#but that would be like. kinda when they're older.

[abbotsanatomy]

hello!! i love ur writing you’re feeding my abbot addiction <33 could you write a fic with a depressed reader, maybe she had a hard case that hit close to home that ended badly and is really lingering for her, and jack noticed because she’s been more withdrawn and distant for the past few days and he tries to get her to talk about it and she says shes fine then blah blah fast forward shes on yhe roof crying after working a double :) sorry im a fiend for hurt comfort

⨳ PROTECTING THE HIVE

pairing: jack abbot x chief resident!reader warnings: (20-ish year) age gap, resident/attending relationship, workplace romance, depictions of depression, mentions of suicidal ideation, kinda medical malpractice (lol), panic attack, allusions to child abuse. author's note: i had no idea what to name this, so here's my attempt at being funny... (also keep the compliments coming, they're feeding my ego <33 mwah)

You used to love your bed. It used to be a huge source of comfort. And sleep. Sleep is a special commodity when you work night shifts at a trauma center.

Now, you hate it. Because whenever you aren't working, you're just lying there. Not even asleep, just staring at the ceiling. Half of the time, you want to get up and be with your hot, older boyfriend.

The other half of the time, your mind is just pulling out the most horrendous memories possible, making you relive them, and wish you were dead. There's a bottle of pills on your nightstand you know would do the trick. You won't let yourself.

People rely on you. Jack relies on you. You save lives every day; you just wish you didn't have to lose so many along the way.

The only place you can escape your own thoughts is the ER. So, you throw yourself into your work. You work twice as hard, for twice as long.

Of course, Jack notices. He can see the most imperceptible changes in your demeanor, so this major shift doesn't exactly fly under his radar.

Be that as it may, you won't tell him any of it. He's a natural worrier. He hovers and he worries. That's just who he is. You're doing him a huge favor, really.

Besides, out of all the things your coping mechanism could be, it's saving lives. Who wouldn't support that?

So, you work yourself to the bone guilt-free. You take on double shifts with a few extra hours sprinkled on top. It's more than tiring, but it also means that when you get home and you're in bed, you pass out. You don't lay there for hours thinking about the kid who died in your ER two weeks ago.

You're careful about it, too. You change your scrubs and chug a cup of that terrible break room coffee before Jack comes in for the night shift.

Tonight's another one of those long, grueling, self-inflicted shifts. You've got a Red Bull in one hand, and a patient's bloodwork in the other. You've assessed labs like this one a million times, but the numbers aren't making any sense right now. Parker passes by you with a quick tap on your shoulder to bring your attention to her.

“Hey, you want me to count you in for the rock climbing thing this Sunday?” she asks, opening up one of the ER computers, “It was fun last time, right?”

“Uh, yeah,” you say slowly.

You're not too sure you can come up with a viable excuse right now, so you'll just have to cancel later. It was really fun, it just sounds like too much effort right now.

She walks away with a nod, when one of the nurses calls for her. When you start feeling surrounded in the middle of the ER hallway, you make your way to the break room. It feels even more stuffy, somehow.

You grip the papers in your hands tighter. The throbbing in your head that hasn't really left for the past two weeks has become unbearable now.

Noises are too loud. Everyone's too close. You need to get out, now.

Everything in your hand gets abandoned on the break room counter. You make your way as swiftly as possible past the patient’s rooms. A hand gently grips your arm, before you can pull the emergency exit open.

“Are you alright?”

Jack's low cadence coupled with his steady touch on your arm make you want to burst out into tears right then and there.

“I'm fine. I just—” your voice cracks.

“I need a minute,” you tell him, willing your voice to be as firm as you can manage. You can't even pull your gaze up from the floor. It isn't clear if he's buying it or not.

He lets go of your arm, and you can finally run up the hospital's stairs to the rooftop. You're completely out of breath, and still wildly overstimulated by the time you get there.

You pull the roof's metal door open. The moment the cold December air hits your face, it calms your panic down. But it brings with it a wave of sadness that can't be quelled or distracted away. You let yourself feel it.

You're out of control, now. Hands shaking, limbs completely wracked by these huge, full-body sobs. You steady yourself with your arms on one of the roof's AC units, when the memories start flooding your mind.

The kid you killed, he'd come in a week before. He had bruises all over, cuts where he wasn't supposed to. You passed the information onto someone on the day shift, so they can tell the department social worker. The next day you came back, he was gone.

A week later, he was dying in your arms. His blood literally staining your hands is a memory you'll never be able to erase. You spiral, his first and last visit to the ER flashing in your mind with equal consequence.

The footsteps growing closer barely register to your ears over your wailing. The moment Jack pulls you close, a hand on your jaw to bring your eyes to his, you instinctively pull away. He's insistent, though. He was trying to give you space, but look where that's gotten you.

“Hey, hey,” he says firmly, to grab your attention.

You squeeze your eyes shut, shaking your head. He quickly realizes he can't get you to understand anything he says, not right now. So he does the next best thing.

He holds you. Really tight. So tight you can only smell his cologne and that sterile hospital scent that lingers on him for hours after a shift. It reminds you of home. You see him almost every day, but you miss him. He somehow always knows exactly what you need.

It takes a good ten minutes for you to stop crying in his arms. He's happy to be there, just glad you're slowly calming down. When your breathing evens out, and your eyes have dried out, you look up at him.

Where you think there should be disappointment, maybe even hatred, there's only admiration. If you’d actually picked up a scalpel and killed someone, he wouldn't even flinch, you think.

His gaze alone is making this a lot easier, “Better?”

You nod. Your eyes feel heavy, like you might just sleep here in his arms.

“It's the oxytocin,” he jokes.

“Yeah. I know,” you chuckle.

His scrub top looks incredibly comfortable. For the first time in weeks, you wish you were just in bed. You could lay on his chest and have the best sleep you've had in too many nights to count. The best you can get right now is resting your forehead on the black fabric. That's exactly what you do.

Jack lets a few seconds go back before speaking up.

“You wanna talk about it?”

“I...” you take a deep breath.

I killed him. The words die on your tongue. You can't say them.

Jack must notice this is causing you distress, so he runs his fingers through your hair. He kisses the top of your head to calm you down.

“We don't have to, right now,” he whispers, “Not ever, even. But you do need to talk about it to someone.”

You nod in agreement, against his shirt. Your coping mechanisms are so not working.

“When was the last time you ate?”

You blank, “I don't...I don't know.”

“Sleep?” he asks.

You shake your head.

“Alright. You're done.”

He pulls your head up with a hand on each cheek, “Clock out. Go home. Have some food, and I'll be there in a few hours.”

“Okay,” you whisper.

You both walk to the emergency exit. In the stairwell, you turn to him, your eyes still glistening.

“Hey, um. I'm not fine, Jack,” you admit.

“I know that,” he tells you. “But you will be. I'll make sure of it.”

You believe him.

[arandomao3user]

Who in the BatFam (other than stephanie ) do you think would get along with Bernard the most and why?

Sosososososo sorry this took me so long to respond to ToT

I've been battling depression ;)

ANYWAYS!

—

Bruce likes Bernard, he thinks he's... An influence on Tim, and Bruce thinks Bernard might end up a super villain, but that applies to all the people Tim dates. So, he doesn't hate Bernard, quite the opposite, but he certainly was protective of all his children. They're his babies. They're his lil' eggs. He must protecc... But, also, upon hearing Bernard had sh$&, unsupportive, parents, he kinda ropes him in with Stephanie and Babs, into "Not my kid but my responsibility now." And pays for Bernard's college even if the blonde insists it wasn't necessary...

Dick is absolutely terrified for Tim, he doesn't shovel talk Bernard, because Tim doesn't need it, Dick knows Tim can handle himself when it comes to dating, and knows he'll be the first person (next to Steph) Tim calls if he needs advice or anything goes wrong. Still, Dick puts on the older brother act and sends Bernard plenty of death glares if he notices Tim had any visible bruises on his neck or rope burns on his arms. He knows what they are...

Jason likes Bernard, cool kid, Bernard talks about his conspiracy theories as well as questions Jason's magical soul swords at every possible moment he can. So, Jason thinks he's fine, he'd appreciate it a lot if Bernard and Tim stopped making out in Crime Alley though, also if Bernard stopped cat calling Tim every time he was patrolling with Jason, but in general, not a bad kid, they get along well enough.

Damian would change his last name and become Bernard's child if Bruce ever died (again) why? Well, they understand one another. Bernard is kind to strays and helps Damian if he finds an injured bird or stray dog or cat, he also understands things the other's don't really get, like being influenced by cults. Bernard also pushes for Tim and Damian to be kinder to one another, and Bernard makes really, really good food. So, yes, Damian rather likes Bernard and has shovel talked Tim in Bernard's honor before.

Cass gets along with Bernard, she approves, and she to as shovel talked Tim in Bernard's honor. They understand each other on a certain level, Cass' relationship and opinions on Lady Shiva and David Cain are... Complicated, and Bernard understands, even if his parents aren't deadly assassins or crazy super villains, they can understand one another. Also, they like playing Scrabble and hang man.

Stephanie and Bernard of course get along, Stephanie also loves poking fun at him and the fact he didn't think she was a real person for literal years. Stephanie will spill almost all of Tim's secrets to Bernard and he swears to take (most of) them to the grave U_U

Babs and Bernard have a mutual understanding that at any moment Babs can and will leak his internet history...

[mirai-e-jump]

Uchusen Vol.188 (Spring 2025) No.1 Sentai Gozyuger | Detail of Super Sentai ft. Main Cast & Staff Interviews (other pages and translations below)

Publication: April 1, 2025

Fuyuno Mio x Suzuki Hideharu x Kanda Masakazu Matsumoto Jin x Imamori Maya

"How did those around you react when you were cast for the role?"

