#it's important to remember most of the people in the cast are regular guys

[mastersoftheair]

there appears to be an ongoing AMA on the MotA reddit with a cast member of the show (apparently not an extra), and it just started around 30 minutes ago!

check it out (and even ask questions) HERE!

[bugzrc00l]

Lego Movie Rant

I can’t believe that the Lego movie came out 10 years ago. Even watching it now is a whole experience, looking back and finding things I hadn’t noticed before!

Let me start off with the animation. As a kid I remember my dad and I both being confused whether they had used real Legos or computer animated. Both ways are impressive, the stop motion would have taken 10 years by itself, but the way they made sure to include small details such as finger prints and even the little extra plastic from the mold on Emmet’s hair. The difference between The Lego Movie and any other Lego movie is astounding when you compare the way they animated the characters even moving. With the old Lego movies we got fluid movements, smooth textures, and realistic limb bending, however in The Lego Movie the characters are obviously limited in their movements realistically based on their Lego limbs.

Another amazing thing about The Lego Movie is the universal nature of all of it. Throughout the film we don’t just have a few main characters that take themselves seriously, instead we have a whole cast of characters from different media that are fun and play on their original personalities and plots. There is seriously things for everyone to enjoy, they have Legos, wizards, ghosts, pirates, cowboys, DC characters, spaceships, robots, Will Ferrell, and a whole glittery rainbow universe! All of these components in a movie and it still manages to make it work, using the creativity of a child’s mind to really make everything flow. Even better is that the movie doesn’t take itself too seriously, it plays on jokes and gags from many different medias to make the humor funny to any person who watches. This movie is very character driven and it does a super good job in that aspect.

Along with the looks and characters in the film there is obviously the storyline. I think the reason so many of the characters and different settings work is because of the story being so simple. They keep the story as: an extremely normal man tries to become creative in order to save the universe. In the start we get to see the way most movies start out, pretty basic with a not so special protagonist. This protagonist meets a woman (manic pixie dream girl) and then he becomes special. However at the end of the movie it comes out that it was all a lie, that Emmet is just some regular guy. I think this was really important to emphasize because throughout the whole first part of the movie we are thinking that Emmet is truly the chosen one and there had to be some fate attached, that he himself couldn’t have made a change without becoming special first. But this thinking is wrong, if this movie teaches anything it’s the fact that individual will and support from the people close to you is what makes a change. At the very and when all the “normal” societal members start to embrace their individuality and free will is when we see their rebellion working.

The Lego Movie feels close to the neurodivergent experience of growing up in a way. In the beginning of the movie we are shown the way Emmet quite literally follows all the rules. He keeps a booklet with him at all times, checks off the list as he goes, and tries his best. Our main character is enthusiastic about everything, he knows everyone’s names, and does as they all ask. In some parts of the film we are able to see the way that his coworkers and neighbors seem to brush him off. The only time when his coworkers really acknowledge him is when a cop asks about him, to which they all respond with the fact that he is so normal that he’s boring. It really was heartbreaking watching the scene when Emmet first realized that they really didn’t enjoy his company, after he had worked so hard to be normal like he was taught to be. Later we also see that when exposed to the seemingly “only” other option of being creative and always thinking outside the box we see that he is lost and hesitant. He soon comes into his own sort of creativity not completely starting from scratch but using what he knows and building off that, he just needed creativity to be put in a different perspective.

The filming, characters, plot, messaging, and silliness of the movie really do make it amazing. The creators were able to bring together so many different things that mesh so smoothly into one film that it was surprising at first. Not only did this film show true passion and love for its creation it also showed that things don’t have to be serious all the time. Through the storyline, jokes, and nods about such serious topics we are still given valuable messages and a fun movie with memorable characters and jokes.

[hologramcowboy]

I used to love Jared very very much, i had a Sam fanart blog, i defended him so hard, because i have always believed he is a good guy. Then that thing with the tattoo happened, and i'm not going to lie, it hurt. The thought that maybe he looks down at people like me was too much.

Do you understand my predicament? Jared did something that made me think he might be racist, but i can't and won't asume that he is, because i don't know him. But the damage is done, and I just can't look at him the same anymore.

And who did that damage, who ruined my fandom experience? Not Jared, but the assholes who blew up the internet talking shit about him.

I can't love him like before, because if he turns out to be a racist, my heart would be crushed.

So the best course of accion was to distance myself from that parasocial relationship.

Point is, that's the thing with celebrities, sometimes we give them too much power over our hearts, and they don't even know that we exist!

We should just look at them as regular people.

You are hating on Jared due to an assumption without doing due research. The symbol he tattoed is a texan symbol, you can find deeper research on it on this blog, just look through the tags or use keywords and find out where the symbol orginated and what it actually means. It's also used on license plates or something similar (sorry, can't remember but I'm sure someone will mention in the comments) in Texas, so does that make all those people racist too?

As for racism, you have so many cases that evidence the very contrary, Jared is warm, welcoming and supportive, he is inclusive and you see thay even with his spin off, just look at the amazing cast he's put together. So what exactly is your assumption based on?

I do get being afraid of being dissapointed, that's human but it's also important to not let other people's conclusion cloud your own moral compass, intuition and perceptions and to be careful when it comes to perception biases. Jared doesn't deserve to be labeled as a racist, he's done nothing to earn such a label and he never will. He's never harmed, targetted or devalued anyone of a different race so please consider all the secure truths you do know about him before embracing such a dark lie. You have personal account from people, from different backgrounds, religions and ethnicities that have met him, experienced him and have shared incredibly special things about how he has impacted them. That's real proof of his impact.

At the end of the day, what a person tattoos on their body is an intimate choice, we shouldn't get to judge and nothing Jared has ever said or done supports the theory that he has the inclinations you mentioned in your post. Rather, he most likely wanted a symbol of Texas and picked that one without looking too deeply into it. Either way, he doesn't owe anyone explanations about what he tattooes on his own body, which is solely his property, and he is harming absolutely no one. He simply made an uninspired choice and vilifying him for it is going way too far. Also, the same people that are calling him a racist send death threats on the daily, engage in cyber bullying, stalking and other similar behaviors what does that make them? Not to mention the biases they have towards people from different backgrounds or countries...

That being said, I think you are very wise to distance yourself if you no longer feel comfortable about something. Follow your inner compass, just please don't vilify people without truly doing deep research on them.

[scrybe-scott]

The Silver Circle Character Intros!

I figured it's about time I posted one of these, so I'm doing it for the WIP I've been working on the most! These are just going to be little snippets about each character, so read on if you're interested in my writing or in fantasy wips in general!

Apologies for the delay for those who saw my other post about this, I’ve been BUSY.

Also, I'm going to be keeping this to the core cast for now. Keep in mind this is them as we start the story! Things here can and will change over the course of the book.

The Good Guys

Bran Brightwood - orphan taken in off the streets by Apprentice Librarian to Orulin the Wise, a powerful and ancient wizard. He's been living in the Tower of , keeping things tidy in exchange for a place to live. He picks up bits and pieces of magic from the wizard that runs the place, whenever he’s in. He’s a bit nervous around people, having spent most of his youth and the first year of his adult life in the Tower, and prefers to let his best friend Arryn do the talking. A human, he’s not particularly attuned to any of the cool fantasy stuff going on, but damned if he’s not interested in it. Has read more books than medically advisable. Arryn - Pickpocket, master attempter of stealth, Bran’s best friend, general moron. We love him. He’s been looking after Bran for as long as either of them can remember, and when Bran got taken in, Arryn insisted they were a package deal. After some pleading from Bran, Orulin accepted on the grounds that Arryn not be allowed to touch anything, ever. When that didn’t pan out, for obvious reason, Arryn’s restrictions loosened, though he wasn’t allowed into the Archives. That’s fine by him, though, as he prefers to spend his days down at the tavern or exploring the city. Kyra - A young half-Drakarran in training to become a Pale Warden. Her Mentor, Torren, has trusted her with a solo mission to help an old friend of his. She's eager to prove herself, especially as one of the few Drakarrans in the Wardens, but retains a sense of superiority around non-Wardens. Her work, she reckons, makes her more important and useful than her traveling companions. Mutual hatred shared with Arryn because of this. Throgg - An Ular mercenary recently discharged from the Iron Fang, a guild of monster hunters. He spends most of his days at the Hawk and Bishop tavern, taking on whatever work he can find. Owes Orulin a life debt, though as more time passes without the wizard calling on him to repay it, the more unsure he is about their deal. Big old grump, unless he knows you. Then he's just a regular grump. Aelar Lorhalien - Bright Prince of the Caeloran Dominion, an ancient Aetheri kingdom that’s recently had a coup under new management. He’s come to Orulin, an old traveling companion of his, for help. Obsessed with the history of his people, Aelar has devoted most of his century or so of life to the study of the mysteries of the Aetheri people, particularly interested in the pre-Aether times. He’s a bit snobbish and out of touch with the outside world, but Aelar is fiercely loyal to people who make themselves his ally. Lucian Arkalis - Master Wizard, Veteran Adventurer, and former apprentice to Orulin, Lucian is a bit of a loner. He studies applied magics in his effort to help his teacher unravel the mysteries of the Aether. Not ostentatious like some other wizards, he keeps his robes and staff simple. Spends most of his time traveling, as he believes magic is best used in active help of others. Twilly Whindlespring - Born to Hillfolk parents in a Stonefolk kingdom, Twilly is a product of both cultures. Her Stonefolk upbringing taught her to speak her mind, possibly at inopportune or inappropriate times, but her Hillfolk culture reminds her to always be chipper about it. Picking up a love of cartography from her father, Twilly is on a quest to create the first-ever map of the entire world. She won’t let anything stop her. Trenton Stoneroot- Ser Trenton Stoneroot is a knight. Mostly in name, as his father is the Duke of Ravencrest, the northernmost bastion of the Felean League. He’s noble, reliable, maybe a little too trusting, and dreams of one day becoming one of the Kingsworn, the High King’s most trusted and skilled personal guards.

