and wonderful. i wouldn’t be mad about that ship at all. they’re both smart and sweet.)

favorite crossover ship: n/a

opinion on true love: he’s definitely a bit of a romantic, and definitely agrees it exists, although not necessarily in a “there is one true love per person” thing. more... depending on where you’re at in life, there are people who are better for you. you could have multiple true loves, really any number of them, depending on when you go to pursue that love.

opinion on love at first sight: as some magical, meant-to-be thing, no. but he was definitely smitten with his wife instantly and thinks there was something to that. he was maybe also smitten instantly with sam, a bit

how ‘romantic’ are they?: it’s been a decade since he’s experienced any sort of romance, so at the moment he would be rusty, but by nature he’s a sort of... muted romantic? small romantic gestures, small intimate moments, more than grandiose things.

ideal physical traits: he tends to like longer hair on anyone, but that’s less “ideal” and more “what catches his eye.” taking good care of yourself is nice too, but there’s also something to be said for ruggedness.

ideal personality traits: intelligence of any sort, even if it’s completely different from his. dedication to something. kindheartedness. strength of will. a willingness to listen and learn.

unattractive physical traits: he’s not into extreme height differences. he probably wouldn’t be right-away attracted to someone an entire foot shorter than him, for example.

unattractive personality traits: cruelty for the sake of cruelty. people who are too stuck in their ways to change. intolerance. lack of patience.

ideal date: before the world became what it is now, he was (predictably) fond of museum dates. staying in, drinking wine and watching films is always nice, too. quiet things that can bring about good conversation.

do they have a type?: someone intelligent and kind! that’s it. just be nice and have some type of smarts, whether it’s booksmarts or streetsmarts. at this point, someone who understands his specific emotional situation would be preferred, as well.

average relationship length: he never seriously dated anyone who wasn’t his wife, and that relationship was set to last indefinitely. they dated for almost three years before getting married. he probably “dated” a few times, but they never even developed into relationships to count—they were just one-off dates to test the waters.

preferred non-sexual intimacy: simply being in their company is enough for him, or something as small as holding their hand is plenty. long talks, discussing and borderline “debating” topics to develop new ideas or understanding can also count as intimacy in his eyes.

commitment level: exceptionally high, but far from clingy. he appreciates having his own space at times, and is fine with his partner needing their own space as well.

opinion of public affection: hand-holding and greeting/goodbye kisses are fine, but he’s never been into overt pda

past relationships?:  his wife, who he was completely in love with and would absolutely still be with if she hadn’t been killed in a voidout. he still loves her dearly.

tagged by: stole it tagging: steal it

[whatsarasaid]

Hello! Thank you so much for replying to my question! I just wanted to clarify that I don't see Fragile as a hugger, but simply as a person comfortable with physical contact, in contrast with Sam or Heartman, for example. I think the way I phrased my question made it sound like I think she just goes around hugging everybody... Which, I mean, it would be a quirky behaviour worthy of Kojima's writing style hahaha but no. Anyway, thank so much! I love your replies!

Gotcha, thanks for the clarification! Absolutely, I agree. Compared to Sam (Mr. Anti-Touch) and Heartman (Mr. Awkward Touch), Fragile has a much healthier relationship with physical contact.

You’re welcome! Thanks for the asks. 🖤

[talesofealdancynedom]

Patrick, riding his familiar Orion, in fairy robes; As baby of the family, the first illustration must be at maximum cute.

Tale 18: Patrick Monabellan & the Paladins (chapter 2 - snowy Slopes 2/4) part 3. Stories of True Love

none

Patrick thought going to a magic forest, to be its protector, was as closest thing that fit the three things he wanted to live by: being a paladin, a mage, and a wolf. Grand Snow was high up, took a two-week quarantine before entering, and hosted a village that preserved a Westlander’s way of life from the dark ages. Patrick admittedly missed modern plumbing, computers and electricity. Now he chopped his own fire wood to stay warm; and the winters got cold up in the Westland mountains. The best accommodations Ouroboros, the designated Dragon mage, could give him, was a cabin along the north slopes. Ouroboros was more than happy to help another one of his friend’s children; now that him and Morgan were in-laws. Patrick didn’t want to hear any gushing over his older sister’s accomplishments, but Ouroboros wouldn’t be quiet about the happy union.

