Glitch

Glitch is from the SyFy miniseries Tin Man and is the "boldly reimagned" version of the Scarecrow from The Wizard of Oz. Half of his brain was taken out by the forces of evil, and there is a functional zipper on his head to denote his status as a headcase. Due to his chronic memory problems plus wide-eyed optimism he's usually not that fussed by this. As of ​July 2011, Glitch has been given his brain back (sort of) by the aliens. Things are weird.
Character Survey of Doom | Permissions Meme
== There are known knowns.==
These are the things we know that we know.
Personality
Glitch has been accused of being a wide-eyed optimist, and if he does tend to look for a silver lining to most situations it with good reason. He has seen true wickedness, and so has a preference for the bright side of things. He is prone to staring into space, wandering off, fidgeting, stating the obvious, and sometimes forgetting personal boundaries and tact. Well aware of his shortcomings Glitch has a self-deprecating sense of humor which can veer into sarcasm, and he loves the occasional bad pun.It's not always sunshine and rainbows, however, as his mood can swing towards melancholy if he dwells on all he's lost. He also carries the burden of nearly ten years meandering a war-torn realm with the zipper on his head marking him as a criminal. Bad things happened to him, and he did what he had to in order to survive. Most of the memories from this time are buried, and he tends to quickly forget what's put him out of sorts and rebounds as if he'd never felt sadness in his life. In this way his condition acts as a defense mechanism, one of the few good things to come of the headcasing.His more minor resets or "glitches" can be annoying if one tries to hold a conversation with him. He can get stuck on a phrase and repeat it over and over until distracted via physical contact, or he can loop back on himself and start an entire discussion over again. If he is given a stable environment and a willing person or two to keep him on track, the glitches will be less frequent and he will improve dramatically. This does not mean he requires any sort of constant supervision as he managed to survive nearly ten years on his own and has developed a keen sense of self-preservation. Being underestimated will rile him.Every now and then one of his glitches will briefly bring forth the old Ambrose parts of his personality and he will behave a bit like he did before the brain surgery. In these moments he is quieter, more lucid, with a touch more of the arrogance and general snobbery that comes with being a member of the nobility.With his whimsical, scattered nature it can be easy to forget that Glitch is a grown man with all the emotions and experiences that entails. He is also a gentleman to the marrow, and while he's forgotten most courtly etiquette he will still strive to be polite. His loyalty to the people he cares about is unwavering, and once you've become his friend he will stand by you through almost any hardship.
== There are known unknowns.==
That is to say, there are things that we now know we don't know.
History
Ambrose was chief adviser to the Queen of the Outer Zone and had a reputation for being the smartest man in the land. While he dabbled in several areas his true talent was invention, and he devised many marvelous creations to help the people of the realm. He was very close with the royal family, and the Queen thought of him as a friend rather than just a member of her staff.Then it all went wrong. The queen's eldest daughter became possessed by the spirit of an ancient Witch, her younger daughter was sent to the Otherside (aka Kansas) for protection, and civil war broke out when the Witch began to seize power. The queen and Ambrose were eventually captured, and Ambrose was ordered to give up his plans for the Sun Seeder, as the Witch had a desire to use the machine to bring eternal darkness to the O.Z. He refused and so she had him headcased, a procedure usually performed on criminals that removed part of the brain and rendered them harmless. With the brain matter in her possession the Witch had no more need for Ambrose and so sent him out to fend for himself.Soon he forgot his real name and began calling himself Glitch, as this is what he did - forget things, repeat himself - and it seemed fitting. For years he wandered the land, until one day he met a girl looking for home, a man who'd lost his heart, and another in need of courage. Together the four of them set out on a quest to defeat the Witch and return the queen to her throne, hopefully finding their own missing pieces along the way.
== But there are also unknown unknowns.==
These are things we do not know we don't know.
Life In Taxon
Glitch stepped off the ladder in the Realm of the Unwanted and onto the arrival platform in Sanctuary. After a few days spent wandering the city he was delighted when DG arrived, along with the Northern Island, and the two of them decided to live there. He still did a lot of trolling wandering, and set up a lab/workshop outside of the palace.