The Bad Guys

The Children of the Forgotten One - a cult worshipping an old, dead god. One they are not supposed to remember. They will not rest until everyone does. The lucky among them are granted incredible powers and equipment to aid them in their goals. The less fortunate become Forgotten: warped, mindless creatures bent only on destruction. Astrid - the Cult’s foremost political asset. Has infiltrated the Felean League’s High Council and works from the inside, unbeknownst to any of our heroes. Incredibly brilliant and almost supernaturally persuasive. The head of the operation. Gabriel - Forgotten General. Leads and gathers a supernatural army for his god. Is the most religious of the big 3 villains, and is a zealot for the cause. Will do anything and kill anyone that gets in the way of his divine mission. Donovan - Mercenary leader of the Dragon’s Ire, a group contracted by Astrid to carry out more discreet operations. Not too big on the cult stuff, but the coin’s good, and a place in the new regime ain’t too bad, either.

That’s it for now! I tried to keep it short, this went on way longer than I meant it to lol. Like I said, feel free to ask any questions!

Edit: Oh, and for anyone curious what I mean when I say Aetheri, Ular, Drakarran, etc, check out my second answer here!

[backroomskokichi]

i saw an ask you got abt the interpretation of the V3 cast's ages, and i'm honestly pretty neutral on the topic but you mentioned "no proof" on the adult angle so i wanted to share a bit on why i think either argument is reasonable & the ages are well and truly ambiguous on purpose? (disclaimer that i have nothing to do w that guy from the post that was linked & this isn't really focused on the existence of nsfw content)

1. due to the ending reveals, some people believe that the characters had to have been 18+ to sign themselves up for the tv show based on japanese law surrounding game show participation. of course, this is a fictionalization of japan and doesn't necessarily carry the same laws over, but i think its a reasonable enough assumption for some to make.

2. similarly due to the meta-fictional nature of it, some interpret it almost like adult actors being hired to play high schoolers for a tv role? again, i don't particularly have a strong preference for either age interpretation + nsfw content completely aside, i do find this an interesting scenario to explore for the psychological impact of brainwashing someone to believe theyre younger than they actually are for the sake of an experimental death game tv show.

3. due to the previous two casts being revealed as secretly older than originally presented/having forgotten years of memory, many went into V3 under the assumption that the cast would also be older than they remembered. the ending does not confirm this, but it doesn't necessarily contradict it, either. combined with the previous two points, the lack of confirmation in either direction led some to think "oh, so the age/memory twist this time was due to the show, got it."

4. ryoma is suggested to have been tried for murder as an adult, not as a minor, and went to a regular adult prison, not juvy. also something part of a supposedly meta-fictional backstory, but if even the meta-fiction is ambiguous and inconsistent with age, it's hard for me to believe that either answer is truly the "canon" one. his backstory also includes a "lover," which arguably could be there as a strangely mature speech pattern to "contradict" his apparent age, but could also be meant to suggest that he's over 18. the issue with age in the character backstories is that some of the timelines would have to be incredibly tight for them to be minors- not that its impossible, just that its a bit fantastical in nature (which isn't odd for this franchise, to be fair). like, if ryoma is a minor now, how old was he when he went to jail? how old was he when he had a lover? how old was he when he killed those guys?

5. similarly to the previous point is korekiyo's backstory (i dont know about you, but i personally interpret him as a victim of abuse by his sister). how old was he when he was being abused? how old was he when she died? and, most confusingly, how much time did it take him to kill 90+ women? the age timelines don't make much sense, and i think that's intentional! it's supposed to lend to the ch 6 fiction twist- these things don't make any sense because they are arguably not real, even within the context of the game.

6. the layout of the V3 map looks a lot more like a college campus than the first game did. a separate building dormitory, a casino, a love hotel- all of these things being on campus gives it a more mature atmosphere to me. unrelated to the characters' actual ages, i did immediately think to myself upon starting the game, "oh, they're going for kind of an older vibe than the previous games, aren't they?"

7. this isn't super important to the actual canon of the franchise, but i figured i would include it as it is official material; in the talent development plan mode + the summer game, the V3 cast attends hope's peak at the same time as the first two casts. it's irrelevant to their ages within the killing game, but is relevant to the belief that it's inappropriate to ship the V3 cast crossgame. within killing game canon, if ch 6 is to be believed, the first two casts aren't "older" than V3, they're just fictional characters. the only place they exist for real in the same universe is the side material where they attend school together, putting them in the same approximate age range.

8. now, i'm not going to claim something dumb like "minors don't have sexual fantasies." of course they do. but this ties back into point 1: the idea that they signed up for this tv show and consented not just to the killing game, but also for the love hotel events to be broadcasted. again, you could argue that the laws in this universe are different, and that the people who made the game are not below sexualizing minor characters, but... it's a pretty dark interpretation, even for an already dark game like this, that their universe has canonically legalized the televised sexualization of real minors (real in their universe, i mean). this i think is one of the biggest reasons that some people prefer to interpret the characters as adults: the game is just so much more uncomfortable if you don't. either interpretation does allow for interesting fan exploration in terms of the dystopia of this universe- either legal sexualization of real minors, or you could analyze the societal implications of this world utilized brainwashing to sexualize adults who believe they are minors + are dressed in school uniforms, as a way that media gets to create this sexualization without breaking the law. but, understandably, this is not a popular topic to explore even in criticism BECAUSE of how uncomfortable it is.

my biggest takeaway from all this is NOT to say that the cast is irrefutably adults, but moreso to say that ages are all intentionally kept vague to allow the player to decide. similarly to point 8, you can make the criticism that the team intentionally left the ages vague in order to dodge some criticism around the sexualization of "a high school aesthetic" - though even that isn't super neccesary, considering the many anime and games that feature sexualization of totally unambiguous minor characters. its all up for debate, in the end, but i have this theory that a lot of media leaves age unintentional at the teen/young adult line, like genshin impact pretty much never confirming character ages & using the same body models for teens as they do for short adults: they want to appeal to all customers, so the customers are left to interpret the character ages however they want.

"the ages are ambiguous, but i choose to view them as adults because the game is much too uncomfortable for me if they're minors" is a take i see a lot, and slightly lean towards myself. i don't think its any closer to canon than them being minors, but it does make things like the love hotel just a bit more bearable. and i think there's a pretty big difference between "i interpret the characters as adults" and "i want to make nsfw, and i don't care whether the characters are adults or not," you know?

sorry that was so long, thanks for reading, and have a good day!

Yeah you’re right the timelines don’t make sense at all so it’s a bit hard to grasp how old they are , though some of the characters believe they are minors like when himiko and Kokichi stated themselves that “we’re teenagers” “I’m not even an adult yet” which is a little proof that they believe they are minors from what I think one from the game and one from SS camp

,, not the backgrounds of the characters and ryoma plus some other characters are completely debatable but it’s specifically Kokichi and some other popular characters I see nsfw art of which is just uncomfortable wether they choose to believe they’re adults or not. I’m just personally uncomfortable with it.

Interpret the characters as adults and don’t make nsfw? Okay, I trust you

Interpret the characters as adults JUST to make nsfw? Then it’s a bit weird!

Thanks for explaining though ,, kinda long but I read through . I’m glad I’m finally seeing some debatable evidence that can work on both sides other than the typical “it’s fictional so it doesn’t matter!” “They’re adults because of the love hotel!” Cuz I’ve seen THAT ‘evidence’ for YEARRS and it just pushed me to believe they’re just minors. I still am going to persevere them as minors myself, but this opened my eyes a little to why ppl do what they do in the fandom all up to its interpretation.

[pico-digital-studios]

Into, Across and Beyond! Scripting: Canon Aversion Attempts

(Shadows in the mockups by @becdoesthings)

Dimension EV-2019 - Memorial Park, Calteron

One day following the full memory restoration of Team Sonic, Nitro and Amy were just out by Calteron's memorial park to pass the time together.

Amy: Ahh... Such a wonderful day today!

Nitro: Heh, yeah. And it's definitely more wonderful with what happened to change our dimension to be better.

Amy: I agree. Is Melanie doing okay, by the way?

Nitro: Yeah, he's getting there. It's just gonna be a couple more days until the seizures he's been having die down.

She sat on one of the park's benches.

Amy: Wanna have a sit down?

She noticed Nitro was a little worried about something.

Amy: Nitro? Are you feeling alright?

Nitro: Amy, I...

Nitro: I think it's about time I admitted something important to you while we're alone together. It's related to the whole timeline shebang.

Amy: Oh?

Nitro: You know those alternate versions of myself we've come across before? Well... most of them ended up being of my OWN making.

Amy: Huh? How?

Nitro: I'll explain as best as I can to you. So, following the whole reset, me, my family and Amelia retained our memories of the old timeline, and I wanted to do what it took to ensure all of us could live through that fateful attack that cost my dad his life. However, it seems to be a locked-in "canon event" for me... Nothing I did could keep him safe; only my mom and siblings made it through again to this timeline. However, with each alteration I made, something changed each time; where I went in each alternate universe.

(MLP cast sprites by urimas on DeviantArt; custom Nitro Platinumheart sprite by me)

Nitro: One iteration was when I ended up in Equestria, which became my home after I befriended the Mane Six. Nitro Platinumheart mentioned that he was found by Twilight and Spike in a storm, and after she and Princess Luna uncovered the harsh past, Twilight phased through into my world with NP following, in a bid to ensure those close to him were alright. He didn't take long to settle in as his new self, however, when he took time to get used to Equestria in general, alongside the adjacent human world Twilight had visited before.

Nitro: The second one I remember most was a counterpart of myself ending up in an alternate Philly. I think I remember his nickname became "Nite-friend", since, in that universe, Daddy Dearest managed to kill Boyfriend, though he passed on his mantle to the guy before the finishing blow, which caused DD's family to drift apart from him. I'm happy they were able to take him in for safety, as he would've been homeless otherwise. Ever since, feelings began to blossom between Nitefriend and Girlfriend, and, well, the rest is history there.

