A TIDAL WAVE OF INFORMATION

[brbraindancing]

Body and Appearance
1. Describe the character's height and build. Is he heavyset, thin, short, rangy?
Archie is the kind of guy to stick out in a crowd. He's taller than the average guy his age, and due to his stocky build and intense muscles musculature, he's also heavier. Archie doesn't look menacing despite his size though - mainly because he's so laid-back.

2. How old is he?
Thirty-seven. And counting.

3. Describe his posture. Does he carry himself well or does he slouch?
He's the epitome of laid-back. Archie is always relaxed, which usually means slouching. His posture isn't something he cares much about, but he still manages to carry himself well. If he's actually trying, he can look quite intimidating. Usually he doesn't bother with it though - because he's not really that bad. He usually settles on relaxed positions, even for giving important boss-like speeches. It tends to give the idea that Team Aqua in general is completely laid-back and couldn't care less about anything. That's not (entirely) true.

4. How is his health? Is he fit or out of shape? Any illnesses or conditions? Any physical disabilities?
Just look at the guy. C'mon now. Archie is in perfect health - he has a strict daily routine of training himself along with his Pokemon. He's at the gym daily, and you can bet you'll find him out in the ocean when he's not running Team Aqua. As far as illnesses and chronic conditions go, he's got nothing outstanding in either of those.

5. How does he move? Is he clumsy, graceful, tense, fluid?
Relaxed. Very relaxed. It's like Archie can't be bothered to move any faster or stop slouching. Though it seems like he's slow and carefree, Archie can actually move quite quickly when compelled to. He can hold his own in a fight even without Pokemon. The water is a different story altogether though - Archie's like a shark in the water. Fast, deadly accurate, and still manages to be graceful somehow. It seems as though he moves more naturally in water than he does on land. It looks that way, at least.

6. How attractive is this character physically? How does he perceive himself in the mirror?
If you're attracted to MANLY MEN, very. If not... well, he probably wouldnt' be attracted to you either. Archie is very proud of his appearance. If he wasn't, he wouldn't wear such low-cut shirts and work out all the time. He should be spending more time with his team. SPOILER: This is why he failed.

There is really nothing Archie would change about himself. He refuses to leave without making sure he looks his best. This includes going out for a grocery run. The guy could spend hours in front of a mirror admiring his muscles.

7. Describe his complexion. Dark, light, clear, scarred?
Archie has tanned skin from being out in the sun all the time. His skin is naturally darker to begin with, as he's from a mixed race family. Archie has a few scars here and there - mostly from trying to wrastle Tentacruels in the ocean yes, that really did happen, and also from an incident when he was a child. He also has the Team Aqua insignia tattooed above his right hip. Why? Because he could.

8. Describe his hair: color, texture, style.
Archie has bandanna hat-hair. It's the one thing he doesn't care that much about when it comes to his appearance. His hair is very dark brown, so much so that it appears black. It's also very thick and always kept cropped short. Even when he walks around in civillian clothes, Archie is not without a bandanna of some sort tied around his head.

His facial hair is very similar: dark brown and very thick, though he takes better care of it. He also shaves daily and isn't fond of "five o'clock shadow" in any form.

9. What color are his eyes?
His eyes are dark brown - like his hair, they almost appear black.

10. Does the character have any other noteworthy features?
Besides his tattoo and facial hair? Not really. When he was younger he had an ear piercing, but that has long since closed over.

11. What are his chief tension centers?
It's hard to imagine Archie ever getting tense about anything. Still, like everyone else, he does get stressed and it usually manifests itself in killer headaches. The cure? Spending time in the ocean. Archie isn't a big fan of medicine in general - especially over-the-counter drugs. There is a story behind that, but that will be addressed later.

12. What is the character's wardrobe like? Casual, dressy, utilitarian? Bright colors, pastels, neutrals? Is it varied, or does he have six of the same suit?
Archie's clothes are simple. They're not meant to impress, they're meant to showcase his body. Besides, he's not exactly rich enough to spend frivilously on clothing. He does have two sides to his closet though. The first is the "Team Aqua leader" side. It's full of mostly similar black jackets and slacks, along with tons of blue bandannas. It's a very simple uniform that he adds some bling chains and Aqua emblems to. It's probably the dressiest thing he has.

