Pre-game thoughts: This should be an interesting chapter to write, my friend... See, my dear friend Grayson (soapitysoap1114) requested this chapter all the way back in January 2018, which was before a lot a lot of stuff. It was before episode 12, before I joined Discord, before I had a cult, before five months of "no homo", before I abandoned my skatebooks to tell stories in a different medium on a different platform... Suffice it to say, this should be a lot of fun!

====

Rating out of 100: I give it a 79/100. It's not amazing to me, but it has enough potential to be interesting.

Do I ship this?: I didn't ship it before episode 12, didn't ship it after episode 12, began to gain an appreciation for it after seeing fanart of it.

Why do I/don't I ship this?: I didn't think their dynamic was all that well-developed or interesting in episode 12, but it's one dynamic with a whole lot of great fanart.

Is this my favorite ship for one/both of the characters?: It's my favorite for Test Tube, but not for Lightbulb.

====

Thoughts on the ship name: TestBulb rolls off the tongue.

My favorite story involving these two: Try soapitysoap1114's "The Bright and the Brains!" That one's an excellent one, although it hasn't updated since 2018. I don't know many of the TestBulb stories here on Wattpad, but that one's definitely a good one.

Things I enjoy in art/stories about them: The various art styles they're drawn in! Some folks draw Test Tube with glasses, or do the shape of Lightbulb in a really interesting way... it's all very nice! In stories, their contrasting dynamic could be used for tons of laughs.

Things I wish I saw more of in art/stories about them: I feel as though there isn't enough exploration of what actually works about their dynamic. I'd also love to see Paintbrush's reaction to such a relationship, and the trio interactions in general.

====

Five headcanons about them:

Lightbulb lights up when she gets flustered (which is rare), and Test Tube bubbles (quite commonly).

Lightbulb would definitely help Test Tube out in the lab. She'd without a doubt bring a lot of chaos to Tube's experiments, but every now and again, her out-of-the-box thinking is a boon that leads to great discoveries.

Test Tube and Lightbulb visit Marshmallow and company at Purgatory Mansion more frequently than some of the other contestants. Led by Lightbulb, they always try to surprise them with their visits. Their surprises range from the pleasant (being served waffles in bed), to the offbeat (repainting the bedroom door), to the... unforgettable (remember that time Lightbulb set Baxter loose on the curtains? That was radical, and cost a couple hundred dollars).

Lightbulb is the one to remember anniversaries, and she's very traditional, in that she comes up with great, wild new traditions for many of them. She probably has a whole list of moments to reenact on special anniversaries to reminisce about past times.. It'd likely tire out Test Tube, but it'd usually be worth it in the end, because they'd do something romantic together.

One of their common dates would be to window-shop. Whether it's at a mall, an open-air market, or a technology convention, it'd be a fun time for both of them to see all the various things on display.

A story I'd write about them, if I had the time/interest:

The Odorous Realizations of Ours, in which Test Tube is invited to Crappy Cliff by a Lightbulb who wants to build up their friendship after Fan was eliminated. Test Tube spends half the date hating on the smell (the story would use the word "grimace" a lot), and the other half of the date is them getting close and then saying "no homo" or variants thereof. At the beginning of the fic, there is a very clear reference to the fact that everyone expects them to get together, but Test and Bulb both think it's silly, that the other's out of their league, and that they aren't really sure of their feelings, anyway. Neither of them would have fully-acknowledged feelings for one another until they share a kiss, wherein everything becomes perfectly clear. (TOROO?)

The holiday that best reflects this ship, and why: Why not Pi Day, March 14th (3/14)? That's a good holiday in which you eat pie and contemplate circles. It's also Albert Einsten's birthday, so you can jot that one down.

Where do they end up in life?: They'd be extremely wealthy from patenting brilliant inventions, but they'd still conduct all kinds of field research in the zaniest and most mysterious forest in the world, filled with lost ruins, strange fauna, deadly flora, and breathtaking sights. It'd give them both ways to break patterns and come closer together, even if it results in a near-death experience every trip.

---

Phew, wrote that in a rush!  Hopefully that was an enjoyable experience for you all (y'all). It's a beautiful new year, and I'm planning on getting back into the Object Show Community with a vengeance. That includes beginning a YouTube channel, which is called SkaterCheese (it's clear which one is mine)! If you'd like to subscribe, that'd be great; I'll be putting out a video later today.

Have a great day, ladies, gentlemen, and variations thereupon!