Nitro: The third one I remember was a version of myself who ended up in a binary world of horrors, Sonic.EXEs included, thanks to Toxinfect almost stopping his escape. Having been infused with dark matter energy, he developed an immunity to regular lethal attacks from monsters like an alternate version of Exault he came across, but it came at the cost of giving him a glaring headache every time. Nitro.DLL, as he became known, was out to help survivors from other realms, including alternate Earths where Sonic.EXE was conquering the land and claiming people's souls, with all survivors being taken to an out-of-bounds space base for medical care and accommodation.

Nitro: I know there's many iterations of me in alternate universes, but there was always a few things in common between them:

The places of residence me and my siblings camped at before the split were Royal Woods, a town where Isabelle (AC) lived, and the WNA Academy in Eagle City.

My father, Marc Smith, was always doomed to die, no matter what. The only timeline he DIDN'T die in was that one where the attack never happened to begin with, and the one where me and Amelia started our family.

All of my counterparts except my adult self contracted EXE blood at one point, either from a sustained injury or following a first EXE encounter. It... must be why I'm able to sustain energies like the Sacred Ring without my body breaking under pressure.

The two had been having a small walk while discussing this, stopping by the park's sunflower field.

Amy: To think this all happened because you miss your dad so much... Oh, I'm so sorry to hear, Chris.

Nitro: Yeah, I really appreciate your concern for me. It's just... trying to play God to find a definitive happy future is just so hard for me. I really wished we could've had it all completely worked out before this point, but it's just so difficult...

Amy: Hey, look at me. If anything, your self-awareness of the old timeline actually did a LOT better than you may have realised.

Nitro: Wait, you really think that?

Amy: I don't think it, I know it. I mean, think about it. You coming into my life helped me see myself in a new light, and gave me a chance to just step back and not intrude on Sonic's love life. Plus, even in this timeline, you saved all of Mobius from Toxinfect's tyranny, and we all remain grateful to you for that!

Nitro: And... what else?

Amy: Well, the fact your actions in this timeline snapped Seak out of his insanity, kept Wade and all his newer friends out of that sentient virus's grasp, and even ensured we still have an Eggman to take on at the end of it all. Besides, no matter what iteration of yourself you may be, there's one thing I know you've always maintained.

She stepped closer to him with a smile on her face.

Amy: The kind heart you've always had, which I'd never trade for anything else.

Nitro smiled back.

Nitro: Thanks, Ames. I... I'm really happy you're here for me.

Amy: No problem.

The two shared a quick hug with each other.

Amy: You know, why don't we head to the Fish-n-Chips place after that talk?

Nitro: Heh, that's a wonderful idea!

Amy: Brilliant! Let's get going!

They started walking off.

Nitro: You know, I'd really like one of those jam and cream doughnuts for dessert.

Amy: Sure! We'll see what we can do about that.

[beardedhandstoadshark]

Which characters from your choosen fandom had the biggest impact into the story ?

Aside from main characters and characters who explicitly exist to have a big impact on the story, cuz that seems too easy…

In that case…Larry Butz from Ace Attorney.

It sounds. So stupid. To pick this random annoying loser guy above all others (especially over Morgan Fey, who’s in some way directly or indirectly responsible for like half the major backstories in the og trilogy)

But if Larry didn’t steal Edgeworth‘s (red suit guy with tissue cravat) lunch money in grade school,

Phoenix (MC, blue spiky hair guy) wouldn’t have been blamed for stealing it,

so Edgeworth could never have defended him

Larry couldn’t have jumped in too

The three would never have become friends

Phoenix would never have a reason to switch from an arts? major to law after being defended from a murder suspicion, so he can "save“ Edgeworth

Aside from regular defendants, multiple important characters would have been declared guilty for murder and received the fricking death penalty, including Larry himself, Edgeworth, and Phoenix’ sidekick Maya

The murderer of Edgeworth‘s dad would’ve continued being responsible for even more deaths than already these past few decades

Just. The entirety of Edgeworths character arc in general (which spans over 1.5 games and also made him a fan-fave)

Mayas psycho aunt Morgan would still be around (who essentially caused half the other backstories) and indirectly be the head of a place full of spirit mediums (…because dead people are real and can possess others here. It’s a whole plot mechanic)

Professor Layton would’ve been stuck in Medieval England (though I think he could handle the witch trials rather well himself on his own tbh)

Every time Larry shows up he‘s in some way responsible for a piece of major key evidence that ends up turning the whole trial around. Both in the main games AND the spinoff where you play as Edgeworth

Said thing with the spinoff leading to the head of a government getting overthrown

Phoenix being an attorney leading to him not being an attorney anymore, adopting a kid, and being around for the sequel trilogy and therefore indirectly impacting all the stuff that’s happened there as well. Like Maya not being dead, so she can do some stuff here, leading to ANOTHER government being completely changed.

This series ended with three separate legal systems completely changed, all because some guy called Larry Butz stole lunch money and thus created the beginning of the most impactful romance between colorcoded finger-pointing attorneys in all of story-telling.

And even more butterfly effect - chain of the vents things in these games I can’t even remember.

For a guy who‘s explicitly written and also actually played to be the biggest loser in the entire cast of this whole franchise, he surprisingly often turns out to be the MVP.

(…also Morgan Fey already has people analyze her impact on this series back and forth. Sooooo here’s something new! Never said I had to pick the most impactful character :3)

[boypussydilf]

sherlock. what is it's gender. what is their deal. speak your trutg

oh dear with the state of my blog its now hard to tell when people walk up to me and say sherlock if they mean dgs sherlock the og or any of the several others ive started talking about. we need to like. color code them. anyway im gonna talk about dgs sherlock bc hes the one im most likely to have proper thoughts on and then probably also do one for mostly just. like. the general concept actually thinking about it i do have many thoughts on Non-DGS Sherlock i dont know why i allowed myself to think i didnt . i just get caught up in the bimbo dad but i like the entire folder hes stored in

dgs first tho <333333

Sexuality Headcanon: gay. Just gay

Gender Headcanon: If i had to make 1 decision. genderfluid <3 Sherlock Holmes (DGS) can fit so much gender in her !!!!!!!!!

A ship I have with said character: *looks at my blog* *looks at my pinned post* um i think you guys know . already. the only one i have . do i need to say it

A BROTP I have with said character: i mean. Iris. they r best friends for real ! they r like the most important people to each other ! they r this guy and their 10 year old daughter who packs peanut butter jelly sandwiches for them !!!

A NOTP I have with said character: im gonna be petty and say vanlock. i blocked the tag bc i got tired of seeing it. actually even moreso i like physically recoil when i see ppl shipping him with ryuu, it fucking. completely baffles me. like. nothing wrong with that. people who ship them aren’t weird in That sense. but theyre weird as in I can’t understand what compels you to do this . i dont like vanlock but i can Understand why people do i just got extra sick of it bc its semi common. i cant understand why people ship sherlock and ryuu. like youve misread the vibe badly. this is not it. oh dear god this just got 5 times as long as all the other sections of this fucking ask meme. power of being slightly annoyed sorry

A random headcanon: UHHHHHHHHHH OH MY GOD . I KNOW i have headcanons abou t this bitch he swarms around in my mind all the time. I am imagining Random Exploits of the DGS Cast on a daily basis where did the fucking Concepts and Ideas go. ill return to this once ive done everything else and see if i havent thought of anything fun by then. ive thought about it some more and my most recent thought on him has been like. she knows some russian and japanese right? actually a fucking lot of russian to be able to read entire newspaper articles but thats besides the point i just think that sherlock knowing several different languages is neat but, Like. its pure chance if she ever manages to learn enough to be able to …. use it. once every several months sherlock will get really really excited about a new foreign language and put in like 2 weeks of work before forgetting about it completely. he has the vocabulary of a very young toddler in half a dozen different languages and is remembering those vocabularies by sheer luck

General Opinion over said character: Im normal iam normal normal im normal and regular . im normal and im normal about him and i dont intend to put him under a microscope or anything. i am not putting him in a little plastic box and shaking him to find out what happens . *extends my hand ibuprofen style* who wants to speculate about dgs in hyperspecific ways with me. hello my like 3 dgs followers do you have thoughts on sherlock holmes. tell them to me. lets all be normal. Anyway uh hes funny

IVE GOTTEN THAT BITCH OUT OF THE WAY LETS TALK ABOUT …… im not even sure. The General Concept of Sherlock Holmes on a Wide Scale, which, like, ultimately probably just boils down to: acd holmes. time to get philosophical with it. thats not the right word.

Sexuality Headcanon: sherlock is either gay or aroace or some more specific combination of all previous terms. Hey does that… even count as headcanon? Ultimately my stance is “whatever as long as sherlock holmes is not interested in women” and it is stated very clearly explicitly and repeatedly in canon that sherlock holmes is not interested in women so . like.

Gender Headcanon: You know what’s funny is expressing disdain for women is an effective way to distance yourself from femininity in general, for instance, to assert masculinity as a trans man, or as a negative reaction to being a trans woman. So. Like.

A ship I have with said character: at first i was like “its just kind of an objective fact that sherlock and watson are gay but i dont have emotional investment in it” but that was a fucking lie

A BROTP I have with said character: SHERLOCK HOLMES DOES NOT HAVE FRIENDS. I DONT FUCKING KNOW, TOBY THE DOG?

A NOTP I have with said character: The next time an adaptation tries to make him and irene adler straight together im going to thr authors house and shooting them point blank. shut up shut up shut up shut up. they would NOT

A random headcanon: man i dont even fucking know. he probably eats food off the floor and i mean this genuinely

General Opinion over said character: Sherlock Holmes is the ultimate Little Freak. Like 80% of the joy of any sherlock holmes media is “Watch this Freak Behave Oddly”. Some people think he would be hard to get along with personally i think we would make very good friends and i would love to hang out with the Freak.

