#team bonds

[tauriatalksmonkeys]

Chiro&Gibson ask: Thanks. ^_^ Gibson is a really fun character who subverts and plays straight a lot of characteristics known to his character type. Has nice development and good chemistry w/others. He's a different type of brother figure to everyone. Otto's rival in intelligence turned best friend. Nova's partner in supporting/taking care of the team's needs. Sprx's mirror image in being opposites yet the exact same and bickering about it. Sharing Antauri's hobbies and never conflicting due to-

2 that respects each other and also share similar parental focus for Chiro in a more obvious way. Honestly Gibson and Antauri have a pretty interesting dybamic since you'd think they'd fight a lot but they always seem to be on the same page. For Chiro, Gibson's like the fun parent to Antauri's stern one (not that Anturai can't be fun). He indulges and likes all of Chiro's hobbies and playfulness. He's more lax on Chiro running off instead of doing work. He also takes on mom like qualities too. -

3 I know Gibson's been called the uncle figure. But I see him as the fun older brother for Chiro who also takes on a lot of maternal qualities in the role he plays raising him (homeschooling him. Tending to his health. Being more laidback but stern at the same time in managing his boundaries). He's not the mom. He's not the dad. He's the same as the others in being like a older sib who just happens to have more responsibility in caring for Chiro's upbringing thanks to his abilities.

Aaah! Anon, sorry this took so long. Thank you for being patient with me!

As per usual I love your Gibson analysis :) Personally I’ve always thought of Gibson as a sort of dad like (or mom like, if you prefer!) figure, but I can absolutely see him as a fun but occasionally stern/parental older brother!

I love the dichotomy you mention between him & Antauri, too! Gibson’s mind is on Chiro’s present. His current health; his schooling; his enjoyment of life. Antauri, on the other hand, usually thinking ahead, & trying to balance Chiro’s Now with the future he has as the Chosen One. Antauri can certainly be fun & laid-back, but I think that he’s all-to-aware of the burdens Chiro faces/will one day face to truly let it go completely? Whereas Gibson doesn’t have to worry about as much of that.

It’s just a fascinating contrast between their—parenting (?) styles & I‘m flattered that you’ve chosen to bring it to my inbox! <3

[tauriatalksmonkeys]

I've talked a lot about them in the past but I have a soft spot for Chiro and Gibson's dynamic. Sonetimes it seems like they don't get as much acknowledgment. But the two are really tight. As you said Chiro translates for Gibson and can recognize him by his monkey screech alone. Their teamwork is probably a personal favorite of mine. They work so well together and they've been MVP together in saving the team in some of the darkest times. Such as Mandarin kidnapping the others and Chiro and -

2 Gibson had to pilot the Super Robot by themselves, come up w/a plain to outsmart SK so they can sneak into his heavily guarded base and basically just wing it the rest of the way while trying to keep each other alive. Which they did and managed to save the others. Then you have NoF ep. I typically consider this Chiro and Sprx's MVP ep. But all things considered Gibson was pretty impressive too. Despite being oppressed by his worst fear and unable to think properly. He never left Chiro's side-

3 side and was useful helping them get away from danger (compare that to Nova and Otto who ran off and Antauri who had to be shut down). Chiro himself in that ep always kept an eye on Gibson and pulled him along so they wouldn't be separated much like how Nova did Sprx. I definitely see a pattern a lot of times when the team is facing a really stressful adversary, Chiro and Gibson end up sticking close to each other if they can. The two genuinely like and understand the other. Gibson's always-

4 been fair to Chiro. Not minding when he goofs off instead of helping him or even pulling the 'young man' card when Chiro needs some boundaries. Overall I also think it's cute and thoughtful of Gibson to care about Chiro's education. Even when there's a war looming Gibson still gives him homework so he's never behind (aka far ahead of everyone else his age). Likewise it's cute how Chiro gets Gibson's limits and never faults him for it. Chiro's typically the one who watches out for Gibson and-

5 protects him from danger. Such as grabbing him when he falls or picking him up to carry him out of danger. Chiro's pretty protective of Gibson while still knowing he's highly capable as a fighter. Overall they have this nice subtle protective relationship where they share a lot of interests (science, video games) and like having fun w/each other. Though they make a lethal team w/good balance. But you know everybody on team has a great and interesting dybamic w/each other.

Ahhh anon! I’m so sorry this has taken me so long to respond to: I wanted to wait until I was at my computer & not tired out of my mind.

