in my heart Apo is the youngest member of the cast. Not by much, but still the youngest. Apo, Pyro and Avid are canonically the youngest pov characters with Pyro being 20-22, Avid being 19-early twenties, and Apo being the only one with a concrete age at 21.
I donโt think Avid and Pyro have to be much older than her, but I think it just Fits if Apo is youngest.
I think sheโs like. Freshly 21.
(Actually because Iโm evil I kinda like the idea that at one point Apo lied about her age to get her architecture job, and then got picked up by the military while still being underage, likely because of how good at it she was. (And maybe because the only person whoโd miss her was Cherriโฆ) Also I think the Fernsfield massacre happened on her birthday. Either her 21st and the massacre is Super Duper Recent, or on her 20th/19th and has haunted her ever since. But anyway)
Apoโs age is very important to the horror and tragedy of their story. Itโs the fact that the people who treated them to worst were all significantly older than themโScott, Cleo, even Sausage.
Itโs the fact that Apo tries to take on positions of protection and responsibility usually afforded to people much much older than they are out of care for the people of the townsfolk, and tries their best (and succeeds! Apo actually did not an admirable amount considering their circumstances) and yet itโs never enough.
Not to mention, Apo being so young again adds depth to their dynamic with Scott. Itโs the detached abusive patronizing paternalism of it all. As if Apo were a misbehaving child.
Honestly this is only just now occurring to me but. Despite Apo being A Whole Adult, if a very young one whoโs still understandably figuring shit out, she very much gets The Bad Kidโข๏ธ treatment. Nobody believes her. Nobody hears her out. Theyโve all decided sheโs Ontologically Evil, even when she doesnโt have the power to do like at least half of the Horrible Evils people think her guilty of.
Also, it also adds further depth to her parallels with Legsโdespite being so much younger, Apo has seen the same horrors. Legs caused a massacre. Apo lived one.
And wait! Thereโs more! Apo is characterization by her enduring hope. Every time she gives up, she pulls herself off the ground and keeps going. Apo is the hope of youth, of the future. The problems of the past shouldnโt have to be the responsibilities of the future, and yet they are anyway.
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