Man. I hope this post isn’t actually as long and hard to look at as it looks in the mobile post editor. Unfortunately it probably is

[feline-felon]

Why Chris Pratt as Mario might be secretly genius, actually.

WAIT, WAIT HOLD ON, let me explain before you cast your judgement. For the record, I'm not a Chris Pratt/Marvel fanboy or anything and I have no clue if the movie is gonna be any good.

Okay, so, Crisp Rat as Mario J. Mario is a weird casting choice, and from the trailer which came out in *checks notes* October, we can see that Mario is lacking his iconic Italian accent, seemingly replaced with a subtle New York accent. This, I'd imagine, would've copped a lot more flak if not for the fact that everyone was talking about how good Jack Black was as Bowser.

I mean, it makes sense why people were hesitant about Mario's casting, seeing as most of the time, Mr. Pratt's roles are in the "Boring Generic Action Hero" category, and the only other voice acting role he's played (that I know of), is Emmet from The Lego Movie, a construction worker whose main trait is that he's a boring generic nobody who doesn't stand out at all (remember this, it'll be important later). But what if I told you that this penchant for genericism is what makes this whole thing brilliant?

See, the thing with characters in the Super Mario games is that a lot of them aren't really "characters", per se, but tropes. Archetypes that can be fitted into whatever story you want to tell with them. For example, you have the damsel in distress, Princess Peach, who is kidnaped by Bowser, the evil dragon, before being rescued by the gallant knight, Mario. Except that Mario isn't a knight in shining armor, he's a mustached, middle-aged man in overalls. That's because Mario isn't just any old hero, he's an Everyman. The humble, hard-working, blue-collar man that people can see themselves in. He's not the wielder of the Master Sword, or a blue hedgehog that can run faster than sound, or a robot from the future with a gun for a hand, Mario is just a regular guy with a plumbing business. The whole point of this trope is that Anyone can be Mario. The baker from down the road can defeat armies of goombas and koopas, your math teacher can brave eight worlds of levels to get to bowser's castle, your little sister can save the princess, and so can the butcher, the baker, the candlestick maker, or even an everyday construction worker.

You see where I'm going with this now? What I'm saying is that Chris Pratt might just be perfect for Mario not in spite of his previous generic roles, but because of them, that because Mario serves as a vessel for the player to project on and relate to, this "generic guy-ness" is precisely who Mario as an archetype is.

Of course, this thesis fails to take into consideration that Mario has arguably moved beyond his initial generic roots (and by generic here, I mean relating to a large group or universally applicable, I'd be burned at the stake for saying Mario is a boring character), and has since become a beloved character archetype in his own right, as well as the simple fact that the disconnect between what we've seen so far of Prattio and the performances of Charles Martinet will take a fair bit of getting used to, but that's not what this essay is about. I am not positing that Chris Pratt is the new definitive voice of Mario, nor am I guaranteeing that Pratt's performance in the movie will 100% be good. What I am saying, however, is that it can work, and why it is completely possible that it will. Whether it actually will work still remains to be seen, but there is still a chance. Thanks for coming to my TED Talk.

[phoenix3018writes]

HOW TO USE LOREAL CASTING CREME GLOSS?

I have been using the Loreal Paris Casting Crème Gloss Regular Ebony Black for quiet some time now and I wish to review about the same and show you guys how to use it in the most effective manner.

I have using hair color for decades now, and I have tried several brands available in the market and here is my honest viewpoint about this product.

I started using it after a recommendation from a good friend of mine and I thank her for it to this day. It is a no ammonia hair colorant that gives your hair visible shimmering tones, glossy shine and covers greys. It gives you a natural looking color with visible shimmering tones and a glossy shine. Gives you the richness of natural color that lasts up to 28 shampoos. Gentle, caring conditioner to provide nourished, satin soft, voluptuous hair. Easy, clean and pleasurable application with the non-drip crème formula in just 20 minutes, even for beginners. The delicate fragrance makes coloring a luxurious treat.

I personally love a no ammonia hair color and it leaves my hair smelling so good. People always compliment me and ask about what product do I use for my hair. The key element here is that it lasts up to 28 washes which is great because all my previous hair colors used to start washing off or fading after a couple washes!

HOW TO USE LOREAL CASTING CREME GLOSS?

Things you will need to color your hair:

Loreal Paris casting creme gloss

An old Tshirt or shawl

Hair coloring brush and comb

Things to remember:

The Casting Creme Gloss hair color contains the following inside the kit.

Developer Cream

Creme Colorant

Usage instructions pamphlet

A pair of gloves

2. As they provide a pair of gloves inside the pack itself you will not need a new one. However, make sure you are ready with any dark colored/old t shirt before you start the whole process. (To avoid staining)

3. If you are going for an even color all over, its easy to get great results at home too. You don’t need help from anyone!

4. Do a patch test before 48 hours. I did and I was fine with it. The new range is free from ammonia and hence its not going to harm you.

5. Last but not the least — before starting, DO read the instructions without fail. It is the very important step before you color your hair!

You can check out more details on :

You can surely mention your experience in the comments.

HAPPY STYLING!

[alpona]

Geats episode 14 liveblog:

What an episode full of delicious info! Obviously spoilers.

- lol, Game master getting annoyed at predictable winner situation?

- Keiwa-kun being the super nice guy again

- yes Neon, I'm also wondering about Ace's secret plan.

- woo, Keiwa using command twin buckle already! Good good, no drama like boost.

- punkjack didn't write aaanything for a wish, not even a silly one.....

- *gasp* yesss! Jamatos showing traits of dead riders, because they're grown from broken ID cores!! What did I write in that episode.... Ah, so Jamatos are kinda like... Reborn...plant...people....??

- hmm, So red-hat girl was an illusion created by the Jamato, and it can make hallucination inducing pollens. Very cool.

- Ace directly asking important questions.

- btw, punkjack may not know about Ace's wish to join every game, but Ace definitely realized that simply eliminating him won't accomplish anything, right? His memory will only be lost for this game, he'll get it back when the next game begins. Killing him is the only option for game master.

- Neon's valid concern. Sigh... Sometimes you do need certain people...

- hello bodyguard-san! What's Neon's gonna ask...

- I expected punkjack to betray game master, but he betrayed punkjack first? Ahaha

- sweet exposition time! My favorite!

- the superstar wish had deeper reasons after all. This kinda has a parallel with Neon making videos to get noticed too.

- yay, detective bodyguards!

- woahh Ben and John already used to be riders!! That means definitely on screen henshin in future episodes too!

Congrats Tom Constantine for becoming a rider on top of joining the cast! Woah, what a dream come true!

What are the motifs, white tiger?

- 'sponsor' huh. And DGP even needs funds. Curious how these things actually works considering the reality bending powers they have...

Is there an alien with superpower 'sponsoring' these things? Lol.

- punkjack backstory. His music career wasn't a lie, woah

- Ace's mom was a navigator? Ok! Did she became the main boss behind everything, or did something and got banned or something... I wonder.

- Yeah, we're also thinking you should know game master's identity, Ace-kun.

- oh, thank you! Thank goodness it was Ace's plan to deliberately let Michinaga take the driver, I'm glad the slyness isn't totally gone 😁

- "what am I doing with my life" thats what I wonder everyday too, dear punkjack.

- by the way, Neon has a very practical hairstyle this episode.

- little deception lesson Punkjack and game master should learn: don't reveal your plan before fully achieving your goal. (I'm not a criminal consultant btw)

- Game master henshin time! Vision driver huh, a totally different system than regular riders. With fingerprint scan n all. Girori become glare. The suit is cool

- and he can even do mind control, wow, scary!

- episodes almost ending, when's that preview scene of Ace worriedly looking at his ID core at... I had some ideas about that scene.

I was thinking maybe Game master will 'deactivate' Geats ID core, to ensure he can't even henshin with ANY driver at all.

- Ace just went poof eliminated? The scene was so short, nooo Takahashi-san, there could've been much more drama here..!

More twists please (lol)

But again, Game master can't seriously be content with just eliminating Ace, unless... He's planning the murder while Ace doesn't remember anything and is vulnerable, outside the game, with some trick that doesn't revive him👀😳? *Dan dan daaan!*

- lol at the rule!

Well well, we got the visual of Ace-kun being eliminated! That's actually not a big deal, cuz anytime he can come in contact with an ID core and remember everything, most likely Keiwa himself will go ahead and do that. Plus the upper management seems to be on his side, heck, wouldn't be surprised if he already has a backup plan and hid a spare ID core in his room! Basically, he can very easily join again very soon, maybe next episode. So Geats isn't gone yet. But I'm actually waiting for his apperant 'death' sometime.

(I'm starting to sound like an ominous witch with all the 'Ace will die' talk 😝)

[monsterkong]

Behind the Scenes of My Life: Addressing the Rumors and More

Hello, fabulous readers! 🌺 I hope you’re all doing well and staying fabulous. Today, I’m peeling back the curtain and giving you a behind-the-scenes look at some of the most talked-about topics in my life. You’ve been asking, and I’m finally ready to answer. Let’s get into it!

Pregnancy Rumors: Here’s the Truth

First up, let’s talk about those pregnancy rumors. I’ve seen the comments, the DMs, and the speculations. So, am I pregnant? The short answer is no. 🙅‍♀️ Yes, my stomach may have looked a bit rounder in a recent video, but that’s just normal bloating, my friends! It’s nothing new—just a regular part of life.

However, I am excited to share that my husband and I are in the process of trying to conceive! 🤗 We haven’t told many people this, so you’re some of the first to know. It’s an exciting time for us, and I’m looking forward to the day when I can officially say I’m expecting. Wish us luck on this journey! 🌟

Did I Spoil ‘The Mole’ Season 2?

