#ALSO IM SERIOUS ABOUT THE CHILD OF LIGHT SOUNDTRACK

[mania-sama]

3. What work are you most proud of (regardless of kudos/hits)?

6. Favorite title you used / 29. Favorite line/passage you wrote this year?

19. What’s one pairing you want to explore next year?

27. What do you listen to while writing?

yes thank you SO much for sending in questions!! i will take any and all opportunities to talk about myself. i seem to REALLY yap in this though so be warned

➼ 3. What work are you most proud of (regardless of kudos/hits)?

I have a few fics in mind, mainly because I am quite proud of myself any time I am able to produce something I like, but I think just one takes the cake. And I am going to talk about it.

I am so, so incredibly proud of with every line, a comedy. Where do I even begin with this fic? All in all, I think it's a very emotionally impactful story. The entire moral of it is that it is better to handle grief with someone rather than alone. In the last chapter, to resolve the prevailing conflict, Kaveh and Alhaitham... have a conversation on their living room couch. Yes. And while that reads rather anticlimactically, the entire story had been leading up to that, that one conversation. It's when everything is revealed, like at the end of a Sherlock Holmes novel where Sherlock explains the entire mystery in a few paragraphs. The conversation is vulnerable, raw, miserable, and most importantly, packed full of love.

You see, the story follows the Genshin Impact characters Alhaitham and Kaveh (which I'm sure none of my followers know or play Genshin, so the only context needed is that they are roommates with extremely queer undertones. They also have never really had dreams, like the action of dreaming while asleep, until the beginning of the fic). Right after they regain their dreams, Alhaitham has a series of nightmares in which places, people, and things are destroyed without his control. Kaveh, on the other hand, starts sleepwalking. Since it's set in Alhaitham's point of view, Alhaitham spends the entire fic trying to unravel the mystery behind Kaveh's sleepwalking dreams before Kaveh breaks. But Alhaitham is emotionally stunted, and Kaveh is making it incredibly difficult for Alhaitham to get anywhere at all. Kaveh doesn't want to open up, but Alhaitham knows Kaveh needs to. Every night, Kaveh is getting into increasingly dangerous situations where he's getting harmed. His behavior is closed-off and erratic, which is out-of-character for him except for in times of stress.

I ran with the idea that dreams are a way for the mind to process information. I used that to show how trauma may leak through. To avoid spoiling anything, all I will say is that Kaveh was reliving a childhood memory. For Alhaitham, I feel like a character as meticulous as him would hate it when things fell apart in a manner that he had no control over. The first dream involves a library collapsing, the next of his house on fire. His dreams are also a reflection of his real life; outside of his first, the rest of his dreams all have the commonality of Kaveh. His mind is absolutely flooded with worry, and that comes out in his subconscious frequently.

Everything about this fic is so special to me. Alhaitham is both deaf and neurodivergent in the fic, so I got to play with how he would view his own deafness and how that would come out in his dreams (which meant I got to make up fun hand signs for his and Kaveh's names!). Tighnari administers numbing shots and medical care on his living room couch at midnight, which is a vital scene to show how important a support system is (people willing to help you in times of need, regardless of how impractical the help may be, and how a support system should not be just one person). And, of course, the whole thing is about how vulnerability is not a sign of weakness; it is a strength. It is not strong to carry weight alone - you will collapse under it. Not only will you hurt, but you will hurt others who love and care about you.

There is also another moral buried in there somewhere about how privacy is important. If someone does not divulge information, especially about their trauma or past, then you have no right to obtain it in other ways. That person will feel betrayed, and any trust you built, any progress you'd made in getting that person to open up; it will be destroyed, and their personal progress in healing from that trauma may be damaged.

I am proud of this fic because I achieved exactly what I wanted to. I told an impactful story with an important moral that not only spoke to me, but to the people who read it. I will love it to the day I die.

➼ 6. Favorite title you used

Most of my fics are song titles, which means only a handful of titles came from my head. That being said, gojo satoru's guide to being a good father: cheating is only tolerable if it happens in monopoly has GOT to be my favorite. When I tell you I let go in this fic, it's not only in regards to the story. It starts in the TITLE. It still makes me giggle every time I read it. Like, yeah, I AM funny.

It's also good, in my opinion, because it gives me an easy opportunity to revisit it if I make another fic/make a series out of it. For example, I did have another short one-shot I wanted to add to it that kind of resembles the same out-of-pocket storyline, perhaps in the same universe, which I had lovingly titled gojo satoru's guide to being a good father: boyfriends are Public Enemy #1 unless they get accidentally arrested for tax fraud. I just love that I have a place to return to if I ever need to let myself go again.

(I have a fic in the works that may top that, however. But I will not reveal it because I have FULL intentions of finishing and releasing that fic... at some point.)

➼ 29. Favorite line/passage you wrote this year?

