Heartwarming / Arknights

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Even in a Crapsack World like Terra, the few sweet moments offer rays of hope that can light up your day.

Main Story

Episode 06: Partial Necrosis

• When the Doctor and FrostNova had been buried alive in all the fighting before the Lungmen Incident happened, Amiya's determination to ensure the former's safety went above and beyond the call of duty. Even when her fingers are bleeding and bruised, she refuses to stop digging until the Doctor comes out alive.
• The Doctor refusing to retreat even when Amiya insisted before facing off against FrostNova. Considering the Doctor's inability to fight compared to the operators and the risk of frostbite from the sheer cold, it would've been best had they commanded their team from a safe distance. Instead, the Doctor prefers to stand close by to assure that they are with their operators, a stark contrast to how the Doctor treated their operators prior to their amnesia. Such is the Doctor's determination that they managed to earn Blaze's respect.

Episode 08: Roaring Flare

• The relationship between Talulah and Alina is very heartwarming, even if their fate is all too clear. Having been by Talulah's side since the very beginning - in fact, Alina is practically Reunion's first member - she's the only person that Talulah truly opens up to, telling her about her lineage, Kaschey's curse, and even about Ch'en. In return, Alina gives Talulah a much-needed emotional support, gets her back on track whenever she starts to deviate from her original goal, and helps Talulah on things outside of fighting, like how to handle children or sewing her clothes. In the cold, dreary tundra of Ursus, Alina practically represent a home for Talulah to return to, and is a big part on how she could stay idealistic without succumbing to Kaschey's curse for so long.
• There's a very sweet moment between Amiya and Rosmontis at the beginning of chapter 8. One of Rhodes Island's operator accidentally calls Rosmontis a weapon after seeing her fight, and overhearing this, Amiya proceeds to reprimand the operator. This is already heartwarming enough, but it's the way she does it, along with Rosmontis' own response, which makes it even more heartwarming (and hilarious):
  Amiya: Yes, Operator. You've misspoken. Have you ever seen, um... such a... cute... weapon... before? Um. No, not that I'm saying...
  Rosmontis: Amiya... is cuter.
  Amiya: S-Sorry! I can't think of... I can't think of another way to put it...
• Rosmontis bonding with Patriot's Shieldguards. What started as an alliance of convenience ends up with both parties respecting one another, and the Shieldguards not only thought of Rosmontis as an honorary member, they also decides to trust Rhodes Island as long as Rosmontis is there. Heck, they even calls her with a cute nickname, "Little Kitten," and Rosmontis herself also learned quite a few things about revenge and duty from the more experienced Shieldguards. There's even a CG where Rosmontis is joyfully thrown into the air by the Shieldguards in celebration of their success while she gives a full-blown smile, and they parted ways with a pinky swear.
• The simple fact that the Doctor took Frostnova's last words of wishing to join Rhodes Island seriously and stood up to Kal'tsit, insisting that she be remembered as one of Rhodes Island's fallen. Yelena will not be forgotten.

Side Stories

"Heart of Surging Flame: Obsidian Festival"

• Destructive Dragon Demon's final chat discusses artists and how many of them can get so easily burnt out from the need to constantly give up their time and freedom to get their works released. Especially once they become well-known, the burden increases as they had to manage social interactivity with admirers and deal with how much of themselves can be exposed to the public. She ends the discussion with a message that definitely resonates with people on both sides of the fence in response to Angelina wondering what should fans do for this kind of problem.
  Destructive Dragon Demon: You don't need to go out of your way to do something. Just keep enjoying the works of those you love the most. For folks like us, there's nothing that means more to us than your support.

"Code of Brawl"

• The ending features this cute CG◊ of a drunken Exusiai falling asleep on Mostima's lap.

"Stories of Afternoon"

• Even if she ended up taking care of her by chance, it doesn't take long for Vulcan to settle into the role of Ceobe's Parental Substitute. Within minutes of bringing her to her workshop, she's answered the question Ceobe spent her whole life Walking the Earth trying to figure out, given her a cute nickname, offered to make her more of her favorite honey biscuits, and skirted regulations to fix up her weapon collection for her. When she shows interest in joining Rhodes Island, Vulcan agrees to handle the expenses and paperwork needed to have her registered as an operator. In Children of Ursus, she even teaches Ceobe how to bake cookies so she could give one to Gummy as a thank you gift!