This next question has been driving me absolutely bonkers! 🤪 Did I spoil ‘The Mole’ Season 2? Some people seem to think I knew the results before the show aired, but let me clear the air—I did not. It was pure luck that I guessed the winner and the mole correctly. No inside scoop, no spoilers, just a lucky guess. 🎯

But someone didn’t believe that and started spreading rumors, telling the entire cast not to speak to me. Imagine how awkward that made things when I had to work with them for Netflix’s official podcast! 😬 But we moved past it, and I’m here to tell you that I had no prior knowledge—just a lot of speculation and a bit of good fortune.

The Painful Story Behind My Breakup

Now, onto something a bit more serious—what happened with my ex? 💔 This is a tough one, but I think it’s important to share. I was in a relationship with a guy who was really into gaming. I got into it to support him, and before I knew it, my channel was growing like crazy. Unfortunately, his wasn’t, and that caused some tension between us.

Things took a dramatic turn when I introduced him to a close friend of mine. She was supposed to help him with his photography, but instead, they ended up having an affair. She was married, he was my fiancé, and just like that, my world came crashing down. 😢 It was a painful time, and it took me a long time to heal from that betrayal. But I’ve moved on, and I’m in a much better place now.

Do I Have an OnlyFans?

Let’s clear up the OnlyFans rumors while we’re at it. Yes, I created an account, but it’s completely inactive. I did it just to secure my handle and prevent anyone from impersonating me. So if you’re looking for content, you won’t find it there! 😉

Who Had the Red Screen?

Remember that accidental red screen moment? It was Ryan! 🎬 For those of you who guessed it, good job! It was a bit of a mishap, but hey, these things happen in the world of reality TV.

Will I Be on Another Show?

And finally, the big question—will I be on another show? 🤐 I’ve had some interest from different networks, and while I can’t confirm anything just yet, it’s definitely something I’m considering. With ‘Squid Game’ Season 2 casting right now, who knows what the future holds?

Thank you for reading and for always being so supportive. If you have more questions, drop them in the comments below. And don’t forget to subscribe for more behind-the-scenes updates! 💖

#avori #themole #realitytv #qna #netflixseries #personalquestions

[ncisfranchise-source]

NCIS actor Sean Murray, who has played Senior Field Agent Timothy McGee since the CBS drama’s first season, has been dishing out some fun awards for his fellow castmates.

Murray spoke with People ahead of the show’s milestone 1000th episode, which airs tonight, Monday, April 15, and, in celebration, he gave his co-stars some classic yearbook superlatives.

When asked for NCIS‘ “biggest class clown,” Murray laughed and said, “My brother, Mr. Wilmer Valderrama.”

“He’s a steady stream of hilariousness for myself and many others, so we have a lot of fun shooting together, and I see that guy offset all the time,” Murray said of his co-star, who plays Special Agent Nicholas Torres. “He’s a lot of fun. I’m going to give that one to Wilmer.”

As for the “biggest mom or dad” of the crew, Murray gave that one to Katrina Law, who joined the show as Special Agent Jessica Knight as a guest star in Season 18 before being promoted to regular.

“She’s a mother herself with a young daughter, married,” Murray explained, noting how Law is “one of the most dedicated mothers I’ve ever seen and ever known.”

“It’s pretty amazing to see,” he continued. “We’re working our butts off, and for those two or three minutes that we have between takes or setups, she’s on FaceTime calls with her daughter. And to me, that’s something that’s really important and special.”

Murray added that Law extends that affection to her fellow cast members, saying, “She cares so much about everyone and is such a warm person.”

When it comes to “biggest sweetheart,” Murray immediately had one name in mind.

“Diona Reasonover for sure is the biggest sweetheart ever,” he shared before recalling when she first joined the show as Forensic Specialist Kasie Hines.

“She came onto the show and everyone fell in love with her immediately. And I’m not just talking about viewers, I mean us, as people working with her, immediately,” he stated. “Diona’s a very special person, a very close friend of mine. Diona’s amazing.”

Long-time cast member Brian Dietzen, who portrays Dr. Jimmy Palmer, received a less flattering title, as Murray named him “most accident prone.”

“Oh, poor Brian… I love that guy to death,” the Random Years alum told People. “I remember years ago, we were shooting on a location, and there was a small tree, and it was very windy and a huge amount of wind came in. What happened is, a branch had broken off the tree and it had come down and sort of hit Brian in the arm.”

He also recalled a time when “Brian bumped his head pretty bad,” though he pointed out, “I don’t want to take away from his grace either. He’s a graceful man and a hell of a performer and a hell of a physical per medium.”

The final award for “life of the party” went to Gary Cole, who joined NCIS in Season 19 as Supervisory Special Agent Alden Parker.

“Gary is the most… He’s just the most perfect performer,” Murray said. “I don’t know. I can’t even really describe it. I just want to give it to Gary. I want to give it to Gary because he deserves that.”

[mttyswhre]

Lady Ballers Review

We started off strong in this movie with a joke about how telling children not to steal at school is racist. The black teen and the power tool that he dropped after telling the teacher off was patently racist and reminded me of the kind of joke you’d see in The Office. I was born in 1995 so early 2000s comedy style like this is perfect to me and it hits the nail on the head, movies comparable to this one were how I developed my sense of humor, comedic timing, and ability to form my own joke in conversation. I appreciated how they allowed the ex wife to actually be unlikable. In today’s world I feel like people are obsessed with glorifying broken homes and making the ex wifes perfect in these blended families. After Rob lost his coaching job and went back to his old job, finding out it was a drag bar was creative, him finding an old student there who was working as a woman was an optimal method for getting the idea of becoming a coach again into his mind.

A scene I really enjoyed in this movie was watching the two men, Alex and Rob, wallow in their self pity at the regular bar after a shift at the drag bar. The two men reflect on culture and how things have changed; they touch on how white male non-exotic sexuality types are not getting casted in Hollywood and how the ‘new Snow White’ is going to be a neurodivergent black lesbian. The jokes aren’t in bad taste, they have a point and something to chuckle about and I honestly love watching the patriarchy feel bad and helpless. This narrative existing within right wing circles gives me the hope that the self-deprecating self-loathing weak man out ideas will only continue to grow and make men like this give up. The scene of them in the alleyway timing Alex’s lap (I love how Rob always wears a stopwatch) left me thinking about a lot. The biggest thing that stuck out was how at the end when the guy who yelled out ‘how much?’ chased them, it was supposed to be funny, and chasing women against their will in an alleyway is not funny. I am only going to mention the multiple stereotypes that were present in that alley and say that they remind me of early 2000s comedy. I was not shocked nor did I feel prude. 

When they first sign up for the sports stuff and at the end Rob goes, “I’m glad we could settle this without social media getting involved..” and the lady goes “Please! I have a family!” It was actually hilarious. Her character was right on point, too, she wasn’t too bad and I think a lot of people like her actually do act like that. Sometimes people who claim to be woke aren’t actually using their critical thinking and they just want to do what everyone else is doing. That’s why most people who are ‘woke’ will not enjoy this movie, I am woke and I enjoyed this movie because… I don’t know. I have critical thinking and I can discern these jokes and enjoy them with social responsibility. I know the world isn’t black and white and there’s room for all kinds of people to exist…. Even republicans. Watching these right wing types be funny is like watching a dog walk on their hind legs and it’s so true when people say that politics is show business for ugly people.

The men pretending to be women in order to excel at sports is a topic that I could see being a joke back in the day. I could see a movie like this existing back when I was a kid in the early 2000s and people would think it’s hilarious. Remember Shallow Hal? Tropic Thunder? American Pie? Norbit? None of these movies would be allowed today but at the time they were beloved. I do think it’s okay to say that men have a genetic predisposition to excel in most sports. Do I think the men in this movie would beat the women in sports every time like they did? No. But that’s not even important because this was a comedy movie. The wrestling scene and the swimming scene are funny and they can be true and I think they can even be a humorous caricature of trans women in sports- if able to be enjoyed responsibly. 

The humor in this film is tricky and demands a certain level of social awareness. Failing to approach these jokes responsibly may lead to the inadvertent promotion of prejudices, the normalization of stereotypes, and a desensitization to derogatory humor. These prejudices and stereotypes can escalate into more overt and vicious forms of discrimination, such as violence and systemic oppression. 

I loved the scene of the eight year old daughter explaining everything to the men because that’s really how it be nowadays. Kids have this whole version of Newspeak that they must adhere to and I really do think these new ideas and identities are shaping a generation. Children should focus on being kind to people, protecting themselves from creeps, and learning at school. Neither the right wing or the left wing should be indoctrinating their children with any kind of extreme rhetoric. And at the end when the daughter said she wanted to be a man because she wanted to be a winner, her dad blew her off in the worst way possible. I think in this particular instance he was able to get away with that because maybe his daughter isn’t actually trans- but in the real world it is much more nuanced than that and kids don’t just become trans overnight and demand a surgery. Nothing is that simple and we shouldn’t push the idea to kids OR parents that these kinds of things can be fixed and brushed over with just a conversation. This movie should be for comedy purposes only. 

[grandtourdiscussions]

Dragon Ball GT Episode by Episode Analysis - Episode 01 - Mysterious Dragon Balls Appear!! Goku Turns Into a Child?

Air Date: February 7th, 1996

Here we are! The first episode of Dragon Ball GT! We finally get to properly talk about what this show even is and what it is trying to do! We’ll go through the episode moment by moment and further discuss what the episode demonstrates as “the goal” of the show at the very end. I’ll be skipping the discussion of the opening and ending sequences for now and tying it into my final points of the episode at the very end. 

Our adventure begins not with Goku but with the return of Pilaf! We hadn’t seen these characters since the Demon King Piccolo arc (or since the wedding dress filler arc in the anime) all the way back in Dragon Ball, so seeing these guys again is pretty nice. However, what I find most interesting about this scene is not who’s present but where these characters are going. With the aid of some mechs, the Pilaf gang is flying up to Kami’s Lookout in search of the Dragon Balls.

The Lookout Tangent

(Feel free to skip this, it's not super important)

As a refresher, remember that in Dragon Ball, when Kami’s Lookout was first introduced, Korin said that a rocket would be repelled once it reached the height of the lookout. Logically, if such a thing was still true, Pilaf and Co. wouldn’t be able to reach the Lookout with their machinery, right?

