The Final Shape

The Final Shape

Thank you all so much for all the love you're giving to my art recently. It means the world to me 🌞

My biggest gripe with the Final Shape was the lack of Ikora's ghost, Ophiuchus. I know he is a very quiet ghost and he and Ikora don't have the best relationship (they had a period where they didn't talk for a good 61 years and there is a lore entry this season where Ophiuchus thinks about how he and Ikora are still very much important to each other but not friends like they used to be).

I feel like maybe this could have been a good point for them to reconnect a bit of what they've lost over the years. Like, Ophiuchus also has been around for centuries, seen some messed up things during the dark age, seen the creation of the city, watched Ikora grow from a new light to a crucible main to one of the most important warlocks ever, seen the arrival of the black fleet, etc, etc. And we know from the lore that he is a ghost who thinks a lot and has a lot of personal theories, like the connection between ghosts and guardians that he told Sagira about. It would have been fun to see his reaction to the pale heart. Or to see his reaction to the loss of Targe. Perhaps it was a point in which Ikora tells Ophiuchus how much he means to her, even if they've had many differences and fights over the years.

I know Bungie doesn't like adding too many characters into narrative at once, which I totally understand, but this felt like a time for at least a little bit of dialogue between Ikora and Ophiuchus.

Let's talk about how Mara has Wishender I'll start.

*bursts into tears*

Ikora: it's pride month, guardian. You know what to do.

Bubo (confused bi warlock): what?? Do you want me to like, kiss you?? What??

Hello fellow Ikora simps! I was looking at random stuff with Ghost in the Pale heart when I accidentally clicked on the button to look at the lore of the chest piece. And I'm glad I accidentally did that! Because it has sent me down a rabbit hole. Of course, I saw the flavor text and instantly knew it was about Ikora, so I had to read it. Here it is for people who haven't read it:

I love when we get little bits about Ikora's past that aren't crucible and her being Osiris's student. Another one of Ikora's comfort books! I love the mental image of Ikora reading it after a bad crucible match and Ophiuchus acting as a light so she could read. It sounds like a time where they were closer, long before the 61 years of them not talking.

And then the other detail, "And [Ikora] thought of other moments, of a warm hand covering her own as she read the text out loud for the thousandth time." A lover perhaps? I love how it's open ended, so you can insert any ship with Ikora (sorry Eris x Ikora shippers, but I'm totally reading this as Ikora on a date with Chalco Yong). I kinda wish bungie would give us her romantic/sexual orientation.

But other than simping for Ikora content, the whole detail about the traveler having a book based off of her memories with such detail is a really interesting rabbit hole. Like are all the things based off of our memory in the traveler because of the darkness inside of it? If the Pale Heart didn't have the witness in it, would it still look like these memories? It seems like it is most likely the traveler itself retaining these memories, not the darkness. So, does the light actually remember as well? Or is the traveler a being of both light and dark, but mainly light and so it can make these memories? I think it would make most sense if the traveler was made of both light and dark like the Veil. But these memories in the traveler just opens up another rabbit hole about the light and dark and I am glad they had Ikora ponder it a bit in the lore.

Tell me more of this ghost adoption 🙌🏻🙌🏻

I will happily share the soft and sweet story of how my Ghost OC Sparky got himself adopted by Sagira and Geppetto

Not many guardians paid attention to unpaired ghosts. They knew they existed and sometimes would see one zip here or there in the tower but with the exception of rare individuals like Micah-10, most unpaired ghosts were ignored or forgotten.

Another thing Guardians tended to overlook was the fact that ghosts didn't always get along. Each ghost had a personality all its own and they didn't always mesh.

Sagira and Geppetto were two peas in a pod. Even back in the beginning when Saint would purposely ruffle Osiris' feathers and Osiris would rant about Saint for hours, Sagira would look at Geppetto across the table and rotate her shell in an equivalent of an eye-roll and Geppetto would hide silent giggles at their guardians.

Once their Guardians git together the pair of ghosts would recharge almost cuddled together on a plush pillow that Sagira insisted she had to have and Osiris indulged in for her. They were 'Etto and 'Gira and best friends and Sagira would even go as far to call them soulmates if you caught her in a gushing mood.