"Children of Ursus"

• While Children of Ursus on the whole is not heartwarming, Habits does reveal a cute detail about Ceobe. Namely, the kitchen staff have been leaving baskets of snacks for her by the kitchen door so that whenever she sneaks in looking for something to eat, she'll focus on them and not take anything important. They could always lock the door to stop her from getting in, but no one wants to hurt her feelings, so they just let her think she's getting one over on them.
• The friendship of Zima, Istina and Gummy. Initially Gummy and Istina only stayed together to survive the Peterheim incident and the fall of Chernobog, but at Rhodes Island, Gummy considers them her best friends. Istina and Zima also take good care of Gummy, the 3 of them sleeping together when Gummy is afraid of the dark.
• While Rosa is more distant to the rest of the Self-Governing Group thanks to her background and role in the Peterheim incident, her story with Zima manages to be heartwarming amidst all the tears and horror. What started as Zima seeking Rosa out to talk about her nightmares ends up with Rosa pouring her heart out to Zima about her guilt and whether she deserves to survive, and while that earned her a few punches to the face at first, in the end Zima ends up comforting and cheering Rosa up, despite admitting she doesn't like doing it because she usually just screwed it up; saying that she had never met a shithead who admits to being a shithead (which means she doesn't think of Rosa as one anymore), she hated Rosa because she was her enemy and a noble (which is no longer the case) and in the end, admitting that without Rosa's help, the Ursus Student Self-Governing Group wouldn't have survived Chernobog. Zima tops it off by saying that they both did what they have to do to survive in Peterheim, that there's nothing wrong with fighting for survival, and even gives tips on how Rosa should go about her day. It ends with Rosa laughing with tears in her eyes and choosing her operator name, and it's heartwarming to see that despite being polar opposites in practically every way, Rosa and Zima care about each other and are trying their best to help each other move on from that tragedy.

"Rewinding Breeze"

• Mudrock, already broken from letting most of her compatriots die in the uprising of Wolumonde and a surprise attack from that city's townspeople, is finally given a chance to catch a break and give her few remaining friends a home, thanks to being employed by Rhodes Island so they can protect the innocent infected ones and atone for the mistakes she did in the past. While Mudrock still cannot pay Big Bob a visit in Columbia, she reassures him that she will do so someday.
• Astray shows us that Absinthe is starting to make friends at Rhodes Island, with Purestream and Elysium both reaching out to her, making friendly conversation, and inviting her to a get-together they're holding, while Thorns agrees to help her maintain her father's weapon and tells her he hopes she'll be able to open up to them someday. After all the trauma she suffered from the fall of Chernobog, it's just nice to see her give an awkward smile while surrounded by people who care about her.

"Operation Originium Dust"

• After Miarow's Heroic Sacrifice, Ash is understandably saddened, devastated over their friend's death and wondering if Team Rainbow should have ever gotten involved in the Infected's lives despite not knowing how much they truly suffer due to Oripathy. Fortunately, Tachanka is there for her, and reassures her that their team had done the right thing by reaching out and helping them, since that was what their morals and conscience told them to do, and that there was still goodness and meaning in what they did.
  Tachanka: This world sucks. But there's still something we can do about it. Don't turn your back on our good work. Morality and conscience aren't wrong.

"A Walk in the Dust"

• Kal'tsit repeatedly shows that she cares for people throughout the flashbacks.
  • She could have abandoned Elliot instead of saving him, as her objective was the sample of Originium that he was protecting, but instead, she took him along and made sure he had someone to look after him before she left. Likewise, she gave the mercenaries pursuing her options to break away and abandon their contracts, eventually leading to one group of them stopping their pursuit and leaving according to her advice, rather than just kill all of the ones attacking her with Mon3ter.
  • There were many things she could have done when Folinic's mother told her about her desire for revenge. What she actually does is to assist her in the assassination plot, and then promise her to take care of Folinic in her stead. During the actual assassination, her method of killing the target was to use a form of lethal injection that simply puts the subject to sleep, never to awaken, a far more peaceful method than most. Her target, a guilt-wracked old man now made powerless by his enemies in the Ursus government, welcomes his death by this method; she chooses to stay with him and have a friendly last conversation with him as the injection slowly took hold, enjoying the view of the sky one last time and letting him go quietly and at peace.
  • When the Emperor's Blade pursues her to Victoria some time later, she chooses to make a stand and fight him off where he would cause the least possible amount of collateral damage, protecting her friend's daughter Heidi and the rest of the nobles at the party, even though she had to hold back a lot and ended up wounded as a result.
  • Elliot himself remembers what Kal'tsit did for him. In the present, when he meets Sesa and Heavyrain, he tells them a part of his backstory, then shows them the gold coin Issin received as a token of payment from Kal'tsit, and insists that he wants to meet Kal'tsit and return his thanks for her help back then. He would become the operator Passenger, joining Rhodes Island after completing his personal quest for revenge, and offering his help back to Kal'tsit in return.

