[OOC] Application
Player Name: Irene
Player LJ: aikodestiny
AIM: lunaticpapaya
Timezone: GMT+1
Other Characters: none
Character: Monkey D. Luffy
Series/Fandom: One Piece
Deviance: 1
Age: 17
Gender: male
Species: human
Appearance: Some characters remarked that he looks like a monkey, both in his appearance and in his personality. His most notable feature is the straw hat which he always wears (from which he got the nickname "Straw Hat Luffy") which was entrusted to him by the notorious pirate Shanks the Red. He's got short black hair and a scar under his left eye. Standing at 170 cm (5'7") he's not exceptionally tall, but he looks even taller due to his slim build. His appearance can be deceiving, though, since years of training have given him plenty of muscles.
He usually wears a red sleeveless vest buttoned on the front, a pair of knee-length blue shorts and sandals.
An image of Luffy in his usual outfit, with the Going Merry and his crew.
Psychology: Luffy is, at first sight, a total simpleton. He's amazed by simple things and inclined to believe to the most outrageous lies. He's got a short attention span and often misunderstands instructions because he doesn't pay attention. And he tends to fall into the simplest traps that his enemies set him. However, because of the simple way in which he views the world, sometimes he's the only person who can spot what should be done in a difficult situation.
His goal is to find the One Piece and become the King of Pirates, like the legendary Gold D. Roger 22 years ago. Most people think that Luffy is too stupid to realize that it is impossible for a boy to defeat the World Government and the strongest pirates of the world. However, Luffy is serious about his dream and he's spend years training, not leaving his village until he was sure of his own strength. He doesn't seem to be scared of anything, not even death. Even as one enemy was about to kill him in Logue Town, he smiled and said that it was fine for him to die while attempting to fulfill his dream.
Luffy is generally good-natured and happy-go-lucky, but three things are sacred to him: his friends, his hat and his dream. If his friends or something very important to them is threatened, he won't hesitate to stake his own life to protect them. Likewise, he can't stand people who insult his hat or mock his dream of becoming the Pirate King. Those are the only situations in which Luffy really gets serious. However, no matter how bad they are, he makes a point of never killing his enemies. Instead he prefers to let them live and see their dreams ruined, a much worse fate in his opinion.
As soon as the enemy is beaten, Luffy reverts back to his usual self. He especially likes post-battle celebrations and banquets, claiming that all his injuries will be eaten if he eats meat. Despite his slim appearance, Luffy enjoys eating so much that he often filches food from his companions's plates. He often steals food from the kitchen, much to the dismal of Sanji the cook. Maybe it's because he's made of rubber, he never seems to get fat no matter what happens. After having eaten a lot his stomach swells to a giant rubber balloon, but gets back to normal after a few hours.
Oh, and he likes to pick his nose.
General Skills/Abilities: Though he's tall and thin, Luffy has an almost superhuman strength that comes from his intensive training. He's very agile and has a seemingly animal instinct for dodging attacks.
He also has the powers of the Devil Fruit, in his specific case the Gom Gom Fruit. His body has gained all the characteristics of rubber, and Luffy can stretch his limbs as he likes. He doesn't need a weapon since he's developed a peculiar fighting technique based on his rubber body. His body is highly resistant and he can cushion most blunt impacts (including bullets, if they're the old-fashioned, round pellet ones). However he can still be wounded or pierced by sharp edges.
His most used attacks are: Gom Gom Pistol (a single punch, where Luffy stretches his arm for maximum impact), Gom Gom Bazooka (Luffy throws his arms behind him, then stretches them forward hitting the opponent with both palms at once), Gom Gom Gatling (Luffy punches the enemy multiple times with both fists, very quickly, giving the impression that he has multiple arms), Gom Gom Axe (Luffy stretches one leg into the air and then brings in down on the enemy), Gom Gom Rocket (Luffy stretches his arms grabs hold of something, then flings himself forward like a slingshot - mainly used for traveling for long distances, but it's tricky to aim properly), Gom Gom Balloon (Luffy inflates his stomach so that bullets will bounce off it, a defensive manoeuvre).
General Weaknesses: Like all Devil Fruit users, Luffy is unable to swim or even move freely in seawater. Luffy tries to avoid falling into the sea at all cost, because it would mean his death unless someone dives in after him and bodily pulls him out.