Saint-14 and Osiris were busy bickering about something Sagira already forgot and had shooed their ghosts out to enjoy the morning in the safety of the tower and her 'Etto had eagerly suggested they go visit the rooms where random little nests were left for unpaired ghosts to be able to recharge in, jokingly referred to as the Hatchery in the tower.

However on the way there they came across a surprising sight. A ghost in a damaged shell was bobbing its way through the shadows, little sparks of arc energy occasionally escaping a cracked optic and causing it to dip lower before it would catch itself and force itself onward.

Sagira didn't even have to look to know Geppetto would have her shell twisting in worry she just sighed and braced herself for whatever chaos was to follow. How anyone thought she was the rash one had never really known the trouble her 'Etto's too big heart could get them into. Just ask her about the bear cub incident.

"Hey are you alright?" Sagira called out as 'Etto zoomed over when the Ghost lost control again and looked like it was going to hit the ground. Sagira was right behind her partner and hovered nearby as Geppetto gently lowered the other ghost onto a stack of boxes nearby.

The ghost looked at them both with fear and distrust. "Is this some sort of joke? Are you here to laugh at me when I can't make it all the way to the Hatchery?" The ghost spat at them and Geppetto whirled back from the vicious edge to his voice but Sagira had been accused of worse things by Osiris and recognized a defense mechanism when she saw it.

"We're just concerned. You look hurt. I'm 'Gira and that's my 'Etto. Our Guardians are occupied so we were just enjoying the tower and we noticed you. How did you get so broken around here anyway?" She asked as the ghost did its best to look prickly and angry.

"One of the other ghosts from the hatchery said a ghost that I'm friends with was back from searching and I was stupid and believed them but it was a trap and they locked me in a closet with fireworks." The injured ghost deflated and Geppetto made a sound of distress.

"They set off fireworks and locked you in there with them?! You could have been shattered!" She cried but the ghost in front of them just looked tired.

"The fireworks weren't lit. That's the point. A normal ghost would have been fine but... They call me Sparky because even when I'm fully healed up arc energy sparks off me sometimes. I... Uh... I've accidentally shocked a lot of them or guardians they like... So they don't like me much. They want me out of the Hatchery so i'm not in the way to accidentally zap anyone anymore," He admitted in a defeated tone.

"That's terrible! Well we aren't taking you back there where they can try to hurt you again! You can borrow our nest to heal up in! Come on, Sagira, balance him on me, your shell isn't good for carrying things." Geppetto insisted immediately and the ghost immediately gasped.

"S-Sagira? You're *the* Sagira?" He squeaked and Sagira giggled letting her shell stretch out a bit in a preening fashion.

"The one and only! The one about to try to balance you is Geppetto. She's even more amazing but only barely." She said and Geppetto's optic brightened in a sort of blush equivalent.

"Sagira quit preening like one of brother Saint's pigeons and help me." 'Etto huffed and Sagira rolled her optic but dutifully used a tractor beam to carefully balance the other ghost onto her partner's shell grateful Geppetto wasn't in the crested one that mimicked Saint's helmet today and instead a simple silver one adorned with the Roman numerals for her guardian.

"Wait! No! I- I could hurt you!" Sparky yelped at the pair and Geppetto giggled.

"If I can survive the hive, fallen and the vex then I can handle a little zap from some half dead little baby ghostie!" She said teasingly as the group started to float along back toward the hanger Sagira ready to catch Sparky if he fell.

"We were all made at the same time! I am not a baby!" The ghost complained but Sagira gently tapped him with the point of a bit of her shell.

"Sounds like something a baby ghost would say to me." She joined in the teasing keeping the other ghost distracted away from the slight jostling as they moved. No one paid any attention to the three ghosts so thankfully the trip back wasn't far and then Sagira was able to transmat the other ghost the short distance left from outside the Gray Pigeon to her and Geppetto's shared nest. The pair following despite Sparky's worries that they'd get hurt. The few little zaps Sagira did notice weren't even painful. Those other ghosts were just weak cowards.

Thankfully once he was situated and snuggled between her and Geppetto he quickly drifted into a recharging state, cracks slowly starting to close as the light worked to restore him.

"Hey Sagira?" Geppetto whispered and Sagira peered at her in silent question.

"Can we keep him?" The other ghost asked and Sagira couldn't stop the tinkling laugh that escaped her.

"Fine but just this one. We can't adopt every sad ghost we meet 'Etto, then where would we recharge?" She teased back.