"Under Tide"

• While Skadi normally doesn't bother writing much for her reports, when Medic tells her that the Doctor is one of the people who would read her reports, she sports a small, almost imperceptible smile, as she changes her mind and decides to rewrite her report.
• Skadi, Gladiaa, and Specter are shown to care for each other. Gladiaa orchestrated much of the events in the side story in order to seek treatment for Specter's condition, while Skadi is willing to go to extremes to protect her fellow Abyssal Hunters.
• Skadi is willing to slow down and take the time to make sure that Iberian villager Anita and her fellow villagers are safe from the Seaborn threat. She even gets injured while fighting both the Seaborn and the Iberian Inquisition just to ensure their safety, all the while holding back by keeping up her disguise as a simple singer.
• While the existence of the Limited Operator Skadi the Corrupting Heart is a tragic, nightmarish affair from a Bad Future where she succumbed to the siren call of her Seaborn blood, it's sweet that she clings hard to the last vestiges of her true personality with her fondness for the Doctor, leading her to seek him across time. She is even willing to accept a simple existence as one of the Doctor's operators instead of going full yandere and dragging him off to the ocean.

"Dossoles Holiday"

• It's shown by the end of the story that Ch'en still cares dearly for her friends and family from Lungmen. She poses with Swire, Hoshiguma, and Lin Yushia for a group photo, then sends it home to Wei and Lin, alongside a gift of Bolivian Coffee.

"Vigilo"

• Amiya shows that she still considers you as the Doctor to be her father figure repeatedly during the event. She tries to help you recover your memories, by gently reminding you that you once taught her what plants are safe to eat when in the wilderness. She holds utmost faith in your direction, letting you take charge and lead the Rhodes Island landship safely through a Catastrophe-level storm. There are glimpses of her childhood during the Kazdel days of Babel, when she was the baby of the group and was practically adopted by Kal'tsit, Theresa, and your past self, and it's clear that she will forever think of you as family.
• Eyjafalla is shown to have much respect for you as well. She expresses delight that her thesis helped you create the formula that led the landship through the storm, and all your dialogue choices welcome her to visit you to talk shop or discuss research.
• After so many characters seeing Doctor as a Chess Master and a ruthless tactician in various events, "Anterior" give us a direct glimpse at doctor handling the affair of war. It seem that these comments on Doctor are probably... exaggerations. True, Doctor was strict in maintaining discipline, but not a martinet. After hearing the battle report by Scout, who had tried to take the blame for the recent defeat onto himself. Doctor saw through the cover-up and making inquiry on his motive of lying. When Doctor learned that Scout is taking the blame for a young recruit for being overenthusiastic during the operation and lead the squad into a trap, Doctor took Scout's word as a valid justification and having no one punished at all for the mistake, in exchange for a promise to not make the same mistake again, as well as a reminding Scout that he should take care of himself as well.
• PRTS herself shows that she still holds some memories dear to herself when she finds one of her oldest memories at your request: A short video of Priestess and the Doctor from an unknown past, both adorned in the insignia of Rhodes Island. It's immediately clear that she remembers you, and still thinks of you fondly.

"Pinus Sylvestris

• The burgeoning friendships between Sona the Flametail, Ashley the Ashlock, Iwona the Wildmane, and Justyna the Fartooth, are shown to grow unshakeable as their shared sincerity in wanting to improve the plight of all Infected in Grand Knight Territory, Kazimierz, civilian and Knight alike, draws them together and tempers the bond that forms between them. All it took was reaching out to each other and showing that their aims were true. By the end of it, they're a tightly knit group willing to rush to each other's aid whenever the Armorless Union or the slave hunters come a-knockin' at their refuge for the Kazimierz Infected, and they even extend a hand to the Plastic Knight and save his family when the KGCC turns on him after he develops second thoughts about his sponsorship following his loss to Maria Nearl.
• Maria Nearl knows that her sister Margaret's quest and goals may require some assistance. So, when Margaret's plan to compete in the next Kazimierz Major runs into the challenge of scraping up enough of a score to make the leaderboards and get qualified for the Major in a short timeframe, Maria decides to exploit an old ruling for Family Knights that allows them to pool their scores and resources together to cooperate for the championship. Magaret, upon hearing of this, is initially unwilling to take advantage of her sister's hard-earned victories this way, but Maria reassures her that she wants to help her big sister in her quest, and this is the easiest way for her to contribute.

"Near Light"