Due to a glitch in which he briefly got his brain back, Glitch did some self-evaluation and decided that optimism alone would not improve his lot in life. He decided to take a more proactive approach to dealing with everything. His social circle gradually expanded, including a foul-tempered but vulnerable werewolf named Judith and an exceptionally dazzling vampire named Levi. In time they'd both be counted among his best friends in life, no matter how briefly they touched it.
Like many of Taxon's citizens Glitch took the Doctor's threats to blow up the city seriously, and while trying to reunite with DG ended up caught in the "warning shot" explosion on the tram lines. He spent the next several week recovering from various injuries, but the worst and most lingering of these was a concussion that wiped out a number of his recent memories. Thankfully he started keeping many notes since arriving in Taxon, so a lot of the blanks can be filled.
His relationship with DG, built on a foundation of intense loyalty, affection, and a mutual need for an anchor in the ever-changing world of Taxon, finally reached a romantic consummation. Unfortunately she turned into the Witch of the Dark and almost killed him right after that, but the glitch was thankfully brief. Immediately following that the forces running Taxon instituted an economy, so they converted the workshop into a commercial venture and hired Kaylee Frye to help out with futuristic projects.
The next month brought musical theater, tension in the form of Glitch being hesitant about making his relationship with DG public, and the revelation that he'd been speaking with the Doctor about getting his brain back. Things came to a head when the Doctor enlisted their help in the rescue of his friends (Tara and Morgana among them) from the Master, and it was decided that the brain prototype would be tested once the crisis was over. Unfortunately, the Doctor vanished before this could come to pass.
After this was a series of disappearances, beginning with Judith (which lead Glitch to Fangtasia looking to check in on Levi, only to get glamoured and bitten by Eric), followed by Morgana, Levi, and Shane. Glitch coped with all of this the only way he knew how: denial, repression, and staying as close as possible to those who remained. This became all the more important when visions of Taxon's immanent destruction filtered through the populace. When the system crash happened he left the city with DG in the hopes of finding a way home, but all they found was the despair of Old Taxon. After exploring for a time with Spade, they were teleported back to Sanctuary.
Eventually he and DG were given updated memories showing that they did save the O.Z. (and find the missing half of Glitch's brain). By now, however, Glitch was pretty much convinced he didn't need it: he was smart enough without it, and happy with the person he had become.
Unfortunately the aliens were not convinced of this, and the next several months saw him getting tinkered with. On one occasion he was changed into a clone of himself, then much of the city was affected by bodyswapping (Glitch ended up as Kara while Ax got his body...and half-a-brain), and then there was a bizarre interlude where he was Ambrose again, only an Othersider. In the midst of all this chaos Wyatt Cain came to Taxon, which led to a period of awkwardness and adjustment as Cain came to terms with his abduction and his friends' changed relationship.
Wackiness continues to ensue.
Glitches Of A Different Color
Holidays - First there was Fred!Illyria and the tree, then DG and the mistletoe, and then he met an elf and ended up infused with holiday cheer along with Buffy.
Ambrose - Glitch wakes up and suddenly has the rest of his brain. He knows it is for a limited time, and tries to make the most of it.
House Party' - In which Glitch, three strangers, and a forgotten acquaintence spend twelve hours stuck in a house of glass. Good times.
The Wicked Witch of Taxon - DG gets possessed by the Witch, things go badly.
Full Monty - Which has an Emcee impression. Wunderbar!
It's A Cool, Cruel World - In which Glitch becomes Fegan Floop and everyone except Anya hates him.
Bodyswappery - Behold: Superglitch
Pleasantville - Ambrose Langwe - educator
== Mad(dening) Skillz ==
thumb|right|250px|Glitch graduated from Ninja Tech.
Once upon a time Glitch was an unparalleled genius. As an inventor he created the TDESPHTL - Tri-Dimensional Energy Stored Projected Holographic Time Loop - and so he is familiar with holographic technology. He also invented a machine called the Sun Seeder which was designed to slow the suns and extend the growing season, indicating a very good grasp on astronomy and physics. Glitch is a "fantastic dancer" with a knowledge of most classical, courtly styles and a penchant for improvisation. His excellent sense of rhythm aids him in hand-to-hand (or rather his-foot-to-your-head) combat, and he is quite skilled at a fighting form that resembles taekwondo. No, really, check the video.However, due to only having half of his brain he is liable to forget any or all of this at any given moment. A misfiring of his synapses (a "glitch" if you will) can result in simple things like losing someone's name or the track of a conversation, or a total reset when he can temporarily forget who he is, where he, and what's going on around him. Needless to say he has a terrible sense of direction and has a great deal of trouble putting names and faces together. Glitch is also afraid of heights, freaked out by scarecrows, suffers sinus flare-ups due to various allergies, and doesn't hold up well on overly long walks.
