mylittlejamjar | [Visual] -5th Shadow-

Hey Equestria...I got a question for you, mostly this is for the other outlanders like myself, but...anyone is free to weigh in here. I'd like the input.

How many of you use friendship, or similar bonds, as a source of strength for yourselves back home?

Some pretense to that...where I come from there are creatures called Digimon. I myself am half-digimon. Long story to that, but I won't bore you with the details right now. A digimon is a creature born of digital data, they are however highly receptive to emotions and can grow stronger as they grow closer to others, becoming stronger and stronger as those bonds mature and grow.

Emotions from those that we make friend with rub off on us, we can become stronger, or weaker because of it, or we can become too strong that we can't control ourselves.

[He rubs at his cheek with a hoof and sighs deeply.]

Not only digimon have exhibited this trait, though. There is another being called a Net Navi where I'm from, another digital life-form, this one artificially created by humans. There's an entire battle tournament surrounding them even. A Navi and their NetOp, when they have a strong enough bond, can create powerful combinations with battle chips. They can even fuse together, share the core of their beings with another, the NetNavi’s can even form friendships of their own that unlock hidden potentials...

[ He holds a hoof over his chest reflexively, almost like he was reassuring himself about something...]

The core of my question is how many of you have something similar back home? An undertone to that is how many of us have forgotten about that? That we've taken it for granted or just forgotten our own basics? This place works on its own rules. Just like those of NetNavis, or Digimon...working together, believing in one another...we’ve heard it a lot lately, and seen that here, it’s its own force to be reckoned with. Friendship. We’re all in this together, and if we're going to-

[He stops short and scoffs softly to himself.]

Sorry. Getting off track...Anyways...just something I’ve been thinking about lately. If anyone would rather speak with me in person or private, you’re always welcome to call on me at the commune or approach me while I’m on duty in the Night Market.

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[A switch in the pony's demeanor, show's he looks far more tired than he may have been letting on.]

Hey, Dante...Vergil...I may I need your guys help with something. I dunno if you can, but I'd rather it be the two of you than others. I'd uh...rather speak somewhere off scroll, about it though. If you can, meet me at the Decanter.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Well...Mr. Brainstorm, I do declare. Though I don't think it'd be rightly proper in this stage of our relationship.

[Crmsn faux fanned himself for a moment, then smirked a little.]

You're talking more intimate relationships...ones that go deeper than friends?

Am I?

[No way, man. Friendship is weird enough.]

Because love seems to be confused a lot in horseworld.

I think love is confused period, but what do I know, I'm married.

[He chuckles a little.]

From the way you made it sound, it seemed like you were talking deeper relationships. Holding hands tends to be a colloquialism for that...that or leading along a child, which I don't think I would do that to you.

...you reproduce by holding hands?

...no. What? No. No...digital gods no...that's not-no. Just no. Brainstorm.

[Not for another nineteen years anyways, and that's a long story in and of itself involving DNA Digivolutions. But that's neither here nor there.]

It means patronizing. Treating someone like they're a child.

Then no. You organics are inconsistent...

But maybe I am talking about love. Not feeling. Talking, the opposite of feeling.

How are we inconsistent?

Also, talking isn't the opposite of feeling. Actually I'm kinda sure about that. Talking can lead to a lot of feeling. Apathy or insensitivity is the opposite for feeling. Talking is blathering words at someone, sometimes to invoke an emotional response or share information.

[Okay seriously...]

Where are you getting your information about organics from?

Your functions never make sense.

In this case, let's say talking is for the sake of avoiding an awkward situation.

...data slugs from Cybertronians, mostly.

Well yeah, we can be confusing. We're just not very...constant in our nature, sure, functions are pretty straight forwards and don't deviate from one human to the next normally though.

Well if you're avoiding a situation that's one thing, but why avoid a topic you brought up to begin with?

I'm...not sure that's an accurate source of information. Does it site it's sources?

You mean topic you brought up, I just wanted to talk about friendship and leave the love business.

You'd have to ask someone like Rewind. Too bad he's dead.

[Said as if he just got back from robot groceries.]

No I'm pretty sure you're the one that brought up holding hands. And I asked if you were talking about love, which is something you seem slightly confused about. You never elaborated on what you meant afterwards.

[It's like you think he wasn't paying attention...also he doesn't knows who that is.]

I'm sorry he's dead.

I meant friendship hand-holding! Granted, that would be difficult for horse organics, but that's the spirit of their 'friendship'.

He was our archivist back on the Lost Light, close to my recently-arrived crewmember.

Ah, I see what you mean. No, I don't think I could see you doing that with me. You're a little far too detached from that sort of thing I think. That doesn't mean it rules us out of friendship club though.

Ours would more be reflected as working on a project together most likely. Like making a bomb that works on delayed physics. I dunno, something like that.

...I can work with that.

Just as long as the hand holding is a result of oh say, a broken phasing reaction.

I think I find your terms of friendship-hands acceptable.

Then yes, we are for lack of a better term, friends.