Fuyuno: I told my family first, and as expected, they were overjoyed. Members that were part of the soccer club from my time in high school contacted me and said, "You can do it!" with the same energy that they had back then. Also, a cram school teacher from my middle school years took my photo, enlarged it, made it into a poster with their own money, and proudly said, "I taught that student" (laughs).

Matsumoto: Amazing!

Kanda: You were their prized student, huh? (laughs).

Suzuki: I've loved Super Sentai productions since I was a child, so my family was overjoyed when I told them. It made me happy to hear them say, "You'll become the hero you've always wanted to be." After the production announcement, I received tons of messages from my school teachers and friends saying "congratulations," "good luck," and "we're looking forward to the broadcast." However, I was a night person when I attended college, so some people worried that I'd "definitely oversleep" (laughs).

"By the way, who's your favorite hero?"

Suzuki: My favorite hero is BoukenBlack from "GoGo Sentai Boukenger." I still have a photo of me with the Boukengers at a hero show from when I was a child, and when my parents sent it to me at the time of my audition, it deeply moved me as I thought, "I've loved them since I was this young."

"That was a great story, what about Matsumoto-san?"

Matsumoto: First and foremost, I reported it to my mother, who was extremely overjoyed. After the announcement, the response from those around me was really great, and I received alot of well wishes from people I don't normally keep in touch with, so it felt as if the number of relatives I had quickly increased (laughs).

Suzuki: It couldn't have increased that quickly (laughs).

Matsumoto: My friends were also overjoyed, but it kinda felt like they were teasing me. They know me from how I normally am, so they couldn't imagine me as a hero at all and would be like, "You're gonna be a hero?" (laughs).

"I guess they're able to say it since you're such good friends (laughs)."

Imamori: I contacted my father first, but……I wouldn't say that I'm normally rebellious with my father, but there's sort of an unfriendly distance between us. This is why I always talk to my older sister and mother about my work, but this time, I thought my father would be the most pleased, so I called him and said, "I was chosen."

"We feel alittle sorry for your father……(laughs)."

Imamori: No, my father is usually pretty hard on me too (laughs). So at the time, he was just like, "That's great," and I thought that'd be the end of it, but since then, he seems to have done alot of research, as he started sending me messages such as, "It seems like you're the first female Black," "I watched today's broadcast," and "It's cold, but do your best."

Fuyuno: That's kinda nice, don't you think?

Matsumoto: Your father is kind!

"What about Kanda-san?"

Kanda: I also contacted my relatives and those closest to me after the production announcement, but they were also overjoyed. Also, I'll sometimes meet with my homeroom teachers from elementary school as if it were a mini reunion, and I received a direct LINE from them as well. They were so pleased that they said, "We'll tell our students about it."

"We're sure your homeroom teachers will be very happy. What are some similarities and differences between you and your respective roles?"

Fuyuno: I'd say that me and Hoeru are about 80% similar in terms of our personalities.

Suzuki: They pretty much take after each other (laughs).

Fuyuno: When I first read the description of the role in the proposal, we were so similar that I thought, "This could be me" (laughs). I'm shy and tend to become embarrassed easily, so I think we have a similar tendency to come off as unfriendly. So basically, it's easy for me to perform my role, but then there's the unconventional parts where I have to fight off monsters, so that's difficult.

Kanda: My role as Ryugi is that he's a "Tega Sword follower," but when it comes to being a "follower," I also have an obsessive personality, and when I get into something, it's all I want to do. I love to draw, but before I know it, I'll have drawn for countless hours. On the other hand, the only thing that's different is that he very clearly has way too much power (laughs). I myself am by no means a powerful type of person, so I really enjoy performing the role, as it feels like I've become stronger.

Suzuki: Rikuo's a former super idol, but I also like singing and dancing, so I think we're similar in that respect. The difference is that he has alot of confidence in himself, and is the type who often delivers pretentious lines, but I don't have that kind of show off attitude (laughs). Because we're completely different in that respect, I'm able to open up and perform that part to my heart's content.

"You're wearing your stage costume today too, and your makeup is also very bold (laughs)."

Suzuki: Rikuo has two main costumes and two levels of makeup to match. It's lighter when I wear his normal casual clothes, and thicker when I'm in this idol costume. I myself am a rather messy type of person, and I usually don't do much when it comes to makeup or even styling my hair, so I feel that this is a part that's quite different.

Imamori: For my role as Sumino, she's a girl with a very cunning side, but I wouldn't usually consider myself as cunning (laughs), so it's difficult for me to show her cunningness.

Suzuki: Is that so? It's surprising since you express yourself so naturally. She's also very skilled at switching up her attitude.

Kanda: There's a sudden switch from soft facial expressions to a sharp one.

Imamori: I still find it difficult to do. In order to properly express her cunningness, every day I'll watch alot of anime, idols, and actresses that I think are cute and study them.

"Simply being cunning isn't enough, as it should also give off the impression that you're doing it on purpose."

Imamori: That's right. I want to go all out and express it in an exaggerated way, but it's difficult.

Matsumoto: For my role as Kinjiro, he's a 17 year old high schooler, but on the inside, he's actually a stern, 87 year old grandfather. He had never done anything adventurous in his life up to that point, and in fact, he wanted to live that way, so now he's in the process of getting a second chance at life. Parts that are similar with myself……he's a grandfather after all, so it's hard for me to be honest here (laughs), but I guess I might have the same "desire to have fun since I'm a serious person at heart." I haven't done that many "youthful" things, so we may be similar in that respect. Also, I sometimes have to show off my "ojii-san" side, so whenever I see an old man, I unintentionally follow him with my eyes in order to check things like his gestures (laughs).

"What's the atmosphere on set like?"

Kanda: It's really good.

Imamori: We have fun everyday!

Kanda: We've become friends with the staff and are in close communication, so I'd like for us to keep this atmosphere until the final episode.

"What are your impressions of your other costars?"

Kanda: Nakagoshi-san is a senior from my agency, and this was our first time working together, but……actually, it was practically our first meeting too, as I had never properly met her prior, so I was really nervous (laughs). Still, Nakagoshi-san is always friendly and talks to us in an open way, which has been very helpful.

Fuyuno: I was also really nervous in the beginning about my scenes with Nakagoshi-san. Still, every time we meet, she always kindly asks, "How are you doing?," so I'm grateful that she helps ease our tension. I myself am not very good at starting conversations, so it makes me really happy when people talk to me. Also, on the Buraidan side, I'm fated rivals with Sanbongi-san's Fire Candle, so we have many scenes together. While we engage in intense competition every time we perform, Hoeru's usually a low energy kind of man, but when he has to go for it, he does, so I'm doing my best not to lose in terms of passion.

Matsumoto: Sanbongi-san and Bouquet's Marupi-san are always energetic and fun when we meet up. They're incredibly cheerful, and don't feel like enemies at all (laughs).

Suzuki: Rikuo and Bouquet often get involved with each other in the show, but they don't have direct conversations with each other, and if I were to put it another way, it's mostly just one sided misunderstandings. I think there'll be scenes of them having direct conversations in the future, so I hope you'll look forward to that too.

"Have you gotten accustomed to post recording?"

Kanda: It's abit complicated to say if things are going well each time, but compared to the first time, I think everyone's becoming more skilled. After all, the days where we wouldn't finish until midnight are over (laughs).

Matsumoto: When it comes to our main episodes, there are more lines, and there are more instances of saying lines while on the move, so I get the impression that everyone struggles with these parts.

"Have you met the regular Voice Actors?"

Fuyuno: We've yet to meet Kaji-san, but we had the opportunity to introduce ourselves to Mr. Shining Knife's Sugita-san and Mrs. Sweet Cake's Ueda-san.

Matsumoto: We talked about anime and were like, "I watched this one!"

Imamori: I watched "SAKAMOTO DAYS," in which Sugita-san appeared, so I was pretty stoked to hear his voice in person (laughs).

Suzuki: Sugita-san includes various adlibs during recording, and I think it's amazing how he keeps exploring things every time.

Kanda: I want to meet Kaji-san as soon as possible too!

Suzuki: We're all fans of "Shingeki no Kyojin," so we definitely want to talk to him.

"How is it regarding action scenes?"

Suzuki: We haven't gotten caught up in much action so far, but there have been some parts currently where we're moving around abit.

Imamori: Like the action scenes while we're transforming.

Kanda: It's still abit difficult to clap and do action while transforming. In one way or another, the editing and camera work has saved us (laughs).

"Is there anything in particular you'd each like us to pay attention to?"

Kanda: They're all in a rival relationship, so I'd like for the viewers to focus on their favorite characters first. I'm sure the time will come where they'll become a team, but for now, they're still basically split up, so I think you'll enjoy the show more if you empathize with each character.

Suzuki: All of them are outcasts, who are each trying to collect the 50 rings in order to make their dreams come true, but the kind of beliefs they hold and why they came up with their dreams will gradually be revealed, so that's another point I want you to focus on.

Matsumoto: I think one of the biggest highlights is deciding on a different Number One each time, but each person has a different approach to it, so I think every episode will be fun. There are also alot of strange Number Ones that happen that'll make you think, "The hell was that?"

Fuyuno: Hoeru's the only one out of the five who doesn't have a wish, but how will Hoeru find his wish in relation to the people around him? I myself am curious about it, and think it'll be a major highlight to look out for.

Imamori: Every time I watch, I think about how I really love the characters that everyone plays. Each of them gets so into character that I think, "Only this person could play this character," and I think they must read the scripts very carefully. I love how everyone's personality is on display!

"Finally, please give a message to our readers."

Fuyuno: Not only do past Sentai make an appearance in Gozyuger, but there's also plenty of new material, making this a festival like production. You'll never get bored watching it, and the excellent stories will leave an impact every episode, so I'd be happy if you could watch it with anticipation! Hoeru's past was revealed in episode 6, but I'd like for you to pay attention to the way in which he'll face various people and how he'll grow as a person.