Well, Jump forward to the Cell arc, and we can see machinery like Pilaf’s actually reaching the Lookout no problem! Bulma is able to fly there in a regular plane. Realistically, this can just be chalked up to Toriyama forgetting this detail, but that’s completely forgivable. This is a very minor detail, one which I forgot all about when I first read through the manga. However, I’d like to look at this whole thing within the universe. What changed between Demon King Piccolo and Cell that allowed someone like Bulma to reach the lookout?

The most likely difference is the presence of the Nyoibo connecting Korin Tower and Kami’s Lookout. After picking up on this little wrinkle in the Dragon Ball story, I always interpreted this change as the Nyoibo locking down the Lookout, that the presence of the Nyoibo allowed humans to reach the lookout now that it was locked in one position.

Then again, that’s merely an assumption based on a literal interpretation of what being “repelled” means. There’s the possibility that being “repelled” is closer to meaning being rejected rather than being literally repelled off the Lookout. Maybe these rockets were repelled because the people within were not worthy of entering Kami’s Lookout. So, can we assume everybody who’s been welcomed to the Lookout has been worthy of entry?

This line of thinking seems to line up for a bit. Through the 23rd Budokai and Frieza arcs, only a handful of new visitors entered the lookout, namely Yamcha, Krillin, Tenshinhan, Chaozu, and Yajirobe, who were brought up as trusted allies, trained to fight the Saiyans like Goku was trained to fight against Piccolo and the 23rd Budokai. I think it’s safe to assume that anyone we can denote as an ally of Goku is allowed to go. 

Things get shaky with the Cell Arc. At the end of the arc, an unconscious Android 18 was brought up to the lookout. To be fair, the manga paints (Main Timeline) Androids 17 and 18 as definitely not being evil like 19, 20, and soon Cell. They’re only really shown causing bits of trouble, nothing comparable to world domination and destruction. Then again, it’s kind of hard to say if either of them are “allies we can let onto the lookout”. The Androids united with the main cast against Cell, but I don’t know if that’s enough to trust them on the Lookout. I mean, to be fair, Earth switched over to a new god mere days ago and 18 was completely unconscious. It’s not a really important thing to talk about either way, since Android 18 doesn’t do anything bad enough to keep her away from the lookout after this. Do keep in mind this is a VERY VERY SMALL DETAIL. I’m indulging it this far because I’m crazy. 

If that wasn’t enough to fully brush off this line of thought, remember that Super Buu finds his way to the Lookout in the Buu Arc. Whether or not Earth’s God allows entry kind of goes out the window there. You could even go further with this and note that Garlic Jr. found his way onto the Lookout in Dragon Ball Z’s Garlic Jr. filler arc. Normally, I wouldn’t consider a filler arc as worthy of discussion, but considering Dragon Ball GT directly follows up Z, it’s something worth bringing up.

So, I think it’s safer to say that the Nyoibo connecting the Heavenly Lookout to the human world below is what’s allowing Pilaf to climb there. Let’s just put this nitpicky tangent to rest now, shall we?

—

At the moment, Goku and Uub are sparing in a room within the Lookout, and their fight is so big that it shakes and ruins the Lookout. Once it’s over, Uub and Goku come out very wounded and tired, so I guess we can infer that they are similar in strength at least in base (Don’t expect me to powerscale much, it’s just an observation). Interestingly, Dende asks if this was Uub’s “Graduation ceremony”, which clues us into the fact that this series takes place quite a bit after the 28th Budokai. I didn’t see it stated at all in the episode itself, nor did I find it in Dragon Ball Z Episode 291’s next episode preview, but GT is supposed to take place 5 years after Z. 

I’m not really sure why an additional time skip was written into the story at least in regards to Uub. Maybe they wanted to do something involving Uub, but couldn’t do it without complete training from Goku, but we don’t see Uub for quite a while after this. I think I personally would have preferred a story taking place much closer to the end of Z, following something similar to what we’re about to watch, but alongside Uub. I think a big adventure teaching the next generation of characters valuable lessons would be entertaining to watch, and it fits well with where Z leaves off Goku, with him falling more and more into a mentor role for other characters. It feels like, based on this episode alone, GT is trying to do something involving the next generation, but for some reason, it excludes Uub from this when he comes off to me as the obvious choice for a story like that as a sequel to Z. I’ll talk more about this time skip once we’ve discussed the rest of the episode.

Going back to Pilaf, he’s come into the Lookout and has found the Black Star Dragon Balls. Not only does he know that they are indeed a different set, but he also knows the history behind them, that they were created before Kami cut off the evil in him, forming Piccolo, and thus these Dragon Balls are theoretically stronger and more powerful than the current set because they were made when Kami was more powerful. When did Pilaf learn any of this? Was this explained to him by King Piccolo? It’s possible that he could have explained his origin to Pilaf, but I’m willing to bet Piccolo wasn’t that charitable with his history or his intentions. Additionally, if these Dragon Balls were made when Piccolo and Kami were one, wouldn’t that mean Piccolo should know what a Dragon Ball is? If such is true, then why does he not know what a Dragon Ball is when he’s released?

Also, wouldn’t these Dragon Balls emit a similar energy to the regular Earth set? How come they haven’t shown up on the radar prior to now? We’ve seen that Bulma’s regular Dragon Radar has been able to detect not only Earth’s Balls but Namek’s Balls, too. What specifically is so different about these balls that they’re not detectable on the regular radar? Well to be fair, these balls are very different from the set we’re so used to, but I hardly think it’s enough to be emitting a completely different energy, one which the dragon radar seemingly cannot detect. 

I really don’t feel like talking about the pit of skeletons where the Black Star Balls rest. It’s really strange to have that on the lookout and it certainly makes Kami look bad for having it there and knowing about it, but I understand that it’s nothing more than some visual shorthand, describing the dangers of these balls. I’ll let it slide.

Uub leaves Goku because he hasn’t seen his family in a while and he’s worried about them. Is the show trying to say that Goku and Uub have secluded themselves from their regular lives in order to undergo this training? Goku confirms this when he says that he hasn’t been home in ages and that Chichi will likely be mad at him when he gets home. 

I feel like this is kind of a complete misunderstanding of why Goku separates himself from his family when he does, and it really bothers me. For example, at the end of the Frieza arc, Goku rejects being brought back to Earth when he’s wished to do so. Based on what happened a year later, we can understand that Goku did this because he was learning Instant Transmission on Yardrat. Considering this decision is being made after Goku failed to prevent the deaths of a lot of his friends during the Saiyan Invasion purely because he was late to the battlefield, this is a decision that clearly has a basis beyond Goku fueling his selfish love for martial arts. And of course, Frieza is still alive, and this is something Goku probably sensed at the time of the wish. At this point, Goku is well aware that there will always be somebody stronger to fight against, so Goku is also preparing himself on Yardrat for Frieza’s eventual return, anticipating him getting stronger. 

Pretty much every event where Goku is away from his family for an extended period of time involves Goku doing something in order to guarantee the safety of his family later. He trains for 3 years after the defeat of Frieza so he can be ready for the Androids (and he does this with Gohan, of course). He stays dead after he sacrifices himself because he believes his existence attracts danger, and he believes staying dead will protect his family (whether or not he’s right doesn’t matter because he’s making a decision like this with his family in mind). Even in the very end, where Goku flies off with Uub, is never explicitly implied to be the way GT describes it. After all, Goku’s spent the last 10 years with his family, so abandoning them like this all of a sudden doesn’t really make much sense to me. You could argue that he’s secluding himself again with Uub for the same reasons he stayed on Yardrat, that Goku was preparing himself and Uub for the next universal threat. I still don’t think that exactly lines up with previous instances because he’s mostly done this when he KNOWS there’s a threat. Goku to some extent knew he didn’t finish Frieza off, and he was fully aware of the possibility of the androids showing up in 3 years after he returned. Goku’s still living in peacetimes, so it seems kind of out of nowhere for Goku to run off like this and it reads way more selfish than previous instances. 

You’re free to disagree with my take on Goku’s relationship with his family, but this still rubs me the wrong way, and I don’t really understand why it was written into the script. It just feels really out of character.

Moving on, Pilaf summons the Black Star Balls’ Shenron. Once Goku notices this a small conflict arises between Pilaf and Goku, who just noticed who each other is. Pilaf wishes to himself that Goku was still a kid because he would have been easier to deal with. Shenron takes this as a wish to be granted, and thus Goku is a kid again. Despite this wish definitely affecting Goku’s power and his physical ability in combat, Goku doesn’t seem to care all that much. I’d say this is a bit troublesome to work with. Goku not being too worried about this is completely in character, but now there’s no urgency or desire to return to normal. You’d really think something like this de-aging would be the central conflict of the arc which Goku adventures to deal with, but the episode proposes something completely different much later on. 

I think that’s part of why I don’t really like the whole de-aging thing in GT currently. I feel like it’s not used in any interesting way, and it eventually gets kind of forgotten about. Storylines start to kind of ignore the fact Goku is a kid and then you wonder why he’s a kid in the first place. Keep in mind I’m possibly very wrong about this, I’m just establishing my current views. This project is the first time I’ve watched GT in a while so my memory is not the freshest. As we keep going from episode to episode, I should be able to discuss this opinion more and determine whether I’m right or wrong in my thinking. The development of my understanding of GT is the main deal here.

I really like how GT introduces Pan in this episode. She’s introduced through conflicts between a dangerous bank robbery and her own date. Like when Toriyama introduced Gohan to us way back in the Saiyan arc, the writers of GT demonstrate Pan’s character through a comparison against her parents. As we’ve seen at the beginning of the buu arc (and in Dragon Ball Z Movie 13: Wrath of the Dragon), Gohan and Videl are both no strangers to crime and have acted to neutralize it out of a desire to protect others and their city as a whole. Videl even worked directly with the police force in Satan City to accomplish this more efficiently. Contrasting with her parents’ more selfless reasons, Pan jumps in to take care of business purely for her own selfish desire to see a movie with her date. 