This will not come as a surprise. I didn't write a lot of fics this year, but I blame that on being inordinately busy and having started a LOT of long fics, but never completing them (staring hard at the four and a half chapters of the Jujutsu Kaisen x Hunger Games AU rotting in my docs). I could pull something from there because God knows there's a lot of it, but I won't. I will give you a line from what I think is my most well-written fic this year (and of all time), if you need me, dear, i'm the same as i was:

“—you would have stayed.” Iwaizumi finishes, his entire body tensed as tightly as a coiled spring. “That’s why I never asked. I wanted to. God knows I wanted to, but I didn’t. Because if I had told you that I couldn’t bear the very idea of you being further than a train ride away from me, you would’ve stayed in Japan, and you would have been miserable. The only thing here for you was me, and I am not good enough to get in the way of your career.” And Iwaizumi can’t stop now. “Here’s something that you don’t understand, Oikawa. When you love someone, you let them go.”

If WELAC didn't exist, this fic would be the answer to the first question you asked. I am incredibly proud of this fic; not a single word was wasted. This line in particular was one that I had in mind when I started the fic; getting there was the rest of the story. In fact, the conversation that Iwaizumi and Oikawa have to get to this spot nearly gave me an aneurysm. No matter what, these two did not want to talk to each other. They did not want to have a meaningful conversation; they did not want to address the elephant in the room even if their lives depended on it. I had to WRESTLE them into conversing.

And that second-to-last and last part of his speech ("The only thing here for you was me, and I am not good enough to get in the way of your career." & “Here’s something that you don’t understand, Oikawa. When you love someone, you let them go.”) is what's important. When you look at the entire, not once does Iwaizumi ever express any self-doubt or self-deprecation towards his career or his abilities or even in his relationship with Oikawa prior to Oikawa's departure. He's not confident, per se, but he knows he does his job well and he'd been a good friend. The speech is not, therefor, making a commentary on himself not "being good enough" for anyone or anything. He knows Oikawa well enough to know that Oikawa will never get more love or joy out of anything except for volleyball. Iwaizumi did not want to get in the way of that. He did not want Oikawa to settle for someone that would prevent him from achieving great things.

Hence, he is not good enough to get in the way of Oikawa's happiness. And that context is important to understanding the second part about letting your loved ones go. He knows Oikawa loves him, and he loves Oikawa in return. But that love would only clip Oikawa's wings. Even if Oikawa hates him for it, even if he doesn't understand why Iwaizumi wouldn't keep him caged, Iwaizumi knew it was better to let Oikawa go. Like how one releases an eagle after months or years of rehabilitation, Iwaizumi opened his arms and let Oikawa fly.

So, that's why it may be my favorite. But the whole fic is my favorite, really. Every line and passage could have been picked and it would have been an accurate answer to this question.

➼ 19. What’s one pairing you want to explore next year?

SakuAtsu (Sakusa Kiyoomi/Miya Atsumu from Haikyuu). It's all the previous fic's fault; they squeezed their way in as a background pairing and now I have made it my life's mission to produce a fic about them. Trust that I have three fics in the works right now. THREE. At least one will be released by next year. It's bound to happen.

➼ 27. What do you listen to while writing?

Nothing? Anything with lyrics is very distracting to me. I find that I am the most productive at two in the morning when everything is quiet and still. Everyone is sleeping, the streets are quiet, no birds chirping outside my window... I work best in silence with my phone buried somewhere that I can't get distracted by it.

I did go through a streak where I did play music, although it was purely instrumental. They weren't instrumentals of lyric-based songs, either; it was classical playlists and video game music from Genshin Impact and Child of Light. I actually listened to so much of the Child of Light soundtrack one year that I got into the top listeners on Spotify, and I received a message from the composer! Totally recommend both of those game soundtracks.

[brelione]

Wish I Was Sarah PT.1(Kiara Carrera X Reader)

Kiara had first met you 3rd of December.You had been at a party,a christmas party to be specific.You were a kook which meant your parents forced you to go to all the big mansion parties all the time.All of the big ones were there,Sarah Cameron,Topper Thornton,Rafe Cameron,Kiara Carrera.All of them.

You had worn a sweater over a simple t shirt,too lazy to put on a dress like all the others.Your parents were just glad that you had agreed to make an appearance even if you looked like shit.You had sat in the corner of the couch,earbuds in.You were listening to Sweater Weather,thinking it was funny because you were,in fact,wearing a sweater.

Kiara had stood at the snack table for a while,holding a disgusting monstrosity of a cookie,debating on picking off the sprinkles and throwing them away.She had never really been a fan of sprinkles.She had glanced around the crowds,the moms talking as they ate cheese cubes,the dads talking as they drank beers and wine,the other teens probably getting high up in the bathroom.Then her eyes fell on you.

She felt her face heat up immediately,staring at you for a while.You were underdressed for the occasion,your earbuds in as you sat curled up on the couch,seeming tired of being there.She debated herself in her head,trying to decide whether to approach you or not.Eventually she gave in,walking across the room with fake confidence,sitting down next to you.She watched as you tensed up,your eyes going wide,your bottom lip between your teeth,wondering what she wanted.