The other side of the closet is full of wife-beaters and longer shorts. The colors vary, but Archie tends to like black and blue. And white. And khaki. You'll never find anything in there that's in a pastel color or a ridiculous pattern. Stripes are about the only pattern Archie owns, and those are few and far in between. Solid colors are more his style.

13. Do his clothes fit well? Does he seem comfortable in them?
Sort of and yes. While Archie's Team Aqua Boss clothes tend to be a bit tighter and better-fit than his normal ones, Archie doesn't particularly like wearing anything too constraining. Unless it's shirts. He can do tight shirts. Tight pants are a no-go though. Because they're totally gay. No matter which outfit he's wearing, he's always comfortable. Archie's wardrobe isn't very extensive, and everything in it is something he's had for awhile. He really doesn't like to go shopping for anything - especially not clothes.

14. Does he dress the same on the job as he does in his free time? If not, what are the differences?
Nope. The differences are explained above. The only thing that remains the same are his boots - he only has one pair at the moment.

15. You knew it was coming: Boxers, briefs or commando?
Remember the non-constraining thing? Yeah. Boxers normally - but if he's getting lucky, he's going commando.

Speech
1. What does this character's voice sound like? High-pitched, deep, hoarse?
This is. Uh. Actually a really good question. Due to the fact that I haven't seen his part in the anime/movies... it gets to be head-canon. Archie's voice is deep, not to the point of being a baritone, but it certainly does register low on the octave. His voice is also really loud all the time. And his laugh. Once he starts laughing at you, he'll never stop. His laugh is the kind that is contagious though, which just makes your embarassment worse.

2. How does he normally speak? Loud, soft, fast, evenly? Does he talk easily, or does he hesitate?
The only time you'll catch Archie hesitating to speak is if you've completely thrown him for a loop. It's only for something that's completely out of left field, or something that he really doesn't have an answer to - otherwise he'll react like he usually does - by talking really loudly. Archie isn't the type to stand there and pontificate, but he can end up rambling easily. He's not exactly a man of few words either - Archie happens to love hearing himself talk. He talks easily, without any pause to really think about what he's saying, which gets him in trouble more times than not.

3. Does the character have a distinct accent or dialect? Any individual quirks of pronunciation? Any, like, you know, verbal tics?
Despite the appearance, Archie does not have a pirate accent. He can do a killer one if you ask, though. He does tend to clip his words a bit. His speech patters lack a lot of "intellectual" words and often some mispronounciations. Some of the more common ones are using "ya" instead of "you," ending his verbs in "in'" instead of "ing," and a distinct lack of utilizing proper language when talking with those of a higher rank than himself. He talks to those superior to him just as he does to those under him - Archie really does see everyone as equals when it comes down to it.

4. What language/s does he speak, and with how much fluency?
Whatever the general language in the Pokeworld is. He knows a few phrases from other languages (usually just enough to woo the ladies), but he doesn't really use those in casual conversation.

5. Does he switch languages or dialects in certain situations?
Nope.

6. Is he a good impromptu speaker, or does he have to think about his words?
Archie is a much better impromptu speaker than he is a planned one. If he actually has to sit down and write out what he's going to say, it'll be horrible. And that's not just because of hiw godawful handwriting and terrible spelling. He's the guy who can get up in front of a crowd and whip them into a frenzy without really trying. Archie has always been good at speaking in public.

7. Is he eloquent or inarticulate? Under what circumstances might this change?
Archie falls between the two extremes. He's not eloquent by any means, but he's got a way with words that makes him a skilled speaker. Oddly enough, this never seems to change. Even when he's genuinely pissed off to the point of fighting, he still manages to keep his ability to snark at you while punching your face in. Archie is the same way when it comes to sex. Though he can also bring up the stupidest topics which result in one failure of a romantic night.

