#es task

1. If your character was an animal, which animal would they be? There are different sides to Johnny, so it's hard to choose. Something like an owl or fox would definitely fit him, but so would something like a panther in other situations. 2. Does your character pick wildflowers when they see them? He's not really the type, but his (grand)daughter sure is. 3. How do they see themselves in their head? Is the image accurate, or not? I think Johnny sees himself as more geeky than he comes off to others. Otherwise, he's pretty realistic about it. 4. If they talk in their sleep, what do they say most often? Johnny doesn't really talk in his sleep, but on the rare occasions he has, he was arguing a case that was weighing heavily on his mind. 5. Do they like muffins or cupcakes more? Why? I guess probably cupcakes. Muffins are just boring cupcakes, right? But he's not immune to any sweets every now and then. 6. Do they prefer arm day or leg day more?  While he doesn't skip leg day, Johnny prefers arm day more. He definitely has runners' legs. 7. What is the longest your character has ever slept in?  After finals in law school, he went to bed following his last exam and slept until 4:00 PM the next day. To be fair, he hadn't slept for almost 40 hours before then, but still. 8. What is their most embarrassing middle school moment? There were a few, but his mother berating the principal on how school rules should be modeled on state law in front of his classmates probably took the cake. 9. What is/are their favorite pizza toppings? There are not very many Johnny doesn't like of the typical toppings. He usually eats supreme or pepperoni. 10. What was the last dream they had?  Bella sliding down the stairs banister and climbing the railing at the top like monkey bars, and Johnny being terrified she was going to hurt herself. 11. What is one possession they should get rid of, but can’t/won’t? At least half of his old Harvard t-shirts. They are so worn at this point that a couple aren't even wearable, or they're covered in paint (from repainting the house, or from Briel wearing them to work). 12. If your character spray-painted a wall, what would they write/draw? Johnny can't draw to save his life. He would probably write "REGISTER TO VOTE" or something similar. 13. What would your character want their final words to be? He truly hasn't decided. There are so many impactful and/or wild "last words" stories in criminal law. He definitely wants it to be something meaningful. 14. What is one aspect of their physical appearance that they like? At this point in his life, he really appreciates his hair – particularly that his hairline isn't receding and doesn't seem like it will any time soon. 15. Do they prefer jeans or sweatpants, or something else? Johnny almost always wears slacks because of work, but when he's at home he likes, and wears, jeans and sweatpants equally. It just depends on the day. 16. How far can your character spit a watermelon seed?  It's almost guaranteed that he has never tried. 17. Are they more likely to notice the shapes of the clouds or the color of the sky? The color, for sure.  18. Do they laugh during serious moments? Not unless he’s doing it on purpose. After years of practice in his career, Johnny has a pretty high degree of control over the way he presents himself. 19. On a road trip, are they usually the driver, in the passenger seat, the DJ, the backseat driver, or the one napping in the back? He's usually in the passenger seat because of his propensity for road rage. He has gotten better with it over the years, so he drives sometimes. He's been known to be a backseat driver now and again. 20. Does your character sleep in normal clothes, pajamas, or something else? Eight times out of ten, just boxers. Sometimes he adds a soft t-shirt. If it's winter, he wears pajama pants and shirts more frequently, but not always. 21. When they sneeze, do they use their hand or elbow to cover their mouths? Elbow. As a kid, he'd get smacked across the head if he forgot. It's deeply ingrained. 22. Someone asks your character to dance and pulls them out to the dance floor. How would they react?  It depends. Johnny would be somewhat uncomfortable dancing formally with someone other than his husband or a close friend or family member. He can let loose and/or be silly from time to time, though. The audience and setting definitely makes a difference to him. 23. Are they more of a cat or a dog person? Dog person, hands down. 24. What alternate time period would they enjoy living in? Johnny enjoys a good medieval TV show or movie, but he's not sure he'd actually want to live in it. The roaring '20s are also super interesting to him. Ultimately, he wants to exist in the freest point of history possible... so, maybe the future, actually. Hopefully. 25. Does your character keep a diary? If so, what do they write about?  Honestly, keeping a journal of his thoughts is probably the last thing on earth Johnny would do. It's just too much evidence. Not to mention, he has no time. Now, a journal of his whereabouts and time stamps? Maybe... 26. When they’re stressed, do they stress shop, bake, eat, clean, etc.? Not really. He paces. Chews on pens. Runs his hands through his hair. Pours a stronger drink. 27. Do they prefer raw cookie dough or fully baked cookies? Cookies, of course.  28. What game is your character bad at playing?  Pictionary and the like, which absolutely infuriates him. Johnny is so competitive. Give him something strategic and he swears he'll figure out how to win. 29. Are they ticklish? Sort of. Certain places will make him squirm or give him goosebumps: the back of his neck, sometimes his lower back, those claw-looking head scratcher things... 30. What’s inside their car’s glove box? His registration and insurance, some napkins, an extra notebook and pen, business cards, a tire pressure gauge, his car phone charger, a flashlight, and his pass/badge for Bella's preschool. 31. What’s their birthstone? Do they like it? Why or why not? Emerald. He doesn't have any strong feelings about it either way. 32. Which Avenger is your character most like, personality-wise? Honestly, probably Captain America... which, come on, makes sense. He was probably more like a Spider-Man as a kid. 33. Does your character pay attention to the weather forecast? Yes, mostly to dress Bella appropriately, or to be aware of extreme weather and prepare for it. He also really doesn't want to walk to work and then end up in the rain. 34. When was the last time your character got sick? Did anyone take care of them? He actually got a little virus this past spring, but it wasn't bad. Johnny doesn't often get sick. Gabriel always fusses over him when he doesn't feel well, and Bella tries to be helpful. It never fails to warm his heart. 35. What’s a weird/wacky/embarrassing story about them as a young child? Well, Johnny wasn't very fond of pants for a little while as a toddler, so that led to wonderful outcomes (such as some truly embarrassing photos). 36. If they eat steak, how do they like it cooked?  Medium or medium rare. 37. Do they prefer to write with a pencil or a pen? If a pen, what color? Always a black pen, and usually it's a fountain pen. #lawyer 38. Imagine your character on the beach, waist deep in the water. A big wave rolls up and towers over their head. Do they dive under the wave, body surf, freeze and get swept off their feet, or something else? Dive under it, definitely. Johnny's a 'deal with the problem headfirst' kind of guy, but also, he just likes outsmarting the waves. 39. What are the last five items in your character’s Google search history? Do they often clear their search history? 1. "Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government selection" 2. "grass stain removal jeans" 3. "Yankees" 4. "Ginni Thomas" 5. "New Mexico weather" Johnny always clears his search history, and he uses a VPN. One might say he's a little paranoid about his freedom. 40. Does your character sing in the car? In the shower? He sings in the car occasionally and every now and then in the shower. Johnny has a good singing voice, but he doesn't use it as much as his best friend, Sam, wishes he would. 41. Do they have a harder time going to sleep at night or getting out of bed in the morning? He has gotten pretty good at both, but since he loves sleep and cuddling his husband, probably getting out of bed. Neither is too terribly hard for him, though. 42. Would they rather fly or be immortal? Probably fly. It would save him a lot of time, which he values. Immortality would only be a valid choice to him if those he loved were immortal, too. 43. What’s the dumbest way your character has been injured? Oh, by far, trying to move a coffin (don't ask) without help and promptly giving himself a hernia. 44. Are they able to fall asleep in the car? On an airplane? On a boat? Yes, yes, and yes. Johnny can sleep almost anywhere. It's a talent. 45. How do they like their coffee or tea? Most often, he drinks his coffee black. He will occasionally add plain creamer. He doesn't hate cream and sugar in an iced coffee. He isn't huge on tea, but he'll drink it however Briel makes it for him.