• The Near Light animated teaser has some nice moments in it:
  • Flametail is shown to have close support from her friends and family in the Infected population living in the underbelly of the city. She even managed to scrounge up a redheaded knight plushie that represented herself as a much-loved gift to her little sister.
  • When Flametail is at her lowest and lamenting during the latest assassination attempts by the Armorless Union, she questioned aloud the purpose of the Knights. What happens next is incredibly empowering - Nearl shows up, using her Arts-charged spear to blow away the drones attacking Flametail, then replies to Flametail's question with a paraphrased quote of her family motto - that Knights are meant to bring light to the land and its people. For just a moment, even Flametail's little sister watches in awe as Nearl's Arts effects make wings manifest behind her, giving her the air of an avenging angel come to deliver them from the assassins. Shining would have been very proud of Nearl were she to witness it. Flametail then gets the chance to drive Platinum back alongside the Knight she idolized so much. How many other Knights can proudly say that they managed to fight alongside the one who inspired them?
• Blemishine is kidnapped by Platinum in order to force Nearl to forfeit against Candle Knight. Aside from acting defiant and saying that her sister won't forfeit, Blemishine somehow still has the capacity to be concerned for her kidnapper, asking her if she's nervous; Platinum basically admits that yes, maybe she's nervous, before she vents a little. It's not exactly bonding or anything of the sort, but it's nice to see that after who knows how long, Platinum finally manages to vent her frustrations of being Platinum to someone, even if that someone is her hostage.
• Nearl finds the time to meet up with Shining and Nightingale after one of her matches, and the mood and the nearby music leads her to dance with Nightingale briefly, with a promise to dance more when Nightingale gets well enough to step out of her wheelchair. In the leadup to the finale of the Major, when Nightingale and Shining are joining the crew in attending Nearl's match at the arena, you have the option to buy a plushie of Magaret for Nightingale.
• The Doctor is able to impress both Platinum and Gravel with kind words and their wits, such that they both ultimately decide to join Rhodes Island after the events of Near Light when they leave Kazimierz.
• Bounty Hunter Toland shows that he still cares for his fellow Sarkaz by rescuing the Corrupted and Withered Knights from their captivity at the hands of the Armorless Union, and offering them a chance to join him outside the Grand Knight Territory as free men.
• Nearl's victory at the Major is also further made more wholesome as she helps the Blood Knight to his feet, and brings him along with her to the Hall of Champions. It's further shown that the Armorless Union's machinations are thwarted by all the people Nearl is connected to - the campaign knights that Nearl's grandfather once aided with a rescue mission stymie Platinum and form her escort, Rhodes Island helps prevent the assassin team at the arena from causing too much trouble, Pinus Sylvestris returns the favor by helping to hold off another assassin squad, followed by Maria, Whislash, Marcin, and friends, Mlynar, then finally the Followers pop up as Shining thwarts Monique's last attempt and spooks her into retreating. Everything she's done, every friend and ally she's made, everything came together to help Nearl past this last obstacle in this leg of her personal quest.
• Even though Nearl's (temporary) departure from Rhodes Island in the finale is bittersweet, it's tempered by the fact that Nearl knows that one day, she will return to join us in our quest once more, once she's done with her personal mission in her home. Every single dialogue choice here points towards that, and Nearl recipocrates with a smile. This is further supported by her in-character operator records, which are written in the future when Nearl finally rejoins Rhodes Island, to the great rejoicing of her fellow operators.
• Once Rhodes Island's reputation with the Armorless Union. reaches 'Respected', another Epilogue record is unveiled. It reveals that Platinum joining Rhodes Island was due to her being rescued by a team of operators after having spent three days fleeing the Armorless Union without touching food or drink (for fear of any poisoned bait being laid out for her by the other assassins). It is shown that the Doctor offered a chance for her to jump ship when she ran into them while they were meeting with Gravel and Hibiscus in Area 0, and that a team of operators including Gravel and another Medic codenamed Touch stalled Monique until she was forced to withdraw. This incident also sparks Platinum's interest in the Doctor, leading to her loyalty being such that even Kal'tsit remarks in her operator files at 200 Trust that Platinum's loyalty was primarily to the Doctor personally rather than Rhodes Island as a faction.

"Break The Ice"

• The Doctor's intervention, and Kjera's plans, ultimately did not do anything to stop the positive changes that Enciodas wanted to bring about with his plots. All they did was change things around so less blood would be spilt in the name of reform.
• The first thing Enya worries about when Kjera reveals her true nature as an aspect of Kjerandr is to wish for her to remain by her side as a friend. Kjera reassures her that as long as she stays on the right path, Enya will never have to worry about her abandonment.
• Despite the fact that Gnosis and his family were blamed for the deaths of Enciodes's parents and ostracized to the point where they had to leave Kjerag, Enciodes never loses faith in his best friend's innocence. During the flashback to their childhood, he assures the doubtful and uneasy Gnosis that he believes it has nothing to do with him, and even if it did, he would forgive Gnosis anyway. Flash forward fifteen years into the present, and even though all of Kjerag still hates Gnosis and openly badmouths him within his earshot just out of association, Enciodes still tells the outcast Gnosis that he is "my dearest friend."

"A Light Spark in Darkness

• The Caladonian community spirit is so strong that even non-Infected workers like James are totally fine staying friends with his Oripathy-afflicted neighbors, with no sign of discrimination between them. Root, Quercus, and Kazemaru even take their time to enjoy the friendly atmosphere of the town.
• Redd and the newly-reformed Reunion have embraced Nine's vision and put aside the worst of their violent impulses. Redd's presence in the story mostly revolves around helping his fellow Infected and bailing Susie out of trouble, only drawing his blade in extremis.
• The Rusthammers, as led by Cannot Goodenough, give their ex-Reunion members a chance to touch base with their fellow brothers and sisters in Nine's new Reunion when they meet up in the epilogue.