Mental and Emotional
1. How intelligent is this character? Is he book-smart or street-smart?
Book-smart? Not at all. That's not to say Archie is stupid, he just doesn't care much for reading, studying, or anything of the sort. The only things that he does actually avidly research are ocean-related, or those related to his plans. It can be narrowed down from there though, to only the things that he is really interested in. Pokemon Marine Biology verses regular Marine Biology, for example. He was actually held back a year in school due to his laid-back attitude and lack of motivation to actually do any work. This doesn't really bother him. He tends to seem stupider than he is, but whether that's intentional or not is unknown.

Street-smart? Very. While Archie didn't grow up on the streets or anything, he knows his way around a fight. He usually has a good deal of common sense - except when it comes to his master plans and all. Chances are, if Archie can learn it on his own without having to bother reading about it, he'll pick it up faster than if he actually has to bother working toward learning it. (I.E. mechanics. Give him a wrench and a few hours and he'll figure out how to fix it. Give him a book and he'll never get around to it.)

2. Does he think on his feet, or does he need time to deliberate?
If you give Archie time to think, chances are he'll end up second-guessing himself and making a mess of things. No, he's better off acting before really thinking about it. It doesn't make sense, but that's the way he works.

3. Describe the character's thought process. Is he more logical, or more intuitive? Idealistic or practical?
Archie... is not practical at all. He thinks in terms of the big picture, and often overlooks the important little details. This almost always ends badly. As far as his thought process goes, he's never been good friends with logic. He's the kid that thought he could fly if he tied balloons to his arms. Yeah. Surprisingly, he only had one broken leg even after jumping off the room. He was a pretty resiliant kid.

4. What kind of education has the character had?
The same as (most) other kids in the Pokeworld. He went to school until he turned ten - but instead of going out into the world and exploring around, he ended up being held back a year. So he really started his adventure a year late. It doesn't bother him though - he's just as good as (if not totally better than) every other trainer.

5. What are his areas of expertise? What, if anything, is he interested in learning more about?
The sea. Water-type Pokemon. Pokemon Marine Biology. Anything that has to do with water in general. Though he's not a scientific expert on any of those (he can tell you that two hydrogens and one oxygen make water, but that's about it), but those are his favorite areas of study. When he's not leading Team Aqua, training himself or his Pokemon, then he's studying these areas. He doesn't have as much knowledge as he'd like to have on them. He doesn't really act like a know-it-all either - but not out of humility. It's more because he doesn't care for showing off logic. He'd rather show off his muscles.

6. Is he an introvert or an extrovert?
OH DEAR LORD HE'S AN EXTROVERT. This guy will waltz up to you and ask you ANYTHING. It's like he has no TACT. Probably because he doesn't. He's very outgoing and fun to be around, actually. It's rather difficult to take Archie seriously most of the time, simply because he doesn't portray himself as being serious (unless it's Team Aqua!Business time. Which is rare).

7. Describe the character's temperament. Is he even-tempered or does he have mood swings? Cheerful or melancholy? Laid-back or driven?
If Archie ever gets emo, PLEASE SLAP ME. This guy pretty much is always happy - or at least acts like it. He's very laid-back. Very. It's actually diffucult to get him overly pissed at you unless you're Maxie, so it's rare you'll ever see any other side of him. Unless you happen to catch his interest in another area (like you being a Kyogre or something), or sexually. Then he'll become super-flirtatious and probably a chauvinistic pig depending on your perspective. Good luck with that.

8. How does he respond to new people or situations? Is he suspicious, relaxed, timid, enthusiastic?
Is Archie ever not relaxed? He tends to enjoy meeting new people unless they're Maxies or Team Magma-affiliated, and likes bantering with just about anyone. He's very enthusiastic around people - and tends to leave everyone in his wake completely exhausted. How does anyone keep up with this guy anyway? Way too energetic.

9. Is he more likely to act, or to react?
Act. Definitely act. Though he'll certainly react if you push the right buttons. Archie isn't exactly a visionary, but once he's got an idea you can bet he'll do whatever he can to achieve it. Even if it is a stupid idea like flooding the earth.

10. Which is his default: fight or flight?
Fight. Archie won't run unless he's absolutely forced into it. He'll continue fighting to the point of death if he doesn't get dragged away. He's a stubborn fool alright.