Suzuki: I think the issue regarding Rikuo's "gray eyes" will become clear in the coming future, but I hope you'll also pay attention to what kind of team the five outcasts will become……Tons of previous Reds will appear as Universe Warriors, so I hope you won't miss out on seeing what kind of inspiration these people will give to the Gozyugers.

Matsumoto: It's interesting to see how each of them aims for different Number One titles every week, and how each of them greedily attempts to become Number One, which I think makes it a show that'll give you power on Sunday mornings. If it becomes something everyone looks forward to every week, I'd be happy.

Imamori: We're all working hard and having alot of fun filming every day, and I think there are many scenes that convey that fun. I hope you'll pay attention not only to the individual personalities of each member, but also to the parts where you can get a sense of their vibes.

Kanda: Everything has pretty much already been said……(laughs). I think Ryugi's past, as well as his relationship with Rikuo, will also become clear, so that's one of the points I hope you'll also look forward to watching. What's more, the toys of MY god, Tega Sword-sama, are incredibly attractive, and there's a variety of gorgeous goods available for adult fans as well, so it'd make me happy if you could also check out our related products! _

Main Writer Inoue Akiko x Producer Matsuura Daigo

"First, please tell us how you became involved in this work."

Matsuura: Last year, when "Bakuage Sentai Boonboomger" had just begun, my superior Tsukada reached out to me and said, "Matsuura-san, I want you to be in charge of next year's Sentai." As you can imagine, with someone as young as me working alone, there were alot of concerns in the beginning, and initially, Tsukada and Shirakura Shinichiro were organized so that they could back me up like Executive Producers, but then I noticed that they were both gone (laughs). I've been left in charge since then.

"We think it was around the time when Inoue Sensei joined "Kamen Rider Gotchard," which Matsuura-san was also in charge of, that you were asked to be the Chief, but did you intend on asking Inoue Sensei to become the Main Writer from the beginning?"

Matsuura: No, I had a fairly hard time requesting who I wanted as the Main Writer.

Inoue: During my participation in Gotchard, I had heard a rumor that, "Matsuura-san's going to be in charge of the next Sentai," and I thought, "If that's so, it'd make me happy if I were brought on as the Writer for each episode." Then, they invited me as the Main Writer, so I was surprised.

Matsuura: If I'm remembering right, you were baffled and said, "Ma…Main Writer?" (laughs). Originally, I was the one who suggested we bring on Akiko-san for Gotchard too. At that time, I hadn't decided on the story of the new Sentai, but in all honesty, I wanted to make it so it'd be connected to future productions. I had a plan where I'd increase the number of Writers, so that way, I could ask for their help when I eventually create my own main works (laughs).

Inoue: Ah, but first, let me get used to a few more tokusatsu productions (laughs).

Matsuura: Yeah (laughs). What originally caught my attention was…….the novel "Kamen Rider Decade: The World of Tsukasa Kadoya ~Garden Inside the Lens~" written by Akiko-san under the name Kanehiro Aki, as it was really good, and it made me think, "This person can do it." Kadoya Tsukasa's character development is interesting due to the slightly dark setting.

Inoue: It felt like he was a child being bullied. I have absolutely no clue why I did that to him though (laughs).

Matsuura: Minato had also read the novel version of Decade, so I was happy that we were able to invite her to join Gotchard, but the first episode she was assigned to work on was Kudo Rinne's first transformation in episode 19, and Minato had a grueling list of things he wanted done. However, Akiko-san not only managed to clear all of those requests, she also made sure to "bring out her own colors," so I felt that requesting her wasn't the wrong choice.

"When you approached Inoue Sensei, how much of the setting for Gozyuger had been finalized?"

Matsuura: I think only the items had been decided on. I had already decided on the "ring" and "hand" motifs, and additionally, the concept of "making the Robo and toy weapons a shared item" was also in place. Also, since the main premise was that it was a commemorative work marking "Super Sentai's 50th anniversary," I knew that it would also reference previous productions. However, in the case of referencing previous productions, I wanted to avoid going in a similar direction as "Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger," which depicted what happened afterwards to the warriors of their time. It would end up being a rehashed version of Gokaiger. That's why when it came time to ask, "Who should I request for the Main Writer?," I figured that knowledge of previous works wasn't necessary. I think that was something Akiko-san was worried about at first too.

Inoue: I was like, "Do I have to watch every Super Sentai production?" If so, I thought it would be abit of a problem (laughs).

Matsuura: There are 48 series! I convinced her with, "Don't worry, all Akiko-san has to do is make new "fabrications" of all the Reds."

"What kind of impression does Inoue Sensei have of the Super Sentai series?"

Inoue: I know it's a stereotype, but……I think that the relationships and interesting interactions within the team are essential. Also, I had a vague idea that compared to the Kamen Rider series, many of the episodes have "complete" stories, so it's easy to go back even if you overlook numerous episodes.

Matsuura: More than anything, I think "cheerfulness" is the most important factor in Super Sentai. However, as an individual theme, I wanted this work to put more emphasis on the Robos than ever before, and in particular, I wanted to focus on the question, "What kind of Robo shows do you want to see?" I've known for some time that Akiko-san has rarely seen tokustasu works whose main target is boys, and that's part of the reason why I requested her. The question was, "How can we get people like Akiko-san to watch something with Robos?" So I first asked, "Have you seen anything with Robos?," she said, "I rarely watch anything with Robos, but I did watch Code Geass," I remember asking, "Well then, what did you like about Code Geass?"

Inoue: I watch a fairly large amount of anime.

Matsuura: Even in the current age of anime, robot works tend to be for enthusiasts, so how can we make it accessible to ordinary people? When I thought about it, I thought it would be better to ask Akiko-san for her opinion. I myself like both tokusatsu and Robo anime, so even if I gathered people who have the same hobbies and tastes as me, it wouldn't really broaden my outlook. I was exactly right to have Akiko-san join us, as she has a different point of view (laughs).

Inoue: I hope I live up to your expectations (laughs).

Matsuura: I meant that in a good way, I just didn't want it to be restricted to only enthusiasts (laughs). As an example, when the title "Number One Sentai" was decided on, people who are addicted to "Sentai" were fairly surprised, but Akiko-san, you weren't that surprised, right?

Inoue: I was rather neutral and was just like, "I get it."

Matsuura: I think we shouldn't forget this perspective. There are no rules that say you can't use katakana and must only use kanji for "XX Sentai."

Inoue: Even "Avataro Sentai" is normal to say.

Matsuura: And that's the strangest one! (laughs).

"The fact that the hand transforms into a Robo is already interesting in itself."

Matsuura: It leaves a huge impact, doesn't it? When you hear that a "Robo can transform into a weapon," you'd usually think of something obvious like a sword or gun, right? Instead, it's a "hand" with a sword attached. I think it's very defiant in that sense, and it's a bold decision that prioritizes young children's desire to play.

"Not just gold, but silver Tega Swords appear within the show as well."

Matsuura: Originally, in the first draft of episode 1, all of them were gold, including the Tega Sword used by Tsutsumi Natsume and the other Universe Warriors, but during a business meeting, Bandai suggested, "Can't you make it so that the main five are the special chosen warriors?" I had a thorough discussion with Bandai, and they were correct that the five Gozyuger members should have a special status to them, and it was also in line with my idea to "increase the significance of Tega Sword's existence."

"We were surprised that Tsutsumi Natsume, who appeared to be a regular person, transformed before Hoeru did in the first episode."

Matsuura: Regarding Natsume, we didn't initially plan for him to transform.

Inoue: In the beginning, I was trying to depict a more careful story for Hoeru, but Shirakura-san said, "It's ordinary, don't you think?" The characters stood out and there was a story, but to hear it be "ordinary"……personally, while it came out of nowhere, those words really resonated with me. As you can imagine, creating a story from nothing is incredibly challenging, and I was stuck in the mentality of, "How about this?!" However, when I took a step back and looked at it again, there were some parts that I agreed with him on and thought, "I guess it's true." When I write scripts, there are only two things I always keep in mind, that being, "I want to surprise the viewers," and "I'll do my best not to write mediocre lines," but this had caused me think, "Maybe this wouldn't surprise them enough?" And so, I hastily decided to make Natsume transform.

Matsuura: When it came time to "have someone transform first," Natsume was first in line. Still, I also think that Shirakura's term for "ordinary" comes from a Toei standpoint, different from what you'd call the "general drama theory." Normally, being ordinary is fine, but in the case of Toei's tokusatsu productions, there are parts of it that feel broken, and that's what gives it its unique appeal. For example, when the grand overseas production known as "Star Wars" became a topic of discussion, they were like, "Alright then, let's create a similar film and put it out first," and then they made "Message from Space." That's the kind of company they are (laughs). In that case, I think it was our great leader Shirakura who said, "That film was pretty weak for a production put out by the evil organization known as Toei, don't you think?" (laughs). The characters are well thought out, and the plot of the drama doesn't fall apart, but maybe that's why it's "not very Toei like." Thanks to his help, we were able to make episode 1 full of originality. Still, "Tsutsumi Natsume" becoming such a hot topic during the first episode was unexpected. There was more fan art of him than of Hoeru (laughs).

"Fuyuno Mio-san fits the character of the loner Hoeru very well."

Inoue: When I met Fuyuno-san for the first time at the reading session, he was so much like what I had envisioned, that I was shocked and thought, "Did Hoeru jump out of the script?!" (laughs).

Matsuura: Assistant Producer Harashima highly recommended him during the audition. However, when I thought about the hard reality of this being a year long shoot, I was abit apprehensive. Looking at it from another perspective, being a lone wolf means he's not good at interacting with people……Fuyuno-kun himself is very shy (laughs). Still, as I got to know him, I could tell that he was a very serious young man, and he also showed me his gentle side, so he was able to skillfully bring out those natural parts of himself and perfectly overlap them with his role as Hoeru. Now I'm truly happy that I requested him for the role.

