Heartwarming / Tribe Twelve

Videos/Social Media

• In the two pictures the Observer uploaded to Noah's Twitter account to remind him of his impending doom (on November 11th), there are hidden messages of encouragement: "Not if I can help it", and "Do not worry. I will stop him."
  • There's another one. "He will not take you. I will protect you." We sure hope so, Noah....
• Firebrand saving Noah from the Observer in INTERCEPTION.
  • "Never give up. Never stop until you win. You can do this, we can do this."
  • "So the game isn't over, Noah. I'm on your side. Together, we can destroy the [REDACTED]. I have seen the [REDACTED], and it is beautiful."
• Alex from Dark Harvest checking in with Noah during the livestream to make sure he was okay.
• Despite Noah's earlier statements about the events of the November 11th livestream making him wish he was dead, he tweeted on Thanksgiving that he was "[t]hankful for a second chance".
• Someone on Formspring asked what Noah would have done differently, if he had it all to do over again:
  Talked to Milo more.
• Noah's final words in "The Live Stream Incident", spoken in private after he ends the livestream:
  Noah: (Tearing up.) Firebrand...me... Thank you. Thank you. (Turns off camera as he begins to sob.)
• Leave it to Firebrand to answer him in a way that's awesome, hilarious and heartwarming all at once. Moreover, it shows that under the frightening Collective "persona" ...it's still our Noah in there.

  "You're fucking welcome."

• In Extraordinary Circumstaces
  • Noah manages to open the briefcase. As he goes through it, the video distorts several times, leaving on to think the Observer is coming. Noah gets more and more excited as he discovers several of Milo's belongings, including a letter from Milo addressed to him. Just as he thinks he's gone through everything, he discovers there's a fake black panel and removes it, finding several thousand dollars in cash. Just when you think it couldn't get any more heartwarming, Firebrand shows up in the flesh, and actually speaks for the first time. Turns out he was the one causing the distortion in the video.
  Noah: Uh... I...I'm rich?
  Firebrand: It wasn't easy, but you can thank me later. Bye for now.
  • In a more subtle case, this is the first video in a long time that nothing bad ends up happening. Sure, you get a few teases, such as the distortion and Noah's silence before showing the money to the camera, but it all ends up being subverted.
  • Hell, it gets so heartwarming that it slams into a Funny Moment in the final frame of the video.
    Try not to spend it all.
  • Probably one of the most heartwarming things is how happy both Noah and Firebrand are in this video, especially after nothing but hard times for years.
• In Case Findings, Noah reveals that he sent money to the characters of Dark Harvest to help them on the run because he felt the need to make amends, and still considers them to be friends.
• In Severance, HABIT, of all people, insists that Noah get inside quickly so that his cat doesn't get outside, and is often talking to his cats throughout the video. An oddly human moment from someone/something that is most decidedly not human.
• "Bridge to Nowhere"
  • Noah is at one of his lowest points: stranded in New Jersey with no money thanks to HABIT and seemingly temporally displaced into the past by 3 months. When confronted by HABIT and asked what he wants, Noah simply says "I want to go home." Shortly after, HABIT, in an abnormal display of mercy/compassion/doing something nice, obliges and drops Noah back into the hallway outside his bedroom. (True, he kicks him in the nuts to do so, but for HABIT, it's still pretty damn decent.)
  • When Noah is confused as to where he is, he flags down a passing motorist who is Lee from Whispered Faith and is more than willing to help him, even asking him if he's okay. It's not often that Noah encounters someone that decent anymore.
• After several months of hell, Firebrand sends Noah a You Are Not Alone type-speech, reaffirming his allegiance and bolstering Noah's confidence. It's nice to know that, after all the shady stuff Firebrand's been pulling, he actually cares about Noah.
  You are you and nothing else. This is the only real truth. And that is the one thing they can never take away from us.
• After Everyman HYBRID reached its conclusion on November 2018, Noah sent out a tweet acknowledging both Vinny and Evan's deaths, and wishing that they rest well as brothers in arms. The fact that Noah would do something like that, especially after the events of Severance and Bridge to Nowhere demonstrates that in spite of all the crazy shit that's happened. Noah really did care about the HYBRID boys, even as an outsider to their problems.
  Noah: [Translated from German] As all my friends die around me, I can not shake the feeling of jealousy. But we're all just a bunch of helpless bastards. It was an honor to be familiar to the kindly souls who also understood the great evil. Rest well, my brothers.
  • Special mention goes to the second sentence in that tweet, as Vinny's last words were to lament to an already-dead Evan, "I don't know if we're monsters... or just a couple of unlucky bastards." Noah is reassuring Vinny that despite the evil actions he was revealed to have committed, he is still the latter.
• In "Facade", Milo's Journal — or, rather, Milo himself — reveals that it was only acting like an asshole on Firebrand's orders and does genuinely care about Noah. The two then proceed to develop a stronger bond throughout the episode.
  • Although it's clear that Kevin is under the influence of the Observer, one can't help but be touched at the big bear hug he gives Noah upon entering his house, and offering to play video games with him just like old times. It's almost as though deep down in the Observer's psyche, Noah's old friend is still in there, and is happy to see him again.

Milo's Journal

• The fact that after enduring years of Mary Asher's abusive boyfriends, Milo finally gets John Fletcher as a loving stepdad. Sure it would've been better if he had his real father Robert, but seeing Milo talk so fondly of John just hammers in how much the two really care for each other, especially with all of the other adults in Milo's lifetime treating the poor boy like utter shit.
  • And although Mary Asher is nothing more than a disgusting Manipulative Bitch who ultimately murdered John out of Paranoia Fuel, Mary seemed to care a little bit, as she threatens to ship Milo off to the mental institute again if he jeopardizes her relationship with him.
• In "pantry", it's revealed that Milo cut off contact with Noah for the express purpose of ensuring that Noah didn't get caught up in the Order's plans. Noah himself even says that he owes Milo an unpayable debt.
• Literally every single time Milo encounters Firebrand, he's nothing but helpful, giving information, protection, or some support. Especially in the seance Milo performs before visiting Noah for the final time, where Firebrand gives some crucial details and advises Milo on how to proceed, to the point that even Milo notices that Firebrand seems eager to help him. Looks like Noah was with Milo in his darkest days after all.

---