11. Describe the character's sense of humor. Does he appreciate jokes? Puns? Gallows humor? Bathroom humor? Pranks?
Pretty much everything tickles his funny bone in some way. Though whether you actually get him to burst your eardrums with his insanely loud laughter does depend on the type of joke or prank. He's more fond of the latter - especially if they're pulled on Maxie. That said, he actually does have a good sense of humor, even if you're pulling pranks on him. He can appreciate the "class clown" type - he was like that too when he was younger.

12. Does the character have any diagnosable mental disorders? If yes, how does he deal with them?
If he does, he's not being treated for them. That said, Archie - like his sworn enemy Maxie - does tend to have some issues with dellusions. Filling the world with water? Yeah, well what about what happens after that, huh? Archie doesn't really think anything through - not even when his plans are actually working.

13. What moments in this character's life have defined him as a person?
There are plenty of these. List ahoy!

- I. Starting his Pokemon journey
Though Archie didn't leave home at age ten (he was held back a year), he did pick up the life of a Pokemon trainer a year later. This hasn't effected him any though - as he ended up being just as good better than his rival Maxie. His starter Pokemon was given to him by his older brother, a Carvanha.
- II. Meeting Maxie
Archie met Maxie when they were both younger - still becoming the men they are now. Both of them were interested in environmental causes, though on different ends of the spectrum. They ended up becoming something like friends - if not actual friends which Archie will deny completely - and spent a lot of time together. There were even times when they'd journey together from town to town exploring everything - from volcanic caves to the ocean's depths. Despite what they'd claim later, they were at one point very close.
- III. Rivalry with Maxie
It wasn't one huge fight that did their friendship in, but rather a series of nasty bickerings. The majority of them were actually due to Archie's ignorance or his being-an-ass constantly. Either way they eventually went their separate ways and what had once been a healthy friendship deteriorated into a petty rivalry.
- IV. Team Aqua
It was years later that Archie would learn of Team Magma, an organization that rose up within the mountains trying to get others to listen to their ideas of expanding the landmass. Archie - with his people skills - quickly formed Team Aqua, with the opposite goals in mind. He knew Magma was Maxie's idea - he'd talked about such things long ago and it looked like he'd finally gotten some followers despite that standoffish attitude and unlikeability factor of his.
- V. Kyogre
Heading Team Aqua obviously played a major part in Archie's life, but it was meeting the legendary Kyogre that would be the major turning point. Though he had always maintained that he wanted to expand the sea, Archie really had done most of it out of spite for Maxie. True - there was indeed a lot of desire there (as expanding the sea would cut down on overpopulation and help heal the earth from peoples' stupidity and polution), but it was thanks to Maxie that he really started searching for a way to accomplish the dream. Kyogre was the perfect catalyst, and through lots of study (and admittedly, spying on Maxie) he managed to find a way to make it possible. It was only when he realized what a mess he'd made by releasing Kyogre onto the world that he began to have second thoughts about his master plans.
- VI. May
Kyogre and Groudon were both defeated by a young Pokemon trainer by the name of May. She had defeated both Team Aqua and Team Magma singlehandedly (though both parties had helped in each other's fall), and proceeded to tame the wild legendary Pokemon and put a stop to the constant rain or heat that altered while the god-Pokemon warred. Though Archie will never admit it, she is indeed an inspiration. He also kind of feels bad for dragging a kid into the middle of this. Kind of.

14. What does he fear?
If Archie has any fears, he doesn't talk openly about them. He likes to put on a false persona of complete control - and fears would ruin that drastically. That isn't to say Archie isn't afraid of anything because he certainly is. He's terrified of small places (particularly getting caught inside a cave, thanks Maxie), and paralyzing injury. To lose the ability to move as freely as he does now scares Archie - especially if it would result in an inability to swim anymore. He's not fond of the idea of having his mind fail before his body - and old age in general. Just look at Maxie, and he's only three years older!

15. What are his hopes or aspirations?
To expand the sea. Despite being foiled in his attempts once already, Archie really does believe that he can accomplish this lofty goal, and still aims to do it. Though this time he might attempt to befriend Kyogre first, since, y'know, Kyogre was pretty terrifying last time around. Archie has smaller hopes too - though most of those involve screwing up Maxie's plans and getting laid. Those two probably shouldn't be in the same sentence.

