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texas arknights, or how i learned to stop thinking and love the pocky: a thread
texas arknights, or how i learned to stop thinking and love the pocky: a thread
Texas is easily one of the most popular characters outright in Arknights -- the sheer amount of fanwork about her as well as in-game statistics detailing her usage (the single most used 5-star!) from the anniversary tell that story very well.
It's no surprise that anyone and everyone tells you that you pretty much NEED Texas in your roster, given that - and please, correct me if I'm wrong - Texas's Skill 2 is the single fastest on-deploy DP gain in the game, available within 10 seconds at M3!
Add in a max-potential Bagpipe to that roster, and Texas's Skill 2 can be ready within 2 seconds of deploying! That's nuts. Not to mention it's a huge, Arts-damage dealing AOE stun. This ridiculous gameplay fits well with the life Texas is currently living, with Penguin Logistics
To say it simply, Penguin Logistics is, well, a highly competent and absolutely baffling logistics company. We first meet Texas (and her partner, Exusiai) during the Misha rescue mission in the mainline Arknights story, but there's limited room for characterisation there.
We get a good sense of what her dynamic with Exusiai is, but Texas herself is a girl of few words, and that makes her a bit of a difficult nut to crack. Thankfully, her Archive and voiced lines provide us with a bit more to work with. So who is Texas, actually?
A surprise to few, Texas's origins very likely lie in Siracusa, where her Archive notes that a once-famous clan had the name of 'Texas'. Interestingly, Texas herself takes her family name as her codename. This connection is essentially confirmed in Code of Brawl, where other -
- Siracusian mafia members are intimidated by and highly aware of who she is. An interesting real-life point is that Texas's name likely comes from the Texas wolf, an now-extinct breed of grey wolf that lived in Southern/Western Texas, and North/Eastern Mexico.
This archive, as well as one of her Trust-unlocked voicelines, mentions "her past may one day catch up with her". This is a line that carries some heavy implications for Texas -- it implies that there are ties she has yet to fully sever (or perhaps, is unable to fully sever) -
- as well as people out in the world who have unfinished business with her.
This gets even more interesting when you take into account her fourth archive file, which specifically states that actually, Texas ISN'T running from anything. Rather, she just doesn't give a shit.
This gets even more interesting when you take into account her fourth archive file, which specifically states that actually, Texas ISN'T running from anything. Rather, she just doesn't give a shit.
I think these archives are really, really easy to misinterpret, because the way they're phrased seems to imply that Texas is running from something -- and then her fourth archive goes and states "actually, nah". So what's the deal?
The way I interpret archives prioritises the latest archives over earlier archives -- so, information in Archive 4 may override information from Archive 3. In this case, I'd also like to note that Texas never actually says she's running from anything.
What she does say is: "No matter how hard I run, my past will catch me one day."
Combining this with her Archive 4, I think the conclusion here is as thus: Texas has just decided to not run. There's no point in doing so and she's happy where she is, so why bother moving around?
Combining this with her Archive 4, I think the conclusion here is as thus: Texas has just decided to not run. There's no point in doing so and she's happy where she is, so why bother moving around?
There's more evidence to support this if you take a look at the things Texas says. I titled this thread "or how I learned to stop thinking", because that line tickled me when I first read it, but I think there's merit in examining why she feels that way!
Her first Archive File states that she's "not hiding anything, just has nothing to say".
Her fourth Archive Files states: "Although Texas never discusses her past, that's not the same as actively avoiding the topic. It's more likely apathy."
Her fourth Archive Files states: "Although Texas never discusses her past, that's not the same as actively avoiding the topic. It's more likely apathy."
In addition, she has these voiced lines:
"I don't say much? That's because I'd rather avoid thinking about most things."
"I'm not good at ordering others."
"Keep mission briefings as simple as possible, please."
"I don't say much? That's because I'd rather avoid thinking about most things."
"I'm not good at ordering others."