Devil Fruit users are also weak against Seastone, a rare material that emits "the same energy as the sea". If Luffy is touched by a Seastone, he loses all energy as if he was thrown into water. Seastones are usually employed by the Marine to make handcuffs or prison bars to prevent criminals with special powers from escaping, or placed on the tip of some weapons.
Luffy's weaknesses are mostly psychological, as I stated above.
History: Luffy grew up in the little village of Fusha with his grandfather, Vice-Admiral Garp of the Marine. Garp trained Luffy and his brother Ace since they were very young, hoping to turn them into Marines, and later left them in the care of a friend to complete their training. When he was six years old Luffy met the pirate crew of Shanks the Red and became friends with them. He decided to become a pirate and asked Shanks to bring him along on their travels, once even cutting himself under the eye to show that he was a though one, but Shanks refused. One day Luffy accidentally ate the Gom Gom Fruit, which turned his body into rubber, and at the same time made him unable to swim any more. Luffy felt angry with Shanks because he was treating him like a child, but when a group of mountain bandits insulted Shanks and called him a coward Luffy attacked the bandits and was taken prisoner. Shanks's pirates attacked the bandits to save the boy, but the bandit chief threw him into the sea.
Shanks saved Luffy's life, sacrificing one arm when they were attacked by a sea monster. Luffy accepted the fact that he was still weak, and he would be a burden to Shanks if he joined his crew. So he said that he'd train until he was stronger, and then he'd create his own crew. Before leaving Fusha, Shanks gave Luffy his straw hat as a parting gift. He said that the hat was very important for him and that he'd want it back once Luffy had become a pirate greater than himself.
Note: The following is a very short summary of the main events in One Piece. I have omitted the details since most of the plot is the Straw Hats landing on some island full of evil pirates and defeating them, becoming the heroes of the citizens. If it needs to be more detailed, please do tell!
Ten years later, Luffy leaves his native island on a small rowboat. Zoro the pirate hunter becomes his first companion after Luffy saves him from the Marine. Later they're joined by Nami the thief, Usopp the liar and Sanji the cook. Meanwhile they defeat many opponents, both pirates and Marines, and the World Government puts a 60-millions Berry bounty on Luffy. Kaya, a wealthy friend of Usopp's, gives them a ship as a thank you gift for saving her from the pirate Kuro. The crew names the ship Going Merry, and together they head towards the Grand Line. The Grand Line, the most dangerous route of the world, is where Gold Roger allegedly hid the One Piece.
Shortly after arriving there, Luffy and the others meet some members of a shady organization called Baroque Works. Baroque is trying to start a revolution in the kingdom of Alabasta, and the crew accepts to escort Princess Vivi home and protect her from the agents of the organization. On the journey to Alabasta, the crew is joined by doctor Chopper, a reindeer with a blue nose. Vivi and the others become friends, and Luffy feels compelled to help Vivi stop the civil war. In Alabasta Luffy fights several times against Crocodile, the president of Baroque Works, and eventually manages to defeat him. Since Crocodile was a member of Shichibukai, one of the seven strongest pirates employed by the World Government, the bounty on Luffy's head is raised to 100 millions, making it one of the highest in the world.
Around this time Luffy meets his brother again for the first time in many years. Ace has become an officer of Whitebeard, a famous pirate, and he's sure that Whitebeard will be the next King of Pirates. He asks Luffy if he would join Whitebeard as well, but Luffy is sure that nobody else will be able to become King of Pirates before him and refuses the offer.
Meanwhile Nico Robin, who was once Crocodile's right hand woman, asks Luffy to take her aboard his ship. Zoro and Nami mistrust her, but Luffy ignores their complaints and welcomes Robin into the crew. Together they travel to the island into the sky, Skypiea, where among other things they find a lost city made of gold. However, their ship is badly damaged by the journey. The crew stops at Water Seven to exchange the gold with Berry (the world's currency), and to repair the Going Merry.
Lots of things happen later, but I'm picking up Luffy shortly after his arrive at Water Seven so I'll stop here.
