Cold will never fit in with the others, he can’t relate to them- he does care and feels on some level. But it’ll never be the same, he can’t make relationships the way they do.
A lot of the other’s existences is deliberately based on emotion, and he can’t relate to that.
You can’t separate Cold’s stunted range of emotions from who he is. So he will always remain an ‘outsider’. A wander, always seeking new experiences (always seeking her- subconsciously at least), but the others will always welcome him home with open wings.
If we ripped Cold apart, would we find the his emotions? If I dig could I find his heart? Would he be afraid? Snapping like a cornered animal as I cradle his most vulnerable parts. Oh, maybe he’ll freeze, like ice- how appropriate.
Pick him apart piece by piece. Gently, lovingly. An intimate dissection.
Gonna babble about Fury route especially after doing it both with Cold & Broken.
Spoilers ahead :)
The most resilient of the voices seem to be Broken and Cold, at least if we consider that the torture was enough to break even Stubborn. Cold didn’t surprise me, as MOC already pushed us towards that conclusion. Broken was a bit of a surprise, but it makes sense to me as someone who’s dealt with trauma.
The way they are strong are in opposite ways though- Broken by his ability to empathize and then accept + let go of his feelings (but still feel them). Cold is able to, well, ‘master himself’ as he says in the Razor. One of these is an obviously healthier way of dealing with emotions.
If you looked closely at Cold you could tell he wasn’t ’unfeeling’, he does get annoyed by dull things afterall, plus has moments when his tone indicates something. He’s the perfect example of a defense mechanism when you consider that his job is to keep you sane and perhaps, even help you (as in Quiet) handle pain. A lot of routes indicate that he’s protecting you- Wraith, MOC, and Fury.
What is Broken’s role? In Fury, he’s a voice of comfort. He’s broken even more by her, but he won’t leave you alone.
“It’s okay to let go.”
“I’m going to stick around as long as you need me to.”
“…Whatever you see. It’s going to be okay.”
Cold doesn’t leave you either- when the world ‘ends’ he says:
“It’s just you and me now.”
He says it in a way that indicates that he’s ‘happy’ with this development (right after dissing the exhausted Narrator though). Asshole. You only need him afterall!
What he says right after the torture is what had me in shock:
“Oh…she’s been like me this whole time. She’s just been hiding it.”
This line is so vulnerable, something he’d only share if it was just Quiet & him. The line delivery adds to this, his tone is…so soft. He has ‘mastered’ himself? But at what cost?
Broken, when he witnesses the tattered Fury, says this:
“She’s just like us. A piece of her is missing.”
Admittedly Broken may just be talking about the others buuut-
What is Cold missing, hm?
“But bad is so much more interesting than numb.”
The answer is obvious isn’t it?
“I’m still here. I’m still ‘me’.”
This line was also impactful, but it’s interesting to think about who Cold is- he represents apathy but is he really apathetic? Is he really in control? No.
“My apologies, they are being quite dull in here.”
Also also also he misses Quiet!! Even if it’s because he misses a ‘mediator’ (it isn’t just that he genuinely seemed happy to have you back- emotionless my ass).
No one compares Opportunist and Cold, but I wanna because they are my favorites.
Oppurtunist is about brining people together on some level (for his own gains), contrasting with Cold’s detachment. BUT- these mindsets have consequences.
Namely, in the way they function with others outside of a life/death situation. Cold already doesn’t ‘fit in’…but does Opportunist?
On the surface, maybe, but they both struggle with connecting with others- Opportunist sees others as potential threats, he won’t trust them.
Cold’s detachment doesn’t hurt others purposefully, but Oppy’s distrust? Well…we’ve seen what he can do for his own sake.