"Guide Ahead"

• During the event, Ezell shows that he cares a lot for little Cecelia, as he repeatedly tries to rationalize taking delays and detours on his main mission just so he can bring her to say goodbye to her late mother one more time. He ends up being given a mission to escort Cecelia on her journey out of Laterano by the Pope himself.
• The current Pope of Laterano is unwilling to do anything drastic about Cecelia despite her nature as a hybrid Sankta, doing nothing more than offering her some of his sweets when she finally meets him, and letting her continue her journey as she desires. He even ultimately lets her keep her late mother's Guardian Gun as a heirloom, despite it officially being against the law to allow such a thing.

"It's Been A While"

• In the event stages, if left alone, a pair of bomb drones have a Meet Cute moment and the bombtail will attempt to court the oneiros. While it seems that the oneiros is snubbing the bombtail at first, it ends with the oneiros snuggling the bombtail. They then fly off peacefully, never once dropping their payload on your operators.

"What the Firelight Casts"

• The revelation that Eblana ultimately wants her sister Loughshinny to grow into her own strength and find a path in life that she can believe in, and be more than just her big sister's shadow, is something sweet. What big sister wouldn't want their siblings to grow up and find their own way in life?

"A Flurry to the Flame

• The way Yato and Noir Corne bond together over the course of the sidestory, and the revelation in their operator files that they took a detour together after the mission instead of returning straight to the Landship, gives more emotional weight to the bond that exists between them, and even set the gossip mill on the Landship alight about the nature of their relationship.

"Lone Trail"

• Watching Ifrit and Rosmontis bond together as fellow experimental daughters of Rhine Labs to support each other through their emotional distress, is a nice thing. They've both grown with each other's support and are able to help each other through their trauma and bad memories, even as they return to Rhine Labs and meet people who used to be complicit in the horrible experiments they were subject to.
• The Doctor commiting to physical violence on Loken when he speaks flippantly about Rosmontis's emotional state, giving the player no choices beyond choosing the form of violence to be employed), establishes that their commitment to caring for their operators is a real and serious thing.
• Silence and Saria finally have a chance to develop proper understanding of each other's motives from back during the Ifrit Incident. They get the opportunity to apologize to each other for not truly understanding what was going on back then, and the post-story lore shows that with Silence becoming busier outside the landship due to leading the creation of the Ethics Council regulatory body, Saria was allowed to take over for her in caring for Ifrit.
• Muelsyse is shown to be torn between friends and feeling increasingly lonely and isolated during the story, so watching the Doctor reach out to her in the ending and taking her hand is almost a fairy-tale romance come to life, as the Doctor gives her something new to live for.