Reality Description: Luffy and his crew live aboard their pirate ship, the Going Merry. This caravel has a peculiar sheep-shaped figurehead, which is Luffy's favourite lookout position. The ship looks rather battered because of all the battles it's been involved in. There are four cannons on the ship, but they're rarely used. The main room used by the crew is the kitchen, which also serves as a meeting room. There are separate sleeping quarters for men and women. The men's part is very spartan and only a few hammocks, while the women's part is more richly furnished and even has a small bar. There is an emergency exit between the two rooms, but Nami padlocked it since she keeps her treasures in her room. On the deck of the ship there are also Nami's three Tangerine trees.
Since I'm picking up Luffy from the very beginning of the Water Seven arc, his immediate surroundings will be the city of Water Seven. The island on which Water Seven was built is very small, so that the citizens have no resources. A couple of decades ago the city was dying because pirates were pillaging the trading ships, but the creation of the Sea Train saved the city from becoming a ghost town. The train runs on tracks laid just below the ocean's surface, and connects Water Seven to the nearby islands of Pucci, St. Poplar, San Faldo and Enies Lobby. Nowadays, Water Seven is a thriving city best known for its shipwrights. Its mayor, Iceburg, is also CEO of the Galley-La Company which runs all of the seven docks.
Water Seven is slowly sinking into the sea. The old streets are filled with water and turned into canals (much like Venice), and the houses are build on top of earlier constructions. The canals are used like roads, people sail them to move inside the city. Often those boats are trained by Yagara Bulls, large water horses that can breathe above water. There are also sidewalks along the canals, and water-powered elevators that transport people and boats to the higher levels of the city. However the canals are not large enough for large ships, so those have to be docked somewhere outside the city.
The city has a vaguely conical shape, with a giant decorative fountain at the top. The Galley-La Company's headquarters are in the higher levels of the city, while the city's many outcasts and failed shipwrights live closer to the sea. This is particularly dangerous because once every seven years the Aqua Laguna, a particularly dangerous and violent high tide, completely submerges the lower levels of Water Seven.
First Person Sample: I can't wait to reach the next port! This time, we're going to get a musician in the crew. I've been saying it for ages, but nobody seems to understand how important this is. We're pirates, and pirates always sing pirate songs, so we must find a good musician in the next port and ask him to join the crew. But this time it's for real, and don't tell me that we don't need one. It's a vital priority!
I can see that a cook is important person to have on a pirate ship, I'm not complaining, I love Sanji's delicious cooking. And maybe we did need a doctor after all. Though I don't see why people make such a fuss, I just need to eat meat to regain all of my energy! But why do we need a shipwright? The Going Merry has seen us safely through our adventures, I'm sure she can wait until we get a musician. Having a new member in the crew is great, we will sing together and drink together and eat together! Eat together... mmh... Hey, I'm hungry! I'm wondering when's dinner?
Third Person Role-play Sample: Luffy crept outside the room, trying not to make any noise. Between the sound of the waves crashing against the hull and his crewmates's snores, his footsteps were barely audible. But Luffy knew only too well that Sanji was a light sleeper, and he had a knack for waking up at the wrong time. This time, though, Sanji only rolled over while Luffy passed him by, muttering something about Nami and a candlelit dinner.
Grinning to himself, Luffy stepped on the deck. The moon was hidden behind the clouds but he could have found his way to the fridge even with a blindfold. He half-sneaked, half-ran across the deck, up the stairs and into the kitchen, closing the door behind him. Time for a midnight snack, he thought happily. He felt slightly ashamed at the thought of eating without his friends, but he was sure he wouldn't be able to go back to sleep unless he had a full stomach, and Sanji was so unreasonable about eating outside of meals.
He opened the fridge and started piling food on a plate. Meat, some pasties, meat, fish, meat, an apple, meat... A varied diet was indispensable for good health, or so Sanji claimed, but Luffy seemed to manage well on his own meat diet. When the plate was so full that food was about to roll off, he carried it outside on the deck and sat crosslegged in front of the rail.
It took him only a couple of minutes to empty the plate.
Luffy burped happily and brushed some crumbs off his vest. Now that his stomach was full, he was beginning to get drowsy. He thought about washing the plate and putting it back on the cupboard, but going back to the kitchen seemed like too much hassle. Probably Sanji would not notice that it was missing, he thought, hiding the plate behind Nami's tangerines.
Yawning, he walked back to the sleeping quarters. He was about to get under his blanket when Sanji's kick sent him flying against the wall.
"Will you stop stealing food?" the cook grumbled. "I ought to put a locket on that fridge."