"Out of the five main members, did any of them change significantly from what you originally envisioned?"

Inoue: It's got to be Sumino, right?

Matsuura: Initially, her set up was that she was a high school girl.

Inoue: Kinjiro wasn't a grandfather in his initial character set up either. He was going to be a fierce pacifist, and with the other members being outcasts who brush each other off, he'd be like a character who'd forcefully make them get along. But Matsuura-san told me, "That's alittle weak. As an extreme measure, it'd be okay if you crossed him with a monkey."

Matsuura: I brought up Perman No. 2 from "Perman" as an example.

Inoue: I thought, "If this keeps up, he'll be turned into a monkey," so at the very least, I made him better than a monkey (laughs).

Matsuura: It might be because the other characters have strong personalities that I wanted to give Kinjiro an easily recognizable "person from XX" attribute. Rikuo's idol character was interesting from the beginning, so I didn't want to make any changes. In that regard, I think Rikuo's Suzuki-kun is really doing his best. Delivering an endless amount of cringey lines like that can't be easy (laughs). I figured that Ryugi being a "Tega Sword follower" would definitely be interesting, so the only ones we made changes to were Kinjiro and Sumino.

Inoue: In the beginning, while the image of Sumino I had in my mind was one where she's "normally cool but occasionally charming," in the end, I had her be "normally cute" by default.

Matsuura: She was going to be an honest girl by nature, but I got the feeling that she'd be trying her best to play up a cool character. There was originally an idea of her having a big family, and I feel like that kind of "commoner" aspect has become abit stronger.

"Ryugi being a "Tega Sword follower" is also unique."

Matsuura: I gave his actor Kanda-san the request that, "You don't have to focus on the whole handsome actor thing, so just be a character that'll be well liked by children," but as a result, I'm glad to hear that he's becoming popular, including for his visuals.

"Meanwhile, on the Buraidan enemy side, Fire Candle's Sanbongi Daisuke-san has left a strong impression."

Matsuura: His powerful "first (ichi) Mount Fuji, second (ni) Hawk, third (san) Bongi" greeting caught on at the time of the auditions (laughs) (*based off hatsuyume). I think it was a threat to those who were also at the audition with him. Still, Fire Candle was also initially set up to be more of an idiot, right?

Inoue: He's considerably smarter now compared to what I had originally envisioned.

Matsuura: It's something like that (laughs). Still, he's a good guy, that Fire Candle.

"He has feelings for his subordinates and doesn't really seem like a villain, so it gives off the impression that the heroes and enemies aren't divided by good and evil."

Inoue: I'm not particularly mindful of that. Maybe that lack of awareness is the "color" of this production.

Matsuura: We don't think, "It's because they're villains," as we just treat them as equals with Hoeru and the others. In the very beginning, I'm certain that there may have been times when the Buraidan members seemed more like heroes. However, they seriously wrecked the town in episode 1, so they're still bad guys in the eyes of humans. Bouquet's Marupi-san is also doing her best. Especially since she started working on Gozyuger, I often get the impression that she's starting to enjoy acting more. She properly presents her own image of Bouquet, and those of us on the Planning team are able to further expand on her ideas by saying, "Then let's do it like this," which is what makes live action so fun.

"It must be difficult to do that kind of back and forth in anime, huh?"

Matsuura: I'm always thinking, "What can tokusatsu do that anime can't?"

Inoue: In the case of anime, my scenarios rarely go through any major style changes when they're turned into footage, but in tokusatsu, since the actors are performing the roles with their own bodies, I'm able to learn about unexpected aspects of the actors through their own traits like, "I didn't know this person had this side to them." I of course think about this when I write a script, but since I'm just one person who's dealing with dozens of characters, it's hard to be on the same level as an actor who faces their role one on one. I enjoy being able to learn more from the actors performances.

Matsuura: As films have been referred to as "the seventh art," I think that live action films held more prestige and authority over animation back in the day. However, when taking recent trends into account, most films that become hits are anime. As a creator in such a situation, I'm always frantically thinking, "What can (live action) tokusatsu do to win against anime?" Within that, I feel that the ability to improvise and come up with something different from what's expected is a strength, and I strongly believe that we need to think more about the strengths and interesting aspects that are unique to tokusatsu.

Inoue: With Marupi-san's performance, I often feel like, "Ah, so that's the direction she's going in." I'm sure we'll see abit more of her mad scientist side in the near future, which will bring out a different kind of fun, and I feel like I'm learning more about Bouquet's character as I watch her.

Matsuura: The reason why Fire Candle and Bouquet also fight in Robos is because "we want people to pay attention to the Robo battles." Recent series have been facing a dilemma where "the giant battles seem like they've been shoved in," but by having enemy leaders pilot their own personal Robos, we could get people who "aren't interested in the Robos but are interested in the enemy leaders" to watch. In short, our initial starting point in creating them was to say, "Let's create characters specifically for Robo battles."

"Also, the impact of the cheering squad is still amazing."

Inoue: That was Matsuura-san's idea. At first I thought, "Why are we going to spend so much (broadcast) time on this?," but when I actually saw the footage, in a good way, I found it to be very funny and silly. I'm glad we did it.

"It was surprising at first, but we've gotten used to it since episode 2."

Matsuura: It's strange how you get used to it (laughs). The cheering scene was originally conceived so "the characters wouldn't mindlessly do their roll calls," and the "cheering with applause to give them strength" was inspired by Tega Sword, as it's appropriate for the Gozyugers who transform by clapping. Director Tasaki was very particular about this and contacted numerous universities, and we were able to get members of Chuo University's oendan to cooperate, so the sharpness of their movements were amazing. The background music for that scene is also really good. Since there's no precedent for the cheering squad to appear and announce the members, I couldn't come up with a specific example of what I "wanted that song to sound like," so I requested Composer Sawada Kan Sensei to "create the Sentai's roll call as background music." The result was amazing music, which was wonderful.

"By the way, has your father (Scriptwriter Inoue Toshiki Sensei) been watching Gozyuger?"

Inoue: I don't know. He didn't say anything during Gotchard either, so I guess he isn't watching it?

Matsuura: I definitely think he's watching it.

Inoue: I had told him, "Even if you're thinking something, don't say it" (laughs).

Matsuura: Amazing! You're keeping Inoue Toshiki in line (laughs). By the way, does Akiko-san prefer to talk with younger people more than older people?

Inoue: I prefer dealing with younger people.

Matsuura: She's unexpectedly commanding (laughs). I'd like to see Akiko-san drag her junior Scriptwriters out for drinks (laughs).

Inoue: I also recently thought, "I want to gather some minions" (laughs). It'd also be for the sake of my future work. Still, it's difficult since I'm naturally shy.

Matsuura: Saying "I want some minions" despite being shy (laughs). Every time I hear something like this, I think, "I'm so glad that I requested Akiko-san for this" (laughs). I think you can't write an interesting script unless you're an interesting person.

"And now finally, please give a message to our readers."

Inoue: I think developments will continue to be hectic every episode going forward (laughs). I'm truly sorry for wearing you out on Sunday mornings, but I appreciate your continued support.

Matsuura: Even when I was at the stage of only getting the proposal, Tamaya 2060%-san of Wienners, who sang the theme song "WINNER! Gozyuger!," wrote the lyrics "stand out," and I felt as if it had given me a supportive push. The direction of this production is to be unconventional and "stand out." We'll continue to create with only fun and enjoyable things in mind, and I'd be happy if we could inspire everyone watching to smile and say, "If these guys are working so hard, then maybe I'll work alittle harder too."

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

I feel like Unparalleled Aeons and Far Out songs stands out to me is how both members were given equal screen time (Given they are two). Because I guess the issues with the songs is how they have small amount of time for some. Well I don't blame some not just the number of members but also how some of them aren't professional singers like

Notice how the rest of the songs, the way housewarden sings like being the main singer (make sense on who is twisted version they are) the rest being like back-singers but still have some good solos. Meanwhile, the way Idia and Kalim sings doesn't feel like Jamil and Ortho are back-up singers nor them being main singers but like partners with equal parts. When I listened to the other songs, I can't tell who's who while the Ignihyde and Scarabia I can tell.

I don't hate the songs, but you can't help but notice that makes it interesting. Overall, I love all songs that have their motifs, themes, and lyrics. It's kinda sad these songs couldn't be use in modern Disney that much.

[My personal ranking(s) of the dorm songs here!]

I definitely feel like Far-Out and Unparalleled Aeons had the most evenly distributed lyrics of all the songs. As you said, maybe it was more challenging for the composer to balance larger groups, or maybe the composer was limited in how he could write the songs due to some VAs being less skilled with singing. However, I also have to wonder how much of this was intentional??

These are dorm songs, right? And the VAs are singing in character. So to me, it feels like the songs are storytelling too, telling us about the dynamics of the group through their performances.

Looking back on it, the two most balanced songs belong to the dorms where its members are the most deeply intertwined with one another. Kalim and Jamil are locked into a toxic codependent relationship due to their families' history. Kalim relies on Jamil to do practically everything for him, while Jamil is stuck in a servant position he wants to break free from and always forced to play second-fiddle to Kalim. Idia is constantly haunted by Ortho's death, and Ortho plays a huge role in providing support for his older brother's mental faculties (encouraging him to get out of his room and mingle with peers). Ortho is very reliant on Idia for much of his own identity and presence at NRC (prior to book 6), only allowed to be there because he was registered as Idia's + Idia provided tech support for the school. Idia also designed many new forms (gears) for Ortho.

Many of the songs are structured to feature the dorm leader--which I'd argue is thematically appropriate, as I will soon get into. I have a pretty bad ear too, but I was surprised at how many of the voices I could distinguish. The card soldiers, Silver and Sebek, and Epel and Vil were the only ones I couldn't quite make out. There was enough variation for me to tell the others apart, especially Savanaclaw (no way would I mistake Ruggie for Jack or even Leona for Jack).