Character-Related

• While most operation failure voicelines tend to be heartbreaking, there are several that are comforting or encouraging you to not give up.
  Exusiai: Even a well-crafted gun will jam sometimes. Life is no different, so don't worry about it~
  Ling: Victory and defeat are commonplace in war. As we have freedom to manuever, this is not a complete loss.
  Chongyue: All warriors must face defeat. Don't lose heart.
  Mountain: As long as we're still alive, that's hardly a defeat.
  Lin: There is always a way to correct a mistake. Don't let anger get the best of you.
  Spot: Relax, you're doing fine.
  Hellagur: There is no shame in failure. At least you had the chance to learn from it.
  Qiubai: Even a technique you have executed a thousand times can fail. Don't focus too much on winning and losing, Doctor, you did what you could.
  Platinum: Don't give up... he who laughs last, laughs best.
• Ifrit's additional record when promoted to Elite 2 narrates how she deeply apologizes when she burned some books in the Doctor's office and made holes in their uniform. But since she's still a child, her way of apologizing is also child-like and innocent as expected – A paper with her crooked handwriting and a candy were left at the Doctor's office.
• Platinum's fourth Archive File implies that she stays in Rhodes Island not because of the faction's goal of fighting for the sake of the infected, but rather, her trust in the Doctor.
• The way Broca portrays himself like a stereotypical Jerk with a Heart of Gold. If his Potential Token is any indication, it's implied that he left a miniature model of an ancient Siracusan City on the Doctor's desk which they only discover when they arrive to work the next day.
• Greyy's backstory. Seeing how his friends in the slums are afraid of the pitch black darkness, he sought to learn Electric Arts just to give them sources of light so that their nights won't be miserable anymore.
• Arguably, many Rhodes Island operators have heartwarming lines at high trust levels or when promoted to Elite 2, being able to express their gratitude and open up more to the Doctor while becoming more relaxed within the base. Below are some of the many examples:
  Executor: Being treated as an aberration is normal to me, because I cannot understand other people, nor do I have any desire to deal with them. On the contrary, talking to you is quite interesting to me. Neither you nor the Notarial Hall has denied me because of the way I live, which puts me at ease. Thank you.
  Meteorite: Thank you so much for this, really. I can't believe someone like me could receive a stable job here at Rhodes Island. I'll do everything I can to repay you for trusting in me.
  Schwarz: You want to hear my revenge story? You won't be able to sleep at night, Doctor. But I do have this strange urge to tell you. Why don't we hit the bar, because it's a long story…
  Angelina: I've made my decision. As long as you‘re still working to help the Infected, Dr. <name>, I'll follow you. You've come so far, done so much... now it's my turn to do something for you, Doctor.
  Eyjafjalla: Thank you, Professor, for guiding me to grow stronger.
  Blue Poison: I'm not really that different from everyone else. I may be "toxic," but nothing bad will happen if you touch me. If you could prove this to everyone by touching me yourself, then... maybe everyone will be nicer to me? Doctor, can you... touch my hand in front of everyone else?
  Hellagur: The photograph inside my pocket watch? Hahahah, so you saw it... This is Neon from when she was little. Isn't she adorable? She's not so quiet anymore, but she loves herself now, and that's all that matters... Live free, ,<name>, that's my wish, even if it is trite.
  SilverAsh: If this continues, eventually there will come a day when you and I confront one another... I seem happy about that, you say? Hah, perhaps I am. You would be a worthy opponent, that's for certain. Let us make the most of our time left before that day comes.
• Rosa's Promotion 2 quote, indicating she's found new hope and a new lease on life.
  Rosa: There is still much I don't understand about what I am doing, about my future, about myself, and about so much more. But I am still young. I still have time to think. Don't I, Doctor?
  • Rosa's token is a paper cutter that she "solemnly" handed to you. It's later revealed that she had considered killing herself many times with that same cutter, so her entrusting it to you is symbolic of her moving past her traumas and continuing to press on into the future.
• According to Jaye's final Archive File, Hoshiguma took him under her wing when she realized the "dangerous gangster" she'd been investigating was really a good-natured, albeit quiet and somewhat intimidating cook. She then recommended him to Rhodes Island to make sure he had a place where he could put his skills to use without being treated like a criminal by everyone around him.
• The pre-amnesia Doctor from Babel was a far more ruthless leader who treated operators as nothing more than expendable chess pieces. But despite all that, the older members and operators like Ace, Amiya and Scout still miss and care for them^note Scout's statement indicates that this attitude was not necessarily by choice. It's both sad and beautiful at the same time.
  Ace: I'm sorry, Dr. <name>. You might not remember me, but I remember you and what kind of person you are. There will come a time when you and Amiya will have to face this cruel land together. That is why you must cherish her, Doctor.
  Amiya: Doctor, I'm so glad that we're back together. And we'll walk this path together! I've got your back if you've got mine.
  Scout: I want the Doctor to begin anew. If the Doctor could live without connection to Rhodes Island, if the Doctor could stand again, having no memory of these preceding events. If the Doctor could avoid walking once more the path of war, then all would be well.
• The main reason Mudrock agreed to join Rhodes Island was to make sure her followers recieved the medical treatment they needed, but there were other contributing factors, too. One of these was running into Grani; the two became fast friends after the latter brought up her meeting with Big Bob during the events of Grani and the Knights' Treasure, and how she helped him and his men peacefully retire. Likewise, while Folinic and Suzuran had previously come into conflict with Mudrock in Wolumonde, once she showed up at Rhodes Island the two of them were among the most in favour of her staying to become an operator.
• The Followers in general. The amount of love, care and trust that Shining, Nightingale and Nearl share with each other is very heartwarming and sweet to see, especially as more events and operator records shines more light on the group. Even when they have their disagreements, they understand why the other disagree and did what they did, and resolve everything peacefully.
• Theresa's last letter to Kal'tsit. It's so incredibly heartfelt, and Theresa's voice is so soft and warm, that you can really see just how even people like W would devote themselves to her.
  Theresa: I'm sure you're reading this letter when everything's all done. Do you remember the many theories you shared with me? I still remember them all.

  "This land has its boundaries, and merely a bit of earth that slightly covers the surface of a sphere." "Our bodies weren't like this from the beginning; we crawled on the ground until we could walk." "The stars are like rafts that follow trails in the sky, just like the earth that spreads beneath our feet." Kal'tsit, I remember all of your words. You said you wanted to know the answers yourself, rather than find the meaning through our actions. "What do I think of this ship, and why do I value it so much?" You've asked me that so many times, right? The answer's quite childish, so in the end I couldn't express it clearly.

  Kal'tsit, I felt your loneliness too. You thought you were the only one, right? Kal'tsit, my answer is that I wanted this ship, Rhodes Island, to be your home. I've even thought that I would like to see such a future with my own eyes with you. However, there is no medicine that works for loneliness, and a journey of wandering never ends. And the illness of death could never be cured. I think I've done my best. I'm not dissatisfied with this ending. That's all for Babel's mission, but your and this ship's journey had just begun. I think it's time to answer the first question you had. After a long, long night, I'm sure dawn will come to Rhodes Island. The future of navigating this land of warmth belongs to you and and everyone else.