The scene also sets up Pan’s insecurities, which should (hopefully) be explored throughout the rest of this series. When attempting to take care of the situation at the bank, she’s constantly prevented from doing so because she’s just a kid. When Goku eventually comes into the scene and jumps in to deal with the situation, Pan pulls the same action, ridiculing him for jumping in because the conflict is too dangerous for a child. Secondly, when Pan demonstrates her strength and easily overwhelms the robbers, her date slips away, presumably out of fear, to which Pan cries about this happening again. Evidently, Pan doesn’t have a very great relationship with age, and we can infer that she would have less respect for her elders because of this. I’d assume she has a negative perception of her own strength, too, because it gets in the way of her romantic pursuits (it’s a little weird for a 9-year-old to be going on dates, but there’s obviously weirder and less appropriate situations even younger characters have been in prior to this, so it’s not that big of a deal). Considering Pan is about to go on a journey across space with her grandfather, her story seems set up for success. That kind of situation seems perfect for addressing the hangups introduced here. Let’s hope this is all remembered. 

Pan and Goku aren’t the only characters here, because Roshi is here doing exactly what you would expect of him. However, his existence here is not purely to traumatize and sexually assault people. No, his presence in this scene works to make everybody completely aware of each other. See, throughout this entire conflict, Pan and Goku are completely unaware of who each other is. Pan only figures out that the little kid who tried to step in is her grandfather when Roshi realizes and exclaims this. I don’t know if Roshi’s presence was really necessary in accomplishing this, but I’m happy he’s here for reasons beyond comedy.

Once Goku arrives home, it appears everyone is more distressed about Goku’s de-aging than he is. Chichi, being very aware of her aging, is clearly bothered by Goku’s young form. Gohan treats the situation with concern for his dad, asking if he’ll search for the balls to undo the wish. Pan just thinks it’s weird to have a grandfather smaller than her. Initially, Goku doesn’t really care to journey again for the balls for reasons we already know. Goku isn’t bothered at all by this transformation. It’s a shock for sure, but he doesn’t really have any strong desire to undo it. 

No worries, King Kai is going to give him the reasons necessary to look for them. It’s time to properly discuss the Black Star Dragon Balls.

So evidently, these balls are quite different from the regular set. We’ve heard that they’re supposedly stronger than the regular set because Kami had more power within him when they were made. Additionally, instead of spreading out amongst the Earth, these balls spread across the entire universe, and instead of turning to stone for a year, the balls must be located again within a year, or else the planet of the wish’s origin will explode. These destructive and backward balls paint a picture of a learning Kami, one who must have not known how to properly create a set of Dragon Balls (well, at least to me). You could argue the bit of evil within Kami is at play when it comes to why these balls destroy the origin planet, but I don’t believe that connection is directly made ever. 

I really don’t like the Black Star Dragon Balls. This whole world destruction thing feels like such a lazy means of forcing Goku on this adventure he doesn’t even really have much desire to go on yet. Then again, I understand why that little rule was added, since without it, you just ask yourself “Why don’t you take the day to collect the regular Earth Dragon Balls and wish yourself back to normal”? It just feels like they immediately wrote themselves into a corner even introducing a 2nd set of Earth Dragon Balls. Like they really wanted to write a story about a child Goku going on fun space adventures, but couldn’t think of a good way to get him there.

I could sit here and theorize alternative ways of making Goku a kid and also getting him to go on a space adventure, but I don’t know if putting myself in the writer’s chair is appropriate. It would be a fun experiment, but I don’t want to insinuate at all that I could write a better show than the people at Toei who made this. I may be critiquing writing, but that doesn’t mean I can write (and even then it’s not like I’m a professional critic. This is just a hobby). I’ll just leave it there, that the Black Star Dragon Balls are a very flawed and funky addition to the Dragon Ball world and they don’t really work for me in any way. 

–

Now that we’ve discussed the episode’s events in their entirety, what does this tell us about the goal of the show. Based on what we’ve seen, what is this show trying to do? Based on the Opening and Ending alone, we can tell this is going to be a space adventure, leaning much on the whimsical adventures of early Dragon Ball rather than the intense battles of Z. Though, we can tell based on the Opening and based on the fight with Uub that the fights of Z should still be present somewhere, just not nearly as forefront. With this in mind, we can see that turning Goku back into a kid was largely done to demonstrate a literal return to the beginning, that since Goku was a kid again, you can expect stories similar in tone and theme to those of early Dragon Ball.

It seems the decision to turn Goku back into a kid was also made in order to reduce and control the ballooning power levels. Considering just how intense the Buu arc got, with planets being easily blown up and the entire universe being in danger, it’s understandable that the writers didn’t know how to possibly craft higher powers, and that they wouldn’t have such an easy time conveying new levels of strength. Turning back and focusing on something else entirely makes sense with the Buu arc in mind. 

Additionally, we can notice in the Opening and Ending that the cast is being reduced to just 3 main characters. While it is a little disappointing to know that we won’t be seeing some fan-favorite characters, I think this is a very good decision for the story being told. Since the story is forcing a focus on so few characters, we won’t end up with characters that won’t be used. I can expect each member of this party to be used and developed throughout the adventure. 

And about that party, it seems that there’s more focus on the next generation. This is certainly an obvious choice considering the Cell and Buu arcs already put a heavy focus on this. This is also likely why there’s a 5 year time skip between the 28th Budokai and GT because the writers likely wanted to use Pan for a next-generation story. Seeing how she’s introduced in this episode, I can totally understand this decision and I feel like this is going great places so far, but I am still rather disappointed that Uub isn’t included in this kind of story. We’ll talk about Trunks when we actually see him. Surprisingly, a main member of our party hasn’t been shown at all in the first episode.

So despite my overall opinions on GT, I think this episode mostly sets the story on the right path. The only glaring flaw I have is the existence and use of the Black Star Dragon Balls. I think if the writers had found some other way to get a Kid Goku on a space adventure, a way which fit well into the already established story, this would be a fantastic episode. 

Please let me know how this lookthrough went. I’m considering reducing the summerizing for the next episode to alleviate some of the workload since I spent a lot of time with this episode recapping what happened. I’ll keep experimenting until I find what works best for this project.

NEXT TIME - Dragon Ball GT Episode 02 - I’m the Star! Pan Takes Off Into Space!!

[wildbornsiren]

sfw alphabet | r.f.

SFW Alphabet R.F. author’s notes: I will literally salt and burn the earth to protect Bob. Thank you so much for the likes/reblogs. It really means the most.  what: an alphabetical list of safe for work headcanons featuring Robert “Bob” Floyd.  Gender neutral reader.  warnings: none. 

A: Affection (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?) Bob is an introvert, so if he willingly spends time with you, you are important to him. Quality time is extremely important to him, as well as acts of service. He picks up your favorite magazine, remembers when your favorite band has a new album coming out and will pick it up for you. He knows your coffee order and will bring it to you when he comes over. He leaves love notes on the bathroom mirror, post it notes in your lunch, good morning/good night text messages.

B: Best Friend (What would they be like as a best friend? How would the friendship start?) Bob is an introvert. He can count his real friends on both his hands. You need work and be patient if you want to get onto that exclusive list of close friends. A lot of the barriers are those who are already on that list. They’re protective of him and want to keep him safe. While he may not be the best of friends with everyone on his squad, but he is fiercely protective of them and will have their back. C: Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?) He’s not a cuddler. He’s the one to sit next to you on the couch, pull your legs over his. When he rests his head in your lap, if you play with his hair, he’s completely relaxed. He’ll sit with his arm over your shoulders during a movie, or if you’re sitting in a booth at the bar. If you need cuddling, all you have to do is ask. He’ll wrap his arms around you, tuck you against him and hold you until all the bad melts away. He’ll rub your back, kiss the top of your head. He does sneak his fingertips under the hem of your shirt, lightly rubbing at the small of your back, enjoying the skin-to-skin contact. D: Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking and cleaning?) Bob is comfortable if he’s single. He doesn’t seek out one-night stands, and he’s not someone who -needs- to be in a relationship. He does, however, want to settle down. He’d like domesticity and someone to greet him when he walks through the door. He's a good cook but doesn’t really do it all that often. He’ll call for take-out or bring something home. Weekends are for cooking and grilling and trying new things. His place is comfortable. Cluttered, he’s got a pile of unopened mail on the kitchen table, there’s a few dishes in the sink. Dirty laundry is typically in a pile in front of the washer, and there’s a pile of clean clothes in the bedroom— though his uniforms are pressed and hung properly. His fridge is covered with photos, graduation announcements, programs from school concerts, ticket stubs ect. He’s got the newest tech and gaming systems and that’s where most of his money goes after his financial responsibilities are taken care of.   E: Ending (If they had to break up with their partner how would they do it?) He doesn’t take the decision to end relationships lightly. He tries to make it work, and will put in work, but if it just isn’t going anywhere? He ends it gently. He doesn’t cast blame on himself or his partner but says that they’re not working and it’s time to go their separate ways. He has ended a few relationships via text, but he can do it in person. F: Fiance(e) (How do they feel about commitment? How quick would they want to get married?) Once you’ve gone dates for a few months Bob will ask to make it official. By then he’s got a decent grasp of your personality and how you treat people. He doesn’t rush into things. Like most military guys once commitment and enmeshing of your lives together he’ll propose. He’s one that will meet your family, and you’ll be a regular at his family’s homes, and get text messages and postcards from them. He’d propose when the two of you were alone together on vacation. (And he would have asked your parents for permission beforehand). G: Gentle (How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?) Bob will treat you right. He’s gentle, affectionate, physical and likes to make you smile. He wants to make sure that you shine and will do everything he can to put you first and out there. You’re special to him, and he wants the world to see it—though he may not have the words to say so. He's got a good hold on his emotions, and deals with them in a healthy way. He talks with members of his squad, old timers, and eventually he’ll share what he can with you. A lot of his missions he can’t talk about, but he doesn’t hold things in. H: Hugs (Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?) He likes hugs. He’s a full contact hugger, your body pulled tight against his. You can feel the strength in his arms, the way he holds you for a few moments before letting go. He’s one of those that his touch lingers, his hands will slide up and down your arms, and almost pull you in for another before he’s stepping away. I: I love you (how fast do they say the L-word) It started with “I love when we get the chance to hang out”, or when you’re signing out of a multiplayer game at night a quick ‘love ya’ before the mic goes dead and his icon goes dark. You chalk it up to friendship. He’s comfortable with those select few that see past the introvert habits—you’ve heard him say it to Phoenix and the others when you all leave the bar for the night. He says it to his friends, it’s a way to express his affections. You decide to test the theory one day. It’s late, he’s sprawled out on your couch, x-box controller in hand, too tired to drive back to the barracks. You shut the system off, get to your feet, and drape a blanket over him. Your heart is beating so fast you feel like it’s going to burst from your chest. “Love you.”  He says. His hand closes around your wrist, and you feel the press of his lips against your palm. “It’s okay if you don’t want to say it back, but I need to say it every chance I get. Just so you know.” That night you find out that the two of you can sleep comfortably on the couch, and the sound of his heartbeat in your ear is the sweetest lullaby. J: Jealousy (how jealous do they get? What do they do when they’re jealous?) He doesn’t. Sure, he’ll express envy at certain times, but he doesn’t get jealous. Yes, he’s quiet and introverted, but he knows what he’s doing. He has you, doesn’t he? He doesn’t mind if you dance with other men, or chat with them at the bar. He’s not a dancer, and if its something you want to do, he’s not going to deny you that happiness. K: Kisses (what are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?) Give this man a forehead kiss and watch him melt. On the other hand, he is down for a sloppy make out session that leaves you both panting and unable to think of anything but the feel of each other’s mouth. He’ll pull you close, one hand at the small of your back challenging you to keep up. He likes to leave his mark on that soft skin at the hollow of your throat. L: Little ones (how are they around children?) He's got a literal shit load of nephews and nieces. His siblings reproduce like bunnies, and he dotes on them all. Realistically he can’t be there for every ball game, recital, birthday etc., but he calls or video chats. He sends cards and has many group chats with the older kiddos. When he manages to make it home for holidays he’s often tackled and pounced upon by a hoard of excited kids. He's the youngest of a large family, and he wants kids of his own. He’s got a couple single female friends with kids, and he’s a good male stand in.