Player LJ: aikodestiny
AIM: lunaticpapaya
Timezone: GMT+1
Other Characters: none
Character: Monkey D. Luffy
Series/Fandom: One Piece
Deviance: 1
Age: 17
Gender: male
Species: human
Appearance: Some characters remarked that he looks like a monkey, both in his appearance and in his personality. His most notable feature is the straw hat which he always wears (from which he got the nickname "Straw Hat Luffy") which was entrusted to him by the notorious pirate Shanks the Red. He's got short black hair and a scar under his left eye. Standing at 170 cm (5'7") he's not exceptionally tall, but he looks even taller due to his slim build. His appearance can be deceiving, though, since years of training have given him plenty of muscles.
He usually wears a red sleeveless vest buttoned on the front, a pair of knee-length blue shorts and sandals.
An image of Luffy in his usual outfit, with the Going Merry and his crew.
Psychology: Luffy is, at first sight, a total simpleton. He's amazed by simple things and inclined to believe to the most outrageous lies. He's got a short attention span and often misunderstands instructions because he doesn't pay attention. And he tends to fall into the simplest traps that his enemies set him. However, because of the simple way in which he views the world, sometimes he's the only person who can spot what should be done in a difficult situation.
His goal is to find the One Piece and become the King of Pirates, like the legendary Gold D. Roger 22 years ago. Most people think that Luffy is too stupid to realize that it is impossible for a boy to defeat the World Government and the strongest pirates of the world. However, Luffy is serious about his dream and he's spend years training, not leaving his village until he was sure of his own strength. He doesn't seem to be scared of anything, not even death. Even as one enemy was about to kill him in Logue Town, he smiled and said that it was fine for him to die while attempting to fulfill his dream.
Luffy is generally good-natured and happy-go-lucky, but three things are sacred to him: his friends, his hat and his dream. If his friends or something very important to them is threatened, he won't hesitate to stake his own life to protect them. Likewise, he can't stand people who insult his hat or mock his dream of becoming the Pirate King. Those are the only situations in which Luffy really gets serious. However, no matter how bad they are, he makes a point of never killing his enemies. Instead he prefers to let them live and see their dreams ruined, a much worse fate in his opinion.
As soon as the enemy is beaten, Luffy reverts back to his usual self. He especially likes post-battle celebrations and banquets, claiming that all his injuries will be eaten if he eats meat. Despite his slim appearance, Luffy enjoys eating so much that he often filches food from his companions's plates. He often steals food from the kitchen, much to the dismal of Sanji the cook. Maybe it's because he's made of rubber, he never seems to get fat no matter what happens. After having eaten a lot his stomach swells to a giant rubber balloon, but gets back to normal after a few hours.
Oh, and he likes to pick his nose.
General Skills/Abilities: Though he's tall and thin, Luffy has an almost superhuman strength that comes from his intensive training. He's very agile and has a seemingly animal instinct for dodging attacks.
He also has the powers of the Devil Fruit, in his specific case the Gom Gom Fruit. His body has gained all the characteristics of rubber, and Luffy can stretch his limbs as he likes. He doesn't need a weapon since he's developed a peculiar fighting technique based on his rubber body. His body is highly resistant and he can cushion most blunt impacts (including bullets, if they're the old-fashioned, round pellet ones). However he can still be wounded or pierced by sharp edges.
His most used attacks are: Gom Gom Pistol (a single punch, where Luffy stretches his arm for maximum impact), Gom Gom Bazooka (Luffy throws his arms behind him, then stretches them forward hitting the opponent with both palms at once), Gom Gom Gatling (Luffy punches the enemy multiple times with both fists, very quickly, giving the impression that he has multiple arms), Gom Gom Axe (Luffy stretches one leg into the air and then brings in down on the enemy), Gom Gom Rocket (Luffy stretches his arms grabs hold of something, then flings himself forward like a slingshot - mainly used for traveling for long distances, but it's tricky to aim properly), Gom Gom Balloon (Luffy inflates his stomach so that bullets will bounce off it, a defensive manoeuvre).
General Weaknesses: Like all Devil Fruit users, Luffy is unable to swim or even move freely in seawater. Luffy tries to avoid falling into the sea at all cost, because it would mean his death unless someone dives in after him and bodily pulls him out.