"Keep mission briefings as simple as possible, please."
Considering these lines in combination with Texas's Archives gives me the impression that honestly, Texas is just really, really tired.
There's a lot of things in her past that she, frankly, is tired of dealing with. She doesn't want to think about them!
There's a lot of things in her past that she, frankly, is tired of dealing with. She doesn't want to think about them!
It's less that Texas is full of regret or other heavy emotions, but rather -- she put down whatever baggage she was carrying, and called it a day. She's done! She knows it's not that simple, and that people will come after her -- but until that happens, she's just done.
Up til now, I've avoided mentioning it, but no proper thread talking about Texas can really avoid talking about Lappland.
Lappland is, for lack of a better phrase, obsessed with Texas, and somehow deeply to her past.
Lappland is, for lack of a better phrase, obsessed with Texas, and somehow deeply to her past.
What really cements the idea that Texas is simply Done with her past, and not actively running from it, is how she treats Lappland. Texas could, ostensibly, get a transfer out of Rhodes. She could ask the executives to forcibly keep herself and Lappland separated. She doesn't.
Texas simply avoids her, because Lappland is unpleasant to be around. That's all. She doesn't make a big deal out of it, she doesn't start a fight, she just de-escalates and leaves. That's all.
It's an incredibly neutral response.
It's an incredibly neutral response.
Lappland makes reference to a past version of Texas, referring to the current Texas as a coward. This, too, signifies an immense shift in Texas's mindset. She's gone through a personality change so significant that Lappland can't even comprehend it.
If Texas puts down everything about her past, and simply moves on, then -- yeah, that actually makes a lot of sense. The key difference I see between Texas and Lappland is that Texas can - and has - let go, and Lappland is either refusing to or is incapable of doing so.
Lappland can't accept that Texas is done. I think Lappland doesn't really understand Texas at all, honestly. Her one appearance in Code of Brawl indicates that she thinks Texas is on the run from her past. Lappland, though, is missing the point.
Texas isn't running. She's done.
Texas isn't running. She's done.
Texas is, actually, really content with her current life. We can see this in her Archives, which note that she frequently socializes with her fellow PL employees, and that 'routine work, bickering colleagues, Lungmen, and Rhodes Island are now everything to her.'
"When the past does catch up to her, she will face it with comosure -- unless it disrupts her present, then we'll witness the genuine rage inside her."
"My independent lifestyle and rowdy friends have brought me a lot of trouble... but I kind of like it this way."
"My independent lifestyle and rowdy friends have brought me a lot of trouble... but I kind of like it this way."
"I usually listen to Sora's songs when I'm driving."
And, of course: "Exusiai, cover me."
Texas is, actually, really really content with her present. It's hard to tell with her, as Exusiai notes in her E2 Promotion Record, because she doesn't really talk! She's quiet.
And, of course: "Exusiai, cover me."
Texas is, actually, really really content with her present. It's hard to tell with her, as Exusiai notes in her E2 Promotion Record, because she doesn't really talk! She's quiet.
This quietness, however, doesn't mean she's ill-content. Rather, I think it means the opposite. Texas is quiet because she has that luxury. She doesn't need to speak a lot in order to be understood. She doesn't need to do anything other than her job, and be.
Honestly, I don't think we've ever seen Texas truly angry. The closest we get is when Gambino insults her in Code of Brawl, and all Texas does is scowl at him a little. It's like if you're having a bad day, and then that annoying kid from next door calls you a loser.
Even with Lappland being Like That, Texas doesn't really get angry. Like I said before, she just avoids her. Lappland is a direct facet of her past, and not even that can get her worked up -- because she's not running from her past, or Lappland.
Texas is just interesting in protecting her present. Lappland being around is uncomfortable, but ultimately, isn't a threat to her daily life.
I think that's about all I have to say! Thank you for reading!
I think that's about all I have to say! Thank you for reading!