You pulled out an earbud,looking up at the beautiful girl that had decided to sit next to you of all places. “Hey.”She smiled,holding out her hand to you. “Im Kiara.”She introduced herself.You pulled out your other earbud,a small grin on your face. “Hi.Im (Y/N).”You shook her hand,feeling your face heat up a bit. “So um….yeah.What song were you listening to?”She asked,trying not to laugh at how dumb she sounded.You showed her your phone,finding yourself moving closer to her on the couch. “You like Frozen ll a lot.”She laughed,watching you scroll through the playlist.

You nodded,handing her an earbud to make her listen to Lost In The Woods. “Ive never seen Frozen ll.”She admitted,watching as your jaw dropped and your eyes widened. “Kiara!Oh my god-whats wrong with you?”Your voice became higher as you talked,your hand covering your mouth.She laughed at you,shrugging. “Wait,have you seen the first one?”You asked.She nodded,watching as a look of relief came across your face. “Okay,did you like it?”You asked.She shrugged once again,smiling at your enthusiasm. 

“The second one is better I promise.”You answered.She rolled her eyes,leaning back against the couch. “Im serious!The soundtrack,the animation everything is so much better!”You exclaimed,shaking your phone as you spoke.She nodded. “Yeah,whatever you say.”She replied,watching as you tried to convince her. “You have to watch it!Please?”You pouted.She nodded,making you clap your hands in excitement as you went into your disney plus app.She watched as you scrolled through the movies,a big grin on your face because you had easily defeated her.

 “Its so cold in here.Who puts air conditioning on in december?”She complained out loud.You handed her your phone for a moment,not hesitating to pull off your sweater and hand it to her. “That’s pretty warm.”You told her,not really thinking about it.Her face turned red,biting her bottom lip as she held back a smile.

She had originally regretted her wardrobe choice of a green dress,the fabric light and flowy,her arms exposed which caused goosebumps to rise across her caramel skin.She didnt regret it now though as she pulled on your sweater,the warm fabric making the goosebumps go away.Her heart was thumping as you moved incredibly close to her,handing her an earbud and holding your phone in front of the two of you.

As you reached the point of Into The Unknown it was announced that dinner was ready,ham,turkey,potatoes,corn,rolls,pretty much everything imaginable.It disgusted you that you all had a feast of expensive,high quality food while people in The Cut were lucky to have a meal a day.The adults called the other teens downstairs for the meal and you promised Kiara that you’d finish watching it after.You two decided to sit next to eachother at the table,your sweater still on her.

She offered it back to you,saying that she didnt want to get food on it but you told her that it was fine and that it looked better on her anyways. “So the movie...what do you think about it so far?”You had asked softly as Kelce and Topper came down the stairs. “Its good.Its good,like you said,better than the first for sure.”She nodded,eyebrows furrowing when she noticed your eyes falling away from her and towards someone walking down the stairs.Sarah fucking Cameron.The blonde was wearing a nice,light grey dress that looked amazing on her figure,her hair in pretty braids.

Kiara saw the look in your eyes,the way they were full of wonder,mesmorized by Sarah Cameron.She felt like dying,like being eaten up by a black hole as she wondered how she could be so stupid.She had thought that maybe you were interested in her but it was probably because she had been the only girl there.Now that Sarah was here she would be lucky if she could get your attention back again. 

“So what do you think of the theory about Elsa?”She asked,glaring at Sarah.Your face heated up,taking your eyes off of the pretty blonde and back to Kiara. “What theory?”You asked,glancing over at Sarah every couple of moments.Kiara tried to hide her anger,covering it with a small grin. “The one about her being a lesbian.What do you think of it?”She asked,trying to learn more about you and if she even had a chance.You bit your lip,looking over at the plate of biscuits. 

“I mean,I think at this point we all just want representation in disney and in like,media in general but I dont think Elsa is a lesbian.I feel like she might be aromantic or maybe...well,I dont really know.There’s nothing-well,you know she actual might be a lesbian,”You paused,leaning forward to grab a biscuit and put it on your plate. 

“There’s this one scene in Frozen ll,ill point it out to you that has like vibes to it.But then again just because she doesnt have a male love interest doesnt exactly mean she’s a lesbian.Moana and Merida didnt have guys that they were in love with but that doesnt mean they’re lesbians.Merida might be a lesbian,have you seen how good she is in nature and cooking fish in the wild?And how she knew those berries were poison?Thats some cottage core lesbian shit.What was I talking about?”you asked,realising you had gotten caught up in the topic and had forgotten the original question.

Kiara smiled,glad to hear you speak so passionately about something. “If Elsa is a lesbian.”She held back a laugh,watching as the realisation came across your face. “Right,so the answer is yes but also no but also yes.Like at least fifty percent yes but also no but im 1000% confident in Merida being a lesbian.”You confirmed,cutting open your biscuit.She nodded,trying to think of a new topic before she lost your attention again. “So the whole thing of people shipping Else with Jack Frost.What do you think of that?”She asked,laughing when your fists slapped down in your lap,gaining the attention of Rafe and Sarah. 