Every song not only has its own genre, but also its own vibes. I like that Twst can be its own thing and not necessarily kowtow to Disney's more traditional musical roots. I personally wouldn't want these to be incorporated into modern Disney film or TV productions. When Disney tries to do this, it ends up sounding so tonally dissonant or mismatched with the rest of their OST(s). ... Anyway, here's a very brief analysis of each song's arrangement + some lyrics and how they're divided up-- (MVs not taken into consideration; I unfortunately don't have the time to analyze every frame and how it lines up with the lyrics.)

Heartslabyul's Obedience is interesting in that it is very symmetrical with its vocal pairings. Cater and Trey sing with one another while Ace and Deuce sing with one another. The third years are deliberately paired with each other, while the first years are deliberately paired with each other. Trey and Cater, the original loyalists, have lines about "[playing] your cards right" and how their ruler is looking righteous and smug. Meanwhile Ace and Deuce, the rebels, sing about not being "caught" by their dorm leader's gaze. It's not until the second half of the song where they mix things up (Deuce with Trey, Ace with Cater), but it's still very predictable with the blends (always a third year with a first year). Trey and Deuce, the more level-headed duo, bring up setting the table, while Cater and Deuce, being more of the "hide your true feelings"/"avoid responsibilities" duo, "[hide] behind a smile" and warn to not "get caught with your tongue sticking out". This goes along with the song's theme of following the rules to a T; all the card soldiers are in place! You can even say that the song starting off with the rhythm of a military band indicates the song coming up will be regimented and structured. The only part I would say outright "breaks" this rule is when Adeuce sing with Riddle (around the middle of the song?) but in a way, that also makes sense given that those first years rebelled against Riddle in book 1, but eventually come around in book 7 to become his supporters. Then they of course all chant together for the English portions ("Yes, your Majesty!", "My pleasure, my Queen!", "As you wish, my Queen!") where they express their devotion to the Queen, indicating that these phrases are something "[the Queen wants] to hear". (Riddle chants with them too, to show respect for the rules.)

I think the true chaos of the song comes in the second half. Trey and Cater mention running through a maze and how the Queen's righteousness breaks at that moment, then Adeuce elaborate it scatters like cards. Riddle remarks how this--the twisting maze--"[hides] the true colors of [his] heart". This parallels how there was an elaborate chase through the rose maze in the depths of Riddle's book 7 dream, obscuring his loneliness.

You definitely get the vibes that although everyone has their little solo, Adeuce, Cater, and Trey are there to support their dorm leader. Riddle gets about the same amount of lyrics as the others, but his parts are more embellished and have more vocal flair to them. The lines specifically assigned to Riddle also feel like he's the Queen welcoming you to his territory full of his followers ("This is the path to the Queen's rose garden", "The cards are lined up and awaiting their (next) orders", etc.). The lines assigned to the card soldiers seem intentionally designed--as if the cards are reminding you of the rules so you don't upset the Queen.

DIADEM is reflective of the relationships between its dorm members too, but the relationships are very different than Heartslabyul's. The song begins with Jack singing, followed by a line in which he and Leona sing together. Then Ruggie has a solo line, which is also followed by a line in which Leona joins him. It's only AFTER Leona has already shared lines with Jack and Ruggie that he belts out his own solo, which stresses that they will continue to roar, no matter how many times it takes for their message to be heard. This gives the impression that he swooped in to support Jack and Ruggie with their own parts, just like a benevolent king or mentor figure/senpai might do for his people or mentees/juniors. This is also what Leona essentially does for his dorm in book 2. Then once Leona makes his own declaration, they're all able to sing together, united as one. It's like he uplifted Jack and Ruggie to join his rebellion.

There's an interesting part in the chorus where Ruggie and Jack break away to sing (without Leona) about fate and laughing through the hard times which. Has some heartbreaking implications when you consider that Leona expressed as late as book 6 (and is strongly implied in his book 7 dream as well) that he sees hope in others, but not himself. So??? Him NOT joining Jack and Ruggie in singing about laughing through difficult times seems pessimistic. Around the middle of DIADEM, Leona shouts out commands ("howl" and "roar", respectively), each of which is punctuated by Ruggie and Jack joining him with the English phrases "BEAT DOWN" and "DO MORE". These come off like a leader rallying his allies, and those allies responding with chants for their cause. This is especially the case because right after we get Ruggie declaring that his blood is boiling (ie he's pumped now) and he's eager to destroy a future that has already been decided for him. Then Jack enters, saying that he, too, wants to tear down an unjust world. There is NO Leona in this part, it's ONLY Jack and Ruggie, who have been newly emboldened by his words. The song really highlights how much the juniors are motivated by their strong leader.

In Heartslabyul's song, you get the sense that everyone else exists to prop up the Queen/Riddle and try to keep each other out of trouble by reciting the rules. In Savanaclaw's song, you can see how Leona encourages his dorm members and they react by taking to the words that lift their spirits. Both dorms' members are showing deference to their dorm leaders, but in different ways.

Entanglement opens with Jade imploring the listener to spill their secrets to him. Then Floyd comes in, continuing the charade. Azul takes over from there. This framing makes me think of Octavinelle's usual schemes--that is to say, the twins advertising Azul's "services" and then finally introducing us to him, this supposed "wish granter" (a procedure described to us in book 2). The order of the characters' presentation slots in nicely with this: we start with the more polite and unassuming twin luring us in. Once Jade has set the bait, Floyd, the more conspicuous brother, feels safe to step in and really talk up what Jade laid out in the beginning. Only after both twins are pitched Azul does Azul actually show up to make his offer. Jade and Floyd make up the majority of the chorus, singing together to coerce the listener into making a decision, even framing it like the decision is being made exclusively based on YOUR free will ("It's all up to you"), when really, it's not. Azul shockingly says very little solo in the chorus, only "Now, go on, we're all ears", before the twins join him and they urge you to share your wish with them.

The latter half of the song gives Poor Unfortunate Souls energy; it features Azul telling the listener they won't find a better bargain than this, then Jade saying they're drowning in their own desires and finally Floyd putting on the pressure to close this deal. Azul then mentions paying a price and how his rules are reasonable, which is very similar to how Ursula demands her a toll be paid (how it isn't "asking for much", etc.). The twins also very characteristically warn you what will happen if the contract is broken ("punishment", "squeezing", "no escape"), like the potential consequences if Ariel cannot get the kiss of true love from Eric. Overall, Entanglement reads as the extended experience of you being roped into a Bad Deal.

Far-Out opens with Kalim (the dorm leader), with Jamil (the vice) following. This pattern of Kalim first, Jamil second (which reflects their dynamic in general) also occurs when they speak English in the song; Kalim gets his verse about the magic carpet first, Jamil gets his verse about treasure later. The dual nature of Kalim and Jamil is also made apparent here: Kalim is allowed to fly "whenever [he] wants", while Jamil is only allowed to "dream" about "treasure whenever [he] wants". When the two sing together, this duality persists: "good and evil intertwine", "[falling] into a sea of ecstasy", the part where they list several people of different social standing, etc. The one time when Jamil sings before Kalim is at the beginning of the second verse, before Kalim mentions a scarab flying in front of him. This comes off as if Jamil is leading the way for his dorm leader, like some puppetmaster dangling his puppet and tugging it along by the strings. I think it's very telling that Kalim's opening line is about describing the scorching heat of their homeland but Jamil's opening line is about... TEMPTATION??? Hilariously on-the-nose, seeing as how Jamil is the one with the literal mind control UM and he describes a serpent in the night with sharp eyes in the lyrics to Far-Out (literally describing himself). Meanwhile, Kalim's UM chant seems to be referenced, as he talks about singing and dancing. Both Scarabia boys sing about "giving in" together, but as the song goes on, the framing of the lyrics makes it clear they're "giving in" to different things. For Kalim, it's "the heat" (a stand-in for Jamil's mind control), which is made apparent by Jamil immediately saying "indulge in this feeling until it takes over" and Kalim later says he is "captivated by the heat". For Jamil, it's "treasure", something he repeatedly indicates as wanting to take throughout the song. For example, Kalim sings about endless riches, and then Jamil has a solo line where he says "if you desire it, take as much as you want"--and his dream in book 7 shows him taking all that was once the Asims'. They're both venturing to a metaphorical oasis to seek relief, but seem to be distracted by things along the way ("heat", "treasure", etc.).

Kalim mentions a golden scarab crossing his eyes in one line, and while this is an obvious Aladdin reference, it also makes me think of Jade's one golden eye interrogating him in book 4; this would be another time in which Kalim is taken advantage of by others. First by Jamil, then by Jade. At the very end, Kalim sings about undoing shackles (most likely referring to Jamil's) while Jamil sings about a party (of which Kalim throws many of) that will eventually exhaust. The other Scarabia character is at the forefront of each boy's mind, and it is also where their respective desires (friendship for Kalim, freedom for Jamil) derive.

La Volonté is French for "will" or "willpower", which is a huge theme in the song. Unlike the other songs so far (which open with a solo or duet), La Volonté begins with all members of Pomefiore singing about their "one and only wish", and how they intend to immortalize their beauty. This is fascinating in that all three of them have very different personal goals (Epel wants to be strong, Vil wants to be seen as a "hero", Rook wants to pursue beauty), but they sing in unison anyway, because this validates all of their goals as being "beautiful".

Rook, the most secretive of the trio, mentions a heart locked away in a box, then Vil joins him in speaking of a truth entering his ear--like in book 5, when Rook convinces Vil to go with the more unconventional picks for the VDC/SDC auditions. In one of Epel's solos, he tells of sweet poison dyed in crimson, which is wording that is very close to his UM name. When Vil joins him, they sing, "A little more, a little more...", which makes me think of how Vil intends to "perfect" Epel into a weapon to use against Neige in book 5. The fact that Rook sings about their goal "[being] within reach" is ironic, given that it's ultimately his vote that decides NRC's loss.

