[video]

[greatwork]

[The feed turns on, showing Alexandria slumped over in bed with her arm still heavily bandaged, fussing with her D-Terminal.]

No, god damn it, I wanted audio, not video.

Come on, it's not that hard.

If you haven't noticed, I'm down one arm and you don't have hands. Fuck it, this will work.

[She sighs and leans back, and actually starts addressing the terminal.]

So, my partner here and I have been talking. It turns out when she's not busy throwing a tantrum, she's actually pretty smart herself, and I've been getting information about how Digimon work from her. Their life cycle is actually pretty fascinating.

According to her, there are seven main stages of their life. Egg, Baby, Baby II, Child, Adult, Perfect, Ultimate. She also mentioned some sort of "legendary Super-Ultimate" that she'll turn into one day. I'm pretty sure this is about as valid as the little boys on the playground who say they know kung-fu-

Shut the hell up, I'll definitely make it!

-But I thought it was worth mentioning, just in case. The process that makes them advance a stage is called "evolution" (even though it's just a fucking metamorphosis, I'd like to get my hands on whoever fucking named this shit) and seems to require vast amounts of energy. As far as I can tell, these Digimon naturally store the energy as they live, and reach the next stage after having lived and battled. After reaching a stage, they stay there without regressing; We've got, for example, that Lilymon lady, who's supposed to be a Perfect level.

Which brings me to the important point: It looks like, so far, all of these so-called "chosen" Digimon are of the Child level, spontaneous pointless changes aside-

I told you that wasn't my fault!You humans are the ones responsible for our evolution, you must have screwed up!

-Ahem. My partner pointed out that it seems no "chosen" Digimon is of a higher level than the Child level, causing me to think that the temporary evolutions we allow them drain them of the energy they store to progress naturally. In other words, our "help" is actually hindering and actively stunting the growth and maturity of our Digimon. Temporary strength in exchange for prolonged weakness. It's possible our presence is actually harmful to our partners.

Or, that's just the current theory, I don't have enough information to confirm one way or the other. But I think it's something worth considering and investigating. If anyone else has anything relevant to add, I'd like to hear it.

Comments

[video forever]

[fuhrinkaed]

[Taking notes. Digimon is close enough to the occult to scribble it all down.]

How long would it take for them to evolve on their own?

[greatwork]

Apparently it varies by the individual. Battling stores evolutionary energy faster, though, it seems.

[fuhrinkaed]

So either they have to risk getting killed in order to digivolve, and deal with the good and the bad that comes with it, or they have to make friends and work with them to do it only when they need to.

[greatwork]

"Risk getting killed in order to advance" is how life works for all animals.

[fuhrinkaed]

People don't work that way, and the digimon are closer to us than animals.

[greatwork]

People do work that way.

[fuhrinkaed]

[Okay this is nearing uncomfortable territory... but still, there is a person who doesn't understand so just. Explain it! :D] A person might work that way. They might do anything in order to get better. People don't, though. People work together. They come together and make a world where all people can get by, by being clever and using our flexibility and getting along with each other.

People strive for a world where everyone gets along and no one has to die. [Nodnod.]

[greatwork]

No shit. Ants do too. But the world isn't that nice, and people die anyway in order to progress. How many lives do you think were lost in the search for immortality?

[fuhrinkaed]

And those are accidents. They're really sad... but it's not the same. Fighting someone isn't an accident. Fighting someone is a choice. You're choosing to do something that no matter what is definitely going to hurt someone.

[greatwork]

Oh, that's so terribly tragic. Why don't we just surrender and try to hug it out with the next swarm of demon bees that come flying at us?

[fuhrinkaed]

I'd like that. In a perfect world, that would work. But... those bees were crazy. There wasn't anything to them but the want to destroy. We didn't have that option. Our only choice... the only thing we could do was stop them. That still doesn't necessarily make killing them right, though. If they can be driven off, they should be.

[greatwork]

Holy shit, are you really that naive?

[fuhrinkaed]

It's not naive. It's balanced.

Everything has a place in the world. Everything.

[greatwork]

And the strong killing the weak is also part of nature's balance, idiot.

[fuhrinkaed]

And that's fine with you.

If someone kills someone weak, it's okay because the other person was stronger? [He balls his hand into a fist offscreen, swallowing his temper.] Because that's just how it works?

[greatwork]

Of course not, you idiot, I'm not talking about humans fighting each other. But when it's bees and monsters, why should I care?

[fuhrinkaed]

[Exhales heavily. Right. Despite the redness of her hair and the scienceyness of her disposition and the hurled insults, this is not your sister.

It just might be some kind of alternate universe version of her for all you know. Well. That makes him feel a lot better. No it doesn't]

Digimon aren't bees or monsters. They can talk. They can think. You figured out a thesis because of one. They have as much right to peoplehood as people.

[greatwork]

And if people come to try to blow up my house and kill me, then I don't exactly have any bloody sympathy if they get killed instead.

[fuhrinkaed]

...No. Of course not.

I guess expecting you to understand is silly. Sorry.

[greatwork]

I understand perfectly.

[fuhrinkaed]

Lemme guess. 'I understand that you're a naive moron?'

[greatwork]

Got it in one.

[fuhrinkaed]

...You know, it's probably for the best that magic doesn't really exist in your world.

[greatwork]

What?

[fuhrinkaed]

I've met someone just like you before. Back where I'm from.

...We don't exactly get along.