Devil Fruit users are also weak against Seastone, a rare material that emits "the same energy as the sea". If Luffy is touched by a Seastone, he loses all energy as if he was thrown into water. Seastones are usually employed by the Marine to make handcuffs or prison bars to prevent criminals with special powers from escaping, or placed on the tip of some weapons.
Luffy's weaknesses are mostly psychological, as I stated above.
History: Luffy grew up in the little village of Fusha with his grandfather, Vice-Admiral Garp of the Marine. Garp trained Luffy and his brother Ace since they were very young, hoping to turn them into Marines, and later left them in the care of a friend to complete their training. When he was six years old Luffy met the pirate crew of Shanks the Red and became friends with them. He decided to become a pirate and asked Shanks to bring him along on their travels, once even cutting himself under the eye to show that he was a though one, but Shanks refused. One day Luffy accidentally ate the Gom Gom Fruit, which turned his body into rubber, and at the same time made him unable to swim any more. Luffy felt angry with Shanks because he was treating him like a child, but when a group of mountain bandits insulted Shanks and called him a coward Luffy attacked the bandits and was taken prisoner. Shanks's pirates attacked the bandits to save the boy, but the bandit chief threw him into the sea.
Shanks saved Luffy's life, sacrificing one arm when they were attacked by a sea monster. Luffy accepted the fact that he was still weak, and he would be a burden to Shanks if he joined his crew. So he said that he'd train until he was stronger, and then he'd create his own crew. Before leaving Fusha, Shanks gave Luffy his straw hat as a parting gift. He said that the hat was very important for him and that he'd want it back once Luffy had become a pirate greater than himself.
Note: The following is a very short summary of the main events in One Piece. I have omitted the details since most of the plot is the Straw Hats landing on some island full of evil pirates and defeating them, becoming the heroes of the citizens. If it needs to be more detailed, please do tell!
Ten years later, Luffy leaves his native island on a small rowboat. Zoro the pirate hunter becomes his first companion after Luffy saves him from the Marine. Later they're joined by Nami the thief, Usopp the liar and Sanji the cook. Meanwhile they defeat many opponents, both pirates and Marines, and the World Government puts a 60-millions Berry bounty on Luffy. Kaya, a wealthy friend of Usopp's, gives them a ship as a thank you gift for saving her from the pirate Kuro. The crew names the ship Going Merry, and together they head towards the Grand Line. The Grand Line, the most dangerous route of the world, is where Gold Roger allegedly hid the One Piece.
Shortly after arriving there, Luffy and the others meet some members of a shady organization called Baroque Works. Baroque is trying to start a revolution in the kingdom of Alabasta, and the crew accepts to escort Princess Vivi home and protect her from the agents of the organization. On the journey to Alabasta, the crew is joined by doctor Chopper, a reindeer with a blue nose. Vivi and the others become friends, and Luffy feels compelled to help Vivi stop the civil war. In Alabasta Luffy fights several times against Crocodile, the president of Baroque Works, and eventually manages to defeat him. Since Crocodile was a member of Shichibukai, one of the seven strongest pirates employed by the World Government, the bounty on Luffy's head is raised to 100 millions, making it one of the highest in the world.
Around this time Luffy meets his brother again for the first time in many years. Ace has become an officer of Whitebeard, a famous pirate, and he's sure that Whitebeard will be the next King of Pirates. He asks Luffy if he would join Whitebeard as well, but Luffy is sure that nobody else will be able to become King of Pirates before him and refuses the offer.
Meanwhile Nico Robin, who was once Crocodile's right hand woman, asks Luffy to take her aboard his ship. Zoro and Nami mistrust her, but Luffy ignores their complaints and welcomes Robin into the crew. Together they travel to the island into the sky, Skypiea, where among other things they find a lost city made of gold. However, their ship is badly damaged by the journey. The crew stops at Water Seven to exchange the gold with Berry (the world's currency), and to repair the Going Merry.
Lots of things happen later, but I'm picking up Luffy shortly after his arrive at Water Seven so I'll stop here.
