If she lived...

[agentAK]

Jesus Horace Ernie Christ.

First off, Ernie?

Second, I think she was a bit of both. She did have a large blood thirst, but it's not like she was incapable of going back to normal life.

[ChimichangaChupacabra]

She had a thrill-thirst.  Not a blood thirst.  Different things.  Very different things.

And I'll use his full name if I want to.  Hmph.

[CDJV]

I voted for #1, but she'd probably also do #5 aswell. And she and Tobias would have little animorph babies running amok.

[JFalcon]

I voted for one because it would have been nice, but I can see her doing 2 instead/also.

[Tobichel]

I also think the way he left his mom and Ax was wrong. He went to hide as a hawk then face humanity again; to drown in self pity. He was all his mother had. He's doing what he did when he was tortured; hiding in the hawk mind so he doesn't have to face anything himself (which was protection then, but selfish now i think). Not the best ending for the son of Elfangor...

The way he left his mum was not wrong at all, her DOG was all she had. She could not even remember him as her son because the Ellimist already wiped out that part of her memory. So how was he supposed to live with her when she loved her dog than him? And he didn't leave Ax, Ax left him when he went back to his home world and became a war prince remember?  So his actions were not selfish at all. The hawk mind is very strong and that's what he needed to cope with Rachel's death.

[XtheoniongirlX]

So his actions were not selfish at all. The hawk mind is very strong and that's what he needed to cope with Rachel's death.

Going into hawk morph to 'cope' with a heart-breaking death is no different than coping by consuming a boatload of alcohol. It's not so much coping as it is numbing the pain. It's not a legitimate solution. The small glimpse of his mind that we get at #54 only mentions Rachel briefly. He didn't deal with it, he ran away to the back of his hawk mind and has been trying to drown out the complexity of his human emotions.

It was selfish. Sorry. Even if he didn't have a bond with his mother, the possibility was there; they had chemistry, and a much better way of trying to cope with the loss of his strongest tie to humans would've been to try to build a new one with his biological mother. I believe that is what Rachel would've wanted too. Instead, he joins Jake and Marco on their suicide mission and his mother will have to deal with the guilt of an unknown fate for her son.

To answer the topic question, I earnestly believe Rachel would've done a better job of moving on than Jake. She'd eventually transition her thrill-thirst (as someone else mentioned) to a healthier outlet, even if it took time to adjust.

[Tobichel]

So his actions were not selfish at all. The hawk mind is very strong and that's what he needed to cope with Rachel's death.

Going into hawk morph to 'cope' with a heart-breaking death is no different than coping by consuming a boatload of alcohol. It's not so much coping as it is numbing the pain. It's not a legitimate solution. The small glimpse of his mind that we get at #54 only mentions Rachel briefly. He didn't deal with it, he ran away to the back of his hawk mind and has been trying to drown out the complexity of his human emotions.

It was selfish. Sorry. Even if he didn't have a bond with his mother, the possibility was there; they had chemistry, and a much better way of trying to cope with the loss of his strongest tie to humans would've been to try to build a new one with his biological mother. I believe that is what Rachel would've wanted too. Instead, he joins Jake and Marco on their suicide mission and his mother will have to deal with the guilt of an unknown fate for her son.

Ok. If that's what you believe then fine, but I don't agree with that. I don't remember reading that his mother even tried to look for him after the war. I don't see any possibility of him bonding with her, except if the Ellimist wanted to help him out there which he didn't. Yeah Rachel would've wanted that, i want it so much too but there was no indication in the last book that left us hoping that he would get some happiness through his mother. K.A completely sealed that part.

[Funky Poacher]

I can't believe that first option is so popular. That's really not who the character was.

[Chad32]

Yeah I'm not sure why she'd want to avoid the public eye, and I find it sad that number 3 got the second highest votes.

[Canicula]

I can't imagine any of these options, but I have to say I think the first and the second options are the most probable ones.

I can't believe that first option is so popular. That's really not who the character was.

At first I thought the same but I think it isn't that out of character.

quote author=Chad30 link=topic=2135.msg702846#msg702846 date=1327682031]
Yeah I'm not sure why she'd want to avoid the public eye, and I find it sad that number 3 got the second highest votes.
[/quote]

Rachel was, when the war started a person which stood always in the center of attention because she was a really beautiful girl and then during the war she split up in to halves: The stronger side in her was addicted to the war and the fight, it was ruthless and, at some times, cruel. This was the half that liked to stand in the center of attention, but the other half was almost shy and wanted to get some peace. We saw these to sides really good in the starfish book. But it also showed during the series that at some points the 'weak' side came through but she pushed it aside because she wanted to fight the war.
But I could imagine that these weak side would come through after the war. When she'd realize that there is no more fighting I think she would calm down after a while. She realized in the war what she became and she was afraid of herself at some points but she always pushed it all aside for the sake of the war. But when it all would be over she would have to face what she became and she would have to deal with it because there would be no more excuses for her ruthlessness. And I could really imagine that she would avoid the public eye for a while to take her time to figure out who and how she is. And I think she would do this with Tobias because she gave very much of what he thought about her and also because he was the one who made her humanity show.
So I think the first option isn't that odd. But I also think it would be just a temporary option for her recovery.

[Chad32]

I wouldn't blame any of them if they wanted some alone time to recuperate after the war. Just not that they'd be broken for the rest of their lives like KA said they would.

[Canicula]

No, I also think they wouldn't be as broken as KA said it, and I really don't think Rachel wouldn't be capable to have a normal life. She would need some time, sure, but she is such a strong character, she could deal with it.