TaluAli

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this article may contain major plot or ending details

TaluAli

GENERAL

Arknights

Character	Character
Talulah	Alina

Canonical?

Semi-Canon

Status of Relationship

Neighbours/Close Friends and Companions/Comrades/Mutual Feelings; Alina is deceased

IN FANDOM

Type (?)

Femslash

Also Known As

Talina, 塔娜, タルアリ

Tropes

• Friends to Lovers

• Love Thy Neighbour

• Animal Motifs — Talulah's race motif is a dragon, while Alina's is a deer.

• The Lost Lenore — Alina's death plays a significant role in Talulah's downfall.

• Love at First Sight

Talulah – “I suppose if I had dragged you along... I'd have been bothering you too much.”

Alina – “Ah, you put it that way on purpose, didn't you? Don't remember wrong, now. It was I who wanted to go with you. ”

— Act 1: Shatter of a Vision, Episode 8: Roaring Flare, R8-6 After "War, Sprawling Without Cease".

TaluAli is the femslash ship between Talulah Artorius and Alina from the Arknights fandom.

Canon[]

Episode 8: Roaring Flare[]

Sometime before everything, Alina befriended a Draco named Talulah while living peacefully under the care of an old Ursus couple. Their quiet life ended when the Ursus Army's Infected Patrols raided their village and ended up killing the old man Ivan. Enraged, Talulah avenged him using her Arts, despite Alina's pleas for restraint. To protect the village, Alina urged Talulah to flee, and the two began wandering from place to place.

Though Alina disapproved of Talulah’s growing reliance on violence, she remained by her side, gathering information and caring for Infected children. Together, they laid the foundations for what would become the Reunion Movement. Alina served as Talulah’s confidant, as she warned her friend not to lose sight of their ideals.

Tragedy struck when Alina was mortally wounded while gathering supplies. Refusing to reveal her attacker - hoping to stop Talulah from seeking revenge - she died on Talulah’s back, urging her to live on. Her death marked a turning point in Talulah’s life, one she would never truly recover from.

❝

It's getting hot... Talulah...I don't want to die... I still haven't... your sister...You must... live on...

—Alina's last words.

Episode 9: Stormwatch[]

After being rescued by the remnants of Reunion led by Nine, Talulah is taken to the Ursus tundra. Cuffed to prevent escape or the use of her Arts, she learns that Reunion plans to head to Londinium to support local labor uprisings. Talulah, however, seeks vengeance in Ursus against Kashchey. Nine permits her journey, warning that Reunion won’t go easy on her. Before leaving, Talulah visits the crude monuments of fallen leaders, vowing to reignite the dying revolutionary flame amidst the cold.

❝

The Draco begins to walk in silence. Her footsteps alone remain on the white snowfields. With each step on the thick snow, the mud below is imprinted with her weight. Talulah walks tall with her back perfectly straight. Aside from that one winter, when the slowly fading warmth behind her drained her of breath, she has never once slouched her back. The names etched on the crude cenotaph appear to have been scrubbed often; they are starting to fade.

Episode 12: All Quiet Under the Thunder[]

Reunion and Talulah arrives near Londinium, delayed by an engine failure in their carrier. As Talulah steps outside for air and notices distant flames, Nine, who keeping a close eye on her, ignored the fire and reminds her they're moving soon. They share a quiet moment over stew Talulah helped the team make - which she reveals that it was something she once learned from Alina.

❝

I was just helping out the cook. She still had two baskets of potatoes to get through. Alina... I mean, an old friend once taught me a few things. I thought I had forgotten it all.

—Talulah

April Fools 2025: Ark no Knights (CN)[]

In an alternate timeline where PRTS went crazy and manipulated everyone, Rhodes Island became an enemy of the Infected. Upon hearing rumors about a wise person sleeping in the sarcophagus, Reunion chose to awaken the Doctor. Kevin was the first to assist the Doctor in escaping the chaos of Chernobog. During their escape, Kevin told the Doctor that Reunion now had two leaders: Talulah and Alina. He also mentioned that FrostNova was once a Rhodes Island operator.

❝

“Our two leaders, Talulah and Alina, will definitely welcome someone as knowledgeable as you.”

—Kevin

Quotes[]

Talulah – “Alina, don't force yourself.”

Alina – “I'm the one who followed you in the first place.”

— R8-4 After "Sparks, Extinguished in a Touch"

Talulah – “I suppose if I had dragged you along... I'd have been bothering you too much.”

Alina – “Ah, you put it that way on purpose, didn't you? Don't remember wrong, now. It was I who wanted to go with you. And up to now, it's been for one reason. It's because... Talulah, I feel like there's every chance you'd forget. Forget just what it is you want to do.”

— Act 1: Shatter of a Vision, Episode 8: Roaring Flare, R8-6 After "War, Sprawling Without Cease"

Talulah – “...Rebutting me with my own words... That's cheating.”

Alina – “Hey now... Cheating? That's quite a serious charge, isn't it? Here, say it after me: 'That's smart!'”

— R8-9 Before "Reunited, Only to Separate"

...

Alina – “Talulah, if there came a day when we all left you, would you still be able to fight on?”

Talulah – “What do you mean?”

Alina – “It could always happen. If that time came, would you still feel it was worth it to stand against fate? Would you possibly think, this is just too much? I just can't do anything anymore?”

Talulah – “If Patriot's taught me anything, then one lesson comes to mind, from long ago at that. I wouldn't bow my head. It sneers at me, and I'll be certain to burn it to ash.”

Alina – “You're a blockhead, Talulah. That, or you're getting old.”

Talulah – “Hey!”

Alina – “Only old people get to say that stuff without coming off as naive. Because if someone's gotten old as old gets and still keeps that outlook all the way, it just means they've gone through far, far too much, to the point the world's left its bitter vestiges on their body, allows them no rest in passing the remainder of their life....And they're living in the desert of the past. If it were me, I wouldn't even have the courage to take the first step. If I were that old and had that much arrogance, I'd be taking the events of the past and stabbing myself with them, every single step I took. I can't even imagine it. Stuck in the sands of memory, of all the past, how does a person even know they're still moving forwards? And what kind of resilient spirit does it take to let them make a new first step, unlike any they've made before?”

Talulah – “I feel like you've been hinting at someone this entire time.”

Alina – “I've said I know a lot of what he's done, but I still truthfully don't know Mr. Patriot at all. I've never spoken a single word to him. If you say that's him, well, why not. Let it be him. If Mr. Patriot...”

Talulah – “You're fast to substitute.”

— R8-6 After "War, Sprawling Without Cease"

❝

If we're still by your side when that time comes, we'll definitely be able to pull you back.

—Alina

Fanon[]

Talina is one of the most popular ships in the Arknights fandom due to their tragic dynamic and the deep, sincere chemistry between them. Their feelings are clearly mutual, their doomed story has moved a large part of the community to tears. The fanbase continues to cry for them, mourning what could have been until this day.

Talina placed 17th in the 2024 Bilibili popularity poll, which was based on the number of articles posted on Lofter.^[1]

Talulah was voted the Lesbian Champion in the 2022 Arknights Lesbian Champion Showdown held on Twitter/X, defeating Saria in the final round. The poll gained attention from both the global and Eastern fandoms, even NoriZC, the character designer for Saria and other Rhinelab operators. There's been a lot of memes regard to this event, ranging from comic strips to real-life cosplay and banners. As the showdown was never held again, Talulah still holds the title of Lesbian Champion to this day. ^[2]