“Dude literally it makes no sense!Jack Frost isnt even disney!Like the only reason anyone ever shipped them was because they have the same powers but Jack is like 300 years old and hes like...energetic and giggly and child-like and immature and she would get so annoyed so quick!She’s introverted and serious and of course theres nothing wrong with that but she gets like too embarrassed too fast and I cant see them ever getting together or even being friends.Like,Merida is most definitely a lesbian but if they’re gonna ship Jack with anyone it should be her!Their personalities are so similar.”You huffed,biting into a half of your biscuit.

She nodded,grabbing a scoop of mashed potatoes and putting it onto her plate. “Yeah,definitely.So who is your favorite disney princess?”She asked,sending a bitter glare towards Sarah.Sarah had been staring at you during your passionate speech,filtering out the other voices to listen to you.She found you fascinating,intriguing.She was trying to figure out why she didnt know you or if you were new to the island.You glanced her way,smirking to yourself when you saw her blush. “Um...I dont think I have a favorite.They’re all powerful and wonderful in their own ways and they all have pretty cool stories.Except Pocahontas,I hate that they romanticize colonization and in reality she was like ten and he was in his late twenties.The soundtrack was great though.”You shrugged,taking a sip of root beer.

She nodded,listening in to what the old folks were talking about.There were more people outside who had opted to take plates of food out there.Kiara wouldve preferred to go outside but it was colder out there and she hadnt been prepared.Her mother was looking at her from across the table but Kiara couldnt care less,too busy searching for your parents. “Hey,(Y/N)?”She asked quietly,getting your attention off of your biscuit. “Where are your parents?”She asked.You shrugged,getting your own scoop of mashed potatoes. “I think they’re outside.I dunno.”You answered.She nodded,continuing to eat,sending a glare towards Sarah every couple of moments. 

“Eat faster so we can finish the movie.”You told her,not thinking about it as you spoke.She smiled,hurrying to eat. “Wait,why dont we just go outside and watch it?”She suggested.You bit your cheek,trying to figure out why you hadnt thought of that.You nodded,standing up and picking up your root beer,balancing it on your plate and walking out of the house,Kiara close behind you. “Where are we going?”She asked.You grinned,careful as you walked down the hill. “I know a spot.”You answered,walking across the sand of the beach.

You had explored pretty much all spots of the beach and had found your favorite one,a cave behind a wall of rocks that you had personalized.You walked towards the rock wall,slipping through the crack. “What is this place?”She asked,still following you.You smiled,turning on your phone flash light so you could see the lantern that you had put in there,turning it on.Her face lit up,looking around the cave.Pillows,sheets,blankets,pretty curtains hanging from the walls,a bin of paints so you could paint the rocks. “Thats such a good question.I really dont know how it got here,I just went through the crack one day and kind of just found it.”You shrugged,sitting down in the pile of pillows and patting the spot next to you.She sat down,shifting so she was as close to you as possible,leaning her head against your shoulder to test the waters.You pulled the earbuds from you phone,turning up the volume of the movie.

@poguestyleskye​ @jjtheangel​ @balanceofgray​​ @outerbongs​  @copper-boom​  @httpstarkey​ @teenwaywardasgardian 

If you’d like to be tagged in all future JJ imagines/headcannons/series comment with a heart,if you’d like to be tagged in all future Pope imagines/headcannons/series comment with a smiling face,if you’d like to be tagged in all future Rafe imagines/headcannons/series comment with a frowning face,if you’d like to be tagged in all future Kiara imagines/headcannons/series comment with a question mark and if you’d like to be tagged in all future Sarah Cameron imagines/headcannons/series comment with a plus sign.If you’d like to be tagged in all Kelce content coment with a “>” and if youd like to be tagged in all Topper content comment with a “%”.Or if thats too complicated you can just comment whose name you’d like to be tagged in.

[askherbcookieandcompany]

Do you have any cookie run ocs?

I don't care if some of these exist in canon it's 1.30 am I don't wish to sleep so sue me

S'mores Cookie

He/They

~14

Asexual Panromantic

Likes to go camping

TODAY WE LEARN ABOUT FIRE SAFETY. LESSON ONE DON'T BRING FIRE SPIRIT ANYWHERE

Like he's pretty much a little scout and its adorable he has little badges

Soft and Squishy

Untall

Chocolate Chip Cookie

They/Them

19

Demisexual Biromantic

Has a twin who is not as sweet (srsly raisin cookies look too much like the chocolate chip ones and its not fun)

Long leggy

Long limbed in general tbh

Not a fan of kids

Acts like a badass but isn't

At all

Don't let them fool you

I realize they're kinda just me but whatever

Snickerdoodle Cookie

She/They

24

Gay

Is not/ is not related to/ an alterego of Cinnamon Cookie

SCIENCE

Biology specifically is an interest

Crushing big time on Cocoa and at one point Triple Fudge

Triple Fudge Cookie

He/Him

19

Pansexual

Lemme see what you have "A KNIFE"