Ouroboros, and his wife Saianne were both mages, and the village didn’t need another. Immediately anyway. Ouroboros was the heartman healer and village doctor; He had studied midwifery due to the traumatizing maternal and infancy mortality rates in his home village.  He was proud of his dedication to supporting big happy families. It caught everyone off guard, as between the khol, golden eyes, and black spiked dragon robes, Ouroboros looked like a menace. He was also a hugger and confident ditz. Patrick received a lot of hugs from him. Meanwhile, Saianne was a charmer, who sang to the glacier lake each week. She wanted to be a lifeguard and fulfill her pact with the selkie that enfayed her, to which prevented her from going grey dark. Saianne’s trance like magic state was triggered by bodies of water, where she automatically summoned The Black, Beating, Hex Waters of The Deep. She didn’t say much to Patrick. As passive casters, neither Ouroboros or Saianne had the skill of a paladin. A magic peace officer might prove useful.

Everyone agreed a magic forest post, a passive guard, was a good place for Patrick to be. He needed somewhere he would be accepted, could forget the world, and be himself. A mage needs a magic forest, and a magic forest needs a mage. Or three; whose counting. Ouroboros also mentioned Patrick could flirt with any lady he desired; to add to their small gene pool. The isolated hamlet of Grand Snow didn’t see many new faces. Morgan and Ouroboros abused some connections, to get Patrick into the restricted heritage area. They played the genetic variance gag to one Ragnar Goldenscale; who managed the heritage site. Unlike Cadence, he wasn’t there for an apprenticeship or had connections to the people. An immense amount of pleading a buttering, on Ouroboro’s part, was all it took for Ragnar to clear the papers. To make Patrick feel more welcome, Ouroboros added that if Patrick needed a doctor, he was a marvelous healer, blessed with the healing flames of Quellelthan. Patrick had never received such a warm welcome. It’s nice to have someone in your life that is so clueless and loving, that don’t care about you character flaws.

Patrick, and his wolf familiar Orion, now lived a peaceful quiet existence alongside the village folk and fey. The people here really liked mages and fey; but they never used magic themselves. There were no wizards, but everyone was content to be surrounded by magic. It was so different and surreal at first. He was so used to people fearing fey. Magic forests seemed to foster a traditional peaceful coexistence across the lands. It felt a lot like home. Patrick got so comfortable, he decided to take Ouroboros up on his offer, and started courting a local lady. Holly Goldenscale was the one who led people through the mountain pass. Their cabins were close, and they would often pass while going about their lives on the slopes Patrick patrolled. If Patrick wasn’t directly assigned to protect here as she did her job. They crossed paths so often, they began to recognize and visit each other. Initially, a man in furs riding a wolf, in the middle of a wintery nowhere, would deter a maiden. But gosh he was easy on the eyes to holly, and more charismatic than a golden Labrador. Patrick had his mother’s pale hair, and his father’s forest green eyes, freckles and stature. A puppy like demeanor that hid his feral nature. Holly on the other hand, had ice blue eyes, blonde hair, as a typical example of the Westland’s and people of Grand Snow. The Grand Snow people in particular, were adapted for cold, high altitude, magic forest dwelling. Such a small population made them quickly adapt, and any visitor exotic. However, a potential mate is not what Holly was originally after; it was curiosity at a newcomer. Not that she wasn’t pressured into having a daughter. Grand Snow was cursed to be protected by an unnavigable barrier around the valley’s mountains. Not even fey and mages could cross its enchanted slopes. Only the daughters of the mage Solomon Gydenwyvern, could navigate it. Holly was the end of the line. Which is why Holly and her mother, sister, and grandmother were in charge of leading anyone in or out of Grand Snow. They were the only ones who were able to communicate with the outside world. Thus, she was always passing by Patrick on her way to and from guiding people; they both spent a lot of time wandering the woods of the valley.

One day, Holly decided to follow Patrick, until he disappeared into the thicket. Only to reappear and lead her back to the village. He wanted an excuse to talk to her. It was his familiar Orion’s idea. According to him. Holly liked Orion; two good boys for the price of one. Holly and Patrick had work in the village that day; buying food and supplies, and maybe enjoying some mead. When they were ready to go home, they decided to go back to Patrick’s cabin, after dropping of Holly’s goods at her family cabin. It was an excuse to ride Orion. Even after a day together, they weren’t done with each other’s company; they were having so much fun. It was night, and Patrick took Holly to is shack, which was heated by a fire wildling who slept in his hearth; cribbed properly in wood. Holly had only seen ice wildlings before, and was enchanted. Holly gasped when Patrick didn’t burn his hand giving it a cookie. They began to take off their coats, now that they were out of the night air, and she finally got to see Patrick with his hood down. Holly realized the common folk, such as her, had no idea how young Patrick was; he was maybe two summers younger than her. Holly assumed, that because he was a trained paladin, he would look more graduated; instead of recently independent. This train of thought didn’t last long, as they promptly fell asleep after demolishing a loaf of bread and fresh butter.