This is such an excellent analysis of Gibson and Chiro’s relationship! I love how you pointed out how often Chiro carries Gibson out of danger; that’s a thread I didn’t appreciate in the show when I was younger, but now, every time I see it I can’t help but internally squee a bit inside.

(Especially since Gibson is normally a monkey who prides himself on looking professional and calm, yet he submits to being carried around like a football by Chiro. [I know that like. In battle he rarely seems to worry about appearances but. It’s such a cute little note I can’t help but point it out anyway!])

Gibson is such like---it’s hard to really put found family dynamics into strict family roles but!! Gibson is such like a dad type figure. A very Soft & supportive dad, and I love it!!

Thanks so much for sending this in :D

[ladytauria]

1 I love it how supportive and caring Sprx can be to Chiro. In 'Magnetic Menace' the first thing Sprx does when he sees Chiro again (after being kidnapped and losing his arms to Scrapperton, no less) is to ask him if he's Ok. In 'Hunt for the Citadel of Bone' he was ready to straight out murder Quint who he was fanboying over the moment he realized he put Chiro in danger. In 'Girl Trouble' Sprx was the only one who wasn't mad at Chiro for running away and tried to calm the girls' father

2 by saying that Chiro was a good kid and thus would never hurt them. In the first two seasons he's the one who understands Chiro the best and often gets him away from danger. And his calling Chiro 'kid' makes this dynamic even more heartwarming.

Yessss.

Sprx’s number one priority in any given situation is Chiro & the rest of the team. He’s always encouraging Chiro to just be a kid & take time off from the stress of being the leader/Chosen One, which is just. REALLY nice to see. 

So many mentors tend to push their mentees into growing up faster than their peers, bc of their “great destiny” or some such (lookin’ at you, Dumbledore... tho i guess sometimes u tried to give Harry a childhood). And so to see Sprx (and the rest of the monkeys, truthfully) pushing Chiro to embrace the typical interests of his age is good!! 

And YES, I love that he calls him kid. It’s. So good. That little piece of dialogue--the nickname, the way it’s said--says SO MUCH about their relationship. Without having to explain a thing. 

And then something else I love about it, is that the nickname is not demeaning him---not the way it’s used in some shows. It’s a fond nickname that Chiro never argues with, just responds to the same way anything else. & it’s a reminder, too. To the audience, to the other monkeys, to the people around them, to Chiro, and likely even to Sprx himself. Whatever else Chiro is, whatever else he’s capable of, he is still a child/young teenager.

[ladytauria]

One of my favorite things about Sprx and Antauri is that they used to be and can still be very in synch. But now there's this imbalance between them. The interesting thing is is that Antauri pre death could probably take Sprx out easily. But now Sprx can one shot Antauri. I feel like if the series wanted to it could explore some mutual level of tension between them. Antauri is insecure on some level about his new body and he's used to being the best/most trusted member. Now he isn't. That's got-

2 hurt his pride some. Then there’s Sprx who has both fair and unfair hard feelings about Antauri. Basically they’re still great friends but there’s definitely a wall now. Heck as much as Gibson snarks at Sprx and Otto or talk big about himself. At least he’s also pretty open to discussing/examining his feelings to make things better. Both Sprx and Antauri are the two members who have the hardest time talking about their vulnerable side. Which leads to the two never really resolving anything.

Thisss. thisthisthisthisthis.

I’d also nominate Chiro as also being pretty tightlipped about things–he rarely ever discusses himself, or his interests. We see a little of it, but not much.

However, the Antauri + Sprx dynamic is very… fascinating. It’s been something of interest to me in the last little bit, as everyone can probably tell. XD I love the way they’re so silently in each other’s corner in the first couple of seasons. Lately, I’ve been considering a theory: namely, that they were maybe the most involved in Mandarin’s downfall.

I think that Otto was the one who went to Antauri with information about Mandarin’s changing headspace. I feel like Mandarin confided in Otto a lot, usually while Otto was working. (My interpretation of the “closest friend” comment in Soul of Evil.) Otto maybe caught a few things, and went to Antauri with them—but I feel like Antauri and Sprx were suspicious before that. Suspicious enough to maybe talk about it. Between the two of them. And to maybe rally the others up.

Basically, they were the ringleaders of the rebellion, is what I’m saying. At least in my personal interpretation of canon.