*long sigh*

Has not slept

Thank god for caffeine

Oh god too much please stop

Meme Child

Teaches Angel how to say Fuck

For whatever reason he dislikes DJ

Keep Quiet and Calm

Angst and Anger are only two emotions

It gets better because I like this one

Pinwheel Cookie

She/Her

An actual child (don't even think it 🔫)

Who Cares she's like 7

A lil dancer

Twirls a lot

AND SHE DOES GREAT AT IT

Whipped Cream is her idol

~Spinning~

Quiet Voiced

But friendly and social

Treat with love and care

Fortune Cookie

Doesn't care

22

Asexual Heteromantic

Can see the future

But is vague

Eats paper

Round

Also Talln't

Likes to C R O N C H

"Triple Fudge I will fucking love and respect the hell out of you"

And she will

Not just to Triple Fudge but you as well you can't stop it

Mom Friend

Apple Cider Cookie

She/They

17

Bisexual

Just think of this but cookie:

You may think im joking but im not

Im dead serious

Peanut Butter Cookie

He/They

16

Asexual Aromantic

Dont ask about Jelly

Just dont be that guy

Loved their Spouse

Pinwheel's Uncle and Guardian

Don't touch their kid

Doesnt know how to cook

Trying their best

Has the entire Moana Soundtrack memorized

CONSIDER THE COCONUT

Tries to relate to Molasses but isn't doing top great but he's learning give it time

Molasses Cookie

Questioning

17

Questioning

Edgy Teen

Or tries to

Actually just sad

Or depressed idk its 2am

Little Burnt from oven

Puns

Also dark humor

Stop that you're making your father concerned

Gay for Triple Fudge

Needs to eat something

YouTube

Has walked into 3 stop signs

Has a traffic light hidden in the basement

All black clothing

[balancedpluto]

All arcana asks ;)

I hate u so much Hayden. Putting it under a read more cuz HECK this is a lot. Also u can clearly tell Rose is my most fleshed out apprentice lmao. U can also tell when I started to burn out lol. THIS TOOK ME ALL DAY HECK

1. Name? Surname?Rose LaFontaineAaron (???)Lyra (???)

2. Any Family?Rose: she has a sister who’s 10 years older than her named Yvette, she’s a pirate. And her mother still lives in Fantasy France.Aaron: SO MANYLyra:….she doesn’t like to talk about it

3.Any Familiar?Rose: A bull mastiff named Mika who can change in size (so she can fit in a pocket or be the size of a horse, at her will)Aaron: A bearded dragon named Sir Slappy Skiddaddly the Third Lyra: A cute little rat named Pixie

4.Asra, Nadia, or Julian?Rose: JulianAaron: AsraLyra: Nadia

5. Best strength in magic?Rose: IllusionsAaron: Fire magic. Anyone who follows Eereree saw this coming.Lyra: the creation and manipulation of light

6. Favorite color?Rose: Maroon or light pink Aaron: Red. Surprise surprise Lyra: Purple

7. Favorite number?Rose: 69Aaron: 420Lyra: HOW DID YOU TWO ANSWER THAT SO FAST??? Uhh, 7?

8. Sexuality?Rose: BiAaron: PanLyra: Lesbian

9. Weird hobby?Rose: not really weird so much as unexpected for her, but she likes to sew and knit.Aaron: Weed lmaoLyra: Buying books but never actually getting around to reading them.

10. Favorite season?Rose: SpringAaron: FallLyra: Spring as well

11. Favorite weather?Rose: Sunny, but not hot.Aaron: Thunderstorms Lyra: Drizzly

12. Favorite place in Vesuvia?Rose: The Raven, or Mazelinka’s place. She loves that lady like she was her own grandmother.Aaron: The market. That pumpkin bread thoLyra: The palace library

13. How does their laughter sound like?Rose: Sober, its a soft almost teasing giggle. Drunk, loud cackling. Both are very charming in their own way.Aaron: LOUDLyra: giggling and soft snorting

14. How do they look like when they cry?Rose: She doesn’t cry often so when she does its…a lot. Loud gross sobbing often accompanied by yelling. Its not pretty.Aaron: Ghibli tears. You can’t convince me otherwise.Lyra: A lot of sniffling

15. What do they like to wear?Rose: Long dresses/skirts with low cut tops. Her brests are her best asset and she’s gonna show em whether you like it or not.Aaron: Tits out. That’s all u need to know.Lyra: Long, modest cut dresses with a corset. Very simple, but she always looke nice.

16. What are their fears?Rose: Fears? Don’t know her. (Actually death, which is…ironic considering the circumstances)Aaron: Abandonment. And cockroaches.Lyra: Rejection. The dark.

