Now that someone talked to me about Skateboard & Boombox, I MUST talk about them again ! ! !
I wanna reiterate again that Boombox CHOSE Skateboard over everything. And I mean EVERYTHING. Because genuinely, in-lore, supports must have it BAD.
For healers, they're either coveted or just overworked in general—and not to mention that they would definitely be the first targets in a battle. And supports in general aren't as useful as healers, therefore overlooked and possibly even mistreated. This isn't canon-aligned but this is mostly based from the lore we have so far from mainly the healers, aka. Vinestaff and Medkit. And even they're underappreciated by their own faction. (Vine, more so.)
So can you imagine what they would do to supports that DON'T heal.
And while I can't guarantee that Windforce would treat supports any better, or what Playground's views on supports are—(Crossroads Update please I need you so bad...)—you have to consider that you would be getting PROTECTION from a deity. Prestige, even. (seeing as Zuka got lauded for being a notorious soldier at the time, what more if you were being practically sponsored by a god?)
But despite all the cons and the least amount of pros in it for him, Boombox still chose to do it. Still chose to protect his friend. HIM, as a support, PROTECTING Skate, who is a melee. (When usually, it's the other way around.)
Boombox CHOSE Skate over a God and all the benefits that come with it.
I really, really like the interpretation that Boombox is the scarier of the two between him and Skateboard. Distinctly, Skateboard has a pure heart of gold, and outwardly caring about inphernals (given that Skateboard essentially built a community of those he saved, as well as other notes from his recent lore). He's not innocent, per say, but he is the type to wear his heart on his sleeve kind of person.
Meanwhile, Boombox—though just as caring and empathetic as Skateboard, understands a lot more regarding social cues and dynamics. Where Skate is a bit more brash (think of a typical shonen protagonist: a golden heart but not a calculative mind or a refined way of showing it, like Sword! But less naivety and more blunt recklessness) Boombox is more deceptive. Not out of any malice or ill intent, but from self-preservation as well as catering to his 'people pleaser' instinct. He doesn't show any of his more unpleasant feelings like sadness, anger, jealousy, envy and more as a way to de-escalate the situation and keep things pleasant.
That's why, isn't it much more scary when a character like Boombox has been pushed far enough to reveal some of his unpleasant feelings? Maybe anger, or impulsive instincts that aren't typical of him when it comes to Skateboard getting hurt.
This is also a reason why I'm very interested in the first meeting of Coil and Boombox. Obviously they are close friends now! But looking at them individually as a character and without the interference of Skate, it would feel like they would be at odds at the first meeting.
Playing phonk music in the background has unironically improved my skate gameplay ... This has to be studied.
On the other hand, im so sad that it's completely silent in Phighting now. There's no more funny moments or unusual talks in chat. I usually play P! for the extremely silly players but now it's so depressing haha ( • ᴖ • )
Here's a compilation of the last funny screenshots I got...
Boombox — Very bear, dad-bod, type of body. Packs alot of muscle and fat. Very soft and very cuddly too love love hearts Nice to hug
Coil — Muscular, the most obviously jacked out of the four, toe to toe in strength with Boombox, they remind me of those people who cut vs people who bulk but I don't think Coil would cut ! !
Slingshot — I know everyone likes headcanoning him as twinky ehe .... But I feel like since he is from Darkage Clan, he will have really really good leg strength like Chun-Li ? Specially it is a very big aspect of his kit ! !
Skateboard — Twink. Lol.
Skateboard (real) — Kidding ! I feel like Skateboard would be the leanest of them. I am not a skater so I'm not really sure but you'd probably need to be light and agile to control yourselves better ? Especially since his kit is a hit and run playstyle. M aybe more focus on his legs too !
Skatebox, for me, is probably the most greenest of green of the entire greenery flags. They are so green to eachother to the point its probably sickeningly sweet.
Problem is, they're a major red flags to themselves.
They think the world of eachother but they cannot think the same way of themselves. Ultimately, the way they treat themselves spreads to their relationship. Boombox doesn't how to bare himself vulnerably or to present himself without a facade of some sort. He fears rejection as much as he fears pain, so he makes himself into something of a doormat to be likeable.
Skatebox is the exact opposite of this. He loves so much and loves so hard, that despite his laid back and composed demeanour—he is so so soft-hearted. He thrives on physical affection and vulnerability, relies on it even—because he loves HIS people and wants them to know that.
This, in turn sours their relationship when it comes down to it.
Skate would be upset with Boombox's lack of transparency, the way that Boombox is acting so fake even with him. He's hurt, that Boom would think that he would be even remotely similar to the fair weather "friends" that BB has. This spirals into a point of whether he is questioning if they were even truly friends at all. He cannot tell if Boom has ever been truly genuine or not during their entire friendship, cannot tell if Boom is only pretending, or that Boom does not see Skate the way he sees him.
Boombox will never be able to truly be vulnerable to Skate on his own, not when he's been acting for so long according to what the people around him like. Not when he's spent every countless hours manufacturing parts of himself to be desirable. And try as he might—in the end, even he himself does not know his own true self.
I headcanon that in a fight or flight situation, Boombox would entire choose flight, while Skate would choose fight.
And this would reflect as well. If a confrontation ever occurred between them, Skateboard would initiate and Boombox would lie, lie, lie through his teeth. Skateboard, who deems honesty and vulnerability important in a relationship, is once more disappointed in Boom. Not for being upset that Boom isn't ready to share, but because he thinks that Boom doesn't believe he isn't worthy of being vulnerable to (that only Skate is taking this relationship—whether friendship or romance—seriously)
They've known eachother their entire life but there's still more that they don't fully know.