M: Mornings (How are mornings spent with them?) On his days off getting this man out of bed is an act of God to be honest. There’s actual protest, pleas of ‘ten more minutes’ or even ignoring your efforts outright. He has been known to shuffle into the kitchen in his boxers and t-shirt grab a box of cereal and go back to the bedroom eating it dry by the handful in the safety and warmth of the covers. When he’s on duty he’s up an hour or so before report time. He showers, shaves, eats breakfast and reads the paper. He’ll set the coffee pot to brew for when you need to be up. He’ll leave you a note on the wipe off board on the fridge, kiss you on the cheek or forehead before he leaves. N: Night (How are nights spent with them?) When he’s feeling particularly social, or the squad wants him to come out, he’ll go out and drink. He doesn’t drink a lot; he’ll nurse a couple of beers. Play pool, darts, and watch everything that’s going on around him. If he stays in and again is feeling social, games. Board games, video games, tabletop games in person or on discord. His favorite way to spend the evening is curled up next to you on the couch, playing something on x-box with you playing with him, or you doing your own thing. He wants to be near you. O: Open (when would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?) There’s layers to Bob. To get through them takes patience and time. He’s an introvert, private person and fiercely protective of the people he keeps close to him. Once you’re through, he talks about everything and anything. He likes to talk when you’re doing something else, playing games together, cooking, doing the dishes, late night drives or walks. The way he talks about the people in his life, you feel like you know them, long before you get to meet them. P: Patience (How easily angered are they?) Frustrated, often. Angry, not that often. He’s got a lot of patience and is slow to anger. His irritation generally stays at frustration, and he’ll snap at the subject of his irritation. He does have a nasty habit of getting even though once he’s reached the anger threshold. Q: Quizzes (How much would they remember about you? Do they remember every little detail you mention in passing or do they kind of forget everything?) His career is high stakes and detail oriented. This spills into his day-to-day life. He remembers birthdays, anniversaries, firsts that you share together. He’ll send you little text messages reminding you of your first kiss, the first time you stayed the night. The first time he went to work with hickies on his neck and forgot about it. (You paid for that one, not that you’re complaining). He’s the one that will send a “Don’t forget you’re meeting xx after work today. Love you” if you leave the house in the morning in a hurry. R: Remember (What is their favorite moment in your relationship?) “Are you ready for this?” It’s just the two of you in the elevator. You study his reflection in the mirrored doors, taking in the brilliant white of his uniform, splashes of color from service ribbons and medals. He’s standing at his full height, a quiet confidence there. He smiles, reaching for your hand, fingers interlocking with yours. “Are you? They can be…” He pauses, “A lot.” “It’s a bunch of fighter pilots and their supervisors. I expected it to be a lot.” He brings your linked hands up, kissing the back of your hand. “They’re going to be all over you.” “I’d rather have you all over me.” You’re rewarded by the flash of color high on his cheeks as he shakes his head softly. “I promise you that will happen later.” The elevator comes to a stop, the doors opening with a soft ping. The sounds of a string quartet blending with the din of conversation hits you first. Bob keeps a hold of your hand as you step out of the elevator. Navy service men in their formal finery, their partners equally beautiful are chatting in small groups. Round tables with white linens, flowers, place cards and table settings are toward the back of the room. Waitstaff move amongst the crowd holding trays of champagne and appetizers. The elegance takes your breath away, giving you pause. Bob squeezes your hand, leaning over to kiss your temple. “You look amazing.” He whispers. “I’m proud to have you by my side, thank you.” Over the sound of a violin, you hear a woman’s voice call out “Bob!” She’s also in her white uniform smiling widely, waving the two of you over. There’s an answering chorus of “Bob!” from the uniformed men next to her. You’re introduced to his flight partner, a woman named Natasha, or Phoenix, who hugs you tightly before grinning up at Bob and hugging him as well. A clean-shaven man with a wicked smirk drapes his arm over Bob’s shoulders and mutters something to him, causing your boyfriend to flush and roll his eyes. A flash of money passing between Phoenix and the mustached pilot, Rooster as Bob ducks out of the hold. Their call signs are familiar, and its almost as if you already knew them from the stories Bob had told you. S: Security (How protective are they? How would they protect you? How would they like to be protected?) He is very protective. He watches you in public, keeping an eye on where you are in the crowd. He knows who you’re talking to, or who is going with you when you go out with your friends. When you’re walking together in town, he’s a step or two behind you, letting you shine, but he’s keeping an eye on the surroundings. When you go to restaurants, his chair is against the wall, and you’re on the inside when you sit in booths. You often find yourself stepping in when people get too close to him or overwhelm him with conversation/presence/physical closeness. You don’t have to speak for him, but you’ll interrupt so he can get a word in edgewise, or if there’s something wrong with an order at a restaurant. T: Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?) He's a romantic. He leaves post-it notes of sweet things, sends you photos of cute animals, or things that you’d like. He’s a gift giver and there’s so much thought behind whatever he brings you. Dates, he puts some effort in, especially if it’s a night out. He’ll take you somewhere nice, or to the theater if there’s a movie or play you’ve been wanting to see. He does things for you without asking, and if you do ask him to do something, it’s done. U: Ugly (What would be some bad habits of theirs?) If you wrong him, he gets back at you. Somehow. He’s also got the urge that most introverts have, to just up and disappear for a few days, cutting off all contact with the outside world. Typically, you can see this coming, and you brace yourself. He doesn’t mean to cut you off, it’s just that he literally cannot do anything with anyone for a little while. The first time this happens, you’re convinced that your relationship is over. You did something wrong, and rather than ending it, Bob ghosted you. When you ask mutual friends about it, they don’t have any insight, his phone going straight to voice mail, your text messages left unread. It was the source of your only full-blown argument when he wandered in three days later as if nothing happened. V: Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks?) His hair is a little longer than regulation, but he keeps it slicked back enough that he doesn’t get flack for it. He’s one of those people that bodies are bodies, and he’s happy with his. He’s not entirely comfortable baring it all, so the glimpses you get of him when he’s fresh out of the shower, before he’s got his boxers on, are a rare treat. He takes care of himself. He’s got a couple tattoos on his back and torso. W: Whole (would they feel incomplete without you?) If you are his person, you are his person. It would take him a long time to get over you, and he’ll always love you, whether he’s in love with you or not. Y: Yuck (What are some things they wouldn’t like, either in general or in a partner?) Unwarranted malevolence. He is one who pays attention to how his partner or dates treat service workers. People being unkind—he understands that people don’t have to be nice but being unkind is something he doesn’t like. He doesn’t handle change well and needs an adjustment period. Partner wise, he can’t be with someone who doesn’t understand that at times he needs to be by himself without anything else. He needs someone who will allow him to escape when social situations get to be too much, or the day or two he needs to decompress when he comes home from a deployment before he can be yours. Z: Zzz (what is a sleep habit of theirs?) He sleeps in a t-shirt and boxers, fan going, normally on top of the blankets. He sleeps on his belly, face buried in the pillow and good lord does he snore. His bedroom is plain, queen-sized bed, blinds on the window which are always open, and halfway pulled up. He’s got his side of the bed, and it’s the one closest to the door. On a table next to the bed is his cell phone, watch, alarm clock, glasses and a water bottle. Most of the time when if he goes to ‘bed’ before you, you have to move a x-box controller out of the way or comic book or four. He likes it when you tell him that you sleep on his side of the bed when he's gone.