17. What do they like to do Friday night?Rose: put on fancy lingerie, get wasted, and play card games.Aaron: Blaze it lmaoLyra: (cuddling with Nadia) Reading

18. Do they use makeup?Yes. All 3 of them.

19. Favorite food?Rose: Mama LaFontaine’s crepesAaron: Spicy Vegetarian ChiliLyra: Cookies (technically not FOOD, but sweets are her big weakness)

20. Favorite drink?Rose: Rosé wine. Sounds redundant considering her name, but thats why she likes it. Growing up she thought it was named after her.Aaron: Just water, surprisingly.Lyra: Green tea

21. Zodiac sign?Rose: CancerAaron: Cancer Lyra: Aquarius(I dont care i have two apprentices that are the same sign leave me alone)

22. Day of birth?Honestly haven’t even thought if that lmao

23. Favorite movie?Rose: Heathers. She loves a bad bitch movie.Aaron: Shrek. Lyra: Not really a movie person tbh. She likes Disney stuff tho.

24. Favorite music genre?Rose: Classic rock or indie. Also has an interest in things involving old or obscure instruments.Aaron: Pop PunkLyra: Soft indie or video game soundtracks

25. Favorite song?Rose: Over the Hills and Far Away- Patty GurdyAaron: It’s Never Sunny in South Philadelphia-The Wonder YearsLyra: Youth- Daughter

26. Favorite TV show?Rose: Likes to watch cooking shows cuz its usually the only thing good onAaron: Doesn’t really do TVLyra: Also not really into TV, will put on like, QVC or something for background noise tho (im guilty of this)

27. What is their style?Rose: Like i said before. Long skirt, tits OUT.Aaron: Lazy but somehow manages to look hot? How does he do that???Lyra: Simple and modest, but always in pretty colors.

28. Any mental health issues?Rose: She has some anger issues, along with a tendency to bottle everything upAaron: hrrhgghh i haven’t gotten that deep with him WHOOPSLyra: Really bad anxiety

29. Any health issues in general?Not really?

30. Are they human?Yeah….or are they dancer?

31. Favorite book?Rose: She honestly can’t remember the last time she had time to read for fun.Aaron: Wtf is a book lolLyra: Don’t make her choose for the love of god

32. Favorite book genre?The person writing these questions assumes I know books lmao

33. Favorite time of the day?Rose: SunsetAaron: Early afternoonLyra: Like, really early morning. My sweet child why are you awake this early

34. If they weren’t a magician, who would they be?Rose: A pirate like her sister. Unless this is meant as like a modern AU then she’d probably sew and knit cute things and sell them online.Aaron: Probably a video game youtuber tbhLyra: Not much different, only she’d run a little mom and pop knick knack/ book store instead of a magic shop

35. Do they believe in ghosts?Yeah

36. Do they believe in aliens?Kind of?

37. Do they like sports?What is this…sport you speak of?

38. How do they look like?Sexy

Rose: 

Aaron:

Lyra:

(art by @willowwish64 )

39. What is their biggest motivation to solve the Lucio’s killer mystery?Rose: To clear Julian’s name Aaron: To make sure it wasn’t him and he just doesn’t remember. I mean…fire is kinda his thing, so…Lyra: To put Nadia’s mind at ease

40. What do they think of Lucio so far?Rose: “He’s an asshole.”Aaron: “Goatman! Fuck you, goatman!”Lyra: “I can never look at a goat again without feeling terrified”

41. What do they think of Nadia so far?Rose: “She’s the kind of woman I strive to be. I have so much respect for her.”Aaron: “A smart, capable woman. Also really hot like wowie.”Lyra: “She’s so amazing and so beautiful and i don’t know why she likes me so much, I’m so dull compared to her and-” (this can go on for hours)

42. What do they think of Asra so far?Rose: “A great friend and mentor. I’d do anything for him.”Aaron: “He’s like…a human sheep…but really skinny…imagine hugging cotton candy filled with bones…its amazing. Also dat ass.” (He loves him but he’s bad at serious answers)Lyra: “A close friend to whom i owe my life”

43. What do they think of Julian so far?Rose: “Oh, Julian. How do i begin to describe how i feel about him? I’ve never met someone who’s so smart and witty yet so dumb? And he’d do anything for you but doesn’t think he deserves the same, even though he does. And, well, i could go on but the long and the short of it is, I love that idiot.”

Aaron: “He’s like a taller, hotter version of me AND IM SO PISSED”Lyra: “he sure is…something”

44. What do they think of Portia so far?Rose: “My future sister in law???? I love her so much! ”Aaron: “She’s…so small…my god im surrounded by small people”Lyra: “She’s so lovely!! She’s like my best friend!”