  Kal'tsit, I'm not like you. I can't even answer your question. But I'm on your side. Kal'tsit. Now and forever.
  • Theresa's character is so well-established, that when an otherwise-unidentified voice started speaking right at the start of the 3rd Concept Trailer, fans immediately identified the speaker as Theresa. Further searching by fans found the rest of the voiced message hidden on the Arknights website (Link here).
• Beeswax's skin Weißer Sand is already pretty cute from the visuals alone, with her Skill 2 summoning a stack of plush toys in place of an obelisk and her idle animation in the base having her fall asleep on one of them, but perhaps the cutest detail about it is the description, which notes the outfit was a gift from Carnelian, who bought it because she knew her younger sister would love it.
• A monthly log from Integrated Strategies: Crimson Solitare features Warfarin discussing old Sarkaz blood marking rituals with Mudrock and Vigna. While they no longer practice such things in the present day, Vigna rolls with it and decides to use one of Warfarin's old signature stamps to mark the three of them as friends.
• One of the artifacts that can be found is a "Proof of Friendship" which you can obtain from an encounter event where you saved a Liberi man from being stuck in a coffin. If you got the "Eye for an Eye" event where you meet a Sarkaz man asking if you have seen his friend have said artifact with you, the Sarkaz man leaves with hope that his friend, the Liberi man, is alive.
• Another artifact you can find is a "Red Bow Tie", which flavor texts mentions that it's Phantom's first gift to his cat friend, Ms. Christine, and how fond she is of it. It's one of the smaller highlights of Phantom's friendship with the cat who decided to stick with him.
• The fourth Integrated Strategies: Crimson Solitaire monthly log involves Gavial, Tomimi and Estelle and a good portion of the log involves Gavial and Tomimi hyping up Estelle to give her some courage and confidence.
• Goldenglow's operator archive file details that Rhodes Island was able to ultimately help her reunite with her mother and many siblings aboard the landship, with many tender tears and a massive pile of presents. Her mother originally wanted to ask her to return home with them, but sees that she has a new dream of a bright future with Rhodes Island and ultimately lets her pursue her new career with a smile.
• Suzuran's module text explains that she has a charm with a ticking clock tightly bound inside. Her parents promised her that the day it stops ticking she will meet them again, and sure enough, Suzuran has a short but very sweet reunion with them one day in Rhodes Island. Suzuran knows that her parents will never break promises made to her and eagerly awaits the day her family will reunite a second time.
• Glaucus's module text recounts the first time she wore her powered exoskeleton, after years of incurable muscle atrophy had robbed her of the strength in her legs. By this point she'd abandoned all hope of things getting better, and the most she could wish for was a tiny bit of comfort. Once she realized that not only could she stand and walk comfortably with it, but even run again, she was overcome with a joy that couldn't be put into words.
• Waai Fu's second Archive File recounts when she met Dobermann, who extended her a hand in greeting. Waai Fu only hesitated for a moment before shaking it. She explained that after learning about Rhodes Island's experiment demonstrating everyday exposure can't spread oripathy, she only needed to adapt to what she now knew, saying "It is not habit that controls a person, but prejudice." with such intensity that Dobermann was outright beaming.
• One of Texas the Omertosa's voice lines has her admit that she felt more at home and free with the Penguin Logistics crew than she ever was back in Siracusa. It's sweet that Texas see's the Penguin Logistics team as trusted friends and a Family of Choice after losing her own blood related family in the past.
  Texas the Omertosa (Talk 2): I didn't want to get Penguin Logistics involved, but it was a relief to see them in Siracusa. My noisy friends, that life of freedom... Looking back now, staying with them in Lungmen was the best decision I ever made. Just, don't tell them I said that.
  • The Arknights Operators! 4-Koma comic Special that commemorate the end of the Il Siracusano event, also showcase this as the 4-koma ends with Texas smiling that her usual daily life routine has returned, showing her to be more at peace within Rhodes and being together with the Penguin Logistics crew.
  Texas: Finally, we're back to things as usual. Now then, where would you like for Penguin Logistics to deliver to next?
• Enforcer's Module text recounts how he went to the effort of learning how to bake Lateran sweets for over a week, meticulously writing down recipes and the ins and outs for the trade, all for the sake of Cecelia's scribbled down wish in a page of Enforcer's notebook set aside solely for Cecelia's wishes on their journey to meet her papa.
• Ebenholz's 200 trust profile section talks about how he's beginning to heal after the loss of Kreide:
  When by himself, he often spaced out, looking only at the cello that he always kept near him.
  [...] After he made it back to Rhodes Island, Ebenholz began to change for the better. He started to proactively talk to those who approached him, to learn everything he could about Rhodes Island, and also to assess acrimoniously the things he could not bear to even look at. Of course, this applies only to the Doctor and a very few other operators. Once, he even attended an operator-organized book club and started to exchange emails with several of them afterward. Most of Rhodes Island's operators did not notice this change, but there is one thing that's caught everyone's attention: Ebenholz has stopped spacing out while looking at his cello. Instead, he often plays it and hums along, almost like talking to an old friend.
• Despite most of Gnosis's operator file talking about his intense obsession with research, his 200 trust section makes it clear that no matter what, he cares deeply about the fate of his country.
  Researchers are often quite indifferent to everyday routine. They have sufficient mental energy to treat scientific principles objectively, but not necessarily enough left over to deal with personal emotions. Thus, a good few choose to cut themselves off as thoroughly as possible. Gnosis is clearly one of these types, and to him, the joint founding of Karlan Trade, and behind that, SilverAsh's concern for Kjerag's future, are the few fetters that exist for him. Aside from his work, that is the one and only thing he cares about.
  And just as he's willing to devote his heart and soul to his research, he'll actually do the same for Karlan Trade's affairs. Even though he'll never admit it, nor will anyone else ever understand.