Reality Description: Luffy and his crew live aboard their pirate ship, the Going Merry. This caravel has a peculiar sheep-shaped figurehead, which is Luffy's favourite lookout position. The ship looks rather battered because of all the battles it's been involved in. There are four cannons on the ship, but they're rarely used. The main room used by the crew is the kitchen, which also serves as a meeting room. There are separate sleeping quarters for men and women. The men's part is very spartan and only a few hammocks, while the women's part is more richly furnished and even has a small bar. There is an emergency exit between the two rooms, but Nami padlocked it since she keeps her treasures in her room. On the deck of the ship there are also Nami's three Tangerine trees.
Since I'm picking up Luffy from the very beginning of the Water Seven arc, his immediate surroundings will be the city of Water Seven. The island on which Water Seven was built is very small, so that the citizens have no resources. A couple of decades ago the city was dying because pirates were pillaging the trading ships, but the creation of the Sea Train saved the city from becoming a ghost town. The train runs on tracks laid just below the ocean's surface, and connects Water Seven to the nearby islands of Pucci, St. Poplar, San Faldo and Enies Lobby. Nowadays, Water Seven is a thriving city best known for its shipwrights. Its mayor, Iceburg, is also CEO of the Galley-La Company which runs all of the seven docks.
Water Seven is slowly sinking into the sea. The old streets are filled with water and turned into canals (much like Venice), and the houses are build on top of earlier constructions. The canals are used like roads, people sail them to move inside the city. Often those boats are trained by Yagara Bulls, large water horses that can breathe above water. There are also sidewalks along the canals, and water-powered elevators that transport people and boats to the higher levels of the city. However the canals are not large enough for large ships, so those have to be docked somewhere outside the city.
The city has a vaguely conical shape, with a giant decorative fountain at the top. The Galley-La Company's headquarters are in the higher levels of the city, while the city's many outcasts and failed shipwrights live closer to the sea. This is particularly dangerous because once every seven years the Aqua Laguna, a particularly dangerous and violent high tide, completely submerges the lower levels of Water Seven.
First Person Sample: I can't wait to reach the next port! This time, we're going to get a musician in the crew. I've been saying it for ages, but nobody seems to understand how important this is. We're pirates, and pirates always sing pirate songs, so we must find a good musician in the next port and ask him to join the crew. But this time it's for real, and don't tell me that we don't need one. It's a vital priority!
I can see that a cook is important person to have on a pirate ship, I'm not complaining, I love Sanji's delicious cooking. And maybe we did need a doctor after all. Though I don't see why people make such a fuss, I just need to eat meat to regain all of my energy! But why do we need a shipwright? The Going Merry has seen us safely through our adventures, I'm sure she can wait until we get a musician. Having a new member in the crew is great, we will sing together and drink together and eat together! Eat together... mmh... Hey, I'm hungry! I'm wondering when's dinner?
Third Person Role-play Sample: Luffy crept outside the room, trying not to make any noise. Between the sound of the waves crashing against the hull and his crewmates's snores, his footsteps were barely audible. But Luffy knew only too well that Sanji was a light sleeper, and he had a knack for waking up at the wrong time. This time, though, Sanji only rolled over while Luffy passed him by, muttering something about Nami and a candlelit dinner.
Grinning to himself, Luffy stepped on the deck. The moon was hidden behind the clouds but he could have found his way to the fridge even with a blindfold. He half-sneaked, half-ran across the deck, up the stairs and into the kitchen, closing the door behind him. Time for a midnight snack, he thought happily. He felt slightly ashamed at the thought of eating without his friends, but he was sure he wouldn't be able to go back to sleep unless he had a full stomach, and Sanji was so unreasonable about eating outside of meals.
He opened the fridge and started piling food on a plate. Meat, some pasties, meat, fish, meat, an apple, meat... A varied diet was indispensable for good health, or so Sanji claimed, but Luffy seemed to manage well on his own meat diet. When the plate was so full that food was about to roll off, he carried it outside on the deck and sat crosslegged in front of the rail.
It took him only a couple of minutes to empty the plate.
Luffy burped happily and brushed some crumbs off his vest. Now that his stomach was full, he was beginning to get drowsy. He thought about washing the plate and putting it back on the cupboard, but going back to the kitchen seemed like too much hassle. Probably Sanji would not notice that it was missing, he thought, hiding the plate behind Nami's tangerines.
Yawning, he walked back to the sleeping quarters. He was about to get under his blanket when Sanji's kick sent him flying against the wall.
"Will you stop stealing food?" the cook grumbled. "I ought to put a locket on that fridge."