45. What do they think of Muriel so far?Rose: “He…doesn’t like to talk much does he? And he’s so…TALL. Makes you wonder about…things.”Aaron: “Him big. ”Lyra: “He…kind of scares me a bit? ”

46. Do they like animals?OF COURSE

47. Are they allergic to anything?Nope

48. Do they have any talents (except magic)?Rose: Again, she’s really good at sewing/knittingAaron: He can lick his elbow. And he shows off his “skill” to everyone. Charming i know.Lyra: She’s really good with animals

49. Do they get drunk easily?Rose: No, she can hold her liquor pretty well. She usually just gets tipsyAaron and Lyra: YES

50 .What is their personality type?*fart noises*

51. What is their worst negative quality?Rose: She tends to dodge any question that’ll make her show any negative emotion. Being with Julian is kind of helping her with that, since he needs her support and she feels okay talking about this stuff with him. Also she tends to be kind of overly sexual. She doesn’t really mean to, it just happens.Aaron: He tends to take serious things as a joke sometimes.Lyra: She likes to just, avoid people. She’d rather just be alone by her own choice than face rejection.

52. What is their best positive quality?Rose: She’s like a mom? You wouldn’t think that on the surface, but she’s actually really warm and motherly.Aaron: So fucking funny.Lyra: She has a heart of gold

53. What is their position to fall asleep?Rose: She likes to fall alseep with Julian resting his head on her chest and petting his hair. Motherly instincts, i guess. Also it’s the only surefire way of making sure he sleeps. If she’s alone, on her stomach or side with her arms under the pillow.Aaron: Starfish. Asra just has to deal with it, i guess.Lyra: Curled up with Nadia. It’s where she feels safest.

54. The most uncomfortable moment they ever experienced?Rose: (spoilers) Finding out she died. Considering death is her greatest fear, it was especially hard for her to swallowAaron: When his brother found out him and Asra were fuckin…and he found out his brother and Nadia were fuckinLyra:…..

55. Their happiest memory?Rose: When she first came to Vesuvia. It was kinda scary, but there’s SO MUCH TO SEE!!Aaron: Getting Slappy. Lyra: Finding out Nadia likes her back. She nearly fainted.

56. Do they blush?Rose: Not really, if she does its hard to tellAaron: SometimesLyra: YES

57. Are they clumsy?Nah

58. Do they like jokes? Of course, they’re people, arent they?

59. How do they flirt?Rose: VERY direct. She’s not afraid to let people know what she wants.Aaron: “Hey cookin’, what’s lookin’?”Lyra: oh god she’s so bad at it help her

60. Favorite fruit?Rose: StrawberryAaron: Orange Lyra: Kiwi

[crazydiscostu]

It’s got it all! This film literally has a character break the 4th wall (with a boat)! The Truman Show has not only been nominated for countless awards in its time but it has won countless more. We take a look at what makes this Jim Carrey outing so enduring after all these years and why it is so difficult to corner into any one genre of film.

This film can be defined as Science Fiction, Comedy, Satire, Concept or Drama, but more accurately the film is a blend of all of these genre elements. Everyone and their dog agrees the film is a giant metaphor but no-one can seem to agree on what that metaphor is. Lets get the more obvious symbolism and observations out of the way first : There’s the Christof (of Christ) / Truman (true man) dynamic between what is essentially creator and creation. The themes of Moses and the book of Exodus. But the most prevalent themes come from Plato’s ‘Allegory of the cave’, an interplay where :

“Plato has Socrates describe a group of people who have lived chained to the wall of a cave all of their lives, facing a blank wall. The people watch shadows projected on the wall from objects passing in front of a fire behind them, and give names to these shadows. The shadows are the prisoners’ reality. Socrates explains how the philosopher is like a prisoner who is freed from the cave and comes to understand that the shadows on the wall are not reality at all, for he can perceive the true form of reality rather than the manufactured reality that is the shadows seen by the prisoners. The inmates of this place do not even desire to leave their prison, for they know no better life. The prisoners manage to break their bonds one day, and discover that their reality was not what they thought it was. They discovered the sun, which Plato uses as an analogy for the fire that man cannot see behind. Like the fire that cast light on the walls of the cave, the human condition is forever bound to the impressions that are received through the senses. Even if these interpretations (or, in Kantian terminology, intuitions) are an absurd misrepresentation of reality, we cannot somehow break free from the bonds of our human condition—we cannot free ourselves from phenomenal state just as the prisoners could not free themselves from their chains. If, however, we were to miraculously escape our bondage, we would find a world that we could not understand—the sun is incomprehensible for someone who has never seen it. In other words, we would encounter another “realm”, a place incomprehensible because, theoretically, it is the source of a higher reality than the one we have always known; it is the realm of pure Form, pure fact.” – ‘Allegory of the cave’, Wikipedia

This idea was also promoted heavily in the Matrix. After all this is a story about control.

“We accept the reality of the world with which we are presented”

Moving on – Flat Earthers point to the symbolism of a presented idea, a giant dome which is not as it seems…. I’m not going to get too bogged down in that one given that the Flat Earth movement was started on 4Chan….