Multiple Media

• In the Family Vacation chapter of Arknights Anthology Volume 1, set after the events of Siesta, Saria and Silence bring Ifrit to the beach after the latter begs the two. Silence still feels guilty over what she did to Ifrit during their time in Rhine Lab and wonders if she and Saria deserve Ifrit's forgiveness. Saria tells Silence that instead of seeking Ifrit's forgiveness, they should give her a better life and the happiness she deserves to truly forgive themselves. The two are unaware that a smiling Ifrit is eavesdropping their conversation. By the end of the beach vacation, Ifrit tells Saria and Silence she enjoyed spending time with them and is lucky to have them both as her moms and even tells Silence to kiss and makeup with Saria!
• Menu 4 from the Rhodes Kitchen spin-off features Goldenglow, as she refuses to let her difficult-to-control electrical Arts stop her from making ice cream. While Quercus was worried that Goldenglow's depression would get worse after she accidentally fried an electrical ice cream mixer, Gavial told her to trust in her inner strength. The chapter ends on a sweet note, as Susie makes a nice cup of ice cream-infused cocktail for Quercus after successfully mixing up a batch of ice cream with a hand-cranked ice cream mixer.
  • The first chapter counts as well. Amiya meets with Nalalura, the new chef at the kitchen. However, Nalalura was deeply traumatized by how people turned away from her the moment they found out she was Infected. In tears, she asks how Amiya could ever know what she's been through.. and Amiya, without hesitation, reveals her status as Infected as well.
• In the bonus chapters of Record of Originium: Rhine Labs, while Ifrit assumes Muelyse to be a water sprite, her wholehearted wish is for her to lend Saria her support, since she knew Saria had a lot on her plate. Muelyse assured her that that wish, while simple, will be fulfilled to the best of her ability.
• Kay's Daily Doodles shows how strong the friendship that sprouted between Bubble, Ceobe, and Popukar has become, as they hang out together, share their hijinks, and even help Beanstalk out with her metal crab cafe. The animated mini-series also demonstrates that Mountain has gotten fond of the three younger operators, and that even Ethan takes time out to chill with them and shares his paints with them.
• In the spin-off prequel manga "Sharp Swordbreaker, Silver Edge" which depicts the starting days of the Karlan Trade company, the true reasons the incredibly powerful and legendary Black Knight, Degenbrecher, has stayed with Enciodes Silverash for ten years are revealed: she just likes him. At the end of the manga after she, Enciodes, and Gnosis pull off their plot to obtain the support, funding, and contract they need from Viscount Walden, Degenbrecher carries the inebriated founders over her shoulders in the snow as they're literally too broke to afford a taxi to go home. In the process, she encourages the still-tense Enciodes to relax and to just let her support him, and asks Enciodes why he didn't make any move to dodge the blade Baron Stewart was swinging at his neck, to which Enciodes replies that he knew the people he brought with him wouldn't let anybody hurt him. Degenbrecher looks startled at the sheer trust he's placed in her (they've only known each other for three months at that point), then smiles and says while their contract might be over, their partnership has just begun. It's clear that he doesn't have any money to pay her for her work as bodyguard at that point, yet she cares enough for his well-being and was won over enough that she willingly chooses to stay.
• One of the OPERATORS! manga pages has the Doctor notice that Kjera has been sitting on the same couch in the break room for hours on end. When they walk over to investigate, they quickly discover the reason: Pramanix had fallen asleep on her lap and Kjera didn't want to wake her Saintess up.

Other

• Despite the ongoing (albeit clearly lighthearted) rivalry between Namie and Alchemaniac, the two of them were able to put aside their differences for long enough to make this cute collaborative illustration of Mizuki and Skadi the Corrupting Heart to celebrate their major roles in Integrated Strategies 3.

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