16. What is something he doesn't want anyone to find out about him?
Archie is a very open guy. You can ask him anything and chances are he'll give you an honest answer. He doesn't want anyone knowing that he was actually friends with Maxie in the past. How embarassing!

Relationships
1. Describe this character's relationship with his parents.
Archie has a great relationship with his parents. He calls his mom every Saturday. His dad, unfortunately, was lost at sea when he was young.

2. Does the character have any siblings? What is/was their relationship like?
Archie has three brothers - one older and two younger. They also have a good relationship (though none of them went on to join his cause). He also calls them every Saturday.

3. Are there other blood relatives to whom he is close? Are there ones he can't stand?
Archie has a huge extended family. Uncles, aunts, nieces, nephews, various three-times-removed family members... The whole deal. There are those he really likes, and those he can't stand - just like any family. Rumor has it that one of his younger cousins actually is a Magma Grunt. This is unconfirmed.

4. Are there other, unrelated people whom he considers part of his family? What are his relationships with them?
No, not really. Archie has many close friends, but they are not considered family members. The line between the two is very well-defined for him.

5. Who is/was the character's best friend? How did they meet?
Maxie NO NEVER I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT. Currently he doesn't have a best friend. He has close friends, not best friends.

6. Does he have other close friends?
Yes. He makes one or two wherever he goes. The list of contacts in his cell phone Pokegear? is immense. Some of his closest friends are (obviously) his Aqua Admins.

7. Does he make friends easily, or does he have trouble getting along with people?
He makes friends quite easily. Sure there are some people who clash with him, but mostly Archie gets along well with everyone. Minus Maxie and those Magma-jerks.

8. Which does he consider more important: family or friends?
Family. You threaten his family and you'll get a Pokeball in the face. Then a Sharpedo biting your ass.

9. Is the character single, married, divorced, widowed? Has he been married more than once?
Single, very single. And always looking, ladies~!

10. Is he currently in a romantic relationship with someone other than a spouse?
Nope. But to be honest, it wouldn't be completely unlikely. Archie tends to view romantic relationship as being "open" unless you specifically tell him they're not.

11. Who was his first crush? Who is his latest?
His first crush was some unnamed girl who was his elder brother's friend. It was a stereotypical schoolboy crush and involved porn. His latest... is unknown. He's not talking. He's instead attempting to flirt with his mundane who is not amused.

12. What does he look for in a romantic partner?
Good question - Archie doesn't really look. He'll flirt with any woman around - especially if they're good-looking. Even so, he'd be willing to date men too. Archie isn't really looking for anything besides sex at the moment. So. Don't get your hopes up.

13. Does the character have children? Grandchildren? If yes, how does he relate to them? If no, does he want any?
Nope. Well, none that he knows of. I'M LOOKING AT YOU, OCs. Feel free to ask, because it would be totally lulzy.

14. Does he have any rivals or enemies?
NO OF COURSE NOT. MAXIE. FOREVER.

15. What is the character's sexual orientation? Where does he fall on the Kinsey scale?
Archie is a lovely "1." He likes the ladies - perhaps a bit too much. Even so, that doesn't mean he won't date men. You just have to work a bit harder to get him interested. But if you're Maxie, he'll probably punch you in the face if you try anything. HE DOESN'T LIKE YOU OKAY. JUST BECAUSE HE PLAY-FLIRTS WITH YOU DOESN'T MEAN ANYTHING. HE KNOWS YOU HATE IT, THAT'S WHY HE DOES IT.

16. How does he feel about sex? How important is it to him?
You know the saying that goes "men think about sex three times more often than women?" Yeah. They were referring to Archie. And it's actually seven times more often.

17. What are his turn-ons? Turn-offs? Weird bedroom habits?
Turn-ons: WATERRR, the beach, hot ladies, red heads... there are more, but the mundane needs to come up with them.
Turn-offs: Being submissive (most of the time), way too vanilla non-kinky shit, inexperienced partners, and more that the mun hasn't figured out yet.
Weird bedroom habits: He likes to wear his bandanna. There's probably other things, but I'll have to come back to them.