Holly was pleased to visit Patrick’s home often, and he would make it so she could easily follow him; like an unspoken game of tag. They would leave tracks for each other, or tie ribbons on the tree fey that made up the forest. The chances of them being so compatible, as they came from such different lives, seemed small. The wildling’s fire, and the smell of the pine wood from the cabin, complimented the waft of hide and dried herbs in the hut, as they lay on the couch.  It was made of carved sanded wood, and muslin filled with phoenix down. Cuddling was Patrick’s third favourite activity, ever since he was little; his affectionate nature never lifting. He was tender when not in conflict. Patrick loved swaddling Holly in furs he treated, from the food he caught and ate. Patrick said he hunted with his pack, which composed of: him, his familiar Orion, some village hunting dogs, and a Aliki wolf prince that lived nearby. It was hard to believe he wielded any of the swords along his wall. Holly already knew a lot of magic lore, but asked him where he got them, and what he used them for;

“My father’s cousin is a warlock, aunt Reggie. She made me special winter steel and silver tools. The blue one is what I used for ice magic in school, and the singing silver axe I use to chop wood. Though, I know some people who would think poorly of me using rare singing silver on lumber… Oh, and the wood one down there, is the one my father taught me to use a sword with when I was a child” Patrick laughed.  “Actually, a lot of mage paladins I grew up with taught me a thing or two with that keepsake.”

Holly also visited, because loved his stories; and that night she asked him for his most embarrassing one. Swords and fey were nice, but she wanted to know why Patrick was a paladin when he seemed to never hurt a single thing.

“Not the paladin type eh? And a story without magic? Oh boy. You know what, Holly, I haven’t told you about my father, have I? I bet Ouroboros and Saianne just referred to him as another mage friend from school. My sister, Cadence, was probably too shy to talk to you. Well, aside from him teaching me how to use a blade…. Dad is…. Kind of, the most scattered, nervous, dork ever.” Patrick wince.

“Then how’d a mook sire something powerful like you?” she tempted.

“Oh no, he’s very powerful and talented. He became King Mage when his was fourteen; by accident. He wanted to get away from his abusive family situation, and found comfort in fey and the shadow veil. His familiar is a golden eagle, who is wise, and dad would ride him everywhere. And father treated my mother like a princess… My dad, he’s just, a huge nerd. It always embarrassed me to be in public with him. Any magic question turned into monologue of ancient mythical legends; it made him sparkle like a small boy. You know, the childlike wonder thing some people get around magic…. Also, because he was King Mage, people kept challenging him, fearing him, or asking him for answers. He is a nervous wreck otherwise; letting his anxiety overwhelm him. He could do anything, but instead lives in a tower reading and writing books. I have no clue how someone can be fearless, knowable, shy, forgetful, and be scrambled at the same time.” Patrick said, slowly becoming stunned by his words. His father, Morgan, was the one person he never admitted was one of his heroes. Patrick passed the ‘my parents are people’ stage before puberty. He was so focused on paladin studies, he forgot what a mystical and loving home life he had. He felt lucky. Holly saw Patrick drifting off, and nudged in closer.

“How about a nice tale about you and your father, then? Prove to me this powerful wise mage is an awkward mess?” Holly prompted.

NEXT--->

<---PREVIOUS

[nymeria578]

I believe I misunderstood your meaning (I'm not a native speaker). I thought you meant the chiral network is the plot hole.

This discussion is quite interesting, so I'd like to share my point of view. I see the chiral network and the internet within the game as two different things. The internet exists since before the Death Stranding. It might have collapsed, but since Sam received emails and other data outside of, for example distro centers, they seem to use mobile data which needs transmission masts. We don't see them in the field, but somehow it must be there. That might explain the missing connection to other continents. The transmission can't get past the ocean. That's also why I don't think porters might carry letters around. The delivery terminals are connected to show up-to-date orders.