Then Chiro gets there, and even though Antauri is the one who (probably) declared him the CO/their new leader, Sprx was the one watching out for him in a more personal manner. While Antauri was more of an adviser/mentor than anything else. So there was some solidarity there too. 

And then everything changed when Antauri died.

Now there’s some weird disconnect between them, and I have a lot of theories on why that is–I have posts about it somewhere on my blog. But that disconnect is fascinating to me, because like you said; generally with one of the others, you know why that is. They’re pretty open about it, because they’re pretty open with their emotions. They generally just come right out and say it, or its super obvious in how they act.

Gibson’s insecurity, manifesting in his rivalry with Otto and Sprx. Otto feeling unappreciated by Gibson. Nova’s own tough-girl act because of both Mandarin’s treatment and being surrounded by males on a fighting team. Chiro’s cocky attitude towards the beginning, and even later, when he’s been thrown off his guard.

All obvious things.

And then you have Sprx + Antauri’s mutual respect turned tension, and it’s just like.

What. 

Which makes it fun to try and look for clues, as to why that change occurred–and what could be done about it. (Like in my fic, Monkey As The Rest of Us. One chat isn’t going to fix everything… but that’s why it’s a series ;) ) 

…sorry.

I have a lot of feels about this ^^; 

[ladytauria]

One of the differences in how they treat Chiro compared to each other might be that while they (the monkeys) became a family in spirit (post Mandarin) they don't think of each other w/labels. To all of them, Chiro is the little brother/son and they're his older siblings/parental figures. But to each other they don't label each other so easily as siblings (or that would make Spova weird). They're brothers in arms as unconditional as a blood family, but again w/o any straight up family ties. -

2 they’ll be more rough/blunt w/each other because of age and because they (remember) grew up as military unit as opposed to a family one. They’ll respect Chiro in military ways but respond to him as a guardian would their child.

*nod, nod* Exactly! They’re family but in an undefined way—a way without labels or particular slots for everyone. ‘Cause that’s kind of what happens in a found family, instead of a blood one.(And found family is one of my favorite things, which is why SRMTHFG and Critical Role are two of my favorite shows. And also why I have an entire subplot in each of my novels dedicated to that.) So Chiro is the only clearly defined role for any of them—and even he sometimes takes on the role of a protector or almost older brother figure. (Night of Fear, for instance.) Generally only when any of the team is incapacitated in some way, though.

[ladytauria]

One of the things that I think that made the change in leaders pretty easy to accept for the monkeys was the power dynamic. Since its all talented ace Mandarin above everyone I imagine he micromanaged everything and maybe even made the others (except Antauri. I hc they were close considering what Antauri says/does) feel not needed by him. Chiro on the other hand depends on them for protection, guidance, support and training. They respect him as a leader take his orders seriously. But they -

2 also know they’re in charge of his upbringing now (and Chiro ultimately respects their senority despite treating them like peers). I feel like the show had a great way of developing/showing this dynamic of power between Chiro and the monkeys that never conflicted. Chiro had no problem letting others call the shots if he agreed with them. The monkeys (Antauri for the most part anyway) respected his agency as a leader/fellow comrade to trust him in dangerous situations even when he’s alone.

*nod, nod*Mandarin—Sixth Monkey Mandarin, specifically—strikes me as a control freak, honestly. I can absolutely see him micromanaging. He has to know everything. He has to be stronger, faster, wiser, better. When they took him down, sent him to HOOP… they didn’t know what to do, I’d imagine. Except wait for the Chosen One to come.And then he does come, and he’s… a kid. A kid who’s well aware that he’s a kid, and who’s never been trained as a hero. When they step up to train him or to take over, he lets them. He respects their seniority in their fields, trusts and takes their advice—except for when his instincts tell him differently. So unlike their former leader.All of that builds, and they begin to trust him. They know he’s not going to turn into Mandarin unless something is really, really wrong—by which I mean corruption of the magical kind. *sigh* I just love how much they love him.

[ladytauria]

What are your favorite srmthfg relationships in canon?

Oh, jeez, Anon. This is like asking me what my favorite book is. I can never decide!! But I’ll give it a go anyway.

All of the discussion happening here has made me realize how much I love the Chiro & Sprx dynamic, so that one is up there.

Nova & Chiro is also up there, though honestly you could say that any monkey & Chiro is my favorite, so.

Sprx & Antauri is so complex and interesting! There’s so many layers there.

Sprx & Gibson. I really need to write more with them!

I’ll stop here, before I just name off all of them xD