== Relationships ==
=== Canon ===
*DG - The lost princess destined to save the Outer Zone, DG is Glitch's best friend and so much more. Getting kidnapped to Taxon has caused them both much pain, but there has also been a lot of happiness and their bond has been strengthened into something unbreakable. He's not sure he could survive here without her.
*Wyatt Cain - Grumpy tin man with masculinity issues. He and Glitch and DG and Raw saved the world, and in Glitch's mind this means they share a ~bond of brotherhood~ (or something) and thus Cain is never ever getting rid of him. If bromances could be labeled "it's complicated," this one would qualify.
*Raw - Viewer who is not half as cowardly as one would think.
*Azkadellia - Evil sorceress of evil. Or not.
=== Taxony People ===
*Buffy Summers - ...okay this is a new Buffy whom he doesn't exactly KNOW, per se, but he looks forward to hopefully making friends all over again.
*Kaylee Frye - Greasemonkeys unite! He hired her to work in the shop to handle the wacky distant-future space tech that would likely boggle DG and himself.
*Paul Smecker - Cranky FBI guy with good intentions.
*Mayland Long - Fascinating conversationalist and sometimes dragon.
*Willow Rosenberg - Good witch, runs the magic shop now. Is generally nifty and they need to hang out more.
*Drusilla - Creepy lady who likes dolls.
*Jenna Sommers - Gave her tablet lessons.
*Fitz Kreiner - Runs that bar with the singing.
*Helen Magnus - Is as polite and smart as ever.
== It's All About Rhythm ==
Steam Engenius (Modest Mouse)
* I was born in a factory far away from the milky teat, what's the use? O what's the use? You cheered as I was split in half, a mechanical sacrificial calf for you, oh all for you.
Word Disassocation (Lemon Demon)
* Rectangular, awkward, hurt, million, controvert, never, undressing, sneer. Blue, therapy, fall, inside, father, dethrone, applied, guillotine, apprehensive, engineer
The Prayer (Bloc Party)
* Tonight make me unstoppable and I will charm, I will slice, I will dazzle them with my wit. Tonight make me unstoppable and I will charm, I will slice, I will dazzle I will outshine them all.
When It All Goes Wrong Again (Everclear)
* I see pictures in the clouds so obscene I've got to laugh out loud. I look back to find my way, reminisce and laugh about the good ol' days.
Sound And Vision (David Bowie)
* I will sit right down waiting for the gift of sound and vision...drifting into my solutide, over my head.
Where Is My Mind? (The Pixies)
* With your feet in the air and your head on the ground try this trick and spin it, yeah. Your head will collapse cuz there's noting in it, and you'll ask yourself...where is my mind?
Senses Working Overtime (XTC)
* And all the world is biscuit shaped, it's just for me to feed my face. And I can see hear smell touch taste...
Gin Soaked Boy (The Divine Comedy)
*I'm the ghost in the machine, I'm the genius in the gene, I'm the beauty in the beast, I'm the sunset in the east.
That's Life (cover by Alan Cumming)
* I've been a puppet, a pauper, a pirate, a poet, a pawn and a king I've been up and down and over and out, and I know one thing. Each time I find myself flat on my face, I pick myself up and get back in the race.
History Sticks To Your Feet (Modest Mouse)
* Well the past only exists as tiny bricks we burn to release all its memories / I've had enough with rolling boulders, I want more moss on me.
Full playlist here (friendslocked).
== Other Stuff ==
Yes, that is a Donald Rumsfeld quote /feels dirty
Glitch is not mine, neither is Tin Man, and Alan Cumming of course belongs to his own fabulous self. No profit, no harm, no foul.
Category:Characters
Category:Tin Man
Category:Humans (Non-Earthlings)
Category:Altered Humans
Category:Fantasy
Category:Inventors
Category:Royalty & Nobility