Beliefs
1. Do you know your character's astrological (zodiac of choice) sign? How well does he fit type?
No canon for this, so I'll have to think about it. PROBABLY AQUARIUS. |D

2. Is this character religious, spiritual, both, or neither? How important are these elements in his life?
Depends on how you define them. In the sense of "Christianity vs. Islam vs. Judaism vs. Hinduism vs. all the other religions in our world," no. In the Poke-gods ideals, yes. He's not overly familiar with the religions of the Poke-gods, but he does believe in the Kyogre-Groudon-Rayquaza triangle. He saw that first-hand, remember? They're an important aspect, especially now that he's seen what they can do. And he'll totally try to harness that power for his plans.

3. Does this character have a personal code of morals or ethics? If so, how did that begin? What would it take to compromise it?
Unlike Team Rocket, Team Aqua does have ethics. Archie is against killing in general - unless it's absolutely necessary, and even then it better be a damn good reason - though petty crime and theft really don't faze him much. He was raised in a healthy, happy family environment and the majority of those morals are ones he holds onto. His parents were never very strict about stealing - his father kind of encouraged it, actually.

4. How does he regard beliefs that differ from his? Is he tolerant, intolerant, curious, indifferent?
He tends to be tolerant, if not actually interested about your beliefs. The only exception is Team Magma and Maxie - and anyone else who believes the opposite of what he does. And those that dare question his beliefs, of course.

5. What prejudices does he hold? Are they irrational or does he have a good reason for them?
Archie tries not to hold any prejudices against anyone - since people tend to hold them against "his type" (MEANING PIRATES, DERP). Of course, if you're with Team Magma, he thinks you're an idiot for supporting Maxie. And Maxie in general. Anyone who likes Maxie must be crazy.

Daily Life
1. What is the character's financial situation? Is he rich, poor, comfortable, in debt?
Archie runs Team Aqua - despite everything he's actually quite comfortable.

2. What is his social status? Has this changed over time, and if so, how has the change affected him?
Economically, he's always been in the lower-middle class. He grew up comfortably - never having to worry about where his next meal came from - but he didn't always get the things he wanted. Archie still isn't spoiled, even though he has the money to do it now. Socially he's gone up - he's now a rather respected trainer - even if the respect is mostly due to his infamy.

3. Where does he live? House, apartment, trailer? Is his home his castle or just a place to crash? What condition is it in? Does he share it with others?
Archie used to life in Slateport for awhile, but now he's almost always moving around - especially after Team Aqua's fall. He can't afford to say in one place for too long - or he could get arrested.

4. Besides the basic necessities, what does he spend his money on?
Team Aqua. That's pretty much it. He doesn't spoil himself or his workers any - the money always goes toward his goals. Now that Aqua has been defeated though, the money is mostly spent on travel.

5. What does he do for a living? Is he good at it? Does he enjoy it, or would he rather be doing something else?
He leads Team Aqua - or at least he did until May broke it up. Of course he enjoyed it and wouldn't trade his job for anything in the world. Now that it's all over though, he's been looking for work - perhaps something to do with Water-type Pokemon?

6. What are his interests or hobbies? How does he spend his free time?
Water-type Pokemon, marine Pokemon biology, oceanography... anything like that. He spends his free time training both himself and his Pokemon, as well as swimming and surfing.

7. What are his eating habits? Does he skip meals, eat out, drink alcohol, avoid certain foods?
Archie isn't a chef by any means, but he's actually quite fond of fixing his own meals rather than eating out. He doesn't skip meals (even while working), and is careful to watch what he eats. Despite the fact that he drinks alcohol daily, he tends to eat quite healthy.

Associations
Which of the following do you associate with the character, or which is his favorite:

1. Color? Blue.
2. Smell? Of the ocean.
3. Time of day? Late morning.
4. Season? Summer.
5. Book? Treasure Island.
6. Music? Rap. PFT.
7. Place? The beach - particularly the Caribbean beaches.
8. Substance? WATER DERPDERP.
9. Plant? ...I was totally going to say coral or seaweed. PFFT.
10. Animal? Shark - or Sharpedo.

END
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