Okay… on my way home.

And Gabriel left the room laughing.

I don't know what you have learned about her death after all this time. Or what you know that the rest of us can't. I don't know if there is anything you could have done to help her. ... I guess none of us ever truly will. ... But I believe I have finally made my peace with that. ... And I know in my soul that you are a good man, Jonathan. ... That's why I called – to tell you that. I know you are a good man. ... You probably don't know I battled cancer six years ago, but now the melanoma has come back in a big way... And I realized... I don't have many opportunities left to tie up loose ends. ... But, you know, I think I'm going to be reunited with her soon. I'll get to see her beautiful face again, and hear her voice, and hold her in my arms. I'll receive the knowledge I've always begged God for -- the good and the bad. And I just wanted you to know... that all will be well. All is well. ... I understand if you don't want to call me back. ... Bye bye now. ...

1) Would your character be surprised by their quiz results? Why or why not? I think Johnny would be a little surprised, but not too much at this point. When he and Gabriel went to marriage counseling after they got back together in 2020, they learned even more about themselves and each other and how to work together to make their marriage successful. It had a lot to do with how each of them prefer to give and receive love. At least back then, he was somewhat taken aback to realize how much words meant to him. 2) Why do you think your character has this style of love language? Are there events in their life that shaped this for them? From the outside, it may be evident to others why Words of Affirmation would be important to Johnny: when it comes down to it, his parents never really gave him much of that. He's busted his ass throughout his life to make them proud, but only rarely heard the confirmation that they are/were. Physical Touch is what he initially guessed was most important to him. He certainly enjoys it; it is #1 for a high percentage of men; and he really hadn't thought much deeper about it than that. Quality Time with his partner means a good deal to him mainly because he has so little of it, and he wants to make what he does have count. Acts of Service is along the same line as Quality Time; he has a lot on his to-do list all the time, so when someone takes something off of it for him, that's nice (although clearly much less than important as compared to the others). He always cherishes any gift he receives as well, but again, the other categories just trump this one. 3) How has your character's love language affected their relationships with people in their lives (past or present)? Johnny is a pretty independent person. In the past, he also had difficulty communicating what bothered him/what he needed in his relationships at times (which directly relates to the issues with his parents described above). Those two concepts combined would sometimes result in him disconnecting, shutting down, or ignoring problems when something was wrong. However, Johnny is an incredibly effective communicator in his career. Due to this, when he was made aware it was a problem in his personal life, he was able to work on improving it fairly quickly. At present, he does a much better job of saying how he feels and asking for what he needs (e.g., Words of Affirmation), even when it's hard. He recognizes that not doing so played a part in the separation from his husband in 2017. 4) How does your character show their affection? (This should be somewhat in line with their quiz results.) In his marriage, Johnny naturally gravitates toward doing what makes Briel feel special. He always has. It took some time, but he definitely committed to memory even the smallest things that make his husband smile or cry or melt in his hands. He wants to make him genuinely happy (and their love languages just coincide well). For them, this often looks like regular, intentional quality time, dates, naturally being more touchy/handsy with each other, and sex. In the beginning of relationships, and even sometimes still as his default mode, Johnny tends toward the opposite of his quiz results: giving gifts and doing acts of service. These come extremely easy to him because they were the majority of examples he had growing up (and what he himself received most as well). He was often shown that the most expensive gift or an elaborate vacation was the way to demonstrate love.