The chiral network is different... I don't know how far you're into the game, but there are some nasty truths ahead that I don't want to spoil. As I mentioned above, how I see it, the chiral network includes the chiral printer and a lot more data like an archive. This network seems 'stronger' than the internet. That's why the chiral grams are more pixeled without the connection to the UCA.

I would say Hideo Kojima just didn't elaborate the difference due to fictional reasons, but didn't actually create a plot hole. (just my opinion)

Though I admit there's one scene that might be considered one. At the beginning when President Strand dies, Heartman (and Mama) are there too. Since Heartman was intigrated into the UCA later in the game it doesn't make sense that he's there unpixeled.

Also, but probably due to the game's mechanics, America is so much smaller. Sam went from East to West and it was what... 200 kilometers? That's also why I rather see fictional reasons than plot holes.

nymeria578 hat auf deinen Eintrag geantwortet “yoshikage-kiwa hat auf deinen Eintrag geantwortet “I have a question……”

I don’t think it’s a plot hole. It was never elaborated that the chiral network works like the internet. It provides the usage of a chiral printer to fabricate items and also grants access to the UCA’s database. That’s how I understood it.

As I see it, people don’t have a clue what has happened in Europe. If Europe still exists. If they still had the internet, then they would know! Also, people are really desperate for connections when you go to them (minus the few who are like naaaah).  I always thought that the porters delivered letters between them, that isn’t a part of the gameplay, but it makes sense. That is how the Preppers are in contact with each other and how they know what kind of goods they want to give the other Preppers.  So… sending mails outside the chiral network is and continues to be a plothole!

[kokumonoxid]

Philosophical and Symbolic Manifestation – who are the Rastafarians

The Rastafarian Movement began in the 1930’s as a messianic movement, born out of the oppression that exist in colonial Jamaica, founded by Leonard Howell, and for most part remain unique to Jamaica in its early development. However, it has grown to become one of the most prolific movement of 21st century resistance to European idealism and maintained the retention of African culture. Howell had many liked-minds, men of equal measures in this new ideology called 'Rastafari', they included Joseph Hibbert, Archibald Dunkley, Robert Hinds, Altamont Reid and Robert Aithly Rogers, the author of 'The Holy Piby', written in 1924.

The Rastafarians adopted most of their teachings from Marcus Garvey and became the first movement to embrace The Back – to – Africa Movement he inspired in Jamaica.

Garvey’s ideologies were scorned by the Jamaican elites, however, it reinforced the Rastafarian’s belief, giving him a sort of portentous appellation to deliver his people from the yoke of colonialism. Garvey’s philosophies which emphasises on, Africa for the Africans at home and abroad, was to be taken up by various Black organisations, under the banner of Pan-Africanism, throughout the Caribbean, America and by extension Africa.

The influential Jamaican intelligentsia scorned Garvey’s Back - to - Africa program and his black is beautiful philosophy as a reaction and wishful thinking and were deeply offended by the presence of, “those damn dirty Rastas all over the place” (N.S. Murrell, W.D. Spencer and A.A. McFarlane. 1998, p. 47).

It is widely accepted that The Rastafari Movement by nature, aren’t a homogeneous group, but the true followers subscribe to strict doctrines and the divine principles of Haile Selassie The First, Emperor of Ethiopia. There are two significant dates on the Rastafarian calendar, which strengthens their notions and values; first being the coronation of H.I.M Haile Selassie the First, Emperor of Ethiopia, on the 2nd of November 1930, the second being the momentous visit of H.I.M Haile Selassie to Jamaica, on the 21st of April 1966. This gave the Rastafarians the authoritative proof needed to revere Haile Selassie as their God and King.

The Rastafarian Movement is made up of three main sects, the Bobo Ashanti, the Nyabinghi and the Twelve Tribes of Israel. Their daily need for survival is based on self-sufficiency and self-governance, void of any political systems associated with the former colonial masters.

The Movement in the early stages attracted members essentially from the lower class, however, this changed significantly after 1965, where Rastafarians were found among the middle class and continues to occupy prestigious positions in government and other upper- class professions. Though this may seem like a contradiction to the ways of the earlier Rastafarians, it became necessary, as this allows the movement to spread wider, gaining popularity, which created a kind of semi-acceptance in the Jamaican psyche.

These positions allow some of the stigmas to slowly disappear, particularly the hostile relationship with law-enforcement, due to the use of marijuana, embraced as a holy-sacrament and a divine entitlement.

Embedded in Jamaica’s cultural experience is a positive force driven by the Rastafarian Movement, which have created a national persona, contributing to Jamaica’s socio-political and cultural development, with emphasis on the art and music.