But speaking of paranoia – while researching the film I came across a few articles commenting on how the film echoes our current online privacy and data concerns (outlined in a previous post). However I feel that line of thinking is ill conceived : We elect to share our information, doing so without comprehension whereas Truman literally had no choice. He was born into his world was denied privacy from the start. Presumably those articles were attempting to draw comparison to Jim Carrey dumping his Facebook stock and calling out data mining? Who knows.

Soundtrack-wise the themes are emotive and engaging. Burkhard Dallwitz and Philip Glass capture the mood with each scene and build from introspective piano melodies to crashing epic tension with ease. Check out ‘It’s a life‘ , ‘Dreaming of Fiji‘ , ‘Reunion‘ and ‘Truman sleeps‘ specifically. The strings are vibrant and never overstep the mark, driving the scene in some areas and guiding it gently in others.

Jim Carrey filmed this at the height of his career but up until then was only really known for his comedic roles. Despite filming taking place earlier and delays with the studio over the films release, Carrey already had a number of successful box office films (Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994) The Mask (1994) Dumb and Dumber (1994) Batman Forever (1995) Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls (1995) The Cable Guy (1996) Liar Liar (1997)) under his belt. Some more successful than others obviously but this marks his first real acting job as far as I’m concerned. He has range here that we had previously never seen before. It demonstrates his first performance outside of the goofball character.

It’s worth noting that a similar project came out after The Truman Show – EDTV was another concept film which saw Matthew McConaughey (also starring Ellen, Woody from Cheers and Chandlers fruit-dehydrating roomate) elect to become a reality television star (with hilarious consequences ugh). A bit of a flop, EDTV’s saving grace was it’s ability to portray the “everyman”. They showed the effects of having the cameras intrude on the life of an aware Joe Bloggs character. The protagonist being a bit of a slob (and not too bright) made it easy for the writers to put him into that situation and act boisterous in an effort to escape. With Truman there was a child-like naivety that made him the hero of the film. His schtick was an innocence that made the audience root for him.

The deleted scenes allude to deeper plot threads and character traits. There is a scene where it could be theorised that the network were drugging Truman with “vitamins”. A scene outlining a studio plot for Truman to have an affair, a son and his inevitable death (prematurely or otherwise). In this scene they discuss Truman’s son and the continuation of the show which is an interesting concept in itself. In another scene we see that when Truman steps onto the boat – he knows completely that everyone in Seahaven is in on the conspiracy. He appears disguised as a member of his own search party and makes his way to the docks. Once he knows the truth there is no turning back for his character. Obviously this scenes omission from the theatrical cut makes for a more compelling story if Truman still has doubts as to the level and intricacies of the conspiracy by this stage.

I truly feel like Andrew Niccol doesn’t get enough credit for the world-building at play. Every character not only has a backstory within Truman’s world, but so does the actors that play them (within the confines of the world outside Seahaven). I admire this level of detail (seen more recently in the gaming world with the likes of Red Dead Redemption 2 – where the NPC’s have lives and jobs and a scheduled day independent of the protagonists actions). We can also see the sophistication of the camera technology grow as Truman gets older in the more “clip driven” portions of the film.

The filming is in itself fascinating. At the beginning of the film shots of Truman appear largely in fish eye, iris and point-of-view to demonstrate the perspective of the hidden cameras. As Truman discovers his world these devices are used less, subtly taking the audience out of this world alongside Truman (to a certain extent). The shift is subtle but wholly impactful. Even camera angles throughout the film make it look like filming is being conducted from hidden locations within the scenery.

As solid as the world-building of the film is, there are still some concerns about the ending : what happened when Truman went through the door? Did it lead into a backstage area or some sort of maintenance corridor? Echoing back to the religious symbolism, Christof addresses Truman from the heavens with a booming voice and Truman turns his back on the creator. As symbolic as his exit is in the film, Truman is still within Christof’s control (at least until he makes it outside of the secure studio/dome facility). And then there’s the legal ramifications of his departure. The studio presumably have a legal obligation to his care and well-being. We assume that Sylvia comes to meet Truman leaving the studio but we have no idea how difficult it would be for him to leave the compound property.

Christof and the network can’t have been too happy about Truman’s departure – Would they seek to smear him using footage of grabbing his wife Meryl with the blade? What are the copyright and consent limitations? Then there’s the serious mental toll of living a lie : breakdowns and trust issues, lack of anonymity. We only see glimpses of the world outside of Seahaven and even then it is only of the audience themselves. What kind of world could Truman potentially be walking into?

Calm down, Stu. It’s only a film?

The Truman Show is heartfelt and sincere. It is all of these genre specific elements, religious analogies and psychoanalytical commentaries rolled neatly into the DNA of what is a solid concept film (which ironically would work well as a television series). It asks fascinating questions about identity and privacy. For that reason I feel it will be remembered fondly for years to come. A time capsule if you will. A snapshot of a time before mass surveillance and reality television.

“In case I don’t see ya, good afternoon, good evening and goodnight”

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When Truman leaves : ‘The Truman Show’ (1998) It's got it all! This film literally has a character break the 4th wall (with a boat)!