Though this song starts off with the Pomefiore boys together, this is definitely one of those songs that centers the dorm leader over the others. There are many parts where it's just Rook and Epel singing ("Let all freeze", "[...] grant eternal slumber", etc.) and Vil joining in later or getting a solo after them. The first "waltz upon white snow" invokes the image of Vil standing over the cold body of his fallen rival Neige, but later on Rook and Epel join in singing about this. I wonder if that's an intentional callback to book 7, when they delved into Vil's dream and found Neige... dying. It's Vil singing somberly about all the hands that seek to pull him down (all his haters, all the people who assume he is as evil as the villains he plays), not knowing "the worth of a true star" (ie himself). It's Vil issuing the order for your breath to still (as if your breath has been stolen away by him; this is also the beginning to Epel's UM chant). And, most importantly, it's Vil vocalizing to end the song--a song which, need I remind you, started off with ALL of Pomefiore singing. Now Epel and Rook have stepped back, allowing Vil, the "true star", to command the stage.

Oftentimes fans—and even the Twst characters themselves—will compare Riddle and Vil on the basis of strictness. This also holds true for the compositions of Obedience and La Volonté. Both songs have their respective queens front and center, but La Volonté is definitely moreso than Obedience. Maybe it’s Vil’s celebrity status that has him commanding the spotlight? It could also be that Rook and Epel are simply more inited under a common front (“beauty”) whereas the card soldiers are more selfish and follow Riddle’s rules as a means to avoid punishment for themselves rather than truly subscribing to his strictness.

Unparalleled Aeons has Ortho starting us off, and it's framed kind of like the middle of an argument between the Shroud brothers?? He seems to be addressing Idia, asking if he will shut himself away again, only for Idia to respond that "[he's] just one soul" and that "[he's] the problem". The fact that the song begins with Ortho and not Idia--the dorm leader--makes me think it's symbolic of many of Idia's social problems "originating" with the original Ortho's death. This would go well with the theme of persisting despair in the early verse. In any case, they continue to have this back-and-forth, with Idia stating that he has known dreams are hollow for a long time (likely a reference to his backstory and how he's destined to be Director of S.T.Y.X. one day, whether he wants to be or not). The two later on talk about sulking in the Underworld, which is something Idia notes is a common trait between him, his father, and his grandmother--previous or current heads of S.T.Y.X., and what awaits him too.

The chorus has both Shrouds singing, and it is very much structured around the book 6 disaster in which they attempt to open the gate to the Underworld, unleash Phantoms upon the world. They reference their "happy end" and Cerberus's engine revving up--perhaps to call attention to Phantom!Ortho, the third "head" and sibling to the Shroud brothers. Idia sings about how his loneliness spawned into genius (could he mean how his grief led him to invent a new Ortho?) too. In another verse, the Shrouds declare they will "rearrange the cosmos" and Ortho jeers about heroes that arrive too late to stop them. They're almost gleeful in the "whirlpool of {swirling) souls", full of despair and chaos as they finally realize their shared dream. Hilariously, Idia and Ortho shout "FEVER TIME", a special state that grants temporary advantages in games--indicating that, at least to the Shroud brothers, they see this all as one big game.

At one point, Ortho has a solo line about how a happy ending with tears is crueler than being forever alone. Is he talking about bittersweet endings here? Does this not describe book 6's conclusion--an ending in which Idia is forced to say good-bye to one brother, while also embracing another brother? Idia gets his own line about having all of the cheats and going at full throttle, which paints the image in my head of him putting together that cheat tool and delivering the weapons + armor to Silver and Sebek via magiwheel in book 7. Ortho's solo line in the chorus mentions entertaining trials and tribulations, which I think calls back to book 6, when he tested each of our little groups with mini games. Unparalleled Aeons is simply packed full of internet lingo and gaming slang, all being weaponized to taunt the listener.

The Shrouds lament about how they've been "forsaken by [...] Fate", then make reference to the Fates cutting a Thread of Life, sending them crashing towards "The End". They also later call to attention knowledge of past, present, and future, which are concepts associated with the Fates too. The cut life might be the original Ortho's death, or it could be Phantom!Ortho finally moving on, and thus Idia pushing past his grief. The chorus wraps up with Idia whispering "Welcome to the Underworld"--very fitting, seeing as I recall him uttering a similar line when welcoming the OB boys to S.T.Y.X. HQ (the domain he will rule in the future) for the first time.

Unlike Far-Out, which has an insidious vibe due to the clashing nature of Kalim and Jamil’s parts, Unparalleled Aeons allows Idia and Ortho to be on the same page. It really feels like a Final Boss and his top-ranked henchman scheming together to destroy the heroes.

Capricious Calamity is technically another song which centers the dorm leader, but not in the same way that La Volonté does. In La Volonté, Vil has many solos, whereas in Capricious Calamity, Malleus is the subject of the song, the one being praised and worshipped (using archaic terminology). Given that Diasomnia seems to be a cult of personality around Malleus, this direction makes sense--and the choice to open with Sebek, THE Malleus fanboy, singing about his master's radiance shining brightly in the night, also makes sense. Sebek also closes off the second verse, declaring "unending tribute" to Malleus.

The first verse slowly evolves with a new character added per line. First there's only Sebek, but then it becomes Sebek and Silver together. It gives the vibes of wandering into an old castle and running into the ruler's guards who are evaluating you before you may be graced with their lord's presence. Lilia (the eldest and most experienced of them all) then gets a brief solo before making way for Malleus. It feels like Lilia showed up to announce their prince's arrival, and how all should make way for him. And of course the first thing Malleus says is that he "knows not of celebration"... This is followed up by Silver mentioning that Malleus "wishes for a miracle" (to be invited/included). Then Silver, Sebek, and Lilia speak of this as a transgression which warrants judgment. Again, Lilia concludes this verse with the line about judgment, which harkens back to earlier, when he seemingly "announced" Malleus.

Malleus leads the chorus once Lilia has summoned him. He calls himself an omen that comes with the lightning (his signature), then his dorm members chant that all shall kneel before his green light. Disembodied voices join in, echoing that the listener should give their entire being to the thorns. It paints the image of loyal knights kneeling before their king and beckoning others to do the same in order to quell his rage. This is also the note that Capricious Calamity concludes on, which just further drives the message home.

Silver starts the second verse, noting Malleus reflected in the dark skies. (Sebek begins the first verse, and Silver he second; the two youngest in Diasomnia are also the "start"--the start of, perhaps, a future where fae and humans can live in peace together.) When Sebek joins Silver, they sing about how Malleus, even at his lowest, burns brightly. These phrases paired together, said by the first two of Diasomnia to "awaken" in book 7, make me think of them staring up in horror as Malleus's draconic form takes to the skies. They're terrified and in awe of his might. There's a part where Malleus and Lilia share a line, commenting on a commotion and the cries of the weak ringing out. These two, the strongest in Diasomnia, remarking on this... It calls to mind their battle within Lilia's dream, or even Lilia intervening when Malleus (as a dragon) intends to strike Silver and Sebek down.

At the very end, Malleus announced another omen, this time harkened by spreading thorns rather than lightning... thorns, like the very ones he summons to drag us all into a deep, deep slumber--the trap he sprung in book 7. I think it's telling that it's Silver that joins Malleus in song before the entire dorm sings together. This duo sings about an aurora that is overtaken by the abyss. Is this meant to be a reference to Silver and Malleus's final confrontation, and how Silver refused to slay Malleus at the crucial moment?

It’s really interesting to compare this song to DIADEM, the two performances featuring a prince. In Capricious Calamity, Malleus is propped up by his dorm members—but in DIADEM, Leona is the one propping up his dorm members. This really speaks to (and feeds into) the idea that Malleus and Leona are opposites of one another. A prince worshipped by his people and promised the throne. but still left lonely and emotionally unfulfilled… versus a prince scorned by his people and forbidden from having the crown for himself, yet he’s surrounded by people who look up to him and trust him to lead them… OTL

[zany-lil-detective]

Since I made my post about my strong feelings about Buck and Chimney being parallels, I figure I may as well make a post about my equally strong feelings about how Maddie and Eddie parallel each other and that I, like many other 911 fans, would kill for a good Eddie and Maddie scene. And yeah, obviously we all want a scene about them discussing Buck, but I also kinda just want them bonding over similar experiences like I want for Buck and Chimney.

To begin with, they're both older siblings who were forced to grow up too fast and basically raised their younger sibling(s); Eddie we know was expected to be "the man of the house" and Maddie kept Buck alive for the first few years of his life or more less.

The obvious connection is that they both have a long history of running either as a way to fix their problems or to escape them. Maddie ran from home to Boston with Doug, ran from Doug to LA to get away from him, and ran from Chimney and Jee-yun when her post partum got really bad. Eddie ran from his first marriage and family by joining the army, ran (arguably) from Texas to LA, ran from the 118 to dispatch when Chris was scared for his safety and he was having his mental health crisis, and has ran from almost every romantic relationship he's ever had. They also have their own PTSD issues, Eddie with his from being in the army and Maddie from her abusive marriage.

Circling back to their families though, there's also the element that Maddie and Eddie are both heavily judged by their parents and lacked their support. Not just in the growing up sense -though still very much that- but that fact that instead of trying to help Eddie with Chris his parents tried to take him away, and instead of trying to help Maddie get out of her abusive marriage to a man they disliked the Buckley's cut her off and ignored her. And, of course, both their parents make digs about their marriages after the fact.

I feel like the Maddie running from Jee-yun because she was scared of being a bad mother and scarring her daughter for life and Eddie running from Shannon and Chrisopher is such an interesting comparison. Their fear of not being good enough as parents, which is being reflected in Eddie's whole return to Texas arc, is a really interesting parallel that I want to see them discuss and like support each other in. Cause, like, no one understands the feeling of not feeling like you're good enough to take care of your kid after accidentally hurting them more than Maddie Buckley-Han.