The use of certain colours became unique to the movement and forms part of the codification of the Rastafarian and is visible in their art and cultural representations. There are also significant meanings to these colours, for example, red is the blood of the martyrs, black is the colour of the Africans, and green is for the rich vegetation of the land and yellow is for the golden sunshine.

The emergence of the Rastafarian expression through art, music and poetry, created great impact in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. In Jamaica a strong folk culture existed, but very little art and sculpture has emerged out of the grass root population, until the emergence of the Rastafarians. The first internationally known sculptor to break into the Jamaican scene was the Pocomania (Pukkumania) leader name Kapo. His works have had worldwide publicity, all of them produced under spiritual inspiration. Also recognised for their contributions are Rastafarian artists, Ras Dizzy and Ras Daniel Heartman, mentioned here by Barrett.

Today, all over the Island, Rastafarian paintings, sculpture, and ceramics can be bought. From the common folk art sold to the tourists to expensive Rastafarian carved heads which may sell for as much as five hundred dollars; from the ‘Primitive’ paintings of Ras Dizzy to the superb etchings of Ras Daniel Heartman; from the rough sculpture of Ras Canute who works under the coconut tree in front of the Casa Montego in Montego Bay, to the refined pieces in Joe James Gallery in front of the Holiday Inn at Rose Hall, St. James – Rastafarian and Rastafarian inspired art can be found everywhere. (Barrett L. 1997: p.186)

Rastafarian art is not merely “art for art’s sake,” but the medium through which they project their social and spiritual messages. Hence every piece of art that is produced by a Rastafarian artist is embellished with symbolic representations; from the beauty of the dreadlocks and the dazzling colours used to glorify the works.

Rastafarians see their artistic practices as prophetic. Through their artistic conviction they’re able to project their messages throughout the world, as true culture-bearers.

[diaxfeliz]

“You know, I never knew why I decided to set up two chairs up here.” Heart said, reappearing with a bottle of wine in one hand, courtesy of the Heartman’s pantry, and two glasses in the other. “This is, after all, where I drink without Heartman, and I often don’t exactly have friends who visit here. It’s just Heartman and I, physically isolated from the rest of the world.”

Heart settled these two glasses on the table and conjured a knife in her hand. She stuck the knife into the cork’s side at an angle, and while pointing the opening away from her, she popped off the cork. Vapor escaped the inside of the bottle which proved it to be straight from the fridge.

“You said you wanted to have a drink and trash talk about our co-workers,” Heart began and poured the liquid into the two glasses, the neck of the bottle gently clinking with the rim of the glasses. “but then again, in my case,” Heart hummed. “I can’t exactly trash talk co-workers if I don’t work with anyone, right? Well… save for Fragile, I suppose.”

Heart had been a part of Fragile Express for a while now but only treated it as a pastime. She never planned on making friends with the other porters, let alone anyone at all, and lo and behold, she turned on herself yet again and became good friends with Fragile. She met interesting people after that, take Blaire and Higgs as an example. Things turned for the worse after meeting people of her league, but she didn’t complain.

Heart removed the radio attached to her belt and placed it upright on the table, making stand next to the bottle. She set it up just in case Heartman needed her. “I’ve informed Heartman that I’ll be having a drink up top and—”

Heart paused as if she was forgetting something important. She turned to Blaire and watched as the strands of her gold hair glimmered under the sunlight. Heart was mesmerized. How exactly was it possible to have hair like that?

She snapped out of it when something in her head clicked. “I forgot to tell Heartman you’re here.” Heart began to put her glass down. “Shall I tell him?”

(From the sentence prompts) “Let’s drink wine and trash talk our co-workers.” – With Blaire

Heart removed her helmet and lowered her face mask. It was Blaire, seemingly waiting and expected her to get home. Heart looked the porter up and down, in disbelief that she approached her for a drink. Just getting off of work anyway, Heart agreed.

“Very well,” she shrugged and got off her bike. “follow me. The lab’s rooftop’s where I often do my drinking without Heartman.”

Heart left her helmet on her bike and gestured for Blaire to follow her to the back of the facility. Behind the lab, there was a frozen ladder leading up to the roof.

“Head up there.” She pointed to the ladder. “I’ve got beach chairs, a standing umbrella, table too. I’ll just inform Heartman that I’m home and fix up a few things.”

Having said that, Heart disappeared in an orange spark.