Building off that, I feel like Maddie got her own little choosing joy arc when she decided to date Chimney after leaving Doug, and again after Doug's death. She was absolutely making the choice to be happy instead living in fear of getting into another abusive relationship.

And outside of the sadder aspects of their similarities, there are also the brighter aspects too. Despite their mental health issues and past regretful decisions, they're both such happy and honestly really goofy people who care so very deeply for everyone around them. They both have a guarded streak a mile wide, but once that's down you're kinda in for life.

I genuinely feel the fanfic dynamic of Eddie and Maddie having a quiet wine night in while Buck and Chimney are off doing insane, goofball stuff is so real and tangible if the writers just put it in. There's such an untapped well with these four characters interacting amongst each other that I really want to see onscreen and absolutely thrive off reading in fanfic.

[realtapiocafan]

https://www.tumblr.com/realtapiocafan/780164085832646656/top-5-joemarr-pics-and-or-moments-i-just

Amok who asked for this thank you so so much 😊. Another question; what do you think draws them to each other ?? Like they seem to have a very strong bond and effects on each other

there's a quote from ja'marr about he and joe being like bread and butter.

while the metaphor is slightly questionable, i do think it really is that simple. they just. fit together. like two puzzle pieces. you could argue that they fit together because they've just known each other since college -but it's because they've known each other other since college that they fit together (convoluted ik, i confused myself a little writing that, BUT LET ME TRY TO EXPLAIN)

personally, i'm a big believer in 'you make your own soulmates' and i think that's what joemarr did.

they've known each other for eight years now (or close to that, i don't actually know when joe first met ja'marr but it would probably be that spring/summer of 2018). but you can know someone for decades and still not be as close as joemarr are. they got to know each other and decided to stay with each other, because they wanted to.

ja'marr found a house and then a second house near joe, because he wanted to live near joe. joe wore ja'marr's jersey, because he wanted to show his pride for ja'marr. ja'marr re-signed to cincy bc and i quote, 'my qb's here'. bc he wanted to stay and play with joe. there's something just purposeful to these two and how they display their love for each other and it's so beautiful, i could gush about them forever.

i do think it's kinda impossible to say what drew them to each other in the very beginning. there's just not enough footage of baby joe and ja'marr. hell, you have to dig deep into the internet to find interviews of 2018 lsu, let alone high school joe/ja'marr. we just don't know enough about younger them to really say, 'THIS is why joe likes ja'marr so much'. we can speculate bc ofc we can, but we'll never know.

for example, did joe talk to ja'marr first or did ja'marr talk first? both equally plausible scenarios that shift their initial dynamic oh-so-slightly. if joe was the first one, that more implies that joe (perhaps wanting to assert dominance after always playing second string at osu) was the one to make the first move and get to know his newest wr. if ja'marr talked to joe first... actually, first of all, that's very bold of him. baby ja'marr was kinda shy. but! it's not implausible! i think he didn't want to a certain college (forgot which one, probably auburn or florida) because of the questions they had at qb. so it's possible that ja'marr would want to get to know his new qb.

but we don't know any of that. we don't know how they met or what they thought of each other or what they talked about or ANYTHING. (did joe find innocent freshman ja'marr insanely pretty? was ja'marr helplessly attracted to older qb joe from day one? was it BOTH???)

so you'd probably have to actually ask them, 'why did you first become friends', and hope they don't dodge the question (joe) or come out with some outlandish lie (ja'marr)

BACK TO THE QUESTION -in summary, it's just. them. it sounds so lame wow. but it doesn't really matter what they first talked about (i'd like to know though 😑), when they know each other so well that NFL freaking announcers constantly talk about them being able to read each other's mind. their relationship is built on YEARS, years of trust and love, years of practicing with each other. they're intertwined into each other's past, present, and future. you literally can't talk about joe without talking about ja'marr and vica versa.

what draws them together now, is just each other.

[basiliskfive]

❝I get it... kinda. Before my sister helped free the Isles, there were only like... nine, I think? Nine different "covens" someone was allowed to practice magic in. And it might have been an actually helpful way to categorize magic types, had the guy who invented it not been a total tool,❞ Vee all but spat the last word, ❝now, anyone can practice anything they want, but a lot of the older people who had stayed in a certain coven for their whole lives are kinda... struggling,❞ she explained, face going pensive, ❝'cause they've never known any different.❞

Ooh, they wanted to know more about color, huh?

She pursed her lips, trying to figure out how to explain it in laymans terms. ❝Oh man... uh, hmm... okay, so we learn in our younger years at school about this thing called the electromagnetic spectrum. It's a bunch of... waves, basically? Ranging from long,❞ she demonstrated with her hands, ❝to short. And in the middle of it is the spectrum of light that we can see.❞ She paused to make sure they were still following.

❝Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet.❞ She continued. ❝Those are the main colors of light. You can combine them to get other colors too. But uh... not trying to talk your ears off, it's just interesting you guys can see what I think is red a lot... maybe it's because of where it is, in the very beginning of the light spectrum? I... dunno if that actually makes any sense.❞ She confessed, scratching the back of her head.

She shrugged when they asked how long it could take. ❝For more experienced witches? It can be instant or almost instant...❞ she hesitated, wanting to demonstrate but also not wanting to overdo it and shift enough to freak them out. Glancing down at her hands, her eyes lit up. Oh! That would be simple enough.

❝Like... this.❞ She continued, holding a hand up and shifting her nails to be longer, more pointed, the exact shape her claws were naturally. Admittedly, she had done this once before, when Masha asked her to come get a manicure because they had a gift card to a local place that had just opened.

❝Since it's pretty powerful stuff, usually kids don't start to really learn shapeshifting until they're a little older- too much risk of them hurting themselves,❞ she began, grimacing at the memory of a story she was once told, ❝my friend told me that one time, a girl accidentally shapeshifted her mouth off.❞

Vee gave an exasperated sigh accompanied by a nod of the head in agreement with their surprise. ❝I love her, but I really don't know how she's still kicking.❞

They shrugged. "It's not really that important, honestly? Everything is shades to us, instead of color. It's just normal."

"Huh. Interesting . . ." They were learning about color! It hadn't interested them much before it became relevant in the loops, but now they had a mild curiosity about it. Especially with someone who could actually see them.

Huh, maybe they should write this all down at some point so, should they ever make their way back to the others, they could give them more information . . . They were sure at least some of them would be interested.

"Is it?" they asked curiously. Wait, actually, "What do you mean by that, exactly?"

Oh, interesting. "How long does it usually take, then, without that training and experience? Body Craft can take up to a month, and I think I remember hearing somewhere that it used to take up to a year until recently . . . ?"

Loop blinked. "Stars, your sister did?" What was it with powerful tyrants with magic only some people had access to that could only be defeated by said kind of magic? "You were not kidding about the kinds of things she gets into, huh?" Someone like that definitely could have accidentally made a wish powerful enough to drag them over here.

[lulu-draws-stuff]

do yyou think you can share any transmasc lili or transfem raz design ideas you have

Ok ! I didn't have any designs planned out yet, so I took this ask as an opportunity to try my hand at it :] maybe I'll line and color this later, idk

(Any pronouns for Raz and he/they for Lili here ok)

[bokudara5777]

im a bit too embarrassed to post these on my ig story for some reason, so ill post it here for now;;

[nereb-and-dungalef]

I keep drinking coffee thinking it's gonna make me Productive and then instead of doing the work I actually have to do I just compulsively make spreadsheets :(

[klarsynt]

for some reason the question amuses him. he had never even considered it might be called into question how long vehicles would last, or that they would last at all. it is still relatively new technology at this point. at least he thinks it is. he would be the least likely man to remember such details. ❝ well— i was just thinking they're a bit different than what i'm used to driving. ❞ he offers tom a little smile. ❝ i don't mind the walking, though. it's nice to slow down. ❞ everything is a little slower now and the funny thing is he is certain everyone right now thinks they're rushing. they think the world is going too fast. he wonders if every generation thinks that. maybe it's part of progress.

emil subtly turns his hand, trying to feel the brush of the other man's fingers just a little longer. he misses it when tom pulls away. there's a moment of brief confusion, almost hurt, which crosses his features when he realizes the distance tom has put between them. but he quickly feels foolish for it and tries to dismiss the feeling as he focuses on the task at hand.

he picks up one of the hand baskets before moving towards the perishables and produce. ❝ kroppkaka, ❞ he says, slightly distracted as he critically eyes a sack of potatoes. ❝ this lady in my group home used to make it. she was kinda an asshole towards us older kids sometimes, but she let me help in the kitchen. ❞ he isn't sure why he even tells tom such information which hardly matters anymore. maybe it never mattered. emil finally decides one of the sacks meet his standards so he pulls the string shut again. the rough fibers of the material irritates his skin but he ignores the overstimulating sensation. next are some onions. a few herbs. he glances at tom as he asks ❝ you got any flour? also, eggs. ❞ he shakes his head before he can answer. ❝ never mind i'll get some anyway. ❞

❝ they sell booze here? i'm a little...rusty on liquor laws. ❞ he shrugs and makes a face. ❝ actually, i'm kinda rusty on laws in general. ❞

     it is surprising to him that emil declines his offer to pay. he is in no mood to insist and thus simply nods his head in silent approval. the chivalry is unnecessary but does give him the idea that emil might have more of an idea about this sort of thing than he does (which feels ironic considering his own line earlier). he is vaguely familiar with the general etiquettes of dating - he has friends and colleagues that go on and on about their dates and girlfriends - but he has never really put any of it to use. his experience with women is limited and men have always been more or less to the point with him. in other words, he has never needed it. if emil felt more like a friend he might have been inclined to ask him to split the costs with him, but he does not. 

     tom observes him as they walk. he watches as his eyes flicker across the street, following what they follow. he smiles when he points out the car driving past, “you have seen one of those before then?” he has almost forgotten that the man has appeared out of nowhere, a tear in time. for some odd reason, although perhaps it should, he refuses to let it unsettle him, “i won’t be picking you up in one of them, if that’s what you’re thinking about.”

     “but yeah,” he replies, a slight grin on his face, “i just walk. take the bus or the train if i really must. ” tom lets his elbow meet his and, for a moment, their arms move so similarly that he can just about touch the back of his hand with his knuckles. the proximity is killing him, his fingers practically twitching from the urge to touch him. in the end he only gives him a small nudge with his finger, under guise of needing to redirect them: “you are in luck though, we are quite close.”

     tom takes him to the small store down the street from his place. he instinctively steps a little further from him once they are inside of it. there are too many eyes on them here and a few people there who might even know him by name. it isn’t the place to be calling attention to oneself. “so what are you planning on making, chef?”

[francy-sketches]

This is the worst explanation I've ever read what 😭

[my-thoughts-and-junk]

Im thinking about gravity falls (making sprites of all the characters) and I was looking at manly dan and tyler cutebiker like 'who the hell do these guys remind me of' it's bowser and luigi. Full-on bowser and luigi.

[a-tale-of-legends]

Edit: I wrote this at 6 in the morning and then proceeded to pass out afterwards so. Take this how you will. Also this is very stupid hgvhvgvgvcg.

I don't know why Archie and Maxie potentially, honestly, just being in their late 20's throw me off so much.

For context, in ORAS Tabitha said that he has recently turned 27. And I would assume that this would mean that the other major magma officials and by proxy, the aqua ones that parallel are potentially around this age. I've always seen Maxie and Archie the oldest of their respective trio. And like yeah, they would still be like 30 or something, but my brain is just catching up to the potential ( key word potential) that these guys are just some dudes in their late 20's and not like. In their 30's or so. Like they would be younger Birch( he's 35) and only a few years older than Steven ( and Cyrus!). Also I'm realizing that Tabitha is I think younger? Than my hc age for Wallace (28. Might push it down at 27 for the bit but yeah). Back to Archie and Maxie, I never really thought they were old per say. Again, I generally thought they were in their 30's. Not old by any means, but definitely not in their 20's.

Though I will say, with all of that being said, there is something funny about these two pushing 30 and deciding to make a big stink about. Let them have an existential crisis or something and choose the worst way possible to deal with it lmao. Can you guys please be normal for like, a minute, please-

Also I know this is mostly the ORAS interpretations, I don't know about the RSE ones. Also also this whole rant ramble thing is very stupid and silly hgvhvgvgvcg.

[leatherbookmark]

a thing that irks me about wgxn as lsz's Best Parents Ever and lsz himself calling them his fathers iiiis that aren't... parents and basically ancestors... kinda important in chinese culture? yknow, like *gestures at some of the characters' complicated relationships w/ their parents, their legacy and last wishes*? lsz discovers he's a wen and doesn't immediately go "ah well, doesn't matter, they were Problematic and i feel more like a lan anyway", but rather goes to the nighless city with wn to bury the ashes of their family and build a cenotaph for wq. that means he still wants to honor his ancestry, especially since he's the last surviving member of his clan. would lsz just... conveniently forget about all that -- about his parents, whoever they were, who died in the war -- for lwj? hm

[sufficientlylargen]

It always gets me that the name "Gandalf" literally just means "Wand-Elf" or "Stick-Elf". I'm imagining old Gondorians just being like:

Librarian: I saw that weird guy at the library again today.

Guard 1: What weird guy?

Librarian: The old guy with the beard? Kinda elfy-looking, apart from the beard?

Guard 1: Oh, with the big-ass stick?

Librarian: Yeah, looked like he was carrying an entire tree branch.

Guard 2: Yeah, that's the Stick Elf.

Guard 1: Hell yeah, I fuckin' love the Stick Elf.

Librarian: The "Stick Elf"?

Guard 2: He comes by every few years, usually after some weird book or other.

Librarian: Oh. Yeah, he wanted a treatise on goblin breeding habits.

Guard 2: Like, how they have sex? We have books on that?

Librarian: Yeah, turns out we do. I was as surprised as you are.

Guard 1: What'd the Stick Elf need a fuckin' goblin-fuckin' book for?

Librarian: I didn't ask. So you just call him "Stick Elf"?

Guard 2: I mean, he looks kinda elfy and he always has that stick, so, like, yeah.

Guard 1: Dude also has some fuckin' dope pipeweed.

Guard 2: Oh yeah, his pipeweed is awesome.

Librarian: How long has he been coming here?

Guard 2: Oh, for decades. He's, like, super old.

Guard 1: More like fuckin' centuries. Dude's old as balls.

Guard 2: Wait, really?

Guard 1: Yeah, my gran-gran used to talk about him. She loved his pipeweed too.

Librarian: So he's… an immortal pipeweed dealer?

Guard 2: I think he's just, like, a connoisseur. He doesn't sell it or anything. He just always has some really top-notch pipeweed on him.

Archivist: Oh, are we talking about Stick Elf?

Guard 1: Hell yeah we are!

Librarian: You know about the Stick Elf, too?

Archivist: Oh, totally. Stick-Elf's a super chill dude. Gave me some awesome pipeweed when I was maybe 12, and tee-bee-aitch I think I'm still a little buzzed from it.

Guard 1: What'd I tell ya, fuckin' dope pipeweed!

Archivist: Also he's really old.

Guard 1: Old as balls.

Librarian: Yeah, so Éodan and Jenniforomir were telling me.

Archivist: My grandpa used to tell me stories - he said one time he saw Stick Elf enter a smoke-ring contest.

Guard 1: Ooh, I'll bet he kicked fuckin' ass.

Archivist: Apparently the guy made an entire warship out of smoke and it flew around shooting down the other rings.

Librarian: And how much of this "fuckin' dope" pipeweed had your grandfather had by this point?

Guard 1: No no, that's totally plausible. Dude's got weird elf powers and shit for sure.

Archivist: He brought fireworks for the king's birthday one year, too.

Guard 1: Oh fuck, I forgot about those! Fuckin' incredible fireworks! Dragons and knights and glowy trees and shit! I was fuckin' 6 years old or something, they totally blew my mind. Hey Éodan, did you see that shit?

Guard 2: No, I think that's before I lived in Gondor.

Guard 1: Wait, you're not from here?

Guard 2: Oh, no, I grew up in Rohan. We moved here when I was, like, thirteen because my uncle Éojeff said he could get my dad a sweet job. And also that there were houses that didn't smell like horseshit.

Guard 1: Oh shit, are you related to Éojeff and Éosteve who run that æbleskiver stand on Norndîl St?

Guard 2: Yeah, they're my uncles!

Guard 1: Shit, they cook a fuckin' great æbleskiver!

Librarian: Ok, hold up a sec, "Stick Elf" can't possibly be his real name.

Guard 1: Why not?

Librarian: What? You think his parents named him in the hopes that he would carry around a fucking tree when he got older?

Guard 2: Maybe they gave him the tree when he was born!

Archivist: I don't think a baby could carry that stick.

Guard 1: You ever seen a baby hanging onto something? They're hella strong.

Archivist: It's not a strength thing, their hands are tiny. That staff is enormous!

Guard 1: My halberd's bigger 'n I am, I can hold it just fine.

Archivist: You're not a baby.

Librarian: Also why would elf parents name their kid "stick ELF"?! Presumably they know that their kid's going to be an elf!

Archivist: Is he actually an elf? I didn't think they grew beards.

Guard 1: How'd he get old as balls if he's not an elf?

Guard 2: His ears aren't that pointy. Maybe he's just a really old guy? Like, a Numémoriam or something?

Guard 1: Did you just say "Numémoriam"?

Guard 2: Nûnenorman? Munimõrbitan? Y'know, those guys like the king that can get super old.

Guard 1: You mean the fuckin' Númenóreans?

Guard 2: Yeah, the Númenóreums.

Archivist: Even the Númenóreans don't live THAT long.

Guard 1: Plus he carries that fuckin' stick around.

Guard 2: Wait, what does the stick have to do with it?

Guard 1: That's an elf thing. Y'know, trees and shit? Very elfy.

Librarian: Ok, look, but his parents naming him "Stick Elf" would be weird whether or not he's an elf. In fact, it's even weirder if he's not - what human names their kid "elf"?

Archivist: Huh. Yeah, you're right, he probably does have another name.

Guard 2: Yeah, I guess so.

Librarian: He's been coming here for decades and nobody's ever asked his real name?

Archivist: I dunno what to tell you, he's Stick Elf. Even his library card just says 'Stick Elf'.

Guard 1: Fuck yeah, the Stick Elf!

Guard 2: Maybe we could, like, ask him his name sometime?

Guard 1: Hey, look, Elrond's over there. He's old as balls too, maybe he knows?

Guard 2: Oh, we shouldn't interru-

Guard 1: HEY ELROND, YOU'RE OLD AS BALLS, RIGHT? WHAT'S THAT OLD ELF WITH THE STICK'S NAME?

Elrond (coming over): Do you mean an old man cloaked all in grey and blue, leaning on a rough-cut staff, who came to the great library this day?

Guard 1: Yeah, the Stick-Elf!

Guard 2: (Sorry to bother you, sir...)

Librarian: He's got to have a real name besides 'the Stick Elf', right?

Elrond: Indeed, for no elf is he. You speak of the wizard Olórin, wisest of the Maiar, older even than Eä itself. Many are his names in many countries: Tharkûn among the Dwarves; Incánus to the south; Mithrandir he is called among my people, the Grey Pilgrim.

Librarian: Oh.

Elrond: And here in the North he is called Stick-Elf.

Librarian: Oh.

Guard 1: Fuck yeah!